Leonid noticed that Ren Zhouyuan had been acting strange all day. He wondered if it was because he had made fun of him for gaining weight the day before and if Ren Zhouyuan was still holding a grudge. But looking at his expressions, it didn’t seem like that. Sometimes Ren Zhouyuan would space out, and at other times he would look down and smile, as if possessed.
At night, Leonid lay in bed with his arms open, waiting for Ren Zhouyuan to snuggle up to him. But after waiting for a while with his eyes closed, the expected warmth did not come. He opened his eyes to find Ren Zhouyuan facing away from him, already asleep.
Leonid’s face darkened instantly. He wondered if he had laughed too loudly the other day and really hurt Ren Zhouyuan’s feelings. He cautiously rolled over and moved closer, but as soon as he placed his hand on Ren Zhouyuan’s waist, it was swatted away.
“Darling…” Leonid muttered, his voice carrying a hint of grievance as he stared at the back of Ren Zhouyuan’s head, hoping he would turn around and look at him.
Ren Zhouyuan wasn’t actually asleep. He had spent most of the day in a daze, debating whether to tell Leonid the news but unsure how to start. After closely following the instructions on the pregnancy test and seeing one dark line and one faint line, he knew the chances of being pregnant were high, but he feared it might be a false alarm.
They had hoped for this child for over six months. Although Leonid always acted nonchalant and comforted him, Ren Zhouyuan knew how much he secretly yearned for it. They had several false alarms over the months, where Leonid had mistakenly thought Ren Zhouyuan’s morning sickness was due to pregnancy, only to find out it was just a minor stomach issue.
So this time, Ren Zhouyuan didn’t want to raise Leonid’s hopes too high. He decided to ask Zheng Bo to check him out before sharing the news. Despite trying to remain cautious, he felt a persistent voice in his heart telling him this time was different. He was careful, protecting this fragile hope, fearing anything might go wrong.
He didn’t respond to Leonid, pretending to be asleep. He heard Leonid sigh behind him and felt him move closer. This time, Leonid didn’t try to hug him, but just pressed his back against Ren Zhouyuan’s. Relaxing into the warmth, Ren Zhouyuan fell asleep.
The next day, Ren Zhouyuan planned to arrange a visit to Zheng Bo. However, Leonid was constantly hovering around, trying to make amends for the previous day’s joke, making it difficult for Ren Zhouyuan to find a moment alone. Frustrated, he almost snapped at Leonid to stop following him.
What should have been a joyful situation became stressful because they were not on the same wavelength, leading to various misunderstandings. Ren Zhouyuan decided to seek help from Daria, explaining everything quickly over the phone.
As a mother of two, Daria understood his situation and agreed to help. Ren Zhouyuan didn’t know what method she used, but the next day, Leonid stopped following him and seemed a bit anxious. Although curious, Ren Zhouyuan had more important matters to attend to and didn’t dwell on it.
Finally, Ren Zhouyuan had some free time and called Zheng Bo, who guessed the reason for the call and arranged an appointment for that afternoon.
Feeling anxious during the series of tests, Ren Zhouyuan’s heart pounded. When Zheng Bo received the results, Ren Zhouyuan stared at the report, barely hearing Zheng Bo’s words through the rush of blood in his ears.
Zheng Bo smiled and spoke to Ren Zhouyuan, who eventually comprehended the words, “This time, I think I can congratulate you. Congratulations, you’re going to be a father again.”
Tears welled up in Ren Zhouyuan’s eyes. He struggled to hold them back as he shook Zheng Bo’s hand, the emotions flooding through his grip.
Despite preparing himself mentally, the confirmation still overwhelmed him. He hurried home, eager to share the news with Leonid.
Meanwhile, Leonid received an unusual call from Daria, who rarely contacted him directly. When he heard that Anatoly was in trouble and Alexei wasn’t around, he rushed over, only to find it was a minor issue. Although puzzled, he was relieved.
Returning home, Leonid found Ren Zhouyuan missing. When Ren Zhouyuan came back, he found Leonid waiting with a questioning look. All the words he had prepared were stuck in his throat.
Leonid wanted to ask where Ren Zhouyuan had been but felt he had been too controlling recently and didn’t want to cause more tension. Ren Zhouyuan wanted to share the pregnancy news but felt awkward after their recent cold war, unsure how to break the silence.
They spent the afternoon in mutual frustration, unable to speak. Even the drive to pick up An An from school was filled with an awkward silence, contrasting with the lively scene outside.
Feeling unhappy, Ren Zhouyuan turned to look at Leonid, only to find him already staring. His heart softened, and he reached out his hand.
Leonid immediately took it, their fingers intertwining, silently bridging the emotional gap.
The awkwardness dissipated, and everything felt right again. Ren Zhouyuan, feeling nervous, gently tugged on Leonid’s hand, then placed it on his stomach.
Meeting Leonid’s surprised eyes, Ren Zhouyuan smiled and said the words he had rehearsed so many times—
“Big Papa, please take care of us in the future.”
As the school bell rang, students poured out of the gate. An An spotted their car and, after pointing it out to the teacher, ran toward them with his backpack.
Ren Zhouyuan glanced at the smiling Leonid and then at An An running toward them. He felt an unprecedented sense of contentment.
A family of four, a complete home—finally.
Author’s Note:
Yes, you’re seeing it right, “Carrying the Ball” has concluded! Thank you to all the lovely angels who have followed the story this far. You’re the best!
Although there’s a lot I want to say, I’ll hold off for now because we still have the extra chapter about their second child. Here’s a little teaser:
Daily Life Short Snippet:
Leonid: A family of four. See how good my Chinese has gotten!
Ren Zhouyuan: What if… it’s not just four of us?
Leonid: ???
That’s a little sneak peek of the extra chapter!
Discover more from Shy shy shy
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
