Zong Jinghao turned to look at Lin Xinyan, and his eyes shone with inexplicable heartache.
He wasn’t by her side when she needed someone to take care of her.
It must’ve been tough when she gave birth to the twins.
Lin Ruixi’s tiny fist loosened a little.
Lin Xinyan’s voice got even softer as she continued, “Even if I have countless other kids in the future, no one can replace you and your brother, Ruixi. The two of you are the reason I am who I am right now.”
Lin Ruixi turned to her mother between sobs.
Lin Xinyan reached her hand out to wipe Lin Ruixi’s tears away from her chubby cheeks. She then explained, “Ruixi, you are mommy’s most precious treasure, and I want you to grow up to be strong. I want to help you be a brave and resilient child because daddy and mommy can’t stay with you forever. This world is full of wonders, and you have so many adventures waiting for you. You will have to experience and face so much on your own. I am only strict with you because I love you.”
Lin Ruixi’s fist loosened completely and she reached out to touch Lin Xinyan’s tummy. Lin Xinyan was only a few months into her pregnancy, so the baby was virtually undetectable. Lin Ruixi sniffled and asked, “Is there really a baby inside?”
Lin Xinyan tilted her head down, and her eyes shone with love as she held her daughter and answered, “Yes, there is. You used to be in my tummy like this as well, Ruixi, but you grew up bit by bit.”
Lin Ruixi got curious and moved her hand around, but she still couldn’t feel the baby.
“You will be a big sister soon, Ruixi, and the baby will be very tiny. You have to care for and love the baby to help the baby grow up, okay?”
Lin Ruixi placed her head close to Lin Xinyan’s tummy and asked, “I’m a big sister?”
“Yes, you will be a big sister soon,” replied Lin Xinyan with a smile. She stroked her daughter’s hair before continuing, “My dear Ruixi is all grown up and is about to start elementary school. You will also be a big sister soon. I still remember how you looked just like a tiny Minnie Mouse when you were just born. Mommy was so worried then that you won’t have enough to eat.”
Lin Ruixi hugged her mother tightly and murmured, “Mommy…”
“Do you still remember what you ate to grow to be big and strong?” asked Lin Xinyan as she held her daughter’s face and stared into her big, round eyes.
Lin Ruixi nodded, “Yeah, I remember.”
“And do you remember what your brother ate growing up?”
“Yes, I remember it well. Mommy is worried about me not being full, so you gave me all the breast milk. Xichen had to have baby formula instead.”
“See? That is how much mommy loves you.”
Lin Ruixi lay silently in Lin Xinyan’s arms, sobbing softly.
“I’m sorry…”
“No, you don’t need to apologize. You did nothing wrong. I understand what you’re worried about, but you are mommy’s and daddy’s precious baby, and no one can replace you.”
Lin Ruixi’s hold on Lin Xinyan became even tighter at that.
Knock! Knock!
Cheng Yuxiu knocked and stood by the door as she said, “Dinner is ready. Come on down.”
Lin Xinyan carried her daughter and cooed, “Alright, let’s not cry anymore, okay? It’s not pretty if you cry.”
Lin Ruixi wiped her tears away before saying, “Mommy, put me down. I don’t want the baby to leave us.”
Lin Xinyan grinned and kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Mommy will be careful, but I want to hold you for a little longer. You’re all grown up now, and I can’t carry you like this for much longer. I want to hold you a little more while I still can,” said Lin Xinyan.
Lin Ruixi buried her face in the crook of her mother’s neck. The little girl was elated now that she knew that her mommy still loved her.
Zong Jinghao supported Lin Xinyan’s waist and reminded her, “Slow down.”
Lin Xinyan nodded.
Cheng Yuxiu was nervous as well. Lin Xinyan’s condition wasn’t ideal, and she might have a miscarriage if she was not careful. As such, Cheng Yuxiu followed closely behind Lin Xinyan.
The distance between the study room and the dining room was short, but Zong Jinghao was still nervous. The doctor already said that she should be on bed rest. And yet, here she is, walking around while carrying a tiny meatball! thought Zong Jinghao exasperatedly. Even though Lin Ruixi wasn’t plump, she had grown up quite a bit.
When they finally reached the dining table, Zong Jinghao took his daughter and placed her on the chair.
Lin Xichen placed the music notebook aside and walked over as well. He climbed onto the chair on his own before asking, “Whose piano is that?”
Lin Xinyan turned to her son and grinned before replying, “It’s mine.”
“Mommy, you know how to play the piano?” asked Lin Xichen as his eyes bulged.
Lin Ruixi’s eyes were glowing with anticipation as well. Her voice was still a little raspy when she spoke because she cried too much earlier. “I’ve never seen mommy play the piano before,” commented Lin Ruixi.
“Mommy will play for the two of you after dinner,” replied Lin Xinyan. She didn’t want her kids to think that they would be neglected just because she was pregnant again.
Besides, she was also bored because she had been locked at home ever since she got pregnant.
“Yay, we get to see mommy play the piano for us later,” cheered the kids.
Zong Jinghao grabbed some tissue to wipe his daughter’s tear-filled face.
Lin Ruixi grinned and said, “Thank you, daddy.”
In the end, Zong Jinghao could never be stern with his daughter, even though he was starting to realize that she might be spoiled.
Cheng Yuxiu made some bone broth just for Lin Xinyan. The former had made the soup by letting it simmer for over three hours to ensure that all the nutrients had seeped into it. Furthermore, in order to preserve the soup’s natural and original flavor, she didn’t put any seasoning in it.
Aunt Yu brought the soup over from the kitchen, and Cheng Yuxiu immediately scooped a bowl for Lin Xinyan. “This can replenish your calcium, so drink more of it to prevent your muscles from aching when you are further into your pregnancy.”
Cheng Yuxiu then placed the bowl of soup right in front of Lin Xinyan.
Aunt Yu was serving the dishes at the time, and she heard what Cheng Yuxiu say. She grinned and asked curiously, “How did you know that the muscles will ache once a woman is a few months into her pregnancy?”
When Cheng Yuxiu married Zong Qifeng, they told the public that they had never had a child together before and would never have one in the future.
As such, it didn’t make sense for a woman that had never been pregnant before to know about the muscle aches that a pregnant woman would go through.
Cheng Yuxiu was stunned. She didn’t expect Aunt Yu to suddenly ask a question like that, so she wasn’t prepared.
Fortunately, Lin Xinyan reacted quickly and answered, “Because I told her about how my muscles ached when I was pregnant with the twins.”
“Oh, I see,” murmured Aunt Yu. She didn’t think too much about it since the only reason she asked was that she was curious.
Cheng Yuxiu forced out a stiff-looking smile and chimed in, “That’s right. Yan told me about that.”
Zong Jinghao leaned against his chair as he shifted his gaze down. The emotions burning in him were inexplicable.
At that moment, Cheng Yuxiu placed several dishes that were Zong Jinghao’s favorite right in front of him. The way she did it looked so natural as if it were out of habit.
Once all the dishes were placed on the table, Cheng Yuxiu sat down beside Lin Ruixi and got some food for the little girl. “Ruixi is even eating on her own now. It feels like just yesterday when she still needed us to feed her.”
Lin Xinyan grinned and said, “Yeah, she’s all grown up now.”
Lin Ruixi was delighted to be praised, so she said, “I am about to be a big sister, so of course I’m all grown up. I’m gonna feed the little baby in the future.”
Cheng Yuxiu chuckled upon hearing that. The kid was jealous just mere moments ago, but she’s alright now.
“Here, mommy. You should eat more, so the baby can grow up faster,” said Lin Ruixi as she transferred a prawn from her own bowl to her mother’s.
“Oh my, why does it feel like Ruixi is all grown up in a matter of seconds?” said Cheng Yuxiu as she gently stroked her granddaughter’s hair.
“That’s because I’m about to be a big sister,” replied Lin Ruixi. Surprisingly, Lin Ruixi was starting to anticipate the arrival of the new baby.
She wondered what it’d feel like to hear someone call her a big sister.
The aura of the place was heartwarming, but Lin Xinyan soon noticed that Zong Jinghao never took a bite.
“What’s wrong? Aren’t these your favorite dishes?” asked Lin Xinyan as she placed some food on his plate.
Zong Jinghao checked his watch and answered, “I have a meeting at eight o’clock tonight. You guys eat without me.”
After saying his piece, Zong Jinghao got up from his seat and walked up the stairs.
Lin Xinyan checked the clock on the wall. It was only seven o’clock, and Zong Jinghao should be hungry even if he had a meeting later.
“I don’t think daddy is happy. Did you notice how he kept quiet the entire time?” asked Lin Xichen, who was sitting next to Zong Jinghao. I think daddy is upset when he heard grandmother tell mommy how her muscle will ache later during the pregnancy…
With Zong Jinghao gone, Cheng Yuxiu lost her appetite as well, the joy she felt a moment ago when she learned about Lin Xinyan’s pregnancy vanished into thin air. She asked, “Is he upset because I’m here?”
“Mom, that’s not it. He’s probably still stressed out about my issue because it is rather troublesome. He’s actually been like this for a while now. I’ll go check on him,” said Lin Xinyan before she stood up. Dressed in a loose green dress, and wearing a pair of soft slippers, she walked slowly and steadily towards the stairs.
Despite that, Cheng Yuxiu was still worried, so she reminded her, “Be careful.”
Lin Xinyan grinned at Cheng Yuxiu and replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine, you guys carry on with your meal.”
Lin Xinyan walked up the stairs. Because of her body condition, she walked slowly and barely made any noise. When she reached the door, she slowly opened it.
The lights were off inside the room, so the only source of light was from the gap of the open door.
Lin Xinyan saw Zong Jinghao sitting on the edge of the bed in a bent-over position. His lone figure made him seem down and lonely.
Lin Xinyan walked slowly to his side and asked softly, “Are you…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Zong Jinghao suddenly pulled Lin Xinyan into his embrace. His arms tightened around her waist as he buried his face in her tummy.
Lin Xinyan was startled. Zong Jinghao acted so impulsively that it got Lin Xinyan to raise her hands up instinctively.
“Just let me hold you for a little while,” requested Zong Jinghao in a soft and sullen tone. It sounded like he was burdened by something.
Lin Xinyan lowered her arms slowly before running her fingers through his hair. She hugged him ever so slightly, making him snuggled into her tummy even more.
