Chapter Thirty-Three: Menstrual Pain

After returning from her trip, Zhou Xiaoqi became extremely busy; sometimes Cui Hao couldn’t even catch a glimpse of her, and when he did, she was so exhausted that she would fall asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

This hectic lifestyle led to many complaints from Cui Hao. He often said he shouldn’t let her be so busy and threatened to ask Sister Ping to lessen her workload. Of course, these were just words—Cui Hao knew that the upcoming audition for the television drama "The White-Haired Princess" would be an important stepping stone for her in the entertainment industry.

Recently, perhaps from being too tired, Zhou Xiaoqi woke in the middle of the night with stomach pains. When she went to the bathroom, she discovered her period had arrived. Ever since her cycles began, they’d never been regular, so she never knew when to expect them and seldom remembered the dates.

"Xiaoqi, are you feeling unwell?" Cui Hao woke as soon as Zhou Xiaoqi got up. At first, he didn’t think much of her going to the bathroom, but when she didn’t come out for a long time, he grew worried.

"Uncle, my period just started. Could you go downstairs to the convenience store and buy me some pads? Also, could you bring me some underwear and pour a cup of hot water?" Zhou Xiaoqi’s voice trembled as she spoke.

Cui Hao, hearing her request, rushed out immediately. Before long, he returned. "Xiaoqi, I bought your things. I left the water on the table. Should I bring the underwear and pads in for you?"

Zhou Xiaoqi thought about her current situation and nodded in agreement. After Cui Hao left the bathroom, she changed out of her soiled underwear.

Her face was pale as she drank the hot water, then she lay back in bed, feeling weak.

"Does your stomach hurt?" After spending so much time together, Zhou Xiaoqi always gave the impression she didn’t need caring for. Even though Cui Hao knew she was fragile, this was the clearest moment that made him realize Zhou Xiaoqi was not as calm as she appeared.

"Yes, it hurts badly," she replied, her voice feeble, and Cui Hao could even sense cold sweat breaking out on her skin.

Cui Hao placed his warm hand on Zhou Xiaoqi’s stomach, hoping to ease her pain.

Zhou Xiaoqi forced a smile, trying to sound lighthearted, "Uncle, don’t worry about me—I’ll be fine. It’ll be better tomorrow, the pain will go away."

Looking at Zhou Xiaoqi, so considerate it tugged at his heartstrings, Cui Hao felt a pang—she was clearly unwell yet still tried to comfort him.

"Stop smiling, it looks awful. Let me massage your stomach."

Cui Hao’s palm was warm; though his massage lacked technique, the warmth soothed her considerably. Before long, Zhou Xiaoqi closed her eyes and drifted peacefully to sleep.

Zhou Xiaoqi knew her body well, so the next day, as she predicted, the pain was much lighter—just a mild ache she could handle. As usual, when she woke up, Cui Hao was nowhere to be seen. She guessed he was in the kitchen and got up to look for him.

The moment Cui Hao saw Zhou Xiaoqi, he didn’t smile. Instead, he looked at her seriously without speaking.

Zhou Xiaoqi felt uneasy under his gaze and couldn’t help but ask, "Uncle, did I do something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" She knew this expression meant he was unhappy, so she’d rather admit her mistake than wait for him to bring it up later.

"You were writhing in pain last night, and today you walk around barefoot—is it because yesterday wasn’t painful enough for you?" Cui Hao turned to fetch Zhou Xiaoqi’s shoes, crouched down, lifted her foot, and slipped the shoes on. His expression remained stern, but Zhou Xiaoqi felt his gesture was full of love.

"I’m sorry, I know I was wrong," Zhou Xiaoqi hugged Cui Hao as he stood up, and sweetly planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Alright, remember to take care of yourself next time. Even if I’m not here, you must know how to look after yourself, understand?" Cui Hao really couldn’t feel at ease leaving Zhou Xiaoqi alone at home; he couldn’t imagine how she managed before.

"I know, so stop worrying about me. What delicious breakfast did you make?" Zhou Xiaoqi was gradually getting used to Cui Hao’s meticulous care in her daily life.

"You little glutton, I made snow fungus with red dates for you today. I checked online—red dates help replenish blood." Zhou Xiaoqi was practically hanging onto Cui Hao, who patted her bottom to signal her to let go so he could serve the food.

In the middle of breakfast, Zhou Xiaoqi suddenly remembered that her period had started unexpectedly last night. She recalled changing out of her bloody underwear, but hadn’t seen it in the morning. She had planned to wash it once her stomach felt better.

"Uncle, did you see the underwear I left hanging in the bathroom last night?"