So Wen Zhendong was strictly disciplined, which led to him always avoiding Gu Qianqian, taking detours when possible, unless absolutely necessary, he would walk around her.

But these little things didn’t concern Luo Fan and Gu Qianqian at all.

The newly minted couple, under the supervision of their families, finally set a date for their engagement.

Because Qianqian was still in school, they decided to have the engagement during the winter break.

Although not officially engaged yet, they were now officially dating, so their relationship was open and acknowledged.

Luo Fan walked with a swagger, his eyes already peach blossom-like, now even more so, as if petals from a peach tree coalesced into a stream of light bathing in the spring breeze, and Gu Qianqian was like the prettiest winter jasmine, quietly blooming under the spring sunshine, charming and attractive. From Gu Qiaoqiao’s perspective, they really were a perfect match.

...

Soon came the changing of seasons and the national holiday break. Qin Yize took Gu Qiaoqiao to the Qin Family’s Courtyard, spending a whole day with the elder. The elder, always perceptive, seemed to have sensed something, humming a Peking opera tune, clearly in a great mood.

In the blink of an eye, snowflakes began to fall in the sky of the Imperial Capital. Time passed so quickly; it was already November of the year 1989.

In the research institute, Chang Qing silently tore off yesterday’s page from the calendar, crumpled it in his hand, and then accurately threw it into the wastepaper basket in the corner.

Three months had passed since August, and nothing had happened in the Gu Family.

Sister Qiaoqiao was safe and sound too.

The letter from the future had many discrepancies with the present, but some things did match. Could it be that time had branched off somewhere?

And all of these, before getting confirmed, were unknown to Chang Qing, who then immersed himself in new research.

Gu Qiaoqiao’s work was still the same; she mostly assessed antique jade artifacts, paintings, and collectibles. If she wasn’t at Yubao Square, the second manager or Gu Qiaoqiao’s elder brother, Gu Muran, would call her. Once they knew where she was, they would drive to pick her up. Some came for personal appraisals, and this kind of treatment made them feel that this was the real demeanor of a master, because a true master wouldn’t just sit in the shop all day waiting for people to visit, would they?

So relatively speaking, Gu Qiaoqiao had a more flexible schedule.

Because Qin Yize had made new career choices, he was very busy recently, but no matter how busy he was, as long as he was in the Imperial Capital, he would come home at night.

This time, Qin Yize, like usual, opened the door to their house in the base compound, finding only one light on in the living room and no sounds from anywhere else.

Qin Yize frowned, could it be that Qiaoqiao hadn’t returned home?

They had agreed in the morning to have dinner and go to the movies in the evening.

Qin Yize opened the door, realizing Qiaoqiao was already home, but after checking the downstairs, he still couldn’t see her. Could she be upstairs?

The kitchen downstairs was also empty and cold.

This was unusual.

Alarm rising inside him, Qin Yize ran upstairs.

Upstairs, the lights were also off, but the curtains weren’t drawn, and the moonlight poured in like water. He saw a small lump on the bed; it should be Qiaoqiao.

He walked over quickly but made sure his steps were light. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

What could be wrong?

Resting in bed at only six o’clock, was Qiaoqiao feeling unwell?

Reaching the bedside, he crouched down, looking at the small face of his wife peeking out from the covers.

Her face was a bit pale, her eyes closed, and her brows furrowed, as if she was uncomfortable.

This startled Qin Yize because, since being with Qiaoqiao, she had always been healthy, rarely catching colds or fevers. It was the first time he had seen her lying in bed due to discomfort.

Qin Yize felt incredibly guilty. He had been so busy with work lately, neglecting too much. He gently placed his hand on Qiaoqiao’s forehead, then on his own, finding the temperatures similar, no fever, and her body temperature was normal.

Qin Yize gently turned on the bedside lamp. Gu Qiaoqiao was a light sleeper. When the light went on, she slowly opened her eyes, still frowning. Seeing it was Qin Yize, she groaned softly, like a mosquito, but even with Qin Yize’s hearing, he couldn’t make out what Gu Qiaoqiao was saying.

"Qiaoqiao, what’s wrong? Where do you feel uncomfortable?" Qin Yize asked softly, his voice filled with worry.

"Ah Ze..." Gu Qiaoqiao murmured weakly, the sight of her in such low spirits was a first for Qin Yize.

His heart suddenly filled with unease. He grasped Gu Qiaoqiao’s hand, checked her pulse to find her heartbeat normal, and felt somewhat relieved. Then he asked her to open her mouth to examine her tongue coating, finding nothing wrong.

Though he wasn’t specialized in clinical medicine, in university and while pursuing his PhD, he focused on medical biology and electronic technology, earning doctorates in both fields.

Still, Qin Yize’s heart suddenly raced. He helped Qiaoqiao sit up, propping pillows behind her, and sat by her side, earnestly asking about her current feelings.

Gu Qiaoqiao thought for a moment, describing weakly, "I was fine in the morning, but after drinking some fish soup at noon, my stomach felt particularly uncomfortable and a bit nauseous. In the afternoon, I felt weak all over, unable to muster the energy to do anything, like having a cold..."

Qin Yize’s heart skipped a beat, recalling the date of Gu Qiaoqiao’s last menstrual cycle, and a bold thought suddenly sprang up, causing his heart to pound wildly again.

His breathing became slightly urgent, as he cautiously held Qiaoqiao’s hand, his voice slightly trembling, "Qiaoqiao, if my judgment is not wrong, you might be pregnant!"

Feeling weak all over, even reluctant to open her eyes, Gu Qiaoqiao lazily leaned against the headboard, not expecting Qin Yize to say such words. Her eyes widened suddenly, blurting out, "How is that possible?"

Qin Yize wanted to laugh out loud at that moment but restrained himself, keeping a straight face and whispering, "Neither of us have any problems, so why not?"

Then he added, "I’m not well versed in this area, just making an inference based on some conventions. We’ll go to the hospital tomorrow!" Ending the sentence, Qin Yize emphasized his tone.

Gu Qiaoqiao stared at Qin Yize in a daze, recalling the end date of her last menstrual cycle. Suddenly, a flash of light sparked in her mind, perhaps, possibly, seemingly, she really was pregnant!

Their eyes met in mid-air, instantly interweaving with tenderness—one filled with disbelief, the other brimming with joy.