She heaved a sigh of relief when she learned that Old Master Lu wasnât and wouldnât be around in the near future. Things would get awkward otherwise.
Once she got home, she began searching for food. Lu Yi was speechless.
He hunkered down before Yan Huan. âLetâs stop eating, alright? You just had three buns, remember?â
Yan Huan shook her head in defiance. She couldnât sleep when she was hungry. Couldnât he hear her stomach growling?
It was begging for sustenance.
Lu Yi regarded her piteous appearance, and heard the thunderous rumble of her tummy. To be frank, he was beginning to miss those days when he fattened Yan Huan up. These days, he was constantly in fear that Yan Huan would eat too much; if the babies got too big, she would be in danger. He Yibin had proposed a preterm operative delivery on the seventh month to reduce the risk, but the twins would be very light if they werenât given enough time to mature, which makes survival hard. Lu Yi was caught between a rock and a hard place.
In the end, he asked the nanny to fix a quick meal for her. When she was full and rested, he would bring her to the hospital again and ask for He Yibinâs advice.
The tasty meal and comfort of a familiar place made Yan Huan relaxed and comfortable. The room she was in was large and had a good view.
After the meal, Yan Huan proceeded to her usual activity: sleeping.
She entered the room, which had been tidied up and refilled with new blankets and pillows. She picked up the blanket and gave it a sniff. It smelt like the sun.
âIt smells so good!â She burrowed beneath the blanket and fell asleep shortly.
Soon, Lu Yi opened the door gently and sat down by the bed to adjust her blanket. Her ruddy face didnât show any signs of illness, but theyâll have to see the report to be sure.
He hoped that everything was normal, for the two children to survive. Otherwise, he wouldnât know what to do. For the first time in his life, the decisive Inspector Lu was plagued by indecision. Until now, he firmly believed that every problem had its solution. Yet as it turned out, even the great Inspector Lu had problems he couldnât deal with calmly and rationally.
At a time like this, he was as helpless and powerless as anyone.
Yan Huan woke up in the afternoon and ate a bunch of things (as usual) before letting Lu Yi take her to the hospital. Lu Yi didnât stop her from snacking on the way, because he knew she was only doing it to calm her nerves. She was scared.
In the hospital, they used a special passageway and didnât run into anyone.
The obstetrician was amazed when she saw Yan Huan.
âHow did your belly get this big?â she walked over and caressed Yan Huanâs belly. âLooks like the two little fellas are doing good. They should be quite heavy now.â
âCome, letâs proceed with the check-up.â The obstetrician had a kindly face that naturally put people at ease. That made Yan Huan a lot less nervous. She might have cried if it had been someone with a stern, angular visage like Lu Yi.
âLetâs take a look at the babies,â cooed the obstetrician as she shifted the apparatus to Yan Huanâs belly.
âSuch fast growth! They were little beans just one month ago. Mhm. They are growing well. Listen to their strong heartbeats! These are fierce lads.â
Yan Huan knew she had male twins when she heard the word âladsâ. It made her a little disappointed, if truth be told. She had hoped for a girl; the daughter from her previous life.
He Yibin conferred with some obstetricians, before bringing Lu Yi a piece of relatively good news.
âThey arenât exerting that much pressure at the moment, and she can still handle their weight. We have to prolong the pregnancy as much as possible. Bring her here again in half a month. Weâll work out a way if the babies get too heavy.â
âAlso,â He Yibin emphasized. âDonât let her eat to her heartâs desire and just give her the necessary nutrition. If she eats too much and the babies get too big, both mother and children would be in danger. The longer we can prolong the pregnancy, the better.â
Lu Yi made a mental note of He Yibinâs counsel. As he had suspected, he couldnât let Yan Huan overeat.
âRemember not to overeat in the future,â said Lu Yi. It made his heartache to tell her that. Other women get to eat whatever they want during their pregnancy, yet Yan Huan who carried twins had to watch her diet and control her appetite.
âBut Iâm hungry,â complained Yan Huan. Hunger came easily since she got pregnant. Life would be miserable if she doesnât eat.
âBear with it,â said Lu Yi. He made her follow He Yibinâs dietary advice to ensure nutrition and minimize food intake. Farewell to the midnight meals.
On the first day, Yan Huan tossed and turned before giving in to hunger. She got up stealthily, put on slippers, and sneaked into the kitchen. However, there wasnât even an egg to be found in the fridge. She would have been content with even a cold pancake.
Knowing that Yan Huan might give in to temptations, and himself to her, Lu Yi had removed every edible object from the house. There wasnât even milk, only water.
Yan Huan foraged like a little mouse at length, but found nothing edible. In the end, with tears rolling down her eyes, she settled for water.
Lu Yi was actually aware of Yan Huanâs midnight adventures, but what could he do other than watch her fool her tummy with water?