You said just place a monument, right? Why did they have to inlay a photo on it?

And it’s not even a personal portrait of her.

Tang Li looked at the group photo where she was shaking hands with the principal, her face half-covered by the red cloth on the monument due to the strong wind. Compared to the principal’s beaming face, hers looked like she was wearing a mask of agony. The photographer’s capture of that moment caused her extreme psychological distress.

Plus, it got cold yesterday, and Song Baiyan forced her to wear a down jacket.

There’s no beauty in her appearance in the group photo.

Static electricity almost made her hair stand on end.

It’s safe to say this was the ugliest photo of her since she was born.

This photo successfully depressed her.

—So this is what she looks like during pregnancy.

She always thought she was the sexy hot mom type.

Placing her hands on her waist, she indeed found she’d gained weight.

Thinking of Gao Wenlan’s puffy face from pregnancy, Tang Li also looked in the mirror, and then, she noticed a small light brown spot near her left cheekbone.

Although the spot was small, she still noticed it.

This discovery made her even more depressed.

Even though she was mentally prepared, when the body truly changes, especially with signs of becoming uglier, Tang Li realized she was still stuck on this hurdle.

As a woman, how could she truly not care about beauty or ugliness?

It’s just that, most of the time, she endured it for the sake of the child.

As her belly grows, there would be stretch marks.

Such a group photo was a sort of warning for her.

Although a nutritionist had arrived at the Tan Palace to adjust her diet for pregnancy, Song Jingtian was secretly feeding her snacks, and she’d been eating them more than sparingly these days.

Not to mention the immediate past, just the afternoon before, the little guy brought her two pounds of pecan halves after school.

Song Baiyan noticed something was off with Tang Li at the dinner table.

Previously, even after finishing her nutritious meal, she would grab two more ribs. But tonight, surprisingly well-behaved, she put her chopsticks down once her plate was empty.

"Don’t like the garlic ribs?"

Hearing Song Baiyan’s question, Tang Li just said she was full.

Looking over at the man across the table, even though he had just undergone minimally invasive surgery, he showed no sign of weariness. Always so gentlemanly, his stature was still upright. In contrast, as the early pregnancy stage passed, her pregnancy features became more apparent.

With worries in her heart, she dared not eat recklessly anymore.

However, she then made a move—

She picked up two ribs for Song Baiyan.

"Eat more."

The ribs Tang Li picked were the fattiest in the plate. Her ’malicious’ intent was also noticed by Song Baiyan: "Trying to make me grow a little belly?"

Tang Li: "..."

Even if she thought that way, she couldn’t admit it out loud.

"If you don’t want to eat it, don’t." She said, trying to take back the ribs.

She just leaned forward when Song Baiyan had already picked up a rib.

Watching Song Baiyan eat the rib didn’t make Tang Li much happier, because she thought of another point—

With Song Baiyan’s build, even eating two ribs, or half a pig in one meal, he might not gain weight.

Even if he got fat, it’d only be two or three pounds for fun.

With a net height of 1.85 meters, two pounds of meat would be evenly distributed.

Ultimately, they couldn’t be compared.

Didn’t see how even the plus-sized squirrel version of the principal looked better than her in the photo?

So, why did she get so hung up back then?

A photo without beauty filters completely exposed her current mom vibe.

Classmates in the class group were lying with their eyes open, praising her bare-faced beauty. Don’t they think she wasn’t reading campus forum posts? As soon as the monument was installed, some thought it was a cafeteria aunt donating a new stone to the school. The principal posed for a photo with the aunt by the stone. Once they found out the ’aunt’ wasn’t an ’aunt’, they immediately edited their comments.

Previously she had thought of going on a field trip with Song Baiyan afterward.

Now, she’s completely given up on the idea.

Suddenly, she understood why some female celebrities don’t show up after getting pregnant. She had suffered from overconfidence yesterday.

Because of that ugly photo, Tang Li felt somewhat dejected.

Her dejection manifested in her becoming less sociable.

After dinner, Song Baiyan went off to handle some work and returned to the master bedroom at eight. Tang Li was already asleep, cocooned in a blanket, her head and feet out of view.

After Song Baiyan showered and came out, the bed still maintained its cocoon shape.

Finally, Song Baiyan spoke first: "We’ll have the nutritionist change your meal plan tomorrow."

"No need." came the muffled voice from under the blanket.

Since she was willing to respond, it meant there was room for negotiation.

A subtle smile appeared on Song Baiyan’s face as he also sat at the bedside: "Your HCG levels have just returned to normal. During this time, it’s crucial to maintain a nutritionally balanced diet. In a few days, we’ll have the kitchen prepare some of your favorite dishes; if you’re tired of staying at the Tan Palace, let Jingtian accompany you to the resort for a few days on the weekend."

Hearing the comfort in Song Baiyan’s words only made Tang Li feel even more blocked up inside.

This blockage seemed to have nothing to do with others.

Precisely because of that, she felt even worse.

She looked forward to the birth of the child but also worried about turning into a ’landlady.’

When a large hand came to pull off the blanket over her head, Tang Li didn’t resist. When she saw the light again, she also heard Song Baiyan say: "If your friends are free, you can invite them over to the Tan Palace for a chat and to pass the time."

"I don’t want them to come." Tang Li said in a muffled voice.

"Did you have a falling out with your friends recently?"

"No."

Song Baiyan seemed very patient: "If you haven’t had a falling out, why not invite them to the Tan Palace?"

"They’re not in the capital." She just wanted to have the baby quietly, then quietly slim down. If Yu Sui and Wu Xuehan come, what if they want to take a group photo the first time they visit the Tan Palace?

Thinking this, she couldn’t help but urge: "Aren’t you going to sleep?"

Noticing the gentle curve at the corner of Song Baiyan’s eye, Tang Li felt even more uncomfortable. Her gaze fell on Song Baiyan’s tall frame, and due to jealousy, her eyes turned red.

Tears were about to fall.

The man held her as he softly comforted: "Is your body feeling uncomfortable?"

Tang Li couldn’t hold it in, "I’m getting uglier."

Song Baiyan said: "What’s ugly? I don’t see any change at all."

"Before you say I’m not ugly, go look at the photo at our school gate first." The more Tang Li thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, crying like an emoticon.

Song Baiyan understood, holding Tang Li in his arms, feeling a bit amused, yet he rubbed her back and said: "Since you think the photo is ugly, just have them take it down."

Is it really just a matter of taking it down?

The fact she looks uglier is an objective truth.

"You wouldn’t understand," Tang Li sniffled, refusing further dialogue.

Of course, Song Baiyan understood. Pregnant women are inherently sensitive, and weight gain is inevitable. Tang Li was just unfortunate to encounter a lousy photographer, causing panic in her heart.

Only after Tang Li’s mood calmed did Song Baiyan say: "Just yesterday, Dr. Pei mentioned it’s not even noticeable that you’re pregnant now. He worried you might suffer from malnutrition when you weigh 20 pounds more in the late pregnancy period."

At this point, Tang Li was open to listening.

Though she was still half-doubting: "Really?"

"If you don’t believe me, we could call Dr. Pei right now."

Tang Li wouldn’t make a call.

Then, she insisted: "But that group photo is really ugly."

Song Baiyan said: "It’s only ugly for today; after today, it doesn’t count."

"Who said it doesn’t count." Tang Li wasn’t easily persuaded.

With a smile, Song Baiyan asked: "Even if I say it doesn’t count?"

Tang Li: "..."

The next morning, Tang Li found out what Song Baiyan said really did count.

The monument at the entrance of the Art College was gone.

Yes.

Vanished into thin air.

And with it, Tang Li’s ugly picture.

Principal Huang specifically called to apologize for this.

Tang Li: (￢_￢)

Half an hour later, Principal Huang called again to tell her that they found clues through surveillance—it was four tall men, around six feet tall, wearing masks, who took the monument in the middle of the night.

"They must be your admirers!" Principal Huang concluded, "Like crazy fans stealing posters of their idols!"

Tang Li: "....."

—

Goodnight!