Later that day, Victoria and Nichkhun were back at the hospital. In the examination room, Dr. Jiu leaned forward, her expression reassuring as she addressed Victoria who was once again lying down for the much awaited sonogram to check on the twins, especially Ireumi's heartbeat. "Morning sickness is actually a positive sign, especially in the case of twin pregnancies. It indicates that the levels of pregnancy hormones are higher, which is necessary for the healthy development of the babies."
Nichkhun nodded, absorbing the information. "So, it's a good thing that Victoria is experiencing morning sickness?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
"Yes, exactly," Dr. Jiu confirmed with a smile. "It's quite common for symptoms like nausea and vomiting to be more pronounced in twin pregnancies. Along with morning sickness, other symptoms such as irritability and mood swings can also be more intense."
Nichkhun's mind immediately drifted back to their time in China, wrapping up the promotion tour. "That explains a lot," he muttered to himself, recalling how Victoria had been unusually sensitive to his hair wax and perfume during that time.
Victoria let out a sigh of relief, feeling validated by the doctor's explanation. "I thought I was losing my mind," she admitted with a sheepish smile. "I've never been so irritable and moody before. I even worried that I might be aging too fast and going senile." She also remembered how she sobbed helplessly believing that her less than perfect English skills was why Nichkhun went with other girls.
Dr. Jiu laughed warmly. "Rest assured, my dear, what you're experiencing is perfectly normal for a pregnancy, especially one as particular as carrying twins. It's important to listen to your body and take care of yourself during this time." Nichkhun reached out to gently squeeze Victoria's hand, offering her a reassuring smile.
The probe settled on a spot. Dr. Jiu turned up the volume and loud, super charged thumping beats echoed in the room. "127, 136, 141 bpm! Last time the 2nd heart beat was dangerously low at 97-105 bpm. I didn't tell you in case you worried but the prognosis for twins is dire at that rate. But now everything is just beautiful! I guess there's no reason to see me again for a good while." And then Dr. Jiu beamed at the parents-to-be who were now looking relieved, like a ton of invisible weight had been taken off their shoulders.
When Nichkhun looked at Victoria, tears were rolling down her cheeks as she smiled back at him. He gently wiped her cheeks with his fingers as he felt a familiar stinging sensation in his eyes. They both felt like their hearts were going to explode with so much happiness: both Noreunja and Ireumi are healthy, they can't wait to meet and embrace their babies!
"Are we having twin girls, Doctor?" Nickhun asked excitedly.
"We can't know the of the babies until around 18-22 weeks of gestation. That's when you'll have to get a sonogram again. It's usually the time when we check fetal growth : make sure all the parts are complete in the assembly line." Dr. Jiu joked before adding, as she pointed to the monitor "What I can say is that your twins are fraternal because of the separate amniotic sacs and they'll develop separate placentas too."
Nichkhun and Victoria were told to stay a bit after the check up to wait for the full prescription and initial supply of supplements for Victoria to take home. Given their status as celebrities, they were guided to a private section of the lounge which had a tinted glass door separating it from the rest of the area. They were the only people until another couple, who appeared to be Dr. Jiu's next appointment, came in. The couple seemed to be in a heated argument and their voices could be heard even from where Nichkhun and Victoria waited. Both couldn't help but turn to the direction of the couple and Victoria particularly honed into their clearly audible conversation:
"So you're still marrying her?" the woman asked the man.
"What happened to us was a mistake--" 
"So you're calling this baby a mistake now!?!?"
"You know it's Yi-Jie that I love!"
"But I'm already pregnant with your child!"
"I can't marry you--"
"You'd rather make this child grow without a complete family than sacrifice your happiness? I didn't make this baby alone!"
"I can't--" the conversation stopped when the door to the doctor's clinic opened and the nurse shyly called to usher in the couple for their consultation.
"That was intense and awkward." Nichkhun commented. "You seem worried. I bet they were arguing about something nasty? What was it about?"
Victoria turned to look a Nichkhun with a weak smile "Nothing. I didn't quite hear the details clearly through here." She bluffed as her mind conjured images of pretty Korean-American twenty something women with heavily pregnant bellies, looking back at Victoria sadly and desperately. Victoria tried to shake the thought out of her head as the Dr. Jiu's assistant nurse came through the glass doors to deliver the prescription but this train of thought would pop up from time to time in her mind from then on.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the bustling city, Victoria and Nichkhun, accompanied by Victoria's manager Xiao Li and their driver, made their way to the airport to pick up Victoria's parents. It was a relief to know that the twins were finally out of danger after their checkup with Dr. Jiu and that Victoria was seeing her parents again, her mind was momentarily freed from the worry that Nichkhun might have fathered other children before.
Per Xiao Li's sage advice, Nichkhun opted to stay inside the van and avoid the paparazzi and throngs of fans gathered at the airport gates, eagerly awaiting a glimpse of their beloved idol. Victoria, ever thoughtful of her fans, decided to show herself in public to give some reassurance that she was well and put an end to that develish evolution of internet gossip that she wasn't just simply under the weather, focusing on her health, but that she was dying and had been reduced to barely human form with a mysterious delibetating disease. It never ceased to incense and amaze her at the rate of how a simple statement can get blown out of proportion.
Victoria understood the necessity of keeping a low profile, though she couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment at not being able to share this moment of welcoming her parents at the gate with Nichkhun.
To Victoria's pleasant surprise, her younger second cousin, HaoRan, had also come to visit her. As they made their way through the bustling crowds, Victoria couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of spending time with her parents again.
Papa Song's expression darkened as he caught sight of Nichkhun seated inside the van. "What's that playboy-what's-his-face doing here?" he muttered under his breath, his displeasure evident in his tone. He couldn't fathom why Nichkhun had tagged along to pick them up from the airport.
But Papa and Mama Song would be in for an even bigger surprise later that evening, as they sat down for dinner at Victoria's apartment. The meal was almost over when Victoria took a deep breath, steeling herself for the confession she was about to make. "There's something I need to tell you," she began, her voice steady despite the nerves fluttering in her stomach.
Papa Song's brows furrowed in confusion as he listened intently to his daughter's words. Victoria's heart raced as she revealed the truth: she hadn't wanted her parents to know about her pregnancy until she was sure of the babies' condition. She had always been a thoughtful daughter, and she couldn't bear the thought of adding more to her parents' worry since, just as she expected, they looked discomposed at the news of her unexpected pregnancy already. She didn't want them to feel the fear she felt with scare of a miscarriage just a few days before.
Papa Song's eyes widened in shock as he processed the revelation. "Pregnant?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. "But where is my son-in-law, YunXi?" he asked, his gaze searching the room for any sign of Leo Luo, the man he had expected to see as his grandchildren's father. He couldn't quite entertain the blatant fact that what's-his-face, who was keeping his head low as a posture of penance for his wrongdoing across the table, was the one who knocked up his precious daughter out of wedlock and without even his approval of their relationship. Papa Song's expression darkened at the revelation, his mind reeling with disbelief and anger.
Papa Song looked at Xiao Li and Victoria's driver who joined them for dinner but both kept mum and instead stood up to take their leave. "Papa Song, I'll go first. I'm going home since QianQian is better now." and motioned to the driver who dashed to collect her small luggage at the hallway and both were out of sight and out of Papa Song's scrutiny.
"Pa..." Victoria began but whatever she was about to say was stopped in its tracks due to the sudden movement by her side. Nichkhun had suddenly stood up from his seat and bowed a perfect 90 degrees towards her father and in the best Chinese he could muster "It's all my fault, sir. I ask for forgiveness. I beg you to please let me marry Qian. I can't live without her."
"No."
Nichkhun looked up to double check whom that answer came from. He was expecting the elderly man's solid and deep voice but he heard a softer, feminine voice instead - one he could recognize at any time, any place. He couldn't believe his eyes: it was Victoria who said it. His heart sank, nothing was going right in the world. Then he caught a last glimpse of Papa Song's initial smirk of triumph "serves you well to be rejected" look that quickly morphed to resemble Mama Song's puzzled expression.
Victoria didn't want to marry him?!? Nichkhun was about to get the off-kiltering turn of events to let the better of him again but he fortunately suddenly remembered that pregnant women were at the mercy of their hormones. He knew there must be something that triggered this response from Victoria. From the time they spent together, without him endlessly trying to get her hands on her, but observing her intentionally and their interactions, he had come to the conclusion (finally!) that Mama Song was right after all: Qian could be quiet and would never say what she had in her mind most of the time; but to those who knew her motivations and character really well, she was actually very easy to read.
He promised to himself he would get to the bottom of it for both their sakes and their unborn children too.