Chapter 423: Chapter 423: Just Take One Bite!
Evening.
Huo Tingdong and Lin Qi took Han and Momo to stroll around the lantern festival.
Han was having the time of his life.
Halfway through, maybe because they were feeling warm, Han and Momo started clamoring for ice cream.
Winters in Beijing are very cold, but ironically, because it’s so cold outside, ice cream doesn’t feel as cold anymore.
Plus, after finishing up at the lantern festival and heading indoors, where there was heating, Han and Momo were sweating from playing too much. Their mouths were watering, and they were craving Hagen Daz.
Upon hearing this, Lin Qi’s mind started to wander!
Just the mention of ice cream made her crave it intensely.
But she didn’t even need to ask!
Because she knew Huo Tingdong would never agree to let her eat it.
Huo Tingdong could clearly sense that Lin Qi’s gaze had turned strange, so he shot Han and Momo a warning look. “Isn’t it cold? It’s freezing outside.”
Han replied, “We can eat it indoors.”
Momo, seemingly oblivious to the warning, added, “Daddy, buy me ice cream.”
Huo Tingdong said, “Tomorrow. I’ll get it for you tomorrow.”
He knew these two little ones were physically strong, but he didn’t want them eating ice cream in front of Lin Qi.
Momo argued, “No, I want it now.”
Han chimed in, “Daddy, just buy one. Momo and I will share it.”
Momo nodded eagerly, “Yeah, the small Hagen Daz cups! Han and I can split one. It’s really not much.”
Lin Qi swallowed hard and said, “Honey, if they really want it, just go buy some!”
Huo Tingdong let out an “Oh,” and walked to the counter to buy a Hagen Daz cup.
Since the cups were quite small, he went ahead and bought two. Returning, he handed one to Han and one to Momo, who began eating enthusiastically.
Han loves vanilla flavor.
Momo loves tiramisu flavor.
As they ate happily, Lin Qi couldn’t take her eyes off them. Her mouth started salivating uncontrollably, almost audibly, “slurp slurp.”
She couldn’t even remember how long it had been since she last ate ice cream.
She loved ice cream. Summer’s ultimate bliss used to be her and Momo hugging watermelons in one hand and ice pops in the other. She still remembered those hot summer days when their rented house was so rundown that the appliances had all aged. The weak airflow of the air conditioner couldn’t beat the stifling heat, and she and Momo used to devour five popsicles daily!
But ever since she became pregnant, under Momo’s constant ‘brainwashing,’ Huo Tingdong took care of her with the utmost caution.
God knows where he got the idea that pregnant women shouldn’t eat anything cold—it’s supposedly bad for the baby’s blood circulation and can have negative effects.
Popsicles, ice cream, iced drinks—all strictly prohibited.
Huo Tingdong glanced at Lin Qi’s pitiful expression, unable to bear it, “Stop looking.”
Not looking meant no temptation.
Lin Qi whined, “Honey, I also want…”
Before she could finish, Huo Tingdong interrupted decisively, “No.”
Lin Qi pleaded, “Just one bite, please?”
Huo Tingdong firmly refused, “Not even one bite.”
Lin Qi tried again, “Okay, how about just a lick?”
Huo Tingdong countered, “A lick is as good as not having it.”
Han and Momo lifted their heads and saw Lin Qi drooling as if her heart was breaking for some ice cream. Feeling slightly guilty, they quietly decided to turn their backs to her and eat.
Lin Qi silently watched them finish one Hagen Daz cup each, thinking to herself, it really must taste amazing, especially when Momo licked the cup clean until it sparkled.
Without realizing it, Lin Qi’s mouth was practically watering again.
Late at night.
Lin Qi wasn’t sleeping soundly. Around midnight, she woke up from hunger.
By the mid-stage of her pregnancy, she got hungry very easily. The moment she opened her eyes, her stomach was growling viciously. She turned her head and saw Huo Tingdong sleeping deeply.
Not wanting to disturb him, she quietly got out of bed, opened a drawer, and found a pack of biscuits. She ripped off the wrapper and began munching away.
Huo Tingdong was startled awake by the crunching “kabzi kabzi” sound.
He frowned, opened his eyes, and his first thought was—do we have mice?
Turning his head, he realized Lin Qi was no longer in bed.
Listening closely to the “kabzi kabzi” sound that resembled a mouse nibbling on something, he deduced that she must’ve woken up in the middle of the night, definitely because she was hungry!
He got out of bed and walked outside, only to spot Lin Qi crouched on the floor by the drawer, sneakily nibbling her biscuits like a guilty thief. The “kabzi kabzi” sound was coming from her!
He couldn’t help but laugh quietly, watching her happily munch away. He didn’t go up to interrupt her right away. Instead, he crossed his arms, leaned against the doorframe, and silently admired her performance.
She really did seem starving, without a care for her image whatsoever. One hand gripped the biscuits while the other clutched a bottle of mineral water. She wolfed down the biscuits and then chugged the water, “glug glug glug!”
“Cough!”
Suddenly, it seemed she was eating too quickly and choked.
Huo Tingdong’s face immediately darkened as he rushed over, squatting beside her, and lightly patted her back with his large hands. “Take it slow. No one is going to take it away from you.”
Lin Qi was startled into a daze upon hearing his voice. She looked up, “You’re awake?”
“Yeah.” Huo Tingdong continued to gently rub her back and said helplessly, “I was woken up by your biscuit-munching sounds. I actually thought there was a mouse in the house.”
Lin Qi pouted gloomily, “So, you’re saying I’m the mouse?”
Huo Tingdong didn’t deny it.
“What?! That’s so unfair!” Lin Qi complained, “You suspected we had mice in the house, but can’t you just consider that it might be your wife sneaking biscuits because she’s starving?”
Huo Tingdong teased, “Mice are adorable. Besides, you were eating so urgently—were you really that hungry?”
Lin Qi replied, “I was sleeping soundly, only to be woken up by hunger! What do you think?”
Huo Tingdong said, “If you were hungry, why didn’t you wake me? I could’ve made noodles for you.”
Lin Qi answered, “I saw you were sleeping deeply, and also…”
She felt like crying but had no tears.
Momo seemed to have only taught him how to make noodles.
For months, any time she woke up hungry in the middle of the night, he’d make noodles.
After eating it so many times, she’d grown tired of it!
But she was too embarrassed to say so!
After all, how many men would willingly get out of bed in the middle of the night to cook for their wives?
She didn’t want to come across as ungrateful.
Huo Tingdong asked, “The doctor said that as you get closer to the later stages of pregnancy, the baby grows rapidly, so you’ll feel hungry faster. Are you tired of my noodles?”
Suddenly, Lin Qi clung to his arm and playfully begged, “Honey, I really want some ice cream.”
Huo Tingdong’s expression instantly grew more serious, “No.”
Lin Qi protested, “Why not? Sure, pregnant women shouldn’t eat too much cold stuff, but a little bit is okay!”
Huo Tingdong said, “How little is ‘a little bit?’ I can’t gauge it properly, and I don’t want to take any risks. Just hold on for now. Once the baby’s born, you can eat as much as you want.”
Lin Qi pleaded again, “Ughhh! Just one bite! Just one bite—still no?”
Huo Tingdong burst into laughter and responded, “Stop trying to bargain with me!”