Because I Cannot Hurt You

The diary shook in his hands as Zhiyuan read the last line again and again. 

Han Zhiyuan...Han Zhiyuan...Han Zhiyuan…

The name kept ringing in his ears. He unblinkingly stared at his own name written on the page until his sight turned blurry. 

'Because I met the man I fell in love with.'

Me?

He felt as if the whole room was spinning in front of him. The truth shook the ground beneath his feet. He opened her diary to know the truth about what happened to her three years back. But he didn't realize that the truth was different from the very beginning.

Wasn't it supposed to be Qin Fuhua? Then how did he see his name here?

His fingers trembled as he turned the page. His heart drummed in his chest, seeing the next words appear on the paper.

'I know you would mock me as if I am some main character of a manga. But what happened to me today was not any less dramatic than the opening scene haha...you know right? The heroine starts a new year, she meets the heartthrob of college and falls in love with him.

It was just like that for me.

Do you remember that on the first day, I had seen some seniors playing basketball? Han Zhiyuan was one of them. 

And today I met him for the first time. But, but! Hear this diary! I met him in the most embarrassing way! I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself in it.

But even if it was embarrassing, Han Zhiyuan helped me like a true gentleman who took my heart away with his one smile…'

*Nine years back*

As usual, it was another exciting day for college, but Xinyi's condition as she stepped into the campus was not so exciting. Since morning, she had a bad stomach ache that refused to die down. If not for the important lecture that she couldn't miss today at any cost, she would have definitely taken a day off.

"Ahh…" she painfully groaned as she weakly walked, taking slow steps. "Why is it hurting so badly? Was it the spicy hotpot last night? But….it never ached like that before…"

She kept walking, actually more like staggering in her steps. She was so caught up in the pain that she didn't notice a partly broken tile on the ground. She tripped on it and fell with a thud.

"Ouch!" 

She landed on her butt and a sharp pain shot in her abdomen. "Owww…"

It hurt like hell that almost brought tears to her eyes.

"Ahahahaha! Now, will you look at that? What a scene first thing in the morning~"

Startled, Xinyi looked up to see a group of four boys laughing at her. She froze as she didn't like being the center of attention, but she didn't understand why they were laughing at her.

"Hey Missy, Thank you for the nice view~" they chuckled.

"I didn't know that girls nowadays are so forward."

Xinyi lowered her head and stiffened. Her undergarments between her thighs were partly visible as the skirt flew to a side by her fall. She instantly brought her knees closer to block the view.

Her face reddened in shame and embarrassment.

Another boy laughed. "Hey panties aside, did you see some stain on it?"

"I think I did…"

"Woah is she so weak that she started bleeding by that fall?"

Xinyi's eyes widened in realization.

Bleeding? P-periods…?

Her date was actually supposed to be next week, but this time somehow, it came seven days earlier. Now she understood why her stomach was acting up so badly.

Not only did the boys see between her thighs, but they also saw the stain that was like a death warrant for any girl. And now they were laughing at her.

"Hey, we shouldn't laugh. Accidents happen."

One boy held his stomach as he laughed. "Well, I won't mind such accidents if we get to see such a view~"

The other boys joined in making fun of her. Xinyi was so terrified that tears pooled in her eyes. A period stain was embarrassing even to be seen by another girl much less boys. They kept laughing so much that she couldn't help but tremble and cry. It was utterly humiliating. She wanted to run away, but it was so hurtful that she couldn't even get up.

"What is going on here?" A shrill, cold voice came from behind and the boys froze.

Xinyi paled even more to hear another boy's voice. Was it less embarrassing for four boys to see her like this that a fifth boy came along too?

The four boys visibly gulped seeing the sharp gaze on that boy's face.

"H-Han Zhiyuan…" one of them nervously smiled.

Zhiyuan was the infamous grandson of Han Huizhong and the heir of Han Corps. With such wealth and status, nobody dared cross a line against him.

Xinyi didn't dare to raise her head and meet that boy's gaze who would definitely start laughing at her too. She clutched her knees tighter.

Zhiyuan took a glance and instantly understood the situation. He stared at the girl on the ground with her head lowered and who silently cried. 

One of the boys thought it was a good chance to act chummy with him. "Hey, Han Zhiyuan. Do you know? This girl just fell and man it was so hilarious. We saw quite a nice view of her blood-stained panties."

Xinyi froze.

"Y-Yes! It was funny haha...you should have seen her fall."

"You would be rolling in laughter too!"

Zhiyuan's sharp gaze darkened and narrowed further as he dangerously looked at the boys. They straightened up, noticing that he didn't laugh as they had expected.

He quickly went up to Xinyi and pulled off his gym jacket. He spread the jacket, covering her knees and thighs. Her wet eyes blinked in surprise as she suddenly saw a jacket in her view that covered her legs.

Zhiyuan faced the boys with a grave expression and slowly spoke, "I think the principal needs to have a word with your parents and question them on how they have raised their sons."

They stiffened.

"A girl fell and is in pain and instead of helping her, you are busy rolling in laughter and making her feel humiliated. How about I make the whole college laugh at you and let you understand how it feels to be on this side?"

"T-that…"

They broke into a cold sweat. Facing an angry Han Zhiyuan was a big deal and they didn't dare mess with him, so they ran away with their tails in between their legs.

There was a beat of silence between them.

Zhiyuan bent and offered his hand. He softly said, "Hold on to me."

Xinyi ever so slowly raised her head. She lifted her eyelashes and as her gaze fell upon Zhiyuan's handsome face that looked breathtaking by the touch of golden sunlight shining on his side profile, she felt her breath stuck in her chest.

It felt as if time had stopped at that moment. Her heart raced so furiously that she could hear the sound of her heartbeats drumming in her ears. She went into a trance.

It wasn't Zhiyuan's attractive face that had mesmerized her. It was his gentle expression, the warmth and concern in his beautiful black irises as he looked back at her and the tender and compassionate smile on his lips that shook her heart.

"It's alright. Hold my hand."

His voice was so mellow and sweet that Xinyi thought she could listen to it for her entire life. It rang in her ears that went deep down in her chest, fluttering a tickling sensation in her heart.

In a daze, she placed her hand in his. 

"Now, try to slowly get up. I am here and will support you."

Her stupor broke and she stammered. "H-Huh?"

"I will hold you. Try to get up."

"Oh!"

Xinyi held his jacket on her knees and tried to stand but collapsed in pain. "Ow…"

"T-that…" she turned extremely fidgety. "Sorry it's…"

Suddenly, she felt lifted in the air and looked at Zhiyuan in shock. He carried her princess style in his arms that flushed her cheeks red. "P-put me down. I will-"

Zhiyuan smiled. "It's okay."

He walked up to a nearby tree. Xinyi was stupefied. It was the first time in her life that a boy had carried her in his arms like this. She couldn't help but look away, feeling a little shy.

He slowly put her down on a bench and said, "Wait for me here."

She felt confused.

Where is he going?

He returned five minutes later carrying a paper bag in his left hand and a cup in his right. He handed the cup to her. "Drink this warm tea. It will help ease your pain. And…"

Zhiyuan cleared his throat and gave her the paper bag too. "I brought some stuff that you will find useful."

Xinyi peeked into it and coughed hard seeing a packet of sanitary napkins in it.