CHAPTER 431: CHAPTER 348: AS YOU WISH

When Zhou Rou returned home, she received yet another piece of dreadful news. Mrs. Zhou’s face was streaked with tears—there had been a burglary! The house was turned completely upside down!

Fortunately, the bank cards and cash had been carried by Mrs. Zhou, and the gold jewelry was hidden in an old coat pocket, narrowly escaping disaster.

Zhou Rou staggered back to her small room, disoriented. All her evidence was stolen—not just the video of Wang Mei, but even the voice recorder was gone!

Who could have done this?

If it was just a simple thief, why would they target these two items specifically?

It was clear that the theft was a façade. The real aim was the video. Thinking along those lines, it might very well have been Wang Mei and her mother. On one hand, they tried to control her, and on the other, they sent someone to her house to search for the video so they could destroy it.

Zhou Rou gritted her teeth in hatred. She wished she could personally send that venomous mother-daughter pair to the afterlife.

After crying her heart out, Mrs. Zhou calmed down a little and tremblingly picked up her phone to call the police. But as she did, she noticed that Zhou Rou’s clothes were disheveled and her face bore bruises. She panicked and tearfully demanded to know what had happened to her daughter.

No matter what Zhou Rou had schemed in her heart, she couldn’t possibly tell Mrs. Zhou the truth. If those things hadn’t been stolen, she might have reported it to the police.

But now, what good would it do to call the police? Could they truly avenge her? Even if they caught someone, it would just be those two shameless men—mere scapegoats.

Could they even catch that mother-daughter pair?

If they provoked them, and the videos in their hands were widely disseminated, would she still have any chance of survival in the country?

So, she gave some excuse to stall her mother and sent Mrs. Zhou to another room to tidy up the mess.

Then Zhou Rou struggled into the bathroom to take a shower. She had to wash off this filth!

Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she thought about the contents of that voice recorder. If those two women discovered something, it might be good. What she feared was that those fools might just discard it directly.

However, she could strike again. Having done it once, it would be much easier to obtain such evidence the second time!

...

Li Si only hesitated for two or three days before her labor started at 9 PM. First, she felt her back ache, and then she saw some blood when she went to the bathroom.

Leng Mochen, still in his pajamas, looked at the slightly panicked Li Si and asked anxiously, "What’s wrong?"

Li Si replied nervously, "I just went to the bathroom and saw some brownish discharge. Do you think it’s time?"

These past few days, she had been torn between eagerly wanting to meet her baby and worrying about what might happen during childbirth.

Should she go for a natural delivery, or a C-section?

Leng Mochen quickly got out of bed barefoot and helped her sit back down, comforting her gently, "Don’t scare yourself! It’s probably nothing. Don’t be afraid! I’ll go get Sister Ding!"

Li Si quickly nodded. "Okay! Hurry!"

She remembered from antenatal classes that labor signs included either spotting or water breaking.

But real contractions were supposed to be much more frequent, and right now, she only had back pain. It probably wasn’t time yet.

Sister Ding arrived quickly, followed by Leng Mochen, who maintained a calm face but couldn’t hide the anxiety in his eyes.

Sister Ding asked Li Si detailed questions about how she felt, and with her experienced demeanor, she reassured Li Si that spotting was nothing to fear—her labor was just beginning, and delivery was still a while away.

Then she methodically took out the pre-packed hospital bag, while Leng Mochen helped Li Si change into comfortable clothes for the trip.

Jiang Tong drove them steadily and quickly to the private hospital they had booked in advance.

It wasn’t until she came out of the examination room that Li Si felt a sense of relief. The head doctor had conducted the internal exam personally and confirmed that while her labor had indeed begun, her cervix was only two centimeters dilated. Her physical condition allowed for natural delivery, so she was admitted to wait for the right time.

Apparently, true labor doesn’t start until contractions become frequent and the cervix dilates to three to five centimeters.

When they moved into the VIP luxury suite, Li Si looked around the room—it was extravagant beyond words.

The space was large, resembling a two-bedroom apartment. It felt just like being at home. At the entrance was a spacious living room with sofas, a TV, and a coffee table, perfect for entertaining visitors. On either side were two bedrooms, one larger and one smaller, each fully furnished and equipped with appliances.

In the larger bedroom, a pink-sheeted double bed stood in the center, with a delicate crib next to it. This was for mother and baby to stay together. The smaller bedroom was typically for accompanying family members.

Through the windows, one could take in the dazzling nighttime skyline of Beijing.

Leng Mochen arranged for Sister Ding and Jiang Tong to head back and return the next morning with nutritious food.

He took on the responsibility of staying overnight at the hospital to care for Li Si.

The two of them felt their earlier tension dissipate as they cozied up together. Now that they were in the hospital, knowing that any situation could be promptly dealt with, they felt significantly more at ease.

Leng Mochen gently placed a hand on her belly, affection clear in his eyes. "Little one, are you in such a hurry to meet your mom and dad?" As if in response, the baby moved strongly under his hand, right at the spot he touched.

Leng Mochen laughed in surprise. "This little rascal can’t wait! Well, it’s good if he comes out soon—I’ll show him how I’ll deal with him!"

Li Si suddenly thought of something and chuckled softly.

"What is it?" Leng Mochen leaned closer to her face. "Did I say something wrong?"

Could it be that he ranked third in the family even before the baby was born?

"I was just thinking about something," Li Si said, breaking into a laugh. "What’s tomorrow? Isn’t it February 14th—Valentine’s Day?"

Perhaps it was fate. Her original due date was the 22nd, so delivering a few days early wasn’t surprising.

During previous checkups, she had asked about the likely timing of her delivery. The doctor had estimated it might be around tomorrow.

Leng Mochen couldn’t help but ruffle her hair. "Looks like you got your wish! Happy now?"

Li Si grinned brightly. "Aquarius, huh? I can live with that!"

It wasn’t that she wanted her child to be particularly macho, but having a mind overly sensitive and delicate just didn’t feel right.

Leng Mochen couldn’t help but facepalm. Wasn’t this just prejudice?

But now wasn’t the time to argue with her about such things. "It’s getting late. Get a good night’s sleep! You’ll need your energy for labor tomorrow!"

"You’re right. I’ll sleep now. Goodnight, hubby!" Li Si closed her eyes right away. Truthfully, she did feel quite tired.

Leng Mochen watched her sleep for a long time before finally lying down himself. Before drifting off, he thought to himself that he might see their little rascal tomorrow. He wondered if the baby would be difficult or mischievous!

Li Si was awakened by a pressing urge to pee. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand by the dimly lit hallway. It was only 1 AM.

Leng Mochen was a light sleeper. The moment Li Si sat up, he opened his eyes and quickly sat up as well. After a moment of disorientation, he asked softly, "What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable?"

Li Si patted his arm reassuringly. "No, it’s okay. Just going to the bathroom. Go back to sleep."

Still worried she might stumble, Leng Mochen switched on the light in the room. Li Si shuffled to the bathroom in her slippers and stayed inside for quite a while before coming out.

Wiping again, she still saw that brownish discharge. Her lower abdomen felt a faint, dragging discomfort, and her back was achy and sore.

Seeing her expression, Leng Mochen’s brows furrowed slightly. "Should we call the doctor, just in case?"

Could she be going into labor? Why else would she look so pale?

Li Si instinctively touched her belly and replied, "Probably not. It’s the middle of the night anyway. Let’s wait until morning to check again."

She remembered the doctor saying that these were normal signs.

For the rest of the night, neither of them managed to get much sleep. Li Si made several trips to the bathroom, and Leng Mochen ended up keeping her company, chatting with her and trying to lift her spirits.

The more they talked, the more awake they became. By around 4 AM, exhaustion finally caught up with them, and they dozed off. (To be continued. If you’re enjoying this story, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users can read at m.qidian.com.)