Chapter 41: Finding a Hole to Crawl Into

Xie Chenjing lowered his gaze slightly, gazing at her intently. His slender fingers brushed against her cheek, and wrapping his arms around her waist, he gently lifted her onto the bed, pulled the covers over her, and walked toward the window. Outside, the rain was growing heavier, the sky shrouded in a dreary gray. A flash of lightning cut across the darkness, bringing a brief glimmer of light to the gloomy night. Standing still for a moment, he drew the curtains, shutting everything else outside.

Returning to the bedside, he dimmed the desk lamp and brushed his warm lips across the center of her brows, his eyes filled with tender affection. He turned off the main bedroom light, pulled the door shut, and walked into the adjoining room.

No sooner had he lain down than the phone on the bedside table chimed right on cue. Reaching out to take it, the familiar voice came through the receiver, and his normally frosty expression softened considerably: "Mom!"

"Alright, I know." It was unclear what the person on the other end was saying, but he listened with focused attention, offering an occasional response. After hanging up, a slightly dazed expression crossed his face, as if he were at a loss.

The person on the other end of the line shared a few facial similarities with him, but possessed a softness he lacked, untouched by the ravages of time. She stood by her room's window, looking out, the uplifted corners of her mouth adding charm and vibrancy to her appearance.

She had endured three gloomy years in her life, while Chenjing had suffered through fifteen gloomy years. Though the wind and rain raged outside, she firmly believed that tomorrow would bring brilliant sunshine—a profound grace from the heavens and the reward after enduring hardship!

In the early morning, bright sunshine adorned the room, revealing every detail of the interior decoration. Xie Chenjing leaned against the headboard, flipping through a magazine. An observant person would have noticed that his slender fingers remained fixed on the very same page, motionless for a long time, while his eyes were imbued with warmth like the morning light, and a faint curve played at the corners of his lips.

Just a wall away, Chu Yitong was rummaging frantically through boxes and cabinets, jumping up and down, muttering incessantly, "Good grief, good grief! How could I have forgotten? How could I possibly have forgotten?"

After a fruitless search, she knelt on the carpet, staring in utter despair at the crimson stain on the light-colored bedsheet, and irritably ruffled her hair. Her once-smooth, long hair became a messy, tangled bird's nest under her torment.

Sensing that the commotion in the neighboring room had temporarily subsided, Xie Chenjing put down his magazine, stepped out of his room, and knocked on her door: "Yiyi!"

The rustling noises inside instantly ceased. After a long while, the door cracked open a fraction, and a certain someone poked her little head out, her eyes darting about nervously, her words halting and vague: "C-could you help me buy something?"

"Hm?" He raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone laced with puzzlement.

"Well, you see... I, I..." Chu Yitong looked left and right, not daring to meet his gaze, her fair cheeks flushed and alluring: "Help me go buy some sanitary pads."

"Sanitary pads?" He paused, momentarily stunned. What on earth were those?

"I mean napkins! My period has started!" Xie Chenjing looked down at the head bowed so low before him that nothing could be seen except a mass of dark hair. He gave a light cough and said, "Yiyi, go check the cabinet in the bathroom."

He remembered that when he instructed his assistant to purchase toiletries, he had specifically added that everything a young girl might need should be prepared, so logically, they should be fully stocked.

"Got it!" The door slammed shut with a bang. He rubbed his nose—was this the fate of someone who had outlived his usefulness?

Rushing frantically into the bathroom, she threw open the cabinet, and the items came into plain view. Chu Yitong smacked her forehead in disbelief. How could she have been so foolish as to tear her room apart searching everywhere, barking completely up the wrong tree? If she had only known... if she had only known... Ah, she was going crazy! Completely crazy! How was she supposed to face him now?