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Jiang Yichen was reluctantly dragged to the piano room by Qin Ling.
“Professor Qin, I just remembered that I haven’t picked up my sheet music and textbooks yet. Can you let me go back and grab them first?”
“Sit still.”
Qin Ling was prepared. She pulled a textbook from her briefcase and placed it on the music stand.
“……” Jiang Yichen twitched his mouth. *Professor Qin, you truly are a responsible teacher.*
“Play.”
“Okay!”
Jiang Yichen warmed up his wrists.
*Ding…*
“Again.”
“Sure.”
*Ding…*
“Again.”
“Got it.”
*Ding…*
“Stop.” Qin Ling took out her ruler and pointed to a symbol in the practice piece. “Tell me, what does the symbol ‘ff’ mean?”
“……” Jiang Yichen awkwardly turned his head. “‘ff’… means fortissimo.”
“Then what were you playing?” Qin Ling asked. “It sounded weak and lifeless. Play with more strength.”
“Understood.”
Jiang Yichen nodded and started again.
“Stop.” Qin Ling lifted his hands off the keys again with her ruler. “The rhythm is off.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Yichen focused intently this time, paying close attention to strength and rhythm.
“Stop.” Qin Ling pulled out her ruler again. “Is this what you call ‘smooth as flowing water’?”
Jiang Yichen scratched his head sheepishly. “I was just… using a metaphor.”
“You…” Qin Ling was about to speak but noticed Jiang Yichen’s slightly dejected expression. She patted his shoulder instead. “Get up. I’ll demonstrate for you.”
“Okay.” Jiang Yichen stood aside, watching earnestly. However, his attention drifted more toward Qin Ling’s pale face than the keys.
He recalled the details from the novel.
Today was the tenth…
Qin Ling’s period…
Menstrual cramps?
Jiang Yichen quickly realized.
The story had mentioned that Qin Ling suffered from dysmenorrhea due to a congenital condition, particularly severe at night, making it difficult for her to sleep.
“Are you watching closely?”
Qin Ling turned to see Jiang Yichen lost in thought.
“Jiang Yichen!” Qin Ling called.
“Yes!” Jiang Yichen snapped back to attention.
“What were you thinking? Daydreaming in front of me?” Qin Ling’s tone was somewhat irritated.
“No,” Jiang Yichen explained. “I just noticed that Professor Qin looked pale and unwell…”
Qin Ling’s expression softened slightly. “I’ll demonstrate again, so pay attention.”
“Okay.”
…
The make-up lesson went on for quite some time. They started at 8:30 PM and continued until 10:00 PM. Qin Ling taught earnestly, and Jiang Yichen listened attentively. This was probably the only subject where he didn’t zone out and genuinely cared.
When class was finally over, Qin Ling maintained her usual cold demeanor. However, she felt worse than before; the pain in her stomach was more intense, but still within her tolerable range. Sometimes, she genuinely envied girls who could carry on as if nothing was wrong during their periods.
“Professor Qin, are you alright?” Jiang Yichen asked.
“I’m fine.”
Qin Ling appeared fine, but her face was paler than usual.
After that, she turned to leave. The Faculty Apartments and the boys’ dormitory were in opposite directions. Jiang Yichen watched her walk away with her usual determined stride.
If he didn’t know her situation, he might have believed her.
Jiang Yichen stood there for a moment before walking in another direction.
Whenever Jiang Suihua had severe cramps, he would prepare a bowl of brown sugar ginger tea and massage her abdomen.
Jiang Suihua said it was very effective, especially the brown sugar ginger tea, which would warm her up.
He went to a convenience store outside the school and bought some brown sugar and ginger.
He bought extra this time, knowing his sister Jiang Suihua would also be experiencing her period.
Thinking about this, he also bought a thermos.
At 7:30 PM, he arrived at Qin Ling’s apartment and knocked on the door.
Qin Ling opened the door and, seeing Jiang Yichen, said coldly, “What do you want?”
“Professor Qin, I’m here to make you some brown sugar ginger tea,” Jiang Yichen explained.
Qin Ling’s complexion looked much better today, her face flushed and not as pale as yesterday.
“No need.” Qin Ling raised her hand, attempting to close the door.
But Jiang Yichen quickly blocked the door with his foot.
“Move your foot,” Qin Ling said.
“No.” Jiang Yichen thought this was normal behavior for someone on their period. It was well-known that women’s moods could change dramatically when they had their periods.
“Go back.”
“No.”
“Jiang Yichen!”
“Professor Qin~”
Jiang Yichen then noticed that Qin Ling seemed a bit upset.
“You…” Qin Ling was clearly annoyed.
He was the student that annoyed her the most, no exceptions.
“Where were you last night?” Qin Ling asked coldly.
“Uh…” Jiang Yichen almost blurted out “the dorm,” but then remembered Lin Yao from earlier that day. He quickly realized, “Professor Qin, let me explain!”
“Speak.”
“It’s like this; I went back to the dorm, but the lady had locked the door early, so I ended up having to spend the night at the internet cafe…”
“Do you think I’m an idiot?” Qin Ling asked.
“Um… well, Professor Qin, the truth is my roommates invited me to the internet cafe for an all-nighter…”
“Then why did you lie?” Qin Ling pressed.
“I just said it off the cuff…” Jiang Yichen replied, realizing he hadn’t thought it through last night.
Qin Ling stared at him in silence.
They stood at the door for several minutes.
“Okay, I was wrong. Next time, I’ll be honest,” Jiang Yichen sincerely apologized.
“……” Qin Ling didn’t respond. She simply released her grip on the door and walked back to the living room.