"I... I admire Sect Leader Su, so I... I look forward to our child," Ji Chun said, his face slightly flushed, his heart pounding with nervousness. When he noticed Su Ran glance at him awkwardly, his earlobes tinged red, but it only strengthened his resolve. He continued with newfound confidence, "I've never thought of the Sect Leader Su as a woman. To me, you are the most formidable man in the world. The pregnancy was unexpected, but it bound our fates together. I've lived in Shaolin since I can remember—I have no family in this world. But now, with you and the child, I finally have a home... This child isn't a monster. He's ours."
Gradually, Su Ran felt his resistance toward the life inside him fading. For the first time, he considered: Was this thing truly his child and the monk's? If the child was born, he would become a father. There would be a baby calling him Daddysomeday... The thought unsettled him, yet a faint anticipation stirred within. The life in his belly hadn't turned him into some monstrous woman—it had made him a father. And this monk... he would be the child's other parent.
"You really don't see me as a woman?" Su Ran asked skeptically, eyeing Ji Chun's hand resting on his belly.
"Never," Ji Chun answered solemnly, his gaze brimming with tenderness.
Su Ran scoffed, grabbing Ji Chun's hand with feigned annoyance. "You'd better not dare." Despite his sharp tone, the corners of his lips curled upward. The monk's words had pleased him more than he cared to admit.
Relieved that Su Ran's anger had dissipated, Ji Chun smiled softly. "Let's rest early."
"Fine," Su Ran agreed—but then his body stiffened. He stared at his stomach in bewilderment before turning to Ji Chun, whose face paled with alarm.
"What's wrong?" Ji Chun bolted upright, panic lacing his voice.
Su Ran pressed a hand to his belly, murmuring in disbelief, "It... moved."
Ji Chun's tension eased as he recalled Doctor Liang's notes: Fetal movement begins around four or five months. This was natural—their child was alive, stirring within Su Ran. The thought warmed him.
With a gentleness that surprised even himself, Su Ran traced the curve of his belly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It's just the baby." Before Su Ran could protest, Ji Chun guided his hand to where the movement had been. The subtle flutter beneath their palms sent a jolt through them both—proof of life, of their shared future.
Ji Chun's eyes shone with awe. "Let me listen."
Su Ran flushed and shoved him away. "No! It's just a lump of flesh—what's there to hear? Go to sleep!" He turned onto his side, feigning indifference, but Ji Chun saw through him.
Undeterred, Ji Chun wrapped his arms around Su Ran's waist and pressed his ear to the swell of his belly. Su Ran yelped, instinctively reaching to push him off—only for his fingers to brush Ji Chun's cheek. Relenting, he allowed the contact, though his ears burned.
After a quiet moment, curiosity got the better of him. He pinched Ji Chun's face and asked, "Well? Hear anything?"
Ji Chun clasped Su Ran's hand against his stomach just as another kick came. Su Ran jerked back, flustered, and yanked Ji Chun's ear. "Up. Now."
Ji Chun obeyed, but his smile lingered as he gazed at Su Ran's crimson face. "The baby says he likes you."
Su Ran scowled. "Don't get ahead of yourself. He better behave."
Ji Chun's voice softened. "I've already warned him not to trouble his daddy."
"Who's his daddy?" Su Ran huffed, lifting his chin. "Certainly not me."
"I am," Ji Chun replied, his earnestness laced with amusement.
Su Ran's embarrassment flared. He seized Ji Chun's collar, dragged him close, and bit his lip in retaliation before shoving him away. "Lamp. Now."
Chuckling, Ji Chun extinguished the lamp and returned to bed, pressing a kiss to Su Ran's forehead. He settled beside him, interlacing their fingers as sleep claimed them.
The following days passed in relative peace. Though minor squabbles arose, they were fleeting. Su Ran trained Liang Zheng in martial arts when the boy visited, and when alone, he practiced his own forms—albeit with less agility as his belly grew. Ji Chun tended the mountain vegetable plots but spent most hours at Su Ran's side.
As the pregnancy advanced, Su Ran's movements slowed, though he remained more nimble than most expectant parents. The discomfort grated on him, but Ji Chun's unwavering care eased the burden. Slowly, Su Ran's edges softened—his frame filled out, his fatigue deepened, and against all odds, he found himself... content.
Two months passed in the blink of an eye. By late November, Su Ran was nearly seven months pregnant. Ji Chun occasionally went down the mountain to visit the old doctor and his wife, replenishing their supplies as needed. That day, after calculating it was time for another trip, he discussed it with Su Ran, then hitched a ride with a villager and left.
Su Ran didn't mind being alone. Coincidentally, his young apprentice, Liang Zheng, came by for martial arts training. In the afternoon, as Su Ran dozed off, a faint noise at the door roused him. Assuming it was Ji Chun returning, he pushed himself up and went to check.
Sure enough, Ji Chun stood outside, a carriage parked behind him while a man unloaded goods.
"Were you resting?" Ji Chun paused his task, stepping closer when he noticed Su Ran's drowsy expression.
"Mnn," Su Ran nodded, eyeing the carriage. "Have them bring the things inside. I'm going to wash my face." With that, he turned back inside.
Ji Chun called the driver over, and together they carried the parcels into the house. After paying and thanking the man, they saw Su Ran re-enter, munching on a sweet-and-sour plum from his pocket.
Ji Chun unpacked the bags, revealing new clothes, a set of books arranged neatly on the shelves, and—most notably—a round mahogany table, its surface inlaid with marble and carved with intricate grape patterns, just as Su Ran had requested. On it sat a translucent jade tea set, exquisitely crafted and undoubtedly expensive. Fortunately, before leaving, Su Ran had tossed him a stack of silver taels—more than enough to cover everything.
Ji Chun placed the remaining money on the table, explaining each purchase, but Su Ran barely glanced at the bills, too busy running his fingers over the textures of the new items.
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. They exchanged puzzled looks. Since settling in Honghu Village, they'd kept mostly to themselves, only growing close to Doctor Liang's family—who were surely busy at this hour.
Su Ran, feeling increasingly lethargic as his belly grew, took advantage of Ji Chun answering the door to sink into one of the new chairs, idly twirling a jade cup while he waited.
Ji Chun opened the gate to find Wang Ergu[1], a neighbor who lived nearby. The villagers knew her as a friendly but distant figure—someone they exchanged polite nods with, nothing more. Her visit was unexpected.
"Wang Ergu, what brings you here?" Ji Chun asked.
"Ah, Ji Chun!" She smiled apologetically. "I've got guests at home, but we're short on benches. I can't have them standing, when you first moved in, my husband helped out, and mentioned you had extras from the neighbors. Do you mind if I borrow a few?"
Ji Chun considered it. There were unused benches left by the previous owner, and the villagers had helped them countless times—refusing such a small favor would be unthinkable.
"Of course," he said. "I'll fetch them for you."
"Many thanks!" Wang Ergu beamed.
As Ji Chun turned to retrieve them, she lingered, then—driven by curiosity—followed him into the yard. The main house's door stood wide open, granting her a clear view of Su Ran inside: a heavily pregnant figure lounging at the table, flipping through a book.
It had been nearly three months since this family moved in, yet she'd barely caught a glimpse of the so-called "wife." Now, unable to resist, she stepped into the main hall.
[1] Honorific: Second Aunt