Chapter 32

Chapter 32

After leaving the Zhao family's company, You Nan was three months pregnant.

Yao Xianqing was already waiting downstairs at the Zhao family's company. As soon as You Nan came down, he drove him straight to the hospital.

You Nan knew why he was in such a hurry—sitting in the passenger seat, he felt so embarrassed he could hardly keep still.

Truth be told, the gap between their last intimate moment had indeed been long—three whole months.

Once they arrived at the hospital and got out of the car, most of the doctors had already left for the day. The doctor Yao Xianqing had scheduled in advance had been waiting for them in the examination room.

Since You Nan became pregnant, Yao Xianqing had accompanied him to the hospital countless times. He now knew the equipment and procedures in the department inside out.

The hospital had prescribed quite a few meds and supplements for You Nan’s pregnancy, and Yao Xianqing would come back the next day to pick them up after You Nan finished them.

In fact, every day, You Nan took medicines that Yao Xianqing had already prepped and portioned according to the instructions. You Nan didn’t even know how much was left in each bottle or how much to take.

Moreover, scheduled check-ups and injections were also kept track of by Yao Xianqing.

Everything was handled by Yao Xianqing.

You Nan only needed to focus on resting well, taking care of the baby, going to the job he enjoyed, and doing the things he loved. Everything else was handled by Yao Xianqing, who had his back.

As a new father-to-be, Yao Xianqing invested a great deal for the sake of his child and husband.

As You Nan lay down on the examination bed, Yao Xianqing naturally jumped in to help the doctor and began preparing.

The doctor found it somewhat regrettable. With efficiency like that, if he had gone through the 5+3+3 medical training (China’s medical education system), he probably would have turned out quite skilled.

The doctor thought this to himself, but his hands never stopped working.

After a thorough examination, the report showed that the baby in You Nan’s womb was healthy and stable.

"The baby is doing fine now. The two of you can take it easy together. Just remember to be careful with the baby—don’t get carried away."

The doctor said this without blushing in the slightest.

He had said similar things too many times. Every day, he examined at least twenty or more expectant mothers.

Whenever a pregnant person’s husband accompanied them, he always had to give this reminder.

Yao Xianqing smiled sincerely and thanked the doctor, "Don’t worry, we’ll be careful."

Then he immediately took You Nan home.

The doctor, still nodding at the doorway, stared at the now empty space in front of him, feeling unable to put into words.

Ah, whatever. It wasn’t just this couple that acted like this.

Not my problem.

The news that they could "have sex" excited Yao Xianqing immensely.

You Nan remained in the passenger seat, occasionally glancing sideways at Yao Xianqing. He kept quiet the entire way home.

Having been with Yao Xianqing for three months, he had come to understand his husband’s temperament fairly well.

Sometimes, the quieter Yao Xianqing seemed, the more worked up he actually was.

It was like the calm before the storm.

And he himself was like a small boat drifting uncertainly on the sea, ready to be capsized by the slightest wind or wave.

And indeed, that’s exactly how it turned out.

When they got home, Yao Xianqing was still restrained, knowing he needed to prepare some food for You Nan to replenish his energy.

After You Nan finished eating and watched a movie for a while to digest, Yao Xianqing revealed a side of himself unknown to outsiders.

You Nan was tossed and turned all night until his head spun. It wasn’t until the sun started coming up that You Nan was finally able to sleep.

Yao Xianqing still cuddled up to him, trying to fit his tall frame into You Nan’s embrace, but You Nan pushed him away outright.

"Go away, I’m so hot right now, I just want to sleep."

You Nan muttered, half-asleep, and fell into a deep sleep within seconds. Only the still energetic "culprit" remained excited.

Yao Xianqing was young and full of restless energy. Mindful of his husband’s condition, he had only been gentle twice.

It was just that the process was too long, and it wore You Nan out completely.

Yao Xianqing wrapped his arms around You Nan, pulling him close. He held his husband for a long while before finally falling asleep.

After resigning from the Zhao family’s company, You Nan rested at home for two days. By the third day, he was getting antsy and wanted to go back to work.

If he didn’t return to work soon, he felt he really wouldn’t be able to take it.

Ever since Yao Xianqing’s mom found out about his pregnancy a month and a half ago, she started dropping by all the time, bringing him all kinds of tonics, giving him spending money, and buying him clothes.

If it weren’t for the fact that he still worked during the day, she would probably want to stay with him all day long to take care of him.

Yao’s dad was not as intense. Since both he and Yao Xianqing were busy with work at the company, he only found time in the evenings after work to bring his wife along to visit their son and future son-in-law.

Yao’s dad wasn’t as meticulous as Yao’s mom when it came to caring for others.

Although You Nan was also male, as his son’s partner, he wouldn’t express affection toward You Nan the way his wife did.

A man of few words but quick to act, Yao’s dad directly bought You Nan a car to get around in and put a downtown apartment in You Nan’s name.

He also said that once You Nan and Yao Xianqing got engaged, married, and had the child, You Nan wouldn’t need to worry about anything else. From delivery to the time the child could run, jump, and talk, at least four nannies would be arranged.

On top of that, he would receive an allowance starting at a million.

You Nan was overwhelmed by their attention and would often respond with embarrassed laughter.

After he left the Zhao corporation, his parents’ enthusiasm became even more intense.

Yao’s mom almost treated their home as her second house.

The day after Yao Xianqing finally managed to have his second time being intimate with You Nan, his mom showed up at the door at a little past 8 a.m., calling him to open up.

Once Yao Xianqing answered the door, half-asleep, his mom made herself at home and stayed.

Over the next two days, she stuck to You Nan like glue, made him soup, and hired two experienced nannies who knew how to keep quiet to specifically care for You Nan.

Having been through pregnancy and childbirth herself, she understood everything You Nan was going through. Whenever You Nan mentioned craving something, she immediately sent someone to buy it. If he felt the slightest ache, she would drive him straight to the hospital. She had everything sorted out for You Nan.

With her around, You Nan didn’t need to stress about looking up tips or asking netizens for help—he just had to do whatever Yao’s mom told him.

Even the cat, 007, has been living like a landlord these past few days.

It's either eating or sleeping all day long, and its little body has already gotten chubbier by two pounds.

Old Man Yao has also been coming over after work with his son these past couple of days. His son comes back to be with his wife, while he comes to pick up his own wife to go home. The two of them give the young couple a quiet space to spend time together.

You Nan feels pretty awkward because he has never experienced this kind of treatment from older folks before.

Being cared for so meticulously by them, You Nan can’t help feeling bad.

At night, he lies draped over his boyfriend, a worried frown on his face: "Maybe I should still go out to work."

Yao Xianqing leans against the headboard, going through leftover work from the daytime. Hearing his wife's voice, he lifts his eyes from the documents and fixes them on You Nan.

The man strokes You Nan's pale, slender neck, but soon his mind starts to stray. Under the warm yellow glow of the bedside lamp, his eyes take on a hint of desire. "Why? Are you not used to us being at home?"

You Nan immediately denies it, "No, no!"

He lifts his head, pulls Yao Xianqing's warm hand away from his neck, and cradles it against his chest.

He speaks to Yao Xianqing with a serious expression, "Your mom’s great. It's just that she’s too good to me. I’m really not used to it."

Yao Xianqing’s hand, held by him, doesn’t break free from the restraint. Instead, he gently lifts it to tilt You Nan’s chin. The man leans forward and kisses You Nan on the lips.

Their breaths mingle as they gaze into each other’s eyes.

Yao Xianqing naturally understands what his wife means. His heart swells with pity.

He knows about You Nan’s family background—the information is still kept in a locked drawer in his study.

You Nan comes from a big family, and as a middle child, he was often overlooked growing up. It was entirely through his own perseverance that he managed to leave his mountain village and come to the big city.

Studying for exams on his own, working part-time while studying—he never quit. He knew how to make a better life for himself.

He worked so hard that he wished every second could be stretched into two. It was this diligence that allowed him to earn his qualifications through self-study and land a decent job.

Unfortunately, that job led him to Qi Yuwen, who never loved him back, and later, Zhao Jin cost him his job.

Yao Xianqing takes a deep breath, trying to calm his unsettled emotions.

He knows that even now, You Nan’s family back home still calls him hitting him up for money.

Yet, You Nan has never once brought up these family troubles with him, nor has he used them to fish for sympathy or a handout.

He is just too dutiful and considerate.

Yao Xianqing pulls him into his arms and kisses You Nan’s forehead. "Okay, but this time you can only come work at Yao Corporation."

He glances at the slight swell of You Nan’s belly, his tone gentle yet firm, tinged with concern. "I’ll only feel at ease if I can have you where I can see you. Xiao Nan, is that alright?"

You Nan smiles and says, "Mm."

"You’re so good," he says, to reassure him.

But he also lays down a few ground rules with Yao Xianqing in advance.

"If I can come to your company, I hope we can keep us under wraps."

You Nan still remembers Zhao Jin’s slimy tricks. Having experienced it once, it’s left him wary.

Yao Xianqing isn’t crazy about the idea. He’d prefer everyone in the company to know they’re together.

You Nan is his wife-to-be, and they already have two children on the way. Their relationship is only natural.

But he also understands that You Nan has been spooked by Zhao Jin.

Unwilling to contradict You Nan, Yao Xianqing sighs softly. "Alright."

"Then, after we get married, can I be out in the open with you at the company?" Yao Xianqing probes with hopeful eyes.

This is the bare minimum he’s willing to accept.

You Nan’s eyes curve into happy crescents, pleased that Yao Xianqing respects his opinion. "Of course."

You Nan feels content.

Eager to do something, he suddenly kicks off the blankets and gets out of bed.

Yao Xianqing instinctively follows, throwing back the covers. "What are you doing?" he asks, puzzled.

Their room is spacious, with a dedicated sofa area and a temporary workspace equipped with a desk and chair.

You Nan pulls out the chair, opens Yao Xianqing’s unlocked laptop on the desk, and logs into his email account.

The room is warm with the air conditioning on, and You Nan seems just as ready to get down to business as Yao Xianqing.

He downloads his old resume from his email and begins revising it. "I’m updating my resume to send to your company’s HR email."

Yao Xianqing: "..."

Yao Xianqing feels a twinge of jealousy. He doesn’t want his importance in You Nan’s heart to be playing second fiddle to a resume. "Does it have to be done now?"

The man’s tone is almost sulky.

You Nan’s desire to join Yao Corporation on his own merit makes Yao Xianqing feel a little redundant.

Besides, he had been holding his warm and soft wife in his arms, planning to finish reading the document and then have a peaceful sleep. What was the point of You Nan suddenly getting excited and leaving him behind!

You Nan doesn’t look up, so he doesn’t see Yao Xianqing’s frowning, unhappy expression, or the doubt creeping in about his own charm.

You Nan continues staring at the computer screen. "I’ll be done soon. Just wait for me, okay?"

He even praises himself, "I won’t include my experience at Zhao Jin’s company. Looking solely at my time at the previous hotel, I didn’t realize I’d been there for so many years. Employees who can stay long-term at one company are usually in high demand, right?"

That’s indeed true. Employees who stick with one company are far more valued than those who job-hop five or six times a year.

Yao Xianqing has faith in his wife’s abilities, but he sighs inwardly. Having a wife who is too ambitious isn’t always a good thing.

At least, not for him.

Moreover, Yao Xianqing still can’t stand the thought of Qi Yuwen.

Not to mention, the number of years You Nan worked at that hotel is the same number of years he spent in the same company as Qi Yuwen.

The more Yao Xianqing thinks about it, the more pangs of jealousy rise in his heart, nearly overwhelming him.

"Of course. But I don’t want to hear about your previous job," Yao Xianqing says bluntly, not one to suppress his feelings. "Whenever you mention working at the hotel, I think of Qi Yuwen. Thinking of him kills my mood."

You Nan immediately turns to look at him, his eyes sparkling with surprise and amusement.

"Oh, you... Never mind, I won't talk about him anymore. I’ve also been a bit unhappy that he's liked you for so long."

There was clearly nothing to these words; they couldn't even be considered comfort. Yet somehow, Yao Xianqing relaxed upon hearing them, his mood smoothing out, and he felt completely at ease.

Feeling much better, and seeing You Nan still wrestling with his résumé, Yao Xianqing leveraged his position as a high-level executive to share some insights about the hiring preferences of their HR department, particularly for financial staff and the Finance Department head.

You Nan listened to him obediently, revising several projects he had originally intended to highlight on his résumé based on Yao Xianqing's suggestions.

Once You Nan was nearly done with the revisions, Yao Xianqing naturally scooted closer, resting his head on You Nan's shoulder as they both stared at the screen, making edits together.

"Done," Yao Xianqing said, reading through the final version word by word and finally letting out a sigh of relief at the finished résumé. He returned to the desktop, opened the browser, and emailed it directly to the HR department.

He had only offered a few suggestions earlier and taken another look later, but his relieved expression made it seem as though he had written the entire résumé for You Nan himself.

You Nan wanted to laugh at him as he spoke, but when he turned to look at Yao Xianqing's face, his lips just beginning to curve upward, a pair of strong, firm arms wrapped around his waist, sweeping him off his feet and lifting him up.

Yao Xianqing let out a quiet "hmph," saying, "All you think about is going to work, not caring about your husband at all."

You Nan blushed. "It’s just a few more months. Once the baby is born, it'll be fine."

Yao Xianqing was still unhappy. You Nan was only three months along, with seven more to go, plus recovery after birth—it would take at least a year.

Thinking about having to be this cautious for another year, he sighed.

You Nan's incredibly high "success rate" was a bit frightening; from now on, he would definitely have to use protection!

But for now, he focused on coaxing his wife. "Alright, whatever you say. Let's go to sleep."

Yao Xianqing carried You Nan to bed; the computer on the desk stayed on.

When You Nan had turned to speak to him, and he himself had been in a hurry to send the résumé quickly, neither of them had looked closely.

Yao Xianqing hadn't noticed that You Nan had already opened a browser; he had opened another one himself.

Since it was his computer, his email was logged in by default. So, Yao Xianqing had ended up sending You Nan's résumé from his own account.

But whether he truly hadn't noticed or had done it on purpose, only he knew for sure.

Early the next morning, an interview invitation from Yao Company's HR department arrived on You Nan's phone.

It was early—the message came through at 7:30 a.m.

You Nan was having breakfast, while Yao Xianqing crouched on the floor feeding their little tyrant, 007, some cat food.

You Nan saw the message and was surprised by both the early hour and the efficiency. "Do people at your company start work this early?"

Yao Xianqing, knowing who he meant, responded without looking up, "The head of HR is a morning person. He likes handling work in the early hours, but he leaves early in the afternoon too—around two or three."

You Nan marveled, "That's great. It seems like your company seems pretty flexible."

But he soon noticed something odd. "Hey? Did I send it to the head of HR? I found the email address of the HR person specifically responsible for finance recruitment on your company's website."

Yao Xianqing, who was pouring cat food for 007, froze for a second but quickly regained his composure. "Oh, then I must have remembered wrong. You know, in the HR department, only the head is considered upper management. I interact with him more often."

Yao Xianqing quickly added, "Since your résumé has already been accepted, let's finish breakfast and drive over together."

You Nan happily agreed.

Yao Xianqing drove You Nan to the underground parking at the company building. You Nan had never been there before, so he carefully asked his husband for directions inside the car, only to be pressed against the seat and kissed for several minutes until his lips were swollen. It was only his fear of being late that made him push Yao Xianqing away forcefully, finally allowing him to step out of the car.

Before opening the door, You Nan carefully scanned the area in the parking garage. Seeing no one around, he sighed in relief and hurried toward the elevator without looking back.

His determined little demeanor made Yao Xianqing's teeth itch with a sense of being used and then tossed aside.

But Yao Xianqing remembered what You Nan had told him. After You Nan entered the elevator and went upstairs, he waited another five minutes before getting out of the car.

"Hey! President Yao!" As soon as Yao Xianqing stepped out, an employee who had also just arrived noticed him and greeted him cheerfully.

Yao Xianqing smiled. "Morning."

Yao Xianqing entered his office. A little over an hour later, during a meeting in the conference room, his phone vibrated. He tapped the screen twice—it was a message from You Nan.

You Nan's message included a smiling emoji.

His wife informed him that the interview had gone well—the head of HR and the finance director were very satisfied with his skills and had immediately decided to hire him on the spot, asking him to start the next day.

Yao Xianqing's lips curved upward; he wasn't surprised by the outcome.

He tapped on the screen, congratulating his wife on achieving his goal, and sent three transfers of 20,000 yuan each as a congratulatory gift.

After sending the message, Yao Xianqing suddenly raised his hand. The conference room immediately fell silent, everyone turning to look at him.

Yao Xianqing said gently, "My apologies, something urgent has come up. I need to step out for a moment."

"Oh, of course!" Everyone in the room nodded repeatedly. No one dared to ask their boss to stay.

You Nan went downstairs and stood by the roadside. Yao Xianqing was working upstairs, and not wanting to disturb him, You Nan planned to call a ride on his phone to get home.

"Xiao Nan!"

Hearing a familiar voice call him from behind, You Nan immediately turned around. When he saw it was Yao Xianqing, his eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you doing down here?" You Nan asked softly, letting Yao Xianqing take his hand and lead him obediently to the car. "Don't you have work today?"

Yao Xianqing leaned over to fasten his seatbelt, cheering You Nan up: "Work is important, of course, but the other employees at the company are paid to work. If I handle everything myself, what's the point of having them?"

"Being the boss means you can come and go as you please, and not work when you don't feel like it, right?"

Yao Xianqing smiled, his eyes crinkling. "Let's go, I'll take you home."

You Nan agreed happily. This time, without Yao Xianqing having to ask, he proactively leaned in on his own and gave him a kiss.

You Nan's rare initiative stirred a strange feeling in Yao Xianqing's heart.

He started the car, appearing calm and composed, but if one looked closely at the tips of his ears, they would notice a faint blush.

You Nan, who had been watching him carefully, noticed it too.

He smiled, his eyes curving, and quickly took out his phone to snap a picture of Yao Xianqing in that state.

Yao Xianqing felt nervous, his heart racing, his lips curving upward uncontrollably. "Why are you taking pictures of me?"

You Nan stared at the photos he had taken from various angles, unable to help but marvel at how Yao Xianqing, as the protagonist's love interest, had impeccable looks, perfect from every angle.

"Because you're handsome, of course," You Nan praised. "If you weren't good-looking, I wouldn't bother."

Yao Xianqing tried to suppress his smile to avoid looking too pleased, but he couldn't control it. You Nan's praise was so genuine that after a couple of attempts, Yao Xianqing gave up.

He simply couldn't resist You Nan's sweet talk.