Extra Story VIII (Big Treasure and Little Treasure...)

The plan to go to Yunshu Village for their honeymoon had to be temporarily put on hold because of the arrival of their little life. Wen Di planned to go with Yan Heyu next year instead.

Yan Heyu was immersed in the joy of becoming a father all night. Before, he could only fantasize about having a daughter, but now his feelings for his “little Ningmeng” had become much more concrete.

He suddenly understood his father-in-law’s feelings.

“Husband, is the fish soup ready?” Wen Di asked, urging him.

It wasn’t easy to get a meal cooked by Yan Heyu. She had waited from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and still hadn’t had any fish soup.

Yan Heyu was in the kitchen and walked to the doorway to reply to her, “Ten more minutes.”

Wen Di saw the wine glass in his hand and pretended to scold him. “You’re drinking behind my back.”

Yan Heyu smiled faintly. “I only had half a glass.” He promised he wouldn’t drink again until she was able to.

Wen Di put down her book and went to pick a fight with him.

She grabbed his collar, smugly. “I have a protective charm now.”

Yan Heyu extended his long arm, placed the wine glass on the kitchen island, and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You can pick a fight with me anytime, even without a protective charm.”

He leaned close to her lips. “Smell the wine on my breath. It’s the closest you’ll get.”

Wen Di laughed and pushed his face away.

Yan Heyu pinned her hands behind her back and leaned down to kiss her.

He didn’t dare to kiss her deeply for as long as he used to, for fear of her running out of breath.

When the fish soup was ready, Yan Heyu served her a bowl.

Wen Di wanted to drink the fish soup, but when she brought a spoonful to her mouth, her stomach churned, and she felt a wave of nausea.

She dropped her spoon, turned her head away, and took a moment to compose herself.

Yan Heyu took the fish soup away and gently rubbed her back. “It looks like little Ningmeng doesn’t like fish soup. I’ll make you a different kind of soup next time.”

Wen Di teased him, “Maybe little Ningmeng likes it, but your son doesn’t.”

“...Wen Di,” Yan Heyu said helplessly. “Can’t you just say something happy? Of course, a boy would be great too.”

He was just too envious of Jiang Chengyu. Every time he saw Jiang Chengyu and little Ningmeng interacting, he wished he could have a daughter who was just as cute and lively.

In the end, Yan Heyu drank the fish soup himself. He warmed a glass of milk for Wen Di instead.

That night, neither Wen Di nor Yan Heyu slept well.

“Let’s sleep,” Yan Heyu said in the dark. The person in his arms was constantly tossing and turning, and he knew she was just as excited as he was.

Wen Di argued, “You’re not sleeping either.”

She turned to face him and nibbled on his chin.

Yan Heyu pressed her face against his chest. “Stop acting up.”

She had no sense of propriety and wanted to fool around, but he couldn’t lose his sense of propriety. Yan Heyu gently massaged her temples. “Close your eyes and don’t think about anything. You’ll fall asleep soon.”

Wen Di didn’t know what time she fell asleep. She woke up at 8 a.m. the next morning.

She didn’t feel any discomfort or adverse reactions. She wrote her screenplay as usual and even took the time to plan her work schedule for her pregnancy and the birth.

She could finish her cousin’s love story before the end of the year. In her late pregnancy, she wouldn’t be able to sit for long periods, so she planned to use that time to organize her materials and brainstorm her next screenplay. By the time the baby was about six months old, she could start writing.

In early next year, the TV show How Should I Love You would start filming, and she would also need to polish the script.

The next year would be busy and fulfilling.

After saving her work plan, Wen Di’s phone vibrated. It was her mother.

“Di Di, I’ll be at your villa in a little bit.”

Wen Di jumped out of her chair excitedly. “Mom, why are you coming?” She walked down the stairs quickly while on the phone.

Zhao Yueling: “Just wanted to come see you.”

Wen Changyun and Wen Qizhen also came. After hearing that Wen Di was having a baby, they hadn’t slept well and took an afternoon flight to see her.

Wen Qizhen specifically bought a bouquet of fresh flowers for her niece.

They had been to the new villa once when Wen Di moved. Yan Heyu had been thoughtful and given them a key card for the complex, so their car was able to drive right in.

The car stopped, and the driver and Wen Changyun took three suitcases from the trunk.

They had brought a lot of stuff, so they had taken a business van.

Wen Di hadn’t expected her father and Auntie Er to be there too. She hugged each of them, her joy indescribable.

Wen Qizhen pinched her niece’s cheek. “My precious has a precious now.” She handed the bouquet to her niece. “Auntie will take care of all the fresh flowers throughout your pregnancy.”

“Then I’ll thank Fairy Wen on behalf of little Ningmeng.”

“I like that name. But please don’t call me Great-Aunt.” Wen Qizhen laughed herself.

The few of them walked into the house, laughing. Wen Di held onto her mother’s arm. “You’re all so busy. A phone call would have been enough.”

Zhao Yueling said, “We’re not busy. I’ll feel at ease once I’ve seen you.”

Wen Di looked at the suitcases her father and Auntie Er were pushing and turned to her mother. “Mom, I’m not lacking anything.”

Zhao Yueling: “You can’t be sure about that. Your Auntie Er and I went shopping this morning. All of this is specifically for pregnant women.”

Wen Di didn’t have any of these things yet. However, Yan Heyu had told her last night not to worry about anything, as he would take care of all the preparations.

Wen Di sent Yan Heyu a message: [My parents and Auntie Er came to see me today. They’ve already prepared most of the stuff for my pregnancy, so you don’t need to buy anything else.]

Yan Heyu was in a meeting and sent her a short reply: [To each their own.]

He didn’t know anything about these things, so he had left it all to his mother.

Ye Minqiong was at the mall right now. She had made a shopping list at noon and was waiting for her daughter to get off work so they could go shopping together.

It was the first time Yan Heyan had ever been to a maternity and baby flagship store. She was curious about everything, and everything looked beautiful. She wanted to buy it all.

After shopping for two or three hours, they had picked out a lot of things for Wen Di. Yan Heyan still wanted to buy some things for her niece. Looking at the beautiful little clothes and dresses, she couldn’t bear to leave.

“Mom, let’s just buy everything. I’ll pay.”

Ye Minqiong: “There’s no rush for the baby’s stuff. We’ll come back and buy more after the children’s room is all set up.”

Yan Heyan left reluctantly. She and her mother carried all the shopping bags to the car.

Yan Heyu came to meet his mother and sister after finishing his social engagement.

Yan Heyan teased him, “Well, hello there, my niece’s daddy.”

Yan Heyu: “Don’t be a smart aleck.”

But he still thought his sister’s nickname for him sounded nice.

Yan Heyu took the things from his mother and put them in the car. Ye Minqiong said, “We’ve bought some of the stuff. After Wen Di finishes her script, Heyan and I will go shopping with her. Our tastes are definitely different from hers.”

“Alright,” Yan Heyu said. “I can go shopping with her too when I have time.”

Ye Minqiong looked at her son, and she couldn’t help but remember the year she went to Jiangcheng to spend Chinese New Year with him. The sadness he felt back then was still fresh in her memory. Now, everything had finally worked out.

Although she had already congratulated her son on the phone last night, she still wanted to say it to his face again today. She smiled faintly and said, “Congratulations on becoming a father. No matter if it’s a boy or a girl, it’s fate. If it’s a girl, teach her how to love herself. If it’s a boy, teach him how to love others.”

Yan Heyu nodded forcefully and gave his mother a gentle hug. “I will. Thank you, Mom.”

Ye Minqiong slightly raised her chin towards the car door. “Go on home now.”

Yan Heyu said goodbye to his mother and sister, got in the car, and left.

The streets were bustling with people. He looked out the window. There was a father carrying his daughter on the sidewalk, and he couldn’t help but give it a second glance.

He had been thinking about little Ningmeng all day.

________________________________________

The day before Chinese New Year’s Eve, Yan Heyu accompanied Wen Di to the hospital for a checkup, where it was confirmed that Wen Di was pregnant with identical twins.

That night, Yan Heyu went to Jiang Chengyu’s house.

His house and Jiang Chengyu’s were less than two hundred meters apart, just a few minutes’ walk away.

Jiang Chengyu had also just started his vacation today and didn’t have any dinner plans. He was playing with little Ningmeng. When he saw the unexpected guest, he was puzzled. “Why aren’t you at home with Wen Di? What are you doing here?”

Yan Heyu poured himself a glass of water, keeping him in suspense. “Because you’re the only one who can understand how I feel. Where else would I go if not here?”

Jiang Chengyu frowned. “What do you mean?”

Yan Heyu said, “I’m going to have two children too.”

This was such happy news that Jiang Chengyu didn’t tease him anymore. He congratulated him first and then asked, “Are they twins, too, a boy and a girl?”

“They’re identical. They should be two girls.”

Jiang Chengyu nodded, speaking the truth: “It could also be two boys.”

Yan Heyu: “...”

Little Ningmeng was clinging to Jiang Chengyu’s chest, holding a few washable markers and drawing directly on the shoulder of his white shirt.

This white shirt was specifically for her to draw on. The first thing Jiang Chengyu did when he got home every day was to change out of his work shirt and into this one.

He looked down and kissed his daughter. “Being mischievous again?”

Little Ningmeng giggled and rolled her eyes at her dad. She didn’t roll them well, so she used her small hand to help roll them up, and then burst into laughter.

After entertaining herself for a while, she continued to draw on Jiang Chengyu.

This heartwarming scene, combined with Jiang Chengyu’s recent remark about it “could also be two boys,” deeply irritated Yan Heyu.

There was no need for more than a few words with Jiang Chengyu if they couldn’t see eye to eye. He sat for less than five minutes before leaving.

When he got home, Wen Di was reading a book.

Wen Wen was quietly lying by her leg.

Wen Di looked up. “Why are you back so soon? Did you finish your discussion?”

“Yeah, it only took a few words.”

Yan Heyu had told Wen Di before he left that he was going to talk to Jiang Chengyu about company matters, so he didn’t tell her he was going to show off.

Taking off his coat, Yan Heyu sat down next to Wen Di and took the book from her hands.

Wen Di’s belly was beginning to show, so she couldn’t sit on his lap as she used to. She leaned closer to him instead.

She looked at him. “Are you so happy that you don’t know what to say?”

Yan Heyu held her hand. “I can’t believe it.”

From the time Wen Di got pregnant until now, he was often in a daze, afraid that it was all just a dream.

He leaned down and touched her lips. “Thank you.”

Wen Di rubbed his chin. Even though he had shaved, it still felt prickly. She kissed him again. The two of them looked at each other in silence for a while.

Almost at the same time, he leaned down to kiss her, and she lifted her head to kiss him.

Yan Heyu gently caressed her belly, not daring to kiss her for too long.

“I heard from Qin Xing that they’ve submitted your name for the Best Screenwriter award at this year’s TV Festival.”

“Yeah, I should be nominated.”

“To me, you’ve always been the best screenwriter.”

“That’s undeserved praise, President Yan.”

Yan Heyu laughed. “Don’t call me that.”

The submission deadline was yesterday, and Behind Desire had a lot of buzz. It was a strong contender for various awards.

“Let’s not talk about that for now,” Wen Di said. “We only have one name for the baby. We need to come up with another one.”

Yan Heyu: “We already came up with four nicknames before. We can use another one, ‘Little Pomegranate.’“

Wen Di wanted to say, “What if they’re both boys?”

She held her tongue, not wanting to pour cold water on him.

But she didn’t have to. Yan Heyan was there to pour a bucket of ice water on his head.

It was Chinese New Year’s Eve the next day. This year, she and Yan Heyu were spending the holiday at the Yan family home. They would go to Jiangcheng next year.

The entire Yan family was discussing what to name the babies. “You’ve come at the right time. We’ve been thinking for a long time but haven’t come up with any good nicknames.”

Yan Heyu said, “I’ve already picked them out.”

“Just ‘Little Ningmeng’ isn’t enough.”

“There’s also ‘Little Pomegranate.’“

Yan Heyan said, “What if they’re twin boys? You can’t call them Ningmeng and Pomegranate, can you? I have a feeling they’re boys, I really do. The other day, I dreamed I had two little nieces who were chasing and calling out ‘Auntie,’ and then I woke up. Don’t they say dreams are the opposite of reality?”

Yan Heyu: “...Heyan, if you have nothing nice to say, say less.”

Wen Di gently nudged his arm. “Hey, if they really are boys, aren’t you going to name them?”

Yan Heyu looked at her for a few seconds. “Then we’ll call them ‘Big Treasure’ and ‘Little Treasure.’ It’s easy to remember and catchy. A lot of people in the group chat with two sons call them that.”

“...”

Yan Heyu now understood why the people in the group chat just called their kids Big Treasure and Little Treasure. They just didn’t want to come up with names. They would just call them by their formal names when they grew up.

At midnight on Chinese New Year’s Eve, Wen Di asked Yan Heyu, “Husband, what’s your New Year’s wish?”

Yan Heyu: “I have many.”

He wished his family good health and safety and that she would love him forever.

He wished their two babies good health and happiness.

This year marked their ninth year together.

Life couldn’t be perfect, but being almost perfect was good enough.

Yan Heyu didn’t get his “little Ningmengs.” The names Big Treasure and Little Treasure were used instead.

On June 6th, the weather was hot. The two babies were born almost three weeks before their due date.

Yan Heyan excitedly said, “They must be academic geniuses. They came just before the college entrance exam, so they wouldn’t miss it.”

The whole family laughed.

Yan Heyu stayed by Wen Di’s bedside, picked up her hand without the IV, and gently bit it on his lips.

Wen Di was already awake. “I’m fine.”

But he had been scared. During the several hours she was in the operating room, he had never been so afraid. He was worried that something might happen to her. He hadn’t had a chance to love her enough, and many of the things he had promised her had yet to be fulfilled.

He was anxious and powerless.

When the nurse came out and told them that mother and babies were safe, the torment in his heart found an outlet. He no longer cared if they were boys or girls. As long as she was safe, everything was fine.

He would love both boys and girls; they were the babies she had risked her life to give birth to.