The Jasmine Scented White Moonlight

Chapter 32 - Missing You

Xiao Ruan opened a flower shop in Z City. Shen Shuyun, who was pregnant and finding it hard to find work, decided to help out at Xiao Ruan's flower shop. He wasn't expecting to earn much from the job; he had worked for ten years before and had some savings that were enough for him to have the baby without doing anything else. Actually, helping at the flower shop was just a way for him to keep busy and avoid thinking too much about the past.

Now at the flower shop, every day was spent wrapping flowers, watering them, and occasionally chatting with customers. These days were much easier than when he used to teach, and he slowly felt less troubled.

Xiao Ruan gathered the jasmine flowers that had just been delivered this morning, arranged them in a vase, and placed them on the counter. The jasmine buds, small and white, were hidden among the lush green leaves, giving a clumsy but cute appearance. Xiao Ruan looked at Shen Shuyun, who was wearing only a loose white shirt in the December weather of Z City, with his five-month belly hanging in front of him—his slender figure made the protruding abdomen very noticeable, especially when he sat, like carrying half a watermelon.

At this time, the shop was not very busy. Shen Shuyun sat by the window, casually tending to a bunch of champagne-colored daisies. Xiao Ruan walked over with a small plate of cookies and, after a moment of thought, decided to say something he had been holding back for days: "Shuyun, have you ever thought about... going back to find your alpha?"

Shen Shuyun's hand paused in mid-air, then he looked down and smiled: "Why bring this up suddenly?"

"Because I've been pregnant too! I know that an omega who is pregnant without the comfort of an alpha's pheromones has a very hard time during pregnancy! Haven't you felt any physical changes these days?"

Shen Shuyun chuckled with some helplessness and looked up at Xiao Ruan: "I know, I've read the omega pregnancy manual."

Pregnant omegas endure both mental and physical stress. Omegas need the calming influence of alpha pheromones to help regulate the increase in pheromones due to pregnancy, and the development of the fetus also requires the alpha parent's pheromones. Otherwise, the child will rely too much on and absorb the omega's pheromones, which is very taxing on the omega's body. The omega might face premature birth or postpartum depression.

For this reason, the country has laws stipulating that during an omega's pregnancy, the alpha cannot request a divorce and must stay with the omega until childbirth. Not only does the omega get maternity leave, but the alpha is also entitled to paternity leave— meaning the alpha can take time off during the last month of the omega's pregnancy and stay with them until one month after childbirth.

Xiao Ruan genuinely did not understand what had happened between Shen Shuyun and Ning Wan. He looked at Shen Shuyun with confusion, carefully choosing his words: "Then since you're pregnant... how did you end up divorced? There are legal regulations..."

Shen Shuyun interrupted him, with a hint of comfort: "When we divorced, we didn't know about this child, so it's not as bad as you think. We sort of... parted ways harmoniously."

"But you're pregnant now!" Xiao Ruan couldn't help raising his voice, "Your complexion has been so pale, it must be because of the lack of alpha pheromones. You can't keep pushing yourself like this! Are you going to endure it until you give birth?"

"I've been to the hospital for alpha pheromone soothing agents, I'm not just hanging on."

"But you know! Those soothing agents are still not fully developed and cannot completely replace real alpha pheromones! Moreover, the child needs the father's pheromones, not synthetic ones from the hospital. Using these soothing agents is just self-deception!"