Extra Story 2: Pregnancy (1)

Wen Jiu’s career was flourishing, yet she found herself increasingly overwhelmed. At times, she would become so engrossed in her design sketches that she would forget to eat altogether. After this happened a few times, Gu Zehuai, who would come to the studio to pick her up after work, caught on. To ensure she ate at regular intervals, Gu Zehuai began visiting the studio every noon to accompany her, doubling as a supervisor for her meals.

Between Gu Zehuai, his mother, and Wen Jiu’s mother, they took turns concocting all manner of soups—some light, some nourishing—for her to drink. Wen Jiu was truly terrified by the sheer volume of it.

"I've really gained so much weight from eating all this every day," she complained. While she claimed to have gained a lot, it was an exaggeration. Though she was slightly heavier than before she married, her consistent exercise regimen meant the difference was barely noticeable.

Gu Zehuai disagreed with her assessment; in his eyes, she was still very slender. "You aren't fat. You’re still beautiful," he said with sincerity.

Whenever he saw her working on sketches late into the night, his heart ached for her. Yet, because this was her career and her passion, he never voiced any objections. Instead, he would simply stay by her side in the quiet of the night. When he felt the time was right, he would urge her to go to bed. To do this, he would intentionally make small movements to remind her. At first, Wen Jiu would scold him for disturbing her, but gradually, she understood his intentions. It became a small, unspoken understanding between the couple. Knowing he was looking out for her, Wen Jiu would obey, sometimes becoming quite proactive upon returning to the bedroom, though Gu Zehuai, mindful of her health, never dared to be too unrestrained.

Having been married for over two years, Wen Jiu had considered the prospect of having a baby. She knew that while the elders did not explicitly mention it, they were anxious, especially since Gu Zehuai was approaching thirty. Believing the time was right, she brought it up with him. Gu Zehuai’s first reaction was concern that her current workload might be too much for her body to handle. Upon reflection, Wen Jiu realized he was right, so she consciously reduced her daily workload, striving to sleep earlier, rise earlier, and maintain a regular diet. As Gu Zehuai did not smoke and rarely drank, the two let nature take its course in their preparations for pregnancy.

Since Wen Jiu had expressed the desire for a baby, Gu Zehuai had been diligent in his efforts, and Wen Jiu was more than happy to cooperate. After two or three years of marriage, their physical intimacy was naturally perfectly aligned. However, two months later, Wen Jiu fell into deep thought as her period arrived right on schedule. She wondered, just who was the problem? They had been quite active over the past two months, and having had pre-marital checkups and annual physicals, she was puzzled. When Gu Zehuai found out, he went silent as well. Surely, it couldn't be him? He began to fall into a state of self-doubt.

To be safe, once Wen Jiu’s period ended, the two went to the hospital. The results showed that both of them were perfectly healthy. The doctor, seeing that they were still young, advised them to relax and let nature take its course. "Both of you are in good health. However, try to avoid smoking and drinking, and ensure your diet and sleep schedule are regular. Try to avoid staying up late."

Wen Jiu felt a pang of guilt; staying up late had been her norm for the past few months. But then she realized that this habit had already been corrected by Gu Zehuai, so the next step was simply to ease her mind. They chose not to tell their families about their pregnancy attempts yet; they were afraid of giving the elders hope only to leave them disappointed. After returning from the hospital, Wen Jiu became even more attentive to her health, and Gu Zehuai was no exception.

A month and a half later, Wen Jiu’s period was more than two weeks late, and she began to suspect the truth. Since it was too late to go to the hospital immediately, she asked Gu Zehuai to go downstairs and buy a pregnancy test. Although they could have called their family doctor, it was too late to inconvenience anyone, so the couple decided to wait until the next day to visit the hospital for a confirmation before heading to the old family home.

The next morning, looking at the two lines on the test, Wen Jiu was filled with excitement despite having mentally prepared herself. She opened the door to show Gu Zehuai, and he was so thrilled he wanted to lift her up and spin her around, though he restrained himself for fear of hurting her.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, Gu Zehuai still felt a sense of unreality, and he supported Wen Jiu with great care throughout the journey. Wen Jiu chuckled, "You don't need to do that, A-Huai, I can walk on my own." Gu Zehuai realized then that he had been overreacting.

After registering and having blood drawn, they didn't have to wait long for the results. In the consultation room, the doctor asked a few routine questions: "When was your last period, and have you experienced any physical discomfort?" Wen Jiu answered them one by one.

"Congratulations, you are nine weeks pregnant. You will need to undergo a more detailed examination now. Please, follow me."

Gu Zehuai couldn't contain himself and looked at Wen Jiu, overcome with emotion. He was truly going to be a father. Wen Jiu was stunned as well, gently placing a hand over her abdomen, which still showed no signs of weight gain. Had it really been that long? Yet, aside from her late period, she hadn't experienced any symptoms. After she explained this to the doctor, the physician assured her it was normal: "Pregnancy reactions vary from person to person. Some experience severe morning sickness, while others have very mild symptoms, so there is no need to worry."

Gu Zehuai breathed a sigh of relief. At nine weeks, they could perform an ultrasound, and the doctor pointed out the baby's heartbeat. Both of them were overjoyed—it was their baby. After the checkup, the doctor prescribed folic acid tablets, and Gu Zehuai carefully memorized every word of the doctor's instructions.

Once they left the hospital, Gu Zehuai finally couldn't help himself and gently pressed a kiss to Wen Jiu's forehead: "Jiu-Jiu, thank you."