The originally deeply sleeping Gu Jia Ning was awakened by the waves of pain in her stomach.
Because of the pain, her forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat. A somewhat bewildered Gu Jia Ning looked at the calendar hanging on the wall not far away and suddenly remembered that today was her period.
"Gu Jia Ning, are you an idiot? It's your period today, and you actually chose to jump into a river in the middle of winter. No wonder you're infertile, no wonder your stomach hurts." Gu Jia Ning cursed herself in a low voice.
Although her period was always on time, it was always painful on the first day. Now, after jumping into the river, having touched the cold water, could it be her stomach would hurt this much?
By the time she managed to change her sanitary pad and get back to bed, she was already in so much pain that she was almost too weak to stand.
Looking up, the door was closed. Her family didn't disturb her to let her rest, so no one had come.
What to do?
"System, do you have any painkillers?"
[Host, you currently have 0 points and can't exchange for anything. The System Mall will only open once you complete the beginner tasks.]
[Oh, host, you might not need to exchange for painkillers.]
Gu Jia Ning curled up under the quilt, holding her stomach, her face pale.
The pain was too much.
It hurt so much that without painkillers, there was no way to suppress it.
It hurt so much that she didn't even notice the movement at the window next to her.
By the time she reacted, the window had already been opened from the outside, and a man agilely jumped in.
"Does your stomach hurt?" A familiar deep voice sounded. Gu Jia Ning looked up, and the man was half-squatting by the bed, frowning, eyes full of worry.
The familiar face made Gu Jia Ning slightly dazed, and the next second, her eyes turned red.
It was Sheng Zexi!
How did he get here?
Seeing Gu Jia Ning not speaking, Sheng Zexi thought she was in too much pain. He stood up and took something out of the bag.
It was then that Gu Jia Ning realized he had come with things in hand.
In the next second, Sheng Zexi held a thermos bucket, pulled a chair over to sit by the bed, and extended his right hand in front of Gu Jia Ning, with a white pill in his palm.
"First, take this painkiller, then eat this sweet wine-cooked egg."
In this era, painkillers and other Western medicines were very precious. Sheng Zexi had gone through great efforts to get this painkiller.
Gu Jia Ning was dazed, no wonder the system said she didn't need to exchange for painkillers, Sheng Zexi had brought them.
With her stomach hurting, Gu Jia Ning didn't have time to overthink and quickly took the painkiller.
Sheng Zexi opened the thermos, and a sweet wine aroma wafted out. Perhaps because of the added brown sugar, it had a slight brown tinge, with a poached egg floating, surrounded by red dates and goji berries swaying.
"I bought this near the county hospital, it's said to relieve that pain for girls like you, and it can also nourish blood and dispel cold."
Gu Jia Ning looked up at him, slightly surprised, "How do you know about my situation?"
Sheng Zexi looked down, slightly shy, "Before, when I was staying at your house, I learned about it by accident." Actually, it was that day when Gu Jia Ning didn't look very well and secretly went to wash her underclothes that he guessed it. Somehow, Sheng Zexi remembered that date.
Today, originally after the matchmaker left, he was planning to go directly to the Gu Family but suddenly remembered today's date and turned back to the county to buy things.
"You probably don't have much strength, let me feed you." Sheng Zexi wrapped Gu Jia Ning in a quilt, letting her half sit up and tucked a pillow behind her.
As he approached, Gu Jia Ning easily caught a whiff of his fresh, woody scent. In just an instant, he withdrew.
Sheng Zexi sat back in the chair, picked up the spoon, scooped a spoonful, and brought it to Gu Jia Ning's mouth.
Gu Jia Ning lowered her head to drink it, the temperature was just right, warm but not scalding, sweet and delightful.
Thinking about what Sheng Zexi said about dispelling cold, Gu Jia Ning realized Sheng Zexi must have known about her jumping into the river today.
But he still came, remembered her period days, and brought painkillers and this sweet wine-cooked egg.
Sheng Zexi was actually very good to her, so why hadn't she seen it before?
Thinking about her past life, Gu Jia Ning couldn't help it, her reddened eyes shed crystalline tears.
"Sheng Zexi, why are you so good to me?" The little girl pouted, sniffed, and asked with a soft, choked voice.
Seeing the little girl suddenly tear up, Sheng Zexi was at a loss momentarily. Hearing her words, he seemed to think of something and laughed in exasperation.
A trace of sarcasm lifted the corner of his mouth, "What, you don't want me to treat you well, you want that Wen Zhiqing to treat you well? Too bad, you jumped into the river, and that pretty boy didn't come."
"Gu Jia Ning, are you really so brainless that you'd jump into the river for a man in the middle of winter? You're like an old longevity god hanging himself, courting death."
"I always knew you were silly. Now I realize you are exceedingly so."
Gu Jia Ning raised her eyes, slightly angrily glaring at him with her watery apricot eyes, retorting, "I'm so silly, and yet you still want to date me? Still want to marry me?"
Sheng Zexi was taken aback, his tongue running over his molars. This girl just had a way with words to rile him.
A few seconds later, he laughed, low and annoyed, "Yes, I've fallen under your spell."
Because of his stepmother, Sheng Zexi originally had a very low opinion of women. But somehow, after staying at the Gu Family to recover from an injury, Gu Jia Ning caught all his attention.
He knew she was delicate and difficult, lazy, and not fond of studying, definitely not clever.
Yet somehow, he'd fallen under her spell, not only enamored but moved.
Why, you ask? Even Sheng Zexi couldn't really say.
Perhaps it was because when he was downcast for missing his mother's death anniversary, only she noticed and taught him to fold paper cranes. She said: as long as you write your wish on it and put the paper crane in the river, the departed can see it.
She said, death isn't the end. As long as you don't forget, they'll always live in our hearts.
Or perhaps, upon learning his birthday, she coaxed her mother to make him a bowl of longevity noodles.
She said: I don't know how to make noodles, but my mother's noodles taste great. Since you're staying at my house, this birthday will be celebrated by our family. Eating longevity noodles ensures long life and health.
No one knew that since his mother died, he hadn't eaten longevity noodles again.
No one saw his reddened eyes and slightly trembling hands as he lowered his head to eat the noodles.
Affection arises with no apparent cause, and once there, it runs deep.
Knowing she jumped into the river for another pretty boy, but he still agreed to meet with her, earnestly buying things and coming with a slight hope.
"I'm treating you so well, if you're still thinking about that pretty boy..."
Before Sheng Zexi could finish his sentence, Gu Jia Ning interrupted, "You're right, that person isn't worth it, doesn't deserve my actions. So, after thinking about it, I decided not to want him anymore, I'm willing to give it a try with you."
Sheng Zexi was suddenly stunned, only feeling the little girl's soft, tender words beside his ear, a bit unreal.
Gu Jia Ning blinked, her small, fair hand emerging from beneath the quilt, gently tugging on his sleeve. "Do you not want to?"