The pristine white bedsheet was stained with a jarring red.
It was clearly not normal blood.
Yu Wenli raised an eyebrow and spoke with evident amusement.
"Little Yi Yi's constitution is a bit peculiar, isn't it?"
Wen Tingxue wished she could bang her head against the ground.
What kind of situation was this? She had lied not long ago, claiming she had her period and had stained her pants.
And now...
Wuwuwuwu~
Wen Tingxue felt like crying herself to death.
Her period had always been irregular, and she didn't really pay attention to whether it was coming or not. But then...
She never expected her period to arrive today.
And right in front of him!
This was truly disastrous.
The feeling of being caught in a lie was incredibly embarrassing.
Under the young man's knowing gaze, the young girl forced a laugh and admitted sheepishly:
"I... I lied to you last time..."
When she got to the crucial point, her voice was as faint as a mosquito's.
But Yu Wenli still understood her meaning.
He let out a drawn-out, meaningful "Oh," his tone lingering and intriguing.
Wen Tingxue dared not look at his expression. She felt as if her entire body was flushed, not just her face.
It was simply mortifying.
The young girl, too ashamed to lift her eyes, instead perked up her ears, trying to gauge the young man's emotions.
As time stretched on, the young man silently bent down.
He gently placed the young girl on the bed and covered her with the quilt.
The next second, the quilt was pulled over the girl's head, and a muffled apology came from within.
"Brother, I'm sorry, but... please don't hate me, okay?"
Standing by the bedside, the young man looked at the figure huddled under the quilt and couldn't help but curve his lips upwards.
His eyes were filled with doting amusement, not a trace of displeasure.
But when he spoke, his voice was chillingly clear.
"Brother can overlook this, but Little Yi Yi... has she really only kept this one thing from Brother?"
"Ah..."
The bulky quilt clearly tensed for a moment, then she stammered:
"Ah... I think, probably... yes."
Think, probably?
Yu Wenli was rendered speechless by this answer, a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
He reached out and pulled away the girl's makeshift "shield," forcing her large, tear-filled eyes to reflect only him.
"Little Yi Yi should think carefully, is this really the only thing?"
The young man's calloused fingertip gently caressed the girl's fair and smooth cheek, stroking her repeatedly.
His voice was as soft as water, "If Brother finds out later and decides to settle all accounts, you'll be the one suffering."
His words were light and gentle, seemingly harmless at first listen, even lacking any threatening power.
But Wen Tingxue watched his eyes the entire time. Beneath the calm, dark depths, lay too many unknowns.
Unknowns that inspired fear.
If anyone else had said this, she might have just let it pass.
But Yu Wenli... she truly believed he was capable of it.
The pores on her body instantly prickled. It wasn't exactly fear, but a slight apprehension.
Like a child who has lied, facing the scrutiny of their parents.
Guilty, the young girl lowered her eyes, biting her lower lip, struggling for a long time.
The young man waited patiently for her to speak.
However, all he got was, "It's really just this one thing."
Her voice was low and weak, her eyes still downcast, not meeting his.
It seemed she just wanted to gloss over the matter quickly.
She had no intention of confessing.
Nor did she think of resolving it.
Yu Wenli let out a breath of exasperated laughter, tugged at the corners of his lips, and let go of her hand, no longer pressing the issue as she wished.
The moment he released her, the young girl looked up, her beautiful, deer-like eyes filled with so much fear.
Her voice trembled as she spoke.
"Brother Yu, are... are you angry?"
It was a short sentence, barely enough to convey emotion.
But Yu Wenli still saw it – the recurring dampness in the girl's eyes.
Even though she suppressed it so well and so quickly, she couldn't resist her body's instincts.
She was feeling wronged.
She wanted to cry.
But she obediently held it back.
"Obedient..."
Yu Wenli's eyes darkened slightly, a hint of depth flashing in their depths.
From the moment he first saw her, he thought she was unnaturally well-behaved.
Even if it wasn't her fault, she would apologize immediately.
Even if someone cursed her to her face, she wouldn't retort.
At the time, he thought she was simple and interesting, the most engaging girl he had ever met.
But it was only today that he understood. That wasn't interesting; it was an intentionally cultivated meekness.
In fact, "obedient" had become a fetter on her.
It shackled her confidence, confined her steps, and broke her wings.
"Obedient" was never praise for her; it was an invisible exploitation.
Exploiting her fairness, exploiting her right to speak, exploiting all her emotions.
Yu Wenli suddenly recalled something she had said—"Grandma always told me that only when I was good would Mom and Dad like me."
And so, she endured bullying, grievances, and mistreatment, yet never told her parents.
Even when he asked her again and again, she chose to let it go.
It wasn't that she didn't want to say anything; she was afraid of causing them trouble, afraid of becoming a burden to them.
And thus, being abandoned, being disliked.
Therefore, she would rather endure it silently, wanting to protect this superficial peace.
Her ingrained obedience was no longer mere obedience, but a consuming restraint.
Yu Wenli couldn't claim to empathize fully, but even as an observer, he felt it was deeply unfair to her.
Her arrival in Jiangcheng was her grandmother's scheme.
She neither got angry nor complained, accepting it silently.
All she wanted was peace and tranquility, even if it meant enduring some hardship.
But heaven never spared her. Yu Yahe's slanders and difficulties came again and again.
She didn't even dare to complain...
Yu Wenli's eyes welled up with heartache. His voice, soft and slightly hoarse, said,
"Brother isn't angry, and Brother will never be angry with you. Brother will go buy you sanitary products."
The young man gently stroked the girl's head, simultaneously shielding her gaze.
Such a strong person as she was, she probably didn't want pity.
Yu Wenli sighed inwardly, his touch becoming even gentler.
"Good girl..."
As the word left his throat, the young man quickly changed his phrasing, "Ten minutes. Brother will be back soon."
Assured that he wasn't angry, the young girl's anxious heart finally settled.
Her stiff little face gradually regained its warmth, and the tongue that had been bitter for so long finally tasted sweetness.
"Okay..."
The young girl nodded with a sweet smile.
The journey from the infirmary to the supermarket wasn't far, but it was during class dismissal, and the supermarket was quite crowded.
Furthermore, Yu Wenli had never bought such feminine products before, so...
After standing in front of the shelves for two minutes under the gazes of various people, he bought a pack of cigarettes and left.
Those familiar with Yu Wenli knew that he rarely smoked, and even seldom drank.
Especially in the past three years, he had almost completely quit.
He only indulged when he was feeling troubled.
But today, he had an intense urge to smoke, especially seeing the little girl trying to act strong while clearly feeling wronged.
He felt both angry and heartbroken.
He knew it was a ten-year-old scar of hers, not something that could be healed overnight.
But sometimes, he really couldn't wait.
He wasn't impatient with her; he was genuinely afraid of her continuing to suffer and keeping it all to herself.
Like today, what if he hadn't been in the gym class?
He dared not even imagine.
Thin wisps of smoke escaped his lips, blurring those ice-cold, alluring eyes.
A few seconds later, he took out his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
After a monotonous ring, a gentle female voice replied, "Rare indeed, what do you need me for?"
Please collect, please vote, please read!