PSMD – Chapter 38

Qiu Yang’s period arrived punctually on Monday morning. Her cycle had never been irregular, so she had taken precautions beforehand.

However, as soon as she left the house, she started feeling some backache and chest tightness. Her complexion wasn’t great when she got to the company either, so she took painkillers with a cup of warm water.

But the pain wasn’t unbearable, especially since the project had only been running for a few days and it was a busy time. Qu Yan had assigned quite a heavy workload, and Qiu Yang didn’t want to make any mistakes. During work hours, she put in 100% effort, repeatedly double-checking the accuracy of the data she was verifying.

This actually helped alleviate some of the physical discomfort. However, as soon as work ended, all the fatigue and soreness rushed in. Qiu Yang, dragging her uncomfortable body, chose to take a taxi home.

She didn’t plan on cooking either. She ordered porridge before arriving home, and the delivery arrived just as she finished feeding Pingzi dinner.

Qiu Yang had even less appetite during her period. She only had a few sips of the plain porridge before putting it aside, planning to take a shower soon.

Pingzi also seemed to sense her vulnerability, constantly rubbing her head against Qiu Yang’s calves.

Qiu Yang was cooperative, rubbing her head one moment and her chin the next.

Shen Ningruo’s call came at this moment.

“Where are you?” Shen Ningruo asked immediately, without a greeting, and her tone wasn’t cheerful; it sounded a bit heavy.

Qiu Yang was startled. Hearing Shen Ningruo speak to her in that tone gave her the illusion that she was facing Director Shen at work.

Shen Ningruo, when she was with Qiu Yang personally, was basically never like this.

“At home.”

Shen Ningruo had just realized her change in tone, so she softened it this time, her voice becoming a few shades gentler: “I’m coming over to find you.”

Qiu Yang was a bit confused: “What for?”

She knew Shen Ningruo definitely wouldn’t be thinking of making her “pay her debt” during this time; that would be too heartless.

“Aren’t you having period pain?”

Qiu Yang understood instantly: “I have medicine.”

She paused, lowering her eyelids slightly: “Still worried about me?”

Shen Ningruo: “…”

Shen Ningruo: “Yeah.”

It wasn’t hard to hear the stiffness in that “yeah.”

Qiu Yang chuckled: “Alright, come over then.”

“I’ll give you something too.”

After hanging up, Shen Ningruo thought carefully for a long time but couldn’t remember leaving anything at Qiu Yang’s place.

If it wasn’t something she’d left behind, she had no idea what Qiu Yang would give her.

She had passed a pharmacy during lunch and, after hesitating for a while, went in and bought medicine.

After buying it, she fell into a dilemma, unsure how to give it to Qiu Yang. She had considered sending it directly to Wanming for Qiu Yang to pick up, but then she felt it would be too much trouble for Qiu Yang if she was already having period pain and had to make a trip.

After much deliberation, she couldn’t come up with a solution. It wasn’t until after work that she stared at the medicine she bought and finally decided to call Qiu Yang.

Ke Yezi had also just finished work. As soon as she came out of the office, she saw Shen Ningruo also coming out, her face as calm as usual.

But in addition to her expensive and exquisite handbag, she was also carrying a bag of… medicine?

Ke Yezi had excellent eyesight and could immediately tell from the transparent bag that it was most likely medicine for period pain.

Shen Ningruo glanced at her indifferently: “Not leaving yet?”

Currently, the company employees were all going downstairs, and the elevators were a bit crowded. Usually, Ke Yezi would leave a few minutes later, and Shen Ningruo even later.

The chances of them running into each other after work were slim, so Ke Yezi was still a bit surprised, especially seeing Shen Ningruo carrying a bag of medicine for the first time.

“Leaving now.” Ke Yezi suppressed her curiosity, but suddenly, in her mind, she connected this bag of medicine with the woman who had appeared behind the director during the video conference in Xicheng.

Her eyebrow twitched. The next second, she felt there was something wrong with her brain.

Their director had a boyfriend, who was very handsome and tall, and had picked up the director from work downstairs before.

Although it seemed like she hadn’t seen him for a while.

Shen Ningruo didn’t know what her subordinate was thinking. The grip on the medicine bag tightened slightly when she encountered Ke Yezi just now.

Fortunately, others wouldn’t come over to pry. After entering the elevator, she went down to the basement and drove straight to Qiu Yang’s residential complex.

Qiu Yang took a shower and blew her hair dry. Then, there were two knocks on the door. She opened it, but it wasn’t Shen Ningruo standing there.

Miao Yi was holding a bag of food again: “Yangyang, want something to eat?”

Ever since Qiu Yang’s breakup, Miao Yi had watched her get thinner and thinner. As a friend, she couldn’t stand it, especially since Qiu Yang had always been good to her. There was a time when Miao Yi was very short on money, and Qiu Yang lent her money without a second thought. The money had definitely been repaid by now, but Miao Yi still remembered the gratitude from back then.

“I’ve already washed up,” Qiu Yang said, her dimples showing.

Miao Yi was a bit surprised: “So early?”

“It’s seven o’clock.”

“Feeling a bit uncomfortable.”

“Want to go to bed early.”

Miao Yi sighed inwardly. Qiu Yang’s reason for wanting to sleep early was definitely that she didn’t want to be too awake.

Otherwise, she would think of Tao Sixian.

“Okay, then you get a good night’s sleep,” Miao Yi said again. “Don’t be so early tomorrow. This place is a new shop, and the taste is quite good.”

Qiu Yang’s eyes curved as she nodded: “Got it.”

Miao Yi sighed inwardly again, feeling that Qiu Yang was putting on a brave face. She didn’t stay at Qiu Yang’s place any longer: “Then I’ll head back.”

Only after Miao Yi left did Qiu Yang breathe a sigh of relief. The thought of Shen Ningruo, her “one-night stand,” coming over made her feel a bit guilty when facing Miao Yi.

Just as she was about to close the door, she heard the elevator ding. She couldn’t help but swallow nervously, hearing footsteps getting closer and closer.

In a few seconds, Shen Ningruo appeared before her, raising an eyebrow at her: “Xiao Yang, you’re being a bit too enthusiastic. I didn’t say I was coming up yet.”

“…” Qiu Yang listened to her teasing and immediately calmed down. “Just a coincidence.”

Shen Ningruo had a look that said “I believe you”: “Uh-huh.” Her eyes curved as she handed over the bag. “Here.”

Qiu Yang pursed her lips: “Thank you.”

“What are you going to give me?” Shen Ningruo stood at the doorway, not looking inside, just looking at Qiu Yang in front of her.

After a day apart, Qiu Yang looked a bit more haggard. Shen Ningruo’s brows furrowed slightly.

She didn’t experience period pain, but she knew its power. Seeing Qiu Yang, whose eyes had lost much of their brightness, she started wondering if the medicine she bought was enough.

Or rather, if there was anything else she needed to do.

Qiu Yang met Shen Ningruo’s gaze and asked softly, “Aren’t you coming in?”

Shen Ningruo blinked: “…Okay.”

Qiu Yang shifted her gaze, adding as she turned around: “Last time I went into your place, now you come into mine.”

“We’re even.”

“So you can’t say I owe you.”

Shen Ningruo felt like laughing inside, but she didn’t dare to laugh out loud. Only the smile in her eyes deepened by several degrees.

Qiu Yang bent down to get her slippers, then went into the bedroom, not looking at Shen Ningruo again.

Shen Ningruo changed her shoes and stood up, only to see a fat cat squatting about two meters away, looking at her with curiosity.

Shen Ningruo took a step forward, and it didn’t hide. It still stared with its round eyes, carefully searching to see if it had met this person before.

Shen Ningruo squatted down in front of Pingzi: “Is that you?”

Pingzi: “Meow.”

“Was it your videos that made Xiao Yang feel better?” Shen Ningruo didn’t notice the hint of sourness in her words.

Pingzi: “Meow.”

As if confirming Shen Ningruo wasn’t a bad person, Pingzi lost its reservations, wagged its tail, walked two steps forward, and rubbed against Shen Ningruo.

Shen Ningruo: “…”

Shen Ningruo became nervous. She was actually a bit afraid of cats; being scratched by a stray cat when she was little had left her with a bit of a psychological shadow.

Mainly because the shots were quite painful too.

“It seems to like you very much.” Qiu Yang came out of the bedroom and saw Shen Ningruo frozen in place.

Shen Ningruo looked up, gazing at her somewhat pleadingly: “What’s its name?”

“Pingzi.”

Pingzi thought Qiu Yang was calling her and immediately walked back to Qiu Yang, meowing.

Shen Ningruo breathed a sigh of relief: “It has a very good temper.” Then she paused. “Like you.”

Qiu Yang ignored that comment, walked over, and handed out the bag in her hand: “Here.”

It was a relatively small black paper bag with no words on the outside, and the opening was sealed with pretty tape. Shen Ningruo didn’t know what was inside.

She was certain she hadn’t left anything at Qiu Yang’s place.

Qiu Yang caught her confused look and, without explaining, stuffed the bag into Shen Ningruo’s arms: “It’s nothing much.”

“You can look at it when you get back.”

Shen Ningruo’s lips curved up: “Alright.”

Pingzi was angry because Qiu Yang didn’t play with her, so she went to the scratching post and sharpened her claws.

“Then I’ll head back,” Shen Ningruo squeezed the bag and instructed, “Remember to take medicine if it hurts too much.”

“It doesn’t hurt much.”

“…It’s mainly the backache.”

Shen Ningruo’s eyelashes fluttered: “Do you have a massager?” Without waiting for Qiu Yang’s answer, she put the bag on the coffee table. “Lie down, I’ll give you a massage.”

Qiu Yang: “…”

Shen Ningruo raised an eyebrow, unconsciously using a commanding tone: “Lie down.”

“Oh.” Qiu Yang obediently lay down on the sofa. The sofa was soft, and she wasn’t uncomfortable, while Pingzi watched curiously from the side.

Wait a minute.

Wasn’t something not quite right here?

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