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Chapter 14
After the fireworks, Jiang Yu returned home with Jiang Zhe, feeling content.
Once inside, Jiang Zhe noticed that her mood seemed quite good. “How do you feel tonight?”
“Happy,” Jiang Yu replied without hesitation.
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Zhe’s lips. Her happiness brought him joy, but thinking about Lin Sicheng from earlier dampened his mood a bit.
He wondered if Jiang Yu truly didn’t have feelings for him. Or perhaps she had never liked Lin Sicheng at all? If he could choose, he hoped it was the latter.
Time passed quickly. The succulents and flowers on the balcony were thriving, but Jiang Yu’s belly was growing rapidly, bringing along discomfort.
At first, she thought she could endure the physical discomfort since she only needed to focus on her pregnancy. But as time went on, the discomfort became more pronounced. That night, she found it hard to sleep, tossing and turning in bed until she resigned herself to getting up.
Still feeling uncomfortable, she began pacing around the room. The space was too cramped, so she turned on the lights and stepped outside to walk.
Less than ten minutes later, Jiang Zhe emerged from his room. It was already three or four in the morning, and his hair was slightly disheveled, his eyes bleary as if he had just woken up. He frowned slightly upon seeing her outside and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Yu had held back for so long, and now the discomfort was becoming unbearable. She realized that since the child was Jiang Zhe’s, she needed to communicate her feelings rather than let him think that giving birth was easy. So she shared her discomfort with him.
“My legs feel a bit sore.”
She had intended to express her feelings straightforwardly, but her discomfort leaked into her voice, tinged with a hint of grievance.
Jiang Zhe understood that she was in pain. He had researched pregnancy extensively and had frequently asked her about her condition, but she always responded that she was fine. Hearing her admit her discomfort made him anxious and guilty. He felt that he had caused her suffering, and such pain was something he couldn’t bear for her. If they had met earlier, Jiang Zhe believed that not having a child wouldn’t have been an issue.
But alas…
While there were limits to what he could do, he still wanted to help. Upon hearing Jiang Yu’s words, he asked, “Are your legs really sore? Would you like me to massage them?”
Jiang Yu was thrilled at his offer; she could barely keep herself from tiring when she tried to rub her own legs. “That would be great,” she replied eagerly.
She settled onto the couch, eagerly awaiting his help.
Wearing pink sleep pants, her exposed ankles looked delicate and fair. Jiang Zhe was now closer to her than ever before. As he gazed at her slender legs, he felt an unfamiliar heat creeping up his face. He tried to ignore the awkwardness and placed his large hand on her leg. Jiang Yu’s skin felt soft and warm beneath his palm, making his face heat up further, but he dared not apply too much pressure.
Even with his gentle touch, Jiang Yu couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp.
Startled, Jiang Zhe looked at her with a mix of panic and concern. “What’s wrong? Did I press too hard?”
Jiang Yu immediately denied, “No, just a little, but it’s fine. It feels really good.”
Hearing her words, Jiang Zhe felt a bit more at ease, lightening his grip. But Jiang Yu found it too gentle and urged, “You can press a bit harder; it was comfortable before.”
“Okay, okay.” Jiang Zhe felt his hands stiffening, almost as if they had a mind of their own. Since Jiang Yu said a firmer touch was better, he applied more pressure, but then heard her gasp again, causing him to look over in concern.
Seeing his worried expression, Jiang Yu smiled brightly at him. “This is perfect.”
As he continued, her occasional moans made his heart skip a beat.
After a while, once her legs felt much better, Jiang Yu stopped him and cheerfully said, “I’m feeling a lot better now. I’m going back to sleep. You should too, it’s late.”
Having been roommates for so long, she knew that while Jiang Zhe didn’t go out much, he had a lot of work to do. Plus, he needed to make breakfast for her in the morning.
Just thinking about breakfast made Jiang Yu pout. “Oh no, I feel a bit hungry.”
She glanced at Jiang Zhe, wondering if it was unreasonable to ask him to make her something to eat so late at night.
Unaware of her thoughts, Jiang Zhe felt that he could do something for her, which would help ease his guilt.
“Is there anything you’d like to eat?” he asked softly.
Images of the delicious food she had seen in a video the night before flashed through Jiang Yu’s mind.
“I want to eat braised pig’s trotters.”
Jiang Zhe shook his head. “We don’t have any trotters at home. You’d have to buy them during the day.”
“Okay,” Jiang Yu replied, her expression a bit disappointed. She sat down on the couch and told him, “Then just see what vegetables we have in the kitchen and make something simple.”
“Wontons—do you want some?” Jiang Zhe suggested.
“Sure,” Jiang Yu replied without hesitation.
Jiang Zhe went into the kitchen, tied on an apron, and started working.
Jiang Yu turned on the TV, and as the sounds of the show blended with the noises of cooking, she began to feel drowsy.
Her legs no longer ached, and the comforting sounds were almost hypnotic.
When Jiang Zhe emerged from the kitchen, he noticed she looked like she was about to fall asleep. He quickly grabbed a blanket from the bedroom and draped it over her.
“If you’re really tired, you can take a nap. I’ll wake you when everything is ready,” he said.
“Okay.” Jiang Yu settled into a comfortable position and drifted off.
She vaguely heard the door open during her slumber but didn’t pay it much mind, continuing to sleep soundly.
It wasn’t until the savory smell wafting from the kitchen roused her that she finally woke. It didn’t smell like wontons. She slipped on her shoes and headed inside, immediately spotting the freshly made braised pig’s trotters.
She glanced at the sky outside and asked, “Didn’t you say I’d have to wait until morning?”
But the sun still hadn’t risen.
Jiang Zhe placed the finished dish on the table, his expression calm as he replied, “I checked on a delivery app, and luckily, there were some vendors open, so I placed an order.”
In reality, he had used his connections and asked night owls to help him get it.
Jiang Yu didn’t buy it. What market would be open at this hour? But food was food, and she sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat.
**
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