Chapter 31: Lower Abdomen

The two stood still, and Li Qingji walked over.

“Hello.”

This greeting was directed at Xue Lin.

Snapping out of it, Xue Lin quickly replied, “Hello, hello. I’m Xue Lin, Jiang Nai’s college classmate.”

Li Qingji nodded. “Li Qingji.”

“I know; Jiang Nai has mentioned you.”

“Miss Xue, where do you live? We can drop you off first.”

Xue Lin waved her hand. “No need; I can just grab a taxi.”

“It’s no trouble,” he replied.

Li Qingji looked at Jiang Nai, who gently tugged on Xue Lin’s sleeve. “It really is convenient. Your place is on the way.”

Xue Lin whispered, “Are you sure it won’t be a bother?”

Jiang Nai: “Of course not.”

Li Qingji gave a slight smile. “Please, get in.”

Seeing him, Xue Lin completely forgot her earlier bravado about giving him the side-eye. Instead, she politely thanked him and climbed into the car.

Li Qingji sat in the front and asked them to sit in the back.

Once the car started moving, Xue Lin didn’t dare to speak. Normally, she was very talkative, but for some reason, she suddenly became shy in front of Li Qingji. She felt as if some kind of aura was suppressing her, making her feel timid.

She pulled out her phone and began texting Jiang Nai wildly:

[I’m speechless, so this is what your husband looks like. Why didn’t he debut?]

[Okay, I guess rich people don’t need to debut.]

[Nai Nai, I get you now, really. Don’t even mention the bridge effect, it’s normal to be moved.]

[It’s not just about being handsome, if he doesn’t focus on you, it’s still no good. Haha, looks like all handsome guys are jerks.]

[But seriously, how can such a handsome guy be heartless??]

After the phone buzzed a few times, Jiang Nai looked down at the messages and saw Xue Lin’s split self-questioning. She turned to look at her, and saw Xue Lin winked at her and pointed at her phone.

Jiang Nai opened it and saw the most recent message: [But still, like I said, take care of yourself, being happy is the most important.]

Jiang Nai smiled slightly and nodded at her. A few days later, Jiang Nai had come to terms with everything. She felt that maintaining a respectful, non-interfering relationship with Li Qingji was the best. All the thoughts that had come up before were now forgotten as if they had never existed.

On Wednesday, Liu Nian notified them that there would be a meeting in the morning.

Before the meeting, Jiang Nai went to the restroom because her stomach was feeling a bit off. However, with the meeting approaching, she didn’t pay much attention to it. After leaving the restroom, she quickly grabbed her computer and headed to the main conference room.

Today’s meeting was held with three planning teams to present their market strategies for the next quarter’s products. Not long after everyone arrived, the door to the meeting room opened again. Jiang Nai saw Li Qingji walk in and sit in the first seat on the right. His expression was cold, and he didn’t say a word. Liu Nian went over and whispered something to him, and Li Qingji nodded. The meeting officially began.

With Li Qingji’s arrival, everyone sat upright, none of them slacking off.

Only Jiang Nai seemed a little sluggish, not intentionally though—her stomach still didn’t feel well.

She wasn’t someone who had severe period pain, but on the first day of her period, she did experience some discomfort. Liu Nian was still talking about the meeting agenda, and then the other teams explained their product plans. Since Liu Nian had specifically included Jiang Nai, her team’s product line, including smart locks, smart doorbells, cameras, and other home security devices, was up for presentation, which Jiang Nai was responsible for.

Jiang Nai had been working on the PowerPoint for a week, so she couldn’t afford to mess up now. Despite her discomfort, she took her computer to the front, connected it to the screen, and began presenting to the higher-ups. 

Li Qingji’s seat was very close, but the two of them acted as if they didn’t know each other and didn’t even make eye contact during the whole presentation. After more than ten minutes, Jiang Nai finished her report. Some higher-ups from other departments asked questions about the feasibility of offline promotions and the budget.

Jiang Nai answered all of them smoothly, without stumbling.

Liu Nian watched from the side, feeling very satisfied with his “favorite student.”

In the end, when no one else had any questions, Liu Nian looked at Li Qingji, who had remained silent throughout: “Mr. Li, what do you think?”

Li Qingji leaned back in his chair and looked up at Jiang Nai, who was standing by the side. Yao Qi and the others from Jiang Nai’s team felt nervous, as the boss’s questions during meetings were always sharp. Sometimes even Liu Nian had a hard time handling them.

“Are you not feeling well?” Suddenly, Li Qingji spoke.

Everyone was stunned, unsure how to react. Jiang Nai, with one hand on the table, looked at him, unsure how to respond.

She was indeed not feeling well, but how did he know?

“I’m fine…”

Li Qingji made a sound of acknowledgment and turned his gaze away. “There’s nothing serious, let’s wrap it up.”

He stood up and left the conference room. The meeting ended abruptly, but everyone was used to it. If there were no major issues, Li Qingji wouldn’t nitpick. His meetings were always quick and efficient. What was unusual, however, was that he had actually asked about the well-being of a subordinate?

Everyone turned to look at Jiang Nai and noticed that her face was a little pale.

Yao Qi was the first to get up and walk over, taking her computer. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine, really.”

Liu Nian said, “Jiang Nai, if you’re not feeling well, go rest.”

“Okay, Liu Nian.”

“You did great today.” Liu Nian smiled and then addressed everyone, “That’s all for today’s meeting. You can go.”

Everyone stood up and began leaving, whispering amongst themselves, curious.

Is the boss in a good mood today? He seemed so friendly.

One person joked, “Maybe it’s because he’s in front of a beauty.”

Another immediately countered, “No way, the boss has seen more beauties than you’ve had meals.”

In Hengchuan’s entertainment industry, where beautiful women were a dime a dozen, this statement wasn’t far from the truth. In the end, they all concluded that the boss was simply in a good mood today. After placing her computer back at her desk, Jiang Nai went to the restroom again. Yao Qi, still worried about her, waited outside. Then the two of them walked toward the break room together.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Yao Qi asked.

“I’m fine, just a little discomfort from my period,” Jiang Nai replied.

Yao Qi sighed in relief. “I thought you might’ve upset your stomach again.”

Jiang Nai chuckled. “It’s the first day of my period. I usually feel this way.”

“Do you want a heating pad? I have one in my drawer.”

“That would be great. Also, could you grab a cup of hot water for me?”

“Sure.”

As they walked down the corridor and turned a corner, they noticed someone walking behind them. Jiang Nai casually glanced over her shoulder. When she saw who it was, she paused for a moment.

It turned out that Li Qingji and Chen Min, along with Xiao Zhao, had unknowingly walked up behind them. Jiang Nai suddenly remembered that day when she told them she was on her period to stop their progress.

“Hello, boss, Sister Chen Min, Xiao Zhao.” Yao Qi also noticed the people behind them and greeted them.

Li Qingji nodded, glancing at Jiang Nai. Jiang Nai felt slightly guilty because of the lie she told last time; she hadn’t gone to see him. Chen Min also greeted the two of them and asked if Jiang Nai needed any help, referring to her stomach discomfort.

Jiang Nai replied, “No, thank you, Sister Chen Min.”

Chen Min nodded and left with Li Qingji.

Yao Qi linked arms with Jiang Nai and continued walking. “You know, the boss is really thoughtful. Today, he noticed you weren’t feeling well before anyone else did.”

Jiang Nai pursed her lips and didn’t respond.

Yao Qi didn’t notice her distracted mood and continued talking to herself. “I suddenly think he’s a really good person.”

“Oh…” Jiang Nai responded vaguely.

—

After returning to the office, Li Qingji sent Chen Min out on an errand, and Zhao Siyuan brought over documents from various departments for signatures, placing them on the desk. He stood by and noticed that the boss was sitting there, seemingly lost in thought, not picking up the pen.

After observing for a while, Zhao Siyuan reminded him, “Boss, these documents need to be sent to the departments later.”

Li Qingji gave a slight hum and picked up the pen that was placed beside him. He signed the stack of documents, taking about two minutes. Once he was finished, Zhao Siyuan walked over to collect them and prepare to distribute them.

“Is it possible for a woman to have two periods in a month?”

Zhao Siyuan, who had been about to leave, suddenly heard Li Qingji ask this. He froze for a moment, unsure how to respond to his boss’s question. However, Li Qingji didn’t seem to be retracting the question.

Zhao Siyuan thought for a moment before replying, “Normally, that wouldn’t happen. My girlfriend hasn’t had that…”

After saying this, he noticed the boss’s expression darken. But he didn’t know the reason and stayed where he was, waiting.

“You can go now.”

A moment later, Zhao Siyuan received the order, nodded, and quickly left. Meanwhile, Jiang Nai drank some warm water and returned to work. Less than an hour later, her phone rang. It was a call from Li Qingji’s grandmother, who said she had made a lot of delicious food and invited them over for dinner.

The elderly woman was very enthusiastic, and Jiang Nai agreed.

Before leaving work, she sent Li Qingji a message about the dinner.

Li Qingji replied: [Come to the parking lot.]

[Okay.]

After her colleagues left, Jiang Nai went to the parking lot and discreetly got into the car. Because she was still feeling uncomfortable due to her period, she leaned against the window and remained silent, resting her eyes. When they arrived at Li’s family home, she perked up and ate dinner with his grandparents. Afterward, she spent some time chatting with his grandmother.

Since it was getting late, his grandmother insisted they stay overnight.

There was only one bed, but since their return from the U.S., they hadn’t shared a bed yet. Jiang Nai kept reminding herself to stay calm and act as she always had. But once she was on the same bed, she still felt a subtle difference. The lights were still on, and they each stayed on their side of the bed.

Jiang Nai quietly curled up in the blanket. After a while, Li Qingji turned off the light and lay down beside her.

The room was silent at night, and Jiang Nai couldn’t fall asleep immediately. It wasn’t just because of her mind; her body also made it hard for her to sleep. She felt very cold, her stomach was aching slightly, and she was uncomfortable.

After lying there for a while, Jiang Nai remembered that there was a warm patch in her bag that Yao Qi had given her. She glanced over at Li Qingji, feeling that he might have fallen asleep, so she didn’t turn on the light. She quietly got out of bed and turned on her phone’s flashlight.

She walked over to the desk and started rummaging through her bag.

“What are you sneaking around for?”

Suddenly, she heard Li Qingji’s voice from behind.

Jiang Nai was startled and turned around. “I… I’m looking for something.”

Li Qingji turned on the light. “Look for it with the lights on.”

“I thought you were asleep.”

Jiang Nai turned off the phone flashlight and searched through her bag for a while but didn’t find it. It was probably still on her office desk and hadn’t been brought here. She had no choice but to return to the bed.

“What are you looking for?” Li Qingji asked.

Jiang Nai hesitated. She hadn’t intended to tell him, but with him looking at her this way, she couldn’t avoid answering, so she spoke honestly. “My stomach’s a little cold, and I thought I had a warm patch in my bag.”

Li Qingji gave a slight hum and turned off the light. 

The room darkened again, and Jiang Nai blinked, staring at the pitch-black ceiling. She decided to just let it be—it wasn’t that uncomfortable anymore. But just as she closed her eyes to try to sleep, her left hand was suddenly grabbed, and the next moment, she was dragged into someone’s embrace.

“Ah—!”

She briefly cried out in surprise, and before she could react, Li Qingji had already pulled her into his arms. The warmth enveloped her from all sides.

Jiang Nai stiffened. “What are you doing?”

“I didn’t do anything last time. What could I do to you this time?” His voice, unlike his body heat, was cool and calm.

Jiang Nai then realized. He knew she had lied last time. She wasn’t actually on her period.

“Jiang Nai, you were angry last time.”

It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

Jiang Nai: “…”

Li Qingji was silent for a moment before speaking again. “It’s my fault. I should have told you about Joseph in advance.”

Jiang Nai lowered her head, her tone softer. “It’s fine, it wasn’t that important. The key thing is that we signed the deal. I also got to have some fun and learned how to ski, which was nice.”

Li Qingji felt she was saying the opposite of what she meant, but couldn’t find anything wrong with her words. He frowned and asked, “Did you also ask Lu Feng about He Shujing?”

“I was just… asking casually.”

“I’ve told you before, I never liked her. Lu Feng didn’t lie to you, and I certainly didn’t,” Li Qingji said. “Since I married you, there will be no one else.”

In the dark, Jiang Nai smiled helplessly, “I understand.”

Perhaps both Lu Feng and he thought she was concerned about He Shujing. But that wasn’t the case. She only saw a glimpse of the rules through He Shujing. Jiang Nai turned her head away, not wanting to think about it anymore.

Suddenly, a warmth spread over her stomach. She felt Li Qingji’s hand resting on her lower abdomen. The nightgown was thin, and the heat from his palm easily penetrated through the fabric.

The warmth felt comforting…

Jiang Nai pursed her lips, closed her eyes, said nothing, and didn’t move his hand away.

He really did use her.

But he was also kind to her…

She thought that she didn’t really need to distinguish between when he was sincere and when he wasn’t. As Xue Lin said, just focus on living well for herself.

—

Because it was comfortable, Jiang Nai slept quite soundly that night. When she woke up the next morning, she was groggy and felt that the pillow she was resting on was a bit hard. It wasn’t until she opened her eyes that she realized what she had been resting on, and she immediately sat up.

The blanket was pulled off by her sudden movement, and the man lying down slowly opened his eyes. Jiang Nai was surprised that she had fallen asleep like that yesterday, and later she didn’t know how, but her head was resting on his arm.

After Li Qingji woke up and glanced at her, he also tried to sit up, but felt a soreness and numbness in his shoulder.

He frowned and tried to move, but couldn’t.

Seeing this, Jiang Nai immediately understood what had happened. “Sorry, I… I don’t sleep well. I don’t know why I ended up sleeping on you.”

Li Qingji paused for a moment, then sat up.

Just then, her alarm went off.

She turned around to turn off the alarm and, when she turned back, Li Qingji had already gotten out of bed and was moving his arm around, trying to loosen it.

Jiang Nai felt a bit embarrassed watching him do that.

“Aren’t you getting up? Don’t be late for work.”

The Li family’s old house was a bit far from Siningte, so they had to speed up at this time. Jiang Nai quickly realized and rushed out of bed, heading straight to the bathroom to freshen up. An hour later, Jiang Nai sat in Li Qingji’s car, arriving at the company’s entrance.

There were already a lot of people around at this time, so Jiang Nai tried to be as discreet as possible. After getting out of the car, she quickly jogged for a while, then pretended as if she had driven herself, walking slowly toward the elevator.

There were already two or three colleagues waiting at the elevator. When the elevator arrived, they all walked in.

“Hey, wait, it’s the boss.”

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, one of the sharp-eyed colleagues opened them again. Li Qingji and Xiao Zhao walked in, and everyone greeted him. Jiang Nai quietly turned her face away.

“This is the data from the Yuehong side. You’ll need it for the meeting later…” Xiao Zhao whispered to Li Qingji.

Li Qingji reached out to take it but paused for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly, and then switched hands to take it.

Zhao Siyuan had been working with him for a while. Though not as perceptive as Chen Min, he was still quite good at reading the situation, and asked, “Is your hand not feeling well?”

Everyone in the elevator turned to look. Jiang Nai’s heart skipped a beat, and she raised her eyes to look at the elevator mirror. It seemed that Li Qingji sensed her gaze and also looked over. Their eyes met in the mirror.

Jiang Nai: “…”

Li Qingji looked at her and calmly said, “It’s nothing. I was just accidentally bumped last night.”

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