Old Mrs. Ling suppressed the excitement in her heart and asked, "My dear, when did this start happening to you?"
Xia Wantang rinsed her mouth, and after the sourness subsided somewhat, she said, "It's been a few days. It's really strange; I've never felt like this after eating eggs before."
"Silly child, have you had any other reactions recently?"
"Other reactions..." Xia Wantang thought for a moment. She couldn't recall anything unusual, except for disliking eggs, but her appetite was still good.
She also felt more tired than usual and was often sleepy, which she attributed to the arrival of autumn.
Seeing that she hadn't grasped it yet, Old Mrs. Ling smiled and reminded her, "Treasure, why don't you go and get tested!"
"Test for what..." Xia Wantang trailed off as she immediately realized what Old Mrs. Ling meant – she wanted her to take a pregnancy test.
She had tested a few times before returning to the apartment, each time showing a single line, so she eventually stopped bothering.
Over time, she had put the matter out of her mind, believing in letting nature take its course.
Who would have thought that when you relaxed your mind, it would always come to give you a surprise?
With a mix of anticipation and nervousness, she returned to the East Courtyard.
Old Mrs. Ling, too, had lost her appetite and sat by the table, counting the minutes until Xia Wantang returned.
Old Mr. Ling remained utterly clueless, having not understood a word of their conversation.
He asked, "What were you two talking about just now? Is our granddaughter-in-law alright!"
"You'll know in a moment," Old Mrs. Ling replied, keeping him in suspense.
This piqued Old Mr. Ling's curiosity.
As a man, he had no understanding of such matters and couldn't possibly have imagined anything of that nature.
But now, all he could do was wait patiently to see what was going on.
Xia Wantang hurried back to the East Courtyard and took a test strip and a urine cup from a drawer.
She first calmed her emotions before entering the bathroom.
...
She stared at the pregnancy test stick, watching as the urine slowly permeated the strip. One clear red line appeared, followed by a fainter one.
Instantaneously, two lines.
She was pregnant. She was really pregnant.
Her excitement was beyond words, and Xia Wantang's lips couldn't stop curving upwards.
Her eyes lit up, and she immediately took out her phone and sent a photo to Ling Yuchen.
She also sent him a message, telling him, "I'm pregnant."
Although Ling Yuchen had been unable to attend to anything else, his phone remained accessible.
When he heard the notification chime, he took out his phone and immediately saw the two messages from Xia Wantang.
At this time, she wouldn't contact him unless it was something important.
Ling Yuchen felt a pang of worry, fearing something might have happened at home.
He quickly unlocked his phone and opened the chat interface. The image hadn't been opened yet, but it was striking.
And then there were those four words: "I'm pregnant."
She said she was pregnant.
Pregnant.
???
Ling Yuchen felt as if he had been frozen in place. He stared at his phone screen, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
She was truly pregnant. He was going to be a father.
Was this real?
Was he dreaming?
"Yuchen, what's wrong?"
Li Bowen stood beside him, looking at him staring blankly at his phone with confusion in his eyes.
Jiang Zexi was also drawn to the scene, his face showing concern.
It wasn't an everyday occurrence that could make Ling Yuchen lose his composure.
Ling Yuchen ignored them and called Xia Wantang.
Xia Wantang was walking back to the front courtyard when she heard the phone ring and immediately answered.
Although she had already told Ling Yuchen the news, she still wanted to say it to him in person.
"Yuchen, I'm pregnant."
Ling Yuchen felt his throat tighten. His voice, weary and hoarse, said, "I know."
Li Bowen and Jiang Zexi exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise, envy, and disbelief.
"How are things on your end?"
After a long silence, Xia Wantang's inner joy began to fade slightly, replaced by a touch of disappointment.
But considering Ling Yuchen's current predicament, she only felt heartache for him.
Ling Yuchen didn't answer her question. Instead, he said, "Tangtang, thank you."
Xia Wantang hadn't expected him to say something like that, but it undoubtedly soothed her earlier disappointment.
"You're welcome. I'll take good care of our child and wait at home for you to bring Mom back."
"Mhm."
His eyes inexplicably welled up with tears. Ling Yuchen let out a soft "mhm" and quickly hung up the phone.
Tears welled in his eyes, and the sharpness in his gaze softened, his expression becoming exceptionally gentle.
Li Bowen patted his shoulder and, pulling Jiang Zexi along, they quickly left the area.
Becoming a father for the first time was undoubtedly exciting, but a heavy burden still weighed on his heart!
The feeling of mixed joy and sorrow was not easy to bear!
Xia Wantang put away her phone, the joy from moments ago gone from her face. She had been swept away by the elation.
Her mother hadn't been found yet!
With a complex mix of emotions, she walked to the front hall.
Old Mrs. Ling was eagerly awaiting her return.
Seeing her solemn expression, she mistakenly thought her guess had been wrong.
Her heart sank with disappointment, but she still smiled and comforted her, "It's alright, let's eat first. This isn't urgent."
Xia Wantang shook her head and forced a smile, saying, "Grandma, I am indeed pregnant."
"Oh, really!" Old Mrs. Ling's eyes lit up, and she was overwhelmed with joy.
Old Mr. Ling was even more bewildered, thinking he had misheard.
"What did you say? You're pregnant?"
Seeing the surprised joy on the faces of the two elders, Xia Wantang couldn't help but smile along.
"Yes, Grandpa, I'm pregnant."
"That's wonderful, thank Buddha, thank all our ancestors." Old Mrs. Ling clasped her hands in prayer.
Her smile radiant, she pulled Xia Wantang to sit down, her voice even gentler, "My dear, tell the kitchen whatever you want to eat, and you don't have to eat eggs if you don't like them."
"Yes, yes, everything revolves around you," Old Mr. Ling said, beaming.
Xia Wantang smiled and replied, "Okay, I will."
The gloom that had hung over the Ling family for days began to lift somewhat with this joyous news.
However, Zhu Yunfei's disappearance remained a major concern.
As long as the person wasn't found, there was an increased risk.
After the meal, Old Mrs. Ling instructed Xia Wantang to rest well at home, and then she went out to consult a fortune teller.
But Xia Wantang had nothing to do at home, and she was also worried about Zhu Yunfei's safety, so she proposed to go along.
Old Mrs. Ling thought for a moment and agreed.
In the car, Xia Wantang touched her belly, contemplating the precautions for pregnancy.
She gazed out the window, preoccupied, a persistent tightness in her chest, but she didn't pay it much mind, assuming it was normal to feel unwell in early pregnancy.
The car drove on and finally stopped in front of an old residential complex.
The "great immortal" Old Mrs. Ling spoke of lived here.
After getting out of the car, Xia Wantang walked beside her, looking around at the surroundings.