Chapter 19.1

Qin Nanshan felt something strike his heart, leaving a small hollow that filled with softness.

He hesitated for a few moments and carefully confirmed, “Is it all right?”

Wen Yi’s face was red, but her words showed no concern. “It is not as if you have never touched me before. What is there to be shy about? Besides, you are the baby’s father. You have this right.”

“All right.”

His hand, which had been resting on the thin pajamas, moved further. When skin met skin, Wen Yi’s heart trembled slightly.

The room temperature was not low, and it was even warmer under the covers, yet his palm was hotter still. Wherever it went, scorching ripples rose one after another.

The feeling was mysterious. The three of them seemed tightly joined together. Gene, blood, and awareness all awakened. They were inseparable.

He truly seemed to want to feel something. He stayed quietly on her lower abdomen, his gaze fixed intensely on her.

The already handsome man grew even more dazzling under the radiance of maternal light. His brows, eyes, and nose looked as if God had carved them by hand. Little deer leapt and shouted inside Wen Yi. Her daughter was definitely someone who cared about looks. Otherwise how could she have chosen such a father for herself?

Their gazes grew hotter. Someone’s breathing turned heavy.

Wen Yi wondered whether a fire had broken out outside. Otherwise why was the bedroom so stuffy and hot that even breathing became difficult?

She secretly tightened her fingers on the sheets, swallowed, and asked with difficulty, “Is there anything?”

Qin Nanshan gently shook his head. “No.”

“Then the baby is probably asleep.”

“Mm.” He withdrew his hand, pulled her pajamas back into place, then tucked in the corner of the quilt. His tone carried a slight ease of finally finishing the matter. “Sleep.”

He walked back to the other side. The mattress sank. The familiar scent wrapped around her again. Tonight it was especially strong and heated, pressing on her.

Wen Yi spent a long time calming her mood before settling accounts. “Qin Nanshan, do you sometimes live too rationally?”

Qin Nanshan understood what she meant and reflected seriously. “Yes. Before I met you I always lived in a world that contained only reason.”

“You mean my arrival made you become more emotional?”

“No. It is only that the way of thinking needs to change when facing you.”

“…” Wen Yi truly did not know whether to praise him for being direct or simply direct, or still direct. She laughed. “Is this a good thing or a bad thing?”

“A good thing.” Qin Nanshan turned to look at her. “It is quite interesting this way.”

Wen Yi curved her lips. This could still make up for him.

“How is it interesting?”

He thought for a while and answered seriously. “I cannot explain it clearly.”

“…”

She no longer played riddles with him. “I feel that work already makes people use a lot of brain and heart. At home I do not want to hear big principles, professional terms, or professional knowledge. I want things a bit lighter and simpler. Is that all right?”

“It is all right.”

“Except for special situations that need discussion together.”

“All right.”

“Do you have any demands of me?”

Qin Nanshan said, “I have no demands. Things are very good now.”

“I have some.”

“What?”

Once was unfamiliar, twice was familiar. Wen Yi’s face was no longer red. Her brows and eyes curved. She opened the drawer beside her, took out a bottle of pregnancy oil, and said with great seriousness, “Help me apply pregnancy oil.”

Her lower abdomen had only just begun to show a little, and stretch marks had not appeared yet. But the mothers in the group said the earlier one applied pregnancy oil the better. She was already considered late.

Qin Nanshan had clearly never heard of something called “pregnancy oil.” He took the bottle and stood frozen in place.

Wen Yi urged him, “Hurry up. Apply it and then sleep.”

The novice father raised a question. “How do I apply it?”

Wen Yi had no choice but to find a tutorial online for him. Qin Nanshan looked through it once while holding her hand, then took it himself and looked through it again. After finishing, his gaze moved to her. “Are there any points to pay attention to?”

“None. Just be gentle.”

“Mm.”

He went out to wash his hands, came back, turned on the light, and sat on the bed again.

Wen Yi had already enthusiastically thrown open the quilt. Qin Nanshan stared at the patterns on the pajamas for more than ten seconds, then carefully rolled the pajamas up to below her chest.

Earlier he had only felt under the covers. This time it was exposed under the light. Wen Yi pinched her palm and her lashes trembled slightly.

“Is it rather strange?”

Qin Nanshan knew what she was referring to. It was indeed strange. Clearly he had already seen it during the ultrasound, yet looking at it again now, his heart felt marvelous, with a feeling he could not put into words.

He said, “It is very miraculous.”

How could a little life be living inside?

Wen Yi pressed her lips together. “Begin.”

Qin Nanshan followed the video. He first poured oil into his palm, rubbed it warm, then covered her lower abdomen.

Unlike the earlier preparation, the sudden touch without warning made Wen Yi let out an “ah.”

The tone was soft and charming. Both of them froze at the same time.

The indoor space that had only just calmed down quietly heated up again.

In the end Wen Yi was the first to turn her face away. “Continue…”

Qin Nanshan nodded. His palm covered her belly again, spreading from bottom to top, then gently massaging until it was absorbed.

Wen Yi sometimes watched his technique, sometimes watched his side profile. Her heart gradually relaxed.

The man’s expression was meticulous, slightly tense, as if he were doing something serious and solemn. His attention was extremely focused.

She tested calling softly, “Qin Nanshan?”

No response.

No wonder Xia Tian had to save him.

After finishing, Qin Nanshan finally turned his head and said gently, “Is that enough?”

There were still the chest and thighs to apply, but Wen Yi decided to let him off. “Enough.”

He put the oil back on the nightstand, pulled her clothes down, covered her with the quilt, and went out to wash his hands.

Wen Yi waited until he returned and asked, “Qin Nanshan, if I get stretch marks, will you mind me?”

Before pregnancy Wen Yi had only heard of what stretch marks were. Later she joined a few mothers’ groups. The mothers shared photos of their abdomens after giving birth and talked about how after getting these their husbands no longer wanted to touch them. Wen Yi frowned as she looked and felt complicated emotions. That very day she ordered pregnancy oil.

Stretch marks were not something shameful, and it was not that she worried whether Qin Nanshan would touch her or not. It was that a woman who maintained a refined image could not allow such a disharmonious existence on her body.

He did not think much. “I will not.”

Wen Yi did not believe it, and also felt her question was unnecessary. A man’s nature could not withstand speculation or trust.

But overall, Qin Nanshan’s performance tonight was acceptable. She was very satisfied.

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

The lights on both sides went out. The bedroom was dim. The faint scent of aloe essential oil from the pregnancy oil lingered for a long time.

…

On Monday Wen Yi headed to her new post and Qin Nanshan started school. The two of them rarely left together. Wen Yi leaned close like Xia Tian to smell the scent on him. Sure enough, he had just showered.

Some people were still dreaming sweetly in bed while others already possessed a full and beautiful morning. Wen Yi encouraged him, “You have to exercise well. Otherwise when our daughter is a teenager you will be carrying a big belly.”

Qin Nanshan did not pay much attention. He handed her the bag from the entrance cabinet. “I am not sure whether I will have something in the evening. I will contact you then.”

Wen Yi said, “No need to contact. I am treating new colleagues to dinner tonight. Handle yourself.”

“All right.”

They went downstairs and parted ways.

In a few days Wen Yi had already adjusted. Any change was not falling off a cliff but a new starting point for climbing upward. If she did not have the courage to burn her boats, she would not obtain a new situation that continued the past and opened the future.

The past two days of study made her no longer look down on any functional department. She only felt the pressure on her was heavy and full of challenges.

The human resources department simply held a welcome ceremony for her with more than twenty people of all sizes. Shen City was Newan’s headquarters base and also where COE and SSC were located. The other research and production bases as well as the various regional business centers were equipped with corresponding numbers of HRBPs. Wen Yi’s ability was still insufficient, so she only coordinated the business BP work in Shen City.

After the welcome ceremony the HR director Lily specially held a meeting to introduce the overall HR work to her. Lily had naturally heard of the capable general from the marketing department. Work ability was the first skill a workplace person should possess. Wen Yi’s ability had long been reflected in every year’s performance reports. With more than ten years of HR work experience, she welcomed Wen Yi’s joining with both hands raised.

This meeting hid Lily’s private intention. She wanted to personally lead her into the new post.

But she clearly underestimated Wen Yi.

Wen Yi had been at Newan for six years and was middle management. She could not possibly not know Newan’s HR structure. Yet when she accurately stated the meaning of every abbreviation, the work arrangements under each function, and the work content she was about to take over, Lily’s intuition told her that placing this person here was a loss.

The meeting lasted only half an hour. Lily kept her alone.

Wen Yi sat on the reception sofa, posture upright and elegant, face refined, carrying the unique elegant charm of a Jiangnan girl. The silk shirt on her was loose, and her lower abdomen already showed a slight rise visible to the naked eye.

At previous private gatherings, the high-level people from the business side had felt regret over her marriage and pregnancy. Lily, who had done HR for many years, instead felt that women after having children were at the critical period for career rise.

In pharmaceutical foreign companies at the middle level, headhunters dug frequently. When Director Li discussed the transfer with her she had actually prepared for Wen Yi to leave. But Wen Yi did not leave. From then on Lily looked at her even higher.

She had to think of a way to keep this person. After weighing for a moment, Lily asked with a pleasant expression, “How many weeks pregnant?”

This was the first time anyone had asked how many weeks since the pregnancy news was announced. Wen Yi lowered a bit of her guard and responded, “Seventeen weeks.”

“Then it is roughly stable.” Lily estimated for a while. “That means the due date is in July?”

“Yes.”

Lily smiled. “What a coincidence. My daughter was also born in July.”

Wen Yi was delighted. “Really? How old is the baby this year?”

“Just started primary school. Very lively.”

“Girls are good. I also want a girl.”

The two of them started warmly. Lily turned to the main topic. “Wen Yi, I understand your situation, but coming to us is the new beginning of your career.”

“In recent years the economic situation has been changeable. I do not need to say more. You should have deep feelings about it. Newan is rapidly transforming and laying out, including the new departments already launched and the organizational structure adjustments we will handle next. Human capital naturally needs corresponding adjustments, especially middle and high-level leaders. Therefore cultivating leaders with different backgrounds and experience is currently important work.”

“Wen Yi, can you understand what I mean?”