Courtyard Houses: Starting with Li Yunlong's Comrades-in-Arms

In another guest room not far away on the same floor, Liu Shuanzhu and Wang Xiuhe were also awake. They lay side-by-side on the bed, staring at the dark ceiling, neither of them speaking.

After a long silence, Liu Shuanzhu broke the silence first: "Mother, these past two days I've felt that although Yuheng has become a high-ranking official, he's still just my son, no different from anyone else. At most, the old neighbors are a little more polite when they meet. But after meeting his three comrades-in-arms today, I truly understand... Yuheng's current status is indeed extraordinary."

Wang Xiuhe nodded in the darkness, her voice filled with the same emotion: "Me too. When I saw Yu Heng before, I didn't think he was anything special. He was still like that mischievous kid who ran away from his hometown. But today, when his three comrades sat there, each of them looked like a general. They spoke and acted with such authority. Just standing next to them, I felt my heart beat faster."

She was silent for a moment, then said, "You mean, how do the people in the compound usually view Yu Heng? Is that the same feeling we have towards his comrades today?"

Liu Shuanzhu was silent for a moment, then replied in a low voice, "Probably." He didn't say anything more, and the room fell silent again.

Each lost in their own thoughts, they eventually drifted off to sleep.

......

Time flies faster than expected. The end of October slipped through our fingers, and November, with its cool breeze, steadily unfolded.

That afternoon, Liu Yuheng was engrossed in his work when the black phone on his desk suddenly rang. He picked up the receiver, and Yao Qingwan's voice came from the other end, her tone a bit lighter than usual: "Come home early after get off work today, don't work overtime."

Liu Yuheng was taken aback and put down his pen: "What's wrong? What happened?"

Yao Qingwan paused for a second on the other end of the phone, as if considering her words, and then said, "Just come back soon," with an undisguised smile in her tone.

Liu Yuheng was about to press for more information when the call ended. He listened to the dial tone for a few seconds, then put the receiver back, leaned back in his chair, and several thoughts raced through his mind. Yao Qingwan's voice sounded quite happy, not like anything bad had happened. So what could it be…? He suddenly sat up straight, his heart pounding as if struck by something, followed by an overwhelming surge of excitement.

He glanced down at the unfinished documents on his desk, then at the clock on the wall; there was still more than an hour until he could leave work. He took a deep breath and forced himself to pick up his pen again, but the words just kept flashing before his eyes, and he couldn't concentrate on them at all.

Finally, it was time to leave work, and Liu Yuheng was almost the first to stand up. He quickly put on his coat, went downstairs, told the driver waiting at the gate, "Go straight home," and got into the back seat.

The car drove through the streets of the capital in the twilight, the streetlights outside the window lighting up one by one, their orange glow sliding across the glass. Liu Yuheng leaned back in his seat, his hands unconsciously gripping the fabric on his knees, his heart beating faster than usual.

When the car stopped at the entrance of the North City compound, Liu Yuheng practically jumped out. He strode into the building, pushed open the door, and saw Yao Qingwan sitting on the sofa in the living room, holding a glass of water. Her expression was calm with a slight smile, and she raised an eyebrow slightly when she saw his hurried manner.

Liu Yuheng rushed over to her, sat down on the sofa next to her, and then, feeling that the distance wasn't close enough, he squatted down in front of her, looking up at her with an undisguised urgency in his voice: "What happened? You didn't explain things clearly on the phone, and I haven't been able to concentrate on my work all afternoon."

Seeing his nervous expression, Yao Qingwan's smile deepened, and she deliberately asked slowly, "Tell me first, what did you guess?"

Liu Yuheng asked, his voice trembling slightly, "Are you pregnant?"

Yao Qingwan didn't beat around the bush, nodding with a gentle certainty in her voice: "Yes. I went to the hospital for a checkup this afternoon."

Liu Yuheng froze. He squatted there, looking up at Yao Qingwan, speechless for several seconds. Then, a surge of warmth welled up from the bottom of his heart. He suddenly stood up, opening his arms to hug her, but then hesitated, afraid of pressing on her stomach. His movement froze in mid-air, finally turning into a hearty laugh: "Haha... I, Liu Yuheng, have a child too!"

Yao Qingwan was both amused and exasperated by his behavior, and pushed him gently, saying, "Keep your voice down, the neighbors can hear you."

Liu Yuheng then toned it down a bit, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his face. He squatted down again, placing his hands on Yao Qingwan's knees, his gaze sweeping back and forth between her face and abdomen several times. His voice suddenly softened considerably: "How are you feeling? Are you feeling unwell? Should I ask you to take a day off tomorrow so you can rest at home for a few days?"

Yao Qingwan rolled her eyes at him: "What are you thinking? Your sister-in-law is over four months pregnant and still working at the counter of the supply and marketing cooperative. I just got pregnant and there's nothing wrong with me. I don't need to ask for leave."

Liu Yuheng was still a little worried, and said, "Should I have my mother come over to help take care of it? Or your mother can come over too."

Yao Qingwan shook her head: "No need. Let's wait until I'm further along in my pregnancy. My sister-in-law will be due soon, and Mom will definitely have to take care of her first. I'll have my mom come and help then."

Liu Yuheng thought about it and felt that the arrangement was reasonable, so he nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to you. I'll go tell my parents tomorrow, and then I'll tell my parents-in-law."

Yao Qingwan nodded and took another sip of water. Liu Yuheng sat beside her for a while, then couldn't help but ask, "I'll pick you up from get off work from now on, so you don't have to ride your bicycle anymore."

Yao Qingwan put down her water glass and looked at him: "You don't always get off work on time. Sometimes you're so busy that you don't come back until dark. By the time I wait for you to pick me up, it's already dark. It's convenient for me to ride a bicycle, and it's not far."

Liu Yuheng wanted to say something, but seeing her determined expression, he could only nod and say, "Alright then, but ride slowly, don't rush."

"I understand." Yao Qingwan stood up and took two steps toward the bedroom. Liu Yuheng quickly followed and reached out to help her arm.

Yao Qingwan turned around and glared at him, annoyed by his cautious movements: "Alright, it's not like I'm about to give birth, why are you making such a fuss?"

Liu Yuheng awkwardly withdrew his hand, scratched the back of his head, and muttered to himself: Although this is my second time living in this world, having my own child is a first for me. What experience do I have to draw upon?