“Huh? Do you have any pads?” He Nanzhi asked with concern.
“I left in a hurry and forgot to bring them,” Lan Die replied, clutching her lower abdomen, visibly in discomfort.
She had always suffered from dysmenorrhea.
In high school, the pain began to intensify, and by university, it escalated to severe pain. Every time her period came, there would be a day of utter darkness.
The pain would leave her completely bedridden, vomiting and having diarrhea, requiring medication for relief, and sometimes even sedatives when necessary.
“Ahhh, do I have to go buy them?”
He Nanzhi, the young lady accustomed to being waited on, clearly had never done such a thing before and looked utterly flustered.
“I’ll go buy them!”
A pleasant male voice chimed in. Song Yi helped Lan Die over to He Nanzhi’s side:
“Classmate, could you please take care of Lan Die? I’ll be back soon!”
He Nanzhi glanced at the man who had suddenly appeared.
He had a dignified and refined appearance, exuding a sense of stability and security that belied his age.
It was a very familiar feeling. She thought hard for a moment—yes, it was similar to the impression given by all the men in the He family, that absolutely reliable aura of an old cadre!
“Then hurry up!” He Nanzhi said casually before helping Lan Die to the restroom.
Without even trying, she noticed the large blue diamond earrings on Lan Die’s ears and couldn’t help exclaiming:
“Miss, you actually have these earrings?”
Lan Die was already in increasing pain and unconsciously let out a soft “Mm.”
“Did your boyfriend give them to you?”
“Mm!”
“Who’s your boyfriend? He has such good taste! And he’s rich! Such a lavish gift!”
“…” Lan Die was in too much pain to answer.
By the time Cong Yue brought the pads, Lan Die was already drenched in cold sweat from the pain, her brows tightly furrowed.
“Let’s go to the hospital!” Song Yi insisted, seeing her in such agony.
“I’m sorry for ruining everyone’s mood! I’ll just go back to the dorm,” Lan Die insisted on not going.
…
Lan Die had no idea how she made it back to the dorm, her body aching and chilled to the bone.
Despite it being early summer in the capital, she wrapped herself in a thick quilt but still shivered from the cold.
After taking her medicine, she drifted in and out of consciousness, curled up in bed.
Lan Die seemed to see her deceased parents standing by her bedside.
Her mother, just like before, patiently applied a warm patch to her lower abdomen and gently massaged it.
The tears she had been holding back suddenly burst forth.
“Dad, Mom, I miss you so much… Mom, I miss you! Why did you leave Little Butterfly behind?”
Cong Yue and Tian Beibei, who were keeping her company, couldn’t help but shed tears alongside her.
Ever since the Lan Sheng Group incident, they had never again seen the carefree, radiant Little Butterfly from their freshman year, who used to laugh without a worry in the world!
Every smile on her face now was a facade of strength put on for others. No one knew the true resilience hidden in her heart!
…
At night in Lanting Garden.
He Canglan, who had been busy all day, originally intended to return directly to Qing Garden. On the way, he received a call from his father, informing him that several esteemed figures from their family’s social circle had come to their home and asking him to return to accompany his elder brother, He Wanlan, in entertaining them.
Since returning to the country, he had been shuttling between cities almost every day, attending one social engagement after another as his father wished, leaving him with almost no time for himself.
His father, He Jianbo, rarely attended such occasions, while He Canglan himself was so busy day and night, filled with receptions, visits, and meetings, that even returning home had become a rarity.
Yet none of this busyness would affect the rhythm with which he paved the way for his two sons.
One in politics, one in business—all arranged clearly and methodically by him.
By the time the guests had been seen off, it was already past nine in the evening. The day’s clamor finally gave way to tranquility at this moment.
Eldest sister-in-law Su Wan brought over a specially prepared hangover and stomach-nourishing soup from the kitchen: “Canglan, have some!”
He Canglan politely accepted it: “Thank you, sister-in-law!”
“With so many social engagements every day, no matter how well the servants take care of you, it’s still not as good as having someone thoughtful looking after you.” Su Wan said with a gentle expression.
After finishing the stomach-nourishing soup, He Canglan handed the bowl back and responded lightly: “Thank you for your concern, sister-in-law!”
Seeing He Canglan’s demeanor, Su Wan decided not to continue the topic.
She meant well, after all, He Canglan was already 29.
Since his return to the country, there were only a few families with daughters of suitable social standing in their circle.
During this time, they had all subtly visited Lanting Garden, hoping to forge a marriage alliance with the He family.
“Mom, guess who I saw when I went out to eat today?” He Nanzhi bounded in from outside.
Upon seeing He Canglan, her expression immediately became restrained, and she obediently called out: “Hello, Uncle!”
He Canglan nodded faintly and casually asked: “Who did you see?”
He Nanzhi had always been rather afraid of this uncle, whose emotions were hard to read. Seeing him was like a mouse seeing a cat—all her rebelliousness vanished into thin air.
He Nanzhi answered honestly: “Uncle, you wouldn’t know her. It’s just Lan Die, the older sister who came for the study companion interview this morning.”
He Canglan showed no expression, letting out a faint laugh:
“I don’t know her. Is there anything interesting you’d like to share with your uncle?”
Rarely seeing He Canglan so amiable, He Nanzhi relaxed:
“Lan Die had her period and almost fainted from the pain. Her boyfriend went to buy pads for her, and her boyfriend is really handsome!”
Su Wan noticed He Canglan frown slightly, assuming it was because he didn’t want to hear about trivial matters like a girl’s period, and quickly stopped He Nanzhi:
“Nannan, watch your words. It’s getting late, go downstairs now. Don’t disturb your uncle’s rest.”
He Nanzhi stuck out her tongue: “Sorry, Uncle, I disturbed you. I forgot this isn’t something to share with you. You’re a man!”
He Canglan forced a smile: “It’s fine. You can talk to your uncle more often in the future.”
After Su Wan took He Nanzhi downstairs, He Canglan immediately stood up and walked out of the main hall.
“Going out so late?” His mother, Cui Mujin, came out.
“Mom, I’m going back to Qing Garden.”
“Isn’t there a room here you can sleep in? Qing Garden has fewer servants, and with you reeking of alcohol, it’s not as convenient for someone to take care of you there!”
“I have things to do tomorrow. It’s more convenient to leave directly from Qing Garden.”
Seeing He Canglan’s determined look, Cui Mujin had no choice but to relent:
“In a few days, it’s your Aunt Wang’s birthday. Remember to pick out a gift in advance and accompany me when we visit.” (Wang Shuyi’s mother)
He Canglan casually replied with an “Mhm,” then called for Yi An and drove out of Lanting Garden.
He dialed Lan Die’s number. One call, two calls—no one answered.
He Canglan frowned, feeling somewhat agitated.
On the third call, it finally connected, but it wasn’t Lan Die’s voice: “Hello, Lan Die is asleep. Is there something?”
“Where is she?”
“In the dormitory!”
The call was suddenly disconnected.
Cong Yue put down the phone and frowned.
The man’s voice was incredibly pleasant, deep and melodious like a cello solo—the most intriguing male voice she had ever heard.
She wanted to hear more, but he abruptly hung up. Who was so arrogant?
She checked the contact name for that number and felt her heart skip a beat inexplicably. There was only one character:
Lan!