After lunch, Su Jianan sat on the sofa sleepily.
During pregnancy, she was easily sleepy after meals; just like a pig, which Su Yicheng joked about.
She felt being picked up when she was about to fall asleep.
She knew it was Lu Boyan instinctively, and slept peacefully in his arms, without opening her eyes.
It was past 3 p.m. when she woke up. Covered with the afternoon sunshine, the white carpet below the window looked nice and warm.
Su Jianan pushed her covers back and sat up. She found herself still familiar with that room even after a long absence.
She looked carefully and noticed that her belongings were still where they had been. Even the book she left unfinished was still open and resting face down on the beside cupboard, as if she would come back soon and continue with it.
Aunt Liu would have put away her belongings if it were not for Lu Boyan’s special instructions.
All at once, Su Jianan felt her heart filled with softness and warmth, as well as a desire to cry.
It was hard to describe how moved and happy she felt.
“It’s time for Su Jianan to wake up.” Lu Boyan thought. He entered into the room, and found that she was sitting on the bed. He gave her the coat and said, “Put it on. I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Su Jianan recalled something on the way to the hospital, and looked at Lu Boyan confusedly. “I’ve wanted to ask you about this since Uncle Hong left. You seem… Weren’t you surprised at all that he’s Hong Qing?”
“Hong Qing told your brother the truth when he went to your apartment. Your brother told me about it on the phone last night.” Lu Boyan suddenly slowed down his car and said sincerely, “Jianan, thank you.”
Lu Boyan could hardly describe his feelings at that moment. She never gave up helping to look for Hong Qing while she was misunderstood and reviled by others.
He felt grieved and moved, guilty and self-accused.
He said he would give the baby the best things all his life if it was a girl.
In fact, his daughter would certainly find someone after growing up and be loved forever. The only person he would try his best to love all his life was Su Jianan.
“You’re welcome!” Su Jianan smiled and said, “It’s a fresh experience, for me to accidentally find the key witness that way, for your father’s case.”
The doctors and nurses gave Su Jianan a check-up as soon as she arrived at the hospital. The process was nearly the same as the previous one, but they received the results immediately that time.
The doctor called Lu Boyan and Su Jianan into the office and said with a smile, “Congratulations! Mrs. Lu is carrying twins. The babies are healthy so you needn’t worry, but there’s a problem—the mother is malnourished, which will affect the babies’ growth and make it difficult for the mother to give birth.”
Lu Boyan frowned and asked, “What can we do?”
“Considering that Mrs. Lu was severely vomiting during pregnancy, I suggest a period of observation to you,” the doctor said. “You can take extra nourishment if there is a remission. Take it easy, the babies are only two months old and won’t be born until more than half a year later.”
Then a nurse knocked and came in. She handed the doctor a portfolio and said, “Doctor Han, it was printed out.”
Doctor Han gave the portfolio to Lu Boyan and said, “There’s a picture of your babies in it, have a look.”
Lu Boyan did not open it until he was in the car.
The so called picture was just a black-and-white image attached to the check-ups report, from which they could only see two shadows without clear profiles hugging each other tightly.
Lu Boyan felt that his heart was hit by something and became soft, with his eyes fixed on the little shadows, unable to look away.
He finally realized why Su Jianan would rather escape and suffer than have an abortion. She felt her babies earlier than he did, and magical interactions were established through a blood kinship between the babies and her.
From then on, he might not have easily agreed with the suggestion that Su Jianan would better have an abortion.
Su Jianan had seen the image after the previous check-ups, so she knew well how Lu Boyan felt then. She poked him in his arm and asked, “Promise you will support me?”
Lu Boyan suddenly held Su Jianan tightly in his arms, and said with a voice full of distinct joy, “From now on, I’ll protect you.”
Su Jianan kissed Lu Boyan on his cheek. “Thank you, honey.”
Lu Boyan released Su Jianan while his eyes were still shining with excitement. Su Jianan was wondering whether she should calm him down, and at that moment he lowered his head and kissed her.
The kiss from Lu Boyan was lingering, gentle as well as chaste.
Only that could express his gratefulness and overwhelming joy.
Su Jianan was afraid of the passersby in the parking lot of the hospital, and tried to refuse. Lu Boyan held her in his arms and kissed her more devotedly, without giving her a chance to say a word.
Su Jianan had to lift her chin. Then Lu Boyan nibbled her lips. Unconsciously and unexpectedly, she opened her mouth, giving Lu Boyan the chance to win her over.
Gradually, Su Jianan accepted his gentle and irresistible kiss. Abruptly, she felt something, glanced outside and found that—a telephoto lens was aimed at them.
She gasped and pushed Lu Boyan away. “There are reporters!”
Lu Boyan smiled as if he did not hear what she said, and held Su Jianan in his arms again. “Just ignore them.”
Su Jianan was immersed in the endless kiss…
When Lu Boyan released Su Jianan, the camera with a telephoto lens was still madly taking pictures of them.
In the public’s opinion, Lu Boyan and Su Jianan, the couple who used to be the envy of the unmarried, had turned against each other and started new relationships. The reporters definitely would not miss a single shot, since photos of their kisses could cause a great sensation.
Su Jianan looked at Lu Boyan with doubts. “Did you ask them to come?”
“They’ve been tailing me for over a week,” Lu Boyan said, then asked, “Do you think I’m fond of wasting my money and I hired them to do that?”
Su Jianan felt more confused. “Then why do you ignore them? Kang Ruicheng won’t let it go at that, once he sees the photos.” It was very likely that there would be a furious storm on the internet.
“It’s in my plans.” Lu Boyan fastened the seat belt for Su Jianan. “Get ready, we’re going home.”
Su Jianan used to be in Lu Boyan’s car many times before. But she recognized that he was driving more slowly that time, and he drove at the same speed when on the way to the hospital.
Su Jianan asked subconsciously, “When did you begin driving so carefully?”
Lu Boyan controlled the wheel with ease and said, “There are four people in my car, I couldn’t be more careful.”
Su Jianan smiled, as if her heart was filled with honey, with sweetness throughout.
If her babies could hear, she wanted to tell them: Your father begins protecting you even if you’re not born yet.
After arriving home, Su Jianan found that the help, including Aunt Liu, were busy working in and outside the house, with serious looks on their faces. She looked at Uncle Xu, puzzled.
Uncle Xu said, “Young Master told us to apply some anti-skidding measures with the stairs and the bathrooms.”
Su Jianan then looked at Lu Boyan. He only said, “Just in case.”
Other than that, Lu Boyan also cared about Su Jianan’s meals, and found custom made recipes to ensure both good taste and sufficient nutrition, from which the babies and the mother would profit.
It may have been either due to Lu Boyan’s care, or because of the babies’ hearing what he said: Su Jianan did not throw up that night.
Lu Boyan went to work as usual the next day. Luo Xiaoxi went to visit Su Jianan.
After returning from abroad for half a month, Luo Xiaoxi had a brighter face and better spirits. Su Jianan thought it was the result of love, and joked, “How could you have the time to visit me, shouldn’t you be with my brother?”
“Staying together all the time makes me sick! Hey, I don’t want to talk about him right now!” Luo Xiaoxi said, “You should tell me where you were the night before last. You really made me busy looking for you anxiously.”
“My brother wanted me to have an abortion the next day. How could I tell him where I was?” Su Jianan hugged Luo Xiaoxi to comfort her. “It won’t happen again.”
She had returned home, and could rely on Lu Boyan even if there were any problems.
“Only you could be threatened by the so called Kang Ruicheng.” Luo Xiaoxi said with disdain, “If I were you, I would have him pummeled till he can’t be recognized by his mother!”
Su Jianan: “…”
Luo Xiaoxi stared at Su Jianan’s underbelly, changed her fierce look to a gentle smile and said, “It’s amazing that you’re actually pregnant.”
That time the year before, Su Yicheng proposed that Su Jianan married Lu Boyan. That happened while Su Jianan dared not to show her love for Lu Boyan, which was a secret she carefully hid.
Then, they were close to a happy ending.
Lu Boyan and Su Jianan were destined to be a couple.
“Don’t you and my brother have a happy ending?” Su Jianan replied and thought of what Luo Xiaoxi said just then. “Did you argue with him?”
“Not really.” Luo Xiaoxi rubbed her fingernails, and said with depression, “My father no longer pushes me to take over his company, and I can do what I want, like being a model. But your brother doesn’t agree with me.”
Su Jianan thought for a while and asked, “Did he tell you the reasons?”
“He just said ‘It won’t work if I say no!'” Luo Xiaoxi made a threatening gesture and said, “If I were a dog, I would jump and bite him!”
Su Jianan smiled at once and said, “I know why, do you want to know?”
Luo Xiaoxi lifted her chin with interest. “Just tell me.”
“My brother thought you would definitely be popular as a model. And you’ll catch the attention of the media as well as all sorts of people, including men.” Su Jianan stopped for a while and added, “He’s not so diffident as to be afraid of you being pursued by others. He may not want his girlfriend to be talked about by too many people.”
“I think being a model is my career. All I want is to work hard, not reaching my fame by fair means or foul. Why would others judge me?” Luo Xiaoxi said as if she were unfamiliar with that world.
Su Jianan shook her head. “Xiaoxi, you’re too naive.”
Luo Xiaoxi: “…”
Su Jianan shrugged her shoulders and said, “You’d better go and seriously talk about this with my brother. He will explain it to you.”