Two hours later, An Ruo walked out of the laundry room, rubbing her hands that were red from the cold. The pain had numbed her to the point of near insensitivity.
Perhaps it was from contact with the cold water, but a sharp cramp twisted in her abdomen. She leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths for a long time, but found no relief.
Having never been properly dressed warmly since childhood, she rarely had the awareness to protect herself during her special time, and over the years, this had left her with a chronic condition of severe menstrual cramps.
The pain made her whole body shiver with cold. Despite her icy hands and feet, she kept breaking out in cold sweats, her lips pale to a frightening degree. In the hallway, no servant was willing to come and help.
In the bedroom, the man changed into clean loungewear, sat in his wheelchair, and looked toward the opposite shore. His deep, magnetic voice asked, "How is she?"
"Young master is asking about the young mistress?"
The man turned his wheelchair and gave him a faint glance.
Han Chong lowered his head. "You just ordered the servants to have her wash the clothes. She's probably still in the laundry room."
What was wrong with the young master? Why ask about something he himself had ordered?
Besides, he had been in the room with him the whole time—how could he have had a chance to check on the young mistress's condition?
Just then, Steward Xu knocked and entered: "Young master, the young mistress suddenly fainted..."
A bodyguard followed closely behind, carrying the girl into the bedroom.
A flicker of surprise crossed Shen Xiaoxing's eyes. How could she faint out of the blue?
Then again, she had miscarried, so her body was naturally weak.
When no one was watching, he gave Han Chong a subtle signal. The latter immediately understood and nodded. "Young master, I'll go fetch the doctor."
---
The doctor examined the unconscious An Ruo, and the results left the man utterly stunned.
"The young mistress is merely suffering from severe menstrual pain, and her weakened resistance caused the fainting. Her hands and feet are cold, so she should pay more attention to keeping warm. Be sure to avoid cold, raw, or spicy foods..."
Shen Xiaoxing asked in a low voice, "Are you certain she didn't miscarry?"
The doctor looked bewildered. "The young mistress is just having a normal period."
"..."
Could it be that the young master couldn't tell the difference between a woman's period and a miscarriage from pregnancy?
Shen Xiaoxing let out an awkward cough. "Alright, that's all. You may go now."
After the doctor left, the room fell into silence.
The man maneuvered his wheelchair to the bedside, gazing at the girl's pale face. He couldn't believe that the same person who had been lively and bickering with him that morning could be reduced to such frailty by her period.
She wasn't pregnant, and she hadn't miscarried. He had misunderstood her.
Thinking back to his attitude toward her that morning, it had truly been too extreme.
Shen Xiaoxing's eyes darkened. Ever since witnessing his mother's death as a youth and enduring ruthless treatment in the Shen family, he had donned a mask of hypocrisy and cruelty, no longer harboring hope for any emotion.
Only this girl made him do things that defied reason time and again.
He turned up the room temperature and tucked the silk quilt around the girl. When his hand brushed hers, the icy chill sent a jolt through him.
Shen Xiaoxing wrapped his large hand firmly around the girl's small one, recalling the doctor's parting advice.
Living alone amidst the deceit and intrigue of the Shen family, he keenly sensed that An Ruo must have been bullied into washing the sheets with cold water.
He pressed his thin lips together and took a deep look at the frail girl on the bed.
After a long moment, he maneuvered his wheelchair out of the bedroom. As the door closed, he called for Han Chong.
Han Chong reported truthfully: "All the servants originally assigned to the laundry room were sent away, and the young mistress was indeed instructed by a maid to wash the clothes with cold water."
He added, "The maid who falsely conveyed your orders is from the second branch."
The man interlaced his fingers and rested them on his knee. "I don't keep disobedient people here."
"Young master means..."
"Handle it cleanly."
Han Chong was taken aback. "This is a spy the second branch just planted recently. Killing her so quickly might expose you, young master..."
"Do I need to report to them just for dealing with a servant?"
The man's voice was cold and harsh. "I've been too busy to pay them any attention lately, and they've grown this arrogant." His eyes held a murderous intent. "Perfect timing—this will serve as a warning."
---
Winter days always darkened early. It was barely past four-fifteen, yet Shencheng was already shrouded in night.
An Ruo woke up with a sore back and stiff limbs. Finding the room pitch black, she propped herself up to sit.
"Awake?"
The low, magnetic male voice startled her, and she immediately looked toward the source.
A silhouette sat by the floor-to-ceiling window. Since the room's lights were off, she couldn't make out the man's expression.
An Ruo replied softly, "Mm."
The man said nothing more. The sound of the wheelchair gliding across the floor filled the room. An Ruo fumbled to get out of bed, searching for the remote control.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, her legs gave way, and her whole body pitched forward. In that critical moment, An Ruo silently sucked in a sharp breath.
But the expected pain never came. Instead, she landed in a broad, warm embrace—she was lying in the man's arms!
A moment of silence passed. Her mind snapped back to reality, and she immediately pulled away from him, pressing her lips together. "Thank you."
The man didn't speak. Instead, he handed her something. An Ruo looked down and saw it was the remote control for the bedroom lights.
She adjusted the soft lighting to illuminate the room and checked the time.
She had slept that long?!
The man's strikingly handsome face was chiseled and sharp, his dark eyes devoid of any light. Even with the room now brightly lit, it couldn't brighten his gaze.
Sometimes, An Ruo felt sorry for him. Heaven truly was unfair, targeting only the good-looking ones.
As she stood there in a daze, the man suddenly asked a question.
His voice carried a faint tenderness: "Hungry?"
She had been unconscious for several hours, and now she was indeed a bit hungry.
An Ruo replied, "Mm."