My girlfriend isn't as cute as me.

"weight……"

Wang Yuting muttered softly.

Perhaps because her expression turned sour after the weight was measured, the nurse talked to her a lot about pregnancy weight and comforted her that she would recover after the baby was born by doing prenatal exercises for a period of time.

What's wrong with my weight?

"It's nothing, I just feel that the child will definitely be healthy."

Wang Yuting stroked her belly. This child has consumed all of her strength and nutrition; it must be very healthy.

"You have to be healthy too."

Lin Jiu grasped Wang Yuting's hand and earnestly gave her his instructions.

"With you here, I can't even stay up all night drinking and eating fried chicken. I'll definitely be healthy!"

"Why don't you take this opportunity to quit drinking?"

"I'll think about it."

During her pregnancy, Wang Yuting had many urges to drink alcohol, but she resisted each time. She worried about the negative impact of drinking in front of her child, fearing the child might mistakenly believe that alcohol was the best thing in the world.

She is genuinely considering quitting drinking, but it's not something that can be resolved overnight.

"Okay, it's time for the ultrasound."

Lin Jiu took the form and led Wang Yuting to get an ultrasound.

Wang Yuting walked inside the curtain, while Lin Jiu stood guard in front of the screen.

Lin Jiu would witness every routine check-up; it was his duty as a father.

After confirming that the machine was working correctly, the obstetrician pointed to the image on the screen and explained to Lin Jiu, "Look, this is the fetus's buttocks, and this is the fetus's spine. Because of the position, we cannot determine the sex of the fetus yet. At this stage, we can already see that the fetus is breathing normally and its heart is beating very healthily, which is a very good sign."

Lin Jiu listened quietly to what the doctor said, his gaze fixed on the screen, and slowly opened his mouth to exhale.

He insisted on accompanying Wang Yuting to her regular check-ups every time, not only out of concern for her, but also to encourage himself.

Lin Jiu clenched her fists, tightly gripping the numb sensation between her fingers.

This is the true feeling of becoming a father.

Chapter 435 Tiezi, move!

"Thanks for your hard work."

Lin Jiu led Wang Yuting home, and the two of them carefully washed their hands to avoid bringing germs home.

If Wang Yuting doesn't wash her hands when she gets home, she feels uncomfortable all over, as if some unseen dirt has crawled into every corner of the house. She used to not care about these things and didn't have the extra energy to worry about them, but not now.

It's all because there's a sickly and weak-willed girl named Jiu'er in the family. If she doesn't pay attention to these little details, it would be bad if Lin Jiu caught a cold, got a fever, or had a stomachache.

"I feel so tired every time I go for my regular check-up."

Wang Yuting rarely goes out, nor does she want to. Isn't staying home better? It's not like she doesn't have air conditioning, sugary drinks, a game console, and a soft bed. If she hadn't become withdrawn from staying home alone before, she wouldn't have even considered finding a job to avoid developing psychological problems. Now that Lin Jiu is with her, Wang Yuting's homebody tendencies are fully activated, and she's lazy every day.

"Have a glass of water and get some rest."

Lin Jiu pushed Wang Yuting to sit on the sofa and massaged her shoulders.

Wang Yuting's shoulders were always prone to soreness, mainly because her breasts were quite well-developed. When using the computer, she would unconsciously lean forward, putting her weight on the table to relieve shoulder fatigue. Before, when she went to Tong Yingyu's house, Tong Yingyu would enviously bite her handkerchief when she unconsciously made this gesture. Because Tong Yingyu's gaze was so intimidating, Wang Yuting never dared to do this outside of her home again, nor did she dare to casually mention her sore shoulders or how much she envied women with smaller breasts.

"The ultrasound image today scared me," Wang Yuting said, putting down her water glass. "It was so tiny before, and now it's grown so much. In a few months, it'll be a baby..."

Wang Yuting stroked her belly, filled with boundless anticipation for the baby inside her.

Do you prefer a boy or a girl?

Wang Yuting suddenly threw this question at Lin Jiu.

Lin Jiu wasn't surprised, because he also wanted to ask Wang Yuting whether she preferred boys or girls.

Of course, this refers to the child's gender, not personal preference.

"My words..."

Lin Jiu sat on the sofa, tilting his head back to ponder the question.

"I like both boys and girls."

"That's such a perfunctory answer! Such a generic, generic response!"

Wang Yuting patted Lin Jiu's thigh, indicating that this answer was invalid.

Lin Jiu thought for a moment and murmured, "That's our child. Whether it's a boy or a girl, I'll love them. More than the gender, I'm worried about whether our child will be like me, always sickly. If they inherit your clumsy nature, I'll probably worry about it for the rest of my life. Just thinking about it makes my stomach hurt."

Lin Jiu's body and mind were worn down by years of malnutrition and living in a terrible environment, leaving her with many ailments. However, it didn't matter, as these could be corrected through good sleep habits and a healthy diet. In addition, Lin Jiu maintained appropriate exercise, and in the past two months, she hadn't caught a cold or fever much.

"Jiu'er always thinks the worst of things."

Wang Yuting rubbed Lin Jiu's cheeks, trying to wipe away the worry on his face and make him smile.

"Why can't we look on the bright side? Maybe this child will inherit your intelligence and eat as much as I do. Just think about it, this child is already eating so much before he's even grown up, it leaves me with no energy every day, all I do is eat and sleep. He'll definitely be healthy, don't worry, everything will be fine," Wang Yuting comforted Lin Jiu, giving him a big hug.

"I'm sorry, I'm a father whose thoughts can easily go to extremes..." Lin Jiu buried himself in Wang Yuting's arms and apologized to the baby in his belly, not knowing if the child could hear him.

"Jiu'er is really unreliable, only I can handle her." Wang Yuting patted Lin Jiu's back, rarely having the chance to show her mature and adult demeanor in front of Lin Jiu, and couldn't help but smile.

"I'm really sorry I can't be relied on!"

"Don't be angry, I think you're actually great in this respect."

"What's so good about it?" Lin Jiu puffed out her cheeks and muttered, "I'm only thinking about bad things."

“You’ve thought about so many things before the child was even born. This sense of responsibility makes me feel at ease. Besides, if things really turn out the way you imagine, you’ll definitely use all your strength for the rest of your life to guide the child toward a positive and healthy life, won’t you?” Wang Yuting understood Lin Jiu’s thoughts better than anyone else, and she also understood better than anyone else how much Lin Jiu valued the people around her, let alone him and her child.

Because of his past experiences, Lin Jiu became a pessimistic and gloomy thinker, almost suffering from paranoia. If there's any difference between Lin Jiu and those who live in constant fear, it's that after anticipating the worst-case scenario, Lin Jiu will strive to find a way out of the predicament and will never give up. It is precisely this quality that makes Wang Yuting trust him without hesitation.

“I really like Jiu’er’s idea of ​​always taking three steps ahead and looking further ahead no matter what happens. If you have any worries, you can’t bear everything alone. It’s too tiring. Talk to me more often.” Wang Yuting pinched Lin Jiu’s cheek and said seriously, “No matter what it is, you have to tell me. I will face it with you no matter what.”

"...Idiot, why did you say something so cool?"

Lin Jiu buried her face in Wang Yuting's arms to hide the rising heat in her cheeks.

"Although I had this feeling a long time ago, I feel more and more that our genders might have been reversed?" Lin Jiu murmured in confusion. "So many times you have appeared in front of me in such a cool way that it made my heart race."

"Hmm~"

Wang Yuting tried to imagine herself as a boy and Lin Jiu as a girl.

No, that scene was just too criminal. The two of them would probably be stopped and questioned by the police if they walked down the street, making a date out of the blue almost impossible. Let alone taking Lin Jiu to the OB-GYN for a checkup—the stares from all sides... just thinking about it made her feel like she was riddled with holes. It was terrifying.

Besides, given Wang Yuting's endless desire for Lin Jiu, what if their genders were reversed...?

"It's so great that Jiu'er is a boy."

Wang Yuting said with heartfelt emotion.

"Eh, really? Hehehe~"

Lin Jiu smiled shyly, naively thinking that Wang Yuting was praising him for being very manly.

To hide the fact that even her ears were bright red, Lin Jiu tried to change the subject.

"And what about you? Do you hope your child is a boy or a girl?"

"Whether it's a boy or a girl, I hope this child can be like you!"

"That's not a one-size-fits-all answer! It's too perfunctory!"

Lin Jiu responded to her with Wang Yuting's words.

Responding to someone's inconsistency by quoting their own words or deeds is a particularly embarrassing tactic. Of course, it only works against those whose words and actions don't align.

Wang Yuting proudly raised her chin: "Hmph, I really mean it! Jiu'er has so many good qualities. No matter what the child's gender is, I hope our child can learn your strength, your gentleness, your virtue, and your courage. These are Jiu'er's charms, and what deeply attracts me. Even if you were a girl, I would still love you unconditionally."

Lin Jiu lowered her head, her cheeks burning hot, and murmured, "Really, I'm not as good as you say..."

"Yes, yes, you just need to have a little more confidence in yourself!"

Wang Yuting would never budge on this point; to her, Lin Jiu was simply that outstanding.

"If they are our children, whether they inherit our strengths or our weaknesses, they are still our children. It's okay if they are ordinary. I just hope that our children can grow up healthy and find things that make them happy in life. Just like I am now, with my interest in animation and games, and with such wonderful people by my side."

Wang Yuting propped herself up, put her hands on Lin Jiu's shoulders, and looked at him with a smile.

"Before helping our children find their purpose in life, what we as parents should do is spend quality time with them. I believe there will be no problem. I will use games and animations, clothes and food, and your favorite Kamen Rider to make our children look forward to the next day. There are many beautiful and sparkling things in this world, but too many people walk with their heads down and don't have the chance to see them."

"Um……"

Lin Jiu looked back into Wang Yuting's eyes and saw endless anticipation in them.

Perhaps captivated by those eyes, Lin Jiu suddenly felt his aching stomach subside. The unease and confusion of becoming a parent lessened considerably, and anticipation for the future outweighed fear; he smiled too.

"what!"

Wang Yuting suddenly shouted out.

Lin Jiu's heart, which had just been at ease, was once again gripped by anxiety.

"what happened?"

"I……"

Wang Yuting looked somewhat puzzled.

She lowered her head, her expression gradually changing from confusion to surprise.

"It moved."

"It moved?" Lin Jiu asked blankly. "What moved?"

Wang Yuting touched her belly, her expression gradually becoming blank, and murmured, "The baby in my belly is moving!"

"What!!"

Lin Jiu felt as if a universe had exploded in her mind.

He sat on the sofa, somewhat at a loss, his eyes fixed on Wang Yuting's abdomen, his hands wanting to touch it but hesitant.

Fetal movement.

This is a child's response to their parents.

Lin Jiu was unsure if she could meet the child's expectations, so she stopped her hands in mid-air and gradually withdrew them.