The Beautiful Stepmother from the Eighties: Marrying a Factory Director to Raise Kids

Chapter 428

Chen Mi probably felt it was just too embarrassing, so she pretended to be dead drunk and unconscious.The two of them couldn't just leave her on the ground and walk away, so they had the hotel staff take her to a room to rest before hailing a car to head home.

Si Nian and Zhou Yueshen squeezed into the back seat. There were other people in the car, but since it was late, it was hard to find a taxi.

She sat on Zhou Yueshen's lap, nestled in his arms.

Starlight and city lights dotted the scenery outside. She raised her hand, looking at the diamond ring on her finger.

It sparkled beautifully under the passing lights. After admiring it for a while, she felt tired and rested her head against his chest. Zhou Yueshen kept an arm around her waist, occasionally casting his gaze down. Perhaps because he had been drinking, his eyes looked exceptionally gentle, and he would occasionally lower his head to nuzzle her hair. Si Nian looked up at him. She wasn't sure if it was because he had been so wonderful today, taking care of her the whole time they were out and giving her all his tenderness.

Because of that, she was actually in quite a good mood right now.

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The socializing didn't even seem that boring anymore.

Zhou Yueshen looked down, meeting her gaze. "Are you sleepy?"

It was getting a bit late.

Si Nian shook her head and quietly looked at him for a moment.

He carried the mellow scent of red wine—not overpowering, just a faint, pleasant aroma.

His thin lips were pressed into a sexy curve, and she couldn't resist leaning up to kiss them.

One of her hands played with his large hand, gently rubbing the calluses on his palm.

Zhou Yueshen tightened his arm around her, his voice low and deep. "Why are you being so clingy tonight?"

Hearing this, Si Nian questioned him in return, "Am I not usually clingy with you?"

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‍corners of Zhou Yueshen's lips lifted slightly as he pressed her closer to his chest. The smell inside the car wasn't great, but she smelled wonderful—a faint scent of roses from the perfume he had gifted her previously.

Zhou Yueshen lost himself for a moment. Resting his chin on her shoulder and enveloping her completely in his arms, he said, "Of course not."

The car could only drop them off outside; they had to walk the rest of the way into the alley themselves.

Si Nian hadn't actually fallen asleep, so she yawned and stepped out of the car.

Even though it was already quite late, there were still quite a few people on the street. Perhaps because it was Saturday, a group of young people came running over, laughing and shoving each other.

Si Nian got bumped into and almost fell over.

"You bumped into someone, be careful," one of them joked.

They said to be careful, but they didn't sound the least bit apologetic.

The person who bumped into her was a young guy reeking of alcohol.

He wasn't very old.

The group consisted of both guys and girls.

They were probably afraid their school gates would close, so they were rushing back in a hurry.

Zhou Yueshen immediately reached out to protect Si Nian. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Si Nian shook her head.

She glanced at the group of young people and realized there was a familiar face among them.

The person was hiding behind the guy who had spoken first. At first, Si Nian thought she was seeing things.

But after taking a closer look and confirming it was indeed Zhang Xue, she frowned.

Zhang Xue had clearly recognized her as well and was now hiding in the back, terrified of being spotted.

The guy who had bumped into her was originally grinning playfully, but when he turned and met Zhou Yueshen's sharp, cold eyes, he jumped in fright.

His wide grin instantly vanished, and he finally seemed to remember to apologize. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to."

Zhou Yueshen withdrew his gaze and ignored him. Seeing that Si Nian was fine, he said, "Let's go home."

Zhang Xue was a nervous wreck, her heart pounding wildly as she feared Si Nian had seen her.

To her surprise, Si Nian acted as if she hadn't noticed her at all and simply replied, "Okay."

The couple walked toward the alley.

The rest of the group finally noticed Zhang Xue hiding in the back and began to tease her. "Zhang Xue, what are you hiding for? Too shy to be seen?"

"Exactly! Brother Wang only introduced you to this job because he thinks you're pretty. You need to seize the opportunity."

Zhang Xue bit her lip and gave a soft sound of agreement.

Perhaps she had eaten too many crabs and crayfish, because as soon as Si Nian got home, she felt a dull, sinking ache in her abdomen.

She went to the bathroom, saw some blood, and assumed her period had started.

Come to think of it, her period was indeed late this month. It usually came on the twentieth, but this month it had been delayed by a week.

She washed up and went back to her room to lie down.

Zhou Yueshen went to take a shower as well.

The kids were already asleep, and the house was very quiet.

Zhou Yueshen came into the room after his shower. Seeing her furrowed brows and pale complexion, he went over and felt her forehead. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Si Nian felt an inexplicable sense of unease. But then she reasoned that she had simply eaten too much seafood and gotten bumped into earlier; it was nothing major and she should be fine.

It was just that her period felt a bit different this time around.

The pain felt strange, in a way she couldn't quite describe.

Her menstrual cycle would occasionally fluctuate due to various circumstances anyway, so she didn't think too much of it.

"I probably just ate too much seafood. My stomach is a bit upset."

Seafood was considered a cold food, after all. Eating too much of it could indeed cause stomach aches.

She felt a pang of regret.

Zhou Yueshen thought back and realized that Si Nian had indeed eaten quite a lot.

But since she always loved eating those things at home, he hadn't thought much of it when he saw her eating so much earlier.

Si Nian's discomfort grew worse. In just a short amount of time, a cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

Zhou Yueshen noticed something was terribly wrong and immediately sat up to support her. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"Mm... it hurts." Si Nian leaned against the headboard, gasping for breath. The discomfort in her lower abdomen was intensifying.

With every breath she took, a sharp, throbbing pain shot through her.

She had no idea what was happening to her.

The original owner's body had been well-nourished since childhood. Although she was sensitive to the cold, she only experienced severe period cramps if she caught a chill.

Usually, it was perfectly fine.

The pain this time was completely different from anything before.

Zhou Yueshen immediately grabbed a coat nearby, draped it over her shoulders, and scooped her up into his arms. "I'm taking you to the hospital to get checked."

His face was tense and grim as he carried her out the door with long strides.

It was already very late, and there were barely any cars on the road.

They couldn't flag down a single car along the way.

Hearing Si Nian's occasional sharp gasps of pain in his arms, Zhou Yueshen's heart clenched tightly.

"Just bear with it a little longer, we're almost there."

Zhou Yueshen moved incredibly fast, eventually breaking into a run. Si Nian felt the wind rushing against her face. She was sweating profusely from the pain and feeling dizzy.

But whenever a streetlamp flashed by, she could see the man's firm jawline. Sweat rolled down his cheeks and dripped onto her face.

He looked even paler and more terrible than she did.

Fortunately, the hospital wasn't far—only about a kilometer away.

Zhou Yueshen made it there in just a few minutes.

Although the temperature in Beijing had already dropped, Zhou Yueshen was burning hot.

His head was drenched in sweat, though it was hard to tell if it was from the heat of running or a cold sweat from panic.

Most of the hospital staff were off duty at this hour, leaving only a few on-call workers.

There was no need to queue. Seeing him rushing in carrying Si Nian, people immediately came forward to help.

Soon, the doctor's examination results were out.

"Comrade Zhou, your wife is pregnant. She's currently at about four weeks. However, looking at her condition, there are signs of a threatened miscarriage. She needs to get plenty of proper rest. Please refrain from sexual intimacy and avoid any stimulating foods, such as anything spicy or cold."

The doctor explained the precautions to him while instructing him to go pay the fees and collect her medication.

But after the doctor finished speaking, the man standing before him still hadn't snapped out of his daze.

"Comrade, did you hear what I said? Comrade?"

It took several calls to snap Zhou Yueshen out of his daze. He stood blankly for two seconds, then nodded and turned away stiffly.

"Hey, comrade, that's not the payment counter. You're going the wrong way."

As if he hadn't heard her, Zhou Yueshen walked faster and faster. He entered the hospital room, crouched down, and looked at Si Nian, whose face was still a bit pale on the bed.

His large hand subconsciously rested on her abdomen, his touch incredibly light.

As if he were afraid of crushing her.

His face still held a mix of disbelief and shock, because before they got married, they had discussed it and agreed not to have children.

They only wanted to raise the three existing children.

So even after getting married, Zhou Yueshen had always been very careful with contraception.

There had never been any accidents.

The only exception might have been the last time he lost control, but he had carefully helped Si Nian clean up afterward, and since it was her safe period, he thought everything would be fine.

He never expected that just this one accident would bring a new little life.

This was his and Si Nian's child.

His own flesh and blood.

This feeling was truly miraculous.

The doctor walked in and asked him to go pay the fees first, otherwise, she couldn't be admitted to the hospital.

Hearing this, Si Nian was also a bit stunned.

Compared to the pleasantly surprised Zhou Yueshen, she was mostly at a loss.

She had never thought about giving birth, having always planned to just be a painless stepmother.

But to her surprise, she was actually pregnant?

It came so suddenly, catching her completely off guard.

Zhou Yueshen looked at Si Nian's expression, only to see not a trace of joy or surprise on her face.

He paused, his attitude cautious. "Nian Nian, the child... are you unhappy?"

He remembered that Si Nian hadn't minded when he said he didn't want children back then.

At the time, Zhou Yueshen thought she was just saying that out of helplessness.

After all, in his mind, practically no family in this era didn't want children to carry on the family line.

But that was just an ideology passed down from the older generation.

He didn't believe everyone cared about such things. Naturally, Zhou Yueshen didn't value it that much either, otherwise he wouldn't have proposed the crazy idea of not having children.

He was even less willing to force this kind of thing onto Si Nian.

Si Nian couldn't articulate her thoughts. She didn't hate it, but she wasn't thrilled either.

Because having a child was never part of her life plan.

Yet it had come at such a wrong time.

She lowered her head and bit her lip. "No, it's just that I'm not prepared, and I'm scared."

If you regret getting married, you can get a divorce, but if you regret having a child, you can't just put it back.

Although Si Nian considered Zhou Yueshen her closest person in this unfamiliar era, she couldn't bring herself to trust him completely with her entire being.

She was also worried that if she had a child and something unexpected happened later, or if they divorced, the child's situation would become difficult.

Si Nian was the type of person who wouldn't do something unless she was absolutely certain about it.

Zhou Yueshen held her hand. "Don't be afraid. I'm right here with you. I will always stay by your side. You don't need to worry about anything; leave it all to me."

He wiped Si Nian's forehead, which was damp from the pain.

"I..." Si Nian opened her mouth with difficulty.

"Let me think about it." She avoided Zhou Yueshen's gaze.

Afraid that one more look would soften her heart.

Zhou Yueshen's voice remained gentle, not pushing her for an answer.

"Alright, take your time to think, there's no rush." He straightened up, intending to pay the fees first so Si Nian could stay in the hospital for observation for a few days.

After taking a few steps, he turned back, stepped forward, and softly reassured her, "Don't be hard on yourself. No matter what you choose, I will respect your decision."

"Nian Nian, in my heart, you always come first. Even a child cannot compare to you."

He bent down, wrapped his arm around her waist, and kissed her forehead.

Neither of them went home that night; Zhou Yueshen stayed with her in the hospital all night.

Si Nian had thought she would be too worried to sleep, but she had underestimated herself.

The moment she closed her eyes, she was fast asleep.

When she woke up the next day, her stomach no longer hurt.

Si Nian's condition had returned to normal, and she felt fine everywhere.

Zhou Yueshen called her school to ask for a leave of absence.

He had originally wanted her to stay in the hospital for a few days of observation.

But unexpectedly, the doctor came to check on her condition and said she could be discharged.

Zhou Yueshen repeatedly confirmed that she was fine before packing up their things and preparing to take Si Nian home.

She didn't know where he had found a car. He first helped Si Nian into the car and then fastened her seatbelt.

His gaze occasionally swept over her abdomen, his expression somewhat complex.

Si Nian's hand also unconsciously touched her very flat stomach, her expression similarly filled with countless thoughts.

She changed the subject and asked, "When did you drive this car over?"

She examined the car; it was quite new.

And very comfortable to sit in.

Zhou Yueshen stepped on the gas pedal, driving very slowly.

"It's the car Chen Nan assigned to me before, but I didn't take it."

He knew very well that the more things he accepted from Chen Nan, the more favors he would have to do for him in the future, so he hadn't wanted these things.

They had a car at home, but because it was inconvenient to bring it to Beijing before, they had left it back in their hometown.

But now that Si Nian was pregnant, he didn't want an accident like last night's to happen again.

Although he could run fast, no matter how fast he was, how could he outrun a car? How could he get Si Nian to the hospital immediately?

So Zhou Yueshen had called someone today to drive the car over.

"A car assigned by Chen Nan?" Si Nian frowned. Her impression of this person wasn't very good.

It was undeniable that Chen Nan was a successful man.

But he was definitely not a good husband or a good man.

Zhou Yueshen spoke up to comfort her, "We'll just use it a few times. In a couple of days, when your condition is better, we'll go buy one."

He had mentioned before that he wanted to buy her a nice car anyway.

Hearing this, Si Nian fell silent for a moment.

The better Zhou Yueshen treated her, the more guilty she felt.

Because yesterday, she had actually entertained the thought of not wanting his child.

But waking up today, she seemed to have figured things out.

She didn't know why.

Her heart suddenly became very peaceful.

She no longer felt the panic she had last night.

She tugged at the corner of the man's shirt beside her. Seeing him look over at her, she finally said, "Zhou Yueshen, let's have the baby."

Zhou Yueshen almost couldn't stop himself from slamming on the brakes.

He hastily pulled the car over to the side of the road and stopped, his eyes filled with astonishment.

"Nian Nian, have you thought it through?"

Si Nian nodded. "Yes. Why, you don't look happy at all. Do you not want it?"

After saying that, she frowned.

She couldn't bring herself to abort a child, which meant she had to take responsibility for this child's future.

But she also knew that Zhou Yueshen had once said he didn't want to have children.

At that time, his tone was firm, as if no one in this world could change his mind.