When her consciousness gradually cleared, Jiang Lai tried hard to open her eyes, but they felt as heavy as if filled with lead, refusing to budge for a while.
The only sensation she had of the outside world was the hand tightly holding hers.
She hadn’t completely lost consciousness in the ambulance; she simply didn’t have the strength to respond to anyone.
The medical staff’s words had reached her ears even then.
So this is what a menstrual period feels like…
Some things can only be truly understood through personal experience.
Jiang Lai had known that menstruation was painful for women, but after going through it herself, she realized the impact on the body was far more complex than mere pain.
It was an all-encompassing kind of torment—not just a dull ache in her lower abdomen, but even her limbs felt heavier than before.
Her mind seemed rusted, unable to think clearly, and her spirit was far more lethargic than usual.
When Jiang Lai perceived her own weakness, the first people she thought of were her sister-in-law and daughter.
They had to endure such difficult days every month.
As she slowly regained control over her body, Jiang Lai finally opened her eyes and saw Xu Ruobing sitting beside her bed, propping her head up and asleep, still holding Jiang Lai’s hand tightly even in slumber.
Because of this, Xu Ruobing was able to sense the slightest movement Jiang Lai made immediately.
“Jiang Jiang, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere right now?”
Jiang Lai looked at Xu Ruobing’s messy hair from earlier and tightly clasped the hand Xu Ruobing had placed on hers.
“What time is it…”
Jiang Lai intended to ask the time, but her already dry lips cracked from the slight movement, oozing a bit of blood.
Instantly, a metallic, rust-like taste filled her mouth.
“First, sip some water to moisten your lips and soothe your throat.”
Xu Ruobing carefully handed the cup to Jiang Lai—not directly into her hand, but placed it against her lips.
“Take a cautious sip, and be careful not to worsen the cracks.”
The tearing sensation on her lips made Jiang Lai too afraid to open her mouth fully again.
If it cracked further, she might not be able to speak for days.
Following Xu Ruobing’s instructions, Jiang Lai could only nod slightly and obey.
Fortunately, Xu Ruobing was extremely gentle throughout, afraid that any sudden movement might spill the water onto Jiang Lai.
Actually, the safest way would have been for Xu Ruobing to hold some warm water in her own mouth, then use her water-moistened lips to wet Jiang Lai’s lips bit by bit.
That would guarantee no spills or accidents.
But Xu Ruobing feared she wouldn’t be able to control herself, and doing anything inappropriate to a patient would be utterly heartless.
As Xu Ruobing thought this, her gaze drifted downward slightly.
Jiang Lai’s disheveled hospital gown no longer fully covered her snow-white skin, revealing a large exposed patch right in front of her.
In that moment, Xu Ruobing wanted to reach out and feel the softness of Jiang Jiang’s skin, but the desire lasted only an instant.
If she did that, Jiang Jiang would hate her completely.
Once Jiang Lai’s lips were softened by the warm water, she finally spoke the first complete sentence since waking up.
“What time is it now?”
She had no idea how long she’d slept.
A glance out the window showed daylight; it seemed she hadn’t been asleep very long.
But her phone wasn’t with her.
“It’s already two in the afternoon. If you want, you can still rest a little longer.”
Xu Ruobing’s voice was soft as she gently stroked Jiang Lai’s somewhat dry hair.
According to the doctor’s instructions, Jiang Jiang could be discharged as soon as she woke up.
But Xu Ruobing wasn’t in a hurry.
She was actually enjoying the two of them alone in this moment.
When Jiang Lai was sick, Xu Ruobing didn’t have to think about anything else.
She could just focus all her attention on Jiang Lai.
“It’s already two in the afternoon?!”
Jiang Lai’s lingering drowsiness was instantly wiped away by this realization.
She had slept through the entire morning and noon.
She had thought it was at most midday, but now, ignoring her aching body, Jiang Lai desperately wanted to find her phone.
Today was also the day her daughter was being discharged from the hospital.
Jiang Lai had planned to finish the meeting and everything else this morning, then go home directly.
That way, she could hear about her daughter’s condition from her sister-in-law.
Now, not only could she not find out about her daughter’s condition, she had missed the time she’d promised to return home.
Her sister-in-law must be anxiously waiting at home.
Jiang Lai was desperate to know where her phone was.
“Can you give me my phone?”
At this moment, Jiang Lai was so anxious that she barely paid attention to the pain in her lower abdomen.
Seeing Jiang Lai so desperate, Xu Ruobing clenched her fists tightly, her face etched with pain.
Jiang Lai should be resting properly now, not worrying about all these trivial matters.
Looking at Jiang Lai’s anxious expression, Xu Ruobing sighed silently and relented, handing over Jiang Lai’s phone.
During Jiang Lai’s rest, her phone had been buzzing nonstop around noon.
To avoid disturbing her, Xu Ruobing had no choice but to put it on silent mode.
Once things quieted down, Xu Ruobing hadn’t paid much attention to the phone.
But just now, when picking it up, she couldn’t help but glance at it…
The phone had received over ten missed calls, not to mention the messages.
When Jiang Lai saw the string of messages and missed calls on her phone, her expression froze completely.
Although she had expected her sister-in-law to send many messages during the time she was unreachable, the reality was far beyond her imagination.
Even with Xu Ruobing by her side, Jiang Lai felt the need to quickly send a message to reassure her sister-in-law.
[Something happened just now, I couldn’t check my phone. Is Leyi safe at home?]
No sooner had Jiang Lai sent the message than a Video Call from Chi Yingyu popped up on the screen.
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