Chapter 82: Extra Story 3

Chapter 82: Extra Story 3

By the fourth or fifth month, Wen Xi's belly began to show. The morning sickness had passed, and his appetite was back in full force.

Aqiu prepared nourishing meat soups for him every day with a new variation each time, and the little stove never went cold.

Someone who used to eat at most two or three meals a day now ate at all hours. When he looked in the mirror, Wen Xi felt his face had grown noticeably rounder.

He grabbed Yan Fengan's hand and made him feel his cheek, which was now a soft layer of pinchable flesh. Wen Xi pouted, "I'm so fat, like a little pig."

Hearing him describe himself that way, Yan Fengan laughed helplessly. "Nonsense. Where have you ever seen a little pig this cute and adorable? A sturdy body is a good thing—you'll have more strength when the time comes to give birth. Unlike before, when you were so thin..."

Seeing Wen Xi furrow his brows, Yan Fengan realized he'd misspoken and quickly corrected himself: "Our little Xi isn't like a little pig at all—with skin so fair and clean, you're clearly a pearl."

Wen Xi wasn't that easy to fool. His mouth turned down, and he turned his back to him, saying sulkily, "What about before? Was I not adorable and pretty before?"

Since getting pregnant, Wen Xi hadn't developed a bad temper, but he had become a bit more willful. Knowing full well that wasn't what Yan Fengan meant, he deliberately misinterpreted him.

His usually gentle and considerate husband occasionally showing his claws and scratching at him—Yan Fengan didn't find it off-putting at all; instead, his heart felt soft and warm.

Whether gentle or willful, it was all still his beloved Xi.

Yan Fengan smiled and embraced him from behind: "Who said you weren't pretty before? Do you know what I was thinking when I woke up and saw you for the first time on our wedding day?"

Wen Xi looked down, fiddling with the calluses on his hand, and asked, "What?"

"I was thinking, what deity has graced my home? I must have accumulated countless blessings in my past life to have married such a beautiful and perfect husband for me."

Wen Xi couldn't help but laugh at being coaxed like that, then pinched his finger. "You're lying."

Back then, he had been small and thin, with eyes swollen from crying. It would have been a miracle if Yan Fengan hadn't been scared by the sight of him, let alone thought he was pretty.

"Saying that will break my heart, you know. Think about it—when has your husband ever lied to you, hm?" Yan Fengan kissed his earlobe and said softly, "Your husband loves you the most and cherishes you the most."

Wen Xi's cheeks flushed slightly, and his eyes curved into crescents. He brought Yan Fengan's hand to his lips and kissed the back of his fair hand, then whispered shyly, "I love my husband the most too."

Yan Fengan felt his heart melt into a puddle. He stroked Wen Xi's rounded belly and squeezed the other places where flesh had grown: "I've already prepared my lessons for the Classics class. The weather is nice today—how about I take you out for a walk around the streets?"

Tingyu Lane was quiet, and apart from Aqiu, Wen Xi didn't have many people to talk to.

So when Yan Fengan came home from teaching, or on his monthly days off, he focused all his attention on Wen Xi.

Hearing that he would accompany him shopping, Wen Xi nodded happily and said, "Alright, wait for me to change, and then we'll go."

Yan Fengan noticed that Wen Xi's clothes were getting a bit snug. Worried he'd be uncomfortable, he took him to a nearby ready-made clothing shop and had the shopkeeper take new measurements and make him several winter outfits.

After the clothing shop, they went to a store that sold scented balms.

The doctor had said that rouge and lip balm were off-limits during pregnancy, but there were no such restrictions on body balms.

Back in the village, Wen Xi hadn't been used to using such things, but now that he interacted with city folk more often, he'd grown fond of them.

After all, he was a male omega—who didn't love pretty things? Especially since Yan Fengan, whenever they were intimate, would kiss and sniff him everywhere, constantly praising how good he smelled. Wen Xi never said it aloud, but he was delighted inside.

The balms at the shop were much more expensive than the ones Wen Xi bought at street stalls—a small jar cost seventy or eighty wen. In the past, even buying one would have made him wince for a long time. Now he could buy three to five jars without blinking an eye.

Since getting pregnant, he hadn't sold many of his embroidered pieces, but large batch orders had never stopped coming in. He'd also earned some money during the Mid-Autumn Festival recently—an item costing one or two hundred wen was no longer an unaffordable sum for him.

The shopkeeper selling the balms was also a male omega. While Wen Xi was paying, he took down a small white porcelain jar from the shelf and said with a smile, "Young master, would you like to try this one as well?"

Yan Fengan noticed the jar looked different from the ones Wen Xi had, so he asked, "What is this?"

The shopkeeper explained, "This balm is specially made for pregnant women and omegas. After bathing each day, gently apply it to the belly, and in the later stages of pregnancy, you won't get stretch marks."

Since the price wasn't much different from regular balms, pregnant people in the city all loved using it.

Wen Xi opened the lid and sniffed—the balm had a fragrance he couldn't quite identify. It didn't smell like flowers, but rather like some kind of herbal medicine.

Unsure whether the effect was truly as good as the shopkeeper claimed, Wen Xi decided to buy two jars to try them out first.

Yan Fengan paid, and once they were both out of the shop, he said, "After all, this is something to be used on your belly. Let's be careful—I'll take it to Doctor Wang first and ask him. If he says it's safe to use, then we'll use it."

Wen Xi nodded in agreement. No matter how convincingly the seller talked, it was only reassuring once a doctor had examined it.

Doctor Wang looked at it and said the balm was indeed meant for pregnant people and was perfectly fine. The only thing to note was to be gentle when applying—not too much pressure.

Seeing that Wen Xi had filled out a bit since his first consultation, he also reminded them, "Eating more in the early stages is fine, but by the seventh or eighth month, Master Yan's Husband should stick to regular meals and portions."

Too much nourishment would make the baby grow too large, making delivery much more difficult.

Wen Xi and Yan Fengan both took his words to heart, planning to gradually reduce their portions once the months grew later.

With the balm purchased, Yan Fengan now had one more task in addition to reading Wen Xi stories and essays.

Wen Xi lifted his clothes, revealing his swollen belly. Yan Fengan first bent down to kiss his stomach, then scooped out some balm and gently massaged it onto his belly.

The soothing touch made Wen Xi drowsy. When he felt Yan Fengan pull his clothes back down, Wen Xi reached out both hands toward him with half-closed eyes.

When Yan Fengan leaned in, Wen Xi hooked his arms around his neck and, eyes closed, puckered his lips to plant a messy kiss on him. Smiling, he mumbled clingily, "Thank you, husband."

Yan Fengan smiled and stroked his fair, glossy cheek. Looking at Wen Xi's serene and gentle beauty, his heart felt as if it were filled to the brim.

A few days later, while Yan Fengan was applying balm to Wen Xi's belly, Wen Xi suddenly let out a soft hum, and Yan Fengan's eyes widened slightly.

After a moment, Wen Xi said, "Husband, did you feel that?"

Yan Fengan nodded, amazed. "I felt it—he actually moved."

The baby's movements had actually started earlier, but they'd been too subtle. Wen Xi could feel them himself, but Yan Fengan had never witnessed them.

Today, the child in his belly finally gave his father a bit of face, swimming around like a little fish. Seeing Wen Xi's belly bulge out again, Yan Fengan couldn't help but gently touch it once more.

As if sensing something, the baby responded again.

Yan Fengan grinned foolishly, repeating, "Amazing, truly amazing."

He rested his head on Wen Xi's belly and listened quietly for a long while.

Seeing her usually brilliant husband acting so silly, Wen Xi couldn't help but reach up and stroke his head, a tender, indescribable look in his eyes.

By the seventh month, Yan Fengan had someone find an elderly nursemaid to come and take care of Wen Xi's daily needs.

Granny Wu had raised three children and had over a decade of experience caring for omegas during pregnancy and postpartum. After a few days together, Wen Xi found her kind-faced and diligent, so he kept her on.

Her wages matched what her previous employer had paid—one tael of silver per month.

Aqiu was a capable person; with him around, Wen Xi rarely had to do any housework. Now with Granny Wu here, Wen Xi had nothing to do at all except eat and sleep.

A life of having everything done for him was something he'd never dared to imagine before.

In the countryside, he had seen plenty of pregnant women and men who could give birth. Even in the wealthiest households, no one had it as easy as he did during pregnancy.

Forget seven months—even at eight or nine months, when they were about to give birth, some were still working in the fields. Some even gave birth right there, delivering the baby and cutting the cord themselves.

Every time he heard such stories, Wen Xi felt a knot in his stomach, but everyone went through it that way. If anyone got too pampered or fussy during pregnancy, people would talk.

These thoughts left a bad taste in his mouth, but seeing Granny Wu and the others eased his irritation.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that having money saved up before having a kid was the smart move.

This year was different—neither Yan Fengan nor Wen Xi went back to the village for the New Year. Wen Xi had gotten pregnant around mid-May, so his due date was late February. He Jin, who was two months further along, had safely delivered a baby boy a few days before the New Year.

After she finished her month of postpartum rest, Chen Lanfang wasted no time in bringing the whole family into the city.

The spacious and quiet courtyard suddenly became loud and chaotic with more than ten extra people.

With that many kids around, the house would soon be bursting at the seams. Yan Fengan was already planning to buy another house and would talk it over with his parents once Wen Xi was settled.

Even though his own mother and Granny Wu were both there, Yan Fengan still felt uneasy. He'd specially hired a local midwife who knew how to deliver men's babies, and had her stay at the house on standby.

During those days, he was more on edge than when he'd sat for the imperial exams. If Wen Xi so much as stirred at night, he'd snap awake like it was a five-alarm fire, and stay wide awake watching over him until dawn.

Both older brothers had been through this themselves, so they didn't tease him—just told him to relax, that everything was ready at home and nothing would go wrong.

On the night of February 23rd, Wen Xi was sleeping soundly when suddenly his belly tightened. Before he was even fully awake, he felt something trickle out of him.

These past few days, Granny Wu, He Jin, and the others had told Wen Xi all about the symptoms of labor. As soon as he felt this sensation, he knew he was about to give birth.

A sharp pain shot through his lower back and belly, and he couldn't help but let out a low moan.

Yan Fengan hadn't been sleeping deeply anyway. The moment he felt movement beside him, he bolted upright. When Wen Xi said he thought the baby was coming, Yan Fengan kissed his cheek to calm him, then dashed out of the room and shouted for help.

Everything had been arranged ahead of time. The moment they heard the ruckus, everyone was up—midwives midwifing, water boiling.

Everyone else moved with purpose, except Yan Fengan, who paced in circles, frantic.

The room's doors and windows were sealed tight. He tried to go in several times, but people kept blocking him.

The wait outside was pure torture. It was only two hours, but to Yan Fengan, it felt like an eternity.

Only when he heard a baby's cry and the midwife opened the door, grinning as she congratulated him on a healthy son and said both mother and baby were fine, did the tension finally drain from his body.

"Author's Note"

We all know how painful childbirth is,

So I won't go into the details.