After hanging up the phone with Zhao Qian, Xu Zhinan sat alone on the edge of the bed for a long time, carefully recalling all the shameless things Lin Qingye had done these past few days.

She finally concluded that Zhao Qian might be right.

Xu Zhinan sat on the bed, raising her hand to gently touch her stomach. It was still flat; she couldn’t imagine that a small life might already be growing inside.

As she sat alone thinking, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped. Soon after, Lin Qingye came out wearing a bathrobe.

“What’s that smell?”

“I accidentally spilled some perfume earlier. It probably won’t dissipate for a while. If you’re not comfortable with the scent, should we sleep in the guest room?”

“No need. Let it air out a bit. It smells quite nice.” Lin Qingye recognized it as the locust flower-scented perfume that Xu Zhinan occasionally wore recently. “Were you on the phone just now?” he asked.

“Yes, Zhao Qian called.”

Lin Qingye didn’t think much of it after hearing this. He casually towel-dried his hair, then walked over to Xu Zhinan, bent down to kiss her, and asked in a low voice, “Have you taken a shower yet?”

“I’ll wait a bit longer.”

Xu Zhinan was thinking about how to tell Lin Qingye the news from earlier, especially since she wasn’t certain if Zhao Qian was right.

“Then we’ll shower together later.” As he spoke, he raised his knee onto the bed and leaned closer.

Xu Zhinan was pushed down onto the bed. After a moment’s delay, she realized what he was about to do and quickly raised her hands to his shoulders, flustering, “Wait, wait a moment.”

He asked in a hoarse voice, “Hmm?”

“I don’t feel well right now.”

Hearing this, Lin Qingye immediately stopped. “What’s wrong?”

“I feel a bit nauseous.”

“Did you eat something bad?” Lin Qingye frowned. “We ate pretty much the same things today. Why are you suddenly feeling unwell?”

Xu Zhinan said, “It might be because of the spilled perfume. I’m feeling better now.”

Lin Qingye got off her, poured her a cup of warm water, and stroked her hair. “I thought you didn’t feel uncomfortable smelling that scent anymore?”

“It might not be because of that,” Xu Zhinan said slowly. “Zhao Qian thinks I might be… pregnant.”

Lin Qingye had been leaning against the TV cabinet. Upon hearing this, he slowly raised his eyes to look at Xu Zhinan, visibly stunned for a moment, flashing momentary bewilderment. He had never considered this possibility.

Xu Zhinan added, “But it’s not certain. I might just be feeling unwell.”

Lin Qingye’s expression was unusually serious. After a pause, he said, “Let’s go to the hospital.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

From what Zhao Qian had said, special care was needed during the first few months of pregnancy. They had climbed a mountain today, and although Xu Zhinan didn’t want to cause trouble so late at night, she was a bit concerned. She nodded, “Okay.”

Lin Qingye took his phone and went out to call Lin Guancheng.

“What’s wrong? Is it you or Ah Nan who needs to go to the hospital?” Lin Guancheng asked.

“Ah Nan. She might…” Lin Qingye’s Adam’s apple moved before he continued, “She might be pregnant. She’s feeling a bit unwell, so we need to go to the hospital to check.”

Lin Guancheng was also startled, not expecting to hear this news so soon. His voice rose, “Is it serious? You should go to the hospital right away. Be careful on the way.”

After a moment, he added, “Go to a private hospital. There are fewer people, and you won’t have to worry about being recognized and crowded, which could cause other problems. I’ll send you the address. Go see Dr. Li, I know.”

“Alright.”

After hanging up, Lin Qingye returned to the bedroom to tell Xu Zhinan the plan. They wrapped up warmly and set off for the hospital.

At this hour, the private hospital wasn’t crowded. Dr. Li seemed to have been called in to work overtime by Lin Guancheng and was already aware of the situation. Without any delay, she immediately took them upstairs.

At the examination room door, Lin Qingye squeezed her hand. “I’ll wait for you right outside. Don’t be afraid.”

Dr. Li smiled, “Don’t worry. It will only hurt a bit when they draw blood. The other tests won’t hurt.”

Xu Zhinan also reassured him, “It’s fine. I’m less afraid of pain than you are.”

Lin Qingye: “…”

At this hour, the hospital corridor on this floor was completely quiet without a soul in sight. Lin Qingye sat in a chair, slowly bent forward, and buried his face in his palms.

At this moment, he suddenly recalled many memories of Xu Zhinan.

Too much time had passed, and he could no longer remember many of the details clearly, but those memories, with their hazy filter, were neatly arranged before his eyes.

The past Pingchuan University, the bar, the studio.

Then later, the tattoo shop, the rented apartment.

And now, marriage, children, everything is settling into place.

Lin Qingye sat in the empty hospital corridor, overwhelmed by a mix of complex emotions. Even his heartbeat seemed to echo dully in his chest.

Lin Qingye was naturally a cold person, not just in appearance but inside as well.

He hadn’t had much contact with infants before. He hadn’t even been around when Guan Chi’s son was born; by the time he got out, the child was already over two years old.

He guessed he probably wasn’t the type to particularly like children, finding them noisy and troublesome. But now, he felt completely different.

If Xu Zhinan was pregnant.

If they were going to have a child.

A child who would call him “Dad,” whose gender was still unknown, whose appearance was a mystery, and who might resemble one of them more than the other.

These questions were endless.

Lin Qingye buried his face in his palms and smiled slightly.

Lin Guancheng had probably called Xu’s mother to tell her about this. Soon after, she also called him to ask about the situation. After chatting for a while and hanging up, Xu Zhinan finally came out with the doctor.

“How is it?” he hurriedly asked.

Dr. Li had known Lin Guancheng for some time. She used to work at Yan City Hospital and had heard some rumors about Lin Qingye, but upon meeting him for the first time, she found him completely different from the rumors.

“Congratulations,” Dr. Li said. “She’s four weeks pregnant.”

Four weeks.

Almost a month.

Xu Zhinan and Lin Qingye exchanged a glance, both simultaneously trying to calculate exactly which time had resulted in the pregnancy.

But they quickly failed. Lin Qingye was “as vigorous as ever,” and being newly married, he took every opportunity to press Xu Zhinan into action, without any “sense of propriety” even in broad daylight.

The two probably thought of the same thing; Xu Zhinan unconsciously blushed and bit her lip, lowering her head.

Lin Qingye chuckled softly and listened as the doctor explained the various precautions they needed to take, carefully committing them to memory.

Back at the hotel, the couple hadn’t spoken the entire way, both still processing this sudden good news.

Although it was good news, having a new family member wasn’t a small matter. Many things would need readjustment, and they felt a bit tense.

As soon as they returned, Xu Zhinan prepared to take a shower, but Lin Qingye followed her in.

“What are you doing?” Xu Zhinan looked at him.

“I’ll help you wash.”

“…” Xu Zhinan said helplessly, “It’s fine. I’m only one month along. I don’t feel any different.”

Lin Qingye ignored her and squeezed into the bathroom.

Fortunately, the doctor had just warned about various precautions during early pregnancy, so Lin Qingye unusually refrained from touching her inappropriately, and they successfully finished showering within twenty minutes.

Back in bed, Xu Zhinan was amused by his nervous demeanor.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Xu Zhinan said with a smile. “Didn’t the doctor say all the indicators are normal? There’s no need to worry so much.”

Lin Qingye also got under the covers, pulling her into his arms. His head nuzzled against her neck, feeling a bit prickly.

His hand slid down to her stomach. “I’m afraid to touch you with any force now, worried I might hurt something.”

“When you used to hurt me before, you wouldn’t listen when I told you. Now you’re so careful. Does this mean I’ve gained status because of our child?” Xu Zhinan casually joked.

He chuckled and provocatively licked her ear, deliberately asking, “Hurt you? Like when?”

“…”

Xu Zhinan didn’t respond. The room was quiet for a moment. After a while, Lin Qingye rested his head on her shoulder and softly exhaled, “Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?”

“It’s only been a month. How could we know if it’s a boy or girl?”

He nodded, as if suddenly realizing, “That’s true. Either is fine.”

They fell silent again.

Only Lin Qingye’s hand remained on her stomach, his fingertips gently caressing.

His hand didn’t stop, so Xu Zhinan knew he wasn’t asleep. She didn’t sleep either, just closed her eyes.

In this moment, it was so quiet that she felt she could hear every snowflake falling outside the window. Her heart was just as quiet.

Just as Xu Zhinan was about to fall asleep, Lin Qingye suddenly spoke, his voice very soft. “Ah Nan.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t have any concept of family. Even after we got married, we’ve been getting along just like before. For me, there was never a transition from dating to marriage. Now we’re about to become a family of three, and I don’t know how to handle it. I don’t know how to be a father, or what makes a good father.”

Xu Zhinan raised her hand to stroke his hair. “Just let things develop naturally. Our relationship doesn’t need to imitate anyone else’s. If you’re comfortable with how things are now, just keep it that way.”

“As long as you’re here, everything will be fine.” Lin Qingye kissed her lips. “I’ll be good to the child, and even better to you.”

Because of the sudden news of pregnancy, the trip ended early.

M City was mostly mountainous snow scenery, completely unsuitable for a pregnant woman. They worried about the consequences of a fall, so the couple rested for a day and then returned to Yan City the next day.

The first thing they did upon returning to Yan City was to schedule comprehensive examinations for both of them.

Lin Guancheng was even more dramatic, directly hiring two housekeepers specifically responsible for Xu Zhinan’s diet during pregnancy.

Lin Qingye had already postponed much of his work for the wedding and travel, and now he unexpectedly had a new job. He initially wanted to continue taking time off, but then discovered that even if he did, Xu Zhinan would still go to work at the shop.

So after Xu Zhinan told him to go earn money for baby formula, he went back to work.

Since Xu Zhinan became pregnant, she received meticulous care in all aspects.

The other tattoo artists at the shop treated her with utmost care, not letting her do anything. As soon as Xu Zhinan stood up, someone would rush over to ask what she needed.

Zhao Qian and Jiang Yue also occasionally brought her snacks, and the housekeepers hired by Lin Guancheng would pack nutritious meals and send them to her shop.

Xu Zhinan didn’t have many pregnancy symptoms, and her appetite had indeed improved compared to before. She unconsciously ate more and gained quite a bit of weight.

One weekend, Zhao Qian came to her shop and touched her belly. “Your stomach is getting bigger.”

“I don’t know if it’s pregnancy or just because I’ve been eating more lately.”

Zhao Qian smiled. “But I feel like your face has become rounder, making you look younger.”

Xu Zhinan pouted. “I need to control my diet now. People have been telling me I’ve gained weight.”

“It’s normal to gain weight during pregnancy.”

“But you didn’t gain weight.”

“I just gained weight on my body, not my face. You still have thin arms and legs, just a bit more meat on your face. It looks good, makes you appear younger.” Zhao Qian leaned in to look at her and pinched her face. “Your skin seems to have improved too.”

“Really?” Xu Zhinan touched her face.

“They say if you’re carrying a girl, the mother’s skin gets better.”

Xu Zhinan was surprised. “Really?”

“I don’t know. It’s something I heard before, probably just an old wives’ tale.” Zhao Qian said, “Aren’t all your prenatal check-ups at the private hospital? Haven’t you asked if it’s a boy or a girl?”

“No, we’d be happy with either a boy or a girl. We want to keep it as a surprise.”

Zhao Qian leaned in closer and whispered, “But you know, Lin Qingye doesn’t seem interested in inheriting the Minsheng Group. Maybe this little one in your belly will be the one.”

Xu Zhinan laughed. “You’re thinking too far ahead.”

After chatting for a while, Zhao Qian had other matters to attend to and left.

Nowadays, Xu Zhinan has turned the shop owner job into a nine-to-five white-collar job. At five in the afternoon, Lin Qingye would arrive on time to take her home for dinner.

After dinner, the cook cleaned up the kitchen and left.

Xu Zhinan sat on the sofa with her legs resting on Lin Qingye’s thighs, allowing him to massage them.

The young woman had beautiful legs—fair, slender, with smooth proportions and a delicate touch. Lin Qingye felt like he was achieving enlightenment: he could see and touch but couldn’t eat.

Especially now that he had adjusted to this way of life again. Those years of abstinence weren’t as difficult as this.

Xu Zhinan didn’t know what he was thinking at the moment. She leaned against the sofa armrest, looking at various baby items on her phone.

“Qingye-ge.” She handed him the phone. “Do you think this looks good?”

Lin Qingye looked up, his gaze moving from her legs upward, but not landing on the phone. Instead, it fell on Xu Zhinan’s face. He suddenly laughed. “Why are you still calling me Qingye-ge?”

Xu Zhinan blinked. “What?”

“The generations are all mixed up,” Lin Qingye said languidly. “You call me ‘ge’ (brother), so what should the one in your belly call me?”

“…But I’m used to it.”

He smiled. “You could switch it up occasionally.”

“…”

Xu Zhinan suddenly realized what he meant but couldn’t say it out loud.

Lin Qingye quite liked her calling him Qingye-ge, but seeing her expression, he couldn’t resist teasing her further. He said leisurely, “Go on.”

The two faced off for a moment. In the end, Lin Qingye engaged in all sorts of mischief on the sofa. Except for the final step, he did everything he should and shouldn’t do, finally extracting from her a mosquito-like whisper: “Husband.”