Although Zhang Dai sincerely apologized in the morning and bought breakfast for Chen Shuangshuang, she remained skeptical.
His behavior from the previous night was still fresh in her mind! Living with a man who had been single for so long and her being such a beautiful woman, it was hard not to worry about his impulses, so she had to set some boundaries!
She racked her brain to come up with cohabitation rules and slapped an A4 paper in front of Zhang Dai: “Look at this, and sign it if you agree!”
- No nudity in front of each other.
- No physical contact without permission.
- Keep the house clean and tidy, with at least one cleaning session per week.
- Take turns cooking and washing dishes, with adjustments allowed for special circumstances.
……
After reading through the rules, Zhang Dai regretted his impulsive actions from the previous night, realizing they had made her wary of him. Sigh, the road to winning her over was long, and he decided to restrain himself for now.
Pointing to the rule about taking turns cooking, he reminded her, “You know my cooking skills, right?”
Recalling his disastrous culinary attempts, Chen Shuangshuang shuddered and proposed a solution: “Then let’s change it to me cooking, and you handle all the cleaning! Washing dishes, sweeping, mopping, etc. Not a single task can be skipped!”
“OK, no problem at all!” He looked over the rules again and suggested, “Add one more: lights out at 11 PM, no playing on the phone, no staying up late!”
This rule was clearly aimed at her! That petty guy! She indignantly retorted, “Who sleeps that early nowadays? I don’t get sleepy until after midnight. Lying in bed is a waste of time. I object! I object!”
Zhang Dai’s gaze shifted to her belly, gently reminding her, “You’re pregnant, remember?”
Chen Shuangshuang touched her belly, feeling defeated, and reluctantly agreed, “Fine, fine! Early sleep it is! We’ll monitor each other. Whoever plays on their phone is a dog!”
They discussed and modified some of the rules, finally reaching an agreement and signing their names at the bottom.
Taking advantage of the weekend, they decided to go to the nearby supermarket to buy some things.
As they walked through the aisles filled with a variety of goods, she scanned the items with a clear goal in mind, selecting the ones with the best value for money and putting them in the cart.
Suddenly, she stopped, sniffed the air, and excitedly ran towards the fruit section, immediately spotting the greenish-yellow, spiky durian.
Her eyes lit up as she looked at the strange-looking fruit in front of her. “Wow! Durians are available so early this year! It smells so good~”
Zhang Dai quickly took out his phone and searched: “Can pregnant women eat durians?”
The search results said: “Yes, but eat in moderation.”
Relieved, he suggested, “If you want to eat it, let’s buy one!”
Chen Shuangshuang looked at him disdainfully and pointed at the price tag, educating him: “Durians are very expensive when they first hit the market! In a few months, the price will drop by more than half. Buying one now is like exchanging one durian for the chance to buy two later, it’s not worth it! I’m not stupid; waiting a few months won’t hurt!”
“I’ll buy it for you!” He directly picked up a nicely shaped durian and put it in the cart.
Chen Shuangshuang took a deep breath, reluctantly put the durian back on the stall, and pushed him away.
“Let’s go, let’s go! I’ve smelled enough, it’s like I’ve eaten it! When it’s cheaper later, I’ll treat you!”
Seeing Zhang Dai look back at the durian with every step, not responding, she sternly warned, “Don’t buy it for me on your own!”
Zhang Dai admired her frugal mindset; she clearly wanted to eat the durian but wouldn’t let herself or anyone else buy it because it was too expensive.
At checkout, just as Chen Shuangshuang was about to open the payment code on her phone, Zhang Dai quickly presented his payment code to the cashier.
The sound of successful payment echoed, and she looked at him speechless, “Most of today’s purchases were my own personal items. Why are you paying? It’s not like I don’t have money. Who asked you to pay? Who wants to spend your money?”
She quickly operated her phone, transferring money to him via WeChat.
Zhang Dai, with a serious face, said nonsense: “What you eat nourishes my child, and the things you use also affect my child, so I should pay for it!”
She angrily ordered, “What kind of twisted logic is that! Take the money!”
Seeing him unmoved, she directly grabbed his phone, opened the transfer message, and confirmed the receipt.
Zhang Dai felt complicated at that moment. She was used to being independent and strong, always thinking that spending a man’s money was shameful. So every time, she made sure to settle accounts clearly, just like their relationship, drawing a clear line and not giving him any chance to take advantage.
In the bathroom, “Ugh, ugh, ugh~” Chen Shuangshuang held the toilet, vomiting continuously, feeling terrible.
Zhang Dai watched with a heartache but was helpless, only able to stand behind her silently, gently patting her back.
Finally, the nauseous feeling stopped. She waved her hand, and Zhang Dai immediately understood, handing her a cup of water.
She took a few sips, gargled, and then took the tissue he handed her to wipe her mouth.
After vomiting, she was weak all over. Zhang Dai helped her to the redwood sofa, and she said weakly, “I kind of regret getting pregnant! The pregnancy symptoms are too uncomfortable!”
Zhang Dai gently patted her back, soothingly saying, “It’s okay, I’ve heard it will get better after a while!”
Suddenly, Chen Shuangshuang remembered something and shot a sharp look at his restless hand, fiercely warning, “Where do you think you’re putting your hand?”
Zhang Dai immediately withdrew his hand, raising both hands to show his innocence, indicating he hadn’t done anything wrong or violated their cohabitation rules.
Sigh, she could change her mood faster than flipping a book! Just a moment ago, she was a weak and helpless little thing, and now she had transformed into a fierce and intimidating figure!
Chen Shuangshuang’s pregnancy symptoms were severe, and she couldn’t stand strong smells, which made her nauseous. As a result, Zhang Dai had to accompany her in eating bland foods for a month.
Unknowingly, summer had started, and the weather was getting hotter.
One day, after taking a shower, Chen Shuangshuang, wearing a small camisole and shorts, stood in front of the full-length mirror in the room, carefully examining her belly.
Zhang Dai was about to take a shower and knocked on the door, asking, “Can I come in to get my clothes?”
“Come in!” she instinctively replied, still standing in front of the mirror examining her belly.
As soon as Zhang Dai opened the door, he was greeted by a sight that made his blood rush. She was dressed lightly, her ample chest creating a deep cleavage, and her long, white legs were exposed without restraint. He stood there, stunned, unable to move.
With her hands on her hips, she seriously asked, “Hey, Zhang Daishan, do you think I’ve gained a lot of weight recently?”
He snapped out of it, quickly shifting his gaze to the floor, and replied, “No, your arms and legs are still slim. It’s just your belly that’s more prominent, which is normal during pregnancy!”
She sighed in relief, “That’s good! I just weighed myself and gained more weight, but luckily it doesn’t look obvious!”
He quickly grabbed his clothes from the wardrobe and left the room, internally grumbling: “We agreed not to be naked! Who broke the rule first? Chen Shuangshuang is such a hypocrite!”
Diary entry
Chen Shuangshuang, I want to be closer to you, to become your support. Can you please not push me away?
— Zhang Dai
