When Chen Jin returned to the apartment, it was pitch dark. He switched on the light and glanced at the time—past one o'clock. The stench of smoke and alcohol on him made him anxious to take a shower. He shrugged off his coat and tossed it carelessly onto the sofa. As he approached the bedroom door, he paused for a moment, deciding to use the separate bathroom so as not to wake Lin Wan. Just then, he suddenly heard a soft groan from inside. His heart skipped a beat, and he pushed the door open, flicking the light switch.
Lin Wan's face was pale, with sweat soaking the hair on her forehead. Her body was curled up like a shrimp, hands clutching her abdomen. He rushed over and crouched by the bed, his voice tinged with urgency, "Wan Wan, what's wrong?"
Lin Wan's eyes were half-closed as she groaned in discomfort, "It hurts…"
Chen Jin exhaled a sigh of relief; he had feared she'd overdosed on sleeping pills. But as soon as he noticed the area her hands were covering, his heart raced again. Could it be acute appendicitis? His younger brother, Chen Xi, had suffered from this condition before, and Chen Jin had driven him to the hospital in the middle of the night. His worry grew, and he quickly stood, bent down to pick her up, saying, "Come on, we're going to the hospital right now."
Although Lin Wan was in excruciating pain, her mind remained clear. Upon hearing his words, she froze for a moment, quickly pushing him away, "I'm not going."
"No, you have to listen to me this time. We're going." Chen Jin's tone was firm.
"I said no!" She was frustrated, irritated by his constant hospital runs. Did he think it was his family's backyard?
"Listen, you can't prevent this. How else would we perform the surgery?" Chen Jin gently coaxed as he carefully scooped her up in his arms.
Lin Wan, despite her agony, struggled weakly and demanded, "What surgery?"
"Don't worry, it's just a small surgery, they'll cut it out," Chen Jin said casually as he wrapped her in a towel, concerned that her clothes, now soaked in sweat, might make her catch a cold.
"Cut it out?" Lin Wan's face turned even paler. She widened her eyes in alarm. "What are you cutting?"
Chen Jin was momentarily taken aback by her reaction. "Well, of course, it's your appendix," he replied, half in jest, assuming she'd understand.
Lin Wan froze, her hand still on his chest, not knowing how to respond. She stared at him as though he were some sort of monster. Chen Jin adjusted her towel and, seeing her odd expression, asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Is the pain gone?"
"I'm having menstrual cramps. Are you planning to cut out my uterus as well?" Lin Wan gritted her teeth, her words dripping with sarcasm.
Chen Jin was speechless, dumbfounded. He'd heard of menstrual cramps, of course, but he'd never seen them firsthand. Which woman would be brave enough to show him such a vulnerable moment?
Lin Wan watched his reaction, a faint sense of amusement in her otherwise pained state. "Just put me down," she muttered weakly.
Chen Jin stood frozen for a moment, and then, with a bemused expression, gently lowered her back onto the bed. As she immediately curled up again, he asked, "What happened? I've never seen you in this much pain before." After a moment's thought, he added, "Aren't you supposed to be off schedule?"
"I caught a chill."
Chen Jin immediately understood. The long time spent in the lake had likely thrown her cycle off. His first instinct was to chide her for being reckless, but seeing her in such misery, his tone softened. "Wan Wan, let's go to the hospital, don't let it turn into something worse."
"I don't need to."
"Be reasonable, now's not the time to argue. Let's go see a Chinese doctor, maybe they can prescribe something to help."
Lin Wan, her eyes half-closed, glanced at him and said quietly, "Can you get me a cup of hot water?"
Chen Jin nodded and headed to the kitchen. A few moments later, he returned with a cup of hot brown sugar ginger tea. Lin Wan's eyes widened in surprise, "What's this?"
Chen Jin smiled slightly, "I may not be a genius, but I know that this helps with colds. It's something I had in the fridge. Drink up, I've let it cool a little."
Lin Wan was at a loss for words. This other side of him, so thoughtful and meticulous, was honestly a bit unnerving. She took a sip of the tea, the warmth comforting without being scalding. Chen Jin sat next to her, saying, "You like your drinks hot, don't you? I'm telling you, though, that's not good for your throat. You need to change that habit, okay?"
Seeing her remain silent, he pressed, "Did you hear me?"
Lin Wan nodded slowly.
After she finished her tea, Chen Jin took the empty cup and placed it on the bedside table. "Do you feel better now?"
She nodded again. He stood up, saying, "Then we're going to the hospital."
"No, I'm fine now," Lin Wan said, pulling the covers up and closing her eyes. "I'm too tired. I don't want to go anywhere."
Chen Jin hesitated, then said, "Alright, we'll go tomorrow. But this isn't something small." He went into the bathroom to get a towel, then sat back on the bed to help her wipe away the sweat. He first wiped her forehead, then her neck. But Lin Wan, unable to bear it any longer, grabbed his hand and said, "Stop doing this."
"What's wrong?"
Lin Wan kept her eyes ahead, not looking at him, her voice cold as she said, "Don't be nice to me."
Chen Jin chuckled, "What? Do you want me to hit you, curse you out?"
Lin Wan remained silent. He continued wiping her sweat, adjusting the collar of her nightshirt to clean the dampness from her chest. He muttered, "I don't want to say much more, just accept it."
Lin Wan scoffed weakly, "I can't handle it."
Chen Jin stopped, brushing aside her bangs with his hand. "This isn't the time to argue. Get some sleep."
With that, he stood and left the room. Lin Wan lay there, listening to the faint sound of water flowing through the house. She smiled bitterly with her eyes closed. Chen Jin had changed his strategy. Now, he was trying to slowly boil her like a frog in warm water.
After a while, Chen Jin returned to the bedroom after a quick shower. He climbed into bed, lifting the covers to lie next to her, his chest pressed against her back, fitting together perfectly. Lin Wan immediately felt the heat from his body, and his strong heartbeat, impossible to ignore. Then, one of his large hands moved to her abdomen, gently massaging the area, his touch warm and dry, yet providing just the right pressure, alleviating some of her discomfort. Lin Wan sighed weakly, imagining it as a hot water bottle, an electric heater, or a massage device—anything that helped.
Chen Jin pressed his forehead against the back of her head, inhaling the fresh scent of her hair, feeling an overwhelming sense of comfort. Despite the trouble she caused him, he was willing to endure it all. Thinking back to the events of the last few days, he couldn't help but coldly snort in his mind. This feeling—who doesn't know it? Although he hadn't figured out exactly what Lin Wan meant to him, he was in no rush. If he let her go and then regretted it later, what then? So no matter what anyone said, he wasn't letting go. Even with a knife to his neck, he wouldn't.
Half the night passed in this way. When morning came, Lin Wan awoke to find herself having turned over in her sleep, her head resting on the man's neck. Above her, his steady breath, below her, his rhythmic heartbeat. She froze, then closed her eyes in sorrow. She was still the frog, trapped at the bottom of the well, with a snake coiled beside her. The frog feared the snake, but the snake had bitten her more than once. Yet when the storm came, the frog still instinctively drew closer to its neighbor.
It wasn't her fault. It was simply instinct.
Lin Wan did some mental preparation, then slowly opened her eyes, tilting her head back slightly. She gazed at him silently. The soft morning light softened his sharp features, making him seem like a good man. Chen Jin, ever vigilant, opened his eyes in less than two seconds, still sleepy but smiling as he gazed at her. "Feeling better?" he asked.
Lin Wan was momentarily stunned, then nodded softly.
Chen Jin reached up to pinch her cheek, then glanced at the clock on the wall. When he turned back, his eyes were wide awake. He immediately got up and said, "Get dressed, we're going to the doctor."
"Ah? No need," she said, having already forgotten about it.
Chen Jin pulled back the covers and tugged at her side of the bed, speaking with his usual authoritative tone, "No discussion. Hurry up."