NOVPUB
Chapter 98: Chapter 98: That’s not companionship, it’s torment.
"I can’t eat anymore." Tong Yao, feeling uncomfortable due to stomachache, wasn’t in the mood to argue with Si Xiaohui. She laid on the bed and finally felt a bit better.
Si Chen rose to her bedside, testing her forehead only to find she was drenched with cold sweat. Despite the hot weather, she felt icy cold, "Are you having a stomachache?" n𝚘vp𝚞𝚋.com
"Mmm," Tong Yao’s face scrunched with pain as she whimpered, much like a wounded kitten.
"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Said Si Xiaohui, showing rare concern. She wondered if Tong Yao was suffering from eating too much spicy food, leading to stomach discomfort and bowel urgency.
She knew what that felt like - toilet visits were painful, but things usually improved after a bowel movement.
Tong Yao might be slim and a bit delicate, but she was generally healthy. Even arguments didn’t seem to wear her out, so it couldn’t be anything serious.
As the pain continued, Tong Yao didn’t feel like talking. Suddenly a large hand appeared on her wrist - Si Chen was taking her pulse. She obediently extended her hand, but Si Chen remained silent for a while. She opened her eyes and anxiously asked, "What’s wrong with me?"
Could it be something like appendicitis? She had been feeling a bit off in the stomach since morning.
If that was the case, it was bad news because she needed to set up her stall for business tomorrow.
"Just lie down for a bit," Si Chen let go of her wrist, avoiding eye contact. He tucked the blanket around her stomach, "I’ll boil some water."
Tong Yao blinked, "Drinking boiled water will make it better?"
If it were any other man, she’d label them as useless. But Si Chen was a doctor. If he suggested drinking hot water, it must be useful.
"It could help," replied Si Chen with a calm voice as he turned and walked out of the room. When he came back, he had a bowl of water in his hand, "Drink some water and then go to sleep."
With his support, Tong Yao sat up and wearily took a sip. She looked into the bowl puzzled, "Why is this brown sugar water?"
The pain was intense, clouding her thoughts. Why would Si Chen give her brown sugar water? Normally one would have plain boiled water, wouldn’t they?
Si Xiaohui, who was eating, glanced over at Tong Yao, "Are you about to get your period? My mom gives me brown sugar water whenever I’ve period cramps."
Requiring special care and brown sugar water during one’s period was such a delicate thing to her.
Tong Yao: "..."
She had considered that she might be getting her period, but after a few trips to the toilet without any signs of it, coupled with her own confusion since she never had painful periods, she was unsure. Si Xiaohui’s reminder paired with the brown sugar water in front of her created a sudden revelation.
Could she really be about to start her period?
"Really?" Tong Yao looked up at Si Chen. Starting her period wasn’t anything difficult to discuss, and there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
Si Chen nodded uncomfortably.
Having confirmed the situation, Tong Yao immediately showed a face full of agony. "This is the worst timing. Why didn’t it come a couple of days earlier? I have to set up my stall tomorrow."
After speaking, she grabbed the bowl from Si Chen’s hand and gulped down the brown sugar water, then flopped onto the bed, ready to endure the vicious onslaught of pain. As long as it didn’t affect her business dealings tomorrow, she’d cope.
Si Chen placed the blanket over Tong Yao’s stomach again. "Take a rest if it hurts."
"Absolutely not," Tong Yao muffled her response into the blanket: "Even if the sky falls down, I have to run my stall."
A businesswoman can’t be lazy, especially when running a small business.
If she didn’t set up her stall because she had stomachache today, and then because of her period tomorrow and on the day after because of rain... then when would she be able to set up her stall?
One delay here, another delay there. Altogether, she would lose a lot of money over the year. Right now she was running a small business, and it was important to earn as much as possible. Wealth accumulates over time.
"Brother, don’t worry. I’ll handle the stall, and sister-in-law can supervise," Si Xiaohui declared after finishing three bowls of rice and finally putting down her chopsticks.
Si Chen pressed his lips together but didn’t respond. He transferred Tong Yao’s leftover food into his own bowl and finished it.
After seeing Si Chen fill Tong Yao’s plate earlier, Si Xiaohui was not surprised by this. She voluntarily cleaned the table when Si Chen finished eating.
By the time they had cleaned everything up, night had fallen, and the moon was creeping into the sky. Tong Yao felt a bit uneasy about Si Xiaohui staying alone so she suggested, "Ahchen, why don’t you stay with Xiaohui for a couple of nights? It’s not safe for her alone. Besides, you can hang a couple of your clothes in her yard."
If people passing by the gate notice a man’s clothes, it would deter potential thieves.
Once things stabilize at the milk tea shop, they can get Boyi to help - the siblings will be safer living together.
"Just drop me off and that’ll be fine. I don’t need company at night. I’m not scared," Si Xiaohui insisted. She would rather live alone than live with Si Chen.
Sometimes Si Chen didn’t feel like an older brother to her. To Si Xiaohui, he was more like a school principal, someone she both respected and feared.
Who would want to live alone with a teacher? It wouldn’t be a companion, it would be torture.
"Xiaohui can stay here, and I will stay with a colleague," proposed Si Chen. He wasn’t comfortable leaving Tong Yao alone when she was unwell.
"Fine," reluctantly, Si Xiaohui agreed to the arrangement. Although she didn’t want to bunk with Tong Yao as it meant she had to sleep rigidly, not daring to toss and turn.
Sharing a bed with Tong Yao made her feel like an ugly duckling snuggled up to a white swan.
She didn’t dare protest against her brother’s words though. If something did happen to Tong Yao at night, she might lose her job.
Although Tong Yao too didn’t prefer to sleep with Si Xiaohui, she was used to sleeping alone. She had just adjusted to sharing a bed with Si Chen. A sudden change in her sleeping partner felt awkward. However, the stomach pain was real and she was somewhat relieved to have someone around.
At least if she fainted, there’d be someone to pinch her philtrum, right?
After lying down for half an hour, her stomach pain eased somewhat. Tong Yao took some fresh clothes and went to take a bath, but Si Xiaohui wanted to join her and was held off. It would be too awkward to share a bath and Tong Yao was not used to it.
Just as Tong Yao stepped out of the room, Si Xiaohui muttered "Vanity!" Tong Yao disliked bathing together even when it was just a bath. What about bathing in a public bathhouse in winter?
Would she kick everyone else out to have the whole place to herself?
’Achoo’
Just as she reached the stairway, Tong Yao let out a big sneeze. She sniffled, wondering who could be cursing her behind her back?
The brown sugar water appeared to do the trick, as the severity of Tong Yao’s stomachache decreased. After her bath, she went straight to bed and fell asleep, not noticing when Si Xiaohui had gone to bed.
It was an undisturbed night of sleep.
Tong Yao woke up early in the morning. After two days without their favourite milk tea, she expected Monday to be a busy day. After eating breakfast, Si Chen had picked up, she took Si Xiaohui to He Fang’s house, only to arrive and be quite shocked by what she found.
