Chapter 97

Jiang Suihan froze, unable to connect his vague mention of a “small surgery” to what he just said. After a few seconds, she blinked and pounded her small fist against his chest. “How could you not discuss such a big matter with me?!”

Realizing her voice had risen, she quickly covered her mouth and glanced around. Their mother was in the kitchen making lunch, and the others hadn’t returned yet.

She hurriedly pulled him aside and lowered her voice, asking, “Why so sudden? Did you go there alone? Do you feel dizzy? Do you feel nauseous?”

Xu Zhao removed her hand from his forehead and held her hands. “I’m fine. It was just a small surgery. It didn’t hurt at all. Don’t worry. You’re pregnant, so try to stay calm.”

Seeing his nonchalant expression, Jiang Suihan couldn’t help but glare at him. “Even a small surgery is still a surgery! Why didn’t you discuss this with me beforehand? Now you’re suddenly concerned about me. Why weren’t you worried I’d be upset before going to the hospital? We’re husband and wife. This makes me feel like an outsider!”

She was genuinely angry, remembering how they had promised to discuss everything together. Yet here he was, keeping secrets from her; it just fueled her frustration.

When Xu Zhao misbehaved as a child, his father would beat him with a belt. Jiang Suihan felt a similar urge to do something similar to him, wanting to teach him a lesson not to take matters into his own hands.

Seeing her pale face, Xu Zhao quickly patted her back to calm her down, his apology sincere. “I’m sorry. It was my fault. Last time, after you had Chenchen, the nurse brought you out, and you looked so pale, drained of color. You lie in bed, breathing weakly. To be honest, I was more nervous than the first time I went into combat. My palms were sweaty, and my legs felt weak. I didn’t want to experience that again.”

After having Chenchen, he had considered just having one child and raising him well. However, it was clear his wife had different ideas, feeling that one child would be too lonely and two would be better. He couldn’t convince her, so he sought a compromise.

Pregnancy and childbirth take a toll on a woman’s body, so he thought they could wait a few years until Chenchen was older and less dependent. If Jiang Suihan still insisted on having another child then, they could consider it.

However, life had its surprises, and the thought of another child caught him off guard. After thinking it over all night, he rushed to the hospital early that morning.

Jiang Suihan bit her lip, falling silent for a few seconds before looking up at him. “Why are you so foolish?”

Foolish enough to make her heart ache.

She understood he was trying to protect her from suffering. In their three years of marriage, she had always known about his kindness, which was evident not just in words but in countless little actions. It had become so normal that she sometimes took it for granted.

Xu Zhao kissed her hand. “I’m not foolish.”

Jiang Suihan asked softly, “Does it hurt?”

“No, it was just a small surgery. I was in and out of the operating room in under an hour. I’ve had much worse injuries during missions.”

“You’re lying! Your face is pale, and you say it doesn’t hurt? Every time you say that! The last time, you were in the hospital for over half a month with a huge wound and lost so much blood, but you insisted it didn’t hurt.”

He made it sound easy, but Jiang Suihan couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. There isn’t a soldier who hasn’t been injured, and many wear their scars with pride. She knew every scar on Xu Zhao’s body, each one a testament to his bravery.

Xu Zhao bent down and put his forehead against hers. “It hurts a little bit, almost like a needle pricking your hand. Don’t worry, I’m really fine. Look, I’m standing in front of you now. I can run a few laps without any problem.”

Jiang Suihan shot him a sidelong glance. “I thought you’d complain about the cold weather.”

His ability to joke around meant his mood was improving. Xu Zhao chuckled softly, “I got so anxious that I forgot. I’ll remember next time.”

Jiang Suihan gently touched her belly. “What do you plan to do about this one inside me?”

Xu Zhao paused for a moment. “What do you mean, what to do?”

Jiang Suihan replied, “You said you didn’t want to go through what I did during childbirth again, so I’m asking what you plan to do about the baby.”

He pinched her cheek and said with mock annoyance, “Are you trying to irritate me on purpose? It’s already in your belly—what else can we do but give birth to it?”

Jiang Suihan pretended to caress her belly and murmured, “Poor baby, not even born yet and already being rejected by your father. But don’t worry, Mommy will love you.”

Xu Zhao felt a pang in his chest and humorously pleaded, “I really know I was wrong. I swear it won’t happen again. If I make a similar mistake in the future, you can punish me however you want—I won’t say a word.”

Jiang Suihan pursed her lips, watching him for a few seconds. “Next time you mess up, you’ll go to sleep in Lele’s room. Depending on how serious your mistake is, you might be there for ten days, half a month, or even one to two months.”

“Ten days is already long enough, two months is too much!” Xu Zhao protested, trying to negotiate. “I think not letting me sleep in our room is too harsh. How about just one meal a day? After a few days of hunger, I’ll surely remember my lesson. What do you think?”

Jiang Suihan shot him a look. “I don’t think that sounds good.”

At the dining table, Su Ying asked her son, “Did you make your wife angry?”

“No,” Xu Zhao replied shortly, serving Jiang Suihan a piece of pork rib.

Su Ying began to scold him. “You’re thirty years old and still so thoughtless. Your wife is pregnant, and you still manage to upset her? How did I end up with a son like you, who can’t even console a person? Even Chenchen is more obedient and sensible than you.”

Xu Zhao glanced at his son, who was sitting in his chair, gripping a pork rib and gnawing at it with his tiny teeth. He looked a bit fierce, but because he was so young, it was actually quite adorable.

Chenchen held out the rib. “Daddy, here.”

The little boy’s face was covered in grease, so Jiang Suihan turned her head away, opting for “out of sight, out of mind,” and continued with her meal.

Children can make such a mess while eating. Jiang Suihan usually let Chenchen eat on his own, turning a blind eye to how messy it got. If his clothes got dirty, she could just change him later.

Chenchen had been raised well. He never hogged all the food when there was something delicious. Even at his young age, he understood the importance of sharing. Most of the time, Jiang Suihan would just pretend to eat a bite, but she found it hard to eat something dripping with her son’s saliva.

However, Xu Zhao had no such reservations. No matter what Chenchen offered him—whether it had fallen on the floor or was candy pulled from his mouth—he would accept it with a smile, which made Jiang Suihan feel a little inferior.

Xu Zhao bit into the chicken leg Chenchen was holding. “Daddy already had some. You eat the rest, Chenchen.”

Chenchen inspected the spot where his father had bitten and, seeing it was just a small nibble, happily wiggled his little feet and continued his battle with the chicken leg.

Noticing Jiang Suihan enjoyed the salt-and-pepper ribs, Xu Zhao instinctively served her another piece.

Jiang Suihan looked up. “I can get it myself.”

Xu Zhao touched his nose and sighed internally, realizing he had upset her and needed to make it right.

Su Ying shot her son a questioning look, wondering what had happened. Xu Zhao shook his head and didn’t reply.

After lunch, Jiang Suihan went to her room to prepare for a nap. Ever since she got pregnant, she often felt tired and needed at least an hour of rest each day.

Xu Zhao followed her inside and cautiously asked, “Are you still angry?”

Jiang Suihan replied in a stiff tone, “No, I’m not angry.”

Seeing she was ignoring him, Xu Zhao took off his coat and was about to get into bed. He felt a bit anxious. “You’re definitely angry. You’re not even talking to me. You’re not usually like this.”

He sounded so wronged!

Jiang Suihan sat on the bed with her arms crossed. “How am I usually?”

Xu Zhao, knowing he was still in the wrong, didn’t dare sit next to her and squatted down instead. “You’re not this cold and indifferent to me. You’ve been so distant. I’ve admitted my mistake; can’t you forgive me just this once? It makes me feel terrible when you ignore me.”

After he finished, he even blinked at her, looking extremely innocent.

Jiang Suihan couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re almost thirty, and you’re still acting like your son. Where’s your dignity?”

Xu Zhao took her hand and spoke earnestly, “There’s no rule that says a thirty-year-old man can’t act cute. Besides, I’m just being adorable with my wife—who’s going to see it? Please, Suihan, just forgive me, okay?”

Jiang Suihan shivered slightly. “Don’t copy the way I talk.”

She was from the south, where people spoke more lightly and often added particles to their sentences, making it sound almost flirtatious. Xu Zhao, a serious northerner and a tough soldier, suddenly used this tone to act cute with her.

The key issue was that he felt perfectly fine, while she seemed troubled!

Seeing her smile, Xu Zhao chuckled. “If you’re smiling, you must not be angry anymore. Anger is bad for your health; you should try not to get angry too often.”

Jiang Suihan shot him an eye roll. “And who exactly is the jerk who made me angry?”

Xu Zhao pretended not to know, getting up to sit on the bed and pulling her into his arms. He rested his chin on the top of her head and said softly, “I’m the jerk. After this one, we won’t have any more kids—two is enough. Chenchen has been asking for a sister, so I hope this baby behaves.”

Jiang Suihan’s anger flared up quickly but faded just as fast. What upset her was that Xu Zhao made such a big decision without discussing it with her, not the decision itself.

“What if it’s a brother instead of a sister? Would you be disappointed?”

She secretly hoped for a girl, envisioning a perfect family with one boy and one girl.

Xu Zhao thought for a moment. “A brother would be fine too. Having an older brother to play with could be nice.”

Jiang Suihan burst into laughter. “That sounds too much like wishful thinking from you, Daddy Xu! You should chant ‘good girl’ a hundred times to the baby every night; maybe your wish will come true.”

Xu Zhao asked playfully, “You really think that’ll work?”

Jiang Suihan fought to keep a straight face. “Look into my sincere eyes. It’s true.”

She nodded for emphasis.

Xu Zhao shook his head in disbelief. “All I see are your big, bright eyes.”

Jiang Suihan accepted his compliment. “Thanks for the praise.”

Xu Zhao sighed in resignation. “I can already imagine what our daughter will be like.”