Chapter 56: Period
Luckily, Chen Cheng’s troubles ended soon enough.
“Mom! Mom!”
Early in the morning, a high-pitched cry, almost on the verge of tears, echoed loud enough to shake the ceiling.
Chen Cheng stood blankly by her bed, clutching her aching stomach, looking as if she was about to burst into tears. She stared at the bedsheets, once again stained red.
Her mother entered the room with a dark expression, feeling an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
“Mom~” The moment she saw her mother, Chen Cheng’s nose stung with emotion. “Wasn’t it supposed to come until next week? My phone even reminded me… Am I sick or something?”
Seeing her daughter’s pitiful, tearful face, her mother’s frustration faded. She rolled her eyes. “It just came a few days early, that’s all. What’s the big deal? Hurry up and change your clothes.”
“Oh…”
Chen Cheng picked up her fresh clothes and shuffled toward the bathroom, swaying like a lifeless zombie.
The good news? She no longer had any impure thoughts. Her mind was completely clear, and she definitely wasn’t thirsting over An Yuan anymore.
The bad news? Now she had cramps, felt emotionally drained, and had zero motivation to do anything.
“Why did I have to end up as a girl~”
She mumbled bitterly while changing her clothes and putting on a pad.
Suddenly, everything clicked. No wonder she had been so emotionally unstable these past few days. Not only had she been dealing with the shock of being in a different body, but her period hormones must have made things way worse.
By the time she returned to her room, her mother had already stripped the bed and gathered the sheets for washing. Chen Cheng pursed her lips, then sat down to put on her socks and wrap a scarf around her neck.
Mornings and nights were chilly, barely above ten degrees. The scarf helped block the wind while biking and doubled as a handy shield. She could pull it up to cover half her face whenever her social anxiety kicked in.
At breakfast, she barely ate a few bites before slumping onto the table, completely drained.
She really didn’t want to go to school…
How did she end up stuck as a high school girl after transmigrating?!
The resentment she had suppressed before started bubbling up again as she stared blankly at the wall with lifeless, dead-fish eyes.
Her cramps weren’t as painful as the first time, but emotionally, she felt even worse.
“Chengcheng?”
Her mother, having finished sorting the laundry, returned to the dining room. Seeing her daughter sprawled motionless, she didn’t think too much of it and instead grabbed a thermos, heading to the kitchen to boil some hot water for her to take to school.
“Mom…” Maybe it was because her mother had been unusually gentle in their talk a few days ago, but Chen Cheng felt bold enough to make an outrageous request. “Can I take the day off? I really don’t want to go to school.”
“A day off? So what, you’re going to take three or four days off every month?”
“But I really don’t feel well today,” she sighed dramatically, completely drained of energy.
Her mother shot her down without hesitation. “No way! You still have to go, even if you feel bad. What kind of senior in high school skips school just because of this?”
Then, softening her tone, she added, “If you feel unwell at school, you can ask An Yuan for help. Didn’t you say you like him?”
“Him? No way! He’s so annoying. This is all his fault.”
Her mother rolled her eyes. That was fast.
“Even if you can’t focus in class, you should at least be at school.” She knew her daughter had painful periods, so she stepped forward and gently rubbed her lower belly. “Is it that bad?”
Chen Cheng’s body stiffened.
She had never been touched like this in either of her lives.
But… this was her mom. It still felt a little awkward, but after a moment, her tense nerves relaxed.
“It hurts like hell.”
“Oh, stop exaggerating.”
If it really hurt that badly, Chen Cheng would probably still be curled up in bed, completely unable to go to school.
“Take a painkiller.”
“Oh…”
“Want me to take you to school today?”
"Forget it, then."
Chen Cheng sighed, realizing her mom would never agree to let her skip school. She got up from the dining table and drifted back to her room like a ghost to get ready.
When she left home, she didn’t bother messaging An Yuan like she usually did. Instead, she just sat on the stairs in the hallway, waiting.
“Why hasn’t Chengzi sent me a message yet?”
It didn’t take long before An Yuan muttered to himself, pushing open his door. The moment he stepped out, he spotted Chen Cheng slumped against the railing, looking like she had completely lost the will to live.
“What’s with that face?” he teased with a grin. “Did you get into a fight with your mom?”
“No.”
“Then… it’s your period?”
“Mm… it came early…”
An Yuan slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked over, holding out his hand. “Come on, get up.”
Her soft, ice-cold hand gripped his, and he pulled her up in one motion. She staggered forward, nearly falling into his arms.
Her hands felt like jelly, soft yet freezing. It made his heart ache a little, reluctant to let go.
Still, after a moment, he released her hand and gently reassured her, “Feeling really bad? Don’t worry, your brother’s got your back.”
He understood how tough periods could be. Even the calmest girls could turn irritable, emotional, and easily upset during this time.
But Chen Cheng was different. She wasn’t the type to lash out. Instead, she bottled everything up, stewing in silence rather than starting an argument.
Sensing her mood, An Yuan toned down his usual teasing and spoke more gently. “Do you want to eat something? Maybe some good food will help cheer you up?”
“Want to ride my bike today? I can block the wind for you, it’s best not to get cold during your period.”
He walked ahead, chatting while glancing back at her. But Chen Cheng stayed quiet, trailing behind him in silence.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” He tried to find a topic she’d be interested in. “Oh yeah, the health checkup results are out. Your mom is super healthy. My parents have a bit of high blood pressure and cholesterol, but it’s nothing serious, just need to watch their diet.”
“And soon, we’ll have our college entrance exam health check—”
“You’re so annoying.”
“…Oh.”
An Yuan wisely shut his mouth.
When they got downstairs, he pulled his bike out of the bike parking, then turned back and patted the seat behind him in invitation.
Chen Cheng hesitated for a moment and glanced toward her own bike.
“Come on, it’s not like this is the first time.”
“My mom might see…” She trailed off, then sighed. “Whatever.”
She didn’t have the energy to care if her mom misunderstood. At this point, her mom had already misunderstood plenty.
So, she climbed onto the bike, head lowered, gripping the seat under her.
As the wind rushed past, she gazed at the passing scenery, her voice tinged with quiet resentment. “This is all your fault. If you hadn’t brought me back, I wouldn’t have turned into a girl.”
“Yep, totally my fault,” An Yuan admitted easily. “That’s why I’ve been by your side this whole time, right?”
“…So when I finally get used to this, you’ll just leave me? Once we go to college—”
“I’ll apply to the same college as you,” An Yuan interrupted. “As long as it’s not some terrible school, the name doesn’t matter much.”
“And when we graduate, we can work at the same company. Or if you don’t like working, we can just rent a place together. Actually, scratch that—we’re transmigrators! We’ll be big bosses! You can be my secretary.”
“I’ll be the boss, you be the secretary.”
“Sounds good! A gorgeous boss, how nice!”
“The secretary handles work, and when there’s nothing to do…” Chen Cheng started joking out of habit, but caught herself just in time and shut her mouth.
An Yuan chuckled. “Feeling better? You’re back to cracking dirty jokes.”
“…Not really. But… can I, um, have a hug?”
For the first time, she asked for it on her own, her voice hesitant, like she was afraid of being rejected.
"Go ahead and hug me! We're like brothers, there's no need to ask!"
This time, she wrapped her arms around his waist, slipping her cold hands into his pockets.
And somehow, it felt different from before.
There was no awkwardness, no blushing or racing heartbeat. Just a quiet, comforting warmth that made her feel at peace.