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Ye Shuanglu had no obligation to help her.
Xu Zhiqiao knew that.
But from Ye Shuanglu’s cold attitude and her insinuating words, Xu Zhiqiao could read disdain and malice.
They had been fine during dinner.
Or maybe things had already gone awry by then, and she just didn’t notice.
Xu Zhiqiao lowered her head, her hair dripping wet as she aimlessly made her way downstairs.
The servants had already left, and wouldn’t return until tomorrow morning.
She rummaged through the living room and the cupboard.
There was none of it.
Just then, the European-style front door was pushed open, and a tall, slim figure entered her line of sight.
The two locked eyes.
The noise of people drinking and playing cards outside poured in through the open door.
Zhou Cong furrowed his brow and quickly walked over to her. “What are you doing up at this hour?”
He reached out to touch her hair with a faint hint of anger. “Aren’t you going to dry or blow-dry your hair?”
“…” Xu Zhiqiao bit her lip, hesitating for a moment. “Big Brother, have you been drinking?”
“No,” Zhou Cong wrapped his coat around her body. “What’s the matter? Are you asking about my drinking now?”
Xu Zhiqiao stammered, embarrassed. “I… I think my brothers drank.”
“Hmm.”
Xu Zhiqiao continued, “I have a driver’s license, but I’ve never driven before.”
“Hmm.”
Xu Zhiqiao added, “Right now, you’re the only one who can drive us out.”
“…” Zhou Cong licked his lips, laughing in disbelief. “Just tell me what you need.”
Xu Zhiqiao’s ears burned.
“You could help me buy something, right?”
“You say,” Zhou Cong lifted her damp hair up, “Perhaps we have it here.”
Xu Zhiqiao hesitated. “Sanitary pads.”
“…”
It turned out that the villa didn’t have any of those.
Zhou Cong coughed lightly. “Did you ask upstairs?”
Xu Zhiqiao lowered her lashes. “Yes.”
Zhou Cong looked at her silently for a few moments. “Come here, first dry your hair.”
Xu Zhiqiao stammered, “I… I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
“…” Zhou Cong paused, not quite understanding what kind of urgency she meant.
“Big Brother, Big Brother,” Xu Zhiqiao panicked. “I… I might leak.”
“…”
Zhou Cong handed her the hairdryer. “Dry it yourself first.”
With that, he turned and walked into one of the bedrooms.
Xu Zhiqiao stood frozen, afraid that moving even a little would make things worse.
She stood at attention for half a minute, and Zhou Cong came out holding a folded square of white fabric.
“Big Brother’s clothes, disinfected,” Zhou Cong licked his lips. “You… make do for now.”
Xu Zhiqiao’s face felt as though her capillaries were about to burst.
Zhou Cong urged, “Hurry up.”
“…”
Xu Zhiqiao awkwardly made her way to the bathroom on the first floor.
The white fabric was a folded short-sleeve shirt. Zhou Cong had a habit of being extremely particular about cleanliness; he never wore clothes twice and always disinfected new clothes before wearing them.
Though it was a temporary solution, just thinking that it was his clothes made her feel so embarrassed that she could hardly bear it.
After using it, she came out, her eyes wandering, unwilling to face him.
Zhou Cong’s face was calm. “Come here, we need to dry your hair.”
The humidity here was already heavier than in the city, and she still hadn’t even wiped herself down with a towel.
“I’ll dry it myself.”
“Don’t move,” Zhou Cong flicked her forehead with his fingers. “It’ll be done soon.”
There was still a small mark on her forehead from the little turtle she had earlier.
Xu Zhiqiao didn’t dare move and stood obediently while Zhou Cong’s hands moved through her hair.
Zhou Cong was tall, and Xu Zhiqiao only reached his shoulder. From behind, she looked as though she were wrapped entirely in his embrace.
It was a feeling that was airtight.
The scent of the man’s cologne invaded her senses as it settled deep into her nostrils.
At some point, Xu Zhiqiao lifted her head and unexpectedly locked eyes with him.
The hairdryer hummed, but it didn’t move from its position.
The two stared at each other for a moment, and Xu Zhiqiao quickly averted her gaze. “It’s fine now. That’s enough.”
Zhou Cong turned off the hairdryer, his fingers still carrying the faint scent of her hair.
“Go back to your room, I’ll go buy it.”
“Thank you, Big Brother.”
However, after walking only a few steps, Zhou Cong stopped, his expression rare with hesitation. “How about… we go together?”
Xu Zhiqiao thought he probably hadn’t bought it before, didn’t know what to do, so it would be more convenient if she went by herself.
The car headed toward the city.
Xu Zhiqiao texted Qu Xiuxiu, telling her to go to bed first and not wait for her.
The remote area of Chixia Mountain meant even errand runners wouldn’t come by. Otherwise, she could have ordered one online.
Zhou Cong glanced at her. “If you’re tired, just sleep.”
Xu Zhiqiao rubbed her eyes, sitting upright and forcing herself to stay awake.
The area was dark with no streetlights, only the car’s headlights illuminating the sporadic road ahead.
“Your stomach,” Zhou Cong asked after a pause, “Does it hurt?”
“No,” Xu Zhiqiao replied.
Zhou Cong nodded. “Is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable?”
Xu Zhiqiao shook her head. “No.”
“…” Zhou Cong’s lips pressed together in a straight line before he let out a sigh. “Can’t even remember your own schedule?”
Xu Zhiqiao sank into the darkness, unwilling to discuss this matter with a man.
Her period wasn’t regular, and she usually prepared sanitary pads when she thought the day had arrived, but this time, coming from the apartment, she had neglected to bring any.
Up ahead, lights appeared from small local eateries and inns in the suburban area.
Zhou Cong pulled over and instructed, “I’ll go buy it, you wait here.”
Xu Zhiqiao opened her mouth to ask, “Do you know… how to buy it?”
“I won’t ask,” Zhou Cong leaned in, rubbing her head. “You’re not old, but your thoughts are quite backward.”
“…”
The main road was occasionally passed by containers and freight trucks honking their horns, stirring up dust.
The lights from the store illuminated the surrounding wilderness, casting eerie, indistinct shadows.
Xu Zhiqiao gripped the car window, staring at Zhou Cong’s back as he walked into the store.
A waitress greeted him, and they exchanged a few words. Zhou Cong followed her into the shop.
For a moment, Xu Zhiqiao inexplicably felt a brief, almost imperceptible sense of dependence, wishing he would hurry back. She felt afraid sitting alone in the car.
That feeling was fleeting, so fast that Xu Zhiqiao hardly noticed it before it was gone.
Suddenly.
There was a knock on the passenger window. Xu Zhiqiao jumped, turning in panic.
Outside stood an unfamiliar woman, bending down to meet her gaze. “Miss, would you like to eat or stay for the night?”
The woman likely mistook them for passing travelers, trying to draw them into her restaurant.
Xu Zhiqiao’s heart nearly skipped a beat. “No…”
“Come in and take a look,” the woman urged. “We have home-style dishes, cured meats, and fresh wild vegetables.”
The other door of the car opened, and the night air, carrying the cool scent of Zhou Cong’s cologne, rushed in.
As he sat down, the car gently rocked.
Xu Zhiqiao’s heart, which had been suspended in her chest, immediately sank back into her stomach.
It was as though, as long as Zhou Cong was back, everything would be solved.
As expected, Zhou Cong glanced at her before his sharp, deep eyes turned to the woman outside. “No need, thank you.”
With that, he rolled up the window and drove off, making a U-turn to head back.
After a while, Xu Zhiqiao, drowsy and half-asleep, suddenly heard Zhou Cong call her name.
“Xu Zhiqiao.”
“Mm?” She answered sleepily.
His voice paused for a moment.
Almost inaudibly, he said, “Next time, I’ll just tuck you in my pocket.”
Leaving her behind only tugged at his heart.