She changed her underwear and put on a new sanitary napkin.
The sanitary napkins in the cabinet were probably leftovers from when Liang used them last time; there were only two left.
There were quite a few panty liners, though.
The bathroom lights were dim, and she didn't have her phone with her, so she just sat on the toilet, lost in thought.
He raised his hand to wipe his forehead; the cold sweat from the nightmare had evaporated completely. His hand then rested on his forehead to support the weight of his upper body.
The pain in my lower abdomen was nowhere near as unbearable as the dizziness in my head.
It's like having countless little people arguing in your head; you can't hear what they're arguing about, but you can still hear the cacophony.
To be more specific, it's like sleeping next to the Yujiang Bridge, where vehicles are constantly passing by, and you can always hear the sound of tires rubbing against the ground.
Helpless, powerless.
This is Xu Qingzhu's recent frequent state.
Many times she would not want to sleep and would get up to start working.
But work always comes to an end, so she bought a silent piano and placed it in Liang Shi's bedroom. When she couldn't sleep at night, she would try to play it as a pastime.
But more often than not, she would sit on the sofa all night until dawn.
She used to be a person with a very normal daily routine. In this era where young people are trying out unconventional lifestyles, she is often teased by Sally and Lin Luoxi for living a life that is not like that of a young person at all.
I hadn't seen the sun at six in the morning for many years, but recently I've been seeing it every day.
Even sleeping has become a terrifying thing.
She begins to resist the thought of sleeping.
She thought the problem was with the bed, so she put the blanket and pillow on the sofa, turned on the TV before going to bed, watched a relaxing slow-paced variety show or an old movie, and then went back to sleep.
But to my surprise, there was still no improvement.
It's just that it's easier to daydream on the sofa.
So she lay down on the sofa.
The most direct effect of not sleeping well is lethargy; the person looks listless and lacks energy.
She was spending more and more time daydreaming, and Lin Luoxi even suspected that she was being followed by some kind of monster. She was so suspicious that she even suggested that Lin Luoxi find a shaman to take a look.
Xu Qingzhu actually went, and found that feudal superstition was unacceptable.
The man wanted Xu Qingzhu to drink lime water, saying that a fox spirit was attached to her.
Lin Luoxi was stunned. Xu Qingzhu poured the lime water on the ground and drove back to the city to buy a cup of hot milk tea.
These days have been really bad.
But as long as she thought of Liang Shi, Xu Qingzhu felt alright.
She knew she couldn't let Liang Shi know these things; given his personality, he would definitely feel guilty and remorseful if he found out.
Therefore, she had to be exceptionally active and attribute all her discomfort to her work.
Using work as a convenient excuse, Liang Shi could avoid feeling guilty.
Liang Shi probably knows something, and this matter may also be related to Lu Jiayi.
But Liang Shi was unwilling or unable to say, so Xu Qingzhu did not ask.
You won't get an answer even if you ask.
They were either deceived or they were seeing Liang Shi in a difficult position.
She didn't want either of them, so she chose to suppress them, since it wasn't a life-threatening situation.
If Liang Shi hadn't appeared downstairs today, Xu Qingzhu would have already driven to the hospital to get sleeping pills; she had asked Zhao Xuning to prescribe some.
But when she saw Liang Shi arrive, she told Zhao Xuning that she would not go for now and would go tomorrow.
She thought that, like last time, she would get better once Liang Shi came back, but she only got a little better.
Xu Qingzhu sat in the bathroom and sighed, rubbing her temples.
She got up only after the pain in her lower abdomen subsided.
She tiptoed back to the room again. Liang Shi was also not sleeping soundly and was woken up by the sound of the door opening. Just as he was about to get up, Xu Qingzhu pushed him down.
Liang Shi reached out and turned on the bedside lamp, his voice hoarse: "Did you have another nightmare?"
"No." Xu Qingzhu got into bed and curled up in her arms.
She had just washed her hands, which were even colder than before. She placed her hand on Liang Shi's waist, and Liang Shi became much more awake.
"I got my period," Xu Qingzhu said. "My stomach hurt a little, so I went to the bathroom."
Liang Shi placed his hand on her lower abdomen and rubbed it. "I remember you weren't around this time last month."
“Yes, I was around the same age as you last month,” Xu Qingzhu said. “I guess I came earlier because of the recent work pressure.”
"Okay," Liang Shi asked, "Do you want a hot water bottle?"
"No need." Xu Qingzhu leaned closer to her. "You can help me warm it up."
In the latter half of the night, the heating wasn't very hot, and it was actually quite cold to walk barefoot on the ground.
Xu Qingzhu didn't want Liang Shi to get up either, so she put her slightly cold feet on Liang Shi's calves and said, "Hmm."
When Liang Shi asked her what was wrong, she snuggled into his arms and said, "Your arms are so warm."
Liang Shi chuckled: "Your constitution is really weak. Wait until I finish filming this movie..."
He suddenly stopped talking at this point.
"What?" Xu Qingzhu asked.
Liang Shi pursed his lips and said slowly, "I'll take you to the hospital to get checked out, or maybe find a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to treat you."
Xu Qingzhu scoffed, "These are really all old ailments. The traditional Chinese medicine doctor said I'm fine."
Liang Shi: "I don't believe it unless she tells me herself."
Xu Qingzhu: "..."
A wind picked up outside, the biting winter wind howling against the windowpanes, mixed with the sparse sounds of traffic, making the room unusually quiet.
Liang Shi and Xu Qingzhu spoke in very low voices.
They chatted casually, much like a couple who had been together for many years.
In this tranquil atmosphere, Xu Qingzhu slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep again.
It might be because my body is in too much pain.
Xu Qingzhu slept exceptionally well. When she woke up, she found that it was snowing outside. Fine snowflakes were falling from above, covering the ground in white and brightening the whole world.
But the room was empty. She reached out and touched the side where Liang Shi had lain, and it was now cold.
Xu Qingzhu's mood suddenly plummeted.
She raised her hand and patted her cheek, telling herself it was nothing and not to let the dream affect her.
Dreams are so terrifying because they are just dreams.
Liang Shi would not do that.
Xu Qingzhu sat on the bed in a daze for a long time before reluctantly getting out of bed and then getting up to open all the curtains.
The world unfolds in pristine white light, like a magnificent and vibrant painting.
Even if it's just white, it's still dazzling.
Xu Qingzhu unconsciously crossed her arms and rubbed her arms, feeling inexplicably cold.
She sniffed, then sat back down on the bay window. Just as she was about to grab a plush toy from one side and hug it, the door creaked open and a head popped out.
Suddenly, Lingdang, who had her hair in two braids, appeared. "Aunt, you're awake!"
Xu Qingzhu exclaimed in delight, "A bell!"
Lingdang nodded: "Yes, good morning, Aunt."
After saying that, she shouted loudly towards the kitchen, "Auntie, Auntie's awake!"
Xu Qingzhu's eyes suddenly lit up. "Your aunt is home?"
"I'm here." Lingdang came running in, some of her hair standing on end and still damp. "Auntie is making you porridge. She's such a stingy person, she won't even let me have a sip, saying only you can drink it."
Xu Qingzhu hugged her and stroked her hair. "When did you get here?"
"Not long after," Lingdang said, "my mother's friend invited her to go shopping, so I came to visit my aunt."
"Why is your hair still wet?" Xu Qingzhu asked.
Lingdang swung her braided pigtails, which ended up hitting Xu Qingzhu's face.
Both of them were startled at the same time. Lingdang immediately reached out to rub Xu Qingzhu's hands, but because she had just come in from outside, her hands were so cold that Xu Qingzhu shivered.
"I'm sorry," Bell apologized pitifully.
Xu Qingzhu smiled and said, "It's alright."
Then Lingdang started telling her all sorts of funny stories from kindergarten, including how Rainbow tripped and fell on her bottom in front of all the other children when it snowed last time, getting her little down jacket covered in snow, and everyone laughed at her.
Lingdang quickly ran over and pulled her up. Shengyu then accused everyone in front of all the kindergarten children, saying that those who mocked Rainbow were bad kids.
And the time before that, Sheng Yu went to the toilet, but the lock was broken. Rainbow found her missing and went to the toilet to rescue her.
And the time before that, Lingdang had a fight with Shen Yiran, and during lunch she took her tray and left the main group of her class to eat at Rainbow's class table. As a result, Sheng Yu complained about her, and it was Rainbow who spoke up for Lingdang when the teacher came to scold her.
Also, Ms. Qi Jiao hasn't come to work for a long time.
Sheng Yu had mentioned it to them several times.
These were all trivial matters from daily life, things that Lingdang found interesting, and she shared them all with Xu Qingzhu.
Xu Qingzhu listened quietly.
Lingdang's throat was dry from talking, and just as she was about to give up, Liang Shi knocked on the door. "Gentlemen, get up and eat."
Lingdang dashed from the room to the kitchen in a flash.
Xu Qingzhu asked in surprise, "Why didn't you leave?"