I Became the Mother of His Child

"You..." Xu Xiuxiu, from the darkness, followed the light of the powerful flashlight in her hand to look at the scruffy Song Yuanhuan, "You have to take good care of yourself, don't make me worry." Xu Xiuxiu actually wasn't such a sentimental person, she even found it hard to give advice usually, but looking at Song Yuanhuan now, she still revealed her own feelings.

The unease and worry of these days had already consumed her reason, and at this moment, she just wanted to hold Song Yuanhuan tightly.

"I'll go check the circuit breaker." Song Yuanhuan knew she didn't like the darkness and silence, she liked and was accustomed to the lively atmosphere. On such a night, with the continuous heavy rain outside for several days, one can imagine how worried she was, but he couldn't tell her how dangerous the flood fighting at the front lines was.

"Don't go." Xu Xiuxiu, annoyed, hugged Song Yuanhuan tightly, not caring whether his body was soaked or not.

"Xiuxiu." Song Yuanhuan's magnetic voice softly called her name, his whole body soaked yet his skin still scorchingly hot, he raised his hand and gently hugged Xu Xiuxiu's slender waist.

"Mm." Xu Xiuxiu put her arms around his thick raincoat, regardless of whether her thin nightgown would get wet. In the dark, following the weak light from the flashlight pointed in his direction, Xu Xiuxiu tilted her head to look up at Song Yuanhuan.

A blazing hot kiss fell, his large hand encircled her slender waist, lifting her up, and Xu Xiuxiu instinctively clamped her legs around his sturdy waist. Song Yuanhuan easily lifted her up, their lips never parting, yet they easily walked out of the bedroom, then Song Yuanhuan pressed Xu Xiuxiu against the wall outside the bedroom and kissed her intensely.

Bang—

The tightly gripped flashlight in her hand fell to the ground, Xu Xiuxiu only felt herself completely engulfed by Song Yuanhuan's familiar scent, then happily sinking into it.

This kiss, was exceptionally passionate, both deeply enjoyed it, like a deep soul connection, thick, scorching, and intense.

"…Mm, put me down." Some moments later, as their lips separated, Xu Xiuxiu's entire strength and weight rested on the man in front of her, her breath quick and panting due to the deep kiss, but she still struggled slightly.

"Not letting go." The response was the man's domineering refusal, followed by his moist thin lips gently brushing against her cheek, burying his head in the crook of her neck, his tongue lightly licking, sending a tingling sensation throughout her body.

"…" Xu Xiuxiu felt she was going to be driven mad by Song Yuanhuan's teasing breath.

"You..." Xu Xiuxiu struggled to speak under the unbearable sensation.

"Shh…" Suddenly, a sharp and loud whistle sound came, interrupting Song Yuanhuan's actions, the tight embrace of the man stiffened, feeling a sense of loss, and also stopped Xu Xiuxiu from speaking.

Xu Xiuxiu wasn't foolish; she could guess what those two whistles were for—it was most likely a signal from his comrades waiting below, and because she knew, inexplicably, Xu Xiuxiu felt even more reluctant, unable to fend off the surge of bitterness welling up in her chest.

"I have to go now, sleep well, don't go out, and take good care of the child." Song Yuanhuan spoke slowly, extremely reluctantly kissing Xu Xiuxiu's forehead with his thin lips.

Xiuxiu's eyes reddened, and she remained silent. Her capricious hands encircled his neck, her actions protesting her reluctance to part with him. Despite knowing in her heart that she shouldn't act this way, her actions and body had already betrayed her thoughts. In such unsettling moments, Xiuxiu lived in constant unease every day. Already lacking in a sense of security, with Yuanhuan not at home, all she could think about was him; she was nearly driven mad.

"There, there," Yuanhuan said as he carried Xiuxiu downstairs. Despite the darkness without the illumination of a flashlight, Yuanhuan easily descended the stairs, holding Xiuxiu close. At the doorway on the first floor, Yuanhuan gently placed Xiuxiu on the shoe cabinet and said, "Don't worry." In the dark, Xiuxiu couldn't see his features clearly, only his dark, bright eyes.

How could she not worry?

Dumbfounded, Xiuxiu sat on the shoe cabinet, watching him turn and leave without hesitation. The sound of the door closing from outside filled her cheeks with involuntary tears.

She had never felt that being a military wife was a bad thing, especially in an era when military professions were highly revered. However, tonight's meeting and his hurried departure made her feel the difficulty of being a military wife for the first time. Thinking this, Xiuxiu wiped away her tears and hastily ran to the balcony.

The family's balcony faced the flower beds below the apartment complex. Yuanhuan would definitely pass by here as he left the building. Now, in the pitch darkness outside, but in the flower beds below, stood two men dressed in green military uniforms, each holding a flashlight.

Yuanhuan moved quickly, and Xiuxiu soon spotted his figure appearing. He seemed to know she was watching him from the balcony, glanced back at her, and then the three of them stepped through the thigh-deep water and departed, their figures desolate and struggling.

...

Yuanhuan's return in the night was not mentioned to Xiuxiu's family. After he left, Xiuxiu cleaned up the water he had left behind, took a shower, changed into pajamas, and once again fell into an exhausted sleep. However, she did not sleep peacefully.

The next day's weather continued as before, the ongoing torrential rain making everyone increasingly uneasy, even young Song Chengguang sensed it. Early in the morning, he got up, pulled open the curtains, and upon seeing the persistent rain outside, his little face fell, "Mom, why is it still raining?"

Song Chengguang, who had been cooped up at home for several days, suddenly found himself especially missing the days when he was at school.

"Because someone is crying," Xu Xiuxiu said, not knowing how to explain to Song Chengguang. Explaining too profoundly would be beyond his understanding, but she couldn't leave it unexplained either. So she decided to respond in a way that would be easier for a child to accept.

"Who is crying? Why are they crying for so long? Is it because they are being bullied by a stepmother?" Now curious about everything and already transformed into a little "question master," Song Chengguang bombarded Xu Xiuxiu with a slew of questions, giving Xu Xiuxiu quite a headache.

"Why so many questions? Go wash up and eat," Xu Xiuxiu sternly ordered.

"Oh," Song Chengguang, used to his mother's stern demeanor, responded dejectedly, lowering his gaze and obediently leaving the bedroom to wash up.

At the dining table, having eaten salty radishes and preserved meat for several days, Song Chengguang made a sour face, "Mom, can Chengguang stop eating radishes? Chengguang wants to eat meat," he said, after biting into a salty radish and looking painfully at Xu Xiuxiu.

"Having salty radishes is already good enough," Xu Xiuxiu rolled her eyes at Song Chengguang, then served the little guy a piece of preserved meat. Given the relentless bad weather that had continued for so long, if it weren't for her foresight, they wouldn't even be having salty radishes and preserved meat, perhaps not even plain rice porridge.