72 Taking care of sick Ai
Fuck!
Jun was already on the floor, kneeling at her side. He patted her cheeks. “Ai? Ai? What the hell happened here? Ai!”
His face grew paler as a tightening feeling engulfed his chest. He thought as if he was seeing her lying on his car’s hood, all bloodied and wounded just like that fateful night in his past life. He clearly remembered the expression in her last moments and her breaths that were slowly fading away.
“Hey wake up. I know you are not dead, so wake up!” He exclaimed in a higher pitch. His hands were shaking.
But Ai didn’t respond.
Jun leaned closer and heard her softly breathing. They were light but still there. He noticed her weakly moving her hand too.
Relief washed over him.
She is not dead…Yeah she is alright…of course she is.
“Just wait. I will take you to the hospital right now!”
He picked her in his arms and was about to rush out of the room when Ai tugged on to his shirt. “Don’t…”
“Idiot! Do you see your condition? What are you saying no for?”
Ai slowly opened her eyes, softly gasping. “I am okay. Please put me back to bed.”
His gaze was frosty. “Your breathing is so light. You are sweating, and you can barely move!”
“Trust me. Please put me back to bed. There is no need to go to the hospital,” she whispered. “Please…”
Frustrated, he did as she told him. “And now you are suddenly all healthy, right?”.
Ai weakly smiled. But her brows sharply twisted as she clutched her stomach. She exhaled trying to ease her pain.
Jun stared at her for a few long moments. Then he blinked his eyes several times.
“Wait a minute. Are you…on your periods?”
Ai gently nodded. Periods were natural to any woman. She didn’t feel embarrassed about admitting it to Jun.
Jun smacked his own forehead.
I am an idiot. Here I was thinking about the past life and all!
“You…”
You scared me, damn it!
Jun forgot about all his discomfort and sat beside her. “It’s your first day?”
“Yes.”
“I see. Wait.”
He stepped out of the room and came back a few minutes later. He brought a glass filled with a drink. “Have this warm drink. It’s good for a woman during her menstrual cramps.”
He shuffled her blanket to help her get up, but she hastily snatched it away from him. “D-Don’t!”
“What? I already know you are on your periods. There is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“No…” she pursed her lips and looked away. She fiddled with the blanket in her palms.
“S-stain…” she mumbled.
“Huh? Say louder.”
She bit her lip. “Th-There is a stain.”
Admitting to periods was one part, but a man seeing the red stain was still embarrassing.
Jun rolled his eyes. “Yeah, so what? It’s not like it’s my first time seeing one.”
“…”
You have seen period stains before?
She couldn’t help but wonder if it was related to Shui. That level of intimacy wouldn’t be strange when they were a couple.
“I have a little sister, after all,” he said.
Her eyes slightly widened. “Oh.”
Why did I feel relieved for a moment?
Jun shrugged. “Nuo’s condition is pretty bad on her first day like you. Dad even takes the day off from work to tend to her. Not just him, all the men in our family get ready to take care of her.”
Ai blinked. This was the first time she was properly hearing him talk about his family from him. She leaned in, feeling curious.
“Your family seems wonderful. Everybody helps your sister. That’s so thoughtful.”
Jun snorted. “My family is wonderful if you minus my brothers, grandfather and uncle.”
“…”
He stirred the drink and handed her the glass. “Plus, the men in our family are strictly taught to take care of women when they are on their periods.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. So that we can be their servants for five days.”
Ai choked on her drink.
“Loyal servants who take care of all their wishes and crankiness,” he smiled. “We are used to it now.”
She really didn’t want to, but she couldn’t help but ask in the end, “So it’s like you will be my servant for five days?”
Jun shot her a squinted stare and sneered. “Careful of what you are wishing for, Miss Zhou.”
Her brown eyes sparkled. “But I am a woman in my periods.”
Translation – You should be my servant.
His brow twitched, and he recalled his mother’s words.
‘A woman has to go through a lot of pain in her life! It’s not easy being a woman. If she is on her periods and in distress you should do whatever she asks or wishes for. That’s what a good man does!’
Mom, can I not be a good man anymore?
He stared at Ai, who was way too excited for this. Her cute, expectant smile was adorable.
“Fine. I am your servant now for five days,” he conceded.
I will be magnanimous just this once.
Ai beamed.
His face blackened. “Don’t look like that. It’s creepy!”
She coughed.
After she finished her drink, he brought a warm compress for her. “Place this over your stomach. Your cramps will lighten up.”
“Thank you.”
Jun narrowed his eyes. “What?”
“Well…”
“Spit it out.”
“I am in too much pain.”
He sneered. “Yeah, I can see that. You are in so much pain and having so much fun at the same time.”
“Of course not,” she seriously dismissed him.
“Tell that to your smile that isn’t stopping at all.”
She cleared her throat.
“I wasn’t smiling. I have a very serious concern. My stomach is hurting badly. So, I cannot step out of the house.”
“That’s a given.”
“But I…don’t have more sanitary pads left,” she looked away.
“…”
He understood the implication.
“So will you please buy a pack of-“
“No!”
“But-“
“No!”
“You-“
“Nope. Not a chance.”
Ai sat back, defeated. “Alright. It seems the servants are not quite serious when it comes to taking care of a sick woman in her periods. It’s just buying a box. How difficult could it be?”
“…”