After The Sickly O Was Forced Into Marriage Chapter 19
byChapter 19: The Baby Moved
The next morning.
The sun streamed in through the window. Winter light was always warm, and if a person were a candle, they might melt under its rays.
Wang Shu had been sleeping on his side, holding the little sheep plushie for a long time, and his arm felt numb. He rolled over and pushed the plushie away.
His nightgown had ridden up from his thighs to his waist, revealing the shorts that contained his bulging Pregnant Belly.
The sunlight slowly crept up his body. When it reached his face, he found it dazzling. He slowly turned over, annoyed by the glare, and opened his mouth to call for help.
Unfortunately, his throat was uncomfortable, and the corners of his mouth were swollen. He had been punished terribly yesterday. He never knew his throat could accommodate something so large.
In the end, he could only whimper and stuff his head under the blanket.
Thinking about last night, Wang Shu slowly came to his senses and woke up completely.
“Mr. Jiang…”
He had never been in love, so he wasn’t sure what the feeling of love was.
Nor was he sure why Mr. Jiang had suddenly become so fierce yesterday.
Jiang Xusheng had asked him in the car: “Why were you talking to someone else?”
“Honey, don’t you know you’re married?”
“You were so close, close enough for him to smell your scent. That distance belongs to your husband, understand?”
“How can you remember?”
“Puppy is a silly child. A little punishment, and you’ll remember.”
It was the first time Wang Shu had heard Mr. Jiang say so many words.
He was kissed until he got out of the car, carried home, placed on the bed, and had his underwear removed. However, Jiang Xusheng’s rationality returned when he saw his swollen Pregnant Belly, and he ultimately made him open his mouth instead.
Trouble comes from the mouth. He understood that principle now.
He was usually sleepy during pregnancy. Checking his phone, he realized it was nearly noon.
Mr. Jiang really wasn’t home today.
Instead, Aunt Wang from Jiang Manor came over to cook and look after him.
Shen Xiao informed him that the contract signing went smoothly and that the official transfer of funds for the drug shipment had begun yesterday.
Listening to the figures Shen Xiao mentioned, Wang Shu felt like he was dreaming.
A business worth billions.
He knew Jiang Xusheng’s business was large, but he hadn’t expected it to be this massive, or that such a huge sum would be handed over so easily.
“Xiao Shu, why does your voice sound strange? Are you sick?” Shen Xiao invited him out for dinner in a few days.
Aunt Wang brought him a glass of juice. Holding his phone, he said softly and shyly, “I’m not uncomfortable…”
“Xiao Xiao, I want to ask you, why would you get angry or jealous if I talked to other people?”
Shen Xiao burst out laughing: “Jealous? Who? Jiang Xusheng?”
Wang Shu didn’t say anything, which was a silent affirmation.
Recently, his relationship with Mr. Jiang had changed.
It wasn’t as unfamiliar as when they first married, where even a kiss required caution. It had become… indescribable.
“That’s so weird,” Shen Xiao said.
“What’s weird?” Wang Shu sought advice earnestly. “I’ve never dated. Can you teach me?”
His nature was softer than water. Shen Xiao used to say that if he hadn’t already been taken, he would definitely marry Wang Shu himself.
“Jiang Xusheng is so much older than you! He’s thirty-four! And he got jealous over you! How come he seems different from what people say about him?”
The Jiang Xusheng people talked about was a ruthless businessman with no bottom line.
To this day, no one knew how he managed to obtain the National Standard certification in such a short time.
They called him bad, heartless—the criticisms were endless and widespread.
But Wang Shu said, “That’s not Mr. Jiang…”
Shen Xiao teased, “Do you like him?”
Wang Shu’s ear tips turned red. He mumbled into the phone, “I don’t know.”
He had never been in love. After marriage, he had tried hard to be an obedient and good wife, but Jiang Xusheng didn’t seem to like that version of him.
He taught him to honestly state his needs.
He taught him to cry.
Wang Shu felt as if he had been dead for many years, and now his heart was slowly coming back to life.
This feeling was strange.
It made him want to cling to Jiang Xusheng all the time.
Shen Xiao warned him, “He might be a scoundrel playing with your feelings. Don’t forget his lover abroad!”
Wang Shu asked, “Then can I try harder so he likes me?”
Shen Xiao, as a friend, had a biased view. He believed no one could refuse an omega who liked to act spoiled.
Wang Shu refused to admit it: “I don’t like acting spoiled. I don’t.”
“You totally do!”
Wang Shu hung up the phone, feeling a bit puffed up. That wasn’t acting spoiled!
Aunt Wang said his complexion looked much better recently.
Mr. Jiang’s current trip would likely last a few days.
It felt strange not having someone tell him a story at night.
A sum of money had entered his bank account a few days ago. The school had finally sent his graduation design to a charity auction, and his commission was one-thousandth of the final price.
Nine hundred and fifty thousand.
The buyer was Mr. L.
Looking at the pseudonym Mr. L, Wang Shu felt a strange sense of familiarity.
This person had been buying his paintings since his freshman year. He heard that many famous painters abroad had been sought out by him. He was a private collector who liked customized works, had made several painters famous, and held exhibitions.
Wang Shu found the works from those exhibitions online.
They were mostly landscapes, a series called The Four Seasons Outside the Window.
A moment later, a friend request popped up on his phone.
Mr. L invited him to paint a customized piece, saying the price was negotiable.
Mr. L sent a photo: a slightly blurry picture of two hands, one large and one small, hooking pinkies, seemingly cropped from somewhere.
It was the first time Wang Shu had contact with his buyer. He apologized that he couldn’t use oil paints, explaining that he was pregnant and might not meet the client’s requirements.
Mr. L [A sketch is fine]
Wang Shu asked [Is that your child? It looks very loving]
Mr. L [Yes, my child]
The client didn’t give him a deadline, just asked him to do his best.
Mr. L was a very mysterious person. His customized landscape paintings had made several foreign painters famous. He never showed his face. After an exhibition, he would collect the paintings and disappear again.
The Four Seasons Outside the Window.
Mr. L titled this pinky-hooking painting The Child Inside the Window.
Wang Shu thought he must be a father who loved his child very much.
Being his child must mean receiving a lot of love.
–
Two days later.
Late at night, the car stopped at the building entrance. Jiang Xusheng got out and lit a cigarette. The driver asked, “Mr. Jiang, do you need help?”
Jiang Xusheng waved him off. He took two drags of the cigarette, his brow relaxing. It was almost midnight again.
He entered the door and took off his leather gloves. The chill on his body hadn’t completely dissipated.
The lights were left on at night because Wang Shu’s eyesight was poor, and he was afraid he might trip.
Fake logs burned in the fireplace, making it very warm.
Tomorrow was Wang Shu’s prenatal checkup, otherwise, he wouldn’t have returned so early.
No one was in the living room. The person was already asleep.
He hadn’t told Wang Shu he was coming home before he arrived.
Pushing open the bedroom door, Wang Shu was indeed asleep. In just a few days, his stomach had visibly grown larger.
His pajamas were flipped up, exposing his belly, and his pajama bottoms were low. The ornate European bedsheets and soft velvet quilt supported his lower back. He quietly hugged the sheep plushie. His sketchpad was spread open beside him because he had fallen asleep, the charcoal pencil clipped inside, looking like a beautiful oil painting.
Jiang Xusheng walked over and kissed him.
Wang Shu rubbed his eyes, instinctively reaching out for a hug, his voice soft, “You’re back…”
“Yes, I’m back.”
Even though they had only been apart for two days, the omega was very clingy, pressing against his chest and murmuring in a sleepy voice, “I missed you very much.”
His initiative was very gratifying to Jiang Xusheng.
“You’ll say you missed me now?” Jiang Xusheng stroked his soft cheek, a light, teasing curve in his voice. “That’s wonderful.”
“You told me to… not lie.”
Jiang Xusheng checked him from head to toe. He relaxed slightly after confirming there were truly no injuries on his body.
Wang Shu was a good child. If he promised not to hurt himself again, he would truly keep that promise.
He didn’t ask about anything, nor did he get angry because Jiang Xusheng went out for work without taking him along. He was incredibly obedient.
“I’ve been a bit busy lately.” Jiang Xusheng’s voice was hoarse. He sat on the bed and wrapped his arm around Wang Shu’s shoulder. “I’ll go to the hospital with you tomorrow.”
Wang Shu was very happy, his eyes shining. “Oh, right.”
“Hmm?”
He pulled Jiang Xusheng’s hand and placed it on his belly, smiling as he said, “The baby is moving now.”
The omega’s eyes curved into crescent moons. The small bedside lamp cast a smooth arc. “I wanted to message you, but I was afraid you were busy…”
“It’s very strong. It kicked me yesterday. It scared me.”
Both their hands rested on the bulging belly. The child inside was still, seemingly asleep too.
Wang Shu poked his belly. “Wake up, Daddy is back.”
The child inside must have been sleeping soundly, as it didn’t move for a long time.
Wang Shu smiled and looked up: “What should we do, Mr. Jiang? The baby is asleep.”
“Don’t wake him.” Jiang Xusheng helped Wang Shu sit up, then knelt by the bed, leaning down to press his ear against the belly. “I’ll just listen.”
“Is my ear cold?” Jiang Xusheng asked.
“N-not cold.”
Jiang Xusheng listened intently. It was quiet inside the belly. Wang Shu lowered his head and cautiously reached out his hand. “Can you hear anything?”
“Still listening.”
Only two minutes passed.
But it felt like a long time.
The room was silent. Jiang Xusheng’s ear was pressed against the skin, seemingly rubbing his cheek against the belly, occasionally kissing it. Wang Shu’s ear tips quietly turned red.
Jiang Xusheng was thirty-four, with a mature appearance and the rugged features of an Eastern man. Watching him now, Wang Shu felt a strange tenderness.
He seemed to sense the man’s anticipation for the baby’s arrival.
“He kicked me.” Jiang Xusheng felt the movement inside and smiled uncontrollably. “Puppy, he’s kicking me.”
Wang Shu was stunned for a moment.
It was as if the blurry face of the person he dreamed of walking with on the beach had become clear, calling him Puppy.
Wang Shu opened his dark eyes and said sincerely, “He is.”
Jiang Xusheng knelt by the bed and kissed his belly, his nose tickling Wang Shu slightly.
He heard Mr. Jiang murmur, “This is our child…”
Our child.
Wang Shu found this phrase strange. If Mr. Jiang didn’t like him, or didn’t like him very much, he should have said, ‘This is my child.’
Not our child.
Wang Shu didn’t understand the implication of that sentence yet.