OFTLHFRO C162

Chapter 162 – A Few Skewers, Is That It?

“No way! Sister-in-law is really pregnant?”

Overjoyed, Luo Mingchen put down his skewer and hurried over. “Such wonderful news—why didn’t you say it earlier?”

Hua Niang was equally stunned. Her hand instinctively went to her still-flat stomach, disbelief written all over her face. “I… I’m pregnant?”

Xiao Lin, once he recovered from the shock, blurted out the first thought that crossed his mind. “You’re not just saying that so you can eat more skewers, are you?”

At that, Hua Yaoyue rolled his eyes so hard they could’ve reached the heavens. “Why on earth would I lie about something like this? For what—a few skewers of meat?”

The last line made everyone want to laugh.

After finishing his food, Hua Yaoyue turned to Luo Mingchen and explained, “I didn’t mention it earlier because Hua Niang’s health has always been frail, and her pulse weak. For over a month, I couldn’t be sure. Now that it’s been more than two months and the pulse remains that of joy, I can finally confirm it. Otherwise, wouldn’t it have been a false celebration?”

In truth, the main reason he’d finally spoken up was because Xiao Lin had recently asked when he could share a bed with his wife again.

If he hadn’t told them now, and the couple had decided to resume intimacy—well, a joyous event could easily turn into a tragedy. Huo Yan would have been the first to thrash him, and then question his medical skills on top of it.

Despite the way Huo Yan often teased Xiao Lin and spoke sharply to him, their bond ran far deeper than anyone else’s.

After hearing the explanation, Xiao Lin laughed like a fool, grinning so wide it nearly split his face in half. Trembling with excitement, he reached out, wanting to touch—but didn’t quite dare to.

They had both always loved children dearly, but Xiao Lin had refused to father one with someone he didn’t love. He’d pretended to be indifferent about it, even comforting Hua Niang whenever the topic arose.

Now that they were finally going to have their own child—how could he not be ecstatic?

He was practically giddy with joy.

Watching him, Hua Niang felt both amused and touched. She gently took his hand and said, “It’s only been a little over two months—you can’t feel anything yet.”

Listening from nearby, Luo Mingchen nodded knowingly. At this stage, it was only a tiny embryo, not even formed limbs yet.

Still, even if there was nothing to feel physically, the joy in everyone’s hearts was more than real.

Xiao Lin just kept on smiling like a fool.

Luo Mingchen laughed. “Brother Xiao, congratulations!”

The others followed suit, each offering their cheerful blessings.

Xiao Lin, laughing so hard his eyes nearly disappeared, replied, “Congratulations to all of us!”

His silly grin had everyone laughing.

All of us? Really?

Hua Yaoyue noticed that the skewers on the grill were beginning to burn and reminded them, “Aren’t you going to eat the rest?”

“Eat? Of course eat! Divine Physician Hua, what would you like? I’ll grill it for you myself!”

With that declaration, Hua Yaoyue didn’t bother to be polite. “A few more skewers of meat.”

“You got it!” Xiao Lin cheerfully fetched a chair, carefully seated Hua Niang upon it, then went to prepare more meat.

Meanwhile, Huo Xiang walked over and handed part of his winnings from earlier to Hua Niang. “Aunt Hua, this is for you.”

Hua Niang blinked in confusion. “For me? Why?”

“You have a baby now—you need to earn money to raise them!”

“Pfft…” Hong Xing couldn’t help laughing. “Second Young Master, that little bit of money wouldn’t even buy a jar of goat’s milk.”

Unfazed, Huo Xiang puffed up his cheeks. “That’s fine! A little money grows into a lot if you save it up!”

Hua Niang couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry. In the end, she accepted his kind gesture. “Then Aunt Hua will thank you on behalf of the baby.”

Huo Xiang grinned, flashing a row of pearly white teeth. “You’re welcome!”

After the barbecue ended, everyone returned to their respective rooms.

Taking off his outer robe, Luo Mingchen got ready for a bath and said with a smile, “Brother Xiao’s probably too happy to sleep tonight.”

While tidying up his desk, Huo Yan replied calmly, “Once the child’s born, there’ll be even more sleepless nights.”

Luo Mingchen thought about it and chuckled. “That’s true. Babies can be hard to take care of.”

“If they don’t cry too much at night, it’s tolerable,” Huo Yan said knowingly.

He spoke from experience—after all, he had raised one himself.

“Hey,” Luo Mingchen asked with a teasing smile, “was Yueyue always crying when you first brought her home?”

“Not really.”

Huo Yan recalled, “Yueyue was born frail—small and thin. When she cried, she sounded like a little kitten. She’d sleep right after eating, and only cried when she was hungry or wet.”

“How pitiful.”

Then a thought struck Luo Mingchen. “Wait, before I came along, you’d already been raising Yueyue for more than two years. You’re twenty-two now, so you started when you weren’t even twenty?”

Hearing that, Huo Yan put down the documents and walked toward him, eyes fixed on his face.

Luo Mingchen, unaware he’d just stepped on a landmine, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I turned twenty-three on the fifth day of the fifth month. You were the one who made me longevity noodles, remember?”

“Uh…”

Luo Mingchen let out a dry laugh and blinked rapidly, trying to talk his way out of it. “Well, time flies, you know? I might’ve forgotten the details. It just means—you’re twenty-three but still as young as twenty-two!”

In response, Huo Yan gave a cold, expressionless chuckle. “Heh.”

“Come on,” Luo Mingchen said quickly, wrapping his arms around him, “it’s normal to forget things sometimes. Then do you still remember when my birthday is?”

Without hesitation, Huo Yan answered, “The fifth day of the fourth month. You turned twenty this year.”

That… was awkward.

Luo Mingchen winced. “Your memory’s better than mine. I admit defeat.”

Huo Yan tilted his chin up, his rough thumb brushing over Luo Mingchen’s soft lips with a faint smile. “Remember—you said that yourself.”

“Huh?”

By the time Luo Mingchen realized what he meant, he was already pressed down on the bed.

But the “admit defeat” he’d meant was definitely not this kind of defeat!

That night, soft, fragmented sounds drifted out from behind the gauzy curtains.

Luo Mingchen glared at the man who never kept his word, his eyes rimmed red. A single tear slid from the corner of his eye—only to be kissed away with gentle tenderness…

After nearly half the night’s tossing, the two finally rose late the next morning.

And from that day forth, the fifth day of the fifth month was forever branded into Luo Mingchen’s memory—something he dared not forget again.

Whether or not an earthquake ever came, the drills continued regularly—every seven or eight days, sometimes every ten or so.

Hu Zhongyi couldn’t quite understand why Luo Mingchen insisted on this, but he didn’t object. If the man wanted it done, it would be done.

After all, they’d helped bring his wife and child safely to him—what harm was there in sparing some training time?

Besides, after so many drills, the soldiers’ reaction time had noticeably improved.

With Cold City’s forces already well-trained, Luo Mingchen decided to visit Ice City next.

After inspecting the second batch of cabbages there, he went to find the city lord and learned that Wu Qing had merely held a meeting to inform the citizens, then gone straight to the military camp.

The guards recognized Luo Mingchen and let him in without question.

It was the first time Luo Mingchen had seen Wu Qing not eating or drinking but actually training in the drill yard—something that genuinely surprised him. “General Wu, how have you been?”

Wu Qing, clad in armor, frowned slightly upon seeing him and strode over. “What are you doing here? Where is General Huo?”

“General Huo is quite busy, so I came to see how things are progressing on your side,” Luo Mingchen replied. “I heard you only mentioned the earthquake briefly to the citizens, without conducting a single drill. If a real quake happens and there are heavy casualties, how will you explain yourself to His Majesty?”

Luo Mingchen honestly hadn’t wanted to interfere—Ice City wasn’t their responsibility, after all.

If Wu Qing wanted to die, so be it—but the people of Ice City were innocent.