Chuqing raises her fist to knock on the door. She does so softly.
It has been a while since she saw her nephew and wife. Niece in law. They have sort of been in seclusion for a long while. To be honest she missed them. Without her husband or son she's lonely.
The room she's working in is very silent.
Wanning should be twenty six or twenty seven weeks along his pregnancy. Soon he'll be in the third trimester. With that being the case they have much to discuss. More check up. And how is the birth going to go?
She steps back as the door is slid open. Mo Ran standing there with a basket of clothes. Spotting her he smiles. "Auntie."
"Ran-er. Can I come in?" She asks politely.
"Yeah." Mo Ran says, sounding exasperated.
"How are you and Yuheng?" She asks walking in. Mo Ran closing the door behind her.
"We are good." Mo Ran says as she takes her coat off. She sets it down on a hook by the front door. "Wanning has been eating more and sleeping. He's..." Mo Ran pauses trying to find a good way to explain it. He's not sure how to explain this to his aunt of all people. A sob interrupts them. Chuqing raises an eyebrow in question. Mo Ran just gives her a grin. "I'll go makes some tea." Mo Ran says, leaving without another word.
Curious Chuqing follows the sobbing. Finding Wanning at his work desk tinkering away as he sob. Mo Ran action is making sense. She is sure the man is a bit tired from an emotional Wanning. She can't really imagine.
"What are you doing Yuheng?" She asks as she sits down next to Wanning.
Wanning sniffles before answering, "m-making a prototype."
"Oh, sounds fun... why are you crying?" She asks slowly. Wanning looks at Chuqing with watery eyes, tear tracks down his checks and the corner of his eyes red.
"I've gotten... fat." Wanning sobs. Then drops what's in his hands to cover his face, fully crying now.
"I'm sorry?" Chuqing wonders taking a look at Wanning body. He doesn't seem over weight. Though he is hunching over the table.
"Wanning you are not fat." Mo Ran says, as if he's had to say it more than once. He sits with his aunt giving her some tea.
"But... look." She says sitting back, un-hunching himself from the table, to show off his very obvious baby bump. No longer just a bump. It's very round and large. It looks more like Wanning is further along his pregnancy than they thought. But Chuqing doesn't make mistakes. She scoots closer.
"Can I?" Chuqing sets her tea to the side. She holds her hands out. Wanning nods. She reaches over to Yuheng wrist taking a look. Then setting a hand on his belly.
"Oh. I see." She smiles at Wanning, whose tears have stopped. "Yuheng you are growing a lot faster than normal. It happens. Women grow at different paces. Some women grow a large belly early, like you, while some don't even grow a belly at all. Enough to not even know they were pregnant." She explains.
"You look beautiful either way." Mo Ran says scooting towards the other. Wrapping an arm around Wanning.
"You don't... hate me?" Wanning mutters, they both hear it. Chuqing let's out a chuckle. Mo Ran shakes his head.
"Never again." He says laying a kiss on Wanning forehead, hand coming down to lay atop the round belly. He can feel the warmth of life under the layer of cloth and skin.
"This is happening a lot faster than we thought. Do you need larger clothes?" Chuqing wonders.
Wanning nods.
"Then let's go." Chuqing raises to her feet.
"What should we do with the old clothes? The ones that don't fit?" Mo Ran wonders standing with his aunt. Following her to the door.
"I'd keep them. Put them in storage. If there is no space I can take them. I'm sure one day a women will need them."
"Then I'll put them in storage." Mo Ran says.
"Ack-hem!" Wanning clears his throat loudly. Both pause at the door, turning to find Wanning still on the floor. On his hands and knees. "I need help." He points out, face red, voice breathless as if he had attempted to yet up himself.
"Oh! Of course!" Chuqing says rushing to his head.
"Sorry baobei!" Mo Ran rushes alongside his aunt.
Once Wanning is up on his feet Mo Ran bundles him up. Then gets his own coat on, along with madam Wang. When all three are warm they walk back to her place. Wanning is still a secret.
Once at the room Mo Ran helps Wanning with his coat. Taking it to put it away along with his own. Then he helps his lover down to his seat at the table. Chuqing watching with a grin on her face. She never gets tired of watching the couple. The way they act, show their love, or even make each other laugh. It brings memories back from her own past. Young love. It makes her heart ache for her own husband. Once seated Mo Ran and Chuqing leave to get the clothes. Apparently there is a lot.
Wanning sits, feeling both embarrassed by his uncontrollable emotions but also validated. He had been told by two people with experience that he wouldn't be large (therefore easy to notice) until a few more weeks. One day he felt normal, and small then POP! His stomach got unbelievably large. Wanning worried he did something wrong. What if he was eating too much? He knows Mo Ran has been finding him snacking in the kitchen most nights. Sometimes he doesn't realize what he's doing until the morning. Seeing him like that must be unattractive to Mo Ran.
Chuqing explaining he did nothing wrong and Mo Ran assuring he's still finds him attractive did make him feel better. Way better than he has these couple days. Wanning rubs his stomach, feeling rather proud he hasn't summoned Tianwen or gotten uncontrollably angry at his husband. So far it's been tears of happiness, sadness, tiredness and overwhelmed. Crying seems to be the answer for everything now.
It is a bit exciting to see his stomach so large now. There are even moments where he feels the baby move a bit. Life is growing inside him. He burst out into tears at that. It took Mo Ran almost an hour for him to calm the crying pregnant man enough to get answer. His face flushes at the memory, though he smiles at the end. Mo Ran look as if would burst into tears himself, smile so wide it almost seem like his face is permanently like that. They held each other for a long time after that. There was also deep kisses.
The days have been almost perfect, if he doesn't count his wacky hormones.
"Mom!"
Wanning flinches, snapping his eyes open, turning his head to the slamed open door. Eyes meeting with large almond eyes, honey meeting a dark blueish brown. Xue Meng. His smile growing at the sight of his teacher. Wanning can only stare wide eyed. He's back?
He's back!
"Shizun-" the word dies in his throat as his eyes lower to where Wanning was happily stroking his belly. "Wha-?" the question dying in his throat as he steps back. Wanning moves, having to slip his hand underneath his belly to help. The action pointing out how large he has become. It also doesn't help now obvious it is that the large stomach is not regular weight gain.
The action seems to scare him, Xue Meng runs. Where to? Wanning has no clue.
Footsteps has Wanning turn to the other person at the door, stepping forward closer to the door frame. Having stepped back at Xue Meng movement. Slowly Wanning looks up, catching a familiar fan in their hand. Wanning bites his lips as he continues upwards. Not stopping until he connect eyes with his friend. Who is just staring down at him. Trying to decipher what he's feeling is hard from just his eyes. He's not giving anything away.
Not able to handle it any longer Wanning looks away. "Yuheng." Zhengyong calls his name.
He's not ready.