Nie Zhan realized Lu Jiaxin was feeling sleepy because she was pregnant, so he disapproved of her going to work: "If there’s something urgent, have them come to you. You shouldn’t go to the office anymore."
Lu Jiaxin didn’t insist, understanding that her body and the baby were now the most important: "If there’s an emergency while I’m sleeping, can you handle it for me?"
Nie Zhan had no problem with that. Not only was he Jiaxin’s husband, but he also held the position of a secondary shareholder in several companies other than the Xinxin Real Estate.
Jiaxin didn’t go to the company afterward, sleeping whenever she felt tired. She then discovered she was sleeping 14.5 hours a day and felt like she’d turned into a sleep god.
One day, she received a call from Zong Shimeng, who blurted out the first thing: "Jiaxin, are you pregnant?"
Lu Jiaxin answered with a question: "Sister Shimeng, why do you think I’m pregnant?"
Seeing that Jiaxin didn’t deny it, Zong Shimeng knew she had guessed right: "I’ve called you several times these days, and your housekeeper always says you’re sleeping. You’re not someone who naps during the day normally, but pregnancy makes one feel sleepy."
Of course, pregnancy symptoms vary with each person. Some people start vomiting intensely and can’t eat anything; others feel nothing at all and can eat, sleep, run, and jump; some, like Lu Jiaxin, become particularly sleepy.
While Lu Jiaxin wouldn’t proactively share, she wouldn’t deny if someone guessed it. She laughed and said, "Yes, I’m pregnant, six weeks now."
Zong Shimeng was truly happy for her, congratulating her before asking, "Is it convenient for me to come over now?"
Lu Jiaxin gave an affirmative "Mmm," and said, "I just woke up, won’t feel sleepy so soon."
Zong Shimeng hung up and came over immediately. The moment she saw Lu Jiaxin, she noticed she had gained weight: "Jiaxin, you shouldn’t gain too much weight during pregnancy, otherwise it will be difficult at birth."
Lu Jiaxin smiled and replied, "I’ve been eating less this week than before; I must have gained weight due to inactivity. Once the first three months are over, I’ll get back to working out and slim down."
Zong Shimeng smiled and said, "You can’t do intense workouts now that you’re pregnant."
"Running and playing ball are definitely out, but aerobics and yoga should be fine."
Zong Shimeng, who had given birth to four children, was very experienced in pregnancy and childcare. Lu Jiaxin humbly sought her advice, and the two of them talked for over two hours.
As they chatted, Zong Shimeng brought up oil futures: "I invested forty million Hong Kong Dollars initially, and now it’s risen to two hundred and ninety million. There are three days left to the deadline, and we’ve made so much, I think it’s time to clear out."
Lu Jiaxin asked, "Your husband disagrees?"
Zong Shimeng nodded: "Yes, he says the war has only been going on for a little over a month and won’t end so soon. As long as the war continues, oil will keep going up, and he doesn’t want me to sell."
Lu Jiaxin wasn’t following this war: "Sister Shimeng, I didn’t invest in oil futures. Lately, due to my health, I haven’t been keeping up with the futures market, so I can’t give you professional advice. But Nie Zhan liquidated his futures a few days ago when they expired."
Upon hearing this, Zong Shimeng’s eyes lit up immediately. She grabbed Jiaxin’s hand and asked, "Why did Nie Zhan decide to liquidate? Did he get some news?"
Lu Jiaxin shook her head and said, "No, he made ten times the profit, and just like you, he felt this investment had already earned enough."
In terms of investment, Nie Zhan follows a stable approach, like any mature investor who knows when to take profits without being greedy for the highest point.
After thinking for a moment, Zong Shimeng said, "Then I’ll liquidate my holdings too. I’m content with what I’ve made."
It was mainly Hu Zhifeng’s analysis that convinced her oil futures would rise further, making her hesitate. But now that Nie Zhan had liquidated his position, she decided to follow suit. If oil continues to rise, she’d just make a little less, but at least her earnings are secure.
Having known her for so many years, Lu Jiaxin understood her personality. When she profits, she’ll treat her to a lavish meal and give her a lavish gift, and when she loses, she thinks it’s her bad luck rather than blaming Jiaxin, which is why Jiaxin dared to offer advice.
As soon as she heard the news of Zong Shimeng liquidating, Su Heyuan called Lu Jiaxin immediately: "Did you all liquidate your oil futures positions?"
Lu Jiaxin joked, "I didn’t buy oil futures. They say a woman becomes silly for three years after pregnancy, so why are you so forgetful even though you’re not pregnant?"
Su Heyuan replied helplessly, "I know you didn’t buy any, but didn’t Nie Zhan buy them? Did he really liquidate?"
Lu Jiaxin gave a definite answer.
Su Heyuan asked about his concern: "At Lantern Festival, we discussed the Gulf War, and his opinion was the same as ours, that the war would drag on for a long time. We thought it wouldn’t end in at least three months. Jiaxin, was it you who told him to liquidate this time? Did you sense any danger?"
Lu Jiaxin didn’t deny it, saying, "I didn’t sense any danger. It’s just that this time, with oil futures, Ah Zhan has already made tenfold profit, and I think that’s enough."
"I see," Su Heyuan said.
Lu Jiaxin could tell that he was also ready to liquidate, and this time there was no clever twist: "This time, I had no intuition; I just felt we’d made enough profit and told Nie Zhan to liquidate. If prices soar later, don’t regret it."
Su Heyuan laughed and said, "I made an eightfold profit. There’s a piece of land I have my eye on, but I’m short on funds. After liquidating, I can acquire it."
He’ll make a profit building on that land, and even if futures rise further, he’s still made a substantial profit.
Nie Zhan came home from work, and hearing that Lu Jiaxin was asleep again, he couldn’t help but worry. He had consulted a doctor, and cases like Lu Jiaxin’s, sleeping fourteen to fifteen hours during pregnancy, were rare. But excessive sleepiness was better than chronic vomiting. He had seen Sister-in-law Nie suffering from morning sickness, vomiting up everything and bile, and looking pitiful.
Lu Jiaxin woke up in the afternoon around three, and while washing her face, Xiaoxiao told her Su Heyuan had arrived. Having eaten and slept for days, she was feeling quite bored, and Su Heyuan’s visit was a timely chance for a chat.
Su Heyuan, hearing she was asleep, thought she might be unwell; even when Xiaoxiao said she was fine, he was a bit worried. But seeing her looking rosy and energized, even better than himself: "How could you sleep so late—did you stay up all night? Nie Zhan isn’t young anymore, he should take it easy."
Lu Jiaxin jokingly scolded, "If you’ve got guts, say that to Nie Zhan’s face."
Su Heyuan quickly said he was just joking, knowing men are sensitive about such comments.
Lu Jiaxin knew he was joking: "So what brings you here at this hour?"
"The ceasefire was declared."
Lu Jiaxin was stunned and only managed to say after a while, "The fighting just started, how did it stop so soon?"
Su Heyuan also thought it was unbelievable when he got the news, but it was confirmed to be true: "No one expected such a quick win. Jiaxin, you’re amazing. Luckily, I followed your advice, liquidated at market open today, and got my money out. Without you, I’d be in deep trouble."
He had invested a billion in Hong Kong Dollars in futures and made over eight billion. Of course, he was exaggerating about jumping off a building. Losing such a substantial sum would be painful.
Lu Jiaxin hadn’t expected such a quick ceasefire: "It’s just a coincidence."
Su Heyuan shook his head, saying it wasn’t a coincidence: "Jiaxin, it’s your good fortune. It’s a pity you didn’t have any stake, you missed out."
Lu Jiaxin nonchalantly said, "There’s no missing out; you can’t earn everything."
She knew the development path for the next thirty years and wasn’t worried about making money. With the assets she had now, she couldn’t spend it all in this lifetime, so naturally, her health was her top priority, followed by family, with career in third place.