My girlfriend isn't as cute as me.

Lin Jiu had one arm around Wang Yuting's arm and was carrying a bag in the other.

Wang Yuting snapped out of her daze, pursed her lips, and answered honestly, "I'm a little scared."

"What are you afraid of?"

Lin Jiu held her arm tightly, guiding her to walk on the other side of the sidewalk, away from the vehicles.

Wang Yuting pursed her lips and subconsciously leaned her body against Lin Jiu.

Lin Jiu thought for a moment and asked, "Do you dislike children?"

"no!"

Wang Yuting shook her head vigorously.

"I don't hate children, but I hate ill-mannered brats. They think they can do anything just because they're young. The kind of brat who goes to relatives' houses and asks for cell phones and game consoles is the worst. When I was in my hometown, I saw a brat catch a mouse, pour oil on it, and set it on fire. The mouse went crazy and ran around, almost causing a major incident." Wang Yuting is not some saint. Her view on brats is never that parents can just take them home and discipline them. If parents had the intention to educate their children properly, they wouldn't have created such a brat.

"Nobody likes a bratty kid."

Lin Jiu shook his head. He also disliked bratty kids, and he disliked adults who lacked common sense, commonly known as "giant babies."

For example, when Lin Jiu was in high school, there was a particularly annoying girl in her class who always thought the whole world revolved around her. Whenever something didn't go her way, she would throw a tantrum and vent her anger on everyone around her. Her friends, in particular, were affected even worse, suffering unwarranted misfortune. It seemed that in her worldview, friendship wasn't an equal relationship, but rather a hierarchical master-servant system. Becoming her friend meant being her servant, standing by her side no matter what she did, even if you knew she was wrong, and not having your own opinions, otherwise it was considered betrayal.

Huang Minmin is this kind of overgrown baby.

To achieve their goals, they will resort to all sorts of despicable means.

Sneak attack, slander, fabrication, and spreading rumors—these are all things Huang Minmin did to Lin Jiu.

Lin Jiu hadn't intended to pay any attention to this guy, dismissing his harsh words and not wanting to waste his energy on such a childish brat. While everyone suspected Lin Jiu was guilty and afraid to face the truth, it was class monitor Ning Yueyao who proved Lin Jiu's innocence. Ultimately, Lin Jiu proved himself with his actions, giving this egocentric, immature man-child a resounding slap in the face.

The fondness for children is an instinct ingrained in humankind for the continuation of civilization; when humanity faces extreme danger, the urge to leave behind offspring increases dramatically. Conversely, disliking overgrown children is also human nature; no one likes such a disruptive force.

“If it’s our child, whether it’s a boy or a girl, I’ll love him. I won’t let my child become an annoying brat; I’ll teach him well.” Wang Yuting’s tone was serious. She held Lin Jiu’s hand back, their fingers intertwined, and slowly looked up at the sky, exhaling a breath. “I just have a feeling that our lives will definitely become very busy from now on, and the peaceful life we ​​have now may never come again.”

Raising children is a difficult thing.

No matter how much you try to beautify it, you can't change this fact.

There will always be people who fabricate ridiculous lies and construct numerous beautiful illusions, inspiring people to yearn for a wonderful marriage. In those ethereal dreams, raising children seems to be no difficult task, without any worries. These propagandas make no mention of the drawbacks and hardships, promoting unrealistic fantasies throughout. Instead, they would be better off talking about something practical, starting with the parents' generation.

"I suffered so much raising you, and now you think you can just say you won't get married or have children? Dream on!"

Isn't this much more effective than just spouting platitudes? And it's irrefutable, because everyone knows that taking care of children is never easy. No matter how many beautiful fantasies you use to embellish it, the moment you lift the canvas, all the filth will be exposed to the light of day.

Wang Yuting was also a first-time parent; she knew nothing about it, but she was well aware that real life was nothing like what was portrayed in TV dramas. One episode, the female lead discovered she was pregnant; the next, the baby was born; and in the next episode, she was supposed to be taking the child to find her heartless, runaway husband. This was faster than getting a mobile phone service; they didn't dare show any of the hardships and pain of pregnancy.

"I'm going to cause you a lot of trouble."

Wang Yuting looked down at Lin Jiu and said that she was well aware of how useless she was.

Lin Jiu thought for a moment, then raised the hand holding the bag and counted on her fingers: "It's true, before we had kids, you were a complete idiot who couldn't do anything right. To give you an example, you were like a hamster, with a habit of hiding food. But your memory isn't very good either. You'd hide opened snacks and then forget about them right away. It wasn't until we got bugs that I found out you'd hidden things in the sofa lining. You know, cleaning up the sofa lining is a real pain, whether it's snack crumbs or bugs, it's all so troublesome."

"sorry!"

Wang Yuting immediately apologized to Lin Jiu.

At this point, we must mention Ye Yue's advice to Wang Yuting.

At home, whoever is responsible for cooking is the head of the household.

If you upset the person who cooks, you'll have to eat takeout for all three meals, or cook for yourself. For the first few days, you might not mind being able to eat whatever you want, since fast food is getting better and better, and you won't have to worry about food even if you order takeout.

Of course, this only applies to the first few days. As you eat takeout for every meal, the nutritional imbalance becomes increasingly apparent. Your skin becomes noticeably rough, your hair gets oily, and you break out in pimples. Not only that, it's also a burden on your wallet. Even spending time redeeming coupons on various platforms to save money can lead you into the trap of consumerism. You have to spend a certain amount to use a coupon, and to reach that amount, you end up ordering extra dishes you didn't originally plan to eat. In the end, you find that the total cost is almost the same as the initial payment, just because you used a coupon to order an extra dish you didn't intend to eat.

This is Hazuki's bloody lesson.

From then on, she was always mindful of her actions and knew when to stop.

The line between Tong Yingyu's patience and her tolerance kept teetering on the edge, relentlessly tormenting her mental state.

Wang Yuting knew very well that her stomach had become shaped like Lin Jiu's, and forcing her to eat convenience store bento boxes and sandwiches for every meal was practically killing her. Once a person gains different perspectives than before, their material needs increase significantly, and they can no longer go back to the days when they relied on discounted bread from bakeries nearing their expiration date to survive.

too frightening.

No wonder there's a saying that goes around when it comes to dating.

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Wang Yuting sighed inwardly, realizing that this statement was absolutely true; she was the best example of it.

Lin Jiu looked at Wang Yuting with a smile and teased, "Although you know nothing about housework, and your cooking skills make me worry about what kind of life you've been living over the past year, I always feel uneasy. But you've been trying to make changes, trying to share some of the burden with me, and you've even learned to wash dishes. Oh, I really want to show you all the bowls you broke in the past."

"Sorry……"

Wang Yuting lowered her head, her eyes brimming with tears.

"I'm not blaming you, just listen to what I have to say." Lin Jiu scratched Wang Yuting's palm with his finger, trying to get her to focus on him and stop her from looking down and daydreaming, and to listen to what he had to say.

Wang Yuting finally recovered from her self-reproach and looked Lin Jiu in the eye.

"Whenever I encounter difficulties, you are always the first to rush to my side and lend a helping hand when I am most helpless. You are watching me very carefully, never missing anything, and always caring about me. It's not just about cooking, but even the little details in daily life, you will praise me without reservation and tell me what you did well."

Lin Jiu's eyes reflected Wang Yuting's image. He smiled sweetly and said gently, "My health isn't very good, and I easily get sick when the temperature changes. You always notice when I'm not feeling well and take good care of me. I still haven't forgotten the taste of the instant porridge you made for me; it was the best food I've ever eaten. These are all your good qualities. You respect me, accompany me, and care for me. You are the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I don't want anyone else but you. If you think living with me will be a burden, then please be a burden; I will accept it all."

“Jiu’er…”

The tears in Wang Yuting's eyes disappeared, replaced by a shyness that made her want to hide.

Lin Jiu's high praise left her somewhat bewildered, and she wore a silly smile.

"It's so hot."

Lin Jiu thought to herself.

Wang Yuting's body temperature was normally like a child's, a walking little sun, a winter hand warmer. Now, because of the overwhelming praise, her whole body was burning up, and she felt that if she hugged Lin Jiu any longer, Lin Jiu's skin would get sunburned.

“You’re the same!” Wang Yuting squeezed Lin Jiu’s small hand, as if trying to hide her shyness, and exclaimed loudly, “Whether it’s housework or other particularly difficult things, you can always handle them with ease. Do you know that you’re most handsome when you’re confident? Even if you’re just cute, it makes me realize your charm as a man, and I always get so shy. You don’t just spoil me one-sidedly. Once you find that I have any bad habits, you’ll tell me nicely and make me correct them. Being by your side makes me feel like I’m becoming a better person every day. I really want to marry you!”

"I know, stop talking, stop talking, you idiot!"

This time, Lin Jiu's body temperature soared, and his entire face turned bright red.

Lin Jiu had no idea that being praised could be so embarrassing; just moments before, he had calmly praised Wang Yuting. Now, both of them were blushing, gazing at each other with a hint of reproach in their eyes, but their joy was more than they could hide.

This is on the street, not at home.

"You, you..." Lin Jiu stammered, taking a deep breath to calm himself before speaking. "You're not a particularly bright child to begin with, so don't put too much pressure on yourself or rely on me too much. Raising a child isn't just your responsibility; I will also shoulder the responsibility. We need to work together. Let's learn together and become parents together."

"Um……"

Wang Yuting pouted and muttered, "Isn't Jiu'er a little bit worried?"

Lin Jiu paused for a moment, then slowly slowed down and stood still.

Wang Yuting also stopped, and she looked at Lin Jiu standing on the road, tilting her head slightly.

"To be honest, I... don't feel any sense of reality about becoming a father."

Lin Jiu said in a deep voice, "My biological father is a terrible person. I can't learn anything useful from him, and I've never received a normal family education. I'm also very scared. I don't know what an ideal parent should be like, but I can't give up." Lin Jiu's voice was a little hoarse. He was actually very nervous, and his stomach even hurt a little.

"If I panic and can't walk, who will hold my hand and keep us moving forward?"

Lin Jiu slowly raised his hand; his hand was smaller than Wang Yuting's, but he held it tightly.

Wang Yuting looked at Lin Jiu's face; her mind was too confused, and she only noticed this now.

The two held hands the whole time; Lin Jiu neither let go of her nor left her side.

No matter how uneasy they were, Lin Jiu and Wang Yuting could not escape it.

It's not just Wang Yuting or Lin Jiu who are working hard; it takes both of them working together.

To become parents, to become husband and wife, to become family.

Lin Jiu realized this before Wang Yuting, which is why he remained calm. If he panicked and lost his composure, the family would definitely descend into chaos.

"That's what makes Jiu'er so cool~"

"Is it only a little bit?"

"It's a secret~"

Wang Yuting winked playfully.

The two continued walking towards home.

"Jiu'er".

"what happened?"

"I'm going to tell you something, but don't laugh at me."

Wang Yuting nervously gripped Lin Jiu's hand and said cautiously, "Well... after having a child, the child will become the most important thing, right? I know that's only natural, our family will become a three-person household. Although when Yingying lived at home before, I felt that having more people in the family wasn't a bad thing, and I could see a different side of Jiu'er. But Yingying and the child are ultimately different. No matter who you compare your own child to, they are all different."

Wang Yuting felt a little dizzy, and she tried her best to convey her emotions to Lin Jiu.

"In short, that means..."

Wang Yuting took a deep breath and embraced Lin Jiu tightly on the street.

“I want more time, just the two of us. I don’t want it to end so soon. There are so many things I want to do with you. I want to have you all to myself. I don’t want to share you with anyone. Not even the children. I’m just that selfish. I’m a bad mother who gets jealous of her children,” Wang Yuting whispered in Lin Jiu’s ear.

Lin Jiu's tense shoulders slowly relaxed.

He reached his hands behind Wang Yuting's back from under her armpits and patted her back.

Lin Jiu chuckled and said, "You really are a fool."

Wang Yuting responded with dissatisfaction, "I'm already very annoyed, don't call me an idiot at a time like this!"

"So that's adorably silly?" Lin Jiu tried to bargain.

"If it's cute, then I can accept it," Wang Yuting said, indicating that it wasn't out of the question.

Lin Jiu laughed even harder, muttering, "You really are an idiot."

"The guy who calls others stupid is the stupid guy."

Wang Yuting puffed out her cheeks slightly; it seemed that Lin Jiu had been calling her an idiot every day lately.

Lin Jiu turned his head and looked around. He was glad that he had the foresight to take Wang Yuting's hand and walk on the inside of the sidewalk, far away from the direction of the vehicles. Although stopping halfway still caused some inconvenience to the pedestrians around them, everyone's face was full of kind smiles, looking at them with warm eyes, without any sense of blame.

"If I had to describe you in terms of your favorite game, then I would be your only companion in life."

Lin Jiu hugged Wang Yuting tightly. Embracing each other in public was even more embarrassing than she had imagined, but they had already let go of their shyness when they were praising each other earlier. "It's fine now," Lin Jiu thought, and the intimacy of their embrace increased accordingly.

"Even if we have children, whether they are boys or girls, they are just temporary teammates in our lives. When we raise them to adulthood, they will definitely have their own ideas. They will go on to find important partners in their own lives and form their own guilds, just like we are now. When that time comes, it will just be the two of us, and we will have plenty of time to be together. The time I spend with you will not be reduced because of this."