Chapter 6

Tang Chao drove me back to the bottom of my dormitory building.

Before I could get out of the car and go upstairs, he grabbed my hand but didn’t say anything, just looked at me quietly, his eyes like those of an abandoned… stray dog.

I shook off his hand and was about to go upstairs when he finally spoke in a suppressed voice: “Don’t stay here anymore. The house at home is yours; I’ll move out…”

I looked at him, confused.

The pain in his eyes was all too clear: “Just thinking about you sharing a room with another man… right here, it hurts so much I can’t breathe.”

He patted his chest softly.

I sighed inwardly: Has he finally learned what this feels like?

How painful is it? Well, it’s just a matter of not being able to sleep night after night, like being cut by a dull knife.

I decided to let him off: “This is the company dormitory. He’s just my colleague, that’s all.”

But he still wouldn’t let go of my hand.

We hadn’t been at a standoff for more than a couple of seconds when his phone rang. The name “Bai Xiaoxia” was especially striking on the screen in the darkness.

I let out a small, mocking laugh, broke free from his hand, and walked toward the entrance of the building without looking back.

He seemed to hang up the call and called my name anxiously, but I no longer wanted to be entangled in this triangle, so I quickened my pace.

But at the dark stairwell, I unexpectedly bumped into someone.

Wei Qingchen.

It was obvious he had overheard the conversation just now.

He didn’t say anything, just silently turned around and opened the elevator.

I wanted to explain, but then again, there didn’t seem to be anything worth explaining.

The two of us entered the apartment in silence, one after the other.

In the middle of the night, my stomach suddenly started to hurt intensely.

It was that time of the month, and after being out in the river breeze in the evening, the pain had me tossing and turning in bed.

Gritting my teeth, I got up to pour some hot water in the living room, but accidentally knocked over the cup.

Wei Qingchen came out of his room quickly. Seeing the cold sweat on my forehead, his face went pale with fright: “What’s wrong?”

There was even a slight tremble in his voice.

I stammered through an explanation.

He quickly boiled a pot of hot water for me to warm against my stomach, then rushed downstairs in a hurry, not even bothering to put on a coat.

When he came back, he was holding a box of painkillers and several packs of sanitary pads.

Seeing me look at the sanitary pads, he blushed: “You’ll definitely need these. I didn’t know which brand you use, so I got one of each…”

As he was speaking, he sneezed unexpectedly.

The temperature difference between day and night outside was huge, and he’d run out without a coat-it was pretty cold.

It felt like ice inside me was slowly melting away.

But my cramps didn’t let up at all. Even after taking the medicine, the pain kept coming in waves.

I curled up on the sofa, like a miserable little shrimp.

Wei Qingchen was sweating with anxiety. In his desperation, he crouched down and spoke earnestly: “I remember that massaging your stomach helps with blood circulation. Maybe it won’t hurt as much once the blood’s flowing.”

“Let me massage it for you, okay?” he looked at me cautiously.

I nodded. It really hurt too much.

His warm, dry palm pressed against my stomach, and it did chase away the chill from my abdomen.

His touch was gentle and warm, and after a while, the pain really did go away.

Only then did I realize how ambiguous this scene was.

I was half-lying on the sofa, and he was crouching beside me, one hand supporting my waist, the other massaging my abdomen in slow circles through the thin fabric.

A wave of heat rushed through me, my cheeks instantly burning-I didn’t dare meet his eyes.

It was too embarrassing.

Even Tang Chao had never touched me like this.

Just at that moment, the power suddenly went out.

In an instant, everything fell silent, and all I could hear was the sound of his hand rubbing against my clothes.

I could feel my heart trembling, so I grabbed his wrist: “I… my stomach doesn’t hurt anymore.” My voice was still trembling uncontrollably.

…

In the dark, I could hear Wei Qingchen’s faint, ragged breathing-it was shockingly clear.

Instinctively, I let go of his hand, but he caught mine, fingers interlacing tightly.

“Miaomiao,” he leaned toward me, his forehead and nose pressing against mine, “will you be with me?”

His gentle voice was tinged with bitterness: “I wanted you to take your time accepting me, but seeing you go out with him today, I panicked…

“I’m afraid you’ll turn back to him if you can’t help it.

“I don’t want to just be your male colleague-I want to be your boyfriend. Is that okay?”

By the end, his voice was hoarse and full of longing, almost seductive.

I said nothing-my mind was a mess.

His warm breath brushed my face, and his lips drew closer, finally capturing mine.

The kiss was sweet and moist, growing deeper and deeper… until his hands couldn’t help but caress my body.

My chaotic mind suddenly snapped awake.

I couldn’t let this get any further out of hand.

I pushed him away.

“Sorry,” Wei Qingchen’s voice was still shaky but filled with apology, “I was too abrupt… but I want you to know, no matter how long it takes, I’ll wait for you.”

Before going into his bedroom, he gently tugged my hand again: “If you need anything, call me. I’ll always be here.”

His tone was unwavering.