Qi An’an wasn’t stupid. The moment she connected her unusual heat that day with Jiang Lu’s reaction, she instantly realized what was happening.

No way…… was her period really that early?

Her face flushed red in an instant. Her cycle had always been regular, so she hadn’t even considered it. And now…… this was just too embarrassing— especially in front of Jiang Lu.

“You…… You’re like this…… How can you still eat ice cream?” Someone always felt distressed when something went wrong. Jiang Lu tried to hold it back, but in the end, he couldn’t.

Qi An’an’s face turned even redder. Jiang Lu was usually either concise and composed or sharp and casual. She had never heard him stammer before.

Now that he was stammering like this, she just wanted to slam her head into the wall out of shame.

She stood there honestly and said in a small voice, “I just found out too.”

This kind of thing was a blind spot for boys, especially at their age. Although Jiang Lu didn’t understand why Qi An’an had ‘just found out’, hearing her explain softly still softened his heart.

“Then…… are you feeling unwell right now?” Jiang Lu hadn’t taken his eyes off Qi An’an the entire time. His palms were slick with sweat.

She truly didn’t feel unwell right now. The only discomfort was how her face felt like it was about to explode. Qi An’an could feel Jiang Lu’s earnest gaze, but she was far too embarrassed to look up and meet his eyes.

In a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, she said, “No…… I’m fine…… Let’s just go back first.”

Jiang Lu replied, “……Okay.”

When they reached the dorm building, they happened to run into Yu Tianyang, who was heading out to fetch hot water.

Yu Tianyang was stunned. “Damn, what kind of extra training did you do? You two look like you just ran five kilometers! You’re both flushed red!”

Neither of them responded.

────ρя


The next day, Qi An’an was on edge all day. Her dysmenorrhea usually came right on the first or second day, and when it hit, it was excruciating— like the end of the world, or like dying and coming back to life.

Even though she tiptoed through the day, praying menstrual pain wouldn’t descend upon her, it still struck just as their evening extra practice was wrapping up.

The moment she started feeling the pain, Jiang Lu noticed something was off. This time, he didn’t even consult her. He went straight to the senior and explained the situation, saying he was taking Qi An’an away.

Of course, Qi An’an wouldn’t try to act tough when it mattered. She didn’t protest and obediently walked with Jiang Lu. But as soon as they left the field, the pain hit her like a tidal wave.

“Why is it this bad?” Jiang Lu’s voice was clearly anxious. He saw her trembling with every step. “An’an, I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Qi An’an tried to comfort him weakly, “You don’t go to the hospital for something like this. It’s fine. I’ll lie down and rest for a while.”

Her vision blurred from the pain, and she didn’t notice the redness around Jiang Lu’s eyes, his trembling lips, or how his face had turned even paler than hers.

Jiang Lu watched helplessly as, in just a few dozen steps, all the color drained from her lips, and sweat began to bead on her forehead. The sight was gut-wrenching. His voice trembled.

“I’ll carry you.”

He crouched in front of her and gently placed her arms over his shoulders, treating her like the most fragile porcelain.

Qi An’an was even lighter than he had imagined. On his back, she felt weightless. Her arms hung limply, without strength. The realization sent wave after wave of fear crashing through him.

“An’an.” Jiang Lu wanted her to say something.

“Mm……” Qi An’an murmured vaguely, still trying to comfort him, “It’s okay……”

Her weak breath brushed against his neck, so light it felt like countless needles stabbing into his bones.

“Let’s go to the hospital. You can’t keep going like this.” Jiang Lu was completely panicked. Watching her suffer hurt him just as much.

He was so worried it showed in everything he did. Qi An’an managed a faint smile. “Jiang Lu, don’t worry. The hospital doesn’t treat this. Lots of girls get it. It’ll pass after a night. I’ve dealt with it before, trust me.”

Actually, once she lay on Jiang Lu’s back, the searing pain eased a little. His back was warm and steady, and he walked carefully enough that she didn’t feel a single bump.

Qi An’an made it sound light, but Jiang Lu’s heart broke hearing her. Every word she said pained him. What did she mean by ‘it’ll pass after a night’? What did she mean she had ‘dealt with it before’?

He thought of what the butler had said, of Qi An’an’s cold, distant home, and of her indifferent parents.

And her older brother Qi Yan, was this how he cared for his sister?

Jiang Lu’s eyes burned red, his gaze dark and icy. He didn’t want to cling to ridiculous moral lines anymore. A girl he couldn’t bear to look away from, how could he trust anyone else to care for her?

This time, Jiang Lu didn’t avoid being seen. He carried Qi An’an all the way to the fourth floor. But when they were just a few steps from her door, he stopped.

“Can you walk the rest?”

Qi An’an looked at the short distance. It was only four steps to her dorm. “Of course I can. I’m feeling much better now.” She knew that if she hesitated for even a second, Jiang Lu would carry her straight to her bed without thinking twice.

“Go rest well.” Jiang Lu said gently as he helped her down. He pursed his lips and reminded her, “If anything happens…… call me.”

At this hour, no one in the dorm was asleep yet. When Qi An’an pushed the door open, her pale face shocked everyone.

“Oh my goodness, what happened to you?!” Ji Ruomeng dropped her melon seeds and rushed over in three strides to support Qi An’an. “Quick, sit down! What happened? You’re so pale, it’s like all your blood’s been drained!”

The other girls gathered around. “An’an, what’s wrong? You were fine this afternoon. Why do you look like this now?”

“It’s nothing.” Qi An’an waved a hand weakly. “Period cramps. It’s an old issue.”

She sounded so feeble that the others hurried to get her into bed and covered her up. Ji Ruomeng poured a cup of hot water from the thermos and asked, “Anyone got brown sugar?”

Everyone shook their heads. A few of them didn’t have menstrual pain issues and didn’t think to pack everything for just a short training session. Cai Yatong finally dug around and found a crumpled heat patch. “Only this. I brought it during a winter trip and forgot to take it out. Should still work.”

In a daze of pain, Qi An’an heard the flurry of movement. She reached one arm out from under the blanket and waved it. “Don’t mind me, go have your fun. I’ll be fine after some sleep.”

“Alright, alright, Great Aunt.” Ji Ruomeng gently grabbed her hand and tucked it back under the blanket. “Close your eyes and rest.”

Qi An’an obediently stopped talking. But the pain worsened. She curled up under the covers, her ears buzzing, everyone’s voices sounding distant and muffled.

She bit her lip unconsciously. The hair by her temples was damp with sweat and anyone seeing her like this would ache with sympathy.

“This isn’t going to work.” Ji Ruomeng frowned deeply. “I’ll ask around the other dorms and see if anyone has brown sugar. Maybe it’ll help An’an feel better.”

She had thought brown sugar would be easy to find in a girls’ dorm. But this wasn’t their usual residence, and training only lasted ten days. Ji Ruomeng checked several dorms in a row and came up empty.

Just as she grew more anxious, her phone kept vibrating in her pocket. It was Yu Tianyang, who had sent several messages.

【Hey warrior, what are you doing? Why aren’t you online yet?】

【I’m supporting you today! You’re the carry.】

【Come on, I’m ready.】

【Get online already.】

Already flustered, Ji Ruomeng was completely irritated. She picked up her phone and sent a voice message, “Online my ass! I’m not playing today! An’an’s in so much pain she nearly passed out, and all you care about is playing! Don’t bother me!”

……

Yu Tianyang was lounging on his bed with his legs crossed while waiting happily for the game to start. He opened the voice message without a second thought.

The volume wasn’t that loud, but not too quiet either. The people near his bed heard it, but no one reacted.

Something happened? Yu Tianyang suddenly sat up from the bed, about to reply to Ji Ruomeng, when a shadow fell over him. He looked up and saw Jiang Lu’s expression as dark as a thundercloud.

“What happened to An’an?”

Jiang Lu’s bed was diagonal to his. Yu Tianyang had no idea how he even heard that voice message. He scrambled off the bed and threw on his shoes. “I don’t know. She fainted or something? I’ll go check.”

Before Yu Tianyang finished speaking, Jiang Lu’s face changed dramatically, and he turned and left.

When Jiang Lu reached the hallway, he immediately spotted Ji Ruomeng. His voice was filled with urgency, “Is there anything I can do?”

Yu Tianyang ran up too. “What happened? She fainted? That bad? Shouldn’t we call an ambulance?”

“She didn’t faint. I just exaggerated out of panic.” Ji Ruomeng replied quickly. “It’s okay, you guys can go back. I’m still trying to find brown sugar for her.”

It was clear she had tried and failed. But this wasn’t a reliable method. What if no one had any?

“I’ll go to a pharmacy outside the school. Besides brown sugar, what else does she need?” Jiang Lu asked.

Ji Ruomeng was stunned. “But the school gates are locked. How will you get out?”

“I can climb over it.” Jiang Lu was already drenched in cold sweat, his nerves taut like a fully drawn bowstring. “Just tell me what she needs.”

“Brown sugar. If there’s brown sugar ginger tea, even better. Ginger and jujube tea is fine too.”

Yu Tianyang ran with Jiang Lu all the way to the school gate. Though he said they ran together, in truth, he had barely managed to trail behind Jiang Lu and was nearly out of breath. Jiang Lu was simply too fast. When Yu Tianyang finally reached the gate and looked up, he was stunned.

Xincheng No. 1 High School was located in a newly developed district. The infrastructure there wasn’t very complete. Only across from the main gate was there a pharmacy. If not for this situation, Yu Tianyang wouldn’t have even looked at the main gate properly. It stood about three to four meters tall, with smooth vertical bars and no footholds whatsoever. Sharp spikes lined the top of the gate.

“Sh*t, what now? There’s no way we can climb over this.” Yu Tianyang gasped for breath. The pharmacy was just across the road, but there was no way to reach it in their current situation.

Jiang Lu didn’t say a word. He took two steps back, then suddenly dashed forward. Yu Tianyang was so shocked he didn’t even have time to stop him. “Hey, wait—”

He watched helplessly as Jiang Lu used a few powerful strides to launch himself onto the gate. “Holy crap……” Jiang Lu’s athleticism was unreal. But even with his skill, there was no leverage once he reached the top and he could only grip the sharp spikes and climb over.

“No, no, Jiang Lu! You’ll hurt yourself—” It was useless. Jiang Lu completely ignored Yu Tianyang, gripping the sharp spikes without hesitation and flipping over smoothly.

Jiang Lu ran toward the pharmacy across the street.

The night was silent, the wind cool as it brushed past his body. His black hair was slightly disheveled, and the heart in his chest ached as if being twisted tight.

There was brown sugar, brown sugar ginger tea, and ginger jujube tea— all of it. There were also all kinds of painkillers and wellness products. He knew nothing about these things, so in his panic, he bought everything.

Even the store owner couldn’t help but advise him, “It’s really nothing serious. Menstrual pain isn’t an illness. As long as she takes care of herself, she’ll be fine. You’re still young, look how scared you are. Oh dear, what happened to your hands? I’ve got iodine and— hey—”

He ran back into the night.

Having gained experience from the first time, Jiang Lu climbed back over the gate even more swiftly.

Yu Tianyang hadn’t even caught his breath when he saw Jiang Lu already returning with a bag of items. Before he could say anything, Jiang Lu brushed past him again. This time, Yu Tianyang didn’t even bother chasing him.

……

When Jiang Lu appeared at the stairwell again, Ji Ruomeng was surprised. She glanced at her phone. Only seven minutes had passed.

“So fast? Wow…… and you bought so much.”

“Thank you.” Jiang Lu stood at the door, unable to go any further. He said quietly, “Thanks for taking care of her. If anything happens, let me know right away. If everything’s fine…… tell me that too.”

Ji Ruomeng nodded and took the items back. She had a carefree personality and was still worried about Qi An’an, so she didn’t overthink the situation at all.

In the dorm room, the girls had already turned off the lights to let Qi An’an rest. Only a small nightlight remained on. Ji Ruomeng quickly brewed the brown sugar ginger tea and gently woke Qi An’an to drink it.

In her daze, Qi An’an didn’t ask what it was. She drank it obediently, her furrowed brow slowly relaxing, then drifted off to sleep again.

Ji Ruomeng sat beside her for a while. Seeing that Qi An’an no longer curled up so tightly and looked much more at ease, she finally felt assured enough to go to sleep.

Just before bed, Ji Ruomeng was so tired she could barely think. But she had this nagging feeling like she’d forgotten something…… Oh! She slapped her forehead and pulled out her phone, sending Jiang Lu a short, clear message, 【All good now.】

Now she could sleep peacefully.

Jiang Lu sat on the top step of the stairwell, the same spot where Qi An’an had accompanied him for wontons that day. When his phone lit up, he snapped out of his daze.

There were traces of blood on the screen as his palms had rubbed against it. He wiped it away carelessly and stared at the words ‘All good now’ in silence for a long time.

Finally, he brought the phone to his chest and slowly clenched it in his hand.

────ρя


The next morning, Qi An’an was completely back to life. She had gone to bed early and woke up before everyone else in the dorm.

She quietly went out to wash up. While brushing her teeth, Ji Ruomeng came in yawning.

“Mm…… An’an? You can walk around already?”

Qi An’an spit out her toothpaste and couldn’t help but laugh. “You make it sound like I just gave birth. I’m fine now. Came fast, went fast. I’ve returned to my human form.”

“If you’re cracking jokes, you must be fine.” Ji Ruomeng nodded, approving of Qi An’an’s phrasing. “Yesterday you were seriously a puddle of mush.”

“Oh right, why’s there such a big bag of brown sugar ginger tea on the table?” Qi An’an asked as she rinsed her mouth.

“Then you didn’t see what’s on the floor? There’s more. Jiang Lu went out to buy it for you yesterday. Probably enough to last you a year. Who knew he was so considerate? He’s ridiculously good-looking, knows how to put jerks in their place, and even cares for schoolmates. Truly a hero.”

Qi An’an paused for a moment. “How did he get out?”

Ji Ruomeng said casually, “Climbed the wall, easy as that.”

It wasn’t her fault. Jiang Lu had moved so fast and effortlessly yesterday that Ji Ruomeng couldn’t even imagine what ‘climbing the wall’ really meant.

Qi An’an gave a soft “Oh” and returned to the dorm thoughtfully. Sure enough, there was another bag on the floor. She was about to check it when she noticed some bloodstains on the outside.

Ji Ruomeng came back just then. Qi An’an tapped her and asked in a low voice, “What’s this about?”

Ji Ruomeng leaned in for a look. She hadn’t noticed yesterday, but after a moment of inspection, she guessed, “Maybe he fell on the way back? Now that you mention it, I think I remember. His hands might’ve been bleeding yesterday.”

Qi An’an’s expression turned serious. After thinking for a bit, she quietly rummaged through her luggage.

Before training camp, Butler Chen had packed her some Yunnan Baiyao spray, iodine, and bandages in case she got hurt. She quickly found them, told Ji Ruomeng she was heading out, and left the room.

She arrived at the entrance of Jiang Lu’s dorm. Afraid to disturb anyone inside, she didn’t knock. Instead, she sent him a message, 【Jiang Lu, are you in the dorm?】

His reply came quickly, 【How are you feeling?】

She immediately replied, 【I’m completely fine now.】

Jiang Lu stared at the screen, reading her words twice before replying, 【I’m downstairs. Do you need something?】

“Brother Lu, what’s wrong? Let’s go.” Jiang Zifan called out to him. For the first time in days, he had woken up early, craving steamed pork buns from the cafeteria.

Jiang Lu had just opened his mouth to say they could go ahead without him, when someone behind him called his name, “Jiang Lu.”

Qi An’an looked much better than yesterday. Her pale face had regained some color. Her eyes were clear and bright, reflecting his image perfectly.

“Let me see your hand.”