Volume 1, Chapter 39: Darling’s Period Came Early

"Baby, I’m home." As soon as Si Yan set down his coat, he scooped up Su Yu, who was curled up on the sofa watching television. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent.

Si Yan felt a surge of pure satisfaction.

He had returned more than an hour earlier than they had agreed upon yesterday, which meant he could have more time with her. The man couldn't wait to carry Su Yu upstairs; his baby hadn't had a nice warm bath yet. No matter, he would wash her himself once they were finished.

He placed Su Yu on the bed. Before she could even speak, the man leaned in, his lips—radiating a scorching heat—covering hers without warning, trapping all the words she had intended to tell him in her throat. His kiss carried a sense of urgent possessiveness, his fingers hooked firmly around her waist, leaving her no room to dodge.

Only when Su Yu’s breathing turned ragged, her fingertips clutching his shirt as she went limp in his arms, gasping for air, did he pull back slightly. His eyes still smoldered with an unspent intensity as his fingers lightly hooked the collar of her shirt.

"Baby, I'm starting now..."

Su Yu bowed her head and pushed him away. "Not today... it’s not possible."

"Why?" Si Yan tightened his grip on her. "Baby, you promised. How can you go back on your word like that?" His tone held a hint of grievance.

Su Yu looked at the man before her; how could he even say such a thing? Was it not he who constantly broke his word? A liar, always acting like a rogue with her.

"I’m... on it."

Su Yu distanced herself a little, avoiding his burning gaze to keep from being seared.

"Impossible, you’re lying to me." Si Yan didn't believe her. He remembered clearly that his baby’s cycle wasn't due for another two days; he still had two more days he could claim...

"I’m not lying. A period is not something that always keeps to the schedule..." Su Yu explained. In truth, she had consumed a lot of cold items today and had even performed acupuncture on herself, which triggered it. Her arms were still covered in tiny, dense needle pricks.

Si Yan felt incredibly frustrated. He grabbed Su Yu’s hand. "I need to check!"

"No!"

"How can you check that? Si Yan, stop looking for trouble. My stomach is already hurting..." Su Yu covered her bottom, quite helpless; this man’s strength was simply too much for her. She was no match for him at all.

Her undergarments were removed in an instant, and the man didn't stop until he had personally confirmed the situation. Si Yan tidied her clothes, then fiercely bit her pretty cheek.

Looking at the tooth mark that now belonged to him, he spoke with suppressed dissatisfaction, "I'll let you off for now, but after we’re married, I’m taking triple..."

Triple!

That wouldn't do; her waist would snap. It seemed she needed to find a way to leave as soon as possible...

Si Yan turned and left. Su Yu didn't know where he was going. As he departed, he shot her a look of such resentment that it could be summed up in four words: sexually frustrated.

Seeing him thwarted and helpless brought a smile to Su Yu’s face. She curled up on the large bed and soon drifted off to sleep.

In the boxing room, *thud, thud, thud, thud*—the sound of fists hitting the sandbag rang out repeatedly, heavier and more muffled than usual. A thin layer of sweat coated the man’s lean chest, trailing down the smooth muscular lines, sliding over his defined eight-pack abs and disappearing into the waistband of his sweatpants.

"Damn it!"

"The carnivore has turned into a herbivore!"

"I’m not a rabbit!"

Si Yan roared and sent the sandbag flying with a single punch. Great. Another one ruined. He collapsed onto the floor, trying to calm the restless heat within him. He had spent the whole journey home thinking about those things, only for it to fall through.

His baby’s period had come at such an inconvenient time. There were supposed to be two days left. Now there wasn't even one, and she wouldn't let him touch her until they were married. She even suggested they live separately so he couldn't sleep with her. The mere thought of it for a second made Si Yan feel like he was going insane.

He wanted to force the issue, but his little baby would claim he didn't respect the customs and culture of her hometown. She’d say he was trying to get her gossiped about and shamed by her people, and then she’d start rumors that he didn't really love her.

Lies. He clearly cherished her above all else.

She just wouldn't let him touch her. Even with protection, it wasn't allowed. It was torture; it was absolutely stifling...

Si Yan sighed, turned, and submerged himself in a bathtub filled with ice-cold water. A whole tub of cold water. He began to recite a mantra of serenity in his heart: *Clear as water, the mind is clear; no breeze arises, the waves remain undisturbed...*

On the other side, Su Yu was not faring much better. After consuming so much cold, her menstrual cramps felt like fine needles piercing her lower abdomen. The pain made her curl into a ball on the bed, her consciousness drifting, nearly on the verge of fainting.

She was filled with regret—had she known it would hurt this much, she never would have drunk so much ice water, let alone eaten five popsicles in a row.

In her haze, she felt a large, warm palm gently cover her lower abdomen, massaging it with just the right amount of pressure, which eased the pain significantly.

Si Yan sat by the bedside, brow furrowed, his expression looking terrible. He had returned to the bedroom after his cold bath only to find something wrong with Su Yu. When he touched her hands and feet, they were frighteningly cold; despite being covered by a thick quilt, she felt like she was clutching a block of ice.

He checked the security footage and realized that this woman hadn't had a single drop of hot water all day and had consumed plenty of cold things.

"Damn it, do you really not care about your own body?" He cursed under his breath, his tone filled with impatience, yet his hands moved gently, masking an underlying concern. "Eating so much cold food while on your period—how could it not hurt?"

Su Yu’s lips had lost all color; they were even starting to peel. She opened her eyes, her consciousness muddled, unable to see the person in front of her clearly. "It hurts... you jerk, Si Yan."

"Even now, you’re still making snide remarks." She usually had plenty of energy when cursing him, but today her voice was weak and listless.

"Don't you know you’re on your period? Why did you drink so much cold stuff?" Si Yan’s brows were tightly knit, his tone laced with reprimand, yet the heartache in his eyes could not be hidden.

He leaned over to grab a heating pad from the nightstand, applying it to her waist and the cold spots on her limbs. Then, he stood up to unfold the electric blanket he had kept nearby, spreading it beneath her and adjusting it to a comfortable temperature.

"I didn't know. It only started after I drank it..."

"...and after the needles." The last part was very faint; Si Yan didn't hear it.

When the Filipino maid brought over red sugar glutinous rice balls, Si Yan fed them to her. Once Su Yu fell asleep, the man’s large hand never stopped gently massaging her lower abdomen.

That night, Si Yan barely closed his eyes. The room was warm and cozy. Su Yu was covered by a thick quilt, lying on an electric blanket, with a heating pad on her stomach. Si Yan felt as if she were a scorching little sun, hot to the touch. Yet, cold sweat continued to bead on her forehead, her face was deathly pale, and her brows furrowed and smoothed in turn.

Si Yan sat by the bed, his breathing shallow, feeling as if the stifling room was tightening his chest. But he had no intention of leaving. He had long since grown accustomed to sleeping while holding her; without that soft, fragrant body in his arms, he couldn't sleep at all.