Chapter 246: The Little Boat Of Friendship Cannot Be Compared To The Ship of Love!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Yan Beicheng was so stunned by Lin Chu’s sudden initiative that he nearly drove his car into the side railings. Luckily, he stabilized the car. He turned to look at Lin Chu with a chill in his heart. She still had that big, wide smile on her face, a look that said that she was the luckiest person in the world.
What was wrong with this woman today? Just look at the way she was smiling, even taking the opportunity to lunge at Yan Beicheng so as to hug him.
She had nearly caused him to have an accident, but, looking at Lin Chu, Yan Beicheng could not get angry. He could only grab her hand helplessly and squeeze it tight. “What’s with your sudden hug?”
Lin Chu had felt the car veering sideways and knew that she must have affected his driving. She gave a short, guilty laugh.
Lin Chu was too embarrassed to tell the truth, so she properly sat back in her seat obediently. “I won’t disturb you anymore. You can continue driving.”
Yan Beicheng gave her a curious look. He could not ask too many questions while driving so he let it go.
When they reached Sheng Town and parked their car in the garage, Yan Beicheng turned off the engine and pulled out the key with precision. He released the seatbelt in one quick movement and before Lin Chu could react, he got out of the car.
She blinked in surprise. Yan Beicheng would usually help her with the seatbelt as her movement was constricted and slow now. With her pregnancy, she had some difficulty reaching over to the left side with her right hand. She would need to twist a little to get here. Her movement was not as smooth as before and Lin Chu would get annoyed, saying her limbs were too short. It was very troublesome trying to reach over.
At the orphanage that morning, it was Yan Beicheng who helped her with the seatbelt.
Lin Chu felt a little empty inside as she was used to being taken care of by Yan Beicheng. Now that he suddenly left her to fend for herself, she suddenly felt hurt and her eyes reddened. The fact that she was now more sensitive and emotional did not help at all.
She sniffled and wondered if he mad about something. If he really was angry, she did not what had caused it.
It took quite an effort for Lin Chu to release the seatbelt. She was breathless from all that work and was still feeling hurt. She needed to let off some steam, so she glared at Yan Beicheng through the car window, but he seemed unaware.
He was always such a considerate person. Lin Chu did not believe that he had so carelessly forgotten about taking care of her. He must have done it on purpose!
She puffed up in anger and opened the car door to get off the car, but ended up bumping her head onto Yan Beicheng’s muscled abdomen. It really hurt as her forehead hit something hard. It was icy cold metal.
She fell back towards the car and realized that she had knocked onto Yan Beicheng’s belt buckle.
Lin Chu’s hurt feelings came surging to the surface as her red eyes were now teary. She was about to cry.
Yan Beicheng was shocked, especially at the red mark on her forehead. He blamed himself for it because he was upset at her. He leaned forward and gently touched her forehead with his thumb.
Lin Chu shrunk further away from him with pain, “Ouch!”
It was such a pitiful sight.
“I’ll blow on it for you,” Yan Beicheng said quietly. His expression and tone could not hide how sorry he felt.
He blew on the red mark on her forehead as he rubbed it gently. He quickly lowered his head and kissed her on the eye when he saw that her tears.
“Don’t cry. This is all my fault,” said Yan Beicheng.
What was his fault? It was his fault for blocking her way at the door for no good reason which resulted in her getting hurt by knocking against him.
Yan Beicheng was pretty unreasonable whenever it came to Lin Chu.
It would always be someone else’s fault when Lin Chu got hurt, never her fault.
As Yan Beicheng coaxed her, Lin Chu remembered him leaving the car just like that and she felt even worse. She was holding her tears back, but now, her tears flowed, unable to stop.
Yan Beicheng whispered and coaxed to her. He was not annoyed at all as he wiped the tears off her face and lips.
“Does it hurt that much?” Yan Beicheng said as he released his belt buckle.
Lin Chu almost forgot to cry at the shock of his action. Her eyes widened. “What… What are you doing?”
“I’m taking off my belt and hit myself with it, so I’ll be hurt just like you did,” Yan Beicheng said, as he continued taking it off.
“Stop! Are you crazy?” Lin Chu quickly grabbed his hand.
“I’ve thought about it. When you’re giving birth, I will share your pain outside as well. Isn’t there a way that allows a man to feel the same pain as a woman giving birth? I’ll do this and I’ll be in pain too outside the room,” Yan Beicheng said it as if this was nothing unusual, like something a normal person does all the time.
“You…” Lin Chu suddenly felt bad about her hurt feelings. She was wrong about Yan Beicheng.
“Does it still hurt?” Yan Beicheng rubbed her forehead and asked in a quiet voice.
Lin Chu shook her head. She wanted very badly to say that it would stop hurting if he kissed it. When Yan Beicheng was coaxing her, he had gently kissed her again and again where she had hurt herself. His lips touched gently. It was soft and moist, like silk in water. It made light contact with her and she could hardly feel the pressure. Silky smooth and wonderful.
However, Lin Chu’s skin was not thick enough and she too embarrassed to say it out.
Yan Beicheng looked at the red mark on her forehead. It was not as red as before, so he moved in towards her and placed both his hands on the back of the chair. He had her trapped. There was no escape for Lin Chu.
Yan Beicheng was careful not to place pressure on her belly. Lin Chu’s belly was like a blown-up balloon. It felt like it could not be touched.
“What were you doing, suddenly kissing me when I was driving. It surprised me,” Yan Beicheng asked quietly. He was smiling, not angry at all.
Lin Chu looked away guiltily. She was too embarrassed to tell him the truth. Her eyes looked to the side as she lowered them.
Yan Beicheng was tickled by her reaction and could not help but gave out a laugh. She cocked her head slightly to the side and he took the opportunity to kiss her on the corner of her lips.
“Tell me, what was that about?” Yan Beicheng’s mouth filled with the sweet taste of Lin Chu. It was addictive. He licked her lips, but it was not enough. He bent and kissed her straight on the lips, giving in to his addiction for her.
It was like eating fruit and sucking it the juice dry from it.
Lin Chu was breathless over the kiss. She could hear him say, “Tell me.”
He was pushing her into a corner. Lin Chu could only answer honestly, “It’s just… It’s just that I feel you are a good person. I realize why I trust you so much. You’re such a great guy and I’m never worried that you would ever leave me for someone else. It’s not because of how perfect I am. It’s because you do so much that makes me trust you completely. I thought of everything you’ve done for me. If it was some other man, he would have been annoyed with me long ago but not you. You just kept going. Even when I get jealous, throw a temper or being unreasonable, you’ve never been angry. I was thinking that, even though my past 24 years may have been terrible, it could be because I was saving up all my luck for when I turned 24. So I can use all the luck I’ve saved up to meet you.”
Lin Chu blushed as she continued, “I… I just thought about how wonderful you are, so I…”
Yan Beicheng was speechless at that point. He could only look at her deeply. He stared at Lin Chu so intently that she suddenly felt uncomfortable.
She lowered her head to avoid him looking at her, but her gaze fell directly on his half-released belt. The image of something uncomfortable and blood-surging came to her mind. She quickly took a deep breath. Her face was so red that it looked like it was about to smoke.
Yan Beicheng said, “We need to be understanding of each other. All you remember is my good temper and how I’ve let you have your way, but I remember losing my temper quite a number of times. You ended up having to coax me. Besides, I’m with you because I love you. I should be doting on you since I’ve chosen to marry you. If I don’t cherish you, what right do I have to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you?”
Lin Chu sighed in embarrassment. “I can’t even control my own emotions now. I’ll try my best to keep my temper under control.”
“You don’t need to. You’ve never lost your temper for no good reason. What’s there for you to control?” Yan Beicheng was nonchalant about it.
Lin Chu knew that it was because she felt guilty. When Yan Beicheng did not help her with the seatbelt, she felt hurt. Previously, she would not have been bothered too much about it.
Now that she thought about it, Yan Beicheng was in a hurry to stop her at the car door and forgot to help her with the seatbelt. No matter how meticulous one was, there would be moments of carelessness. It was overthinking on her part.
Lin Chu wanted to embrace Yan Beicheng but she had forgotten about being pregnant. The moment she tried to get up, she fell backward. It gave Yan Beicheng a shock and he quickly reached out to help her.
“What are you doing?”
Lin Chu was embarrassed as she gave an excuse, “Nothing. I was just feeling tired from sitting for too long.”
Yan Beicheng immediately faulted himself but did not forget why he was blocking her way in the first place, “It’s my fault for keeping you here for too long, but next time, you’re not allowed to give me such sneak attacks when I’m driving. I almost had an accident. You should give me some mental preparation if you’re doing that again.”
Lin Chu now understood Yan Beicheng’s motives and nodded obediently.
…
The next day was Monday. Lin Chu had taken care of some simple work in the office and did not need to do any more than that. Any work that needed someone to run about or communicate was no longer handled by her.
Lin Chu was staring at the computer when she suddenly stiffened.
Zheng Yuntong was walking back from the water cooler with water when she saw Lin Chu acting strangely. She ran over anxiously.
“What’s wrong? Do you feel uncomfortable somewhere?” Zheng Yuntong asked with concern.
Lin Chu shook her head in a daze. Her hands held on to her belly. “No. I think I just felt the baby move.”
The moment she said this, the baby moved again, as if to confirm her words. Lin Chu wondered if it was his little hands or little feet.
Lin Chu jumped up immediately, saying happily, “He’s moving, he’s really moving!”
Even though Zheng Yuntong was single and had no children, she was equally excited. It was really magical.
She had never felt how it was like for a baby to move in the belly. Zheng Yuntong had read about it in novels or television. The reactions in the media always seemed exaggerated, never felt real.
Her fair, little hand moved slowly with intent towards Lin Chu’s belly. When Lin Chu woke from her reverie, she quickly grabbed the hand. “Don’t touch!”
Zheng Yutong lifted her head with a pitiful look, “I just wanted to feel what it was like and I’m not allowed to? Aren’t we good friends?”
Where was their friendship?
Lin Chu gave a short, guilty laugh, “It’s not that I don’t allow you to. How about if I let you have a feel tomorrow?”
“Do you need to refer to the almanac to find out when it would a good time for someone to feel your belly?” Zheng Yuntong asked in surprise.
Lin Chu, “…”
‘Feel your belly’ does not sound like something appropriate to be saying out loud.
“It’s not that. I promised Beicheng that he would be the first to feel it,” Lin Chu whispered to Zheng Yuntong’s, holding her naughty hands.
Zheng Yuntong could only nod regretfully, “That sounds about right. He’s the father after all. He should have the advantage.”
Lin Chu smiled in relief, grateful for Zheng Yuntong’s understanding.
Unexpectedly, Zheng Yuntong next mumbled, “The little boat of friendship cannot be compared to the ship of love!”
Lin Chu, “…”
Lin Chu did not want to continue listening to Zheng Yuntong’s sarcastic remarks. She took out her phone and walked out to give Yan Beicheng a call.
Yan Beicheng picked up very quickly. Before he could say a word, Lin Chu lowered her voice to report excitedly, “The baby moved.”
Yan Beicheng was a little slow on the take. He did not completely grasp what Lin Chu had just told him, “What?”
Lin Chu said in a low voice, “Didn’t I tell you before? If the baby moved, you’ll be the first to know. You’ll also be the first to feel it. I… I felt him move just now!”
She wondered what expression was on Yan Beicheng’s face right now. He was wordless on the other end of the phone for quite a while.
Lin Chu could not help calling out, “Beicheng? Beicheng? Are you there?”
“Yes, I am. Wait there!” Yan Beicheng hung up without explaining. Lin Chu was perplexed over what just happened.
She blinked and looked at the phone. Lin Chu had no idea what Yan Beicheng meant. She could only return to the office.
When she sat down, Zheng Yuntong moved over, blinking. “Did you just report the happy news to Yan Beicheng?”
Lin Chu was slightly embarrassed as she smiled and nodded.
Zheng Yuntong said, “We’ve agreed that I’ll feel it tomorrow, right?”
Lin Chu agreed and Zheng Yuntong continued her work happily.
It had only been five or six minutes after Lin Chu sat down when she heard running footsteps in the office.
Everyone looked toward the noise as no one had ever run into the office.
Lin Chu was shocked to see Yan Beicheng rushing in. He looked so different from his usual dapper, elegant self, always self-assured.
His suit was unbuttoned, flapping as he ran. He looked good, but it was not the usual him.
Yan Beicheng was sweating all over when he stood in front of her.
Lin Chu was stunned, mouth agape. She watched him dumbfoundedly. She could not understand why someone would run directly here right after speaking on the phone.
Yan Beicheng did not waste any time and squatted in front of her to feel her belly, “Why isn’t he moving now?”
Lin Chu blinked and said, “He did move just now but he can’t always be moving in there. Even if our son isn’t tired, I’d be exhausted.”
Yan Beicheng gave it a thought and agreed. He must be so silly to think that the baby would keep moving.
Lin Chu was still in shock at Yan Beicheng’s sudden appearance and did not notice that her colleagues were watching them.
She lowered her head to see Yan Beicheng’s perfect hands on her belly. He was acting like he would not give up until he felt the baby move.
She quickly wiped off his sweat with a tissue at the sight of him being drenched and asked, “Did you just run over?”
“It would be faster for me to run here rather than wasting time driving here and look for parking,” Yan Beicheng lifted his head as he answered, his eyes shining.
Lin Chu now understood what Yan Beicheng meant by ‘Wait there!’.
“Have some water,” Lin Chu passed her cup of water to him.
Yan Beicheng did feel thirsty. He took the warm water and finished it in one go.
Lin Chu had wiped off the sweat on his face. As she was about to throw the tissue away, she realized that there was a weird atmosphere in the office. All her colleagues were watching them.
Everyone had a stunned look on their faces. She wondered if it was because they were stunned upon realizing this was how Yan Beicheng usually acted.
Lin Chu quickly gave Yan Beicheng a gentle push. Yan Beicheng was still squatting and was unstable. Her push made him lost his balance.
He lifted his head and Lin Chu thought he understood what her push meant. She had not expected him to turn around and pull a chair over. He sat next to her and placed his hand on her belly again.
Lin Chu, “…”
“Aren’t you busy today?” Lin Chu hinted at him.
“Yes,” Yan Beicheng did not even lift his head as he continued staring at Lin Chu’s belly. It was as if he could make the baby move if he continued to stare.
“If you’re busy, shouldn’t you be heading back now? Don’t forget that you need to leave early today so we can attend Jingxi’s parent-teacher meeting,” Lin Chu reminded him in a low voice.
“It’s nothing. Nothing is more important than being with the baby. I’ll wait until he moves,” Yan Beicheng said matter-of-factly and did not look like he was in any hurry to leave.
Lin Chu, “…”
There was nothing much she could do. Lin Chu could not coax him the way she did in private with so many people watching them. With much difficulty, she moved close to him.
Yan Beicheng had always been in tune with every one of Lin Chu’s movements. All she needed to do was blink and he would know what she was thinking, but right now, the Pacific Ocean seem to be splitting them apart. There was no rapport between them.
He actually said, “Why are you bending over when you can’t really move?!”
Lin Chu, “…”
She could no longer take it and gave Yan Beicheng a pinch on his thigh. She clenched her teeth and said, “My colleagues are watching. What are you doing right now? You’re making them uncomfortable. How am I supposed to work this way? It’s not a good thing for me.”
“This is Wei Zilin’s territory. We don’t need to stand on ceremony with him,” Yan Beicheng could not care less.
This was not what Lin Chu meant at all. All she could do was be more direct as she lowered her voice, “But my colleagues are watching!”
Yan Beicheng lifted his head at the words and looked around. Everyone who was watching quickly pretended to be buried in work as they lowered their heads. He said to Lin Chu, “Nope, they’re not. Everyone’s busy. No one is bothered with us.”
Lin Chu, “…”
Did he think she was blind?
Yan Beicheng continued to play dumb as he pretended not to understand Lin Chu. He was especially stubborn as his butt stuck obstinately to the chair. He refused to leave and Lin Chu could do nothing about it.
Wei Zilin must have got wind of the situation and came over personally. He walked over to both of them and gave a cough.
Yan Beicheng raised an eyebrow. He was not embarrassed, but was instead overjoyed.
Wei Zilin’s lips twitched. He had a bad feeling about this.
As he expected, Yan Beicheng did not even stand up. All he did was turn towards Wei Zilin and smiled triumphantly as he said, “I’m here to feel the baby move in my wife’s belly. This is something that I’m really looking forward to. I can’t wait for it to happen to me for the first time. You’ll understand in the future.”
He waved his hands as if looking down at Wei Zilin for being an overaged bachelor. He did not understand what it felt like to be an expectant father.
Wei Zilin, “…”
Hoho, Wei Zilin wanted to approve Lin Chu’s maternity leave right now and stop Yan Beicheng dropping by to especially showing off. And in his own office too.
The entire office was stunned. They had never thought that this was how Yan Beicheng and Wei Zilin got along with each other. Their usual seriousness found at work seemed to disappear when they got together!
Wei Zilin had a stiff look on his face as he tried to kick Yan Beicheng out, “Get out! You’re seriously affecting my company’s employees at work!”
Wei Zilin’s employees felt their boss had a dominating charm. Only someone like him would dare to speak to Yan Beicheng that way. Everyone nodded at his reasonable words.
Chapter 246: The Little Boat Of Friendship Cannot Be Compared To The Ship of Love!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Yan Beicheng was so stunned by Lin Chu’s sudden initiative that he nearly drove his car into the side railings. Luckily, he stabilized the car. He turned to look at Lin Chu with a chill in his heart. She still had that big, wide smile on her face, a look that said that she was the luckiest person in the world.
What was wrong with this woman today? Just look at the way she was smiling, even taking the opportunity to lunge at Yan Beicheng so as to hug him.
She had nearly caused him to have an accident, but, looking at Lin Chu, Yan Beicheng could not get angry. He could only grab her hand helplessly and squeeze it tight. “What’s with your sudden hug?”
Lin Chu had felt the car veering sideways and knew that she must have affected his driving. She gave a short, guilty laugh.
Lin Chu was too embarrassed to tell the truth, so she properly sat back in her seat obediently. “I won’t disturb you anymore. You can continue driving.”
Yan Beicheng gave her a curious look. He could not ask too many questions while driving so he let it go.
When they reached Sheng Town and parked their car in the garage, Yan Beicheng turned off the engine and pulled out the key with precision. He released the seatbelt in one quick movement and before Lin Chu could react, he got out of the car.
She blinked in surprise. Yan Beicheng would usually help her with the seatbelt as her movement was constricted and slow now. With her pregnancy, she had some difficulty reaching over to the left side with her right hand. She would need to twist a little to get here. Her movement was not as smooth as before and Lin Chu would get annoyed, saying her limbs were too short. It was very troublesome trying to reach over.
At the orphanage that morning, it was Yan Beicheng who helped her with the seatbelt.
Lin Chu felt a little empty inside as she was used to being taken care of by Yan Beicheng. Now that he suddenly left her to fend for herself, she suddenly felt hurt and her eyes reddened. The fact that she was now more sensitive and emotional did not help at all.
She sniffled and wondered if he mad about something. If he really was angry, she did not what had caused it.
It took quite an effort for Lin Chu to release the seatbelt. She was breathless from all that work and was still feeling hurt. She needed to let off some steam, so she glared at Yan Beicheng through the car window, but he seemed unaware.
He was always such a considerate person. Lin Chu did not believe that he had so carelessly forgotten about taking care of her. He must have done it on purpose!
She puffed up in anger and opened the car door to get off the car, but ended up bumping her head onto Yan Beicheng’s muscled abdomen. It really hurt as her forehead hit something hard. It was icy cold metal.
She fell back towards the car and realized that she had knocked onto Yan Beicheng’s belt buckle.
Lin Chu’s hurt feelings came surging to the surface as her red eyes were now teary. She was about to cry.
Yan Beicheng was shocked, especially at the red mark on her forehead. He blamed himself for it because he was upset at her. He leaned forward and gently touched her forehead with his thumb.
Lin Chu shrunk further away from him with pain, “Ouch!”
It was such a pitiful sight.
“I’ll blow on it for you,” Yan Beicheng said quietly. His expression and tone could not hide how sorry he felt.
He blew on the red mark on her forehead as he rubbed it gently. He quickly lowered his head and kissed her on the eye when he saw that her tears.
“Don’t cry. This is all my fault,” said Yan Beicheng.
What was his fault? It was his fault for blocking her way at the door for no good reason which resulted in her getting hurt by knocking against him.
Yan Beicheng was pretty unreasonable whenever it came to Lin Chu.
It would always be someone else’s fault when Lin Chu got hurt, never her fault.
As Yan Beicheng coaxed her, Lin Chu remembered him leaving the car just like that and she felt even worse. She was holding her tears back, but now, her tears flowed, unable to stop.
Yan Beicheng whispered and coaxed to her. He was not annoyed at all as he wiped the tears off her face and lips.
“Does it hurt that much?” Yan Beicheng said as he released his belt buckle.
Lin Chu almost forgot to cry at the shock of his action. Her eyes widened. “What… What are you doing?”
“I’m taking off my belt and hit myself with it, so I’ll be hurt just like you did,” Yan Beicheng said, as he continued taking it off.
“Stop! Are you crazy?” Lin Chu quickly grabbed his hand.
“I’ve thought about it. When you’re giving birth, I will share your pain outside as well. Isn’t there a way that allows a man to feel the same pain as a woman giving birth? I’ll do this and I’ll be in pain too outside the room,” Yan Beicheng said it as if this was nothing unusual, like something a normal person does all the time.
“You…” Lin Chu suddenly felt bad about her hurt feelings. She was wrong about Yan Beicheng.
“Does it still hurt?” Yan Beicheng rubbed her forehead and asked in a quiet voice.
Lin Chu shook her head. She wanted very badly to say that it would stop hurting if he kissed it. When Yan Beicheng was coaxing her, he had gently kissed her again and again where she had hurt herself. His lips touched gently. It was soft and moist, like silk in water. It made light contact with her and she could hardly feel the pressure. Silky smooth and wonderful.
However, Lin Chu’s skin was not thick enough and she too embarrassed to say it out.
Yan Beicheng looked at the red mark on her forehead. It was not as red as before, so he moved in towards her and placed both his hands on the back of the chair. He had her trapped. There was no escape for Lin Chu.
Yan Beicheng was careful not to place pressure on her belly. Lin Chu’s belly was like a blown-up balloon. It felt like it could not be touched.
“What were you doing, suddenly kissing me when I was driving. It surprised me,” Yan Beicheng asked quietly. He was smiling, not angry at all.
Lin Chu looked away guiltily. She was too embarrassed to tell him the truth. Her eyes looked to the side as she lowered them.
Yan Beicheng was tickled by her reaction and could not help but gave out a laugh. She cocked her head slightly to the side and he took the opportunity to kiss her on the corner of her lips.
“Tell me, what was that about?” Yan Beicheng’s mouth filled with the sweet taste of Lin Chu. It was addictive. He licked her lips, but it was not enough. He bent and kissed her straight on the lips, giving in to his addiction for her.
It was like eating fruit and sucking it the juice dry from it.
Lin Chu was breathless over the kiss. She could hear him say, “Tell me.”
He was pushing her into a corner. Lin Chu could only answer honestly, “It’s just… It’s just that I feel you are a good person. I realize why I trust you so much. You’re such a great guy and I’m never worried that you would ever leave me for someone else. It’s not because of how perfect I am. It’s because you do so much that makes me trust you completely. I thought of everything you’ve done for me. If it was some other man, he would have been annoyed with me long ago but not you. You just kept going. Even when I get jealous, throw a temper or being unreasonable, you’ve never been angry. I was thinking that, even though my past 24 years may have been terrible, it could be because I was saving up all my luck for when I turned 24. So I can use all the luck I’ve saved up to meet you.”
Lin Chu blushed as she continued, “I… I just thought about how wonderful you are, so I…”
Yan Beicheng was speechless at that point. He could only look at her deeply. He stared at Lin Chu so intently that she suddenly felt uncomfortable.
She lowered her head to avoid him looking at her, but her gaze fell directly on his half-released belt. The image of something uncomfortable and blood-surging came to her mind. She quickly took a deep breath. Her face was so red that it looked like it was about to smoke.
Yan Beicheng said, “We need to be understanding of each other. All you remember is my good temper and how I’ve let you have your way, but I remember losing my temper quite a number of times. You ended up having to coax me. Besides, I’m with you because I love you. I should be doting on you since I’ve chosen to marry you. If I don’t cherish you, what right do I have to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you?”
Lin Chu sighed in embarrassment. “I can’t even control my own emotions now. I’ll try my best to keep my temper under control.”
“You don’t need to. You’ve never lost your temper for no good reason. What’s there for you to control?” Yan Beicheng was nonchalant about it.
Lin Chu knew that it was because she felt guilty. When Yan Beicheng did not help her with the seatbelt, she felt hurt. Previously, she would not have been bothered too much about it.
Now that she thought about it, Yan Beicheng was in a hurry to stop her at the car door and forgot to help her with the seatbelt. No matter how meticulous one was, there would be moments of carelessness. It was overthinking on her part.
Lin Chu wanted to embrace Yan Beicheng but she had forgotten about being pregnant. The moment she tried to get up, she fell backward. It gave Yan Beicheng a shock and he quickly reached out to help her.
“What are you doing?”
Lin Chu was embarrassed as she gave an excuse, “Nothing. I was just feeling tired from sitting for too long.”
Yan Beicheng immediately faulted himself but did not forget why he was blocking her way in the first place, “It’s my fault for keeping you here for too long, but next time, you’re not allowed to give me such sneak attacks when I’m driving. I almost had an accident. You should give me some mental preparation if you’re doing that again.”
Lin Chu now understood Yan Beicheng’s motives and nodded obediently.
…
The next day was Monday. Lin Chu had taken care of some simple work in the office and did not need to do any more than that. Any work that needed someone to run about or communicate was no longer handled by her.
Lin Chu was staring at the computer when she suddenly stiffened.
Zheng Yuntong was walking back from the water cooler with water when she saw Lin Chu acting strangely. She ran over anxiously.
“What’s wrong? Do you feel uncomfortable somewhere?” Zheng Yuntong asked with concern.
Lin Chu shook her head in a daze. Her hands held on to her belly. “No. I think I just felt the baby move.”
The moment she said this, the baby moved again, as if to confirm her words. Lin Chu wondered if it was his little hands or little feet.
Lin Chu jumped up immediately, saying happily, “He’s moving, he’s really moving!”
Even though Zheng Yuntong was single and had no children, she was equally excited. It was really magical.
She had never felt how it was like for a baby to move in the belly. Zheng Yuntong had read about it in novels or television. The reactions in the media always seemed exaggerated, never felt real.
Her fair, little hand moved slowly with intent towards Lin Chu’s belly. When Lin Chu woke from her reverie, she quickly grabbed the hand. “Don’t touch!”
Zheng Yutong lifted her head with a pitiful look, “I just wanted to feel what it was like and I’m not allowed to? Aren’t we good friends?”
Where was their friendship?
Lin Chu gave a short, guilty laugh, “It’s not that I don’t allow you to. How about if I let you have a feel tomorrow?”
“Do you need to refer to the almanac to find out when it would a good time for someone to feel your belly?” Zheng Yuntong asked in surprise.
Lin Chu, “…”
‘Feel your belly’ does not sound like something appropriate to be saying out loud.
“It’s not that. I promised Beicheng that he would be the first to feel it,” Lin Chu whispered to Zheng Yuntong’s, holding her naughty hands.
Zheng Yuntong could only nod regretfully, “That sounds about right. He’s the father after all. He should have the advantage.”
Lin Chu smiled in relief, grateful for Zheng Yuntong’s understanding.
Unexpectedly, Zheng Yuntong next mumbled, “The little boat of friendship cannot be compared to the ship of love!”
Lin Chu, “…”
Lin Chu did not want to continue listening to Zheng Yuntong’s sarcastic remarks. She took out her phone and walked out to give Yan Beicheng a call.
Yan Beicheng picked up very quickly. Before he could say a word, Lin Chu lowered her voice to report excitedly, “The baby moved.”
Yan Beicheng was a little slow on the take. He did not completely grasp what Lin Chu had just told him, “What?”
Lin Chu said in a low voice, “Didn’t I tell you before? If the baby moved, you’ll be the first to know. You’ll also be the first to feel it. I… I felt him move just now!”
She wondered what expression was on Yan Beicheng’s face right now. He was wordless on the other end of the phone for quite a while.
Lin Chu could not help calling out, “Beicheng? Beicheng? Are you there?”
“Yes, I am. Wait there!” Yan Beicheng hung up without explaining. Lin Chu was perplexed over what just happened.
She blinked and looked at the phone. Lin Chu had no idea what Yan Beicheng meant. She could only return to the office.
When she sat down, Zheng Yuntong moved over, blinking. “Did you just report the happy news to Yan Beicheng?”
Lin Chu was slightly embarrassed as she smiled and nodded.
Zheng Yuntong said, “We’ve agreed that I’ll feel it tomorrow, right?”
Lin Chu agreed and Zheng Yuntong continued her work happily.
It had only been five or six minutes after Lin Chu sat down when she heard running footsteps in the office.
Everyone looked toward the noise as no one had ever run into the office.
Lin Chu was shocked to see Yan Beicheng rushing in. He looked so different from his usual dapper, elegant self, always self-assured.
His suit was unbuttoned, flapping as he ran. He looked good, but it was not the usual him.
Yan Beicheng was sweating all over when he stood in front of her.
Lin Chu was stunned, mouth agape. She watched him dumbfoundedly. She could not understand why someone would run directly here right after speaking on the phone.
Yan Beicheng did not waste any time and squatted in front of her to feel her belly, “Why isn’t he moving now?”
Lin Chu blinked and said, “He did move just now but he can’t always be moving in there. Even if our son isn’t tired, I’d be exhausted.”
Yan Beicheng gave it a thought and agreed. He must be so silly to think that the baby would keep moving.
Lin Chu was still in shock at Yan Beicheng’s sudden appearance and did not notice that her colleagues were watching them.
She lowered her head to see Yan Beicheng’s perfect hands on her belly. He was acting like he would not give up until he felt the baby move.
She quickly wiped off his sweat with a tissue at the sight of him being drenched and asked, “Did you just run over?”
“It would be faster for me to run here rather than wasting time driving here and look for parking,” Yan Beicheng lifted his head as he answered, his eyes shining.
Lin Chu now understood what Yan Beicheng meant by ‘Wait there!’.
“Have some water,” Lin Chu passed her cup of water to him.
Yan Beicheng did feel thirsty. He took the warm water and finished it in one go.
Lin Chu had wiped off the sweat on his face. As she was about to throw the tissue away, she realized that there was a weird atmosphere in the office. All her colleagues were watching them.
Everyone had a stunned look on their faces. She wondered if it was because they were stunned upon realizing this was how Yan Beicheng usually acted.
Lin Chu quickly gave Yan Beicheng a gentle push. Yan Beicheng was still squatting and was unstable. Her push made him lost his balance.
He lifted his head and Lin Chu thought he understood what her push meant. She had not expected him to turn around and pull a chair over. He sat next to her and placed his hand on her belly again.
Lin Chu, “…”
“Aren’t you busy today?” Lin Chu hinted at him.
“Yes,” Yan Beicheng did not even lift his head as he continued staring at Lin Chu’s belly. It was as if he could make the baby move if he continued to stare.
“If you’re busy, shouldn’t you be heading back now? Don’t forget that you need to leave early today so we can attend Jingxi’s parent-teacher meeting,” Lin Chu reminded him in a low voice.
“It’s nothing. Nothing is more important than being with the baby. I’ll wait until he moves,” Yan Beicheng said matter-of-factly and did not look like he was in any hurry to leave.
Lin Chu, “…”
There was nothing much she could do. Lin Chu could not coax him the way she did in private with so many people watching them. With much difficulty, she moved close to him.
Yan Beicheng had always been in tune with every one of Lin Chu’s movements. All she needed to do was blink and he would know what she was thinking, but right now, the Pacific Ocean seem to be splitting them apart. There was no rapport between them.
He actually said, “Why are you bending over when you can’t really move?!”
Lin Chu, “…”
She could no longer take it and gave Yan Beicheng a pinch on his thigh. She clenched her teeth and said, “My colleagues are watching. What are you doing right now? You’re making them uncomfortable. How am I supposed to work this way? It’s not a good thing for me.”
“This is Wei Zilin’s territory. We don’t need to stand on ceremony with him,” Yan Beicheng could not care less.
This was not what Lin Chu meant at all. All she could do was be more direct as she lowered her voice, “But my colleagues are watching!”
Yan Beicheng lifted his head at the words and looked around. Everyone who was watching quickly pretended to be buried in work as they lowered their heads. He said to Lin Chu, “Nope, they’re not. Everyone’s busy. No one is bothered with us.”
Lin Chu, “…”
Did he think she was blind?
Yan Beicheng continued to play dumb as he pretended not to understand Lin Chu. He was especially stubborn as his butt stuck obstinately to the chair. He refused to leave and Lin Chu could do nothing about it.
Wei Zilin must have got wind of the situation and came over personally. He walked over to both of them and gave a cough.
Yan Beicheng raised an eyebrow. He was not embarrassed, but was instead overjoyed.
Wei Zilin’s lips twitched. He had a bad feeling about this.
As he expected, Yan Beicheng did not even stand up. All he did was turn towards Wei Zilin and smiled triumphantly as he said, “I’m here to feel the baby move in my wife’s belly. This is something that I’m really looking forward to. I can’t wait for it to happen to me for the first time. You’ll understand in the future.”
He waved his hands as if looking down at Wei Zilin for being an overaged bachelor. He did not understand what it felt like to be an expectant father.
Wei Zilin, “…”
Hoho, Wei Zilin wanted to approve Lin Chu’s maternity leave right now and stop Yan Beicheng dropping by to especially showing off. And in his own office too.
The entire office was stunned. They had never thought that this was how Yan Beicheng and Wei Zilin got along with each other. Their usual seriousness found at work seemed to disappear when they got together!
Wei Zilin had a stiff look on his face as he tried to kick Yan Beicheng out, “Get out! You’re seriously affecting my company’s employees at work!”
Wei Zilin’s employees felt their boss had a dominating charm. Only someone like him would dare to speak to Yan Beicheng that way. Everyone nodded at his reasonable words.
