March 21st.

More than a month had passed in the blink of an eye, and An Yuanyao was now over five months pregnant.

As time went on, her belly could no longer stay flat like before. Within just this short month, it had grown rapidly.

A few days ago, when they went to the hospital for a check-up, it was already possible to determine the gender at five months. At first, Liu Changqing had planned to discreetly ask the doctor about the baby's gender, but just as he was about to, he gave up the idea.

He could know, but there was no need.

Liu Changqing didn't hold any preference for boys over girls. To him, whether they were two boys or two girls, it didn’t matter.

They were his children, after all.

As for the possibility of dragon-phoenix twins—a boy and a girl?

Liu Changqing had thought of that too, but only briefly, and he quickly laughed at himself for even entertaining the idea.

Having twins was hard enough already, and now dragon-phoenix twins too...

Liu Changqing didn't believe such good fortune could fall on him. He didn’t overthink it. Instead of fantasizing about them being dragon-phoenix twins and getting disappointed later, why not just enjoy the mystery?

The unknown was the most magical part.

By the end of March, the weather wasn’t as cold as winter anymore. Sometimes, it even felt stuffy at noon.

Most of An Yuanyao’s maternity clothes were thick winter pieces, and now they felt too warm. Seeing his wife occasionally sunbathing on the balcony and tugging at her collar because of the heat...

As a considerate husband, Liu Changqing naturally took on the task of buying her new clothes.

When he arrived at the maternity store in the mall, he paused hesitantly at the entrance.

Buying maternity clothes alone wasn’t much different from buying women’s underwear or sanitary pads—it was awkward for a man.

Even though Liu Changqing considered himself fairly thick-skinned, he still found it hard to walk in.

As he lingered around the store entrance, hesitant and walking in circles, the shop assistant noticed the strange man. After a brief moment of surprise, she approached him and asked gently.

"Hi, are you here to buy maternity clothes for your wife?"

"Yeah."

Shifting his gaze, Liu Changqing avoided looking directly at the assistant's professionally polite smile.

He rubbed the tip of his nose lightly.

"My wife's maternity clothes are pretty thick. I want to get some lighter ones..."

"Sure, no problem. May I ask if your wife didn't come with you?"

"No, I was worried she'd bump into something if she came out."

"..."

The shop assistant paused briefly at his response but quickly covered up her surprise.

She continued asking.

"How far along is your wife?"

"A little over five months... 21 weeks."

"Alright, please follow me."

With that, the assistant led Liu Changqing into the store.

Following behind her, Liu Changqing stepped inside and only then noticed that there were other men inside too.

But most of the men were following their pregnant wives around, carrying bags.

Liu Changqing even saw a few women whose bellies were bigger than An Yuanyao’s.

Seeing those women waddling around shopping for maternity clothes, Liu Changqing couldn’t help but question the men beside them.

Their wives’ bellies were that big and they still let them come out? These guys must really have nerves of steel!

Turning his gaze away from the other customers, Liu Changqing looked at the shop assistant, who was a whole head shorter than him.

She didn’t look very old—probably in her early twenties. Her face had light makeup on, and if it weren’t for the many bottles and jars on An Yuanyao’s vanity that had taught him a thing or two, Liu Changqing would’ve thought this assistant wasn’t wearing any makeup at all.

Spending time with An Yuanyao had given Liu Changqing some understanding of women’s products.

He finally realized just how dumb his first lipstick gift to her had been.

That shade wasn’t even humanly acceptable!

Bright pink—so bright it could blind you... Even now, just thinking about it made Liu Changqing want to go back in time and punch his past self in the face.

With your taste, you sure you were a designer in your past life? Stop insulting the profession!

The shop assistant, unaware of the absurd thoughts running through this strange uncle’s head, simply introduced the latest maternity wear options like a professional.

Liu Changqing listened seriously from the side.

Like a student earnestly learning from his teacher.

And this little girl in front of him was his teacher.

Holding up a maternity dress, the assistant pulled on the fabric and explained to Liu Changqing.

"This one is looser than regular maternity clothes. It’s more breathable and less irritating on the skin—perfect for new moms."

"..."

"Oh, and I forgot to ask—what kind of clothes does your wife prefer? Pants or skirts?"

"Uh... either is fine, I guess."

"Then I recommend this dress. It's knee-length, which helps protect the joints. Plus, as women’s bellies grow during pregnancy, their bodies can look wider. Dresses like this balance the proportions and look really flattering!"

"..."

Listening to the assistant’s long explanation, Liu Changqing's brain was in a fog.

What the h*ll... skirts have that many considerations?

Seeing his blank face, the assistant figured he wasn’t too fond of that one and quickly pulled out another.

"At five months, the belly is already visible. Regular pants become tight and put pressure on the abdomen, which is uncomfortable for the mom and bad for the baby. Overalls don’t have a waistband, so they avoid that issue and also help hide the growing figure. Moms love them!"

"..."

Overalls can be maternity wear too???

The assistant's recommendations had already ventured far beyond Liu Changqing's knowledge.

In his mind, maternity clothes were soft outfits that you pull up over the belly.

He never knew appearance mattered too...

Everything this girl said was like a foreign language to him.

"Then..."

"Wait a sec."

Just as the assistant was about to speak again, Liu Changqing interrupted her.

After thinking for a moment, he awkwardly gestured near his chest.

"My wife might be a little different from other pregnant women. You know how that part usually gets bigger during pregnancy? But hers doesn’t seem to have changed much..."

"Don’t worry, maternity clothes aren’t based on bust size."

"That’s good."

Hearing that, Liu Changqing finally relaxed.

He glanced around at the clothes, face turning serious.

Then he said,

"Give me one of each that fits. I want them all."

"..."

The assistant was stunned.

Her mouth fell slightly open as she watched Liu Changqing pull out his wallet and take out a card.

He asked,

"Can I pay by card? If not, I’ll go get cash."

"..."

The young shop assistant stared at Liu Changqing after his bold declaration...

Completely speechless.