The voluptuous and beautiful nanny, Technician Shen fell for her.

"Smack."

Shen Huai slammed his chopsticks down on the table with a crisp sound.

He stretched out his long arm and naturally wrapped it around Su Nianhe's slender waist, completely protecting her in his arms.

"No need to investigate," Shen Huai said, his voice deep and undisguisedly protective of his own.

Liu Huizhen frowned, about to adopt a motherly demeanor and continue her lecture.

"She's perfectly healthy." Shen Huai cut her off directly, without beating around the bush. "No need to investigate, it's me who has the problem."

The dinner table was unusually quiet.

Shen Huai remained unfazed, taking full responsibility and spouting nonsense with an air of self-righteousness: "I suffered a work injury while adjusting machines in the textile factory workshop, which damaged my health. The doctor said it would be difficult for me to have children, and I kept it a secret from you because I was afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it."

These words struck like a bolt from the blue in the restaurant of Building No. 2.

Wang Liping dropped the half-eaten chicken bone on the table, her mouth agape for a long time.

Liu Huizhen's well-maintained face was completely stripped bare, her lips trembled, and her composed demeanor collapsed entirely.

Shen Wanshan had just picked up the enamel mug when his hand trembled, and hot water splashed onto the back of his hand, but he didn't even bother to wipe it off.

Old Shen, being hard of hearing, tilted his head and asked, "What? What award did Xiao Huai win in the workshop?"

Grandma Shen heard it all clearly.

The old lady had long disliked Liu Huizhen and Wang Liping putting on airs at home every day, and now she slammed her hand on the table.

"Even eating can't shut your mouths!" Old Mrs. Shen pointed at Liu Huizhen and Wang Liping and started cursing, her voice full of vigor. "Who are you trying to bring bad luck to during the New Year! Xiao Huai is out there working himself to the bone to make big money, and you two are at home acting like tyrants! You can't even think of anything good, and all you do is stare at other people's wives' bellies all day long!"

The old lady unleashed her fury, and even Shen Tao, who was trying to smooth things over, was severely scolded.

"And you! You always pretend to be deaf and dumb, letting your wife stir up trouble in this house!" Old Mrs. Shen grabbed a handful of peanut shells and threw them in front of Shen Tao. "Xiao Huai was injured at work and you still have to force him like this? Do you want to tear this house apart?!"

Even her son, Old Mrs. Shen, wasn't spared. "If you can't even control your daughter-in-law, how can you manage such a big city like Jiang City?"

The living room was in complete chaos.

Wang Liping shrank back and dared not utter a sound after being scolded, Liu Huizhen clutched her chest and gasped for breath, and Shen Wanshan looked unwell.

On the surface, the atmosphere was tense, but under the table, Shen Huai's large hand held Su Nianhe's soft little hand.

He gently pinched her knuckles with his fingertips, trying to soothe her emotions.

The New Year's Eve dinner ended hastily.

Shen Wanshan was extremely anxious and immediately called Shen Huai into the study.

"What exactly happened with your workplace injury? When did you get injured? Tomorrow I'll have Secretary Zhou contact the experts in the province!" Shen Wanshan paced back and forth behind his desk.

Shen Huai stood in front of the desk, wearing a neat black woolen overcoat, his figure upright.

"No need to see a specialist, it can't be cured." Shen Huai told the lie to the end, without even bothering to prepare a draft.

He looked at Shen Wanshan and made his stance clear.

"Don't bother Nianhe with this kind of thing anymore. Liu Huizhen and Wang Liping always have this attitude, so I'll come back less often. I'll have Li Tiejun deliver things for holidays, so there's no need for us to get together."

Shen Wanshan was so angry that he blew his beard and glared at his son, pointing at him for a long time without being able to say a word, but he couldn't do anything about his youngest son.

Shen Huai didn't linger and pushed open the study door to walk out.

He took Su Nianhe's coat from the coat rack and wrapped her up tightly. Apart from Old Mrs. Shen and Old Mr. Shen, he didn't even greet the people in the living room before leading her out to the car.

The car drove out of the municipal party committee compound and into the snowy night.

Back at No. 103 Nanqiao Road.

The courtyard was quiet. The coal stove in the main room, which had been shut off during the day, still retained some warmth.

Shen Huai closed the door and bolted it shut.

Su Nianhe took off her coat and hung it on the bamboo rattan chair.

She turned around, her eyes still a little red, and tugged at Shen Huai's coat sleeve.

"Why did you curse yourself at the dinner table just now?" Her voice was soft and gentle, filled with confusion and heartache.

Shen Huai took off his black wool coat, revealing a white shirt and gray sweater underneath.

He walked over, stretched out his long arm, and pulled her into his embrace. His chin rested on the top of her head, inhaling the pleasant, sweet fruity scent emanating from her.

"I didn't curse myself." Shen Huai's large hand slid down her back, pulling her closer to him. "I don't want a child to take away your attention. One child is enough for me."

Su Nianhe was so breathless from his embrace that she pressed her hands against his hard chest.

"But you can't say you were injured at work, or your sister-in-law will laugh at you behind your back." She was still defending him.

Shen Huai chuckled softly, the vibrations from his chest traveling through their skin.

"Let her laugh at me, it's not like I'm going to lose a piece of my flesh." Shen Huai pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed and let her straddle his lap.

He pinched her fair earlobe with his fingers and patiently explained to her.

"Times are changing, and the outside world seems more open, but it's always harsh on women. Once a woman gets married, no matter how much money she earns, her elders will always be focused on her belly."

Shen Huai looked into her eyes and spoke clearly, every word he uttered.

"After the Lunar New Year, I will have to go to the Special Economic Zone to oversee the project. My work will become increasingly busy, and it will be the norm for me to be away from home for ten days to half a month at a time. If I just tell my family that I don't want children, they simply won't listen."

His fingers slid down her neck.

"I can't guarantee that when I'm away on business in the Special Economic Zone, Mom won't secretly come to Nanqiao Road, use her mother-in-law authority to pressure you, and force you to drink those weird folk remedies. If she makes you suffer behind my back, I can't protect you immediately."

Shen Huai cupped her face in his hands and gently rubbed her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

"So, they just took the blame on me, saying it was a health problem. If they were in a hurry, they would be asking me to get checked out. This is the cleanest and most efficient way. It cuts off their hopes at the root, so no one will have an excuse to bother you about having children in the future."

Hearing these words, Su Nianhe felt all the grievances in her heart turn into a sour feeling.

She knew that Shen Huai was always proud and a man who wouldn't allow anyone to question him.

But in order for her to live comfortably in this era of strict rules, he even used his dignity, which is the most important thing for a man, as a shield.

She stretched out her two fair arms and hugged his neck tightly, burying her face in the warm crook of his neck.

"Shen Huai, you're so good to me." Her voice trembled, with a heavy nasal tone.

Shen Huai let her hug him.

He turned his head and kissed the corner of her reddened eye.

"Is this all you call good?" Shen Huai's large hand slipped under the hem of her sweater, pinching the soft flesh of her waist. "Your mind is full of abacuses and assembly lines; I'm even jealous of those machines. If another little one comes along and clings to you every day, will I have any standing in this family?"

Su Nianhe shrank back as he pinched her, tickling her and trying to escape.

Shen Huai didn't let go; he picked the person up and carried them to the washbasin stand.

He wrung out a hot towel with one hand and carefully wiped her face. The warm towel felt very comfortable on her skin.

"I've been wronged today." Shen Huai threw the towel back into the basin, his tone heavy. "From now on, we'll celebrate holidays on our own and stop going back to the compound to listen to their gossip."

Su Nianhe nodded obediently, her nose brushing against his chin.

"Then let's buy some firecrackers tomorrow and set them off in the yard ourselves." She began to plan for tomorrow.

"Okay, buy the biggest one."

Shen Huai carried her back to the bedside and pressed her directly into the large red peony quilt.

The man's body heat emanated through his gray sweater.

He covered her with the blanket, hugged her, and gently patted her back, knowing she had been upset that night, like comforting a child.

Su Nianhe closed her eyes and snuggled into his arms.