◎ A man’s pride is something that cannot be wounded ◎

Tao Xiaoxi really didn’t doubt him at all.

During lunch, Jiang Youlin had sent her a so-called scientific research report along with a message with several exclamation marks. “Look at the average level of men. Tao Xiaoxi, your man is at the very top of the pyramid.”

Tao Xiaoxi briefly glanced at it… Hmm, her man should be at the very bottom of the pyramid.

She of course trusted Chen Fang. He was young and strong, so there shouldn’t be any issues. It was normal for the first time. But… there’s always a chance of the unexpected, right? What if…?

What if that “what if” happens, right?

She was just doing some preparation, nothing more. She swore she hadn’t thought too much about it.

In her sleep, Tao Xiaoxi was making a vow about cow whips when she suddenly felt her body swaying lightly. She barely opened her eyes and saw a sharp jawline.

“You’re back?” she mumbled, half asleep, ready to drift off again.

Chen Fang, with his icy hand from the outside, touched her face.

Tao Xiaoxi opened her eyes again, and raising her hand, she touched his cold hand. “It’s really cold outside. Next time, wear more clothes when you go out. Look at your hands, they’re so cold, and your face is blue from the cold.”

…

The man whose face was frozen blue was about to let go and throw her onto the bed. Tao Xiaoxi shook her legs and said, “Wait a minute, I just had my period. Can you get the blanket from the sofa for me? I’m afraid I might mess up the bed if I sleep deeply. I move around when I sleep.”

…

Chen Fang’s anger fell apart, his face turning from blue to purple, finally turning as black as charcoal. He stood for a few seconds, forcing himself to calm down before he carried her back to the living room. He grabbed the blanket from the couch and turned around.

“And my tablet,” Tao Xiaoxi stretched her hand towards the tablet on the coffee table, but she couldn’t reach it.

Chen Fang didn’t move, watching her.

Tao Xiaoxi tugged at his sleeve, “Can you take one more step forward? My arms are too short to reach it.”

…

If he could, Chen Fang would just open the window, throw the tablet along with the notebook into the river outside, and let them sink forever. He never wanted to see them again.

“You can’t look at the tablet,” Chen Fang carried her back to the bedroom.

Tao Xiaoxi was puzzled. “Why?”

“Because you’re having your period.”

Tao Xiaoxi: …

The cause-and-effect relationship between these two things was something Tao Xiaoxi never expected. But it didn’t matter; if she didn’t want to look, then she wouldn’t. After all, she was exhausted and needed rest. Sleeping was the most important thing right now.

She had another good sleep. Tao Xiaoxi was usually not good at adjusting to new places, but she adapted well to this bed. The blanket was soft, and the room was warm. Tao Xiaoxi stretched lazily and noticed the cup on the bedside table.

She picked it up and sniffed. He was thoughtful, ginger tea with brown sugar, and it was still warm.

Halfway through her drink, she suddenly remembered something. In a hurry, she got out of bed, quickly slipped into her slippers, and rushed to the living room. When she saw the notebook on the coffee table was closed, she felt relieved. Fortunately, she remembered to close it before going to sleep. If he had seen it, wouldn’t it hurt his pride?

A man’s pride could never be wounded.

Chen Fang was leaning against the kitchen cabinet, watching her movements coldly.

Tao Xiaoxi turned and saw him. She froze for a moment, then hurriedly hid the notebook behind her and pretended nothing had happened. “What are you making? It smells so good.”

Chen Fang’s tone was indifferent. “I’m making chicken soup. Didn’t you start your period? Grandma said chicken soup can help with energy and blood circulation.”

Tao Xiaoxi didn’t catch the coldness in his voice. When she heard it was chicken soup, her eyes lit up. “You’re amazing. You can make chicken soup.”

It was truly a pleasant surprise that he could cook.

Chen Fang looked at the sparkle in her eyes and clenched his teeth. His expression shifted to one of despondency. With a sigh, he turned back to the clay pot on the stove. “What’s so amazing about me? I can only make chicken soup.”

Huh?

What?

The sigh, the words, the tone, the expression, the lonely posture—was he still affected by what happened last night?

It was indeed a blow that could be devastating.

“Making chicken soup is still impressive. I can’t make it. My mom can’t even make it well when she tries,” Tao Xiaoxi tried to comfort him, but she accidentally revealed her mother’s shortcoming as she spoke.

To fully express how amazing he was in her eyes, Tao Xiaoxi drank all the chicken soup in the pot. But it didn’t help much. All night, his mood seemed even lower than when she had her worst cramps.

Tao Xiaoxi held the cup and occasionally walked by the kitchen door. He was washing the dishes, but she could sense the heaviness in him, as if he was brooding. It made sense, though. He must have been holding everything in, planning on doing something to redeem himself tonight. But then, her period arrived early. It seemed like even the heavens were against him. If this had happened to her, she would have felt frustrated too.

Tao Xiaoxi finished her cup of ginger tea, still unsure of what to do. She refilled her cup and returned to the kitchen. Maybe they could watch a basketball game later; she remembered he was good at basketball. She didn’t know much about it, but she could ask him to explain while watching. Talking about something he was good at might help boost his confidence. Maybe it would help improve his mood.

She got so lost in her thoughts that she bumped into him as he came out of the kitchen. She stumbled into his arms, and most of her ginger tea spilled onto him.

Tao Xiaoxi froze for a moment, then quickly started tugging at his clothes. “Sorry, I didn’t see you. Did it burn?”

She was in a hurry, though the water wasn’t scalding hot, it still had some heat.

Before he could respond, she was already lifting his T-shirt from the bottom, exposing most of his chest.

They both froze.

Chen Fang hadn’t expected her to pull up his shirt so decisively.

Tao Xiaoxi had been flustered, worried about burning him. But when she saw his… well… physique, her eyes instinctively widened. Last night, she had been too nervous and kept her eyes closed the whole time.

She knew he had a good figure—wide shoulders, a narrow waist. Even when he dressed casually, he looked good. But she hadn’t expected him to look like this…

Tao Xiaoxi forced herself to focus and looked at the red spot on his chest. “Does it hurt? You should ice it. Otherwise, it might blister later.”

Tao Xiaoxi muttered to herself as she wiped his shoulder and went into the kitchen to grab an ice pack.

The redness was mild, and honestly, it didn’t hurt. The water wasn’t too hot, and it had been through his clothes. If he was alone, he’d probably just change his shirt. Ice wasn’t necessary.

Tao Xiaoxi returned with the ice pack. “You should go sit on the sofa while I go get a towel—”

She stopped mid-sentence. He stretched his T-shirt collar, turned his head slightly, and the shirt slipped right off him. What she had seen before, now presented itself before her eyes without any cover.

Chen Fang held the T-shirt in his hand and looked down at her. “This way, it’s easier for you to apply the ice.”

Uh… It was definitely easier.

But did she say she would do the icing? It wasn’t like the burn was in a place he couldn’t reach. However, it was her fault after all, so she should take full responsibility.

He sat half-reclined on the sofa, bare-chested. Tao Xiaoxi tried her best to focus on the ice pack in her hand, but it wasn’t easy. If they got closer in the future, could she ask him to model for her? She had so many ideas for scenes with that physique. She could make comics without having to scour the internet for inspiration.

As the ice pack kept slipping lower, Chen Fang spoke, “You can touch it.”

“What?” Tao Xiaoxi, lost in her thoughts, didn’t catch his words.

“You can touch it. I see you really want to.”

Huh?????

Oh, my!!!

Did she show it that clearly? Tao Xiaoxi was overwhelmed by the sudden shame. How could she not control her eyes?

The more embarrassed she became, the redder her face got. The more amused he looked, and the frustration he had been holding in for hours finally seemed to ease a little.

Once her period was over, once he had dealt with her, once he had finished, she would have to take out that notebook and rip up every page she had written in front of him. She would have to tear it into pieces.

Tao Xiaoxi, her face as red as an apple, looked at his smile and felt a surge of annoyance rise within her. He had invited her, so this couldn’t be considered her taking advantage of him.

She narrowed her eyes at him, her hand moving swiftly.

Then…

The man who had been teasing his wife so leisurely just moments ago, now stood frozen, his body as stiff as a statue, steam rising from him.

Chen Fang gritted his teeth. Why couldn’t she ever play by the rules for once?

The situation had completely reversed. The person who was blushing was still blushing, but at least it wasn’t awkward anymore. Anyway, it was no longer her who was embarrassed. As for him, he couldn’t do anything about it. He could only suffer in silence.

Tao Xiaoxi celebrated a little too early. For men, the phrase “suffering in silence” simply didn’t apply.

The ice pack was tossed onto the coffee table.

Outside, the night was deepening, the stars twinkling in the sky, while the moon quietly hid behind a cloud.

Much later…

…

A long time later…

…

So long that Tao Xiaoxi had almost given up hope.

She shouldn’t have been fooled by his lonely back, agreeing to take on this tiring task.