Being left-handed was no rare thing, but as a child, he often faced teasing from other kids, and his parents thought it would be easier for him to use his right hand for future studies and work. They hoped he would switch when he was around four or five years old, and he managed to change after two months, but he still naturally used his left hand when no one was around.

As more left-handed people appeared nowadays, he felt no shame, but habits formed in childhood were hard to break.

Wen Yi’s eyes twinkled mischievously as she raised her voice, “Great! So, I was an outsider before!”

Qin Nanshan couldn’t keep up with her sudden change of pace and froze in place.

He could only say softly before she blew up, “Not anymore.”

Wen Yi was somewhat satisfied with that answer. Rubbing her belly, she sighed, “So, my daughter will probably be a lefty too; how cool!”

Qin Nanshan looked up, the warm yellow light overhead reflecting in his eyes.

Wen Yi pushed her chair back. “I’m going to take a shower. Remember, you’re washing the dishes.”

She hummed a little tune as she walked back, casually grabbing a bag of chips from the coffee table and returning to the bedroom. The sound of the door slamming behind her was filled with satisfaction.

After a while, Qin Nanshan put down his chopsticks and looked at the countless snacks and the disarray of lanterns and couplets in the living room, feeling complicated inside.

After washing the dishes, he tidied up the kitchen and living room, finally feeding Summer. The bathroom door was still closed, the frosted glass foggy.

Having taken too long, he knocked on the bathroom door, and it opened.

Wen Yi emerged, surrounded by steam.

She was wearing a face mask and pajamas. “The water temperature isn’t stable. It gets cold and hot, and it’s really uncomfortable. Is something wrong? Do we need to call someone to fix it? Oh, and I’ll wash my dirty clothes myself tomorrow; don’t touch them. Also, why isn’t there a trash can under the sink? I have nowhere to throw away my makeup remover wipes and washcloths.”

Saying this, she grabbed a wad of paper towels from the counter and headed out to throw them away, then returned to the master bedroom.

As the fog dissipated, the mirror remained blurry, with noticeable streaks where she had wiped it.

There were many unfamiliar bottles and jars on the sink, of various sizes and colors, scattered here and there. The air was thick with the overly sweet scent of shower gel, which was dizzying.

Furrowing his brow, he organized the cosmetics and skincare products from high to low, then wiped the mirror clean. After finishing these tasks, he felt a sense of relief.

After showering, Qin Nanshan knocked on the master bedroom door but didn’t push it open. “I still have things to do; you go ahead and sleep.”

“Oh, okay.”

He indeed had things to do. His plans for the day had been interrupted by unexpected tasks. Summer didn’t need to be walked again today, and he didn’t need to make soup or be distracted by someone else.

Summer was already resting in its bed, and Qin Nanshan sat down at his desk, suddenly lost in thought about his research and the future.

This was somewhat different from what he had imagined.

And… about sleeping in the same bed.

As night fell, cold air whistled through the window, and Qin Nanshan lost the desire to continue reading papers. He took off his glasses, pinched his brow, and closed his eyes to rest.

He didn’t know how long he dozed off, but he was jolted awake when Summer nudged his foot. He realized he had been dozing for half an hour.

Looking at the time, it was almost eleven o’clock; he should go to sleep.

He got up and first went to the balcony to fetch the washed clothes to dry. On the balcony were two items that didn’t belong to him: her hand-washed underwear, black lace, hanging alone in the corner, swaying gently in the wind. He didn’t look closely, hung up the clothes, and left.

He then returned to the master bedroom, opening the door quietly.

The lights in the master bedroom were off, and light from the living room seeped through the crack, forming a triangle that illuminated a slight bulge on the bed.

The air conditioning was on, making the temperature comfortable. Wen Yi lay on her side, facing inward, her face hidden from view.

She was asleep.

He gently closed the door and walked softly to the edge of the bed she had left open.

Wen Yi was already awake or perhaps hadn’t fallen asleep. She had opened her eyes the moment he entered.

From another perspective, being pregnant was a good thing; it not only cured her years of staying up late but also improved her sleep quality, potentially extending her life.

At three months pregnant, aside from a few agonizing days, this was the first time she had lain down for over an hour without being able to sleep, tossing and turning.

She had gone out once during that time, and the second bedroom was quiet, with both the person and the dog not making any noise.

Returning, she still couldn’t fall asleep.

Wen Yi attributed this to waiting for the man beside her; she had something on her mind that kept her restless.

She inhaled the overwhelming scent of sandalwood in the air, clenched her fists, and softly said, “Can you not come back so late in the future?”

Qin Nanshan was taken aback, softly asking, “Are you still not asleep? Did I disturb you?”

“No, I can’t sleep when you’re not here.” After saying this, she realized how ambiguous it sounded, her face turning red. “I mean, I’m not used to waiting for someone.”

The darkness felt long, enveloping the entire space in a quiet yet intimate atmosphere. The sound of the air conditioner was magnified, and their breaths intermingled, deep and shallow, indistinguishable from one another.

After a long while, Qin Nanshan replied, “Okay, I’ll come back earlier in the future.”

After a long time without any movement beside her, Wen Yi had no choice but to turn over. Through the faint natural light, she saw the man standing beside the bed.

The blush on her face had faded, and she looked puzzled at his actions. “What are you doing? Get in here.”

Qin Nanshan paused for a moment before softly saying, “I’m going to the bathroom; you should sleep first.”

“……” Why didn’t he go before? Wen Yi wanted to ask him if there was something wrong with his kidneys.

Ten minutes later, he came back, lifted the blanket, and got into bed.

Wen Yi caught a whiff of the faint scent of nicotine on him. “Did you go smoke?”

Qin Nanshan lowered his head to smell his home clothes, looking a bit apologetic. “I changed into another outfit. Does it still smell?”

“A little, it’s not a big deal…” She hadn’t finished her sentence when the man beside her stood up again. “I’m going to take a shower.”

“……” 

Wen Yi could no longer hold on and decided to stop waiting.