“Walking won’t help,” he said after a while. “You ate too quickly and choked on the cold wind, so your stomach hurts. You need to massage it, and then it’ll be fine.”
Meng Yao had had this problem since childhood: she always got a stomachache when eating too quickly, requiring Meng Chi to massage her to feel better.
Ruan Ning was half-believing, half-doubting, but her stomach hurt so much that she sat on the bed’s edge, facing away from Meng Chi and rubbing hard. After massaging for a while, she wasn’t doing it right, and her stomach only hurt more.
She glanced back at Meng Chi, wanting to ask for proper technique but hesitating to speak.
Meng Chi felt restless. He walked over, bent down, and placed his large hand above her navel, saying softly, “Warm your hands first, and massage in one direction above the navel, like this.”
He demonstrated, his hand warm, the heat seeping through her clothes. Ruan Ning bit her lip, somewhat unsure if she wanted him to remove his hand.
Meng Chi quickly withdrew his hand, his palm now cool, some heat drawn away by her body. In the hot summer, such a cool body felt refreshing, Meng Chi thought.
Outside the window, Meng Yao, who had returned, bit her lip until it bled.
She stood silently, watching until the candle was extinguished, hearing Meng Chi walk to the bamboo bed to sleep. He had given his bed to Yuan Ning.
This woman cannot stay.
Sun Jiacong smiled upon seeing Meng Yao: “Sister Yao, did Brother Meng say you agreed to our marriage? I’ll tell my family to prepare early.”
Meng Yao was stunned. He actually told Sun Jiacong about this? Was he in such a hurry to marry her off?
Her eyes reddened, and she turned away. Sun Jiacong thought she was shy and quickly caught up: “Don’t worry, Yao, I will take care of you like Brother Meng.”
Meng Yao suddenly stopped: “What are you to even compare yourself to my brother?”
Even if Sun Jiacong was a fool, he could hear her disdain. His face flushed red. After a long while, he smiled faintly: “I naturally can’t compare to Brother Meng. Since that’s the case, I will never mention this again.”
“At least you know yourself!” Meng Yao said angrily.
