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墨書 Inktalez
Four years ago...
At that time, Qiao Nuo was still Jin Chengyan's wife. Everything was under Jin Chengyan's control, and the two of them were happily living in Jin Mansion.
One day, when Jin Chengyan returned to Jin Mansion, he did not find Qiao Nuo in the living room. Thinking she had not yet come home, he went upstairs to his study to handle some business. By the time he looked up again, it was already late at night.
After taking a shower and changing his clothes, he prepared to go downstairs to cook something to eat. It was then that he realized he hadn’t heard any movement from downstairs. Was Qiao Nuo still not back?
The clock had already struck eleven.
He opened Qiao Nuo's bedroom door and turned on the light, discovering her lying on the bed. She had returned after all.
However, the figure on the bed was curled up tightly, her long hair covering her face, and it seemed slightly damp with sweat.
"Qiao Nuo?" Jin Chengyan walked over and brushed her hair aside, only to find her expression filled with pain. She was clutching her lower abdomen. "What’s wrong? Why are you in so much pain? I’ll take you to the hospital."
Could it be that Qiao Nuo had been home all along when he returned? She had been in pain for so long without saying a word; at this rate, she might as well be in agony.
"No... it's fine," Qiao Nuo shook her head. The pain came in waves, a kind of pain that women experience. Even if she went to the hospital, the doctor would just prescribe some painkillers. They might relieve it this time, but it would still hurt next time.
Unless she took care of her body from the very beginning.
"What do you mean it's fine? You could seriously be in danger!" As he spoke, Jin Chengyan moved to pick Qiao Nuo up, unsure why this woman was being so stubborn.
"Really, it's not necessary; I just got my period!" Qiao Nuo exclaimed in a moment of panic as she realized how awkward it would be if Jin Chengyan really took her to the hospital.
Jin Chengyan's hands froze, feeling somewhat... embarrassed.
The ever-smart Jin Chengyan never imagined that Qiao Nuo was in such pain because of her period.
“Oh…” He withdrew his hand, pretending to be calm. “But isn’t this a bit… serious?”
“Maybe… I didn’t rest well the past few days and ate something cold…” Qiao Nuo, who had always been a bit unusual, hadn’t expected the pain to be this severe this time.
“Oh… should I get you some painkillers?” It seemed like there were some at home.
“No, just bring me a cup of hot water, please.”
“Oh…” For this request, Jin Chengyan could only respond with an “oh,” as it was too awkward.
He stood up and walked outside, pulling out his phone as he went. He opened a webpage and typed: What should men do when their girlfriend has menstrual cramps?
A search yielded a plethora of information, but the first piece of advice was clear: never tell your girlfriend that a cup of hot water will solve everything if you don’t want to see her tear you apart!
Jin Chengyan paused for a moment. But just now, Qiao Nuo had asked him for a cup of hot water…
And besides, he wasn’t just Qiao Nuo’s boyfriend; he was her husband.
He browsed through the suggestions carefully. Many netizens offered tips—like warming patches, heat packs, ginger tea… and so on. They also advised against taking painkillers due to their significant side effects.
Originally planning to get Qiao Nuo some painkillers, he put the ones he had already taken in hand back down.
However, there really wasn’t a hot water bottle in the Jin Mansion!
Jin Chengyan brought Qiao Nuo a cup of water with honey added. He watched as she leaned against the bed, lifting the cup without drinking, simply using its warmth to soothe herself.
Once the temperature was suitable, Qiao Nuo took a small sip and suddenly looked up. “You added honey; it’s delicious.”
Seeing Qiao Nuo satisfied, Jin Chengyan nodded in response, feeling a sense of pride akin to being praised by his grandfather for coming first in class back in elementary school.
“However, how did you know I wanted something sweet? It seems you know quite a bit!” Qiao Nuo teased Jin Chengyan as she regained her composure.
He glanced at her. “Does it still hurt?”
Only then did Qiao Nuo realize that her lower abdomen was indeed in pain. She nodded; menstrual cramps were far worse than childbirth, something men could never understand.
“Lie down.” He sat on the edge of the bed, took the cup from her hands, and urged her to lie back.
Before she could fully comprehend what was happening, Jin Chengyan had already pressed her down onto the bed, forcing her to recline. But at that moment, she wanted to sit up.
Little did she know, Jin Chengyan had also reached into the cup! He lifted her T-shirt and slipped his hand underneath!
“Jin Chengyan!” Qiao Nuo exclaimed in shock. What was he doing? Was he really going to take advantage of her while she was vulnerable?
Could he not have some decency?
However, Jin Chengyan merely placed his hand on her lower abdomen. His palm was warm, and as it rested there, it miraculously eased her pain. Just as she thought to push him away, she found herself yielding to his gentle touch.
Seeing that Qiao Nuo had stopped squirming, Jin Chengyan finally relaxed his grip on her shoulder.
“How do you know so much? You know I have menstrual cramps and made me honey water, and you also know to place something warm on my abdomen. Is it that… you do this for others too?”
“If you keep talking, I…” Jin Chengyan pretended to withdraw his hand. Qiao Nuo immediately grasped his hand and placed it back on her abdomen.
“I was just joking! Don’t be angry; I’ll be quiet now,” Qiao Nuo said obediently. With that, she closed her eyes under Jin Chengyan’s gentle caress and drifted off to sleep.
Holding the cup filled with a dark red liquid, Qiao Nuo's thoughts gradually returned. It felt like a distant memory, but just a small spark could trigger the floodgate of recollections, and soon, memories surged into her mind like a tidal wave.
"I don't have menstrual cramps," she thought. How could she still have cramps when she was pregnant?
Jin Chengyan furrowed his brows slightly. What had she been doing just now, clutching her lower abdomen?
"Your complexion looks terrible. Are you even taking care of yourself? Please stop making others worry about you! Even though we're divorced, you need to take care of yourself!" He couldn't quite articulate the frustration he felt, yet it came out nonetheless, leaving him feeling out of place.
After saying that, he found himself baffled by his own words.
He quickly opened the car door and stood outside, leaning against it.
He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. Taking a deep breath helped him calm down from his illogical concern.
Inside the car, Qiao Nuo was stunned. Jin Chengyan's words echoed in her mind, each word clear in meaning, yet together they left her somewhat bewildered.
He was still… concerned about her.
Her eyes suddenly turned red as she looked at his silhouette outside the car. She couldn't understand why they had ended up like this.
So much helplessness and so many reasons had driven them further apart.
From then on, they would be worlds apart yet always miss each other.
Setting down the cup filled with the dark red liquid, Qiao Nuo unbuckled her seatbelt.
She understood now that Jin Chengyan's inexplicable actions today were simply to see her one last time. Since they had met, then… it was time to say goodbye.
However, when Jin Chengyan collected himself and returned to the car, he saw that Qiao Nuo had already unbuckled her seatbelt. Thinking she was about to leave, he promptly locked the car with a click.
“Tell me, Qiao Nuo, that day with Xi Yisheng was just a lie to me.” He wanted to believe that Qiao Nuo had a reason to deceive him, that she had staged that whole act with Xi Yisheng to create a rift between them.
But as long as Qiao Nuo explained, Jin Chengyan would believe her.
What he feared the most was that Qiao Nuo would not explain and would only add fuel to the fire.
“I didn’t deceive you. Jin Chengyan, I’m not a good woman. What else do you want me to say for you to believe me?” She hadn’t expected him to ask such a question.
“Then why didn’t you sign the property transfer agreement?” If she had signed it, Qiao Nuo and Jin Chengyan would have settled their affairs, yet Qiao Nuo hadn’t signed.
Did this mean there was still a possibility for them?
Qiao Nuo recalled the documents she had seen while packing before.
She sighed softly; if it were like this, she should have signed it long ago.
“I’ll sign it when I get back. Since you’re so eager to give me your assets, what reason do I have to refuse?” Qiao Nuo said calmly, devoid of any emotion.
Her unperturbed gaze left Jin Chengyan feeling hopeless.
He had done everything he should have done and said everything he needed to say, yet it still couldn’t turn back time.
“Qiao Nuo, do you really want to leave me so badly? Do you wish for me to disappear from your sight? Do you wish we had never met at all, that everything could go back to the day we encountered each other in the hotel?” If he could erase everything, Jin Chengyan felt that Qiao Nuo would want to erase every trace of their relationship.
“Yes.” Qiao Nuo nodded, her answer coming after a moment of hesitation.
If Qiao Nuo had answered without hesitation and decisiveness, Jin Chengyan might have doubted whether she was lying to him.
But her hesitation meant that she had thought about her answer before speaking.
The answer was—yes.
She wished she had never met Jin Chengyan.
"Alright, I'll let you go." With a click, the car door unlocked, and Qiao Nuo could now exit without any hindrance.
It seemed her heart skipped a beat along with that click. She smiled gently, "Thank you for the ginger tea. I hope this method of yours can be used on other girls as well."
She got out of the car, waved for a taxi, and left without looking back.
Jin Chengyan watched the cup of cold ginger tea in the car, his gaze dimming.
No longer would he search online for how to care for a girl suffering from menstrual pain. He would no longer make honey water for other girls or place his hand on another woman's lower abdomen to ease her discomfort.
There would never again be a girl whom Jin Chengyan loved so deeply it pierced his heart.
He knew that.
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