It was just a bit of a pity that Lu Jingming didn't get to eat the locust flower dumplings that day.
Because Xu Yanxia suddenly got carsick on the way back.
Seeing her pale face and furrowed brows, Lu Jingming was worried sick. He barely dared to step on the brakes the whole way, maintaining a steady speed as he carefully drove the car to their home parking lot.
Once they got out of the car, he hurriedly asked, "How are you? Feeling any better now?"
"Yes,"
Xu Yanxia tried hard to nod, adding with some confusion, "I've never been carsick before. Why am I suddenly feeling unwell today?"
"It must be because you haven't been resting well these past few days,"
Lu Jingming said, his voice full of earnest concern. "Go lie down as soon as we get back. Now that the two new branches in Jingbei and Rongshi have successfully opened, you need to relax. Let your colleagues at the company handle things."
"Mhm,"
Xu Yanxia said lazily. "I don't want to think about work right now. I just want to lie down."
Come to think of it, she hadn't actually done much work today, nor had she woken up particularly early. Yet, for some reason, she felt a bit exhausted.
After taking the elevator up to their apartment, she immediately took a shower, changed into her pajamas, and lay down on the bed.
But just before closing her eyes to sleep, she suddenly remembered something.
She quickly grabbed her phone and opened an app, only to discover to her surprise that her period was almost a week late this month.
Could she be...
She immediately dug out the pregnancy test strips her mother-in-law had given her when they got married.
...
A while later, when Lu Jingming came into the bedroom carrying a glass of freshly made lemon water, Xu Yanxia was just coming out of the bathroom.
"What's wrong, baby?"
Seeing her complicated expression, he immediately grew tense. He quickly put down the lemon water and stepped forward to feel her forehead.
"Are you feeling worse? Should we go see a doctor now?"
However, before he could touch her, Xu Yanxia started to laugh.
Then, as he looked on in confusion, she handed him the object in her hand. "Look at this."
Lu Jingming took it and fixed his gaze on the two lines on the test strip.
Even though one of the lines wasn't very dark—just a faint mark—he suddenly realized what it meant.
"Baby, you... no, wait, am I..."
He suddenly became a bit incoherent.
Until Xu Yanxia smiled and said to him, "That's right. You're going to be a father."
"Really?!!"
...
Lu Jingming almost forgot how that day ended.
He only remembered grinning foolishly the whole time, holding Xu Yanxia and kissing her over and over again. He excitedly went out to buy groceries and cooked dinner for her himself. Before going to bed, he was still researching various precautions for pregnant women and how to be a good first-time father.
Of course, despite his inner ecstasy, he managed to keep his composure. He waited a few more days, accompanied Xu Yanxia to do all the necessary medical check-ups, and confirmed with the doctor that their upcoming little life was healthy before sharing the news with their families.
Needless to say, the relatives of both families were overjoyed. This was especially true for his parents, who had been anxiously waiting for a grandchild. The moment they saw his message, they immediately excused themselves from their respective social engagements and rushed over to them, repeatedly lecturing the new parents on everything they needed to pay attention to.
...
Overall, Xu Yanxia's pregnancy went very smoothly.
Although she experienced morning sickness, aside from some early lethargy and a poor appetite, everything else was fine.
Once the first trimester passed and the morning sickness disappeared, her energy returned, and things became much easier.
Not only could she continue working as usual, but she even went on two business trips to Jingbei and Shencheng.
However, Lu Jingming couldn't stop worrying. Every time, he made time in his schedule to accompany her, carrying her bags and bringing her water. He was even photographed doing this, which landed him on the trending search lists a few times and earned him widespread praise.
He successfully earned the title of "Best Husband in the Wealthy Circle."
Since its opening, the 1953 Restaurant in Jingbei had maintained top-tier quality and quickly built a strong reputation. In just half a year, it had made it into the top ten of the local must-visit restaurant rankings, and its position was still steadily rising.
Meanwhile, Jiushan's first out-of-town branch had also successfully opened in the bustling city of Shencheng.
As for their headquarters in Rongshi, it went without saying.
Riding the momentum of their collaboration with Meyer, their newly opened high-end brand, Taihe Restaurant, had already received certification from multiple domestic and international food review lists this year.
Jiushan had firmly secured the top spot among local high-end Chinese restaurants, and its second branch within the city was about to open.
As for the popular street food brand, Xu's Teppanyaki, it had already opened its third branch.
If it hadn't been for her sister-in-law Luo Jiajia getting pregnant at the same time as her, they probably would have opened a fourth branch within the year.
Of course, for both her and her brother, making money was no longer their top priority right now.
At the end of the year, her sister-in-law Luo Jiajia was the first to go into labor, giving birth to a fair and chubby nephew for her.
Her eldest nephew had handsome features, a loud cry, and strong limbs. Even before his first month was up, his swaddling blanket could no longer contain him.
According to the testimonies of his grandparents and his aunt, he very much resembled her brother Xu Zhanpeng back in the day.
In February of the following year, just as her fair and chubby nephew celebrated his one-hundredth day, Xu Yanxia also entered the delivery room.
After more than half a day of grueling labor, she successfully gave birth to her and Lu Jingming's precious baby.
It was a pink, tender baby girl.
The moment she saw the little one, her heart completely melted.
When the nurse placed the little one in her arms, skin to skin, Xu Yanxia felt a wave of tenderness wash over her. She softly said to the little baby, "Nannan, hello, I am your mommy."
As soon as she spoke, the little one, who had been crying loudly, gradually quieted down. She opened her bright, dark eyes and began to observe the world.
Meanwhile, Lu Jingming, who had been by her side during the delivery, was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Uncharacteristically, his eyes grew red.
He had accompanied his wife through the entire process, from pregnancy to childbirth, witnessing firsthand how she transformed from a brave and determined young girl into a gentle and resilient mother.
He had witnessed the birth of his precious daughter.
His brilliant, incredibly beautiful, and one true love of his life—his wife—was truly magnificent.
"You've worked so hard, baby."
At that moment, Lu Jingming leaned down and gently kissed Xu Yanxia's forehead. Then, he carefully embraced their tiny daughter who had just entered the world.
Smiling, he said, "Nannan, Mommy and Daddy welcome you."
End of the main text
