Chapter 18 : Yunshu, I am the child’s father

In the stillness of the late night, the only sound in the bedroom was the soft clatter of chess pieces.  

On the endgame board, the black pieces were caught in several traps. Drawing on lessons from his last defeat against Jiang Yunshu, Fu Chengze paid particular attention to the seemingly inconspicuous scattered black stones this time.  

Jiang Yunshu appeared to anticipate his strategy, moving her pieces with ease and adopting a completely different offensive tactic from her previous structured approach.  

When she placed a stone that captured one of the white pieces, Fu Chengze looked up at her with mild surprise.  

Unbeknownst to them, it was already close to 1 a.m.  

Gazing at the board, where the black pieces had secured victory, Fu Chengze gave a slight nod and looked up. “Congratulations.”  

Jiang Yunshu’s lips curved into a smile. “Thank you for letting me win.”  

Fu Chengze glanced at the time on his phone. “It’s late. You should rest.”  

As he moved to clear the chessboard, he noticed Jiang Yunshu still staring intently at it. “What’s wrong?” he asked.  

“I want to study it a bit more. I’m worried you let me win just to make me happy,” she replied.  

Lowering his gaze, Fu Chengze spoke in a soft, calm tone. “Letting you win would only upset you.”  

Jiang Yunshu looked up at him, her eyes glimmering with laughter. “Go to bed.”  

After tidying up the board and freshening up, Fu Chengze returned to find Jiang Yunshu already asleep.  

He sat by the bed and looked at her for a while. She seemed serene and gentle in her sleep.  

She had always been unable to sleep with the lights on, not even the bedside lamp. Yet tonight, the main bedroom light was still on, and she had fallen asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.  

Playing chess clearly taxed her mind, and she must have been exhausted.  

Recalling her focused expression during the game, Fu Chengze’s lips curved slightly.  

She seemed to approach everything with the same seriousness, even watching soccer games.  

Except back then, the person in her eyes wasn’t him.  

Turning off the light, Fu Chengze lay down on the other side of the bed.  

As soon as he closed his eyes, her hand, still in a dream, grasped his.  

Startled, he turned toward her, studying her serene face in the faint moonlight. His heart stirred slightly. Leaning closer, he kissed her forehead.  

She was his wife now.  

As long as the person in her eyes was him in the future, that was enough.  

—

The next morning, both of them woke up late. When they opened their eyes, it was already 9 a.m.  

Jiang Yunshu reached for her phone on the bedside table, glanced at the time, and then looked at Fu Chengze, who was still asleep.  

Just as she debated whether to wake him, he opened his eyes.  

“It’s already 9 a.m.,” Jiang Yunshu reminded him.  

Fu Chengze’s gaze softened. “No rush. I don’t have a morning meeting today. It’s fine to go in a bit later.”  

“Alright,” Jiang Yunshu replied.  

When they went downstairs together, only Aunt Luo was in the living room.  

“Aunt Luo, have Grandma already had breakfast?” Jiang Yunshu asked.  

“They’ve all eaten,” Aunt Luo replied, placing breakfast on the dining table with a somewhat hesitant expression.  

Jiang Yunshu noticed her concern and asked gently, “Aunt Luo, is something wrong?”  

Hearing this, Fu Chengze also looked at Aunt Luo.  

Aunt Luo looked at the couple and sighed.  

“Yunshu, Chengze, I’ve been with the Fu family for so many years, and it’s a privilege to be addressed as Aunt Luo. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’d like to speak openly.”  

Jiang Yunshu adopted a serious expression. “Please go ahead, Aunt Luo.”  

Fu Chengze nodded after her.  

Aunt Luo clasped her hands and lowered her voice.  

“Although Yunshu has passed the early stages of pregnancy, it’s still a delicate time…”  

The couple immediately understood what Aunt Luo meant.  

They exchanged a glance, and Jiang Yunshu’s ears turned red. Smiling awkwardly, she quickly clarified, “Aunt Luo, you’ve misunderstood. We didn’t… we just stayed up late last night.”  

Aunt Luo froze and looked at Fu Chengze uncertainly.  

Fu Chengze nodded calmly. “Yunshu is right.”  

Aunt Luo chuckled. “Ah, so I misunderstood.”  

Jiang Yunshu smiled warmly. “It’s okay, Aunt Luo. I know you’re concerned about me.”  

Having broached the subject, Aunt Luo took the opportunity to offer more advice.  

“You two are young and experiencing this for the first time. It’s not entirely out of the question, but moderation is key. Chengze, you should also be more mindful and maintain the right balance.”  

Jiang Yunshu felt her face heat uncontrollably but maintained a composed demeanor as she nodded.  

Fu Chengze glanced at her and allowed a faint smile to tug at the corner of his lips. Calmly, he said to Aunt Luo, “Got it, Aunt Luo. Don’t worry, we’ll be careful.”  

Jiang Yunshu froze for a moment.  

Careful?  

How could he phrase it like that?  

Aunt Luo laughed. “Good, good. As long as you both have a sense of propriety, I won’t nag anymore. Any more, and Yunshu will get shy.”  

Feeling the weight of Fu Chengze’s gaze, Jiang Yunshu exhaled softly. “Not at all…”  

“Go ahead and eat breakfast. I’ll get back to work,” Aunt Luo said, heading to the kitchen.  

Fu Chengze casually handed her a bowl of congee.  

“I can’t eat breakfast; I have a prenatal checkup this morning,” Jiang Yunshu explained, pushing the bowl back to him.  

Fu Chengze froze, turning to look at her.  

Seeing his serious expression, Jiang Yunshu felt confused. “What’s wrong?”  

Fu Chengze frowned slightly, his jaw tightening. “Didn’t we agree you’d let me know ahead of time for checkups?”  

“I forgot,” Jiang Yunshu said lightly.  

“You’re busy with work. You don’t need to accompany me every time. Aunt Luo is here, and mom’s coming with me this time. There’s really no need for so many people.”  

Fu Chengze sighed and softened his tone. “Yunshu, I’m the baby’s father.”  

Jiang Yunshu blinked, her gaze locking onto his steady, serious eyes. Emotion surged uncontrollably within her.  

This was the first time she’d heard him say the word “father.”  

Perhaps due to her pregnancy, Jiang Yunshu’s emotions were heightened. She lowered her eyes as a tear fell onto the back of her hand.  

Fu Chengze paused, leaning closer. His voice softened further.  

“Yunshu, I didn’t mean to scold you. I just meant that I want to make time to be there.”  

Jiang Yunshu nodded, murmuring her agreement, though tears continued to fall.  

Fu Chengze quickly handed her tissues, feeling at a loss as it was his first time seeing her cry.  

“My fault. I didn’t handle it well. I’m sorry, please don’t cry.”  

Standing, he pulled her into his arms, gently patting her back as he awkwardly tried to comfort her.  

After a while, Jiang Yunshu’s emotions settled.  

Relieved, Fu Chengze noticed her reddened eyes and nose, feeling both heartache and tenderness.  

“I should have kept track of your checkup schedule myself instead of relying on you to remind me. That was my oversight. I’ll write it down and make sure to free up time in advance. If I really can’t make it, I’ll let you know beforehand. Is that okay?”  

Jiang Yunshu nodded, her gaze lifting slightly. “Okay.”  

Seeing the tear on her eyelash, Fu Chengze couldn’t help but ruffle her hair. “When do we need to leave for the hospital?”  

Jiang Yunshu replied, “After you finish breakfast.”  

“There’s no need. Let’s go upstairs, freshen up, and head out now.”  

Jiang Yunshu held his hand, her voice soft but firm. “Eat breakfast first.”  

Fu Chengze gazed at her for a few seconds before smiling faintly. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”  

As Jiang Yunshu released his hand, her heart raced slightly.