Pearl Su kept eating and finally let go of the worry that had been weighing on her all morning. She told herself: don't overthink it, just accept things as they come.
Suddenly, a piece of grilled chicken flew into her bowl. Pearl Su stared at it for two seconds. A surge of anger rose in her chest.
This jerk of a man again! Is he addicted to giving me food? Does he think I don't have hands or what?
Her face turned cold, and her voice grew distant. "I don't like others putting food in my bowl. Please don't do that again, sir."
Hearing that, Alaric Yun's hand holding the chopsticks clenched tightly. But his face stayed calm, with a faint smile. "Oh? I see. I was being rude. I apologize, Miss Su."
Pearl Su didn't respond and kept her head down while eating. After they finished, Alaric Yun still took the initiative to clean up.
Pearl Su walked out of the kitchen into the yard to digest. The sky was completely dark now. Moonlight filled the courtyard. A soft breeze blew, and Pearl Su lazily stretched. She thought to herself, "Quiet days like this aren't bad at all."
She walked two more rounds before heading back to her room, not knowing someone was standing silently at the kitchen door.
The moonlight hid his shadow in the darkness. He had been watching her the whole time. Only after she disappeared did the shadow fade away.
After her bath, Pearl Su quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Pearl Su woke up feeling a dull ache in her belly, along with a heavy, bloated sensation that made her uncomfortable. She turned in bed, but the pain got worse, so she had to get up.
As soon as she stood, she felt like a stone was pressing on her stomach. After walking a few steps, she noticed something trickling down her thigh.
That familiar feeling. Was this... her period?
Pearl Su sighed and walked slowly to grab the period cloth she had prepared earlier. She folded it and tied it in place.
Once she finished, she headed to the door, but the farther she walked, the worse her stomach felt.
The dull pain became intense, as if her lower belly was about to be torn open.
Her brows furrowed. What's going on? Her periods were never this painful before. Why now?
She forced herself to the door and opened it. The morning sunlight poured in, making her feel a bit warm.
Then she saw Alaric Yun, training with a sharp and strong presence. The pain made her freeze in place.
She didn't want to see him at all. She stepped out the door, but as soon as her foot touched the ground, a sudden sharp pain shot through her belly, making her clench her teeth.
Pearl Su grumbled angrily in her mind: Why does this hurt so much!
She kept walking, but with each step, the stabbing pain in her belly got worse, making it hard to stand steadily.
"Miss Su, are you alright?" Alaric Yun suddenly appeared in front of her, concern on his face.
Pearl Su didn't realize how pale she looked. She answered coldly, "I'm fine."
She pushed his body out of her way and headed for the kitchen to make breakfast.
By the time she finished, her stomach hurt even more. She didn't even feel like eating.
She forced down a bowl of millet porridge. Across the table, Alaric Yun kept watching her with worry.
When she finished the porridge, Pearl Su stood up and said, "You can handle the cleanup later."
Then she walked to the door. Suddenly, her legs gave out, and a wave of dizziness hit her. Everything went black. Her body collapsed, but a warm presence caught her.
In that dizziness, she clung to the comfort of that warmth. Even in her haze, she wanted to stay close to it.
It was so warm. She wanted to hug it. Her body instinctively leaned closer, trying to absorb that heat.
"Miss Su, are you okay? I'll help you back to your room to rest." A deep and gentle voice rang beside her ear.
Pearl Su suddenly woke up from the darkness.
Feeling the heat of their bodies pressed together, she was startled. She quickly pulled herself away and took a few steps back.
But as soon as she stood steady, another wave of dizziness rushed over her, clouding her thoughts again.
"Ah." Pearl Su groaned in pain, unable to stop herself from collapsing downward.
"Miss Su." Before her body hit the ground, a warm figure caught her.
"I should help you back to your room to rest," a gentle, caring voice said beside her ear.
Hearing his voice, Pearl Su instinctively struggled a bit, but her weak body had no strength left. In the end, she gave up and said softly, "Alright, thank you."
She let herself relax as he supported and carried her back to the room.
With Alaric Yun's help, she lay on the bed. He looked down at her pale face and spoke gently, "Miss Su, just rest well in bed. If you need anything, call for me. Leave everything else to me."
"Alright. Thank you," Pearl Su replied in a weak voice.
"Good. Rest well," Alaric Yun reminded her again before getting up and leaving.
After he left, Pearl Su lay in bed. A dull pain throbbed in her lower abdomen, and she felt frustrated. Why was her period hurting so much this time? She had never experienced pain like this before.
She had never suffered from menstrual pain in the past. Now it seemed the saying was true: illness strikes fast like a landslide. But what exactly was going on with her?
She thought it over. One possible cause was exhaustion, and another was eating cold food.
Yesterday she had eaten crab, which was cold in nature. She had never done much physical work before, but since arriving here, she had been climbing hills and walking in the sun every day, which was physically draining. With both causes combined, it made sense she ended up like this.
After figuring it out, Pearl Su felt even more depressed. Her mood sank even lower, feeling like her life was too bitter.
Sinking into that gloomy mood, she eventually dozed off...
When she woke up, she was still in a daze. Her body felt weak and limp, even lifting a finger took effort.
She sighed helplessly and looked out the window, trying to guess the time. The sunlight was harsh outside, so it must be around noon.
She slowly lifted her arm, trying to sit up. After struggling for a while, she finally managed to sit up.
"Miss Su, may I come in?" A warm and pleasant voice came from outside the door.
This scene felt so familiar. Just a few days ago, she had been the one taking care of him. Now the roles had reversed.
"Come in," Pearl Su said helplessly.
Alaric Yun walked in, holding a bowl. He came over and gently said, "It's already noon. You should eat something."
"Alright." Pearl Su took the bowl. Inside was rice soaked in soup with some meat. The meat looked like pigeon, and there were ginseng slices as well. The smell was similar to codonopsis root.
"I touched your hand earlier, it felt cold. This should be good for you," Alaric Yun added.
Cold hands and feet? She only felt weak and tired.
"Thank you." Pearl Su lowered her eyes and began eating with the spoon. Alaric Yun stayed beside her silently, watching her eat one spoonful after another until she finished and handed the bowl back.
She added, "I'm afraid I'll need to trouble you for a couple more days."
"What illness do you have, Miss Su?" Alaric Yun frowned and asked.
"Nothing serious, just a minor issue," Pearl Su replied calmly.
A minor issue? Alaric Yun frowned even deeper.
Pearl Su showed a tired and uninterested expression.
"In that case, please rest well, Miss Su." Alaric Yun saw her condition and, frowning, left the room.