Wenwen’s expression was complicated, with a hint of disdain:
“Brother, why is your face red?”
So much for keeping your composure! So much for keeping your composure!
After all these years of listening to Qin Sheng’s sweet talk, how could he still fall for it?
Qin Sheng, on the other hand, crossed her arms and laughed triumphantly:
“Well? Aren’t I amazing?”
Aunt was an adult, so she more or less understood.
What kind of words could make Shen Xiyan blush?
Right now, it’s either “angry” or “aroused”—is it really that hard to guess?
As the only adult present, Aunt felt she should rein Qin Sheng in a little, so she clapped her hands and said, “Alright, you’ve played all afternoon, it’s time to stop!”
Okay.
Qin Sheng knew when to stop, afraid Shen Xiyan would really get angry out of embarrassment.
But just then, Lin Ci suddenly furrowed her little brows and curled up slightly.
Shen Xiyan noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“………………My stomach hurts a little.”
Shen Xiyan’s heart stirred:
“Is your period here?”
Lin Ci’s elegant oval face flushed, and she shot him a playful glare:
“No.”
“But I just caught a faint smell of blood on you…”
Lin Ci’s expression changed instantly:
“Just now?”
Shen Xiyan nodded, then patted his thigh.
Lin Ci understood and blushed shyly.
But Qin Sheng wanted to kill someone!
Lin Ci’s face was burning as she snuck a glance at Aunt, then glared and whispered, “Can we not talk about this?”
“I’ll go get you a cup of hot water.”
Aunt smacked him on the hand:
“What hot water? There’s brown sugar in the cupboard.”
You really couldn’t blame Shen Xiyan—no matter how good his memory, he couldn’t possibly remember which cupboard held brown sugar from ten years ago.
He got up, went to the kettle, boiled some water, washed a cup clean, poured in hot water, and stirred it well.
Lin Ci hadn’t even drunk it yet; just watching Shen Xiyan pour water made her feel warm inside.
Seeing this, Qin Sheng also became especially “concerned” about Lin Ci. She leaned in and said, “If your stomach hurts, just go home and rest. Xiyan can’t take care of you the way your parents do.”
Qin Sheng lowered her voice, turned her back to Aunt and Wenwen, and leaned in menacingly:
“I bet you just don’t want to leave, huh?”
Lin Ci’s little face panicked:
“???”
What was with Qin Sheng’s expression?
Why did she look so furious?
Soon, Shen Xiyan came back with the cup:
“Careful, it’s hot.”
He had no idea what the two girls had been talking about; all he saw when he returned was the two of them sitting side by side.
He handed her the cup. Lin Ci glanced at the annoyed Qin Sheng, frowned, ignored her, then held the cup in both hands to warm them, gently blew on it, and took a couple of small sips.
But her mood was already affected. After a couple of sips, she didn’t feel like drinking anymore.
“Drink a bit more. You probably had too much cold fruit and another cup of cold yogurt. You knew it’s not convenient for you, so why did you eat that?”
“I didn’t think it would hurt either.”
Period pain was different for everyone; it’s not like eating cold things always made it hurt, and it’s not like the pain was always unbearable.
Sometimes you’d do nothing and break out in a cold sweat from the pain, and sometimes you’d catch a chill and feel nothing.
It’s all a mystery.
Shen Xiyan was exasperated:
“You only regret it when you’re already in pain!”
There was “too much Yin Energy” at home, and now with Qin Sheng around, things like this happened from time to time. Shen Xiyan was already a master at handling it.
Hearing Shen Xiyan’s words, Lin Ci clutched her belly again, frowning:
“It hurts again!”
Qin Sheng: “???”
This little manipulator, is she addicted to pretending to be delicate?!
“Then drink it up, what are you doing leaving so much?” Shen Xiyan flicked the cup with his fingernail, making a crisp clinking sound.
Lin Ci had always been “obedient and well-behaved.” She cradled the bowl in both hands and sipped it bit by bit.
Once she drank some, warmth spread from her stomach to her whole body, and the unspeakable pain gradually eased.
But seeing her brow still furrowed, Shen Xiyan said, “If it’s really bad, just go home and sleep for a bit……………”
Aunt agreed; their home really didn’t have any spare space for Lin Ci to rest.
Lin Ci looked troubled, bit her lip, and said pitifully, “If I go home, I’ll get scolded. You know how my mom is—she’ll think I caught a chill and nag me all over again.”
“Then just tough it out. If it gets worse, we’ll talk about it…………… I remember Aunt has a hot water bottle… Where is it, Aunt?”
“In the drawer under the sink.”
Shen Xiyan got up, and Qin Sheng followed right behind.
It looked like they were heading to the bathroom, but really, Qin Sheng took the chance to poke and prod Shen Xiyan’s arm with her slender, fair fingers, grinding her teeth:
“You sure are gentle, huh.”
If this was her previous life, if Shen Xiyan dared to coax another girl right in front of her, she’d definitely throw a fit—cry, make a scene, threaten to hang herself!
But now he refused to admit he liked her, so in front of Aunt, she had to endure!
Aunt was a shackle for both of them—a true double-edged sword.
Once she finally got Shen Xiyan for herself, Lin Ci would be the first to get lost—not even a second longer!
“Aren’t you going to the bathroom? Why are you following me?”
“Going now~〜”
Qin Sheng smiled slightly. When she came out of the bathroom, her eyes darted around.
She sat on the sofa, played with her phone for a while, then suddenly cried out, “Aiya, my stomach hurts so much………………”
She tossed her phone aside, clutched her belly, arched her round little bottom, and groaned on the sofa.
Shen Xiyan’s expression was complicated:
“You have period pain too?”
“Yeah.”
Qin Sheng buried her head in Aunt’s lap, whimpering:
“Maybe I ate too much cold stuff too, wuwuwu……”
She peeked out with one eye and blinked at Shen Xiyan.
He knew Qin Sheng had a problem with period pain.
When she was little and didn’t get along with her parents, no one supervised her dressing warmly in winter. She always ended up suffering, looking like she was about to die.
So she was left with a chronic problem, every time hurting so much she wished she was dead.
Before she met him, Song Wan took care of her, timed it perfectly to bring Qin Sheng home, so she wouldn’t get bullied at home.
After meeting him, Shen Xiyan would run to the supermarket to buy her brown sugar, ginger, and red dates, and make her a cup. But TMD, the problem was—Qin Sheng’s period wasn’t today!
“Is your period really today?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? You think you know better than me?”
“.Is it really just a coincidence?”
“Why else would I have pads in my bag?”
“…………” Shen Xiyan was speechless.
He couldn’t just out Qin Sheng’s real period now.
They’d only known each other for two days—Aunt would definitely throw her out!
He could only give her the rest of the brown sugar water in the pot.
But Qin Sheng wouldn’t take it. Just like in her previous life, she pouted:
“This is no good, you have to add ginger, red dates, and preferably two rock sugar pieces. If you have dried longan, that’s even better.”
“Where am I supposed to find ginger, red dates, and dried longan for you right now? Want a clothesline too? I’ll hang you outside in the sun to warm you up!”
“Isn’t there anything in the kitchen?”
“No! This works just as well, you princess!”
Lin Ci quietly curled her lips in a smile.
She liked the gentle Shen Xiyan, but seeing him get impatient with Qin Sheng was oddly satisfying.
“Wuwu………………it’s so gross, the brown sugar isn’t sweet at all.” Qin Sheng took a sip, immediately made a bitter face, pinched her nose, and gulped the brown sugar water down, then let out an unladylike burp.
“Still hurts.”
“It’s not a miracle cure, just bear with it.”
“It hurts! I have no strength left, if only someone could help massage my belly~~” Qin Sheng hinted, staring straight at Shen Xiyan.
Shen Xiyan pretended not to notice and frowned:
“Wenwen, help her massage her belly.”
“Wenwen’s a girl, and massaging takes effort. I feel bad for her……………”
“Get lost!”
“Waaa~~”
So Wenwen ended up massaging her belly for a long time.
“Qin Sheng-jie, does it still hurt?”
“It hurts………………hurts so much, but my heart hurts more than my belly.”
Qin Sheng glanced at the “cold and heartless” Shen Xiyan, then lay lifeless on the sofa, like a beautiful but spiritless puppet, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Shen Xiyan used to care so much, nothing like now.
She then pulled a thin blanket over herself and gave up: “Don’t bother with me, just let me rot.”
“Qin Sheng-jie………………”
Shen Xiyan tugged Wenwen, stopping her from “wasting” any more time.
Anyway, Qin Sheng was just pretending. Letting Wenwen help her massage her belly—what a life! He only needed to look after Lin Ci.
“Is the hot water bottle still warm? Want me to get you a new one?”
“No! No! I haven’t even used the last one, it was too hot……”
“Just use it over your clothes. Warm water doesn’t do much. Or do you want me to get you a blanket as well?”
“No.”
Why was Lin Ci being so stubborn too?
“Then what do you want………………”
Before Shen Xiyan could finish, Lin Ci seized the moment when no one was looking, grabbed his big hand and stuffed it under her shirt.
Hot! Scorching hot!
It was so hot her eyes went hazy and her legs rubbed together.
This was the first time in his life, past or present, that Shen Xiyan had ever touched her belly.
It was unbelievably soft, like a water-filled balloon, and the texture was so smooth his heart immediately began to pound wildly.
Lin Ci gave him a shushing gesture, her voice soft and pleading like a little fox:
“Just like this… don’t move…”