My girlfriend isn't as cute as me.

"Jiu'er, I've entered the stable period."

Wang Yuting's joy was impossible to hide; she seemed to want to imitate "The Shawshank Redemption" and open her arms to embrace freedom.

For pregnant women, the biggest advantage of a stable pregnancy period is that the morning sickness is less severe, which allows them to relax temporarily. Wang Yuting even ran to smell the rice with a plastic bag at noon today, thinking that if she felt unwell, she could at least use the bag to collect vomit. But instead of inducing vomiting, she couldn't help but eat six bowls of rice and finished all the dishes Lin Jiu had prepared.

My appetite has returned, and I feel much better.

Wang Yuting didn't doze off much today and even had the energy to learn about parenting, making it a wonderful day. She had been in a daze for the past two months, so maintaining a normal daily routine is quite an achievement.

"Peaceful period..."

Lin Jiu slowly moved her face away from Wang Yuting's stomach.

Looking at Wang Yuting's smiling face, he couldn't help but smile along.

"That's great! That's really great!"

Lin Jiu was so happy he wanted to jump up and down. This was the best news he had ever heard, meaning that both mother and child were safe.

The first sixteen weeks of pregnancy are a vulnerable period, during which anything can happen.

Lin Jiu and Wang Yuting can now relax a bit and are no longer as worried as before.

"Jiu'er, can you relax now?" Wang Yuting led Lin Jiu by the hand into the living room, letting the tired Lin Jiu sit down and rest. If she didn't do this, Lin Jiu would definitely run to the kitchen to make dinner immediately. He always forced himself to do this, using his body like a robot, burying his fatigue deep inside.

"Now is not the time to relax. We need to prepare for the baby's arrival. First, we need to inform Mom and Dad. Then we need to buy baby onesies and warm little hats. For newborns, pure cotton, absorbent clothing and bedding are very important. We also need to buy bottles, a milk sterilizer, baby formula, baby cotton swabs, silicone spoons, baby wipes, diapers, baby-specific shampoo and body wash, as well as special baby nail clippers and small gauze."

"Small gauze?"

Wang Yuting counted on her fingers and asked doubtfully, "If the baby gets hurt, can we use gauze?"

"Don't think about such terrifying things. I absolutely cannot let the child get hurt, not even a single hair!" Lin Jiu was startled by Wang Yuting's question and quickly waved her hand to dispel those terrifying thoughts. She explained, "The gauze is for bathing the baby, washing his face, and washing his bottom. We also need to prepare two basins for the baby, to use separately. One is for bathing, and the other is for washing the baby's bottom."

"I see..."

Wang Yuting was stunned.

It seems that the parenting knowledge she learned today is not as much as Lin Jiu's.

"Are all of these taught in preschool classes?"

"No, that's not it. I'm learning early childhood education skills in class."

"Then how do you know so much?" Wang Yuting couldn't count it all on two hands.

"Is there even a question?" Lin Jiu said matter-of-factly, "Of course it's for you and the child."

Hearing Lin Jiu's heartfelt words, Wang Yuting almost couldn't help but make strange noises. Looking directly into Lin Jiu's eyes, she saw a firm yet gentle light shining within them, as Lin Jiu gazed back at her.

“We can’t possibly start learning all this scrambling after the baby is born, can we? You’ll definitely be exhausted after giving birth, and I don’t want you to be worrying about whether the baby is fed, warmly dressed, sleeping well, or crying a lot. I’m the baby’s father, so leave it to me!” Lin Jiu smiled confidently, making Wang Yuting’s cheeks flush.

"Then I'll leave it to you."

Wang Yuting pursed her lips, deepening the smile on her face.

"The father of my child."

Chapter 437 The Courage to Embrace Tomorrow

early morning.

Birds chirped merrily, sunlight streamed through the windowsill, and the autumn breeze stirred the window screen.

Lin Jiu has developed a habit of going to bed early and waking up early. He usually wakes up an hour earlier than Wang Yuting so that he can brush his teeth, wash his face, and eat breakfast when she wakes up. Sometimes, when he's in a bad mood and doesn't want to make breakfast, he goes downstairs to buy steamed buns, fried dough sticks, rice noodle rolls, and soy milk. With Wang Yuting's appetite, Lin Jiu has to carry two large bags to feed her. Having a foodie girlfriend is both lovable and exasperating.

"She slept so soundly."

Lin Jiu looked at Wang Yuting on the other side of the double bed, brushed a strand of hair from her mouth, and smiled helplessly.

To avoid waking up in pain from pressing on her hair while sleeping, Wang Yuting always ties her hair into a bun before bed. Unfortunately, her sleeping posture is terrible, and she always manages to mess up her hair. Incidentally, to avoid unconsciously pressing on her stomach while sleeping, Wang Yuting now needs to hug a long, narrow pillow when she sleeps. Lin Jiu hasn't been held in her arms to fall asleep in a long time.

Lin Jiu couldn't help but feel jealous of the pillow, so she secretly beat it up.

Incidentally, Wang Yuting secretly discovered this.

Lin Jiu covered Wang Yuting with the blanket and quietly left the room.

"Hmm~"

Lin Jiu went to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror.

His hair has now grown to shoulder length and needs to be trimmed regularly every month, otherwise it will look strange. He also tries to tie his hair into a bun like Yuting when he sleeps, except that he sleeps very still and never has to worry about it getting crushed.

"No wonder I was invited to the social gathering."

Lin Jiu looked in the mirror and tried to pinch her cheeks with her hand. Even such a clumsy action looked incredibly cute.

This might sound narcissistic, but Lin Jiu is well aware of her own looks.

Rather than saying it's a baby face, it's more accurate to say that the traces of time have been erased, frozen in a moment.

"I find it terrifying to fall for someone with this kind of appearance."

Lin Jiu cupped her cheeks, her childlike innocence growing even more pronounced.

Perhaps the baby in Yuting's belly just dislikes its father's childlike face, which is why it refuses to respond to him?

When Lin Jiu came to his senses, he had already pinched his cheek until it was red and swollen, with a faint bluish tinge. He shook his head helplessly, and only after letting go did he slowly feel the pain, but compared to the pressure piling up in his heart, this pain was nothing.

Every time Wang Yuting felt the baby move, she would immediately call out to Lin Jiu. She never gave up and had no intention of hiding the signs of the baby moving. She firmly believed that the child would fall in love with Lin Jiu, just like she did; no one could resist Lin Jiu's charm. It was this expectation that gradually made Lin Jiu feel confused about himself, and even doubt whether it was because he didn't have the image of a father.

"Fool."

Lin Jiu said to herself in the mirror.

"Ah~ It smells so good! What's Jiu'er having for breakfast today—wow!!"

When Wang Yuting saw that half of Lin Jiu's cheek was red and swollen, she was so anxious that tears almost fell.

"Jiujiujiujiujiu——"

Wang Yuting was so flustered that she lost all ability to organize her thoughts. She cautiously reached out her hand, afraid of hurting Lin Jiu.

Lin Jiu smiled gently and leaned her cheek closer, pressing it against Wang Yuting's palm.

"Don't worry, I just accidentally rubbed too hard while washing my face."

"……Um."

Wang Yuting looked at her petite and adorable boyfriend nestled in her palm.

She desperately wanted to tell the other person that lying to her was pointless; she could see right through him.

Wang Yuting is Lin Jiu's only supporter, and she won't miss any subtle changes in Lin Jiu's expression.

"Since you've said that, I have no choice but to believe you."

Wang Yuting didn't expose Lin Jiu, but her resentful gaze revealed her displeasure.

Breakfast didn't taste very good today, not because Lin Jiu's cooking skills had gotten worse, but because both of them were preoccupied with their own thoughts.

"Speaking of stability..."

After dinner, Wang Yuting went to the balcony with Lin Jiu to sunbathe and stretch their bodies.

The balcony is spacious enough that two people could easily do calisthenics here without worrying about bumping into each other.

"We've bought everything we needed, so we can finally relax and enjoy life." Wang Yuting stretched and swayed. "But before that, there's something very important we need to do."

"What is it?"

Lin Jiu's eyes instantly sharpened.

He thought he had considered everything, but he didn't expect there were still some oversights; this was his mistake.

"Of course it's a date!"

Wang Yuting raised her hand towards the sky, and the sun seemed to be in her grasp, making it look exceptionally bright.

“We’ll be welcoming a new member to our family in a few months, and then it’ll be hard to enjoy time just the two of us, right? Before we’ve raised the child, we’ll have very little time for each other. We can’t just leave the child with our parents and go off to play happily; that would be a childhood trauma for the child.” Wang Yuting knows very well how much harm foolish parents can cause to their children. She doesn’t want to become like her mother, only caring about showing affection with her husband and completely neglecting her child’s feelings.

"That's true..."

Lin Jiu scratched his head. He had been putting too much pressure on himself lately, focusing solely on Yu Ting and the child. He had put everything else out of his mind and hadn't given it much thought.

"I didn't think it through enough."

"You're overthinking it!"

Wang Yuting pinched Lin Jiu's other cheek, and the force she used to pull it made Lin Jiu's other cheek hurt as well.

"Don't shoulder everything yourself... Even if I say this, you won't listen. So let me share the burden with my actions. First, today's date! Where to go and what to do, I'll decide! You just need to do the work!" Wang Yuting knew very well that Lin Jiu would rack his brains to create the perfect date. Rather than letting him worry so much, it was better for her to think of the solutions.

"Is everything alright?"

"Of course, no problem!"

"I mean in terms of physical health."

"Hmph, the second trimester is the easiest time of pregnancy. You can't be so willful anymore once you reach 32 weeks."

Wang Yuting keeps a daily diary, recording her physical condition, her baby's condition, and the doctor's instructions. She's not some useless mom who just stays home all day playing video games.

Lin Jiu felt the touch of Wang Yuting pulling his cheek. He always focused on Wang Yuting's physical health, but he overlooked the fact that a person's health is not only about physical well-being, but also closely related to their mental state. He couldn't just focus on material satisfaction; he also needed to satisfy her emotional needs.

Lin Jiu clutched her chest, her palm conveying the rhythm of her heartbeat.

Where should we go on our date today?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The sky was clear and blue, with bright white clouds, and the air was cool and pleasant.

Lin Jiu walked arm in arm with Wang Yuting on the wide sidewalk. The shadows of the street trees stretched across the ground, falling behind them with each step. The surrounding buildings shimmered with a silvery sheen, their light too bright for pedestrians. The shops nearby created a childlike atmosphere, and occasionally, staff dressed as mascots would pass by, handing out flyers for the children's park to passersby.

A gentle breeze was blowing, and Lin Jiu raised her hand to cover her hat so that it wouldn't be blown away by the wind.

The white wide-brimmed hat was wrapped with light pink silk, adding a touch of brightness, as if trying to capture the last vestiges of summer.

"There aren't as many people as you might think!" Wang Yuting said happily.

“Today is a workday, most people have to go to work or school,” Lin Jiu replied.

"how about you?"

"I skipped class."