Chapter 326 Vulnerable An Lan
After finishing their meal, they went home. The incident had brought the babies even closer. Once home, they played for a while and drank some milk. After tossing and turning in bed for a bit, they fell fast asleep.
That day, An Lan paid a hurried visit, immediately asking for a meal cooked by Lin Feng the moment she walked in.
It hadn't been long since they last saw her, but An Lan had lost a noticeable amount of weight, which scared Zhang Yuxi half to death.
Lin Feng was also startled. "What happened to you?"
With tears welling in her eyes, An Lan sobbed to Lin Feng, "Director Lin, please stop talking and just make me something to eat. My life depends on you!"
The way she spoke, as if she were on her deathbed, gave Lin Feng and his wife quite a scare.
Liu Bo's brow had been furrowed ever since he entered the house and had not relaxed for a moment. He explained that ever since An Lan discovered she was pregnant, she had been experiencing severe morning sickness. She threw up everything she ate and hadn't had a proper meal in days.
An Lan's mother, her heart aching for her daughter, said that morning sickness was normal. Some women only have it for a month or two, while others suffer through the entire pregnancy—it all depends on the person. There was nothing to be done; she just had to eat what she could, when she could.
Because of this, An Lan had taken her anger out on Liu Bo and beaten him up. She had already handed over the management of their shop to him and his mother; she couldn't stand the smell of greasy food. It only got worse later on—the mere scent would make her feel nauseous and vomit. She couldn't eat anything with the slightest bit of grease, sticking only to bland foods. But now, even bland food didn't work. She threw up whatever she ate.
An Lan didn't know why, but the sicker she felt, the more she desperately craved Lin Feng's cooking. That's why she had rushed over so early in the morning, while the children were still asleep, to ask Lin Feng to make her something delicious.
Lin Feng made a pot of vegetable congee and glanced at An Lan. Using a non-stick pan without any oil, he fried a sunny-side-up egg. Then he took some small pickled radishes from a jar and diced them. The radishes were a vibrant red, with a sour and refreshing taste. They were delightfully crunchy and absolutely delicious.
Lin Feng served a bowl to the eagerly waiting An Lan. "Eat up."
Without a second thought, An Lan dug in. In no time, the bowl of vegetable congee was empty.
Liu Bo and An Lan both let out a sigh of relief.
An Lan clung to Zhang Yuxi, pitifully pouring out her sorrows. "Yuxi, this is so hard. In all these days, this is the only full meal I've had! You have no idea what I've been through. I wanted to go to the hospital so many times, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it! I'm so miserable, so pitiful..." she wailed.
By the end, An Lan was truly crying. Her first experience with pregnancy was not beautiful at all—it was just painful. And An Lan was a foodie!
Looking at her friend's gaunt face, Zhang Yuxi was extremely worried for the health of both An Lan and the baby. "Don't cry, don't cry," she soothed. "Just stay here with us and eat. You need to build your strength back up."
Crying, An Lan fell asleep in Zhang Yuxi's arms.
Liu Bo sighed. "Seeing her suffer like this, I almost don't want her to go through with the birth. The way she vomits... and after she's done, she just keeps dry heaving..."
For a grown man, it was difficult to talk about. During this time, An Lan couldn't eat or sleep properly. She was starving but couldn't keep anything down. The agony was indescribable, and she would lash out at Liu Bo whenever she saw him, calling him a bastard and saying the baby must be a boy. "Neither of you are any good!" she'd shout.
But no matter how angry she got, An Lan endured.
Liu Bo carried her to the guest room. Because of An Lan's arrival, the renovation of the babies' playroom had to be put on hold. When the babies woke up, Lin Feng explained the situation. They thought it was magical that their godmother had a baby in her belly. They were going to have a little brother or sister! So, they said they didn't mind at all.
An Lan slept straight through to the afternoon, which scared Liu Bo half to death.
After taking her pulse, Lin Feng said calmly, "She's fine. Just exhausted and a little weak."
Liu Bo breathed a sigh of relief, but then a thought struck him. "Brother Feng, you know how to take a pulse?"
Lin Feng nodded. "A little."
An Lan finally woke up around dinnertime, having slept for nearly the entire day. Even she found it incredible; she hadn't slept so soundly in a long time. She stretched lazily, feeling much more energetic.
"I'm so hungry, Director Lin! Is there anything to eat?"
Lin Feng had prepared a separate, nutritious meal just for her. An Lan was so moved she was on the verge of tears.
And then, she actually burst into tears.
The three of them—Lin Feng, Zhang Yuxi, and Liu Bo—exchanged startled glances.
Zhang Yuxi comforted An Lan while explaining to the men, "It's okay. Pregnant women get very emotional and fragile; it's normal for them to overreact sometimes."
Liu Bo knew this all too well. He tried to coax An Lan, "Honey, don't cry. Let's eat first!"
An Lan instantly flared up. "You bastard, get lost! Who are you calling honey? We haven't even registered our marriage, you know! Don't think you can tie me down with a baby. In your dreams! If it weren't for you, would I be suffering like this? You men have your fun, and then we women are left to suffer? Why is that fair? WAAAAH..."
Liu Bo was so frightened he didn't dare make another sound.
Lin Feng felt the jab was aimed at him too, so he also kept quiet. He shot a look at Zhang Yuxi. Honey, I'm leaving this to you. I'm going to get the kids some food.
Seeing their godmother crying made the babies feel curious, worried, and scared all at once.
Sanbao asked with concern, "Daddy, why is Godmother crying?"
Lin Feng thought for a moment. "She's crying because she got a shot."
"Oh," Sanbao said with understanding. "So Godmother is scared of shots too! Sanbao is also scared!"
At the mere mention of shots, all the babies looked terrified. They gazed at An Lan with eyes full of sympathy.
An Lan, meanwhile, was still seeking comfort in Zhang Yuxi's arms, having turned into a complete whiny creature. Zhang Yuxi couldn't take it anymore and said sharply, "Alright, stop crying! The food's going to get cold."
An Lan, who had just managed to stop her tears, let out a loud wail and started crying sadly again, accusing Zhang Yuxi of being heartless.
"Yuxi, you don't love me anymore! I'm not your little cutie anymore, am I? You used to say you loved me the most. Has your heart changed now? We're supposed to be sisters, why are you being so cruel? Why do women have to make things so hard for other women? Love disappears, doesn't it? No, love doesn't disappear, it just gets transferred! You don't love me anymore, you love Director Lin... Waaaah, now even you don't love me! I'm so pitiful..."
Zhang Yuxi figured she had to be patient with An Lan in this state. She took a deep breath and coaxed her gently. "Sweetie, I love you the most! I'm just worried the food will get cold, and it won't be good for you to eat! Aren't you hungry? Come on, eat up. I'll stay right here with you."
An Lan said petulantly, "Then you feed me."
Zhang Yuxi's eyes widened. "I feed you?"
An Lan nodded. "Mhm."
Zhang Yuxi asked cautiously, "How about I get Liu Bo to feed you?"
At that, An Lan's expression changed in a flash. "Don't even mention that culprit to me."
Zhang Yuxi flinched. "Okay!"
NOVEL NEXT