Chapter 278 275. Early Morning
"You're on your period, you must drink warm water, do you hear me?!"
An Han lunged from the bed in a state of agitation, firmly pressing down on her younger sister’s hand as she reached for the water. She pleaded earnestly, "Just stick with it for these two days. After that, it won't matter."
"Eh?" Her sister stared at her, looking utterly bewildered.
"The weather is cool now. If you drink this, your stomach will hurt! It'll hurt a lot!" An Han threatened with a dead-serious face. "Do you want to go through what you felt last night all over again?"
Recalling the experience of being in so much pain she couldn't sleep, her sister’s shoulders gave a slight shudder. She looked a bit frightened.
"But it's such a hassle..."
"It’s fine, I’ll boil the water for you."
An Han smiled as she took the cup and the kettle into her own hands, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
She had originally thought that simply bearing the menstrual cramps once for her sister would complete the mission, but it seemed she needed to see her sister through the entire period for it to count.
As for the idea of An Han bearing her sister’s period pain forever?
Impossible. The System was a bit of a dog, but the reward was for the sister to gain a "painless period" trait, not to permanently transfer An Han’s own traits to her.
If it were a transfer, she wouldn't do it!
Without even taking the time to wash up or fix her appearance, An Han carried the kettle downstairs, continuing to remind her sister: "Use warm water when you wash your face and brush your teeth."
"I know!"
That was the good thing about kids—they weren't stubborn to a fault. Once they've been stung, they know it hurts. If they don't change, it’s usually because the "sting" wasn't sharp enough.
Yesterday's pain was still fresh in her sister's memory; she wouldn't be seeking death again anytime soon.
Arriving on the first floor to boil the water, An Han sat at the dining table, one hand gently rubbing her lower abdomen, her brow constantly furrowed.
Even though it was only a slight pain, the persistent nature of it made her mood uncontrollably irritable.
It felt like a mosquito buzzing incessantly around her ear—you can't kill it, you can't drive it away, you can only lie there in frustration, eyes closed, and endure it silently...
"It’s all because my sister ate things she shouldn't have," An Han grumbled to herself, before adding with a touch of self-praise, "How is there such a good older sister like me~?"
While waiting for the water to boil, her mother came downstairs.
Her face was etched with worry as she asked, "Was her stomach hurting last night? Is she better now?"
"Yeah, she's bouncing around now."
It's just me who's suffering.
An Han let out a soft sigh. "I've got a bit of diarrhea. Don't call me downstairs today except for meals."
"Want some medicine?"
"I don't want to take medicine..."
"Smecta (Dioctahedral Smectite). It's sweet, it doesn't taste bad."
She shook her head vigorously in rejection. "No!"
Her mother shook her head helplessly, but seeing that the water An Han was boiling had reached a roll, she stepped forward and poured the boiling water into a thermos.
Only then did An Han notice a large, silver-shelled thermos in the house.
Since she rarely drank warm water—usually sticking to mineral water or sugar-free Coke—the thermos had probably been sitting by the sink for ages without her ever noticing it.
"Mom, you have to watch her closely these next two days. Don't let her touch anything cold, or she’ll be in so much pain she won't sleep tonight."
The mother seemed relatively unconcerned. "I've told her a dozen times. I even specially boiled water and left it there yesterday, but she just wouldn't listen."
"Now that she knows the pain, let's see if she dares again."
The experience of "humble-bragging" in front of her sisters yesterday had kept the mother in a pleasant mood; a faint smile played at the corners of her mouth. However, as she took two eggs out of the fridge, she suddenly turned to look at An Han’s pale face.
"Your face looks quite pale. Are you sure you don't need medicine?"
"I'm fine." An Han rested her chin on her hands at the table, yawning and shaking her head. "Just didn't sleep well. My sister tossed and turned for a long time yesterday before falling asleep, and I ended up catching a cold because of it."
She had found a self-consistent excuse.
The sound of tapping came from the iron gate. An Han looked up and saw Su Peng’s gentle smile through the gaps in the fence.
The pain in her abdomen seemed to vanish instantly, and her pale complexion regained a lot of color. She grabbed the keys by the dining table and rushed forward to open the door.
"Your car keys!" She shared the story of her father driving yesterday. "My dad was dead set against driving it yesterday, but after sitting in it for a few minutes and taking it for a spin, he was happy as a little kid!"
"Really?"
"The plan worked!" An Han smiled and stepped aside to let Su Peng into the house. "Mom, can you make an extra portion of breakfast?"
Having overheard their conversation, the mother nodded with a complicated expression. "Got it."
This daughter of hers was truly siding with an outsider to scheme against her own father.
She felt that if she were to firmly oppose An Han being with Su Peng, An Han might actually pull off a stunt like stealing the household register to get married in secret.
"Auntie! Let me help you!" Su Peng stepped forward with a warm, broad smile.
The mother was startled and hurried to decline. "Go watch TV with An Han or help the younger one with her homework. It's just breakfast, no need for help."
"Alright then." Su Peng had only been offering out of politeness anyway; he was well aware of his own level of housework skills.
He noticed An Han’s spirits were low. As they walked to the sofa in the living room, An Han’s hand kept drifting toward her stomach.
Sitting side-by-side on the sofa after turning on the TV, Su Peng asked curiously, "Stomach ache?"
"It's alright, just a cold." An Han pulled a thin blanket from the sofa over herself.
"Should I go buy you some medicine?"
"Is it really necessary?"
Su Peng’s tone grew firm, his brows knitting together. "If I tell you to take medicine, take it! You'll recover faster!"
"Oh... there's medicine at home, in the box under the coffee table."
An Han turned her head away, grumbling with a look of feigned reluctance, "Why are you being so bossy..."
Taking some medicine to put Su Peng and her family at ease wasn't a problem.
She watched Su Peng crouch down, pull the medicine chest from under the table, find a packet of Smecta, and then hurry off to find hot water to mix it.
In fact, she didn't find Su Peng’s occasional assertiveness repulsive at all; instead, she felt a pleasant sense of being cared for.
An Han leaned back on the sofa, waiting for the medicine Su Peng was preparing. The pain in her abdomen was growing lighter; it seemed her sister really was scared of the pain and hadn't secretly done anything "suicidal" yet.
"Put that down!" Her father’s voice suddenly boomed from upstairs.
Startled by the sudden sound, Su Peng’s hand shook as he was pouring the boiling water, nearly scalding himself.
The father then walked down the stairs, came to his side, took a glance, and frowned deeply. "You have to use warm water."
"Oh, is that so..." Su Peng stepped aside guiltily.
"If you don't even know this, how are you supposed to take care of my daughter in the future?"
The father grumbled softly. After mixing the Smecta with warm water, he took the cup and sat down right next to An Han.
He looked to be in a terrible mood as he continued to mutter to himself, "He actually dares to be bossy with my daughter..."
An Han was now in her early twenties, and in twenty years, her father had never spoken a harsh word to her! Let alone scolded or hit her!
"Drink up. If you're not better by tonight, we’re going to the hospital."
It seemed her father’s favorability toward Su Peng was still deep in the negatives...
He had probably been observing them secretly from upstairs; otherwise, he wouldn't have heard what Su Peng said.
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