When the steak arrived, Julian habitually cut his portion into smaller pieces. “Take mine,” he said.
Aurora, preoccupied with her appetizers, was startled to see that he had already prepared the steak for her. “No need. You eat yours. I can cut mine myself.”
“Taking care of pregnant women is a family virtue of ours,” he replied, pushing the plate toward her without giving her room to refuse.
Aurora was overwhelmed by his meticulous care. She felt as though this kind of man only existed in movies, yet here he was, so vividly present in her life.
“What are you thinking about? You seem lost in thought. Or do you not like the taste here?” Julian asked, breaking her reverie.
“No, no! The food tastes great,” Aurora hurriedly replied, shaking her head.
“Then eat quickly. Steak doesn’t taste good when it’s cold. We’ve got mousse and a banana split coming next,” Julian reminded her.
Aurora used to have a weak stomach and couldn’t eat much. Julian had always worried that she wasn’t eating enough. Now that her appetite had improved during the pregnancy, he couldn’t be happier.
After eating until her belly was round and full, Aurora glanced down at her slightly protruding stomach. She had always been conscious of maintaining her figure. Daily morning runs and regular exercise had kept her in great shape. But since getting pregnant, she had stopped all that out of caution.
Looking at her growing belly now, she frowned slightly and muttered to herself, “It’s not because I’m overeating. It’s just the pregnancy.”
Hearing her mumbling like she was chanting a mantra, Julian found her particularly adorable. He had the sudden urge to ruffle her hair.
Aurora looked up and met his indulgent gaze. Had he heard her talking to herself just now? A blush crept across her cheeks.
“Um… I’ve gained a little weight recently. You know how women are-always concerned about their appearance,” she explained hurriedly, worried he might think she was losing her mind.
Julian, now well on his way to becoming a “friend of women,” replied with understanding, “It’s perfectly normal for women to gain weight during pregnancy. Gaining weight is a good thing; it means the baby is getting the nutrition it needs.
“Some women, in an effort to maintain their figure during pregnancy, fail to balance their nutrition. This can lead to underdeveloped babies, birth defects, or even miscarriage. Even if the child is born, its immune system might not be as strong as other kids’. That’s why maintaining proper nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding is essential.”
Aurora stared at him in surprise. “Did one of your ex-girlfriends have a baby with you?”
Julian, sipping on his wine, almost spat it out. “No, no, no! How could that be? My family has sisters and aunts who’ve had children. I’ve just picked up some knowledge along the way.”
What he didn’t admit was that after Aurora got pregnant, he had gone to a bookstore and bought a stack of books on parenting. Among the pile, there had accidentally been a couple about postnatal care for pigs and the reproductive habits of cats. It felt less like Aurora was pregnant and more like he was.
Julian was one of a kind. Few men like him existed. He had studied all of this just to take better care of her. He wanted to be ready to help her in any situation, so he wouldn’t panic if something unexpected happened.
“Oh, I just thought you seemed very knowledgeable about this stuff,” Aurora remarked.
“Learning a bit never hurts. Have you finished eating? If so, let’s go watch a movie. It’s 7:45 now. We can catch a showing and I’ll have you home by 10 so you can get to bed on time,” Julian said, glancing at his watch.
“Mr. Barnet, we’ve only just met. Why are you being so nice to me?” Aurora couldn’t help but wonder. The way he treated her was better than how many boyfriends treated their girlfriends. Were all young masters this mild-mannered?
From what she knew, the wealthier the heir, the worse their temper. They were often riddled with bad habits like smoking, drinking, ogling women, or gambling. So far, she hadn’t even caught a whiff of smoke on him. Even during meals, he’d only taken a small sip of red wine.
He didn’t seem to have any of those vices. And with such a good personality, Aurora found herself envying the woman he loved.
“Because we get along. And because you’re pregnant, I should take even better care of you,” Julian said gently, as if this level of care was only natural.
No matter his reasons, Aurora liked the feeling of being treated this way. It felt as though she was being cherished and held in the palm of his hand.
At the cinema, Julian asked her to wait in the lounge while he bought the tickets. Meanwhile, Irene had been dragged to the theater by Nick. After Julian mentioned they’d never dated, Nick had been acting strangely all day. He had taken her shopping, bought her a pile of clothes, and now insisted on taking her to the movies.
Irene had been annoyed at first, but her mood brightened when she spotted Aurora in the lounge area.
“Isn’t that Little Bunny?” Irene’s eyes lit up.
“Don’t do anything rash. She doesn’t remember us anymore. Julian has his own plan. If you interfere and ruin their relationship, he won’t forgive you,” Nick said sternly.
On the surface, he seemed concerned about Irene’s well-being, but in truth, he didn’t want her to see Aurora and then ignore him.
“Fine,” Irene grumbled, reluctantly agreeing to behave.
“What do you want to watch? I’ll get the tickets,” Nick asked, his tone softening.
“I want to watch an adult film. Do they have that here?” Irene teased. She wasn’t interested in watching a movie anyway. He was the one who had dragged her here.
Nick raised an eyebrow. “We can watch that at home. You’ll love it.”
“You’re such a pervert!” Irene snapped, knowing exactly what he meant. This man was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, devouring everything without leaving a trace.
“How am I a pervert? Didn’t you say you wanted to watch it? I’m just setting the mood,” Nick said, feigning innocence.
“Fine, fine. Just get whatever tickets you want. I’ll watch whatever you pick,” Irene said, admitting defeat. She could never win against this sly wolf.
Nick smiled slightly. “That’s my girl. I’ll be right back with the tickets.”
As Nick walked away, Irene huffed in frustration but couldn’t help feeling a trace of sweetness in her heart.
Two men buying tickets at the same time crossed paths. Nick glanced at Julian and asked, “What are you watching?”
“A monster movie,” Julian replied, holding up the tickets.
Nick’s lips twitched. “What a twisted taste. A monster movie on a date?”
Julian raised an eyebrow, curious about Nick’s choice. To his surprise, Nick had bought tickets for an animated film.