The man pushed Shen Man and slipped away once more.
Feeling the figurative ties she had on him gradually fading, Xia Mian finally withdrew her gaze and got into the back seat of the car with Song Juan.
Song Juan had been frightened by falling into the water, and Lu Zechuan was being targeted. Now was not the time for her to continue pursuing that man.
Better to go back and settle Song Juan first, then make further plans.
The man pushed Shen Man into the car and drove away from the Ying River.
Lu Zhenqing, who had followed Xia Mian and Lu Zechuan all the way, witnessed one absurd scene after another. He stood on the overpass and stared at the cars that had disappeared from view, utterly shocked.
Was Shen Man’s biological father in a face-off with his son’s betrothed just now?
Lu Zhenqing felt a twinge of fear in his heart. His daughter-in-law was so formidable, he was somewhat reluctant to approach his son now...
Because Song Juan needed care after falling into the water, Xia Mian could not return to the Lu Family for the time being.
Lu Zechuan decided to stay as well, calling Sun Wu to bring him two sets of clothes.
Lu Zechuan’s refusal to leave saved Xia Mian from worrying about him.
It suited her perfectly.
Song Juan, after being saved by Xia Mian from drowning, caught a chill and started running a fever not long after returning.
In her feverish state, Song Juan babbled incessantly.
Those memories she had once forgotten replayed in her mind, like scenes from a film.
She remembered the man who took her virginity, remembered the night of torrential rain.
The man’s face was a blur in the rainy night; she only remembered the hand he extended toward her. It was slender, pale, with distinct joints, like a masterpiece crafted by the divine...
"Juan, I have to go. I can’t stay with you. I’m truly sorry." The man’s voice was tinged with sadness, "I hope we’ll meet again one day."
Song Juan jolted awake, shaking off her stupor and opening her eyes to find complete darkness around her.
Everything in her dream was so vivid. The man was as gentle as water, as noble as jade, outclassing Xia Jianguo by a mile.
Song Juan finally understood why, even if she had forgotten the man, she would risk her reputation to insist on having the child.
Certain things, memories might forget, but the body will not.
Subconsciously, she probably wanted to retain the sole beautiful memory of that man.
Song Juan was covered in sweat, her whole body feeling sticky and uncomfortable.
As soon as she opened her eyes, Xia Mian, who was by her bedside, sensed it and immediately sat up, looking at Song Juan, "Mom, you had a nightmare?"
Song Juan responded unassumingly with a "mm".
Xia Mian lifted a hand to wipe the sweat from Song Juan’s forehead with the handkerchief she was holding, then used her other hand to check her temperature.
Fortunately, the fever had subsided.
Her efforts in tirelessly administering medicine to Song Juan during her unconscious state had paid off.
"I feel a bit uncomfortable; I need to take a bath." Song Juan said as she tried to get up to head to the bathroom.
But as soon as she stood up, everything went black before her eyes.
Feeling unsteady, Song Juan’s body swayed backward uncontrollably.
Xia Mian quickly reached out to support her, "Mom, you’ve just started to get better, don’t move around just yet."
Song Juan was someone who was used to being clean; earlier, she had come back with a fever, too fuzzy-minded to think of bathing, but now that she was clear-headed, she insisted on washing off the muddy smell.
Xia Mian couldn’t argue with her, so she had to assist Song Juan to the bathroom for a bath.
By the time Song Juan was all taken care of, Xia Mian was also drenched.
After helping settle Song Juan back to bed, Xia Mian grabbed a set of pajamas and headed into the bathroom herself.
Concerned about disturbing Song Juan’s rest, Xia Mian specifically returned to her own room to take a shower.
Perhaps from taking care of Song Juan, Xia Mian felt a bit drained. The hot water didn’t wash away her fatigue; instead, it made her body and mind feel even more exhausted.
While Xia Mian was puzzled, her stomach began to cramp intensely, a warmth flooding down her lower abdomen.
Almost instantly, Xia Mian realized that her long-gone monthly visitor had suddenly appeared!
Xia Mian felt a headache coming; since her periods had been irregular, she didn’t usually keep supplies at home.
Now, in the middle of the night, with her period arriving so aggressively, it was quite a hassle.
How could she have forgotten about her period being irregular? If she had remembered earlier, she would have started taking care of it when she returned to life.
Regretting deeply, Xia Mian hastily washed, pulled on some underwear, wrapped a bathrobe around herself, and hunched over as she exited the bathroom.
Her stomach hurt so much, Xia Mian initially thought of going out to buy some sanitary pads herself, but in her current state, it was too much.
With a bit of wishful thinking, she started rummaging downstairs, hoping to find some of Song Juan’s leftover stock.
Although she wasn’t making much noise, within two minutes, she heard the click of the light switch from Lu Zechuan’s room, the light spilling out through the crack of the door.
The next moment, Lu Zechuan opened his door.
Xia Mian froze, clearly in her own home, yet feeling like a thief, afraid to turn around.
Lu Zechuan was taken aback the moment he stepped out, seeing Xia Mian in a fluffy, snow-white bathrobe, resembling a Samoyed.
Her back was turned to him, rigid.
Lu Zechuan furrowed his brow slightly. Why was Xia Mian roaming around in the middle of the night without sleeping — was she sleepwalking?
While perplexed, he noticed the spots of blood on Xia Mian’s robe.
Lu Zechuan’s eyes flickered slightly, and he spoke in a deep voice, "Mianmian."
Xia Mian didn’t turn around, burying her face even lower instead.
Out of habit, she wasn’t wearing anything underneath after her bath.
If she stood up now, she wouldn’t be able to cover anything...
Who would have guessed one could die of embarrassment in their own home in the middle of the night?
"Do you need my help?" Lu Zechuan didn’t turn back to his room.
Xia Mian had been rummaging for quite a while outside, and she wouldn’t be still searching if she had found what she needed.
Xia Mian’s mind instantly snapped awake. Forget about the shame and embarrassment!
The priority was to get herself out of this awkward situation!
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Xia Mian repeated emphatically but then sensed something was off, her face flushed, avoiding eye contact with Lu Zechuan, "Can you go out and buy me that..."
Unable to say what "that" was, Xia Mian hesitated for some time.
Fortunately, Lu Zechuan was quick on the uptake, responding swiftly with a "mm-hmm," grabbing his phone and heading out immediately.
Xia Mian let out a sigh of relief and simply went back to the bathroom, squatting over the toilet while waiting.
The wait felt excruciatingly long, but fortunately, Lu Zechuan was efficient, returning successfully ten minutes later.
Xia Mian’s door was open, and the bathroom light was on. Understanding the situation, Lu Zechuan went to knock on the bathroom door carrying the items.
Xia Mian opened the door a crack, took them, and thanked him, "Thanks for the trouble, you should go to sleep now!"
Lu Zechuan’s face turned slightly flushed, responding with a low "mm," and quickly left.
Lu Zechuan’s first fond memory of staying overnight at the Song Family was going out to buy sanitary pads for Xia Mian late at night!
Indeed, truly a memory for life.
That night, for Xia Mian, was particularly arduous.
Reborn, she possessed earth-shattering abilities, yet couldn’t manage her period.
Tossing and turning in bed, Xia Mian vowed that once this period ended, no matter how bitter the Chinese medicine, she would take it. She was determined to condition herself into an iron lady who could bathe in cold water during her period!