NMBJ2 - EXTRA 3

Author: Zhao Tai

Xitang was unexpectedly pregnant. In April, she was shooting a movie in Suzhou, for Director Lin’s new film. Her first movie had been under his direction, and he was like a mentor to her. Director Lin specifically chose Xitang for the leading role because he knew the script was fantastic, and Xitang really liked it. The production started after Chinese New Year in Hengdian, and by April, they moved to Suzhou for outdoor scenes.

After starting the filming, Xitang’s health wasn’t great. Her lower abdomen had a dull ache, which she thought was just a sign of her period, so she didn’t pay much attention. However, it was her friend Ni Kailun who noticed something was off when Xitang’s appetite changed. One morning, Ni Kailun asked her, “Are you pregnant?”

Xitang was stunned. “Really?” Ni Kailun asked again, “Did you and Zhao Pingjin use any protection?” Xitang blushed and shook her head. Ni Kailun poked her on the forehead and said, “You fool.”

Ah Kuan went to the pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test. Xitang went to the bathroom, but after a long time, she came out, and Ni Kailun looked at her and said, “Well, you’re pregnant.”

This is troublesome. The day before yesterday, Xitang had filmed a rainy night scene, and if Zhao Pingjin finds out, Xitang is feeling a bit anxious. But since he is the father of the child, she knows she has to tell him.

As soon as Zhao Pingjin received the call, he took the night flight straight to Suzhou. Upon arriving at the hotel, he saw Xitang sitting quietly on the sofa, looking foolish. When Ni Kailun saw him, she felt a bit guilty and said, “You’re here.” Zhao Pingjin got angry immediately, “You’re her agent, and you didn’t even know she was pregnant? What are you doing? What if something happens to her?” Ni Kailun was also upset and retorted, “I’m her agent, and you’re her husband. Why are you yelling at me?” Xitang, who was sitting on the sofa, let out a soft hiss of discomfort. Zhao Pingjin immediately walked over, sat beside her, and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling very uncomfortable? Let’s go to the hospital. You should stop filming. I’ll handle the penalty fees and the contract, you should just rest at home and take care of the baby.”

Xitang remained silent, and Zhao Pingjin’s anger flared again, “I’m talking to you, did you hear me?” Xitang raised her head, “Why are you yelling? I’m pregnant, I can’t get upset.” Zhao Pingjin went silent. Ni Kailun and Ah Kuan quietly closed the door and left, both of them sighing with relief. Ah Kuan patted his chest and said, “That was scary. The atmosphere was so intense, how does Sister Xitang not fear him?” Ni Kailun smirked, “Who is afraid of whom, it’s not decided yet!”

In the room, only Xitang and Zhao Pingjin were left.

Zhao Pingjin sat motionless beside her, his body stiff and upright. Xitang knew he was angry, so she reached out and hooked his finger with one of hers, gently leaning her body against him, and rubbed her face against his chest. Zhao Pingjin’s heart softened immediately. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her forehead. The floor lamp cast a soft, warm glow across the room, creating an atmosphere of warmth. With the person you love, words were unnecessary.

After using all kinds of tactics to persuade and comfort him, Xitang finally convinced Zhao Pingjin to agree that she could continue filming the remaining scenes. However, with Ni Kailun, they set strict rules: no more night shoots, filming time couldn’t exceed 8 hours, and no dangerous stunts allowed. He also called for an aunt from home to help. Ah Kuan, a young girl with no experience and no cooking skills, couldn’t handle the task, so the aunt came to mainly cook soups and nourishing dishes for Xitang.

Whenever Zhao Pingjin had free time, he would visit her. In mid-May, the crew returned to Hengdian, and Aunt Sun followed them. After Xitang finished filming, her main tasks were resting and eating. Aunt Sun was excellent at making soups, like pigeon soup, chicken soup, bone broth, fish soup, and various other dishes. She spared no effort to make sure she did her best to justify Zhao Pingjin’s high salary.

Unfortunately, Xitang started to experience severe morning sickness. Everything she ate made her nauseous, and everything she smelled seemed awful. All she wanted to do was sleep and wished she could sleep until the baby was born. Eventually, all the food and soup went to Ah Kuan. A month later, when Ni Kailun saw Ah Kuan, she remarked, “Ah Kuan, why have you gotten bigger?” Ah Kuan quickly ran out, covering her face.

By the end of June, Xitang had finished all her scenes and returned to Beijing, beginning a peaceful period of taking care of her pregnancy.

In November, Beijing was cold and bleak. The night before, Zhao Pingjin had worked late and didn’t wake up until 11 am. When he opened the bedroom door, he saw Xitang sitting on the sofa, reading a script. The air purifier was quietly working. Xitang was wearing a white knitted long dress, her long curls cascading down. Due to pregnancy, she was fuller than before, with a round belly, soft and beautiful facial features. The sunlight outside the window streamed in, creating a golden halo around her. The woman he loved looked stunning, breathtakingly beautiful. Xitang looked up and smiled sweetly at him, “You’re up.”

Zhao Pingjin, with messy hair and wearing a plaid cotton pajama, looked lazy and casual. Xitang said, “I made some porridge, you can eat now.” In the quiet dining room, there were two bowls of white porridge and a few small dishes. The only sound was the occasional clink of spoons against the sides of the bowls.

The simplest white porridge, yet to Zhao Pingjin, it tasted like the finest, most comforting delicacy in the world.

After putting down his bowl, Zhao Pingjin said to Xitang, “After lunch, let’s go for a walk.” Xitang softly agreed. In the late autumn of Beijing, the two walked along a tree-lined path covered with fallen leaves. Zhao Pingjin put her hand into his pocket, and they walked on through the cold, clear autumn air. Though the autumn air was chilly and harsh, it felt warm in their shared embrace.

Their fingers were tightly intertwined. No matter how cold, their warmth was enough to keep them comfortable. Together, they would walk hand in hand, side by side, for the rest of their lives.

By mid-January, Xitang finally reached the moment of labor. After a few prenatal checkups, the doctor said the baby was large and that natural birth could be difficult. Zhao Pingjin suggested a C-section, but Xitang believed that natural birth would be better for the baby and decided to try it. When the contractions began, the pain made her face turn pale, and her body trembled. Zhao Pingjin held her hand, his own hands ice-cold. On the surface, he appeared calm, but only he knew how anxious he was inside. Seeing her in so much pain, he realized there was nothing he could do to help. The pain of giving birth was something only Xitang could endure.

After five hours of labor, the cervix still hadn’t opened. The doctor in charge of monitoring the baby’s heart rate said the baby’s heart rate was low.

Xitang was urgently moved into the operating room. On the way there, Xitang’s tears streamed down, and Zhao Pingjin squeezed her hand and reassured her, “Don’t be afraid. You and the baby will be fine. I’m here. I will always be here.” Once Xitang entered the operating room, Zhao Pingjin slumped against the wall, exhausted. He tried to raise his hand but found it shaking, devoid of any strength.

On a cold winter’s day in January, Xitang gave birth to a daughter, weighing 8 pounds 9 ounces. It was a rare good day for the weather. The tall and handsome man held the newborn wrapped in a pink blanket, both of them bathed in soft sunlight. The man gently kissed the baby’s forehead. The soft, pink-white child filled Zhao Pingjin’s heart, completing it, leaving no regrets in this lifetime. After a long pause, he lifted his head and gently touched the baby’s tender face, softly whispering, “Little chubby girl.”

A gentle smile spread across his face.

Now two years old, Zhao Zhuzhu (the baby girl) didn’t inherit her famous mother’s restraint or her father’s picky eating habits. From a young age, she showed an unmatched enthusiasm and desire for food. Her figure was also in line with her nickname, Zhuzhu, which means “little pig.” Zhuzhu is her affectionate nickname, a treasure to her father. With snow-white skin, big eyes, a high nose, a small mouth, and shallow dimples, she had a plump little face, with chubby hands and feet like lotus stems. When she ran, she looked like a little tank, but fortunately, with her big eyes and high nose, she remained adorable even with all her chubbiness.

In the past few days, the kindergarten was organizing a parent-child event, where every child had to prepare a performance with their parents. Zhu Zhu’s chosen program was a fairy tale play about a little white rabbit and a big bad wolf. Since Xitang was busy filming, this important task fell on Zhao Zhuzhou. He and his daughter practiced at home for a week. Zhu Zhu was definitely going to be the little white rabbit, so he, of course, had to play the big bad wolf.

On the day of the performance, Shen Min came to help him record a video. When it was time for the father-daughter duo to take the stage, Shen Min’s hands were shaking as she held the camera. Zhu Zhu’s little rabbit costume seemed to be a bit small, as her round belly poked out when she raised her arms. With long white ears and a little tail on her bottom, Shen Min truly thought she looked just like a little white rabbit. When it was time for the big bad wolf to appear, Shen Min had to use all her strength to control herself. Here was Zhao Dong, a distinguished director at Zhongyuan Group, dressed as a big bad wolf. As part of the performance, he crouched, ran, and even had to pretend to be scared and run away when the rabbit hit him with an inflatable wolf tooth club. It wasn’t easy! Shen Min sent the video to Xitang, who, along with A Kuan, laughed so hard they almost fell over.

Zhu Zhu’s parent-child performance program won second prize, and the prize was a toy bear. On the way home in the car, Zhu Zhu happily played with the bear and suddenly remembered something. She turned to Zhao Pingjin and said, “Daddy, hug me.” Zhao Pingjin unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled her onto his lap. Zhu Zhu stretched out her chubby little hand and gently touched his forehead, asking, “Daddy, did I hurt you today? Let me blow on it for you.” She then pouted and softly blew on his forehead.

Zhao Pingjin held his daughter and smiled warmly. Having a daughter is truly wonderful. He thought to himself that the son at the Gao family would never do such a sweet thing. With pride and contentment, he sat back in his seat. The car quietly moved forward as the little girl fell asleep in her father’s arms, her plump little lips pouting and blowing a bubble. Zhao Pingjin wrapped her up in his coat and gently patted her back. The car was quiet and warm.

On Sunday, the nanny took Zhu Zhu for a children’s health check-up. Since Xitang had twisted her ankle and Zhao Pingjin was on a business trip in the US, the nanny had to take her. After the health check-up, Zhu Zhu asked to go to the mall to play and buy a Barbie doll. When they were on the first floor of the mall, a short man ran ahead of the nanny, smiling and saying, “Oh, this little girl is so beautiful! I’m a staff member from Superstar Entertainment. Your child has great features and temperament. Would you be interested in having her audition for a child role? We’re looking for a child actress for a new show.”

The nanny quickly refused, “No need, no need. Our child isn’t interested in this.” As she spoke, she tried to pull Zhu Zhu away, but the short man persisted. “Oh, come on, this is such a great opportunity! Do you know who Huang Xitang is? She’s a top actress, and she’s looking for a child to play her daughter in a new show. Your child is perfect for the role. She even looks like Huang Xitang!”

The nanny was taken aback, but she didn’t respond, pulling Zhu Zhu toward the mall exit. The short man wasn’t ready to give up and followed them, talking non-stop. He even pulled out a camera and snapped a photo of Zhu Zhu. At that moment, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed the camera, deleting the photo in a few quick moves. The short man finally realized what was happening and shouted, “What are you doing? Why did you delete my photo?”

A tall man in a dark coat with a camel-colored wool scarf stood there, his expression stern and eyes sharp, making the short man tremble. Zhao Pingjin lifted his daughter and asked, “Why? I’m her father. Why don’t you ask me?” As he spoke, he walked toward the car.

The short man, with a last bit of courage, ran up and said, “Think about it! This is a rare opportunity for Huang Xitang’s new show! Don’t miss it!” Zhao Pingjin opened the car door and sat with Zhu Zhu inside. The car quickly drove away, leaving the man muttering to himself about how this was such a great opportunity.

That night, after Zhao Pingjin took a shower, he dried his hair and spoke to Xitang. “Your daughter was noticed by a talent scout.”

Xitang, who was reading a script, looked up and asked, “What do you mean?” Zhao Pingjin replied, “He said they were looking for someone to play your daughter in the show.” Xitang smiled and said, “Really? They’re actually looking for an actress to play my daughter.” She smiled brightly, and Zhao Pingjin felt a flutter in his heart. He sat on the bed and muttered, “You two are both troublemakers.”

Xitang, wearing a silk nightdress, had skin as white as jade. Zhao Pingjin was captivated, unable to focus on anything else. He pulled the script away from her, but she resisted, saying, “I’m at a crucial point!” Zhao Pingjin took her hand and placed it on him. “I’m at a crucial point too,” he said.

Xitang blushed and said, “Pervert.” Zhao Pingjin turned off the light. In the dark, the atmosphere became more intense. The only sound was their soft conversation. “Don’t mess with me, I just bought a limited edition.”

“Don’t touch there, it’s not allowed. Don’t call me Zhao Pingjin, call me Zhuzhou. Come on, call me Zhuzhou,” he said, then kissed her ear. Xitang shivered, whispering, “Zhuzhou...” Her body relaxed, and the room was filled with warmth and soft breaths. Everything was just beginning.