After He Changning fully accepted his pregnancy, Shang Yushang was finally at ease. He poured more time into caring for his wife and their two sons.
Every morning, Shang Yushang would get out of bed first, then stand by to help his wife up, careful and attentive. Only once He Changning was steady on his feet would he gently guide him to the bathroom. He’d prepare everything—water, toothpaste, towels—almost brushing his wife’s teeth himself. After they finished washing up, he’d kindly ask if his wife needed to pee. If the answer was yes, he’d personally pull down his pants, supporting his waist with one hand and aiming with the other, expression calm and natural. To ease his wife’s embarrassment, he’d even turn his face away, and once it was done, he’d give it a little shake—just shy of wiping with a wet wipe. This left He Changning both mortified and helpless. Despite arguing over it every day, he couldn’t win. Shang Yushang always had a thousand reasons he couldn’t refute, so even after hundreds of daily squabbles, he still let him continue this outrageous routine.
Then he’d dress him in a soft cotton T-shirt and loose sweatpants before slowly helping him downstairs for breakfast.
Breakfast was so extravagant it made He Changning dizzy. The huge table was covered in every kind of food imaginable—Chinese, Western, you name it. It looked more like a feast for twenty than breakfast for two. Furious, He Changning scolded Shang Yushang for being wasteful. Even pigs weren’t fed this well.
But Young Master Shang was dead serious. “Pregnant people eat for two. You’re three people—you count for six. Besides, I need to eat well too, to take care of all three of you. We need balanced, nutritious meals so the babies can grow up healthy. And if my sons want to eat something, they’ll eat it however they like. As their mom, you should respect their cravings. So eat more—keep eating.”
The word “three of you” made He Changning shudder. Looking at the mountain of food, he wailed—at this rate, once the babies were born, he’d be too fat to even move.
After breakfast, milk, juice, and snacks were placed within easy reach. Thick cushions padded the lounge chair on the balcony. Shang Yushang tucked a book He Changning liked into his hands and covered him with a thin blanket before sitting beside him to handle the documents sent from Da Zhou.
He Changning couldn’t stand it anymore. This guy never even went to the office. Everything was left to Da Zhou and the executive directors while he played the absent boss without a care in the world. “Jianzhi, go to work. The company needs you. I still have eight months to go. You can’t stay home every day just to babysit me. I’m fine—there are so many people at home: Aunt Qin, Xiao Wu, Xiao Liu, Xiao Qi, Twelve, Thirteen. What are you so worried about? I don’t go out. Nothing’s going to happen to me. Go to work.”
Shang Yushang looked at his wife, conflicted. “But I don’t feel at ease if I’m not with you.”
He Changning laughed. “Don’t be so nervous. Other pregnant wives don’t get babysat 24/7. And I’m a man—my body can handle more than those women. The house is full of people. Nothing’s going to happen. The company still needs someone to oversee things. I’m counting on you to earn formula money for our sons. Be good. Go to work. Come home for lunch.”
After much persuasion, He Changning finally got Shang Yushang out the door. But before leaving, the CEO went through a full list of dos and don’ts—rest more, eat more, avoid lifting things—He Changning nodded to everything just to get him out the door. Shang Yushang walked out reluctantly, turning back with every step.
Exhaling deeply, He Changning muttered that a lovesick Shang Yushang was exhausting. Aunt Qin laughed. “Young Master treats you so well, scared you’ll suffer even the slightest bit, and you still argue with him.”
He Changning rubbed his temple. “I know he cares, but I’m a man, not a child who needs round-the-clock care. He can’t just leave a company with tens of thousands of people for me. A man should have responsibilities, not just hover around his lover all day.”
Back in the bedroom, he put on the radiation-blocking clothes Shang Yushang prepared, turned on his computer, logged into QQ, and contacted Ya Xiaoli. He explained that there wouldn’t be any new updates for a while. His novel “My World 2” would be paused for now, and once everything was settled, he’d finish it and keep his promise to give her the first rights—just with a delayed timeline. After all of Ya Xiaoli’s playful begging and dramatic flailing failed to change his mind, she finally gave up and agreed.
After logging off and shutting down the computer, He Changning climbed into bed for a nap.
The moment Shang Yushang stepped into the company, he regretted it. He shouldn’t have let his wife talk him into coming. But a promise was a promise, so he dragged himself to his office, frowning in displeasure—nothing felt as good as being by Changning’s side.
Forcing down his reluctance, he called home to confirm He Changning was resting before focusing on work.
Da Zhou waited patiently for his boss to finish sulking before giving his report. “Lin Changqing’s appeal was denied—the original verdict stands. The court has already sent people to inventory his assets, and we’ve got people involved too. Word is the Lin family patriarch has disowned his branch. Lin Changqing’s wife took their son and her private savings and left the country. She signed the divorce papers before she left. As for Yin Hao, since the evidence of framing and the resulting damages was solid, the court sentenced him to seven years. I arranged it so he’ll serve time in the same prison as Brother Dao. I hear Dao’s pretty ‘popular’ there, so Yin Hao’s enjoying some of that ‘popularity’ too.” Da Zhou scratched his nose. Young Master had gotten darker lately—if not for Young Master Ning keeping him grounded, he might have stayed single forever.
Then Da Zhou reported some updates about the former Yinshi Group. During the young master’s absence, everyone in the company had been swamped. They worked overtime for three straight weeks just to get a rough handle on the business of Shangshi’s new subsidiaries. Employees were jokingly complaining that if they didn’t go home soon, their wives would file for divorce and their husbands would move their mistresses in. Given how exhausted everyone was and that their efficiency hadn’t been too bad, President Shang generously issued rewards: year-end bonuses were doubled and two extra days were added to their annual leave. Morale instantly revived, and everyone got back to work with full energy.
With Shangshi Group taking over Yinshi Group, the workload had surged dramatically. The entire company was in chaos. Internal restructuring of the subsidiaries was urgent; personnel had to be reassessed—keep the capable, kick out the freeloaders. Shangshi didn’t support dead weight.
Projects that had been halted due to the bankruptcy scandal were gradually getting back on track. City infrastructure work was proceeding in an orderly fashion, and thanks to Shangshi’s prestigious reputation, the city government had shifted its attitude drastically. Not only were restrictions lifted, but the remaining funds were also paid out in full to Shangshi’s accounts.
Having been away from the company for nearly a month, Shang Yushang returned to a desk piled half as tall as himself with files waiting for review. He buried himself in work.
Once he settled down, his efficiency was surprisingly high. By midday, he had cleared most of the paperwork. Just before lunch, he returned home on time—having lunch with his wife and child was the real priority.
After eating, he napped with his wife. An hour later, he woke up. Seeing his partner still peacefully asleep, Shang Yushang gently kissed his forehead, quietly got out of bed, and instructed Aunt Qin, Xiao Wu, Xiao Liu, No. 12, and No. 13 to look after He Changning carefully before heading back to work.
That day, after a nap, He Changning stretched comfortably, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and planned to go downstairs for some water. As soon as he got out of bed, he suddenly felt nauseous. He paused and rubbed his stomach, thinking it would pass. But the nausea didn’t subside—instead, it worsened, hitting hard. He rushed into the bathroom and threw up violently into the toilet.
Hearing the noise, Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu rushed in without hesitation, their voices full of concern. “Young Master Ning, are you okay? Xiao Liu, quick! Call the young master and Dr. Bai!”
Having just vomited his guts out, He Changning slumped beside the toilet, weakly waving his hand. “Don’t make a fuss. I’m fine. Just a bit of stomach discomfort. I’ll feel better after throwing up.”
The two quickly helped him up and brought him back to bed. Xiao Wu remained uneasy. “Young Master Ning, are you really okay? Should we still call the young master back?”
Feeling much better after vomiting, He Changning replied, “It’s nothing. Don’t bother him. He finally agreed to go to work. I just need to rest a bit.” After thinking it over, he added firmly, “Don’t you dare call him back, got it?”
“Yes, Young Master Ning,” they answered in unison.
He Changning lay down, thinking he’d feel better after some rest. But the discomfort in his stomach lingered. Maybe it was too empty from all the vomiting. He asked Xiao Wu to bring him a glass of milk. After drinking the warm milk, his stomach felt a bit better, and he drifted off to sleep.
Seeing that Young Master Ning really seemed okay, Xiao Wu felt reassured and didn’t call the young master.
But the relief didn’t last long. He Changning soon rushed back to the bathroom and vomited up all the milk he had just drunk—nearly retching up bile before it finally stopped. When he came out of the bathroom, his face was as pale as paper.
Xiao Wu didn’t dare delay any longer and immediately called the young master.
Shang Yushang rushed home the moment he got the call. He practically sprinted up the stairs and into the bedroom, where he saw a pale and weak He Changning lying in bed. His heart clenched in pain. He held his partner’s delicate fingers in his warm hand, his voice full of worry. “Changning, how are you feeling? Does it still hurt?”
Though the episode had been rough, He Changning didn’t feel too bad now. He gave a small smile. “I’m fine. Don’t worry. Just some stomach discomfort. I’ll be okay soon.”
Bai Mo rushed over after receiving the call. After carefully checking, she said, “It should be a pregnancy reaction.”
Shang Yushang was puzzled. Although there had been some nausea at the beginning of the pregnancy, there hadn’t been any vomiting. It was already two months in—there shouldn’t be any pregnancy symptoms now. “Hasn’t it already been two months? There weren’t any reactions in the beginning, so why would they start now?”
“Everyone’s body is different. Besides, Changning is male—having reactions at this stage might still be normal. As long as we’re careful, I’ll prescribe something to help with the vomiting. It’ll be fine.”
He wasn’t worried about how uncomfortable the vomiting was—he was only concerned about whether it would affect the baby. “Will the medicine be bad for the child?”
Bai Mo smiled at He Changning. Even though he had been strongly against the idea of being pregnant at first, since learning he was carrying a child, his attitude had improved a lot, and he was growing more attentive. “Technically, all medicine has some level of toxicity. If you can avoid it, it’s best not to take it. But if the vomiting is severe, you’ll have to take some, or it might harm both you and the baby.”
So He Changning went from a leisurely expectant father to a busy and miserable one. He would barely finish eating before rushing to the bathroom to vomit, throwing up until there was nothing left in his stomach. But for the sake of the babies getting enough nutrients, he forced himself to eat again—he tried to eat more whenever he could hold it down even for a minute longer.
They say a mother becomes strong for her child, but a father becomes even stronger. Even when his body was completely drained, he still forced down food through the nausea, thinking only of not letting his children go without. No matter how much he didn’t want to eat, he pushed past the urge to vomit and swallowed, trying to keep the food in long enough to nourish his babies.
Every day was a struggle. He Changning had clearly lost a lot of weight, but his belly was starting to show. Seeing the babies grow day by day made it all bearable, no matter how sick he felt.
Shang Yushang suffered alongside him. Sometimes, he even had the thought of terminating the pregnancy. But every time he saw Changning gently stroke his belly and talk to the babies, he knew just how much he was looking forward to their arrival. How could he bear to take that away? Still, seeing Changning waste away pained him deeply—he wished he could suffer in his place. Aside from taking care of him meticulously every day, he didn’t know what else he could do to make him feel better. He had lost a lot of weight himself.
He had talked it over with Bai Mo many times, but there was no effective solution. They could only endure it, hoping things would improve over time.
By the fifth month of pregnancy, Changning had become skin and bones, but his belly was unusually large. The babies had started moving and were very active—so much so that Changning would sometimes be woken from sleep by their kicking. At times like that, the two of them would sit together and chat with their sons. Changning most often talked about hoping they’d be born healthy and safe, and grow up to be strong and upright men.
As the new dad, Shang Yushang would often scold them for being ungrateful, saying their daddy was already going through so much for them, and yet they still kept tormenting him every day. He said that when they were born, the first thing he’d do was give them a good spanking on behalf of their daddy. And if they didn’t behave and show proper respect in the future, he’d send them off to the Shang family training base to be straightened out properly.
