Ch 132: Nightmare

“I’m sorry.”

Although his face was still somewhat cold and hard, his tone softened. While there were indeed some misunderstandings on certain matters, Bai Yujing arranging people to monitor them was absolutely not a misunderstanding.

That was the main reason for his anger, so after Zhuang Lingyun apologized, he took Xiao Yao’s wrist and led her out the door.

They hurried home. Upon opening the door, they saw Jiang Lufang anxiously looking towards the entrance. Seeing the two of them return, she quickly rushed forward.

“Excuse me, I’ll go to my room first,” Zhuang Lingyun bowed slightly and headed for the second floor.

Jiang Lufang looked astonished. Zhuang Lingyun, usually gentle and refined, even courteous to others, actually had a cold face.

“What happened? Did you two quarrel?” Jiang Lufang relentlessly questioned Xiao Yao, and, forced by circumstances, Xiao Yao had to explain the whole story to Jiang Lufang.

Of course, she omitted their previous entanglements, only mentioning that Zhuang Lingyun and his grandmother were not getting along.

Jiang Lufang sighed, “Why is Lingyun so at odds with his family? If I didn’t know him so well and see how good he is to you, if I had met someone like this during your blind date, I really wouldn’t have dared to let you marry him.”

Xiao Yao chuckled dryly, “Mom, don’t worry about this. We’ll handle it ourselves. Your main task is to take good care of Le Tao.”

Jiang Lufang nodded repeatedly, “Of course.”

After Jiang Lufang returned to the dining table, Xiao Yao looked up at the second floor. She had no appetite and went upstairs.

Gently pushing open the bedroom door, a wave of cigarette smoke wafted out. A faint, cool minty scent filled her nostrils—his usual favorite.

Xiao Yao closed the door and tiptoed to the balcony. Zhuang Lingyun leaned against the window, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers. Looking up at her, he beckoned, “Come here.”

Xiao Yao went over and nestled into his arms.

Zhuang Lingyun extinguished the cigarette butt, holding her in his arms, and kissed the top of her head. “Are you scared?”

Xiao Yao knew what he meant and shook her head. “A little nervous, but not scared. Your grandmother looks quite amiable, and she speaks quite interestingly. She… didn’t show any hostility towards me. She even specifically hired a doctor for me. It seems she returned to the country for this matter. You’ve misunderstood her.”

“She wasn’t like this before.”

“People change.”

He chuckled softly, not continuing the topic. After a pause, he asked, “Do you want to move?”

Xiao Yao shook her head, “Let’s forget it. It’s pretty good here.”

“You… want to try?”

Xiao Yao was silent for a moment, and Zhuang Lingyun understood. “Okay, then I’ll be with you. Whether it succeeds or not, I’ll be by your side. Don’t be disappointed, don’t be sad, okay?”

“It’s like trying a desperate remedy, what if it works? Right?” She put on a carefree act and laughed, “Actually, I didn’t have much hope to begin with, I haven’t had much hope for a long time.”

Zhuang Lingyun sighed softly. He listened as Xiao Yao, leaning on his chest, asked, “Should we cook dinner tonight and invite Grandma over for a meal as an apology?”

“No.”

“Wouldn’t that be too impolite?”

“Let’s talk about it later.”

Seeing that he genuinely didn’t want to, Xiao Yao didn’t insist, but she had ulterior motives.

That evening, Sang Jia delivered a small vial containing small, black pills the size of soybeans, instructing her to take twenty at once with water.

The vial had neither a seal nor any instructions, looking like it was randomly chosen. The medicine also smelled terrible and seemed unreliable, making it difficult for Xiao Yao to swallow.

“Just taking a pulse, not even an ultrasound, or checking the stomach… and giving medicine directly? ” Xiao Yao huddled on the bed in the bedroom, looking at the vial, worried, hesitating whether to take it or not.

Afraid of getting sick, yet believing in trusting people, she was very conflicted.

Zhuang Lingyun watched her for a while, then suddenly got up, took the vial, put it in his pocket, and said to her, “Go to sleep, I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going!” Xiao Yao had a bad feeling. “I’ll take it. Late at night, don’t go and upset anyone else. You’re not young anymore. If you get angry again and something happens, you’ll be the one suffering.”

Zhuang Lingyun chuckled, “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

Ignoring Xiao Yao’s objections, he left the bedroom and closed the door.

Xiao Yao quickly crawled to the bedside to look. Sure enough, he went straight to the opposite villa. As he walked out of the front door, he seemed to sense something and looked back at her direction. In the night, his expression was indistinguishable, but he made a sleeping gesture, waved his hand, and entered the opposite house.

Xiao Yao regretfully pounded on the window frame; she was worried to death and couldn’t sleep.

Xiao Yao waited by the window for a long time. The autumn night wind was cool, making her shiver. Unable to bear it, she put on a piece of clothing, then returned to the window to watch the opposite house. As she paid attention to the movements opposite, the bedroom door suddenly opened, and Zhuang Lingyun returned.

Xiao Yao was startled, blinked, and asked, “You, so fast?”

Zhuang Lingyun hummed. Xiao Yao then noticed that he was holding a cup of steaming hot water, which he placed on the bedside cabinet, along with the small box of medicine he had previously confiscated.

Then he turned to Xiao Yao, pulled her into his arms, closed the window behind her with his long arm, and said softly, “Take your medicine.”

It seemed the medicine was reliable, so Xiao Yao took it without worry.

Xiao Yao swallowed the twenty or so small pills in five installments, drank a cup of water, and her stomach was so full it was uncomfortable.

Zhuang Lingyun got into bed beside her, held her in his arms, and gently massaged her lower abdomen with his left hand to help with digestion.

As he massaged, his hand became restless and started to wander. Xiao Yao blushed, turned over, and turned off the light.

After tossing and turning for half the night, they finally fell asleep, still unsatisfied.

Xiao Yao had only been asleep for a short time when she suddenly felt a strange sensation downstairs, like she had started her menstruation; hot water flowed out in waves.

She awoke alertly, turned on the bedside lamp, lifted the covers, and looked down. Her nightgown and the bed were soaked with dark red blood.

Xiao Yao’s heart sank. She sat up suddenly, covered in cold sweat, looking at the brightening sky outside. The person beside her woke up and sat up, looking at her and asking, “What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”

Xiao Yao nodded, wanting to lie in his arms, but as soon as she moved, she felt unbearable pain in her waist and abdomen, and a hot flow came out. Her face turned pale, and after lifting the covers, she saw the same thing as in her dream.

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