Xia Liyang’s heart pounded heavily, and her body tensed.

“Mr. Lu? What… what are you doing here?” Her voice quivered slightly, and her eyes darted nervously, unable to tell if he’d overheard her conversation with Li Qingying.

She gripped her bag of books tightly, feeling short of breath.

“I noticed you looked unwell earlier. When you didn’t come out after a while, I was worried something might’ve happened, so I came to check,” Lu Huaicheng said, his gaze resting on her pale lips and flushed cheeks. His tone was gentle as he asked, “Are you feeling any better?”

Upon hearing this, Xia Liyang’s tense nerves relaxed slightly, and she instinctively looked back.

Seeing Li Qingying’s figure had also disappeared at the bathroom door, she let out a complete sigh of relief, pressed her lips together, and said softly, “I’m feeling a bit better now.”

“But I still see that your complexion is quite pale,” Lu Huaicheng said, furrowing his brows slightly. “Do you want me to take you to the hospital?”

“No, no need,” Xia Liyang hurriedly waved her hand and forced a smile, saying, “It’s just that my period is coming; it’s nothing serious.”

“Will Mr. Xu come to pick you up?” Lu Huaicheng asked slowly.

“He… is still on a business trip,” Xia Liyang’s breath hitched, and her gaze became evasive.

“Then let me take you home,” Lu Huaicheng said, extending his long fingers toward her to signal her to hand him the bag of books she was holding.

“It’s okay; I can go back by myself. My stomach doesn’t hurt as much as it did earlier,” Xia Liyang said, feeling a bit anxious and reluctant to trouble him further.

After all, the more she got involved with him, the harder it would be to get rid of him.

If she didn’t get rid of him, she would face countless heart-pounding moments like the one just now in the future.

Until all the lies she was weaving fell apart completely in front of him.

Just thinking about that scene made her feel suffocated.

However, Lu Huaicheng had no intention of letting her go alone. His deep, warm gaze fixed on her, and his voice was gentle, laced with a hint of coaxing, “In front of me, don’t pretend to be strong, okay?”

“……” Xia Liyang’s heart involuntarily shook, and the mental defenses she had just built crumbled into fragments.

She slowly nodded, reassuring herself that this was the last time she would listen to him, and she couldn’t keep holding out against him, otherwise it would be troublesome when Li Qingying came out.

Seeing that she finally stopped trying to be tough, Lu Huaicheng relaxed his brow, took the book bag from her hand, and said softly, “Let’s go home.”

As soon as they got in the car, Lu Huaicheng instructed the driver to temporarily turn off the overly cold air conditioning.

However, Xia Liyang still felt her hands and feet growing colder, and the pain in her lower abdomen was becoming more intense.

Oh no, it must be that she had eaten too much ice cream that week, which triggered her menstrual cramps.

Xia Liyang took a deep breath, pressed her hand against her lower abdomen, propped up her knees, curled up her body, and stared at the pattern of the carpet under her feet, trying hard to suppress the worsening pain.

Noticing her movements, Lu Huaicheng glanced at her and asked with concern, “Is it hurting again?”

Xia Liyang nodded slowly, already too pained to speak much.

“Let’s go to the hospital then,” Lu Huaicheng frowned and prepared to ask the driver to change course.

“No need… I’ll go back and get a hot water bottle and take some painkillers; it’ll be fine. Going to the hospital is pointless, and it’ll just be a hassle…” Xia Liyang shook her head tightly, her voice a bit weak.

Lu Huaicheng’s gaze lingered on her pale face for a few seconds, then glanced at her hands pressed tightly against her abdomen. He softly said, “I’m sorry,” leaned over, and touched her hand.

Xia Liyang was taken aback; before she could react, he had already withdrawn his hand and frowned deeply. “Your hands are so cold; wouldn’t holding your stomach make it hurt even more?”

“But pressing down helps relieve it a bit…” Xia Liyang pressed her lips together, enduring the pain, and struggled to explain to him.

After a moment of silence, Lu Huaicheng shifted closer to her. “My hands are warm; let me help you.”

The familiar and pleasant scent enveloped Xia Liyang, causing her to feel a bit dazed.

She opened her mouth, about to refuse, but his warm palm had already covered her lower abdomen.

The warmth from his hand passed through her thin chiffon dress and reached her cold skin, making her heart feel warm as well, and the words that were on her lips got stuck in her throat.

Xia Liyang shyly lowered her thick long eyelashes, and the pain in her lower abdomen eased a little with the warmth coming from his palm.

However, the relief was short-lived; barely ten minutes had passed when a new wave of pain surged over her like a tide.

And it came with intense nausea.

She had to bite her lip, suppressing the urge to vomit, her eyes fixed on the streetlights outside the window that were rushing past, desperately trying to shift her attention.

Seeing the fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead, Lu Huaicheng took out a tissue from his suit pants pocket with a pained expression and carefully wiped her forehead.

Xia Liyang moved her lips, wanting to say it was unnecessary.

But she felt that if she spoke, she might vomit.

She couldn’t help but press her lips together tighter, allowing him to gently wipe the sweat from her forehead.

“Just hang in there; we’ll be there in five minutes,” Lu Huaicheng’s voice was warm and gentle, softly comforting her.

Xia Liyang mumbled an incoherent “mm” in her throat and closed her eyes under his soothing words.

When the Rolls Royce finally pulled up in front of the building, Xia Liyang, who had reached her limit, quickly opened the car door, stepped out, and intended to rush to the bushes nearby to vomit.

But her legs had been curled up for too long, and she felt a bit numb and couldn’t support her suddenly standing body.

She couldn’t help but feel her legs give way, and she almost fell flat in front of the car.

Lu Huaicheng, who had just stepped out behind her, frowned and swiftly wrapped his arm around her slender waist, pulling her back and allowing her swaying body to fall onto him.

“Lu…” Xia Liyang turned her face in embarrassment, intending to say, “Let go of me quickly; I’m going to throw up.”

But the sudden movement made her stomach churn again, and as soon as she opened her mouth, a wave of nausea surged up, making her head spin.

She could only turn her face away and couldn’t help but vomit right in front of his car.

“Miss Xia, are you alright…” Lu Huaicheng seemed completely unaware of the vomit splattered on his suit pants and shoes, his face full of concern as he gazed at her contorted expression, his warm hand gently stroking her weak and heaving back.

“I’m fine now.” Xia Liyang paused for a moment, anxiously glancing at his soiled pants and shoes, feeling embarrassed as she bit her lip. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lu…”

“It’s okay.” Lu Huaicheng took out a tissue again, first helping her clean the corner of her mouth, then quickly tending to his own pants and shoes. “I’ll take you upstairs.”

“I… I feel much better after throwing up…” Xia Liyang hurriedly waved her hand. “I can go up by myself; it’s inconvenient for you to come up.”

Her face was still pale, but the corners of her eyes were red, with tears glistening on her long lashes, trembling slightly.

Her messy hair clung to her rosy lips, and the wrinkled hem of her dress hung down over her slender calves, with her delicate ankles curling slightly beneath her.

Lu Huaicheng’s dark eyes swirled with restrained emotions, thinking that her “inconvenience” probably stemmed from not wanting Mr. Xu to know he had been to her house.

Not wanting to make her uncomfortable, he held back his emotions and finally confirmed with her, “Are you really okay?”

“I’m fine.” Xia Liyang forced a smile.

Although the nausea had lessened after throwing up, the pain in her lower abdomen had become more pronounced.

Worried that he might sense something was off, she hurriedly said goodbye to him, straightened her back, and walked briskly up the stairs.

It wasn’t until she reached the elevator that she couldn’t hold on any longer and leaned against the wall, her back slumping as she hung her head and gasped for air, closing her eyes while waiting for the elevator doors to open.

With a ding, she raised her head slightly, just as she was about to drag her heavy feet into the elevator.

Suddenly, a strong pair of hands grabbed her waist and the backs of her knees, lifting her completely off the ground.

Xia Liyang was startled and instinctively reached out, wrapping her arms around the person’s neck.

The familiar and pleasant scent, along with the warmth surrounding her, enveloped her again. Xia Liyang stared blankly, her eyes meeting Lu Huaicheng’s deep, gentle gaze.

“I told you, don’t act tough in front of me.” Lu Huaicheng frowned slightly, his tone reproachful yet unable to hide his concern.

“Mr. Lu…” Xia Liyang moved her lips awkwardly, suddenly feeling an urge to cry.

She didn’t want him to take her home, mainly because she was afraid of exposing the fact that there were no signs of a man living in her house.

But she hadn’t expected him to be worried and to observe her every move even after she pretended to leave without any issues.

She couldn’t push him away, and it felt as if she had let down his sincerity.

Seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, Lu Huaicheng’s expression softened instantly. He awkwardly reassured her, “I’m not blaming you; if you feel uncomfortable, don’t talk.”

“…” Xia Liyang lowered her thick, long lashes and gently sniffed.

She couldn’t tell whether she wanted to cry from the pain or because of the man who was carefully holding her in his arms.

Once in the elevator, Lu Huaicheng didn’t press the button for her floor but took her directly to the top floor.

As Xia Liyang sighed in relief, her feelings became even more complex.

Especially when he carried her into the familiar yet strange apartment and found that everything around them seemed unchanged.

The sponge in her heart swelled rapidly, filling her entire chest and disrupting her breathing and heartbeat.

She had thought he had already cleared out her things.

To her surprise, both the bags and clothes he had bought for her and the phone and necklace she had returned to him were all untouched in their places.

But it seemed he regularly maintained the house, as the floors and furniture were free of dust, and the red roses in the vase were blooming vibrantly.

Lu Huaicheng carried her all the way to the bedroom before releasing his hold around her waist, carefully covering her with a blanket. “I’ll go get you a hot water bottle, and the painkillers will arrive soon; you just lie down for a bit.”

“Mm…” Xia Liyang nodded slowly, her emotions mixed as she watched his tall and straight figure leave the bedroom, gently closing the door behind him.

She curled up, closed her eyes, and tried to cover all her emotions and pain with sleep.

Not long after, Lu Huaicheng returned quietly to the bedroom, tucking a hot water bottle under the blanket for her.

He also brought a cup of warm water and the painkillers back to her bedside.

He glanced at Xia Liyang, who was lying with her back to him, and softly asked, “Miss Xia, can you sit up to take your medicine?”

His voice was low and rich, gentle to the bone.

In her half-asleep state, Xia Liyang found it hard to distinguish between reality and dreams.

After a long pause, she groggily responded with a sound, using her hands to push against the mattress as she tried to sit up.

Lu Huaicheng quickly leaned down to support her back, helping her stay upright.

Then he brought the medicine to her lips. “Open your mouth.”

His warm fingertip accidentally brushed against her soft lips, making Xia Liyang shiver slightly, and she suddenly felt more awake.

She shyly lowered her lashes, raised her hand, and softly said, “I can take it myself.”

Lu Huaicheng glanced at her flushed ears before placing the medicine in her fingers.

Xia Liyang swallowed the pill, took a sip of the warm water he offered, and lay back down in bed.

“I’ll be in the living room; call me if you need anything.” Lu Huaicheng tidied up her water cup and medicine on the bedside.

“Mm… Thank you, Mr. Lu.” Xia Liyang replied, feeling shy as she bit her lip and turned her back again.

As the painkillers began to take effect, Xia Liyang gradually recovered from her pain and unknowingly fell asleep.

When she woke up again, the clock on the bedside had already passed 1 a.m.

Oh no, she had actually slept until this time!

Lu Huaicheng wouldn’t still be waiting outside for her, would he?

Xia Liyang hurriedly threw off the blanket, quickly got out of bed, and pushed open the bedroom door.

“Are you feeling better?”

The man sitting on the sofa looked up at the sound.

He had already changed out of his soiled suit pants and neatly pressed shirt into a light-colored loungewear. The soft linen fabric made his demeanor seem much gentler than usual.

The warm yellow light spilled over him, giving his gaze a kind of unspoken affection as he looked at her.

Xia Liyang’s heart skipped a beat, and she nodded shyly, biting her lip: “Um. I’m really sorry for troubling you tonight, Mr. Lu.”

“It’s fine.” Lu Huaicheng smiled lightly, unconcerned, turned off his phone, stood up from the sofa, and walked to her side. “I’m just glad you’re okay, Miss Xia.”

“I’m fine now.” Xia Liyang lowered her eyes, suddenly feeling a bit shy to look at him. She said a bit awkwardly, “Mr. Lu, you should go home and rest. I should go downstairs now.”

Lu Huaicheng paused for a moment and asked somewhat abruptly, “How long will he be on the business trip?”

“…” Xia Liyang was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he was asking. She couldn’t help but evade his gaze and replied vaguely, “About a month.”

“A month.” He lightly paused and asked with a somewhat ethereal voice, “Aren’t you feeling lonely?”

“…” Xia Liyang opened her mouth, suddenly recalling what she had said to brush him off before.

She felt lonely since he hadn’t contacted her for a month.

She bit her lip lightly and said softly, “It’s okay, I guess.”

Lu Huaicheng’s eyes dimmed slightly, and after hesitating for a long time, he said in a deep voice, “If you feel lonely, I can always be by your side.”

Xia Liyang was stunned, her long eyelashes blinking in confusion.

Seeing her bewildered expression, he pressed his lips together, seemingly making a certain decision.

His dark eyes fixed on her, a hidden fire igniting in their depths, he spoke earnestly and sincerely.

“What he can give you, I can give you now.”

“Miss Xia, could you reconsider me and be my girlfriend?”