Growing Fond of You, Mr Nian

“I’m not taking you for a machine,” Nian Junting explained hurriedly. “I swear, I just… I would love a baby girl…”

He couldn’t tell her the fact that her brother-in-law had a baby daughter and that he was envious of him.

“I know you like girls, but what if we get another boy?” Luosang asked him. “Are you going to keep trying until we get a girl?”

Other people were trying their best to have a boy to carry on the family name, but it was the opposite for him. He wouldn’t stop going on about having a girl, and Luosang was at a loss of words say to him. Did he consider what he had promised her before? Had he considered things from her perspective?

“I won’t…” Nian Junting explained. “I don’t take you for a baby machine.”

Luosang rubbed her temples and grimaced. “Junting, can you please put yourself in my shoes? I gave birth to a child before I even graduated from college. So many of my classmates went on to find a job when they graduated. While they were fighting hard for their careers, I was busy having a baby. Now that I finally have time for myself again, the world has changed drastically in just one and a half years. My classmates who weren’t doing as well as me in school are all at the peak of their careers. I’m starting from zero and I’m finally getting back into the groove of things. How could you ask me to go home and have another baby with you? Yes, you are a man with a remarkable career — of course, it doesn’t matter to you. All you need to do is donate a sperm. What about me? I feel like such a failure. I have nothing going for me besides my marriage.”

Nian Junting was stunned. He could sense the frustration in her tone. He replied after a long pause, “You want to do voice acting, don’t you? I can pull some strings…”

“If I don’t have the experience and I still compete for those jobs, what will others think of me?” Luosang interrupted, clearly irritated. “When I come back after having another baby, do you think there will still be room for me in this industry? Everyone is moving forward every single day. Don’t tell me things like you have money and you will support me for the rest of my life. I want to have a career that I can be proud of.”

In this day and age, the moment a woman becomes a full-time housewife, she can only rely on her man for the rest of her life. It wasn’t an issue of trust — she trusted Nian Junting to take care of her, but a man might start to find his wife boring and dry. Who could guarantee what would happen in the future anyway? They had a lifetime ahead of them.

“I thought you understood me,” Luosang continued. “Why must we have a second child now? Can’t we talk about this a few years down the road? Is it going to be a constant thorn in your side if I don’t give you a baby girl?”

“Luoluo, don’t say that.” Nian Junting didn’t expect her to object so violently. “Let’s forget about it if you don’t want to have children now. There’s no need to get so worked up… alright?”

“Well… I had my eyes on a project a few days ago. I really liked the character and I auditioned for it, but I was eliminated during the tryouts.” Luosang looked dejected. “I feel so out of touch coming back to work after having a child. I need to learn everything all over again. My memory is not the same as it used to be either — I could memorize my lines after only reading it once back then. I’m really anxious about my performance.”

Nian Junting stopped the car and held her hands. “You didn’t tell me about this.”

“What good would that do? It’s my problem. My skills are in question here. All I can do is work harder and better myself,” Luosang said saltily. “Besides, it’s really tiring to be pregnant for nine months.”

“… Sorry.” Nian Junting thought about that day when she gave birth. Her body coiled up, her face pale, and tears were rolling down her cheeks.