The General Under the Skirt - Chapter 18
Chapter 18
As evening approached, Shen Roujia’s stomach cramps intensified.
A light rain began to fall, the droplets blurring the world outside. The leaves glistened with moisture. After the girl left, Shen Roujia had closed all the doors and windows, plunging the house into darkness. She lay curled up on the bed, cold sweat on her forehead.
Her periods had never been so painful before.
Usually, she just felt a little backache and fatigue. But now the pain was excruciating, unrelenting, with occasional sharp spikes that made her want to rip her stomach out.
She didn’t know when it would end.
The gloomy weather worsened her mood. The air was damp, and Brother Yu hadn’t returned. She hoped that falling asleep would bring relief, but the pain kept her awake.
After staring blankly for an unknown amount of time, Shen Roujia heard movement outside. The door opened before she could sit up. The footsteps were steady and strong. It was Huo Zhao.
It was strange. Usually, no matter what time he returned, the little girl would rush out to greet him. Today, she hadn’t.
Shen Roujia endured the pain and got up from the bed. Just as she was putting on her shoes, Brother Yu came in.
When he left, the little girl was not in a good state. Huo Zhao thought something had happened to her.
“Brother Yu, you’re back,” she said weakly, not sure if he could hear her.
Seeing her safe and sound, Huo Zhao relaxed slightly. He said, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Roujia couldn’t stand up straight from the pain in her waist. She looked pale and a little aggrieved. She weakly replied, “My stomach hurts.”
Huo Zhao put down the things in his hand, frowned slightly and said, “Let me check your pulse.”
Shen Roujia shook her head and said, “No, I’ll just bear it for a while.”
Huo Zhao seemed to understand the cause of her pain. He pursed his lips and said, “Lie down, don’t get up.”
He added, “I’ll make you some porridge.”
Shen Roujia, overcome with pain, did as he said. She felt guilty. If Brother Yu had a girl he liked, it wasn’t right for her to impose on him like this.
When she returned home, she would repay him generously. She would buy him a big house, no, two houses, and she would ask her father to find him a comfortable government position with a good salary and little work.
As she drifted in and out of consciousness, Huo Zhao returned with a porcelain bowl.
“Drink this,” he said.
Shen Roujia didn’t ask what it was. Whatever Brother Yu gave her would not harm her. She took a sip and winced.
“It’s so hot!”
Huo Zhao didn’t take the bowl back. Instead, he said, “Drink it little by little. It will be effective when it’s hot.”
Shen Roujia was very obedient. She held the porcelain bowl with both hands and drank a little. Immediately, the sweetness filled her entire mouth, and it also brought a warm and spicy taste. After drinking a little, she felt a kind of warmth spreading from deep inside her body.
“I had some brown sugar left, so I made you some ginger tea. It’s good for cramps.”
Shen Roujia nodded.
“Thank you, Brother Yu.”
There didn’t seem to be anything else to say.
She slowly finished the brown sugar water, pausing when the cramps intensified, then continuing. Huo Zhao remained silent, sitting next to her.
There was nothing he could do; she just had to bear it.
When she was finished, he took the bowl and helped her to lie down. Shen Roujia curled up on her side, facing him, the position relieving her pain. Perhaps the brown sugar water was working, she felt much warmer and more comfortable.
“Brother Yu.”
Huo Zhao had been about to carry the bowl out, but when he heard the little girl calling out to him, he stopped in his tracks. His cold and stern brows lowered slightly and his gaze settled on Shen Roujia.
The little girl had just finished drinking brown sugar water, and her lips were rosy red. Her skin was completely different from theirs – rough men that they were – soft, smooth, and so pale it almost seemed to glow, as if she weren’t even real. He couldn’t help but wonder how she had been raised to turn out like this.
Shen Roujia’s voice was soft as she said, “After you left this afternoon, a young lady came looking for you.”
Huo Zhao asked, “What did she want?”
Shen Roujia shook her head and said, “I don’t know. She said she was from next door.”
Huo Zhao thought for a moment. There was usually no one next door. Maybe someone had just moved in.
“Did she need anything?” he asked.
Shen Roujia felt a pang of guilt and confessed, “I was… I was scared. I thought it was those men again, so I didn’t dare go out or make a sound. I just… I didn’t come out, so I don’t know what she wanted.”
She avoided his gaze and apologized quietly.
“I’m sorry, Brother Yu.”
Huo Zhao looked confused.
“What are you sorry for?”
Shen Roujia paused and thought, ‘If Brother Yu has nothing to do with that young woman, it’s impolite for her to visit and find the house occupied, but the owner refuses to see her. If Brother Yu and the woman have a relationship, then not coming out is the right choice.’
She plucked up courage and asked, “Brother Yu, do you know that woman?”
Huo Zhao said, “I don’t even know what she looks like.”
Shen Roujia thought that made sense. Just as she was about to speak, Huo Zhao said casually, “But I definitely don’t know her. In this ten-mile radius, I only know a little girl like you.”
“…”
A strange feeling blossomed in her chest, a feeling reminiscent of the first time she saw General Huo Zhao. Even though she had only seen him from afar, she had felt a surge of joy and an inexplicable thrill.
She felt a similar emotion towards Brother Yu.
A smile played on her lips, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
“What are you smiling about?” Huo Zhao asked.
Shen Roujia was startled. “Ah? Was… was I smiling?”
“Your smile almost reached your ears, and you asked if you smiled?”
Brother Yu’s description was completely lacking in grace.
Shen Roujia stifled a smile and bit her lip, the sweetness of the brown sugar water still lingering. Brother Yu was so skilled, the brown sugar water was so delicious.
Lying on the bed, her eyes sparkling, she murmured, “I wasn’t smiling.”
Her voice was soft and slightly coquettish.
“…If you say you weren’t, then you weren’t.”
Seeing that she was feeling better, he took the bowl and returned to the kitchen. The porridge was almost ready, he just needed to add some more water.
They ate dinner together. Despite her discomfort, Shen Roujia enjoyed being with Brother Yu. His cooking was delicious, even the simple porridge tasted richer than usual. She felt much better now. She wasn’t sure if the pain had simply subsided or if Brother Yu’s brown sugar water had really worked.
She had cleaned the entire house today, and she wondered if Brother Yu had noticed. It was the first time she had done such chores. She knew her thoughts were childish, but she still hoped he would notice and praise her. If he did, how would she react?
The very thought made her feel giddy.
“It’s time to change your bandages,” Huo Zhao said.
Shen Roujia was stunned and said, “What?”
Huo Zhao felt that the little girl he had picked up was a bit silly. He inexplicably looked at Shen Roujia and his eyes clearly expressed, ‘Are you stupid?’ and then said, “The wound on your ankle.”
Shen Roujia looked down at her ankle and understood immediately. She exclaimed and then said, “Brother Yu, you’re so thoughtful.”
“…”
She sat down on a stool while he sat across from her, a small table with clean bandages, alcohol and some ground herbs on it next to them.
His legs were slightly bent, and she put her foot on his thigh. Her slender leg looked incredibly elegant. Huo Zhao looked down, his hand holding her heel.
He was strong and imposing, even when he tried to restrain his aura, like a powerful lion. She was the opposite, incredibly beautiful, with a captivating face, yet her demeanor was innocent and pure, her body delicate and graceful. She looked at him with simple, unwavering trust.
They were different, yet they seemed to fit together.
The position was slightly suggestive, and Shen Roujia blushed furiously, trying to remain calm. As he peeled back the bandage, the wound was exposed, the flesh raw and scabbed. It would be painful. Huo Zhao, aware of her discomfort, didn’t rip it off right away. “This might hurt a bit,” he warned.
Shen Roujia was a little scared, clenched her fists, and mustered up the courage to say, “It’s okay, I can bear it.”
She had always been afraid of pain.
Huo Zhao saw the fear in her eyes and said, “I’ll count to three and then I’ll do it.”
Shen Roujia nodded and replied, “Okay.”
“One…”
She held her breath.
“Two…”
“Ah!”
He tore off the bandage without warning!
Shen Roujia’s eyes filled with tears. She looked at him reproachfully.
“Brother Yu, you…”
You said you would count to three!
Huo Zhao chuckled softly. “It’s better this way, see? It’s over.”
He added, “Be good, don’t move.”
“…”
Wow!
Brother Yu’s smile was so handsome.
Her heart pounded and her blush deepened. The pain seemed to vanish, his voice so soothing.
Huo Zhao held the little girl’s ankle. To be honest, he has no other thoughts except that it is thin and smooth. He had been celibate for twenty-three years, a fact he found slightly embarrassing. Despite his age and experience, he was still a virgin.
No one knew about this except him. It was so damn embarrassing.
There was no shortage of women around him, but he hadn’t met anyone he liked in all these years. So, when women came to express their feelings for him, he rejected them especially coldly. If he wasn’t interested, he didn’t want to give them false hope and waste their feelings.
The little girl in front of him looked much younger than he did. He was no beast, so he would definitely not harm her.
A/N:
The author has something to say: Trust me, you will. Not only will you, you’ll also… beep–
Shen Roujia: “Brother Yu is really amazing! The brown sugar water he boiled is so sweet!”
Huo Zhao: “If I could make brown sugar water taste bitter, I’d be even more impressive.”
T/N: Chapter 14 said the ML was 21 – maybe a typo? but this chapter says he’s 23, so I’ll go with that.