With a slight force, Mo Xiuchen pulled Wen Ran into his embrace. Surrounded by his overwhelming masculine scent, her heart trembled violently. Instinctively, she placed her hands against his firm chest.
The heat beneath her palms was scorching. As if electrocuted, she hurriedly withdrew her hands in a fluster.
"Wen Ran."
His deep, husky voice scraped against her eardrums like sandpaper. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding wildly, like a drum echoing in her ears. Panic surged through her—was something about to happen?
At the crucial moment, she suddenly blurted out, "Mo Xiuchen, I…"
"What's wrong?"
Mo Xiuchen lowered his head slightly, his gaze burning as it locked onto hers.
As he spoke, his deep eyes slowly closed, and he leaned in.
"No! I think… my period just came!"
Wen Ran didn't have time to feel embarrassed. The words spilled out in a rush. At the same time, she lifted her hand and pressed it against his lips.
Mo Xiuchen froze mid-action. His eyes, half-open now, stared at her intently, suspicion flickering within them. "Really?"
"Yes, really."
She nodded vigorously, her brows furrowing. Her face turned as red as a tomato. Her period was supposed to arrive on the tenth, but at that time, she had been overwhelmed by grief—her parents had passed away, and her brother was still in a coma. The emotional distress and pressure had caused her cycle to be delayed.
And this time, there had been no warning signs at all. She hadn't even prepared anything in advance.
Mo Xiuchen observed the series of emotions flashing across her face and seemed to understand what she was thinking. He asked in a low voice, "You didn't buy any sanitary products, did you?"
Wen Ran's lips twitched awkwardly. She couldn't even force a smile. Her body stiffened, and she hesitated before whispering, "I'll go ask Aunt Zhang. She probably has some."
"No need."
Mo Xiuchen released her hand and said, "Use tissues for now. I'll be back soon." Then, without waiting for her response, he left the bathroom and walked into the closet. Two minutes later, fully dressed, he strode out of the room.
Wen Ran opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but as she watched his tall, broad-shouldered figure disappear, she found herself at a loss for words.
Following his instructions, she temporarily used tissues and washed her stained clothes. Then, after staring at his discarded garments for two minutes, she made a decision. Since he was a grown man going out of his way to buy her sanitary products, the least she could do was wash his clothes in return.
When Mo Xiuchen returned with a bag of sanitary pads, Wen Ran had just finished hanging the laundry and was stepping in from the balcony, her hands still wet.
"What were you doing?"
Mo Xiuchen's sharp eyes flicked past her to the balcony behind her. His gaze then settled on her damp hands, and his well-shaped brows knitted slightly.
Wen Ran reached out to take the bag from his hand while explaining, "I washed the clothes while waiting for you."
"Who told you to wash them?"
The moment she spoke, Mo Xiuchen lifted the bag slightly, his voice low and laced with displeasure.
Wen Ran froze. She glanced at his avoided hand, then looked up at his dark, intense eyes. She didn't quite understand why he asked that, so she softly explained, "You even went out to buy this for me. Washing your clothes in return is only fair."
"You used cold water, didn't you?"