“Oh.”
Lin Lin looked at his slender back and answered softly.
He seemed so lonely, so desolate—weary and listless, and suddenly she felt a pang of sympathy for him.
Was she actually feeling sorry for him?
She asked herself, but found no clear answer.
Shaking her head to chase away the heavy sadness in her heart, she lay down quietly beside him, and together they slowly drifted off to sleep.
In the middle of the night, Xiao Fusu rolled over, and his hand accidentally touched something sticky and wet.
It had soaked through the bed sheets—not a huge amount, but the clammy texture against his palm was uncomfortable. Though he was half-asleep, the sensation roused him, and he opened his eyes with a hint of irritation.
Pulling his hand back, a sharp smell of blood hit his nose. He had always been sensitive to the scent, and it jolted him fully awake at once.
A lamp was lit in the hall, and by its dim light, he saw that his hand was indeed stained with blood. Had someone tried to assassinate him?! But he felt no pain anywhere on his body.
Then he suddenly remembered he wasn’t alone in the bed.
His gaze shifted to the other side of the mattress, and sure enough, he saw her curled up with her back to him.
Not caring about the blood on his hand, he lifted the covers to find a patch of deep red staining the sheets—right over the area where her waist and hips rested… an awkwardly intimate spot.
This was…?!
His face flushed bright red in an instant.
Leaning closer to look at her, he saw her brow furrowed and her face pale. Though she was still asleep, she tossed and turned restlessly.
“Hey—wake up.”
Using his cleaner hand, he gently patted her cheek, trying to rouse her.
“…It hurts… it hurts so much.”
Though she was now awake enough to hear him, her words were muddled and confused.
“Where have you gone, System? I want to go home…”
Her voice was thin and tearful with sorrow, half her small face buried in the pillow as if it might swallow her slender frame whole.
Who was “System”?
It was completely baffling, leaving him with no idea what she meant.
Xiao Fusu paused to think, but could make no sense of it. It seemed the pain had addled her mind.
Yet even in this state, she looked pitifully vulnerable—and stirred his compassion despite himself.
The bed was a mess; he couldn’t just leave her like this.
With things as they were, he wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully anyway.
He told himself he was only helping her out of necessity, finding excuses to avoid admitting he was willing to care for her without reason. Though he grumbled inwardly and felt a bit flustered, his hands moved gently as he lifted her into his arms, then looked toward the door. His face still red, he called out in a rough, irritated voice:
“Someone! Get in here—now!”
His shout sent the palace servants standing guard outside scrambling into the hall.
“Your Highness!”
“Go fetch the imperial physician immediately! Find out what’s wrong with her—why is she bleeding so much?!”
He gave his orders with worried eyes and a deeply displeased expression.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The servants bowed hastily and hurried off to carry out his command.
Before long, Imperial Physician Feng—the palace’s most skilled healer—arrived. When he’d been summoned to the Eastern Palace in the middle of the night, he’d not hesitated despite his tiredness, rushing over under the moonlight without delay.
Entering the hall, he knelt carefully to pay his respects. “Your servant Feng Xi greets His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Skip all the formalities—come see what’s wrong with her! Why is she bleeding so heavily? I’ve checked everywhere and can’t find a wound!”
Xiao Fusu had waited impatiently for his arrival and had no time for ceremony now, waving him over urgently to tend to Lin Lin.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Feng Xi stepped forward at once to examine the woman in his arms. He saw her pale complexion, checked her eyelids, and felt her pulse—which was normal, though slightly weak, likely from blood loss. She also showed signs of having caught a chill.
“Also,” Xiao Fusu added after a moment’s thought, “she was delirious just now, crying about pain. When I asked what was wrong, she turned away and hid her face, refusing to say anything.”
By now, Lin Lin had regained more clarity of mind. At his words, she buried her face deeper in his chest, as embarrassed as an ostrich hiding its head in the sand.
“Er… Your Highness…”
Having completed a thorough examination and glanced at the bloodstains on the sheets, Feng Xi was now certain of the cause—but how was he to explain it to the Crown Prince, especially in front of the young woman?
It was truly awkward and embarrassing to discuss such matters openly.
Seeing him hesitate, Xiao Fusu gave him reassurance. “Speak freely—I won’t be angry.”
Only then did Feng Xi relax, bowing respectfully to report his findings. “Your Highness, the young lady is experiencing her monthly courses—that is why she is bleeding. However, her body is weak, and she appears to have caught cold recently. Besides warming tonics for her womb, she should also take medicine to treat the chill.”
“Monthly courses?”
Xiao Fusu’s face grew awkward again, the tips of his ears turning red.
“Indeed.”
Feng Xi confirmed firmly.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fusu pulled her out of his arms—ignoring her struggles—to turn her body and check for himself.
Sure enough, he saw a patch of deep red on the area near her hips. The white undergarment she wore—his own clothing—bore stains matching exactly those on the bed sheets.
So that was it—her monthly courses.
He thought to himself. He’d had his suspicions earlier, but without seeing for himself and with her hiding the area and refusing to let him look, he hadn’t been certain.
“Wuwu—stop it!”
Weak and mortified, she thrashed and kicked at him. Then, when he was distracted for a moment, she wriggled free of his hold, wrapped herself tightly in the covers, and shrank into the corner of the bed against the wall.
It was as if he’d actually done something to bully her.
The still air was filled with a sweet, faint scent of blood—innocent yet intimate.
Xiao Fusu couldn’t quite name the feeling in his heart. In all his years, this was the first time he’d been with a woman through this difficult time of the month.
Though he had no personal experience with such matters, he was not completely ignorant—he knew that women bled for a few days each month.
“So… what do we do for her?”
He asked awkwardly, his ears still red, looking at Feng Xi. His eyes drifted to where she huddled pitifully in the corner. For the first time in his life, the usually domineering man felt a sense of helplessness.
She was timid and easily frightened, her eyes red from crying. She huddled there, watching everything warily without daring to meet his gaze—just like a small rabbit.
But all women had their monthly courses, so it shouldn’t be anything serious, right?
He thought to himself. Even though she’d struggled and shouted like he was hurting her badly earlier, kicking and hitting him as if her life were at stake.