Chapter 60

Chapter 60

The weather was pretty nice today, with bright sunshine, a blue sky, and a gentle breeze that wasn't too strong.

It was also the weekend, and he was planning to go out and buy some clothes today.

Pei Qingji noticed that he was up much earlier than usual today.

And he was already changing clothes, looking like he was about to head out.

He asked without thinking, "Are you going out?"

Cheng Yuan froze for a second, then nodded and explained, "I'm going to buy some clothes."

"My clothes are all too small now... I can't wear them anymore..."

Pei Qingji blurted out, "You can wear mine."

Cheng Yuan: "...?"

He realized what he'd just said and scrambled to backtrack awkwardly.

"No, I—I meant my clothes have pheromones on them, which can help you..."

The tips of Pei Qingji's ears flushed, and under Cheng Yuan's odd stare, he quickly changed the subject.

"I'll come with you."

Then he helped Cheng Yuan into the car and had Assistant Lin drive to the biggest maternity and baby store in City A.

This maternity and baby store was a whopping five stories tall.

The two of them walked inside.

Inside was a dazzling display of maternity and baby products—infant clothing, diapers, bottles, bibs, strollers, and more.

"The baby's almost here. If we buy stuff now, it'll be ready to wear when the baby's born. Otherwise, new clothes can have a weird smell."

Cheng Yuan was a little taken aback. He had to admit Pei Qingji was thoughtful—more thorough than he'd been.

A stroller was definitely a must, so that's what they went for first.

Cheng Yuan hadn't expected to be brought here for baby supplies; he only realized it when they got out of the car.

They already had a ton of pregnancy stuff at home, but they hadn't bought any baby stuff yet.

The main thing was they didn't know if the baby was a boy or a girl, so they didn't know whether to buy girl clothes or boy clothes.

Cheng Yuan was a bit torn.

Pei Qingji seemed to pick up on his hesitation and spoke up.

"Then let's buy both. We'll find out if it's a boy or a girl later—but as long as you're the one having it, I'll love it either way."

He thought about it—that did make sense.

After all, the baby wasn't born yet, so nobody knew if it was a boy or a girl.

Cheng Yuan, with his baby bump, went with Pei Qingji to pick out a stroller.

Just then, a sales clerk walked over.

"Are you two looking for a stroller?"

"Yes."

Cheng Yuan nodded and replied.

He and Pei Qingji had both worn hats and masks out today, so nobody could recognize them.

The sales clerk didn't recognize them either and started going over the features of each stroller.

Cheng Yuan had a hard time choosing—he thought any of them would work, so he was torn.

But with the sales clerk standing right there, he felt awkward, like he couldn't buy or not buy.

Pei Qingji suddenly spoke up with a smile.

"We'll take a look ourselves for a while. We'll call you if we need anything."

The sales clerk finally noticed his discomfort and gave an awkward but polite smile.

"Sorry about that. Take your time—come find me if you need anything."

In the end, Pei Qingji picked it out. This model had more features than the others, and it was the most expensive and the best.

Cheng Yuan didn't think they needed to spend that much.

But Pei Qingji just grabbed the stroller and headed to the clothing section to look at baby clothes.

Cheng Yuan pressed his lips together, helpless.

"Look at this outfit—isn't it cute? It has a little apple pattern. Our baby would look so cute in this when they're born."

Cheng Yuan's attention was pulled away, and he looked at the cute little outfit.

It had a red apple printed on it, with green leaves.

He nodded. Even though the baby wasn't born yet, he was already picturing the baby in it.

Cheng Yuan thought it really would look cute.

"I think this one's cute too. And this one's cute as well."

Then Pei Qingji grabbed one outfit after another.

Cheng Yuan thought he was buying way too much and tried to stop him.

"You... you really don't need to buy stuff this expensive."

"Babies grow so fast. The clothes you buy now might only fit for a little while before they outgrow them."

Pei Qingji just said, "Then I'll just buy a few bigger sizes too."

He completely ignored what Cheng Yuan said, and Cheng Yuan felt a little uncomfortable about it.

When it came time to check out, the cashier took a long time scanning everything before having them delivered to the villa.

He'd bought a ton of stuff—basically everything he could think of, and in different sizes too. He'd thought of everything.

Pei Qingji and Cheng Yuan paid the bill, then got back into Assistant Lin's car and had him drive them back to the villa.

Then all the clothes that were delivered arrived as well, and they set up another room in the house specifically to store all these things.

Pei Qingji didn't just buy clothes for the baby—he even bought clothes for her too, and they were all from big-name brands, and they weren't cheap at all.

He suddenly smiled and said, "I have a surprise for you."

"Close your eyes." His voice was incredibly gentle.

Cheng Yuan had no idea what he was up to and shot him a puzzled look.

Pei Qingji didn't explain, just smiled and said, "You'll know once you close your eyes."

In the end, he closed his eyes anyway, and with Pei Qingji's support, they seemed to arrive somewhere.

"Watch the step, take it slow."

"Alright, you can open your eyes now."

He felt the hands on him slowly let go, and his footsteps came to a stop.

Cheng Yuan slowly opened his eyes, and was almost too stunned to speak at what he saw.

This was a nursery.

He had no idea when this room had even been set up.

While he was still frozen in shock, Pei Qingji said softly, "Want to go in and take a look?"

Cheng Yuan still seemed to be processing it, stunned by what he was seeing.

After who knows how long,

he finally took a hesitant step forward.

Pei Qingji helped him walk inside and flipped on the nursery lights.

The room's wallpaper was covered in cute patterns, and the baby crib, along with some of the stuff they'd just bought, were all in there.

Because they didn't know whether the baby would be a boy or a girl, he'd even bought toy cars in case it was a boy and Barbie dolls in case it was a girl.

He'd thought of everything—even the sharp corners and edges were padded with soft bumpers to prevent any injuries.

Cheng Yuan was stunned for a moment.

He walked over to the crib and pressed the mattress—it was super soft.

Not only was there a crib in this room, but a large bed had been placed beside it, so it'd be easier to take care of the baby later.

And when the kid got older, they could sleep in the big bed too.

The closet nearby was packed with all kinds of clothes—some with little bunnies, some with little bears—all of them super cute.

It was obvious how much thought he'd put into all of this.

Cheng Yuan lowered his gaze, his eyes clouded with complicated emotions.

He didn't dare take that gamble...

Pei Qingji was deeply devoted to his career. Even if he acknowledged who he was to outsiders, he'd never make it public.

Because going public could destroy his career.

But he'd done so much for him—he'd even almost died.

And the truth from back then wasn't what he'd always believed.

Cheng Yuan pressed his lips into a thin line and fell silent.

As his belly got bigger and bigger, Cheng Yuan was waited on hand and foot every day, like they were terrified he might trip, get tired, or feel even slightly off.

_

He didn't lift a finger at home—he just ate, drank, slept, played, and took the occasional stroll.

If he showed even the tiniest sign of discomfort, he'd be fussed over even more, like a fragile porcelain doll.

Cheng Yuan also had to down a ton of supplements every day to help the baby inside him grow properly.

He was scrolling through videos on his phone when he suddenly got bored.

Then his gaze drifted to the lake outside the villa, and a sudden spark of interest hit him—he wanted to go fishing.

At first, Pei Qingji said no, mainly because sitting by the lake seemed a bit risky—what if he hooked a big fish and the tug made him lose his balance and fall?

But seeing that he'd been pretty down these past few days, he finally agreed—though he made sure to have several servants keep an eye on him.

The lake was stocked with all kinds of colorful fish, mostly just for show.

With the servants helping him, he sat down on a little stool by the lake, fishing rod in hand, looking like a real pro.

Since the sun was pretty strong that day, he even wore a woven fishing hat.

But after a long time with not a single bite, he started to get bored.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming up behind him.

Then Pei Qingji's voice sounded from behind him.

"I'll teach you."

He'd entered fishing competitions before and even taken first place.

Cheng Yuan was a little skeptical, but at the same time, he felt a faint flicker of anticipation.

"You know how to fish?"

He had no idea Pei Qingji could fish—that caught him off guard.

Cheng Yuan didn't actually know how to fish—he just knew you put something the fish like on the hook, toss it in the water, and if you feel a tug, that probably means something bit.

And then you've gotta use all your strength to try and haul it in.

"If you feel a tug, you gotta tell me—in case the fish is too strong and you end up falling in."

Cheng Yuan didn't really want him to take over, so he refused and stubbornly kept holding the rod himself.

He waited for a long, long time, but the lake's surface stayed completely still.

Cheng Yuan's face showed a hint of disappointment, but it lasted only a moment before vanishing.

Although he remained expressionless, one could still sense his low mood.

Pei Qingji caught every bit of his reaction, then suddenly spoke, his tone full of tenderness.

He smiled and asked, "Need a hand?"

Sure enough, Cheng Yuan looked up at him.

In the end, he reluctantly agreed to accept his help, and finally managed to land a fish.

The fish was still thrashing and flopping as it was pulled up, then it was dropped into a bucket.

Cheng Yuan watched the fish swim back and forth in the water.

Pei Qingji was soaked through, looking quite disheveled, his white shirt clinging to his body as water dripped steadily from a few strands of his hair.

The fish in the bucket thrashed its tail, splashing water everywhere, soaking the ground.

"You... you should go change your clothes first."

Author's note:

None