"That's great! I'll be his godmother once the baby's born!" Su He told Jiang Xiaoxiao about her plans for trying to conceive when they met up for some shopping that weekend.
Despite being unemployed, Jiang Xiaoxiao seemed in good spirits, which finally put Su He's mind at ease.
"How are things going with you and my brother?" Su He winked at her.
Unlike her previous evasiveness, Jiang Xiaoxiao could now handle her best friend's teasing with ease. "It's okay. We live under the same roof, but we don't talk much."
Jiang Xiaoxiao had moved out of her rented apartment and, unable to find a suitable place quickly, had temporarily moved into Su Chen's place.
Not wanting to take advantage of him, Jiang Xiaoxiao had agreed to pay rent.
Su Chen hadn't commented.
And so, they ended up living under the same roof.
Back in Nancheng, Jiang Xiaoxiao had been weak after her miscarriage and didn't feel like moving, so she stayed with Su Chen for a month to recover. Considering they had lived together then, sharing a roof again in B City didn't feel too awkward.
Familiarity breeds comfort, and they got along quite well.
"My brother is a bit slow to warm up. He might seem aloof, but he's actually easy to get along with," Su He said, drinking her mineral water and feeling something was missing.
However, since she was trying to conceive, she had to stay away from things like milk tea.
"I'm making such a huge sacrifice for a healthy baby!" she sighed.
"This is just the beginning. You'll have to sacrifice much more later," Jiang Xiaoxiao said, looking at Su He's stomach and teasing her. "Think about it: after getting pregnant, you'll have dietary restrictions, your body will change, and some women even experience morning sickness..."
"No way? Is it that bad?" Su He suddenly felt a bit scared.
"These are all things a mother goes through. Are you really sure you've thought this through?" Jiang Xiaoxiao felt her best friend was acting like a child, and that perhaps it was a bit early for her to be having children.
Su He was silent for a moment, then looked up with a determined gaze. "I'll have to have them eventually..."
"But with your family's circumstances, you really don't have to worry. You won't have to stress about the cost of raising a child, and you'll have help with childcare, so you won't be too tired!"
"Then, should I choose breastfeeding or formula?" She was really afraid of pain.
"Try breastfeeding for a while, then switch to formula. That's how most people do it," Jiang Xiaoxiao explained. "However, it also depends on your natural condition. Some women don't produce milk from the start and have to rely on formula. You're worrying about this too early."
Su He agreed.
"Has your grandfather said how many children he wants you to have?" Jiang Xiaoxiao asked, sipping her milk tea.
"He hasn't mentioned that."
"The Lu family is a large and influential one, so the more, the merrier!"
"It would be great if I could have several at once!" Su He rested her chin on her hand. Since it was going to hurt anyway, why not get it over with all at once?
"With current medical technology, having multiple births isn't difficult. You could try. But carrying several at once will double the hardship. You need to think carefully!" Jiang Xiaoxiao said.
They shopped for a long time. Su He didn't buy much for herself, but she couldn't walk past any baby stores.
The plush toy was so cute, the clothes so adorable.
Should she get bottles ready in advance?
Should she choose a stroller with a guardrail or one with an open footrest?
Seeing the eagerness in Su He's eyes, Jiang Xiaoxiao quickly stopped her. "The baby hasn't even been conceived yet, so it's too early to buy! Even if you get pregnant, you don't even know the baby's gender yet. What if you buy the wrong things? Wouldn't that be a waste!"
"How about I prepare some for both a boy and a girl?" When faced with difficult choices, Su He usually opted for getting everything.
Jiang Xiaoxiao was speechless. "Buy, buy, buy! You're the rich one, whatever you say!"
With that, Su He dropped all her reservations and started shopping spree. By the time they finished, her purchases could fill the trunk of a car.
The mall manager, seeing her as a VIP customer, smilingly asked the staff to help her pack everything. "Miss Su, could you please fill in an address and contact number? We'll arrange for delivery to your home shortly."
"They have this service too?" Su He was a little overwhelmed.
"You're one of our valued customers, this is what we should do," the manager said with a wide grin.
Jiang Xiaoxiao stood by, arms akimbo, and laughed.
As they walked out of the mall, Jiang Xiaoxiao couldn't resist teasing, "If you told them who you are, it wouldn't be strange for them to deliver to your door, or even give you the whole store!"
"Oh, you know, should I open a mother and baby store? Then I could have the staff deliver anything I need!" Su He had a sudden idea.
Jiang Xiaoxiao: ...
When they returned home, Su He had just changed into her loungewear when the mall's delivery van pulled up to the villa gate. The servants carried the large bags of items inside, filling the entire living room.
Su He looked at the mountain of shopping bags and began to reflect.
Had she been too unrestrained?
She had said she would just browse, so why had she bought so much?
When Lu Yanbei returned, he saw Su He kneeling on the living room rug, sorting through her haul.
"What did you buy?" He glanced at the empty bags, his gaze finally settling on Su He.
Su He held up a few cute cups and shook them at him. "All for our unborn baby. Don't you think they're adorable?"
"And this hat, I bought one for a boy and one for a girl. They're so pink and lovely, I can't bear to put them down."
Seeing her excited expression when she talked about the baby, Lu Yanbei couldn't help but smile. "Yes, as long as you like them."
"Is it too much? I think I bought some duplicates..." Su He stuck out her tongue.
"No. These are consumables. They need to be updated every now and then," Lu Yanbei picked up a set of baby clothes, already picturing a little bundle of joy rolling around in front of him.
"Ah, I forgot to buy bibs..." Su He felt a little better seeing that he didn't object to these things.
"We can go shopping again another day, and I'll go with you," Lu Yanbei said affectionately as he hugged her.
"Okay, I'll check online later to see what else we need," Su He happily put her purchases back into the shopping bags and instructed the servants to take them to the empty room on the third floor.
"Besides these necessities, shouldn't we also renovate a nursery?" Su He suddenly remembered to ask.
"How do you plan to decorate it?" Lu Yanbei brushed a stray strand of hair from her ear.
"We need to repaint the walls, draw pretty pictures... get a crib, a little tent by the bedside, and toys..." Su He was so excited that she wished she could start immediately.
Lu Yanbei held her back. "It's getting late. Let's talk about it tomorrow, okay?"
"But I'm not sleepy yet..." Su He said.
"Wife, you can't be so biased," Lu Yanbei lifted her onto his lap. "The baby isn't even born yet, and you're already neglecting me!"
Su He: ...
How could he be jealous of his own child!
He was definitely a jealous king!