There was no need to look; the sheets beneath them were surely a mess.
Her movement woke Ling Yucheng.
Ling Yucheng's narrow, cold eyes were full of the grogginess of just waking.
"Tangtang, what's wrong?" His voice was especially magnetic and sexy due to just waking up.
Xia Wantang's cheeks felt hot, and she was extremely embarrassed and uneasy. She dared not meet Ling Yucheng's eyes, let alone articulate her predicament.
Ling Yucheng sat up, propping himself on one hand, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Just as he was about to speak, he caught a scent of blood.
The lingering sleepiness vanished instantly, and his mind cleared with a jolt.
He nervously placed his hands on Xia Wantang's shoulders and asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Why is there a smell of blood? Where are you bleeding?"
As he spoke, he reached to lift the blanket.
Xia Wantang frantically grabbed his hand and, finding it difficult to speak, stammered, "I, I'm fine, it's, it's..."
Seeing Xia Wantang didn't seem injured, Ling Yucheng frowned, as if guessing something.
He released his grip on her shoulder and gently comforted her, "It's okay, I'll wait outside for you. Go take a shower first."
With that, he put on his shoes, got out of bed, and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Xia Wantang breathed a sigh of relief, her brow furrowed in annoyance. She quietly got out of bed.
The bed was a mess, and she felt sticky and uncomfortable.
She sighed, deciding to head to the bathroom to shower first.
Outside, Ling Yucheng stood by the door, listening to the sounds from inside while simultaneously searching his phone for "what to do when a girl gets her period."
The search results mentioned avoiding fatigue, resting more, drinking brown sugar water, and using hot compresses...
Since there was nothing available at home, Ling Yucheng took out his phone and called Han Xiao.
In the middle of the night, Han Xiao was sound asleep.
The urgent ringing of his phone jolted him from his dreams.
He fumbled for his phone groggily, muttering a complaint,
"Who is so inconsiderate in the middle of the night?"
The phone's light was blinding, making him reluctant to open his eyes, but Han Xiao abruptly sat up in bed, instantly wide awake.
He pressed the answer button and respectfully said, "President."
"Go to the supermarket immediately and buy brown sugar water, a hot water bottle, and sanitary pads. Deliver them to Mo Xuan Apartment."
"Yes, Presi..."
Before he could finish, the call ended with a dial tone.
Han Xiao yawned, got up, dressed, and left the room.
At this late hour, his resentment was deeper than that of a vengeful ghost in red.
...
Xia Wantang emerged from the bathroom after showering and changing into dry clothes.
She thought she should tidy up the soiled bedsheets.
However, as she looked up, she saw that Ling Yucheng had already changed the bedding into clean sheets, and the dirty ones had vanished without a trace.
She froze on the spot, staring blankly at Ling Yucheng, feeling a little lost, her emotions a mix of complexity and awkwardness.
"I've poured you a glass of warm water. Lie down and rest for a bit. I'll make you some brown sugar water later. Han Xiao will bring the hot water bottle soon. Does it hurt now?"
While the first part was heartwarming, the latter part left Xia Wantang petrified.
It was the middle of the night, and he had someone delivering a hot water bottle?
And it was because she had her period?
Xia Wantang felt both shy and annoyed, not because having a period was shameful.
But because she felt it was unnecessary to make such a fuss over such a small matter, causing someone to deliver a hot water bottle in the middle of the night. It made her seem so delicate.
Seeing her immobile, Ling Yucheng walked over and picked her up.
Xia Wantang was startled and exclaimed in alarm, "What are you doing? I'm on my period!"
Ling Yucheng paused, couldn't help but chuckle softly, and said, "What are you thinking? I'm not interested in 'bloody battles'."
With that, he gently placed her on the bed and propped a pillow behind her back.
He then reached out and caressed her lower abdomen, softly asking, "Does it hurt?"
Xia Wantang knew she had misunderstood, and her face flushed as if about to bleed. She could barely speak coherently.
"No, it doesn't hurt. Um, where are the sheets I soiled?"
Ling Yucheng replied calmly, "Ouma will wash them tomorrow. You should rest; you can't exert yourself."
Xia Wantang couldn't bear to leave them until tomorrow, especially since she didn't experience cramps.
But how did Ling Yucheng know all this?
A doubt arose in her mind. He was a man; unless a woman had taught him.
"How do you know all this?"
As soon as Ling Yucheng met her questioning gaze, he knew what she was thinking. He said helplessly, "I searched online. What are you thinking about? Drink your warm water quickly and go to sleep."
Xia Wantang shook her head, put down the cup, and prepared to get up.
"I'll go wash the sheets. They won't come out tomorrow if I don't, and I can't possibly ask Ouma to wash them."
Ling Yucheng held her down, preventing her from getting up, and said, "I'll wash them. You sleep."
His tone was utterly unquestionable.
Xia Wantang's face turned slightly red. Under Ling Yucheng's gaze, she finished her water and obediently lay down to sleep.
He then turned off the bedroom light and was about to leave.
Suddenly, Xia Wantang's mind vividly replayed the nightmare, and she let out a startled scream, terrified.
Ling Yucheng rushed to her side immediately, pulled her into his arms, and turned on the light.
"What's wrong?"
Xia Wantang hugged him tightly and told him about her nightmare.
Ling Yucheng gently patted her back to comfort her, then helped her lie down and lay beside her.
He gently massaged her stomach and softly coaxed, "Shh, go to sleep quickly."
...
A certain supermarket.
Han Xiao searched for a long time before finding brown sugar and a hot water bottle.
In the dead of night, there was only one woman on duty at the checkout counter, and he felt awkward asking her where the sanitary pads were.
But the president's order had to be fulfilled.
After searching again, he nervously approached and woke the dozing cashier.
The cashier opened her sleepy eyes and stood up, picking up the scanner gun, ready to work.
Han Xiao awkwardly asked, "Um, excuse me, where are the sanitary pads?"
The cashier's sleepiness was mostly gone.
At this late hour, with the two of them alone, what normal man would come out to buy such an item?
However, there was another possibility: buying them for a girlfriend.
So she vaguely pointed to a corner and said, "Over there."
Han Xiao thanked her and rushed over. Faced with a dazzling array, he casually grabbed a few packs and returned.
The cashier smiled and said, "Buying these for your girlfriend, how thoughtful."
Han Xiao instinctively denied it, "I don't have a girlfriend."
If he wasn't buying them for a girlfriend, then what was he buying them for in the middle of the night?
The cashier took a step back, looking at him warily, her tone becoming quite unfriendly.
"If you're not buying them for your girlfriend, then what are you buying them for? You pervert."
"I'm not a pervert," Han Xiao said in his haste, "I'm buying them for my boss..."
"No, my boss's wife..."
"That's not right either. The boss ordered me to buy them, to give them to the boss's wife."
After much rambling, he finally made himself clear.
However, the cashier's expression remained somewhat peculiar.