With Si Ruohan away, Pei Xi felt an emptiness in her heart. At night, she habitually turned over, reaching to hold him—only to find her hand landing on nothing. That’s when she realized he wasn’t there.
Over the past days, Pei Xi hadn’t noticed, but she had already grown accustomed to having Si Ruohan by her side. Sigh—another day of missing him.
Since his business trip, she kept counting the days until his return. Luckily, Si Ruohan remembered to call every day—not only was she thinking of him, he was thinking of her too! If she weren’t pregnant, he might have taken her along. For now, daily calls were the only way to ease their longing, to check if she was eating properly, getting up on time, or staying in bed too long.
Pei Xi replied in a sweet voice:
“Yes! I’m eating well—Aunt Liu makes me delicious meals every day. And you? Are you eating on time too? Don’t skip meals when busy—it’s bad for your health. I’ve heard ten out of ten CEOs have stomach problems. I’m warning you—you can’t get sick, or I’ll ignore you!”
Si Ruohan had never met someone so forcefully caring before.
“Alright, I got it. I’ll eat on time and stay healthy. The weather’s getting cooler—make sure you wear enough when you go out, don’t catch a cold.”
Pei Xi twirled her long hair:
“I know, I’ll take care of myself. When will you be back? I miss you.”
Hearing her say she missed him warmed Si Ruohan’s heart.
“If everything goes smoothly, I’ll be back next week. I’ll bring you a gift.”
Pei Xi shook her head:
“Forget the gifts. I don’t need anything. Just come back—that’s enough.”
Pei Xi’s prenatal check-up came while Si Ruohan couldn’t attend. As the baby’s grandmother, Si Ruohan’s mother was overjoyed when she saw the tiny figure on the screen, spinning with excitement. Luckily, wearing a mask, nobody recognized her, preserving her high-cold image.
After leaving the hospital, she took a photo of the ultrasound and sent it to the family chat, letting everyone see how big her grandchild had already grown.
“Xiao Xi, come on! Let’s go buy things—the baby’s three months old. As the grandma, I have to get some essentials ready.”
Pei Xi suddenly realized—she and Si Ruohan had completely forgotten to prepare anything for the baby! Clothes, stroller, formula—none of it was ready.
Seeing her blank expression, Si Mama asked:
“What’s wrong? You haven’t prepared anything for the baby?”
Pei Xi shook her head:
“No! The baby is still so small. Even if we prepared things now, they wouldn’t be needed yet. Si Ruohan and I planned to wait until the baby’s a bit bigger.”
Si Mama disapproved:
“That won’t do! You have to prepare early. If anything’s missing, we can add later. Not only do you need the baby’s things, but also your hospital bag.”
Pei Xi gasped:
“My… hospital bag? I need one?”
She truly had no idea.
“What do I need? What’s a hospital bag?”
Knowing Pei Xi had no family to guide her, Si Mama stepped in:
“Don’t worry, I’m here! You just focus on taking care of yourself. I’ll make sure everything is perfectly prepared.”
With experienced Aunt Liu helping, Si Mama decided to go shopping immediately.
At the maternity store, Pei Xi’s heart melted at all the adorable items. Soft lighting illuminated rows of tiny clothes. Pink and pastel onesies embroidered with bunnies and bears, tiny socks like budding flowers, and fuzzy jackets—so soft she could imagine the baby wearing them.
Nearby, strollers of all colors and sizes, from compact to spacious, wheels adorned with cartoon stickers, lined the shelves. Formula and diapers stacked neatly, the air carrying a gentle scent of milk and detergent, warm and comforting.
Pei Xi’s indecision flared up again. She asked her mom:
“What color should we choose? We don’t even know the baby’s gender yet.”
Si Mama waved her hand:
“Does it matter? Buy for both! We don’t favor boys over girls—we love both. Since the gender’s unknown, we’ll get one set for a boy and one for a girl.”
Pei Xi tried to restrain herself, but Si Mama shopped without holding back. One pretty set here, one cute design there—if Pei Xi hadn’t intervened, she might have bought clothes for the child up to age three.
Finally, Pei Xi managed to stop her:
“Mom, we don’t need so much. After the baby’s born, we’ll know the gender and buy more. Buying now is wasteful.”
Si Mama agreed. After picking out clothes, she chose a stroller and then focused on Pei Xi’s hospital bag.
The bag contained everything a new mother might need: sanitary pads, nursing pads, disposable mats, baby blankets, pajamas, underwear, a breast pump, and much more.
Pei Xi stared in awe:
“Mom… do we really need all this?”
Si Mama, busy filling the bag, said:
“It’s better to have extra than to miss something. You can never have too much.”
Aunt Liu had pre-selected many items, placing them in the shopping basket. Pei Xi, feeling tired, sat on a sofa to rest and sent a video to Si Ruohan.
After a short break from work, Si Ruohan saw the video and immediately knew where Pei Xi had gone. He didn’t say much—only told her how much it cost and that she could claim reimbursement when he returned.
Pei Xi replied:
“Today, the baby’s grandmother is paying. If you want to pay, you’ll have to wait until later.”