Chapter 51: Two Lonely Souls

Shu Yan stood there dazed for several seconds, blankly frozen in place. Her mouth opened slightly, then closed again. The mother nearby smiled warmly. "Really? Director Shu, congratulations to both of you." Shu Yan was surprised. "How did you know? Could you tell just by looking?" The mother gave a mysterious smile. "This is something you can only understand intuitively, not explain. It’s a gut feeling—I’m a mother myself. Director Shu, there’s no need to be shy. If you ever want to know anything, just ask us." Shu Yan politely replied, "Thank you."

Another mother teased, "Director Shu, you and your husband are both so handsome, your baby will definitely be adorable." Shu Yan wanted to say that they weren’t married yet, but she swallowed the words and corrected herself, "As long as the baby is healthy." The other mothers chimed in, "Yes, health is the most important thing." "Make sure you go to the hospital to register and get prenatal checkups." "Have you been to the hospital yet, Director Shu? Try to go as soon as possible." "The sooner you go, the better. Nowadays, many people are having second or third children, so you need to book a postpartum care center six months in advance."

Lu Chengfeng looked at one of the mothers. "Why do you need to book the postpartum center so early?" The mother explained, "Because nowadays, people have better finances and are willing to spend money, so most choose to stay in postpartum care centers. If you want a private room, you have to book early." Lu Chengfeng nodded, "Understood. Thanks for the reminder. We’ll go take a look soon. Do you have any recommendations?" Shu Yan raised an eyebrow and glanced at Lu Chengfeng—he was really proactive. Hearing this, the mothers eagerly began recommending reliable postpartum care centers to Lu Chengfeng. He seriously noted down names and addresses on his phone. After just a few minutes, he had already mastered all the details about hospitals for maternity leave and postpartum centers.

Shu Yan thought to herself, no wonder he’s from the investigation department—they’re all social butterflies. Unlike her, who was truly bad at communicating with people. She had lived in this community for so many years but had never spoken as much with the mothers as Lu Chengfeng had in just ten minutes. If she hadn’t pulled him away, he probably could have chatted for another half hour, even settling matters like their child’s schooling. Lu Chengfeng wasn’t satisfied yet. "I still want to ask how they dealt with morning sickness during pregnancy." Shu Yan laughed dryly, "Have you forgotten? I haven’t even decided whether to have this child yet."

Lu Chengfeng said, "You can keep thinking about it, but I have to do what I need to do." He was used to planning everything in advance to ensure nothing was left to chance. Shu Yan wiped the smile off her face. "You really don’t need to put so much thought into this." Lu Chengfeng insisted, "Of course I do. This is our first child. By the time we have a second, we’ll have experience." Shu Yan’s face flushed. She shot him a look and briskly walked away. Lu Chengfeng caught up and took her hand. "Now that the national policy has changed, encouraging people to have second and third children, we should actively support it and have a few more." Shu Yan pulled her hand away. "Who said I want to have children with you? I don’t even want one, let alone two or three." Lu Chengfeng smiled, "Really don’t want to have one?" Shu Yan opened her mouth but closed it again. Lu Chengfeng gazed at her with a smile. "Then don’t. But I’ve looked into it—abortions are also hard on the body." Shu Yan bit her lip, her brow furrowed in worry. Lu Chengfeng gently rubbed her forehead. "Alright, I won’t say more. Don’t worry." Shu Yan said nothing and continued walking.

That evening, while Lu Chengfeng was taking a shower, Shu Yan went to the living room and video called her best friend. She told her everything about how Lu Chengfeng had been learning from the mothers during their walk. Li Jiao Jiao clapped her hands. "Yan Yan, you really hit the jackpot. Look around at the men we know—who else can do this? I’m telling you, you must hold on to such a good man." Shu Yan’s heart wavered. "I know, but if we want to keep the baby, we have to get married." Li Jiao Jiao said, "Then get married. Get the paperwork done first. If it doesn’t work out later, you can always divorce." Shu Yan was speechless. Li Jiao Jiao grinned. "It’s no big deal. Nowadays, getting married or divorced is easy. If it works, great. If not, you split." Shu Yan suddenly remembered something and laughed softly. "The mothers in our neighborhood all think we’re married." Li Jiao Jiao said, "You two are basically living the life of a young married couple anyway. It’s just missing the certificate." Shu Yan muttered, "He forced his way in." Li Jiao Jiao said, "But it’s your place. If you didn’t let him in, could he come in? Honestly, if my brother dragged his suitcase over and insisted on living with you, could you stop him?" Shu Yan didn’t hesitate. "No." Li Jiao Jiao slapped her thigh. "See? You really want to live with your team leader."

When Lu Chengfeng came out of the bathroom, he saw Shu Yan sitting on the bed, looking troubled. Carrying the clothes to be washed, he came over and asked, "What’s wrong?" Shu Yan glanced at the clothes in his hands. "Go do the laundry first." Lu Chengfeng nodded and went to the balcony to start the washing machine for their clothes. Then he turned back and sat beside her on the bed. "Alright, do you have something to tell me? Have you made up your mind?" Shu Yan looked at him. "Do you know what getting married means? And what it means if we keep this child?" Lu Chengfeng held her hand. "Of course I know." Shu Yan said, "I’m scared. Really scared. We work in the same unit and are partners. I’m from the south, you’re from the north. If we get married, our families have to meet. But my family’s situation…" Lu Chengfeng interrupted, "We can get the marriage certificate first, no need to let them meet yet." "To be honest, I don’t have a good relationship with my parents, so I don’t need their consent for this marriage." Shu Yan was surprised. "You mean you don’t have to tell your parents? What if they find out?" Lu Chengfeng said, "For now, no need to tell them. Later I’ll find a chance. This marriage is between us, not them. We live our own lives." Shu Yan was filled with doubt. "Are you afraid your parents will oppose us?" Lu Chengfeng said, "No, what they think is their business. My marriage is my decision." Shu Yan asked, "Is your relationship with them really that bad?" Lu Chengfeng smiled bitterly. "Worse than you imagine. I’ll tell you another time. So, like you, I’m a lonely person." Shu Yan felt a pang of sadness. "Alright, then tomorrow we’ll get the marriage certificate before going to work." Lu Chengfeng was overjoyed and hugged Shu Yan tightly. "Thank you, Yan Yan… thank you for giving me this chance." "I’m suffocating," Shu Yan pushed him away. Lu Chengfeng let go but couldn’t resist kissing her on the lips. After the kiss, he wanted to get closer, but since Shu Yan had decided to keep the child, she worried it might harm the baby. Lu Chengfeng reassured her, "I’ll be gentle. I won’t hurt the baby." After their tender moment, Shu Yan placed her hand on her belly and said, "We should find time to get a checkup." "Okay," Lu Chengfeng agreed. After a short rest, he lifted her up and carried her to the bathroom to wash up.