Chapter 9: Morning Sickness

“I’ve been staying at home, not cold at all,” Li Zhenguan said softly, looking a bit shy as he met Wang Zhao’s gaze.

Just as he finished speaking, a gust of wind blew by, causing him to shiver involuntarily. Wang Zhao sighed, “Is your uncle home now? I’ll go in to greet him first, then we’ll head out.”

Li Zhenguan suddenly came to his senses and quickly nodded, meeting her gaze again and unable to resist giving a small smile.

He took a few steps, then slowed down, unable to help but glance at the woman walking beside him.

Today, Wang Zhao wore a loose trench coat with a white shirt underneath, making her appear even more slender. She had always seemed very thin, carrying an air of aloofness since his earliest memories. Even when speaking softly, she unconsciously conveyed a hint of coldness.

She didn’t look very approachable.

However, Li Zhenguan’s gaze shifted downward, landing on Wang Zhao’s hands.

She explained, “I wasn’t sure what to bring, so I bought some fruit on the way here.”

She had purposely bought them at an imported supermarket, quite expensive compared to regular fruit. This wasn’t a formal visit, so she hadn’t prepared as thoroughly or formally.

Li Zhenguan nodded, his face brightening with a smile, his delicate features lighting up.

They quickly reached the entrance. Wang Zhao fell a step behind, entering after Li Zhenguan.

A middle-aged man came forward to greet them, politely taking the bag from Wang Zhao’s hand. Li Zhenguan introduced him in a low voice, “This is the uncle who takes care of our household affairs. You can call him Zhang Shu.”

Wang Zhao followed suit, saying, “Hello, Zhang Shu.”

Then, he led Wang Zhao inside, where she saw a man standing at the entrance of the living room. He wore casual home clothes and looked to be in his thirties or forties, appearing quite young and well-maintained, with features somewhat similar to Li Zhenguan’s.

Without needing Li Zhenguan to introduce him, Wang Zhao had already spoken, “Hello, Uncle.”

Yang Jin responded with a sound, his expression somewhat cold, which was within Wang Zhao’s expectations.

Zhang Shu, however, was very courteous, bringing out several cups of tea from the kitchen and inviting Wang Zhao to sit down and have a cup.

Sensing the chilly atmosphere, Li Zhenguan finally spoke up, pulling Wang Zhao towards the exit, “It’s getting late now, so we won’t have tea. Dad, I’m going out with Wang Zhao now.”

“Be careful,” Yang Jin stood up and gently reminded him, “You’re pregnant now, there are many things you can’t eat. You need to remember that.”

As he spoke, he had Zhang Shu bring down a thick coat from upstairs and draped it over Li Zhenguan’s shoulders. “The temperature will drop tonight, wear an extra layer.”

He then gave Wang Zhao a few more instructions, seeming very concerned about the two of them going out.

Wang Zhao had to say, “Uncle, I will take good care of Zhenguan and bring him home safely later.”

After leaving the house, Li Zhenguan somewhat embarrassedly said, “My father is just like that, but he’s actually very easy to get along with usually.”

It seemed he had also noticed his father’s coldness towards her.

Wang Zhao didn’t mind much. She started the car and smiled as she asked the person beside her, “Are you hungry? What would you like to eat for dinner?”

“Sichuan or Hunan cuisine,” Li Zhenguan said decisively after thinking for a moment.

During these days at home, since his parents learned about his pregnancy, they had strictly controlled his diet.

However, Wang Zhao didn’t respond to his words. Instead, she picked up her phone, looked at it, and said, “You’re pregnant now, so your diet should be lighter. I know a good Huaiyang cuisine restaurant. I’ll take you there to try it.”

Li Zhenguan glanced at Wang Zhao, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn’t, obediently agreeing.

Wang Zhao then put down her phone and drove towards the Huaiyang restaurant she mentioned.

This Huaiyang restaurant wasn’t in the busy district, but outside the Third Ring Road, on the sixth floor of Wanhua. There were many other restaurants in the area. Wang Zhao knew about this restaurant through her original self.

When reviewing the original’s phone and other bill details, she found that the original had been to this restaurant several times. She figured the taste must be good, otherwise, the original wouldn’t have come frequently.

After parking in the underground parking lot, Wang Zhao took Li Zhenguan up in the elevator. As they exited, someone was there to receive them.

Seated in a private room, Li Zhenguan finally spoke, “Do you come here often?”

“I’ve been here a few times with family and friends,” Wang Zhao said, flipping through the menu before handing it to the man beside her. She spoke softly, “Order whatever you’d like. You should be able to eat most of the dishes here, but let me know if there’s anything you can’t eat.”

After saying this, she rang the bell to have the waiter come in and replace the tea on the table with plain water.

She had previously read several physiology books, one of which was called “Health China Campaign – Rural Health Knowledge Series: Health Care.” This book mainly covered how pregnant individuals should take care of themselves and some precautions during the childbearing period.

Since learning about Li Zhenguan’s pregnancy, she had read this book again. Regardless of whether she liked this person or not, since she had decided to take on this responsibility, she wouldn’t back down or be timid. Within her capabilities, she would try her best to do the best she could.

She had always been that kind of person.

While ordering, Li Zhenguan heard Wang Zhao’s voice and looked up, meeting her gaze.

Wang Zhao asked, “Have you finished ordering?”

“Yes,” Li Zhenguan put down the menu. “I’ve ordered four dishes. Crab roe lion’s head meatballs, steamed shad with rice wine, Longjing shrimp, and chicken broth with shredded tofu.”

Wang Zhao couldn’t help but glance at Li Zhenguan upon hearing this. He still had a smile on his face and asked, “What’s wrong?”

She came back to her senses and also smiled, casually saying, “Nothing, it’s just quite a coincidence. Our tastes are very similar.” Then she turned to the waiter standing nearby and said, “For the main course, we’ll have Yuhua tangyuan with scallion pancakes.”

After saying this, she looked back at Li Zhenguan, “Is there anything else you’d like to order?”

He shook his head, “This is enough.”

As the waiter was leaving, the tea had also been replaced with warm plain water. She checked the temperature before pouring a cup and placing it in front of Li Zhenguan.

The man softly said, “Thank you.”

Wang Zhao suddenly found this interesting.

Throughout their interaction, it was clear that the two of them weren’t very familiar with each other, yet they were already at the point of marriage. Even though she was mature and usually decisive, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of unfamiliarity at this moment.

It was as if a train was running on its tracks when suddenly a fork appeared ahead, and after hesitating for a moment at the junction, she made a decision.

Sometimes, she would also doubt herself, wondering if her current decision was the right one, if the track she had chosen was the correct one. Of course, this wouldn’t affect her, but occasionally she would feel momentarily lost.

Wang Zhao believed that most people would feel the same way.

In the end, they didn’t finish all the dishes they ordered. During the meal, Li Zhenguan went to the bathroom once, and when he returned, his complexion didn’t look good. After that, aside from drinking a few sips of water, Wang Zhao noticed that he barely touched his chopsticks again.

She thought for a moment and understood. He was about three months pregnant now, likely still experiencing morning sickness.

She hadn’t considered this thoroughly enough.

So, she quickly finished her own dinner, ate a few more bites, and then stopped. She had the remaining dishes packed up by the waiter.

Standing up, she said to the pale-faced man, “Let’s go.”