18 – Chapter 18
“Are you inviting me? Little Peach.”
A Tao genuinely didn’t know what to prepare for her period. In her memory, it seemed like nothing needed preparation, yet the warmth flowing from her body seemed to remind her that she should prepare something.
“Are we going to sit here forever? Shouldn’t we change clothes?” A Tao asked.
Currently, she seemed completely trapped in Duan Yuan’s embrace, unable to move as she wished, and could only hope this man would take her to change clothes…
“Didn’t you say your stomach hurts? I’m afraid carrying you might make it worse.”
“No, let’s go change clothes. You should change too,” A Tao whispered. Compared to the discomfort in her stomach, the sticky sensation between her legs was even more unbearable.
“Change together? Are you inviting me? Little Peach.”
“Huh??” A Tao was speechless, wondering what was going through this man’s mind. He appeared so restrained, yet his thoughts were always so…
“Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Let’s go back to the room.”
In the end, they didn’t get to eat their midnight snack. A Tao was carried back to Duan Yuan’s room instead.
Along the way, A Tao began to question her existence. She suddenly felt like a helpless cripple who had lost the use of her legs, completely dependent on Duan Yuan for movement.
Though Duan Yuan was clearly the one who needed more care due to his blindness, it was A Tao who kept receiving it.
Because he couldn’t see, Duan Yuan walked very slowly for stability. Or perhaps he deliberately slowed his pace because he didn’t want to let go of the girl in his arms. It took them a full ten minutes to return to the room.
…
When they finally reached the bedside, Duan Yuan tried to place A Tao on the bed without hesitation, but she clung tightly to his neck, refusing to let go.
“What if I dirty your bed again?”
“Fine, then you can continue lying on me.” Duan Yuan sat on the edge of the bed with A Tao in his arms, showing no intention of releasing her.
“Aren’t we supposed to change clothes? How can I move if you’re holding me like this?” A Tao pinched Duan Yuan’s ear and sat up straight on his lap.
This was exactly the scene Duan Zheng witnessed when he knocked and entered.
A girl in a dusty dress, stained with blood, was fearlessly pulling his young master’s ear while climbing on him like a monkey scaling a tree… Of course, his young master was being treated as the tree.
Seeing his young master’s calm expression, Duan Zheng composed himself and handed the items he was carrying to Duan Yuan. “I had someone purchase these. Second Miss Lin, could you see if they’re suitable?”
Finally able to get down from Duan Yuan, A Tao leaned over to examine the contents of the bag. Besides women’s underwear and a white dress, she saw several packages of what looked like small pads. Instantly, certain scenes surfaced in her mind.
During her more playful days, she had ventured outside the Peach Blossom Garden with friends. Combined with her fondness for reading mundane novels and picture books from the mortal world, she had a general understanding of these items.
These were what girls used during that time of the month—commonly known as sanitary pads.
However, she had never used them herself and wasn’t sure exactly how they worked…
A Tao took one package from the bag, then gathered the clothes and slowly prepared to head to the bathroom. But suddenly, the man behind her picked her up again.
“Ah…”
“Your stomach hurts. I’ll carry you in.”
“Uh…” That really wasn’t necessary.
Holding the long, rectangular object, A Tao studied it for a while before murmuring to herself, “How exactly do you use this thing…”Standing outside the bathroom door, Duan Yuan thought A Tao was asking him and replied, “I’m not sure. Let me come in and help you.”
“No, don’t!” A Tao was still sitting on the toilet—how embarrassing would it be if someone saw her like this?
Just then, the door opened. Seeing Duan Yuan’s dark silk-covered blind eyes, she realized he couldn’t see.
But having a man appear here still felt strange.
“Hurry up and leave, or… I’ll ignore you from now on.”
“You dare?” The man’s voice deepened, but he soon realized he shouldn’t be so impatient. Besides, being blind, he didn’t know the situation. He silently retreated and closed the door.
“Uh…” A Tao noticed instructions on the packaging and quickly figured it out. Finally standing by the sink, she gazed at her noticeably fuller reflection in the mirror.
Taking a deep breath, she felt her entire body growing lighter, as if toxins were dissipating, while a strange power slowly blossomed within her…
A Tao guessed this must be her first menstrual cycle. The medicine given to the original host by that mother-daughter pair had likely suppressed this aspect of development.
How cruel—to stunt their own daughter’s growth, trying to turn her into a dwarfed bean sprout? And then, for the sake of their adopted daughter’s marriage, pushing her into the water to end her life?
How tragic…
A Tao had been in the bathroom for quite a while when a voice outside snapped her out of her thoughts.
“If you don’t come out soon, I’m coming in, Little Peach.”
“Alright…”
When A Tao emerged, she saw a refreshed Duan Yuan, clearly having changed clothes, though he remained head-to-toe in black.
Duan Yuan was half-lying on the bed, patting the empty space beside him, signaling for A Tao to join him.
A Tao obediently climbed onto the bed, inhaling contentedly at the faint scent of incense from Duan Yuan before closing her eyes.
But mere seconds later, she was pulled upright, a cup of brown sugar water pressed to her lips.
A Tao sniffed it and shook her head in refusal.
Duan Yuan coaxed her like a child: “There’s honey added—fragrant and sweet. Want to try?”
“Really?”
“Drink this if you won’t eat.” His tone brooked no argument. Still cradling the back of her head with one hand, he held the cup to her lips with the other. “This is good for women’s health. It’ll ease your stomach pain.”
A Tao stared suspiciously at the dark liquid, her expression full of disdain. She wasn’t falling for such childish tricks: “I’m not a woman.” I’m still a child.”
“True, you’re just a little peach…” Duan Yuan nodded, “But you must drink this bowl.”
Seeing no room for negotiation, A Tao resigned herself and gulped it down. To her surprise, it wasn’t as bad as she’d imagined—sweet and actually quite palatable.
A Tao seemed to have completely forgotten she’d been kidnapped. After drinking, she lazily lay back down, a contented smile spreading across her face.
Then, a large palm pressed against her lower abdomen, gently massaging.
A Tao’s lips puckered in protest.
This hand was cold and hard—was he actually trying to harm her?