stjorthotic Chapter 439 No Longer Going to Work
Chapter 439 No Longer Going to Work
When Lu Ran left the hospital, he drove much slower than usual.
It's not that the road conditions are bad, it's just that my mood is different.
He used to speed up and change lanes when he was driving, and occasionally he would curse the cars in front of him for driving too slowly.
Today he was as steady as a driving instructor, pressing the accelerator lightly and the brake even more lightly, signaling in advance when turning, and checking the rearview mirror three times before daring to move the steering wheel.
Shen Yuege sat in the passenger seat, one hand resting on her stomach, and glanced at him sideways: "Why are you driving so slowly?"
"Safety first."
"You weren't like this before."
"The past is the past, the present is the present. Before, there was only one person on the bus; now there are two people. Can they be the same?"
Shen Yuege was stunned for a moment, then she understood what he meant by the two people he was talking about.
She didn't reply, but turned her face to the window and slightly curled the corners of her mouth.
The car drove slowly on the elevated road, with one car after another passing by. Some drivers even turned their heads to look at them as they passed, probably thinking, "How come this person is driving a luxury car and yet he's going the same speed as an old man in a car?"
When she arrived home, Shen Yuege unbuckled her seatbelt and prepared to get out of the car.
Lu Ran got out of the car first, walked around to the passenger side, opened the car door, and reached out to help her.
Shen Yuege looked at his outstretched hand: "What are you doing?"
"Let me help you out of the car."
"I didn't break my leg. I was cooking in the kitchen just before today."
"What happened before today is what happened before today, and what happened today is what happened today. The doctor said that the first three months are unstable, and strenuous exercise should be avoided."
Is opening the car door and getting out considered strenuous exercise?
"Fine." Lu Ran said without changing his expression. "You'd better be careful."
Shen Yuege rolled her eyes, but still put her hand in his and let him help her out of the car.
Upon entering the house, the first thing Lu Ran did was not to change his shoes, but to head straight to the kitchen.
He opened the refrigerator, looked inside, and then closed it again.
I opened the locker, looked inside, and then closed it again.
Then he stood in the middle of the kitchen, hands on his hips, looking around as if inspecting a substandard work site.
Shen Yuege changed into slippers and walked to the kitchen doorway, watching his retreating figure: "What are you looking for?"
"Find dangerous goods."
"What dangerous goods?"
"Raw and cold foods, spicy foods, and unclean foods. The doctor said we can't eat raw, cold, or spicy foods, so we have to get rid of all the cold dishes in the fridge. And those pickled vegetables—even though Mom brought them are vegetarian, they're too salty, so we can't eat too much of them. And—"
He opened the refrigerator door, took out a carton of milk, glanced at the expiration date, then looked at Shen Yuege, "From now on, you have to drink milk warm. You can't drink it cold."
Shen Yuege leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest: "Lu Ran, are you planning to turn our house into a sterile hospital ward?"
"It's not a sterile ward, it's a safe house. Your situation is different now; there's someone else inside you. Your body isn't just yours anymore. What you eat, drink, and do all affect our son."
How do you know it's "him"? What if it's "her"?
Lu Ran thought for a moment: "He or she is fine. It's all the same anyway. The important thing is that you have to be obedient."
Shen Yuege was amused by his serious demeanor and wanted to laugh but was too embarrassed to do so.
She walked over, took the carton of milk from his hand, and put it back in the refrigerator: "Keep the milk here for now, and heat it up for me when I want to drink it. I don't want to drink it now."
Lu Ran nodded and made a note of it.
Shen Yuege turned and walked towards the living room. She saw several magazines and two cups spread out on the coffee table and casually bent down to tidy them up.
The moment her hand touched the magazine, Lu Ran rushed out of the kitchen and stopped Shen Yuege with lightning speed.
"Don't move!" he shouted, his voice so loud it startled Shen Yuege.
She straightened up, still holding a magazine in her hand, and stared at him with wide eyes: "What are you doing? You scared me to death."
"Don't tidy up. I'll do it. You sit down and don't move anything."
"I'll just tidy up the table."
"You don't need to tidy up the table. Sit down." Lu Ran walked over, took the magazine from her hand, gently pressed her onto the sofa, and then started tidying up the coffee table himself. He stacked the magazines neatly, took the cups to the kitchen to wash, put the remote control away, and threw the trash in the bin. His movements were as swift as if he were working on an important project.
Shen Yuege sat on the sofa, watching him bustling around, her feelings were complicated.
She felt that Lu Ran was being a little too protective of her, but at the same time, she also felt that this feeling of being protected was actually quite nice.
She recalled the time when she lived alone, when she was sick no one cared for her, when she was hungry she would eat whatever she could find, and when she was tired she would just fall asleep.
Back then, I thought being alone was pretty good; I was free and didn't have to answer to anyone.
Now that someone is taking care of her, someone is nagging her, and someone isn't letting her tidy up the table, she actually feels more at ease than before.
After tidying up the coffee table, Lu Ran sat down next to Shen Yuege and picked up his phone to browse through it.
He flipped through it a couple of times, then put it down again, looking at Shen Yuege.
"Yuege, I have something to tell you."
"you say."
"For the next three months, you don't need to go to work. Handle the studio matters remotely if possible, and leave the rest to Tan Yu and Xiao Yang. I'll talk to the organizing committee about the Golden Melody Awards. The opening performance is definitely out of the question; your current physical condition isn't suitable for going on stage. As for whether you can attend the awards ceremony, we'll see how you feel. If you feel good, you can go; if not, just watch the live stream at home, and I'll bring the trophy back for you."
When Shen Yuege heard the words "bring the trophy back," the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, but she didn't laugh out loud.
She knew Lu Ran wasn't joking; he was serious.
"Three months without work? You want to suffocate me?" she said.
"I'm not trying to suppress your feelings, I'm just thinking about your health. The first three months are the hardest, and you just threw up, that's morning sickness. It might get even worse later. If you go to the studio, what if you throw up there with so many people watching? It'll be uncomfortable for you and everyone else too. It's better to stay home, it'll be more comfortable and relaxing."
Shen Yuege thought about it and felt that what he said made sense. But she was still unwilling: "What about the Super Boy competition? The finals haven't been recorded yet."
"Have Tan Yu keep an eye on things. Although he's in charge of the technology, he's gotten to know the people in the studio well lately, and he can handle the procedural matters. If he really can't handle it, let Xiao Yang step in. With Xiao Yang's personality, what can't he get done?"
Shen Yuege did not agree immediately. She leaned back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
She was thinking about how far along the preparations for the Super Boy finals were, what things she had to do personally, and what things she could delegate to others.
After thinking for a while, she realized that she wasn't as indispensable as she had imagined.
The team has been working together for more than half a year, and everyone knows what they are supposed to do.
Whether she's there or not doesn't make that much difference.
"Also," Lu Ran continued, "I'm planning to have Mom come and stay with me for a while, specifically to take care of you."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yuege immediately sat up straight on the sofa: "No way."
Why?
"If you let Mom come over, she'll definitely be watching me every day, telling me to eat this today and that tomorrow, saying I shouldn't move today and shouldn't stand tomorrow. I don't even feel comfortable in my own home, how can I take care of myself during pregnancy?"
"She's been there, she has experience."
"She is experienced, but she has too much experience. Her demands on me are higher than on anyone else. When I was a child, if I had a cold or fever, she wouldn't take me to the hospital first; she would scold me, saying I was disobedient, didn't take care of my health, and deserved to be sick. If you let her come, and my emotions fluctuate during my pregnancy, are you going to take responsibility?"
Lu Ran opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again.
He knew his mother-in-law well; although what Shen Yuege said was a bit exaggerated, it wasn't entirely without basis.
Priscilla Chan is a person who truly loves and truly cares about others.
The level of control they exert is indeed beyond what most people can withstand.
"How about hiring a nanny?" he suggested.
"No need. I'm not at the point where I need someone to wait on me. You told me not to clear the table, so I didn't. You said you wouldn't go to work, and I agreed. But don't treat me like a patient who can't do anything. I'm just pregnant, not disabled."
Lu Ran stared at her for several seconds.
Shen Yuege's eyes were firm; she didn't seem to be sulking, but genuinely believed she could do it.
He thought about it and backed down.
"Okay. Mom won't come, and we won't hire a nanny. But you have to promise me three things."
"explain."
"First, if you feel unwell, tell me immediately; don't suffer in silence. Second, tell me what you want to eat; don't think it's too much trouble. Third, work a maximum of two hours a day; no more."
Shen Yuege looked at him and suddenly laughed: "You were just telling me to listen to you at the hospital, and now you're negotiating with me. You've changed your mind too quickly."
"This isn't called changing, it's called flexible adjustment. If you don't agree with my plan, I'll come up with another one. The goal remains the same: to help you get better."
Shen Yuege leaned back on the sofa and put her feet up on the coffee table.
Lu Ran glanced at her feet, seemed about to say something but then swallowed it back.
He originally wanted to say that crossing your legs might put pressure on your stomach, but he himself felt that the idea was too absurd, so he didn't say it.
"Okay. I promise you," Shen Yuege said. "And what about you? Are you still going to the company?"
Lu Ran thought for a moment.
Nothing major has happened at the company lately. All three games are running smoothly. Sakura Games and EA are still preparing big moves, so there won't be any direct confrontation in the short term.
Zhou Mingzhe alone is enough to keep an eye on things; if all else fails, there's also Lao Wang and Xiao Yang.
When he went there, he just sat in the office looking at the data, which was no different from looking at it on the sofa.
"I won't go. I'll stay home with you for the next month or two."
Shen Yuege was taken aback: "You're not going either?"
"I'm not going. I'll work remotely. If anything comes up, let Zhou call me, or they can just say it in the group chat. I can handle it just fine from home."
"You're the boss. If the boss doesn't go to the company, what will the employees think?"
"The employees are thinking, 'It's great that the boss isn't coming; no one's watching us anymore.' Don't worry, they won't think anything else."
Having worked as an employee for several years, Lu Ran was well aware of what his employees were thinking.
Who wants to see the boss's face every day, even if he's more handsome than Daniel Wu or Eddie Peng?
Shen Yuege was amused by his answer, but then suddenly became worried: "Are you really going to talk to the organizing committee about the Golden Melody Awards? Will they have a problem with canceling the opening performance just like that?"
Lu Ran picked up her phone, found Zheng Jianguo's number, but didn't dial it immediately.
He thought about his words, considering how best to tell the other party about this.
Saying directly that my wife is pregnant and can't go on stage seems too casual, but beating around the bush is unnecessary.
He decided to speak directly.
The phone rang three times before Zheng Jianguo answered.
"Director Zheng, hello. I'm Lu Ran."
"Teacher Lu! Hello! I was just about to call you to confirm the performance repertoire and rehearsal schedule. May I ask?"
Lu Ran took a deep breath: "Director Zheng, there's something I need to tell you. My wife, Shen Yuege, went to the hospital for a checkup today and confirmed she's pregnant. The doctor advised against strenuous activity and overexertion during the first three months. So, she probably won't be able to participate in the opening performance. I also need to stay home to take care of her, so going on stage isn't very convenient for me either. I'm truly sorry for the trouble this will cause you and the organizing committee."
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone. Then Zheng Jianguo's voice rang out, a note higher than before: "Pregnant? Oh my! Congratulations! That's wonderful! Don't worry about the performance; your health is the most important thing. The organizing committee completely understands; we'll arrange another program. Don't worry, there won't be any problems."
Lu Ran didn't expect the other party to react so readily, even a little too readily.
He thought he would have to use a lot of persuasion, but Zheng Jianguo agreed without saying a word and even congratulated him, so he didn't have to use the apology he had prepared.
"Director Zheng, thank you for your understanding."
"I understand, I understand, of course I understand. This is a tremendous event, more important than any performance. Mr. Lu, please take good care of Mr. Shen. You don't need to worry about the Golden Melody Awards. If you two are physically able, you can come and sit in the venue. If you can't come, that's fine too. We'll send the trophy to you. No, we'll send someone to deliver it."
Lu Ran felt a little embarrassed by Zheng Jianguo's attitude.
He knew the Golden Melody Awards committee definitely didn't want him and Shen Yuege to be absent, since they were the two with the most nominations this year. If they didn't come to the ceremony, the prestige and attention of the awards ceremony would be diminished.
But Zheng Jianguo spoke casually and adopted a very humble attitude, which improved Lu Ran's impression of the Golden Melody Awards considerably.
After hanging up the phone, Shen Yuege looked at him and asked, "What did you say?"
He congratulated us and said not to worry about the performance, they would make other arrangements. He also said that if we couldn't come to the event, they would send the trophy to us.
Shen Yuege raised an eyebrow: "So straightforward? I thought I'd have to use a lot of persuasion."
"Maybe people also feel that pregnant women are of higher status."
Shen Yuege leaned back on the sofa and placed her hands on her stomach.
Her stomach was still flat; you couldn't tell anything was wrong.
But she knew that a tiny life was growing inside.
Six weeks later, at the size of a peanut, it already has a heartbeat.
She took the bottle of folic acid tablets out of her bag, unscrewed the cap, poured out one tablet, put it in her mouth, and swallowed it.
The pills were small and tasteless, but she felt a tightness in her throat when she swallowed them.
It wasn't because of the pills.
...