TAMW CH39

What was he supposed to do first?

What else could he do first?

Yuqing didn’t even need to think about it; he could already feel the wet, slick touch trailing across his thighs, his calves, and even the arches of his feet.

He was seated on the edge of the table. Now that his belly was larger, moving around carelessly wasn’t easy.

Zhou Xiao was kneeling beneath the hem of his long gown. Looking down, all Yuqing could really see was the prominent, rounded swell of his own lower abdomen.

Zhou Xiao’s head shifted constantly beneath the fabric of the robe.

Rather than calling him lecherous, it was more accurate to say he behaved just like a hound—sniffing diligently over every single inch of Yuqing’s skin to inspect it, checking if any part smelled different from when he had left.

From Yuqing’s thighs down to his toes, every spot was thoroughly vetted.

Even after finishing his inspection, he refused to come out.

The moment he parted his lips, he began taking his fill.

Yuqing gave his head a gentle nudge. “Are you a puppy?”

“Mm…” Zhou Xiao didn’t mind being a dog in the slightest; in truth, he was intensely jealous of Xiaoxiao.

A German shepherd had accompanied Yuqing for nearly seven years. Heaven only knew how many times Yuqing had petted its head or stroked its face during all those days. Being a dog required doing absolutely nothing—fetching a toy was enough to earn praise. Why shouldn’t he be envious? Why shouldn’t he be jealous?

He and Yuqing had missed nearly six years together. Why should a dog have enjoyed his wife’s gentleness for no reason at all?

Zhou Xiao resented it. He wanted to claim that fairness back from Yuqing, thoroughly making up for the regret of all those years when Yuqing’s life lacked his presence.

Looking down, Yuqing could only watch his head burrowing beneath the gown, occasionally accompanied by the wet, smacking sounds of his lips.

Furthermore…

There seemed to be the faint rustle of Zhou Xiao undoing his belt, the clink of the metal buckle barely audible.

Yuqing: “…”

He hadn’t had any wine, nor had he lit any incense. Zhou Xiao had cast aside every shred of pretense before him; once inside the bedchamber, he was far more ravenous than any frequent visitor to the red-light districts.

At times like this, Yuqing couldn’t help wondering: had he truly starved the man during his pregnancy?

Judging by Zhou Xiao’s frequent reminders, he was a man who prized cleanliness. It was one thing when he had never tasted intimacy before, but once he had broken his fast with Yuqing, he was suddenly reduced to looking without touching. As a man himself, Yuqing could somewhat understand his plight.

“Take it slow. Tonight… aren’t you staying?” Yuqing used one toe to flick off the shoe on his other foot.

The cloth slipper was embroidered with a pattern of jasmine blossoms.

Before it could even hit the floor, Zhou Xiao caught it in his hand, then slipped off the remaining shoe as well. Both of Yuqing’s feet felt somewhat chilled.

Even in winter, Yuqing’s constitution remained prone to cold.

He was carrying a child, and his nutrients were constantly being drawn away by the life in his belly. The chill grew worse when the weather turned freezing; without a warm water bottle tucked beneath the quilt at night, the discomfort would keep him from falling asleep.

“Are they a bit warmer now?” Zhou Xiao pressed Yuqing’s feet together, holding them flush against himself. “Stepping on this will warm them up faster.”

Yuqing pressed down with a fraction more weight. Zhou Xiao’s jawline pulled taut, his shoulders visibly trembling.

Yuqing chuckled softly. “It’s fortunate the size is substantial enough; otherwise, it would be difficult to warm both feet at once.”

Zhou Xiao remained on his knees keeping him warm, his face buried against Yuqing’s waist and abdomen.

After a while, the candle in the bedchamber was extinguished.

The servants in the courtyard quietly kept watch from a distance. The nights at the Zhou residence had been dead and silent for years, yet tonight, one could faintly hear the old wooden bed creaking back and forth.

Such an old bed was truly ancient. The base was solid four-cornered timber, but the wooden slats above had loosened over time.

Several upright wooden posts supported the canopy at the head of the bed. Normally, when Yuqing lay there, it made no noise at all.

Only when Yuqing rested his hands against the posts, rocked by someone pushing from behind, would it produce that tooth-grinding creak, creak sound.

Creak, creak…

Creak, creak…

Yuqing had little strength left. He lay back limply, his forearm shielding his eyes. Zhou Xiao lay beside him, teeth gently nipping at his shoulder as he asked, “Are you alright?”

“You’re trembling.”

Yuqing parted his lips; even his mouth seemed to quiver slightly.

Perhaps because he had explicitly instructed Zhou Xiao not to act recklessly, the man had indeed shown him respect. Though the veins at his temples had been throbbing continuously, he had still obeyed.

Zhou Xiao kept a clear measure in his own mind; he understood the difference between one hearty meal and eating his fill every single day.

Especially with the child in Yuqing’s belly, he knew the baby was an essential chip securing his standing before Yuqing. He could not harm the child.

Yuqing’s long hair was strewn across the mattress, his bare skin glistening with a thin sheen of perspiration, dark strands clinging damply to his body.

The moonlight was pure and cold.

As that pale white light spilled into the room, it made Yuqing’s skin appear translucent, like fine porcelain. With a few black strands plastered against his skin, he looked entirely like an alluring spirit.

He simply tilted his head back, forearm resting over his eyes, one calf draped casually over Zhou Xiao’s thigh. His slender fingers gripped the fabric of the bed hangings tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, skin pressed flush to bone, the lean lines of his muscles showing with pristine clarity…

Zhou Xiao was no paragon of virtue.

He had never witnessed anyone pregnant before—man or woman, Yuqing was his first.

It had already been six and a half months.

Zhou Xiao lifted Yuqing’s foot, which had gradually grown warm, and deliberately pressed his cheek against it to warm it further. “Back then, this place wasn’t round at all…”

He was naturally referring to Yuqing’s belly.

In truth, from their wedding until now, the nights they had truly shared a pillow did not even number five. Naturally, it couldn’t be counted merely by nights—on their wedding night alone, Zhou Xiao had demanded him four times.

Back then, Zhou Xiao had disliked men, and despised the arranged match with Yuqing even more.

During their intimacy, Zhou Xiao hadn’t looked closely at his waist, but he had touched it. At this moment, his mind naturally recalled how remarkably supple and slender that waist had been…

“Is the Young Master displeased that Yuqing’s belly has grown large?” Yuqing bit his lip, a soft hum slipping from his nose.

“No.” Zhou Xiao kissed the sole of his foot. “How could I be?”

He simply felt… that he had somewhat… wronged Yuqing.

Yuqing’s obsession with bearing a child was merely to repay a debt of gratitude for a saved life, but in Zhou Xiao’s eyes, Zhou Yuzhang had never been worthy of Yuqing’s sincere heart.

Once a child was brought into the world, it would trap Yuqing for the rest of his life.

Furthermore, he couldn’t use any real force at all. If he did, Yuqing would tremble so violently he would demand he pull out. It drove him nearly out of his mind!

Why hadn’t he been born a eunuch?!

Getting Yuqing pregnant so early meant walking on eggshells for everything. As the father, he had to take cues from an unborn brat just to enter; what kind of nonsense was this!

Yet Zhou Xiao couldn’t actually castrate himself. After the child was born, he still had to attend to his wife.

Between husband and wife, harmony in the bedchamber was essential after all.

In the dead of night, after Zhou Xiao had wiped Yuqing down, the man’s hair had already dried.

Bare-shouldered, Zhou Xiao returned to the bed and pressed his ear against Yuqing’s belly, rather excited. “Let me listen.”

Yuqing had knelt on the bed earlier, bracing himself against the headboard; his belly had felt heavy, and his arms had lost their strength. When his fingers touched Zhou Xiao’s forehead, they were still shaking faintly.

The corners of his eyes were tinted rose-red, his lashes wet. “Listen to what…?”

Yuqing was so exhausted he could barely keep his eyes open, drifting off to sleep.

Zhou Xiao had clearly only scratched the surface and hadn’t had his fill. Having properly tasted intimacy again, he was too stimulated to sleep, persistently nipping at Yuqing’s thighs…

From the thighs all the way up to his lower abdomen, only then did he press his ear against the belly to listen, brimming with the excitement of becoming a father for the first time.

“I’m listening to see if we woke Qingming just now.”

“You—” Yuqing didn’t even have the strength to swat his cheek, provoked to a helpless laugh by the remark.

“Qingqing, is he moving?” Zhou Xiao pressed his ear closer to the abdomen, not daring to apply too much weight for fear of pressing too hard against the belly.

Yuqing focused for a moment, resting his palm over his lower abdomen, a quiet “Mm” slipping from his throat. “He’s moving.”

Perhaps it was due to Zhou Xiao’s words, but Yuqing realized that normally at this hour, Qingming wouldn’t be fussing, nor would there be movement…

He had thought the child was well-behaved, as fetal movement had been infrequent.

As a man, pregnancy was fraught with peril; the physician had said frequent movement was a good sign, proving the baby was healthy.

With his ear pressed against the skin, Zhou Xiao could feel something shifting inside—whether a tiny hand or a foot, he couldn’t tell.

“He seems to be kicking me…” The corners of Zhou Xiao’s mouth hooked up uncontrollably. “Does he dislike me? Or does he like me? Qingqing, tell me?”

“Kicking you might just be his way of greeting you.”

Zhou Xiao promptly kissed his belly. “Qingming, I’m your father! Your dad!”

“Look at you, acting so foolish,” Yuqing smiled.

When the movements had first begun, Yuqing would casually rub his abdomen to coax Qingming into stirring.

But as the baby grew larger, he stopped doing so.

“Why?” Zhou Xiao asked.

Yuqing answered languidly, “Whenever he kicks here, my stomach churns terribly. It’s quite uncomfortable…”

Zhou Xiao paused. Only then did it strike him that he hadn’t been present during the early stages of Yuqing’s pregnancy, and a wave of sorrow washed over him.

He gently kissed Yuqing’s belly. “Father arrived too late.”

“I wasn’t here to share your burdens. Does Qingqing blame me?”

Yuqing looked at Zhou Xiao with mild confusion. “I wanted this child myself. It had very little to do with you to begin with…”

“Qingqing—”

Zhou Xiao hated hearing such words.

Yuqing let out a soft laugh, opening his arms. Zhou Xiao immediately nestled into his embrace. “So how could I blame you? If you want to be a good father, I am naturally willing. Alright, stop fussing. Haven’t you caused enough trouble for one night?”

Zhou Xiao mumbled, “I didn’t even get to enjoy it properly…”

“What?” Yuqing hadn’t heard clearly.

“Nothing.” Zhou Xiao reached out to gather the clothes Yuqing had taken off earlier, thinking he would just take care of things with his own hands shortly rather than bothering Yuqing further.

Yuqing was truly worn out, drifting off to sleep moments later.

Zhou Xiao held him from behind, letting Yuqing rest on one arm while his other hand massaged his lower back.

Yuqing murmured, “You’re not allowed to fool around anymore…”

Zhou Xiao placed a few soft kisses against his nape before offering his guarantee: “Alright. Whatever Qingqing says, I will obey.”

Yuqing found him amusing; give him a little sweetness, and he became utterly obedient, pliable to a fault.

Much like a large dog that, by behaving better, hoped to earn another reward next time.

Yuqing’s heart had always been soft; seeing Zhou Xiao grow increasingly well-behaved, he truly found himself granting him more and more rewards…

Zhou Xiao had only returned for a brief night; construction in Liu County was in full swing and desperately needed hands.

Although Deng Yongquan was an architect, Zhou Xiao’s knowledge was by no means inferior to his. Having pursued a dual degree abroad, Zhou Xiao took a far broader scope into account.

Building the railway in Liu County required real-time site monitoring. Shencheng was encircled by mountains; cutting the rail path and mining coal inevitably hinged on the single most critical step: blasting the mountains.

If the explosive ratios weren’t recalibrated before blasting, cave-ins were extremely likely. In severe cases, an entire mountain ridge could fracture, forcing the planned rail line to divert around the mountain, generating staggering additional costs.

Zhou Xiao had thoroughly studied explosive compositions and could adapt them to varied topographies.

During the initial blasting phase, neither Zhou Xiao nor Deng Yongquan could afford to leave the site.

Thus, after an entangled night, Zhou Xiao had to set off again the following morning.

Yuqing was accustomed to rising early. When he opened his eyes, however, his limbs were pinned fast.

Zhou Xiao was a broad-shouldered man, bare-chested. Sometime during the night, he had undone the buttons of Yuqing’s inner robe and burrowed his head inside. He had long drunk his fill, yet Yuqing hadn’t felt a single thing.

It seemed he had truly exhausted himself yesterday.

With the slightest shift, a discontented, warning hum slipped from Zhou Xiao’s nose. “Qingqing…”

Zhou Xiao had rushed all the way back yesterday; thinking of this, Yuqing didn’t forcefully push him away.

Instead, indulging him, he wrapped an arm around the back of his head.

Slurp, suck…

“Hiss.” Unable to bear the wet, suckling noises starting up again, Yuqing pinched Zhou Xiao’s half-asleep face, chiding with mild rebuke, “Hmm?”

Zhou Xiao hadn’t opened his eyes yet, squinting up at him as his mouth continued its motions—neither defiant nor deliberate, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, something he was born to do.

“What time is it? Aren’t you getting up?” Yuqing pushed his shoulder.

“Don’t want to…” A petulant grumble came from Zhou Xiao’s throat. “If I get up, doesn’t that mean leaving you?”

Yuqing felt a headache coming on from his clinginess, laughing helplessly.

In the past, Yuqing had fretted over the tenderness in his chest, not daring to eat too much, fearing the pain when lying on his side.

With Zhou Xiao around, that was never an issue—it was never enough, and he was never satisfied.

He was more terrifying than a blood-sucking parasite, seemingly wishing he could swallow Yuqing whole just to find happiness.

Unable to hold out any longer, Yuqing needed to get up to relieve himself.

Last night, he had been carried by Zhou Xiao like a toddler being held over a chamber pot, bound together through it all—shameful to recall.

Whatever fluid had been in his body had been wrung out last night, which was why he had slept straight through till dawn.

Zhou Xiao wanted to laze in bed a while longer, but seeing his discomfort, he quickly got up to support him. “Does the physician take your pulse every day?”

“Mm, every day.”

The physician was housed right inside the estate; naturally, he attended daily.

Zhou Xiao nodded. After helping Yuqing put on his shoes, he turned to rummage through the wardrobe.

Looking inside, Zhou Xiao finally understood why Yuqing had called to scold him yesterday before changing into new clothes.

There were hardly any wearable garments left in the wardrobe.

Winter in Baizhou brought snow. The silk and satin fabrics remaining were all for summer wear; he had practically cleared out the rest.

“Ahem—” Zhou Xiao cleared his throat awkwardly. “Those useless servants, handling matters so carelessly. I told them long ago that the clothes must be brought back daily, yet look at this…”

The suspicion in Yuqing’s eyes hadn’t faded. He tilted his head, regarding him as if seeing through his petty lies with absolute clarity.

“I’ll have someone buy more.”

“They’ve already been bought; they just haven’t been put into the wardrobe yet.”

Yuqing clapped his hands. Xiao Cui, who oversaw his wardrobe, pushed the door open with lowered eyes, holding several sets of clothes in both hands for him to choose from.

Zhou Xiao had only worn a single suit yesterday. Having knelt on the floor while Yuqing stepped on him through his trousers, it had gotten quite dirty.

He stood bare-chested, several distinct scratch marks visible across his back…

Yuqing had intended to send someone to buy a suit, but Zhou Xiao usually wore garments tailored by French masters and cared little for domestic styles.

“I recall Father had several sets of clothes he never wore,” Yuqing instructed the servants. “After he fell ill, they were bought but never worn out. They are brand new, not considered relics of the deceased. Try them on.”

Butler Deng hurriedly sent someone to fetch them.

Yuqing had originally kept them as mementos, but seeing the current master wear them was a fine alternative.

Zhou Xiao didn’t care for long robes and riding jackets (magua).

Yuqing rarely wore riding jackets; as the wife, he simply wore an unbroken, flowing gown, which suited his slender frame far better.

What the old master had left behind was a magua, the attire of an authoritative patriarch.

Zhou Xiao didn’t like it much, but when Yuqing reached out to fasten his buttons, he wore it anyway.

Dressed like this, he seemed to match Yuqing much better.

As Yuqing fastened the buttons, his pregnant belly brushed against Zhou Xiao’s abdomen, intentionally or not. Zhou Xiao raised his chin slightly. “Do you prefer me dressed like this, or in a suit?”

Lowering his eyes, Yuqing whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Yuqing naturally prefers you wearing nothing at all, sparing us the trouble of washing soiled fabric.”

“Tsk—” Hearing that, Zhou Xiao’s eyes lit up instantly.

Yuqing tilted his head, taking a step back to inspect him, asking Butler Deng with a smile, “How does it look?”

Butler Deng’s eyes grew red. “So alike! He looks just like the Old Master!”

The spark Yuqing had just ignited in Zhou Xiao was thoroughly doused by Butler Deng’s remark.

Just as he was about to rip the clothes off, Yuqing’s hand rested lightly on his shoulder. “Alike how? I don’t see much resemblance at all. His shoulders are broader, and these clothes are a bit small, making the Master look far too solemn—nothing like a student. Go to the market and buy a suit for the Master.”

“A young man ought to dress like one.”

“Ah.” Zhou Xiao covered Yuqing’s hand on his shoulder. “If it looks solemn, I’ll wear it for now.”

“A master should carry himself with solemnity.” In Yuqing’s words, he was no longer like the old man.

His shoulders were even broader than Zhou Yuzhang’s.

Didn’t that prove that in Yuqing’s heart, he had long surpassed the old man?

Pleasure flooded Zhou Xiao’s chest. He didn’t care whose clothes they were, nor whether he resembled Zhou Yuzhang; the man was dead anyway and couldn’t crawl out of his grave to demand them back.

“Very well.” Yuqing humored him. “Let’s eat first.”

While the servants refueled the Ford car, Yuqing still had someone purchase several properly fitted outfits. Even if Zhou Xiao didn’t want them, he had to prepare them; that was a wife’s duty.

He had to manage matters both inside and outside the household.

“The Master enjoyed these few side dishes. Uncle Deng, pack some for him to take along.”

“Yes.”

“It was raining in Liu County a few days ago; the county boots might not be comfortable. I had new ones prepared, along with an umbrella imported from abroad—not oil-paper, so you should be used to it.”

“Also…”

Zhou Xiao rested his chin on his palm, gazing infatuatedly as Yuqing checked the ledgers while reciting instructions. “Also what?”

“Also, the Master should stop staring and eat his meal.”

Yuqing glanced over the ledgers, confirming there were no large disbursements or withdrawals yesterday, and that the port revenue remained steady, which set his mind at ease.

At the very least, the newly arrived military officer hadn’t severed Qingming Bank’s management of the port, which meant there was room to negotiate!

“Alright—” Zhou Xiao laughed hoarsely. “Madam truly knows how to manage people.”

Closing the ledger, Yuqing narrowed his eyes. “Oh? If the Master dislikes being managed, Yuqing won’t meddle in the future.”

“Hey—” Zhou Xiao quickly backtracked. “Good Madam, don’t you dare stop managing me.”

They bickered softly, drawing amused smiles from the servants amidst the relaxed atmosphere.

Zhou Xiao picked up his bowl and ate, thoroughly relishing the moment.

This light, comfortable feeling—being looked after in every single detail, held constantly in someone’s heart—was intoxicating. He wished he could undo Yuqing’s gown right now and taste his little Yuqing.

Speaking of little Yuqing, a certain matter came to mind.

After breakfast, Yuqing needed to review the books. This time, he didn’t allow Zhou Xiao to linger beside him, finding him entirely too clingy.

Zhou Xiao turned and headed toward Doctor Liu’s courtyard.

These days, Doctor Liu had been working diligently. The moment he tried to step out, Butler Deng would smilingly have the guards drag him right back.

Though advanced in years, Butler Deng’s cane packed a serious punch.

The butler was an old-school traditionalist, bound by lifelong servitude since childhood; whatever the master commanded was carried out like an imperial decree.

Doctor Liu dared not attempt escape again. Butler Deng paid him silver dollars daily on Zhou Xiao’s orders—enough to purchase a modest townhouse in Baizhou.

He had realized that as long as he successfully delivered the Madam’s child, he would be set for life!

Consequently, Doctor Liu had behaved himself, even having numerous ancient medical texts fetched from his clinic, spending his days buried in research.

“Doctor Liu.”

Zhou Xiao appeared unannounced. Doctor Liu was sitting in the yard flipping through books, a small mountain of scrolls beside him.

“Master Zhou!” He scrambled to his feet.

“No need for formalities. I came today to ask a few questions.” Zhou Xiao sat down with a mild smile.

“Of course, of course. Please, ask away.”

“This concerns private matters between the Madam and myself. Only you and I are here; if you let your tongue slip in the future—”

Doctor Liu understood; this matter was strictly between heaven, earth, the Master, and himself.

“Is there an issue with the Madam’s body down below?”

Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow, looking Doctor Liu up and down, thinking the man was no fool.

Selling an untested conception medicine to Yuqing for money had been a heinous, capital offense. Yet now, when even Western medicine was powerless and unversed in such matters, perhaps only this unscrupulous doctor could keep both Yuqing and the child safe.

He politely helped the doctor up: “Indeed.”

“Then I must first take your pulse.”

“Mine?” Confused, Zhou Xiao extended his wrist nonetheless.

After checking the pulse, Doctor Liu felt relieved. Master Zhou’s temper was mild today; as long as he measured his words, he shouldn’t get beaten…

“Is anything amiss?”

“N-no, nothing.”

Doctor Liu breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared Master Zhou might harbor some mental ailment that could affect the fetus in the Madam’s womb.

It appeared he was merely eccentric and ill-tempered.

“I can roughly guess the situation you speak of. Did you discover it during intimacy recently?”

Zhou Xiao nodded.

He had discovered it during their intimacy last night: Yuqing had been soaking wet, front and back, impossibly slick.

“The Madam is a man; his body cannot grow female reproductive organs, so the child must gestate within the abdominal cavity. I have studied medical texts these days; even with abdominal gestation, delivering via surgical incision is far more likely. Though the birth canal may not be used, it will still develop internally.”

“Therefore, when the Madam is intimate with you, if passion is stirred, some… wetness is entirely normal. Pregnancy naturally heightens desire.”

In other words, Yuqing became extraordinarily slick during pregnancy.

“Does it affect his health?” That was Zhou Xiao’s primary concern.

“Not at present. However, the Madam should exercise restraint in front; after all, releasing vital essence drains the body. If needed, having the Master assist him will prevent harm, and will also aid during childbirth later on.”

“Oh—so that’s how it is.” Zhou Xiao clapped him on the shoulder. “I knew Doctor Liu was learned and experienced; I wasn’t mistaken.”

Doctor Liu offered a dry laugh.

The sensations from last night lingered…

Zhou Xiao dared not dwell on them, or he wouldn’t even be able to walk properly. He lingered in the corridor for a moment, like a young lad experiencing first love, pulling the scrap of cloth he had tugged from Yuqing last night from his pocket to take a sniff.

Even though they were under the same roof, he wanted to catch Yuqing’s scent at every moment.

Once Qingming was born, the boy had better grow up overnight so he and Yuqing could enjoy domestic bliss while the family business was handed off to Qingming.

Yuqing was like this long corridor: narrow, twisting, squeezing so tightly during peak moments that one’s soul took flight…

He longed for Yuqing fiercely once more.

“Master.”

“Good morning, Master.”

Two servants who had just finished refueling the car walked past. Facing the corridor, Zhou Xiao nodded, gesturing for them to move along quickly.

This damn magua was truly unwearable—what kind of fabric was this, showing everything so conspicuously?

Tailored trousers were snug, but at least they didn’t look lewd. If Yuqing saw him like this, he would make remarks about his size again.

He was about to leave; he couldn’t let himself be lured back to the bed.

Yuqing was too demanding during pregnancy—a little too heavy and he would whimper. Where was the elder spouse of three years? Pliable in his hands, he seemed more like a wife three years his junior, knowing only how to plead “no.”

Thinking about it turned the tips of Zhou Xiao’s ears red, and he ducked his head with a grin.

Composing himself, he walked quickly toward the main courtyard.

“Qingqing—” He quickened his pace. “I’m back, you—”

The sunlight was splendid today. The door to the main bedchamber stood open, light streaming inside. Draped in a white fox-fur cloak reaching his thighs, Yuqing stood with his dark hair cascading down his back, his profile leaning toward the peony blossoms, eyes closed as he breathed in their fragrance.

Zhou Xiao parted his lips, slowing his steps at the sight.

Hearing the footsteps, Yuqing set the flower down. “The flowers are lovely; we couldn’t just throw them away. I found a vase to arrange them. Have a look… there are only porcelain vases at home, so I don’t know if it’s suitable.”

As he spoke, the small mole beneath his eye seemed to come alive.

He had been caught in the act of smelling the flowers.

He liked these peonies.

Did he like the peonies, or the flowers Zhou Xiao had given him?

Zhou Xiao said, “It’s very suitable.”

Yuqing lowered his gaze softly. “As long as it’s suitable.”

Zhou Xiao noticed that his lower abdomen was resting against the edge of the table.

Was the belly too heavy?

Yuqing was always so composed and meticulous in business, yet at home, he was merely an expectant wife…

His body grew heavier by the day; when his back ached, he would quietly prop his belly against the table’s edge…

The realization made Yuqing seem immensely endearing to Zhou Xiao.

“Is the baby kicking again?” Zhou Xiao approached, cupping his lower abdomen from behind. “Or is it heavier than a few days ago?”

Yuqing wasn’t certain either. Turning his face slightly, he was met with a sudden kiss. Accustomed to the man’s shamelessness, he chuckled softly, “Is it heavy?”

“Heavy.”

Heavy was not just the child, but the weight Yuqing held within his heart.