Chapter 66: Anxiety

South City had fully settled into winter.

The weather was bitingly cold, the wind freezing enough to cut like knives.

Cheng Zhanya wore a beige coat with a red scarf wrapped around her neck. Her hands were stuffed in her pockets, and her slightly short hair fluttered in the wind. She had half her face buried in the scarf as she stood by the half-open window, her big eyes gazing down at the hospital grounds below.

The sun was out today, but it was still chilly. Even so, the little park downstairs bustled with children and adults playing and strolling about.

She had entered her eighth month of pregnancy.

Her belly was astonishingly large.

Her due date was late January, though the baby might arrive before the New Year.

Time had flown by so quickly.

In the blink of an eye, her child with Lin Hanbing was about to be born. Their identities were on the verge of an upgrade.

They would become mothers.

She had thought about life after the baby arrived plenty of times, but the word “mother” still felt strangely unfamiliar.

Lin Hanbing emerged with the medical report and spotted Cheng Zhanya lost in thought. She approached silently and stood beside her for a moment before speaking softly, afraid of startling her.

“What are you thinking about?”

Cheng Zhanya turned her head to look at her, instinctively reaching for her hand and shaking her head. “Nothing.”

“What did the doctor say?”

She changed the subject.

“Everything looks good,” Lin Hanbing replied.

Starting last week, Cheng Zhanya had stopped working on her drafts—she simply lacked the energy for it. As her boss, Lin Hanbing had promptly approved her leave.

After the prenatal checkup, they returned to the Old Residence.

Lately, the Old Lady had been nagging more than usual.

To the entire Lin Family, this pregnant woman seemed like a protected species.

Untouchable, fragile as fine china.

Cheng Zhanya had grown accustomed to the treatment, evolving from initial discomfort to now accepting it with ease.

It was impossible to refuse the Old Lady’s overwhelming affection.

The Old Lady’s health had improved lately—or perhaps it was the joy of the family’s good news that had brought color to her cheeks. Her face glowed more vibrantly than it had in days past.

She had taken up flower arranging again, having just finished watering the plants in the courtyard when she heard that Cheng Zhanya and Lin Hanbing had returned. She hurried back inside, excitement lighting her steps.

She changed out of her muddy shoes and, with Auntie Zhou’s help, made her way to the living room.

“Let me see if my great-grandbaby’s been good.”

The Old Lady approached with a beaming smile.

Cheng Zhanya smiled back. “Grandma, Chengcheng was very good today.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“Did you go to the hospital today? What did the doctor say? Is the due date reliable?”

“There’s no guarantee.”

Lin Hanbing chimed in slowly. “This is Yaya’s first baby, so it could come early or late.”

The Old Lady let out an “oh,” her expression tightening into something more serious.

“You’re really not planning to come stay at home?”

“Xiaoya could go into labor at any moment. What if it happens in the middle of the night? Do you think you can handle it alone?”

Yu Shujing nodded in agreement from the side. “Exactly! Why don’t you just listen to Grandma and stay here until the baby is born safely? Then you can go back to your apartment.”

They heard variations of this every time they visited the Lin Residence.

The family was simply too worried.

And the Old Lady’s points were all perfectly logical.

Indeed—if something unexpected happened, could Lin Hanbing manage on her own?

Lin Hanbing glanced at Cheng Zhanya, curious about her thoughts.

She didn’t want to put her in a difficult position.

Just like back when the elders had urged them to have a child.

No matter the situation, her wife’s feelings always came first.

Lin Hanbing stayed silent, waiting for Cheng Zhanya’s response.

Cheng Zhanya nodded. “I’ve thought about it too. For safety’s sake, I’ll listen to Grandma.”

With that, she turned to Lin Hanbing and smiled.

It would put Lin Hanbing’s mind more at ease too.

As her pregnancy progressed, Lin Hanbing had started showing signs of anxiety—frowning often, spacing out from time to time.

Cheng Zhanya knew her too well.

Such uncharacteristic behavior was almost unheard of in her memory.

Lin Hanbing was always calm and composed. Tension rarely touched her.

Cheng Zhanya found it amusing.

And a little helpless.

“You’re really willing to move back in?”

The Old Lady had braced herself for rejection, so Cheng Zhanya’s agreement caught her by surprise.

Cheng Zhanya smiled and nodded.

Zhuang Wen’s face finally broke into a wide grin. She immediately declared that she would start preparing the crib that evening.

The Old Lady sprang into action with infectious enthusiasm.

Her phone never stopped ringing.

The eighty-something woman was bustling about nonstop.

Lin Hanbing took her hand and murmured softly, “Your decision caught me off guard.”

Cheng Zhanya raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that surprising?”

She pulled her into a hug, a touch embarrassed. “It just is.”

She had brought up remarriage twice.

Cheng Zhanya hadn’t agreed either time.

Lin Hanbing hadn’t expected her to be so decisive about moving back to the Old Residence for the final stretch of pregnancy.

They spent every day together, shared intimate moments without hesitation, and Cheng Zhanya was clearly dependent on her. Yet Lin Hanbing still sensed a lingering distance.

The feeling gnawed at her.

She hated overthinking things, and this elusive uncertainty truly troubled her.

Cheng Zhanya didn’t press further. She simply smiled in silence, tilting her head to gaze at the sharp line of Lin Hanbing’s chin.

No matter the angle, Lin Hanbing was captivating.

Three hundred sixty degrees, no blind spots.

At last, she understood why she was so drawn to her.

Time turned in steady cycles.

Days at the Old Residence flew by.

Chengcheng hadn’t even arrived yet, and baby supplies were already piling up like a mountain.

All tokens of love from grandparents and great-grandparents.

Lin Hanbing had completely stepped away from work and entered full-on tense mode.

Watching Cheng Zhanya’s belly grow larger didn’t bring the relief she had anticipated—instead, her anxiety deepened.

The doctor noted her emotional strain.

It bordered on prenatal depression.

Cheng Zhanya pinched her temples, which were throbbing. No matter how she tried to reassure her, Lin Hanbing’s anxiety wouldn’t ease.

A cool touch landed on the back of her hand, taking over the massage.

“Headache?” Lin Hanbing asked softly.

“…”

She closed her eyes and let out a soft hum in response.

Lin Hanbing immediately tensed up.

“Why a headache? Is anywhere else bothering you? Should we go to the hospital? Or call the family doctor?”

She grabbed her phone, ready to dial.

Cheng Zhanya pressed her hand down, half-amused and half-exasperated. “My headache is because of you.”

“You’re acting like a startled bird.”

“Me?” Lin Hanbing blinked, stunned for a few seconds.

Cheng Zhanya reached out and lightly wrapped her arms around her waist, resting her cheek against Lin Hanbing’s flat stomach.

She patted her lower back in lazy rhythms. “I’m doing perfectly fine right now. With Mom and Grandma here, what are you so anxious about?”

“…”

Lin Hanbing fell silent.

She pondered.

A flicker of confusion passed through her eyes as she looked down at Cheng Zhanya’s rosy cheeks and the prominent swell of her belly.

She was probably afraid of the pain.

The internet was flooded with horror stories about childbirth. Every one she read sent her heart racing.

Under that barrage of negativity, Lin Hanbing’s anxiety had snowballed. She didn’t dare imagine it—too terrifying.

She had never realized before how dangerous giving birth could be.

In this lifetime, one daughter like Chengcheng was more than enough for them.

Lin Hanbing hugged her back, her voice heavy with worry. “I’m afraid you’ll be in pain.”

“Does anyone give birth without pain?”

Cheng Zhanya chuckled.

“Next time, you do it?”

“After your confinement period, I’ll get sterilized.”

The words tumbled out in perfect unison.

Cheng Zhanya: “…”

Sterilized?

She stared in shock.

She hadn’t anticipated Lin Hanbing even considering it.

It was funny—and deeply touching.

She was willing to go that far just to spare her the pain.

But it wasn’t necessary.

After all, they had conceived through medication. Without it, nothing would happen.

Lin Hanbing was equally stunned by her wife’s words.

She had never imagined carrying a child herself.

True enough.

If Cheng Zhanya wanted a second baby someday, she could bear that burden.

“Yes.”

Lin Hanbing agreed without hesitation.

Now it was Cheng Zhanya’s turn to be stunned. She recovered with a smile. “It’s a deal then.”

“I’ll give birth to the big sister.”

“You give birth to the little sister.”

“Mm.”

Cheng Zhanya released Lin Hanbing and prepared for her afternoon nap.

Her phone buzzed with a social media notification—from Xiao Xiao.

Since starting her maternity leave, Cheng Zhanya hadn’t seen Xiao Xiao in person. They only chatted occasionally.

She opened the message.

Xiao Xiao had gone to a comic con recently and snapped a bunch of fun photos.

Cheng Zhanya was a homebody who had never been to one. The shares piqued her interest.

She scrolled through the pictures, examining each one closely.

Several featured Xiao Xiao posing with anime cosplayers. Xiao Xiao’s eyes were crinkled shut in delight—she looked thrilled.

Her finger paused on the very last image.

Lin Hanbing immediately noticed the change in her wife. Her gaze flicked to the screen to see what had caught her attention.

“What’s wrong?”

She leaned in for a proper look.

The photo showed a colorful comic page in a style all too familiar—protagonists from Cheng Zhanya’s own “My Daily Life with My Wife.”

The two figures stood one behind the other, dressed in matching outfits of white and black. Obvious couple attire.

This was Cheng Zhanya’s artwork.