Chapter Twenty: No Hidden Agenda

A rare long holiday had arrived. Ye Mian had stayed up most of the night, and even though she felt unwell, she stubbornly refused to get out of bed, tossing and turning. Only when the pain finally overwhelmed her drowsiness did she snap her eyes open.

Scratching her hair, she realized something was wrong. The dull ache beneath her was intense and all too familiar. Lifting the quilt, she saw the blue-flowered bed sheet stained with a patch of ashen brown blood. Her creamy white pajama pants hadn’t escaped either; a palm-sized smear of bright red stood out starkly.

Ye Mian sighed, practiced as ever. She walked to the bathroom, calmly removed her soiled pants, squatted down to open the cabinet beneath the sink, and reached inside to search for sanitary pads.

She rummaged all around. Nothing.

She then started searching her backpack. And that’s when she snapped.

Frustrated, she flipped the whole bag over. There were umbrellas, tissues, wet wipes—everything but sanitary pads.

Well, so be it. She accepted her fate. Ye Mian gloomily checked her phone. It was five in the morning; the small convenience store by the old locust tree was surely closed. She could only change into clean clothes, pad her underwear with layers of tissues, grab her keys and phone, and step out in search of a 24-hour store.

As soon as she stepped outside, a cold wind lashed her cheeks, making her already sour expression turn deathly pale. Perhaps it was psychological, but she gasped, feeling her lower abdomen ache even more, so painfully that she couldn’t straighten up, forced to clutch her stomach and walk hunched over.

At this hour, the street was deserted. Only a few dim streetlights barely illuminated the dark alley.

She searched the east alley for a while, found no open shops, and bit her lip as she slowly shuffled towards the west alley. Each shaky step felt like a struggle for life. Whether it was the heavy flow or the exhaustion from last night, her vision blurred, the world before her turning pale in waves.

At that moment, her first thought was a strange relief that no one was around. Otherwise, with her disheveled hair and ghostly appearance, she’d surely frighten anyone who saw her.

But after more than ten minutes, her strength ran out. The dull ache in her abdomen had become a sharp pain.

She could only squat down by the wall, pinching her thigh to keep herself from slipping into unconsciousness. The road ahead seemed endless, and Ye Mian doubted she could make it any further. The night, coupled with the deserted street, exuded an atmosphere of loneliness. She felt a bit pathetic—a simple period had rendered her fragile and helpless, even a little isolated. A bitter sensation prickled her nose.

Just as she tried to steady herself and stand, a cool, low voice drifted down from above.

“Ye Mian?”

A blurry figure appeared before her.

Ye Mian, clutching her stomach, looked up to meet a pair of luminous, almond-shaped eyes.

Jiang Chen was right in front of her, dressed in a black jacket and gray casual pants. His features were striking, his presence exceptional. Seeing her red-eyed, disheveled state, his expression immediately darkened.

“What’s wrong?”

When people are upset, nothing stings more than someone asking, “What’s wrong?”

Hearing his question, Ye Mian, who had been holding herself together, suddenly couldn’t anymore. After a few moments, tears welled up and spilled over, her voice trembling with helplessness and grievance. “Jiang Chen, can you help me? I can’t walk anymore.”

Jiang Chen immediately knelt beside her, looking up. “Yes, I’ll help you. What happened?”

Ye Mian’s tears flowed fiercely; she choked up.

His voice was calm. “Can you tell me?”

Ye Mian shivered with pain, the cold wind making her even more uncomfortable. She sobbed, “My stomach hurts badly.”

Jiang Chen glanced at her, noticing the red stains at her feet, his gaze freezing.

He didn’t need to ask to understand.

He slowly removed his jacket and draped it over Ye Mian’s shoulders, speaking gently, “Can you walk if I support you?”

Ye Mian tried, but her legs had gone numb from squatting. She bit her lip, gave up struggling, and cried softly, “No.”

“It’s alright. Don’t cry.” Jiang Chen’s long fingers took her hand, placed it on his shoulder, and effortlessly lifted her into his arms.

His arms were strong and steady, as if Ye Mian weighed nothing, every step sure and stable.

“I’m sorry, you’ll have to stay at my place for a bit first. Then I’ll go buy what you need.”

Ye Mian then realized she had been walking right by Jiang Chen’s home.

Only a few meters away, she closed her eyes in silent despair.

If only she’d known it was so close, she would have forced herself to walk.

Why did she have to owe such a favor to someone like him?

But at this point, Ye Mian had no energy to care about Jiang Chen’s house. Lost in dizzying pain, she felt him carry her up the stairs, tuck her into a soft bed, and carefully cover her with another blanket.

The subtle aroma unique to Jiang Chen, a warm blend of ebony and incense, filled her nose and gradually soothed her restless emotions.

Yet the next moment, she struggled to get up.

Jiang Chen raised his brows, speaking gently, “The blanket’s been washed.”

Ye Mian opened her eyes, her pale face furrowing tightly. “No, I’m just afraid I’ll dirty it.”

She saw Jiang Chen standing by the bathroom, his arm stained with bright red blood as he washed it.

He noticed her glance, hid his arm behind his back, and casually said, “It’s fine, blankets can be washed. You rest.”

“Mm…” Ye Mian finally gave in to the pain, curling obediently into the warm bed, her breathing uneven.

—

Jiang Chen arrived at the nearby 24-hour convenience store. After searching for a while, he finally found sanitary pads on a shelf next to the shower gels.

Faced with a wall of different brands and colors, he was at a loss. In the end, he grabbed several packs of various types, sizes, and colors, including the most expensive ones.

These things wouldn’t go to waste anyway.

He then went to the underwear section and bought a pack of disposable panties, placing them on the counter.

The shopkeeper, who seemed to be dozing, was startled awake, yawning loudly as he scanned the feminine products. He teased, “Aren’t you buying a bit much? Four hundred bucks worth of these things all at once?”

Jiang Chen smiled helplessly. “I don’t know which to get, so I bought more.”

The shopkeeper gave him a sidelong glance. “Hmm, I don’t know either. Can’t help you. Want me to call my wife and ask?”

“No need.” Jiang Chen replied with a faint smile, picked up the bag of pads, paid, and walked out.

Outside, darkness still reigned. Three streetlights on this road were broken.

Jiang Chen suddenly felt grateful he hadn’t left the girl to walk alone. And grateful he happened to be home.

—