Chapter 67.1

For Xu Yuan, time had flown by since she became pregnant.

The morning sickness was the most unbearable period; every day she could barely manage to drink a little plain porridge and had no appetite for anything else. Even when she forced herself to eat something, she would immediately throw it up. During that time, both Xu Yuan and Meng Zhengrong realized that being pregnant was not an easy task.

Xu Yuan lost a lot of weight during that period, and Meng Zhengrong felt so heartbroken seeing her like this.

After enduring that phase, Xu Yuan’s appetite improved. However, both Mother Xu and Mother Meng urged her to eat appropriately and not to indulge in whatever she craved. If she gained too much weight, it would not only be hard during childbirth but could also lead to various health issues.

Initially, both families disapproved of Xu Yuan going to work, considering this their first grandchild, who was especially precious, and wanted her to rest at home. But Xu Yuan was unwilling. She understood that the pace of change in this era was too fast, and even a slight pause could leave her lagging behind others.

More importantly, this era was too harsh on women. Although it had progressed significantly compared to feudal times, in the workplace, women often had fewer opportunities due to maternity leave.

She knew that, given her status, even if she took a year or two off, she could still return to her position at Meng’s and might even be in a higher position. But that wasn’t the same, was it?

Compared to people of her age, her knowledge was already quite lacking. She hadn’t read many books, and although she was doing her best to catch up, once she paused, it would be incredibly hard to catch up with others again.

She had thought about it before—her ambitions and dreams in her career wouldn’t conflict with having children.

She didn’t see herself as a rich wife but wanted to be like an ordinary employee, starting her maternity leave before her due date and planning to return to work as soon as it was over.

Time was precious; she really didn’t want to waste it.

Of course, her conditions were still much better than those of ordinary female employees. At least Baby Panda wouldn’t lack care, and she felt reassured.

Despite almost everyone opposing her decision, Meng Zhengrong quietly and firmly stood by Xu Yuan’s side, supporting her wish to work.

Because of this matter, the Xu family had many opinions about Meng Zhengrong.

Only Meng Zhengrong knew how crucial his stance was at this moment. If he opposed her continuing to work like the rest of the family, it would only disappoint her.

Perhaps others didn’t understand what Xu Yuan truly desired, but as her husband, how could he not know?

His wife yearned for broader horizons.

She didn’t want to lose to anyone, including him.

He understood and agreed.

Meng Zhengrong’s action turned out to be the right decision. No matter how much the two families’ parents criticized him, Xu Yuan was genuinely touched that he was willing to stand by her side and support her.

How fortunate she was to spend her life with such a person.

By the time Xu Yuan’s belly was noticeably large, Shen Li’s belly was only slightly protruding.

The two had maintained a good relationship after the show ended. Due to her pregnancy, Shen Li had fewer engagements and often met with Xu Yuan for afternoon tea, discussing motherhood experiences.

Yu Yu sometimes joined them, but most of the time, she was busy, leaving only Xu Yuan and Shen Li to hang out together.

One day, after attending a prenatal class together, Shen Li and Xu Yuan decided to go shopping and then have some afternoon tea nearby.

As pregnant women, they couldn’t shop for hours like they used to, and after nearly an hour, they started to feel tired.

The café had an artistic decor, and since it was a weekday, there weren’t many customers. Xu Yuan linked arms with Shen Li and naturally took a photo in front of a full-length mirror. Both were wearing hats and had their heads lowered, obscuring their expressions.

Xu Yuan wore a loose red dress and comfortable white flats.

Shen Li also wore a long dress, with only a hint of her baby bump visible, paired with sneakers.

Since the show ended, Xu Yuan’s Weibo followers have exceeded one million. Whenever she posted, there would be about two to three thousand comments and shares.

Xu Yuan posted a Weibo update:

“Attended a prenatal class with Shen Li. No expectant dads around, so bad review! Hmph. Now off to eat something delicious!”

Shen Li quickly retweeted the post: “Right, bad review! But our dear Yuan, if the two expectant dads were here, they’d probably be really annoying since they’re all housekeepers!”

The two of them sat in the café, barely communicating, as they scrolled through the comments on Weibo.

There were some trolls hiding in the shadows, but generally, when trolls said something, they were quickly berated.

Since both Shen Li and Xu Yuan were pregnant, many people were kind-hearted; to them, pregnant women and children were definitely objects that needed protection and care.

The comments were overwhelming, nearly impossible to keep up with.

—Mrs. Meng has been pregnant for six or seven months, and she’s thinner than I am during her pregnancy. How is she not gaining weight at all? I hope Mrs. Meng can share a tutorial on how to do this. Thank you!

—Looking forward to Baby Panda! I feel like it’s a boy. For little Song Song or little Shen Shen, I have a feeling it’s a girl… Oh my, I can’t stop imagining; my baby definitely can’t resist childhood sugar! In the future, Meng Zong and Song Chaowen can take their kids to participate in shows together, which will surely be super fun. Both of these babies will have their own fan clubs!

—Such love! The three couples in this show genuinely have a good relationship. They still often get together for meals. Looking back, I can’t help but wonder if Baby Panda was already in Meng Tai’s belly when Mrs. Meng and Mr. Meng was discussing names for the baby.

—Hahaha, every time I think about Baby Panda’s nickname, I can’t help but laugh. If it’s a boy, that’s fine; if it’s a girl, I’ll be crying! Hahaha, I really don’t take pleasure in others’ misfortunes.

“Have you decided on a nickname for the baby?” Xu Yuan put her phone away and asked Shen Li, who was sitting across from her.

Shen Li shook her head, “We’ll wait until the baby is born to choose. No rush.” She paused and added, “My parents care about this a lot. Since I lack wood in my five elements, they decided on the name ‘Li.’”

Xu Yuan took a bite of cake and smiled, “Our parents didn’t initially agree to the nickname Baby Panda. They said it had to be calculated, but Zhengrong wouldn’t budge. At least we retained this nickname.”

“Baby Panda sounds great,” Shen Li chuckled. “It sounds cute and easy to raise. Being a mom is really different from not being one; like me now, I’m not hoping for the baby to be exceptionally good-looking; I just want them to be healthy.”

“Exactly.” Xu Yuan rubbed her belly gently, her expression tender. “Just yesterday, I was talking with Zhengrong, saying as long as Baby Panda is healthy, that’s enough.”

“But people are always greedy. Now, I’m only concerned about health, but when they grow up and go to school, I’ll want their grades to be good and everything to be perfect. Sigh, raising kids is really exhausting.”

Xu Yuan glanced at her, “Isn’t being an adult even more exhausting?”

“Anyway, the only years we’re relaxed are the few before school; after that, it’s just constant fatigue.”

The two sat in the café until the afternoon, when Song Chaowen and Meng Zhengrong arrived, and the four of them went out for dinner together.

While eating, Shen Li remembered the comments on Weibo and laughed, “Someone said they feel like Baby Panda is a boy, while mine is a little princess, and they suggested pairing them up as childhood sweethearts.”

Fans joked that if they were really a boy and a girl, then they would be the most insane CP fans.

Because they were already shipping the kids before they were even born.

Song Chaowen shot Meng Zhengrong a glance, “They can only be good friends. I won’t accept the idea of childhood sweethearts. What I mean is, if Baby Panda is a boy, the baby will be a girl.”

“Pfft.” Meng Zhengrong rolled his eyes at him. “If my Baby Panda is a girl, no one’s allowed to get close to her as a childhood sweetheart. Don’t even think about it.”

Xu Yuan and Shen Li exchanged helpless glances.

These two soon-to-be dads were utterly the same; their son could flirt with someone else’s cabbage, but their daughter couldn’t let anyone come near.

They really were something else.

After dinner, Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan drove home. The road was a bit congested, but Xu Yuan wasn’t irritated. She rolled down the window to enjoy the night view outside.

On the side of the street, five students were laughing and joking around, a scene that evoked fond memories and envy.

Xu Yuan focused her gaze. Among the five students, four were boys, and one was a girl, all looking quite young. One of the boys was passionately kissing the girl for a while, and she was smiling joyfully, which caught Meng Zhengrong’s attention.

Meng Zhengrong quickly looked away.

Xu Yuan nudged Meng Zhengrong and quietly asked, “What if our daughter ends up like that girl in the scene?”

As a mother, seeing children on the street always made her pause and wonder if Baby Panda would grow up to be just as lively and adorable.

“That situation won’t happen,” Meng Zhengrong said calmly. “Unless she’s able to take responsibility for her actions one day. Otherwise, I’ll keep picking her up from school. If I’m busy, you can pick her up.”

“What if she can take responsibility for her actions in high school?”

Meng Zhengrong replied, “If she has that awareness, she should know that having a crush is normal. I won’t stop her from liking someone, but she needs to understand what she can and can’t do.”

“En.” Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, “Then what if our Baby Panda ends up like that male student?”

Meng Zhengrong replied without hesitation, “First, I’ll give him a good beating.”

“Why? Aren’t you supposed to treat boys and girls equally? You wouldn’t favor one over the other.”

Meng Zhengrong sighed, “It’s about equality, but boys need to learn responsibility from a young age. If they’re not ready to take responsibility for someone, they shouldn’t be kissing girls on the street at that age. In this aspect, girls ultimately suffer more, so I’ll be stricter with our son. If he can’t be responsible, he shouldn’t act so easily. Isn’t it right to give him a beating?”

“Alright then, what a strict dad you are.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. ‘The father is at fault for not teaching his son.’ Being strict isn’t a bad thing.”

What Meng Zhengrong didn’t say was that a boy’s affection for a girl should come with respect. If he truly respected her, how could he behave like that in public at such a young age?

That wasn’t love; at the very least, it didn’t show much respect.

Of course, things would be different once they were adults.

It was undeniable that both the soon-to-be dad and mom were deeply concerned about the education of Baby Panda, who hadn’t even been born yet.