Chapter 45: Let’s Talk This Through
"The lady has been drinking too many cold beverages recently, and since she’s a bit underweight and anemic, it worsened her cramps and dizziness," the private doctor explained.
"She’s already taken painkillers, so there’s nothing serious. Just make sure she stays warm and watches her diet."
Shen Xi had always been strict about her diet to maintain her figure. Even though she had been eating more lately, it wasn’t enough to make up for all the nutrients she had been lacking.
Gu Hanling sat on the sofa, his face dark. He waved his hand slightly, signaling the private doctor to leave.
Then, he looked up at the old butler still standing in the room.
Understanding the cue, Butler Wang quickly excused himself.
Gu Hanling’s gaze then shifted to Shen Xi, who was lying in his bedroom bed. The floor of her own room still had bloodstains, which the cleaning lady was currently scrubbing away.
At this moment, the woman’s lips were a bit pale, but her fair cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.
She felt awkward, avoiding his gaze. This was way too humiliating, she had made it look like some life-or-death situation, and just thinking about it made her cringe.
She had felt something was off yesterday, but since she had never gone through this before, she didn’t realize those strange sensations were actually warning signs of her period.
She had assumed she was just feeling bloated from eating too much heat-inducing food lately…
Gu Hanling stood up, walked to the bed, and looked down at her from above.
Shen Xi slowly lifted her head, her eyes full of pitiful pleading, silently chanting in her heart. Please don’t deduct her salary, please don’t deduct her salary.
"You didn’t even realize it was your time of the month?"
"Stop running around barefoot and drinking cold drinks, or this will keep happening."
His voice was deep, carrying a hint of frustration. He was seriously starting to doubt whether she was actually a woman. Of course, that was a dumb question. The answer was obvious.
Not only was she a woman, but she was also a stunning one.
Just a little careless. A bit scatterbrained. And maybe too much of a hopeless romantic.
"I… I forgot, okay? I know now."
"Uh, Brother Han… can you not deduct my salary?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, her big, watery eyes looking at him expectantly.
Men like this kind of thing, right? At least, she did.
Shen Xi knew she had come home late today. Past nine o’clock, which must have disturbed him. So now, she deliberately added a little bit of a playful, pleading tone.
She knew exactly how to deal with men. After all, in her previous life, she had been one. She just usually found it too gross to bother.
But after pretending to be Gu Hanling’s wife for so long in public, acting a little spoiled around him… well, it didn’t seem as unbearable as she had imagined.
Gu Hanling’s eye twitched at the sound of her calling him “Brother Han.”
He adjusted the central air conditioning, turning up the temperature slightly, and said only one word.
"Sleep."
"Oh…"
Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, mainly because she was struggling not to laugh.
Hahaha! No salary deduction! Men, huh? Too easy!
She pulled up the thin black blanket and lay down.
It wasn’t just the blanket. Honestly, the whole room had a cold, minimalistic aesthetic.
Even after taking painkillers, Shen Xi still felt a dull ache in her lower abdomen. She kept tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable.
For the first time, she deeply understood how tough it was to be a woman. If just a period hurt this much, then childbirth must be…
Pfft. No way. Whoever wants to give birth can go ahead. Not her. Never. No need to worry.
She curled up slightly on her side, trying not to make a sound so she wouldn’t wake up the man beside her.
If she disturbed him and actually made him mad, her precious money might really be gone.
Even though her movements were small, they still disturbed Gu Hanling, who was a light sleeper.
The man reached out and gently touched her shoulder.
"Xixi?"
After a long, exhausting day, Shen Xi was already drained. Now, the lingering cramps made her feel even more dazed. She let out a soft, barely audible sound.
“Mm…”
“Does it hurt?”
“Mm… Sorry for waking you up again. You’re not going to deduct my salary, right…?”
Her fair skin and delicate features made her look even more fragile in this weak state, making her seem pitifully endearing.
Gu Hanling let out a faint chuckle. Even in this condition, she was still worried about that little bit of money.
“Madam, capitalists don’t only care about money.”
Before she could process his words, she was suddenly pulled into his embrace.
“Mm?!”
Shen Xi’s entire body stiffened, her brain snapping into full alert. Her cheeks instantly burned, the heat spreading all the way to her ears.
Her mind screamed in alarm.
‘No way… I’m on my period, and this guy is still… interested?!’
This was the first time she had been pulled into his arms while fully conscious.
“B-Big Brother, let’s talk this through! No need to—ahh!”
Before she could finish her protest, a large, warm hand gently covered her lower abdomen.
Her waist was already slender, and his broad palm nearly wrapped around it entirely.
Shen Xi’s heart pounded wildly, like a frightened rabbit trapped in a cage.
This… This isn’t a boss-and-employee relationship anymore! You’re crossing the line, man!
A strange, indescribable feeling washed over her. She had never imagined being this… close to a man in such an inappropriate position.
She instinctively wanted to escape, but the warmth of his palm seeped through her thin pajamas, slowly easing the discomfort in her stomach.
And he didn’t make any further moves.
That realization made her relax a little. Her tense body loosened slightly.
He’s just being considerate to his employee, right? That’s normal… right?
As soon as she let her guard down, the soothing warmth and exhaustion took over. Drowsiness swept in like a tide, her eyelids growing heavier. Her breathing steadied as she drifted into sleep.
That night, Shen Xi slept soundly… only to be tormented in her dreams, by terrifying visions of being trapped in a man’s embrace!
……………………………………..
In The Morning.
She woke up with a start, eyes snapping open. Sunlight filtered through the small gap in the curtains, softly illuminating the room.
Sitting up slowly, she looked around. Gu Hanling was nowhere to be seen.
Her hand instinctively touched her stomach. The lingering warmth from last night still seemed to cling to her skin.
She glanced at the time. It was only 7 AM.
Out of habit, she was about to jump out of bed and go downstairs barefoot…
Then, Gu Hanling’s words flashed through her mind.
After a brief hesitation, she obediently slipped on her slippers. Better safe than sorry, pain is the best teacher.
When she got downstairs, she still didn’t see him.
Did he already leave for work this early?
“Good morning, Madam.”
“Morning. Where’s Mr. Gu?”
As soon as she stepped onto the first floor, Butler Wang greeted her warmly, quick to approach.
He studied her carefully, only relaxing after confirming that she looked much better today.
“Sir left for an international trip early this morning.”
“Oh.”
As one of the most powerful CEOs in Su City, it made sense for him to be busy. Now that she thought about it, the original male lead, Shi Jingyan, seemed way too free.
In the novel, he was either falling in love or stuck in ridiculous misunderstandings, breaking up and getting back together repeatedly.
No wonder he was the author’s “favorite son.”
All he had to do was be in a romance, and business deals and opportunities just magically came to him.
Tch. Disgusting. Just thinking about that guy ruined her morning.
At that moment, her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen. It was a WeChat contact request from someone named “Fang Chen,” sent by Gu Hanling.
With it was a short message from him.
[Add him. Singer competition audition.]
Shen Xi didn’t hesitate. She immediately accepted the request. Moments later, she was pulled into a group chat named:
[Masked Singer King Planning Team – Mysterious Guest]