Because of a small quarrel this morning, everyone ate breakfast in silence today. After breakfast, Lin Youxi started collecting the plates and didn’t even give Mei Fang a chance to wash the dishes.

Mei Fang and Xia Yuan sat for a while on the sofa in the living room. Encouraged by Xia Yuan, Mei Fang finally got up and walked toward the kitchen, joining Lin Youxi at the sink to wash the dishes.

“It’s just a few plates. Why do we need to wash them together?”

While scrubbing the plates, Lin Youxi handed one over to Mei Fang, who took it and then gently grabbed Lin Youxi’s hand.

“Washing dishes often is bad for your hands, I feel sorry for you. Let’s buy a dishwasher!”

“I’m not used to that kind of thing.”

Lin Youxi shook off Mei Fang’s affectionate gesture, intending to wipe the water off her face. At that moment, Mei Fang took the initiative to grab a tissue and gently wiped her face. He was very considerate and gentlemanly, and Lin Youxi didn’t resist, allowing him to do so.

“How about we go for a walk later?”

Mei Fang paused for a moment, then pointed to Lin Youxi and himself, saying, “Just the two of us.”

Lin Youxi tilted her head and raised her voice slightly, “Let’s bring Yuan Yuan along. Isn’t it a little strange for just the two of us to go? Yuan Yuan, aren’t you coming?”

“No, no, I’m going back to bed to catch up on sleep. I’m so tired today,” Xia Yuan said while yawning. “So you two go out, but make sure to bring back something to eat.”

Since Xia Yuan said it that way, Lin Youxi didn’t insist further. After finishing the dishes, she wiped her hands with a towel, thought for a moment, and then decided to agree.

“Then let’s go together. I’ve been wanting to buy something, and we’ll be back before lunch.”

“I’ll figure out my lunch on my own, no need for you two to worry about it!” Xia Yuan raised her hand in protest. “I also want to eat something else. The nutrition meals are too exhausting.”

“That’s not allowed.”

Lin Youxi shook her finger. “You need to understand what your current role is and stop complaining.”

“Alright, alright, I got it… I’ll pay attention to these things. You two go quickly!”

“Wait for me to put on some makeup… I can’t just go out like this.”

After Lin Youxi quickly applied some makeup, Mei Fang drove her to a large department store near their home.

Today, Lin Youxi wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, giving her a particularly mature and refined air.

Sitting in the passenger seat, she gazed out the window at the street scenes, not saying much. Mei Fang, meanwhile, was the one starting the conversations:

“After graduation, we’ve hardly gone out together like this…”

Mei Fang said while driving, “I feel like it’s nice to have a date like this occasionally, to relive the feeling of youth.”

Lin Youxi chuckled and responded, “What, at 22 you’re already saying we’re not young anymore?”

“I mean, I’m talking about that feeling from school, especially from middle school.”

Mei Fang smiled and added, “By the way, Youxi, you’ve changed quite a lot from middle school to high school!”

“Hmm…”

Lin Youxi hummed in response, her eyes still focused on the view outside.

Seeing that she seemed distracted, Mei Fang’s enthusiasm began to wane a little.

At that moment, as the car pulled into the parking lot of the mall, Mei Fang was wondering what to say when Lin Youxi softly spoke up:

“As for my changes, it’s actually because… I didn’t realize I liked you before middle school. It was only after I confessed to Yuan Yuan that I understood my own feelings.”

Lin Youxi adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, and after Mei Fang parked the car, she gently spoke to him:

“At home, I couldn’t bring it up, but I really apologize for what I said this morning. I don’t know why I said those words… You must have been really hurt, right?”

“Ah… No, no, I wasn’t hurt…”

“Does that mean you don’t care if I hurt you?”

“Not like that.”

Mei Fang thought for a moment, then smiled and said, “It did hurt, but what hurt more was not knowing how to comfort you.”

“It’s not your fault. Look at Yuan Yuan, she got pregnant right away.”

Lin Youxi pursed her lips, and a bitter smile spread across her face, one that held all her frustration.

When they were developing Yuanxi Fantasy Domain, Lin Youxi and Mei Fang had also encountered many difficulties, but even back then, Lin Youxi never showed such a bitter smile.

“Ai, it’s rare to go on a date today. Let’s not talk about this, alright?”

Mei Fang took the car keys, unbuckled his seatbelt, and gave Lin Youxi a warm kiss. “I wouldn’t say it’s fine that we don’t have children. I really want to have kids with you, even many, many children!”

Lin Youxi laughed at Mei Fang’s words, “What’s the point of having so many? Yuan Yuan and I each can have one, that’s enough, right?”

“But if you keep looking like this, with a frown on your face, we’ll definitely never have healthy babies. Don’t you agree? Hmm?”

Mei Fang gently caressed Lin Youxi’s cheek, and she nodded softly, “Let’s not talk about this. Let’s focus on enjoying the date.”

Mei Fang and Lin Youxi took the elevator up in the mall. The elevator walls were covered in promotional posters for Yuanxi Fantasy Domain, with the central focus being the fantasy-style character designs of Yuan Bao and the Young Miss from the C Station.

Yuan Bao was a cute pink-themed sword-and-shield hero, while the Young Miss was an elven mage holding a wand and a magic book. Mei Fang glanced at Lin Youxi when he saw the poster, but Lin Youxi was staring at a baby in a mother’s arms next to them.

The baby blinked its big eyes, staring at Lin Youxi with a blank gaze. Lin Youxi didn’t try to make him laugh or react, she just quietly watched him. The baby stared at her for a while before sucking on his thumb.

When the elevator reached the desired floor, Lin Youxi snapped out of it, following Mei Fang out.

She really wanted a child…

Seeing how much his wife longed for one, Mei Fang felt a tinge of frustration.

They had followed all the doctor’s advice and taken the prescribed remedies. It wasn’t a matter of money—it was simply about the chances.

Mei Fang and Lin Youxi spent the next two hours shopping in the mall, trying to temporarily escape their worries.

They picked out clothes at will, jewelry, perfume, and everything they liked. They didn’t even have to carry anything, as the staff packed everything up for them. Lin Youxi even selected a few extra items for Yuan Yuan, her lavish spending very noticeable.

Of course, this wasn’t Lin Youxi’s usual shopping style. She wasn’t normally so ostentatious.

But that didn’t stop Mei Fang from using his unlimited black card to spoil his wife.

The joy of shopping and trying on new outfits made Lin Youxi seem to relax, and she even began taking the initiative to try on clothes for Mei Fang to choose from. She had high standards when it came to shoes, and Mei Fang, ever the gentleman, helped her put on every pair she liked.

After two hours of luxury shopping, Lin Youxi suggested they go for lunch. Mei Fang proposed a place:

“There’s a nice Western restaurant upstairs. I’ve already arranged seats for us.”

“You really don’t need an assistant to handle things for you, do you, Ah Fang…”

“I’m used to handling things myself,” Mei Fang said with a smile.

At that moment, Lin Youxi suddenly became a bit sentimental. “You’ve been so busy with work the past couple of years, yet you haven’t arranged an assistant to help. You must be really tired.”

“It’s just project management. A lot of the small tasks are handled by Uncle and the team. I only take on the ones I like,” Mei Fang replied with a smile. “Compared to the AI field you’re working on, this is nothing.”

“You’ve been avoiding getting an assistant because you’re worried Yuan Yuan and I might mind. Everyone knows that,” Lin Youxi smiled.

“Sigh… I’m so happy. Our Ah Fang is really a considerate and wonderful husband.”

“You chose me, haha.”

As they were chatting happily, Lin Youxi suddenly noticed a maternity store across from the escalator. Her gaze immediately focused on it, and she grabbed Mei Fang’s hand. “Before lunch, let’s go look at that store, okay?”

Mei Fang frowned as he looked in the direction of the store.

“A maternity store?”

“Yeah, this is the thing I was talking about buying.”

Lin Youxi explained, “After all, Yuan Yuan already has a baby. It’s fine to prepare early, right?”

“That’s really a bit too early… Besides, we’re out on a date. Let’s not buy it now.”

“That sounds like something a soon-to-be father should say, doesn’t it?”

“I’m not saying I don’t want to buy it…”

“Then just listen to me. We’re out here to relax, aren’t we?”

Lin Youxi smiled, “It’s just to take a look, to understand what babies need. That way, when the time comes, we’ll be better prepared.”

Although still feeling it was a bit inappropriate, Mei Fang still accompanied Lin Youxi as she wandered around the store.

The baby and maternity products store is a very broad concept of a comprehensive shop. In addition to the maternity outfits for moms, and the crib bedding sets suitable for babies, there are also baby cradles, early education toys, bottles, baby food accessories, as well as various cute little clothes. The dazzling array of products left Lin Youxi feeling overwhelmed.

As soon as Lin Youxi and Mei Fang entered the store, the sales associate immediately approached them with a bright smile.

“Hello, may I ask what age of baby you are preparing for? Our products are categorized by age.”

“A baby who hasn’t been born yet, 1 month.” Lin Youxi explained.

“One month, huh? Then if we calculate the dates, the due date should be… next spring, so buying spring and autumn clothes would be more suitable.”

“Let me have a look… These should all be skin-friendly, right?”

“Of course! All our bedding products are very gentle and made from natural, pure materials, no synthetic fibers, which are perfect for your baby’s delicate skin…”

Lin Youxi spent a while browsing the small baby clothes with the sales associate.

“Ah Fang, what do you think of this one?”

“This one looks good too… but it’s a bit too boyish.”

“I still don’t know if YuanYuan’s baby is a boy or a girl.”

“Yeah… this one—”

Seeing how Lin Youxi was becoming increasingly immersed in it, Mei Fang realized he couldn’t let her continue getting lost in this.

So, he stepped forward and gently called to the sales associate, “Hello, could you prepare two sets of the smallest size for each of these clothes?”

“All of them? Are they for a gift, or… ah, my bad, sorry! If you’re taking them all, we might need to check what designs we have in stock…”

Lin Youxi turned around and looked at Mei Fang, her tone not too pleased.

“Why buy so many? Your money doesn’t come from the wind.”

“If it makes you happy, then it’s worth it. Otherwise, what’s the point of saving this money?” Mei Fang’s tone carried a slight grievance. “I’m a little upset, Youxi.”

“I thought we agreed to have a good date, why are you doing this again?”

“Mm…”

Lin Youxi went silent for a moment upon hearing that, then softly said:

“Let’s go talk outside.”

Lin Youxi took Mei Fang’s hand and walked to the large transparent glass curtain wall in the mall. Their reflections could be seen in the glass, and although Lin Youxi’s expression seemed calm, her emotions were turbulent inside.

“Ah Fang, I have a question for you.”

“If… if I can’t get pregnant, how do we go about having three of us?”

“We can just say both of you are pregnant, and then have the wedding first, and wait for you to get pregnant slowly.”

“I don’t agree with that.”

Lin Youxi shook her head, “If I can’t get pregnant for a long time, I will eventually expose it. In that case, your parents will definitely dislike me.”

“You still don’t understand what kind of people my parents are… And why do you think you won’t get pregnant? We’re only at this stage…”

“But it’s possible, isn’t it?”

“If that’s the case… I think we should go with the old plan, you and YuanYuan can get married and get your certificate first, it doesn’t matter. We’ll see when you’re pregnant, and then we’ll have our wedding… What do you think—”

Seeing Lin Youxi’s state becoming increasingly unstable, Mei Fang stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her from behind.

He held Lin Youxi tightly, gripping her slightly cold hand, his cheek pressing against hers, pulling her tightly into his embrace to give her warmth.

Although no words were spoken, his body language said everything.

At this moment, Lin Youxi tightly clenched her fists, her voice trembling.

“But… but I really am useless… I just can’t…”

It had been a long time since Lin Youxi showed her vulnerable side in front of Mei Fang.

She had always been a strong girl, and her moments of fragility had only been shown to one person in this life.

This time was no different.

She trembled in Mei Fang’s embrace for a long time, and only then did she begin to calm down a little. She then softly said:

“Ah Fang, do you remember when we used to play ‘Fantasy Journey to the West’? Back then, we also… even got married in the game and didn’t have a child for a long time…”

“Wasn’t that because we didn’t have money to buy the nourishing soup?”

“Now we have money to buy nourishing soup, and we can buy as much as we want. But…”

Lin Youxi took a deep breath, “Having a child in reality isn’t that easy…”

“Yeah, it’s not easy…”

Mei Fang swayed with Lin Youxi in his arms, both gazing out at the view through the glass curtain wall.

“But you can’t bear it alone.”

“Because this isn’t just your issue, it’s our issue.”

“If we want the three of us to continue on this path together…”

Mei Fang turned Lin Youxi to face him, took off her gold-rimmed glasses, pulled out a tissue to wipe her tears, then gently said:

“YuanYuan told me something today, and I think it’s very true— we three have been so happy these past few years, we haven’t encountered a real setback for a long time. So, when facing difficulties, we all overreacted a bit, you too, and I too…”

“Anyway, I think we can take this event as a test of our relationship as three people.”

Mei Fang said softly, “I won’t give up on trying for a baby, and you shouldn’t either. We can take it slow, okay?”

“Mm…” Lin Youxi nodded, “Then, what about our parents…”

“But our parents will still come according to the original plan. When the time comes, we’ll just tell them the truth. We’ve all known each other for over ten years, so there’s nothing we can’t be honest about. We’ve been planning this for so long, so this time, it’s just about announcing the victory, not starting a battle. It was you who said that, remember? Have you forgotten?”

“I haven’t forgotten, I just… sigh, I really feel weird today. Maybe I didn’t eat enough this morning.”

“Then why not get some energy replenishment from me?”

Lin Youxi nodded and smiled, then tiptoed to affectionately kiss Ah Fang. Mei Fang immediately embraced her, lifting her off the ground and kissing her. The passersby avoided them, and a nearby single guy grumbled, “So rude,” but the couple didn’t mind at all.

After a while, Lin Youxi finally lowered herself from Mei Fang’s embrace.

“I’ve figured it out, Ah Fang.”

“Figured what out?”

“That…”

Lin Youxi smiled, “All along, my nourishing soup has always been you, Ah Fang. You just need to do the work, no need to think of any tricks.”

“Mm, it’s good that you can think that way.”

Mei Fang nodded, gently patting Lin Youxi’s head. Lin Youxi smiled sweetly in return, and Mei Fang felt a deep stir in his heart:

“Suddenly, I think—Youxi, you’re much cuter now, it’s like when you used to hold my hand in elementary school,” Mei Fang gestured, “That kind of playful attitude, I’d always be the one in the back.”

“Occasionally being a bit spoiled isn’t bad, right?”

Lin Youxi tidied Mei Fang’s collar, and then the two of them went to a Western restaurant to enjoy a delicious lunch.