Half a year later.
The New Year was approaching, in the heart of a harsh winter, and Xiangcheng was bitterly cold. You Mingxu, supporting her lower back, slowly made her way downstairs. Despite her thick clothing, her waistline appeared noticeably fuller than before.
Having been a formidable presence in the police station for years, her colleagues found it rather strange to see her temporarily transferred to a desk job and moving with such deliberate gentleness. Whenever they encountered her in the station, the men instinctively kept their distance.
As a result, wherever You Mingxu leisurely walked, a path would automatically clear around her, making her presence even more commanding than in the past.
When she reached the station entrance, Tuya was already waiting there to pick her up after work. As she approached, he hopped out of the car, opened the door for her, and shielded the top of the frame with his hand. His deep voice carried a stiff tenderness: "Take it slow."
You Mingxu glanced at him and said, "Enough already. It's not that fragile."
Tuya rubbed his hands together and chuckled.
Once they were in the car, Tuya followed his usual routine and reported what Yin Feng had done throughout the day. It wasn't something You Mingxu had requested, but during a few boring rides, she had asked about it. Gradually, Tuya had developed this habit.
Moreover, reporting Teacher Yin's daily activities to the boss's wife gave him a sense of purpose.
"After you left for work, Teacher Yin slept until 10 a.m. He didn't want breakfast and went straight to reading. He had lunch at noon. In the afternoon, he worked on his manuscript in the study. In the evening, he cooked two dishes himself, waiting for you to come home and eat."
After a long day at work, You Mingxu was quite tired. She closed her eyes slightly, listening to Tuya's chatter. Finally, she responded with an "Mm" and said, "Good."
Tuya smiled.
After smiling, he suddenly realized—what was so amusing about receiving a "Good" from You Mingxu? He couldn't shake the feeling that the boss's wife was like the Empress Dowager Cixi of the household, while Teacher Yin was like a young emperor.
However, as he glanced at You Mingxu's belly in the rearview mirror, he thought, how could Teacher Yin possibly be the weaker one? After all, just half a year ago, not long after his successful proposal, he had already gotten the boss's wife pregnant.
Teacher Yin truly excelled at everything.
Lost in these boundless and peculiar thoughts, Tuya soon drove them home.
As soon as they entered, they saw the usual crew lounging and leaning lazily on the sofa, none of them sitting properly. Someone walked up to her and bent down toward her belly, but You Mingxu, quick-eyed and swift-handed, pushed him away.
Guan Jun sneered, "It's been over five months. Why won't you let me listen to the fetal movements?"
You Mingxu replied coldly, "It's not your child. Step aside. Maybe someday, if I'm in the mood, I'll let you use a fetal heart monitor to listen."
From the side, Xiao Yan shouted, "I want to listen too!"
Chen Feng, still busy working on his computer, adjusted his glasses upon hearing this. He wasn't so childish as to want to listen to fetal movements! How unsophisticated.
However, a few days later, when You Mingxu allowed Chen Feng to place his hand on her belly and feel a kick, his hand trembled involuntarily.
Guan Jun asked again, "What about Xu Mengshan? Didn't I invite him for dinner?" He and Xu Mengshan had somehow become rather good friends.
You Mingxu replied, "He has a blind date tonight. No time."
Ignoring the noisy bunch, she headed upstairs.Pushing the door open and entering the study, she saw Yin Feng sitting behind the computer, wearing a pair of blue-light blocking glasses, looking every bit the refined and composed scholar. She hesitated for a moment, about to retreat, when he heard the movement and looked up at her, saying, "Come here."
Today's manuscript was almost finished.
You Mingxu walked to the desk and was immediately pulled into his embrace. The position was rather uncomfortable; she struggled briefly but couldn't break free, so she resigned herself to it.
Without a word, he lowered his head and covered her face with a series of gentle kisses, then asked about her day and what had happened at the police station. Unnoticed, dusk fell, enveloping the study in a soft, hazy light.
Remembering something, You Mingxu kicked off her shoes, removed her socks, and showed him her feet. "They're swollen. I can barely fit into my shoes anymore—ugly and uncomfortable."
Before she finished speaking, he had placed her in the chair and knelt down, cradling her feet in his arms. You Mingxu's face flushed, and she tried to pull them back. He held on firmly, massaging them slowly.
"Let go," she said.
"No," he replied calmly. "I like it."
Her cheeks burned. "What do you like?"
"Everything about you. I like it all. Even swollen, they're plump, soft, and white—adorable."
You Mingxu reached out and poked his forehead. He seemed unfazed, continuing to focus intently on her feet, massaging them with just the right pressure as if it were a matter of great importance.
Watching him, warmth and sweetness welled up in her heart. She thought, It's a good thing he's such a paranoiac—once he sets his mind on something, he digs in and never lets go. We're only at the beginning of this journey, but perhaps this guy will never let me down in our long life ahead.
By the time it was completely dark, a knock came at the door.
Xiao Yan, who had lost at rock-paper-scissors today, stood stiffly by the doorway like a bamboo pole, cleared his throat, and called out, "Teacher Yin, boss lady, dinner's ready."
A few seconds later, only Yin Feng's voice replied, "We'll be right there."
Xiao Yan chuckled and headed downstairs.
Yin Feng pulled You Mingxu up by the hand. He glanced at her, frowned slightly, and bent down to straighten her clothes. You Mingxu stood still, letting him fuss over her. Lifting her gaze, she saw snowflakes drifting down in the dark sky behind him, scattered like tiny points of light. She stared intently, then suddenly wrapped her arms around him, buried her face in his chest, and couldn't help but laugh.
——
Xu Mengshan sat in a booth by the river in the restaurant. Despite the winter chill, he found the air conditioning too warm, tugging at his collar and taking a large gulp of tea.
He glanced at his watch—15 minutes left until the scheduled meeting time. He had arrived early.
Since his commendable performance in the Punisher case and the successful takedown of Yin Chen, he had been promoted two ranks. Now, everyone in the team addressed him as "Old Xu." Influenced by Ding Xiongwei and You Mingxu, he had honed a deeper, more composed demeanor at the station.
But if any of his junior colleagues were to see Old Xu's legs shaking incessantly under the table today, they'd probably stare in disbelief.
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