Chapter 45: Taking Charge of All the Housework

Shu Yan looked down at her cotton pajamas, hesitated for a moment, and then turned back to the bedroom to grab a knitted cardigan and put it on.

After changing their shoes, Lu Chengfeng picked up the garbage bag, and together they headed downstairs.

The elderly women in the residential compound cast curious sideways glances as they spotted Shu Yan and Lu Chengfeng. Naturally, these gossip-loving aunties were not about to let such an opportunity slip by.

They eagerly chimed in, "Director Shu, have you had dinner yet? Is your colleague here again?"

Being thin-skinned, Shu Yan blushed instantly, offering the aunties a shy smile without a word.

Lu Chengfeng glanced at Shu Yan and generously replied to them, "Aunties, the two of us are officially dating. Once Shu Yan agrees to marry me, I'll treat everyone to wedding candies."

A buzz of excitement rippled through the group of aunties.

"Dating? You have a great eye, young man! Director Shu is the prettiest young woman in our entire compound."

"Director Shu, we'll just be waiting here for your wedding candies then!"

Lu Chengfeng smiled. "I think Shu Yan is gorgeous too. In my heart, she is the most beautiful woman in the world."

Frowning, Shu Yan gave Lu Chengfeng's arm a light tug.

Lu Chengfeng turned his head toward her, raising an eyebrow. "I'm just telling the truth."

Shu Yan gave him a sideways glare and quickened her pace toward the garbage bins.

Lu Chengfeng caught up with her and intertwined his fingers with hers. "Slow down. You're in a delicate condition right now, so be careful not to trip."

When Shu Yan tried to pull her hand back, Lu Chengfeng gripped it even tighter. "Don't move. I'm afraid you might fall."

Seeing his overbearing attitude, Shu Yan glared at him. "Can't you ever get rid of this bossy habit of yours?"

Lu Chengfeng kept a firm hold on her hand. "That depends. Given your current situation, I have no choice but to protect you properly."

Shu Yan retorted, "I'm just pregnant, not disabled."

Lu Chengfeng tossed the garbage bag into the bin and pulled Shu Yan's hand up to his chest. "Why are your hands so cold?"

Shu Yan: "..." Don't change the subject."

Lu Chengfeng: "I'm not changing the subject. Let me warm your hands first, otherwise you'll be in trouble if you catch a cold."

Shu Yan curled her lips in resignation and let him have his way.

Holding her hand, Lu Chengfeng led her toward a quieter path for a stroll, and both of them fell silent.

Lu Chengfeng relished this feeling. This was what truly living felt like; what he had experienced before was merely surviving, just existing.

Looking back now, he was deeply grateful for his decision to transfer to Licheng. That was how he got the chance to meet Shu Yan and embark on a brand-new chapter of life with her.

Nine months from now, they would welcome their child into the world. From then on, they would raise the child together.

At this thought, the corners of Lu Chengfeng's mouth curled up uncontrollably.

Turning her head, Shu Yan caught sight of the faint smile playing at the corners of Lu Chengfeng's lips and asked curiously, "What are you smiling at?"

Lu Chengfeng looked at her. "I'm happy."

Shu Yan: "?"

Just as Lu Chengfeng was about to explain, the phone in his pocket rang.

He took out his phone, glanced at the screen, and answered, "I've moved into Shu Yan's place. She's pregnant."

Shu Yan narrowed her eyes and glared at Lu Chengfeng.

"It's Shi Wei," Lu Chengfeng explained to her.

On the other end of the line, Shi Wei stood frozen with his mouth agape.

Recovering his senses, he hurriedly offered congratulations. "Congratulations! Congratulations! I never expected you to become a father. So when are you two getting married? I'll send you a huge red envelope."

Lu Chengfeng: "I don't know yet. Shu Yan hasn't decided whether she wants to keep the baby."

Shi Wei: "..."

Lu Chengfeng: "So don't go spreading this around. Just keep it to yourself. Also, I'm going to use your car for a little longer; I'll return it once I buy my own."

Shi Wei: "Use it however long you like, I'm not using it anyway. Tell Shu Yan I'll treat you two to dinner some other day."

Lu Chengfeng turned to ask Shu Yan, "Shi Wei says he wants to treat you to dinner."

Shu Yan hastily shook her head.

Lu Chengfeng replied to Shi Wei, "Let's talk about it later. Her condition isn't convenient right now, and her morning sickness is quite severe."

Shi Wei: "That's true, pregnant women never have a good appetite. I'll wait until her appetite returns before I treat you both."

Lu Chengfeng: "We'll see then. I'm out walking with her, so I'll hang up now. Remember to keep this confidential for us for now; Shu Yan doesn't want her colleagues at the bureau to know."

Shi Wei: "Don't worry, I won't run my mouth. I know when to keep a secret. Go ahead and take your walk, I won't disturb you any longer."

Lu Chengfeng: "Alright, hanging up."

After ending the call, Shi Wei sat dazed on the sofa, clutching his phone.

A moment later, he suddenly leaped up and shouted, "Lu Chengfeng, you're actually going to be a dad! Pigs really are flying!"

All this time, Shi Wei had been convinced that Lu Chengfeng would never marry, let alone become a father. He simply couldn't picture what Lu Chengfeng would look like as a dad.

A rugged, tough guy like him standing in the kitchen, holding a baby in one arm while stir-frying with the other—that looked utterly comical. And changing a baby's diapers...

Shi Wei had once witnessed his cousin's husband changing a diaper for a baby who was just a few months old. The little one had messed all the way down to its back. The sight was indescribable.

That was why Shi Wei would rather die than submit to blind dates, marriage, and children. It was utterly terrifying. He certainly had no desire to be the kind of man who came home from work only to help his wife change diapers and feed a baby.

After pacing around downstairs for a dozen minutes or so, Shu Yan felt the heavy, bloated sensation in her stomach subside, and she told Lu Chengfeng she wanted to head back upstairs to take a shower.

Once back in the apartment, Shu Yan went straight to her bedroom to grab her nightgown and headed into the bathroom.

When she emerged from her shower, she found Lu Chengfeng in the middle of mopping the floor with a mop.

She paused and looked at him with a frown.

Lu Chengfeng stopped what he was doing, noticed the washed undergarments in her hands, and said, "In the future, just leave any clothes that need hand-washing in the bathroom. I can wash them together when I take a shower."

"No need, thank you." A flush crept up Shu Yan's face, and she tucked her hands behind her back.

She walked out to the balcony, grabbed a clothes hanger to dry her underwear, and incidentally collected the clothes she had hung out the day before.

Seeing this, Lu Chengfeng hurried over and snatched the drying pole right out of her hand. "Let me do it. Leave these kinds of chores to me from now on."

After a brief pause, Shu Yan stepped back and intentionally provoked, "Fine then, let you handle all the housework from now on."

She wanted to see how many days he could keep it up.

Lu Chengfeng shot her a glance and smiled slightly. "Are you trying to test me?"

Shu Yan choked on her words and said indignantly, "Can't you avoid seeing right through me so quickly? No fun at all."

Lu Chengfeng chuckled. "Apologies, occupational hazard."

His greatest specialty was observing other people's psychology, and he was almost always spot on.

Once Lu Chengfeng had collected all the laundry from the balcony, he asked Shu Yan, "Where should I put the clothes?"

Pointing toward the bedroom, Shu Yan replied, "In the bedroom wardrobe, of course. They need to be sorted and put away properly."

Lu Chengfeng walked toward the bedroom. "Perfect, my clothes need to go in the wardrobe too. You still have extra space, right?"

Following closely behind, Shu Yan said, "I think you shouldn't bother going through the trouble. If I end up terminating the pregnancy, you'll just have to move out anyway. If you unpack everything now, you'll only have to pack it all back up then. Isn't that a waste of effort?"

With a smile, Lu Chengfeng replied, "It's fine, I've got plenty of energy."

Shu Yan: "..."

Laying the pile of clothes on the bed, Lu Chengfeng pulled open the wardrobe doors completely and discovered that it was only half full.

He turned his head toward Shu Yan. "You have this few clothes?"

He had assumed a woman's wardrobe would always be packed to the brim.

Shu Yan curled her lips. "What's so strange about that? I wear my police uniform to work every day, so even if I bought that many clothes, I'd never have the chance to wear them."

Following Shu Yan's categorization habits, Lu Chengfeng meticulously organized and put away her clothes. Even her undergarments were neatly folded and arranged.

Standing on the side and watching him, Shu Yan felt her face burn with a wave of heat.