My Youth Began With Him

They had been together long enough that Huo Mian could now predict a lot of what was going on in his mind. So, she skipped the process of asking questions and just let Qin Chu lead the way.

Soon, they arrived at a GK-owned Chinese restaurant in the heart of downtown.

After arriving on the top floor, the manager guided them through a long hallway. “Come with me, Mr. and Mrs. Qin.”

“Are they here?” Qin Chu asked nonchalantly.

“They’re waiting for you inside,” the manager responded with a smile.

“Okay.” Qin Chu nodded. As they arrived outside the door, he stopped in his tracks and asked Huo Mian, “Do you know who’s in there?”

The latter shook her head.

“Why don’t you find out?”

With that, Huo Mian gently pushed open the door, and shrieked in excitement when she saw who “they” were.

“Rick, Xixi!” She ran up to them despite her large belly. Xixi, who was pregnant herself, immediately shot up to give Huo Mian a giant bear hug.

Qin Chu sat down next to Rick with a smile on his face. “How was your flight?”

“Good.”

Rick was the only person in the world who spoke less than Qin Chu. He rarely made small talk and was always to the point.

“Xixi, you’re about to pop, aren’t you?” Huo Mian looked at Xixi’s belly, which was almost as big as her own.

“Mhm, my due date is right after yours.”

“That’s amazing! Isn’t it a lot for your body to ride a plane so close to your third trimester? How are you supposed to go back?” Huo Mian was experienced in OB/GYN, so she knew that pregnant women weren’t supposed to be on a plane during their third trimester in case something happened during the flight due to turbulence or pressure.

She was surprised that Xixi and Rick flew all the way from the U.S. – that was a 12-hour flight!

“I don’t plan on leaving this time, I want to give birth here.”

“What?” Huo Mian exclaimed in surprise. She looked over at Rick, assuming that Xixi was joking.

“China is a medically advanced country in a lot of ways. Plus, I’m always travelling around so I don’t want to leave her alone. She has more friends here anyways.”

“That’s awesome!” Huo Mian grabbed Xixi’s hand, elated by their news. “Have you decided how you want to give birth?”

“I want to give birth naturally. I’m still young and I exercise a lot… I even do pregnant yoga… so it makes more sense to go through natural birth.”

“Damn, you’re still so young, I’m like a high-risk pregnant lady.” Huo Mian laughed as she patted her chest.

“Mian, are you going to have a C-section?”

“I’m not sure yet, we’ll have to see.” Huo Mian had been wondering the same thing.

Halfway through lunch, Xixi and Huo Mian went to the washroom, leaving Qin Chu and Rick alone inside the private room.

Qin Chu toyed with Rick’s lighter as he asked in a low voice, “How are things in the States? Tense?”

The fact that Rick brought his wife and unborn child back to China meant that things were bad in the U.S.

“Yeah.”

“Do you need help?”

“Not yet, but I will ask if I need it.”

“How long do you plan on staying?” Qin Chu tilted his head.

“Two or three days, I need to go to Colombia afterwards to check on the merchandise.”

“Don’t you have enemies in Colombia?”

“I do, so I actually do need a favor for you. Can you ask Lu Yan to make a shipment for me?”

“You want Yan’s help?” Qin Chu was surprised; Rick rarely asked him for help, let alone others. So why was he asking for Lu Yan’s help all of a sudden? Did he wake up on the wrong side of bed this morning?