It has been a week since my conversation with Shen Jialin. Today, the weather is pleasant, so I've decided to go out for a nice stroll.

As the summer season approached, my belly was becoming more and more prominent. I knew for sure that my old clothes wouldn't fit anymore, so I planned to go to the mall and buy a few pieces that could cover my stomach.

I spent over an hour in the men's clothing department, buying all the clothes I needed. Then, as if guided by some unseen force, I wandered up to the fourth floor where the maternity and baby area was.

Since I found out I was pregnant, I have become particularly obsessed with baby products. When I see something beautiful, I will buy it, and I often shop online for them. Now that I rarely get a chance to go to a large shopping mall, I naturally don't want to miss this opportunity.

I walked around inside and stopped in front of a row of baby bottles. The baby bottles I ordered online arrived a few days ago, but I didn't think they were good enough. I planned to return them and exchange for a different brand. There are many different brands here, so I want to learn more about them first.

The salesperson noticed my intense gaze and walked over to introduce the product to me. I listened carefully as she spoke, nodding occasionally. Suddenly, a pleasant feminine voice chimed in, "Excuse me, do you have any more of this brand's wide-mouthed nipples in stock?"

I and the salesperson turned around at the same time, only to see a woman with long hair draped over her shoulders, wearing a light pink dress that hugged her body. She had a pretty face and was standing slightly behind us. In her hands, she held a delicately small glass bottle and smiled at us.

There was a tall man standing behind the woman. From the moment our eyes met, a string in my mind snapped abruptly.

There is a saying, "The more you don't want something, the more it will come to you."

The last person I want to see right now is Shen Jialin, and of course, Shen Jialin just happens to appear right in front of me.

Can I make it in time if I run now? Waiting online, quite urgent.

Shen Jialin seemed to be very surprised to see me here. His eyes widened suddenly, and he opened his mouth as if he was about to say something. The shop assistant turned his head towards me and apologized, then crouched down to search for a pacifier in the bottom shelf.

Now is a good opportunity to leave. I think I should take advantage of this chance and without hesitation turn around and walk away. But for some reason, when I see Shen Jialin's eyes fixed straight on me, I can't summon even a trace of courage. In the moment of hesitation, the salesperson has already found the pacifier, stood up, and handed it to the woman. The woman thanked them, then grabbed Shen Jialin's hand and turned to leave.

Shen Jialin gave me one last look before leaving with the woman. I let out a heavy sigh of relief, feeling a cool dampness on the back of my neck.

I spent nearly half an hour inside, confirming that Shen Jialin and the woman had already left before leisurely walking out of the mall.

I carried my things across the road, planning to go to the bus station on the opposite side to catch a taxi. Just as I arrived at the platform, a private car stopped in front of me, and the car window rolled down, revealing Shen Jialin.

He raised his chin at me and said, "Get in the car, I'll take you there."

I looked at him expressionlessly, not moving or speaking. I was certain that he had been waiting for me after leaving the mall, but I didn't understand why he would do this.

Shen Jialin stared at me, furrowing his eyebrows slightly. "What's wrong? Get in the car, I won't eat you or anything."

This is quite awkward. Because I don't want to get in his car, I don't want to get close to him. Getting close to him is a dangerous thing. Special forces soldiers are skilled at disguises, and they can also see through disguises. My military skills have never been as good as his, and I'm afraid he will expose me.

"Qiao Yu, you don't seem like someone so theatrical," Shen Jialin leaned out of the car window, "Could it be because of that incident between the two of us..."

"Shut up!" I quickly hushed him and turned my head to look around on both sides. After confirming that no one heard our conversation, I glared at him fiercely and said, "We don't have anything going on between us, so stop making up stories!"

Shen Jialin's expression darkened, then he pursed his thin lips and smiled, saying, "Okay, there's nothing to worry about. Can you get in the car now? I'm just giving my old comrade a ride home, what are you afraid of?"

"I ain't scared of you!" I blurted out, then inwardly clicked my tongue after speaking. Oh, what a sin! My dear child, you mustn't learn from your dad.

I walked over to the passenger side and opened the car door, then got in. "XX Road, XX neighborhood, let's go," I said.

I deliberately didn't mention the direction or how to go, letting him navigate freely.

Shen Jialin lowered his head, his slender fingers with calluses gently tapped on the navigation device a few times, setting the route before preparing to start the car. At that moment, he turned his head and glanced at me, then paused.

He suddenly leaned over, and I instinctively raised my arm. The next second, his arm crossed over my body and pulled the seatbelt beside my head.

"Put the things in the back." Shen Jialin took the bag off my legs and threw it onto the back seat. He then inserted the seatbelt buckle into the slot before sitting upright.

I opened my mouth, wanting to say, "You could have just asked me to fasten the seatbelt, why did you have to do it yourself? It's awkward." However, I ended up not saying anything in the end. I was too dumb to know how to fasten the seatbelt, and you went ahead and did it for me. What more can I say?

Shen Jialin started the car and drove onto the main road. No one spoke in the car for a while, making the atmosphere suffocating.

I shifted my gaze towards the window, watching as scenery flashed by. Suddenly, I felt a sense of nostalgia. When was the last time I sat alone in a car with Shen Jialin? Oh, it was during Xie Xinyuan's birthday. I happened to have an opportunity to go out, so I thought of going to pick a birthday gift for Xie Xinyuan. Unexpectedly, just as I was about to leave, Shen Jialin also showed up, saying that he wanted to buy a gift too.

We drove in a convoy to a large shopping mall over 100 kilometers away. I bought a wristwatch for Xie Xinyuan, while Shen Jialin chose a military knife. I told him he was being silly because Xie Xinyuan doesn't have any missions to go on and he doesn't enjoy violence. What's the point of giving him a knife? He said it could be for self-defense. I looked at him disdainfully without saying a word.

He never got a chance to send out that dagger. That night, we went on a very dangerous mission where life and death were at stake. At a critical moment, he used that dagger to slit the enemy's throat and successfully saved my life. And now, that dagger is resting in a drawer of the bedside cabinet in my home.

Shen Jialin has saved me more than once, and I have also saved him. We are partners in life and death. In theory, such a relationship should result in a sworn brotherhood in ancient times. But, who would have thought that we would both fall in love with the same person? It's no wonder we have always been at odds with each other.

Shen Jialin drives very steadily, which is something he learned in the Special Forces Brigade. Sitting in his car is very comfortable, and before long, I started to feel drowsy.

Although I had a good night's sleep, sleeping during pregnancy became an unsatisfying task. I rested my head against the car window and quickly fell asleep after a couple of shakes.

I was awakened by the sound of firecrackers. When I woke up, I was still a bit dazed. I realized that my seat had been lowered at some point, and I was wearing an oversized thin windbreaker. It was already dark outside, and I looked at the beautiful fireworks in the distance. It took me more than ten seconds to snap out of it and realize that I had fallen asleep in Shen Jialin's car.

The fireworks in the distance ceased. I turned my head and surveyed the surroundings outside the car. It was so dark I couldn't see anything at all. Pushing open the car door, I stepped out. As soon as my feet touched the ground, a tingling sensation suddenly spread through my ankle, as if stepping on a cotton ball. I lost my balance in an instant and lunged forward.

At a critical moment, I grabbed onto the car door with one hand, and with the other hand, I protected my abdomen. I thought I would fall flat on my face, but unexpectedly, a pair of arms caught me and held me firmly in their embrace.

I breathed a sigh of relief, my head drenched in cold sweat. As I focused my gaze on the person in front of me, I felt that all the embarrassment I had experienced that afternoon had reached its peak at this moment. I felt like a mentally challenged child, displaying my dumbest and clumsiest side in front of someone who happened to be my romantic rival.