Chapter Fifteen (Part One) The supermarket shelves were laden with every brand of prenatal formula imaginable. Ouchen meticulously checked the expiration dates and nutritional labels before placing several cans into the shopping basket he carried.
With Xia Mo constantly on his mind, he also picked up some fresh eggs and fish before heading to the checkout counter.
“Daddy, I want an electric scooter!” A little boy’s pleading whine drifted over from the next aisle. The boy’s father refused, citing too many scooters at home, offering to buy a new one only if the child could recite the multiplication table without fail. Watching the reluctant boy being led away by his father, Ouchen unconsciously drifted toward that particular row of shelving.
It was the aisle for children’s goods. Since this was a small market, the shelves weren't overloaded with toys. Some were clearly for older children—machine guns, electric cars, dolls, building blocks—while others were for infants: rattles and spinners that fit neatly in a small hand.
Ouchen reached out and picked up a small rattle.
“Thump-thump-thump!” As his fingers spun it, the tiny drumsticks joyfully tapped the taut surface. One side of the rattle was painted with a plump, adorable baby from a New Year's print, and the other featured a small, golden pig with wings.
Hearing that cheerful sound, a wave of intense warmth flooded Ouchen’s chest. According to the traditional lunar calendar calculation, the baby would be born in the Year of the Pig—a chubby little golden piglet.
On the other side of the shelf were layettes.
Ouchen tentatively touched a pure cotton outfit designed for newborns. It was soft, delicate, just like an infant’s tender skin.
Holding that tiny garment, he could almost visualize the baby’s dark, shining eyes, its minuscule hands and feet, its innocent, gurgling laughter, and the sweet milky scent that would cover it… Standing at the threshold of his own home, looking down at the contents of his shopping bag—beyond the formula and food lay a rattle, a set of baby clothes, and a pull-string pig—Ouchen suddenly felt a strange awkwardness, as if the tidal wave of joy surging inside him had been laid completely bare for the world to see.
He tucked the baby items into the bottom layer of his shopping bag, took a deep breath to mask the inexplicable anxiety and shyness, and pulled out his keys to unlock the door.
She was still asleep.
The house was utterly silent.
She had worked a late-night shoot and hadn't returned until the small hours; letting her rest was for the best.
Ouchen gazed at her closed bedroom door, the gentle smile softening the edges of his once cold and arrogant features.
Ever since receiving that letter from Xiao Cheng and discovering she was pregnant, she had miraculously begun to recover.
As if given a sudden purpose and hope in life, she started eating three regular meals a day, and even if she occasionally vomited, she would insist on continuing to eat.
She began to regulate her sleep schedule. Despite the erratic demands of filming, she always tried her best to ensure adequate rest.
She stopped shutting herself away; she started talking, and gradually, she began to smile again.
He didn't know if these changes were solely because of Xiao Cheng's letter or because of the baby in her womb, but simply watching her improve day by day filled him with profound gratitude toward the heavens.
In the kitchen.
Ouchen diced the apple, pear, and banana into small pieces. After a moment’s thought, he chopped up a carrot to add as well (Muttering to himself… Can this even be drunk?)