“Your Period… Is It Over?”

Ever since Adrian Jiang had been shipped off abroad by Ethan Jiang, life had been much more peaceful for Elena Shen. No longer needing to be on guard for Adrian's sudden appearances, she returned from Huaihai University each day to the cozy rhythm of walking Tuan Tuan and stroking its soft fur. Life was, in a word, delightful.

What surprised her most, however, was that Ethan had actually allowed Tuan Tuan into the bedroom.

On the third day after the puppy arrived at the estate, Butler Li had prepared a portable, luxury dog bed just for Tuan Tuan.

That evening, while Elena was compiling data for her lab experiments, the puppy proved clingy. Each time she stepped away, it would whimper and scurry across the hall like a bouncing balloon, toppling over itself more often than not and attempting again and again to climb the stairs in pursuit.

There were guests at the estate, and with the hall bustling, Elena found it inconvenient to focus on her work there. But she didn't feel right leaving the little pup downstairs alone. After some internal struggle, she quietly scooped up the dog bed and smuggled Tuan Tuan up to the third floor.

Recalling the way Ethan had looked at her that night when she'd asked if the pup could enter the bedroom, Elena didn't dare take it inside directly. Instead, she left it outside the door in the corridor.

But as she became more absorbed in her data, she failed to notice when the tiny creature managed to wriggle its way out of its oversized bed and sneak in through the door slit she had left slightly ajar to keep an eye on it.

By the time she realized, Ethan had already come home.

There he stood in the doorway, face expressionless, silently making eye contact with the tail-wagging little intruder.

Elena froze, her heart skipping a beat. She rushed over to scoop the puppy up, intending to return it to the luxurious bed outside the room.

But just as she gathered the fluffy bundle into her arms, Ethan, loosening his coat with a calm expression, spoke:

"No need. Let it stay with you."

Elena blinked in disbelief. She held the puppy in her arms, both of them stunned, as she watched Ethan walk into the dressing room. Her eyes lit up like stars.

"So... Tuan Tuan can come in from now on?" she asked tentatively.

Ethan paused mid-step, glancing sideways. His gaze fell briefly on the silly little ball of fur in her arms, then returned to her.

"Yes," he said simply.

A smile bloomed on Elena's lips, high and bright. She spun around with joy and promptly dragged the fancy mobile dog bed into the room.

Even so, she didn't get carried away.

She placed it modestly near the door.

And the little pup was perfectly well-behaved. It stayed at the entrance, never venturing farther inside. It lay in its nest, playing with its pile of toys. When it tired out, it would sit at the edge of the bed and wag its tail at the two figures across the room.

On the tenth day of Aurel Shen's business trip, after exchanging messages with her sporadically, he called Elena that evening after dinner.

"Hello? Big brother?"

Hearing her bright and lively voice through the line, Aurel—who had just wrapped up matters at the Jinming branch—felt a touch of exhaustion lift from his shoulders. A smile crept onto his lips.

"How have you been? Everything good at school?"

Elena looked up from the finance materials spread across her desk and smiled.

"All good. How about you?"

Aurel's voice warmed. "Everything's gone smoothly."

Elena glanced at the calendar and remembered what he had told her before leaving—that he'd only be gone for a few days.

"Are things settled at the branch? When are you coming back?"

"Tomorrow," Aurel replied. "The project's more or less wrapped up. Assuming nothing unexpected happens, I won't need to travel again before the New Year."

They chatted for a bit about work, school, and the files he'd sent her earlier.

When the call ended, it was nearly 8:00 p.m.

Elena went downstairs to check on Tuan Tuan, who was sprawled on its back in its nest, snoring blissfully. Afterward, she returned upstairs and pulled out a silk nightgown before heading into the bathroom to shower.

That night, Ethan had a late meeting.

By the time he'd finished discussing the next day's agenda and pushed open the door to the bedroom, he found Elena already in bed, watching a variety show on her tablet.

Noticing his arrival, she glanced over and paused the video. A soft smile still lingered on her lips, a leftover from the episode. Her voice was low and sweet, eyes misty under the gentle lamplight. She sat up slightly, as if ready to put the tablet away.

"Are you going to sleep now?"

During her period, Ethan had made a habit of reminding her gently to rest. Around 9:30 or 10:00, he would come in, and she would obediently shut off her screen and burrow under the blankets.

Ethan followed the path of her eyes.

Bathed in warm golden light, her delicate skin seemed to glow against the dark sheets. The silky straps of her nightgown barely covered her shoulders, and her loose black hair cascaded down her arm. The sight was almost too vivid.

He walked over and murmured, "Yes."

Elena sat up automatically, causing the covers to slide down to her waist.

She braced herself with one hand on the edge of the bed, using the other to tap out of the video app on her tablet.

Just as she was about to get off the bed to place the device on the desk, she turned—and found herself unexpectedly enveloped in Ethan's clean, cool scent.

Her eyelashes fluttered.

She instinctively tried to shift backward, but his arm circled her waist, holding her firmly.

Her nightgown was far too thin to block the warmth of his hand as it spread against her skin.

Elena's breath caught. She looked up at him, lips slightly parted, but the words forming there faded when her eyes locked onto his—dark, intense, and unyielding.

The hand on her waist tightened ever so subtly.

Then, in that low, steady voice that always unraveled her resolve, he asked above her head:

"Your period. Is it over?"

Her lashes trembled again.

She gripped her tablet tighter, knuckles blanching.

Truthfully, she wanted to shake her head. The last time they'd been intimate, just before her period started, her lower abdomen had ached for two days straight. The pain had left a shadow in her mind.

But the way he looked at her… she just couldn't bring herself to lie.

After a moment's struggle, she gave the tiniest nod.

Ethan had caught the hesitation in her eyes.

His mind backtracked—searching for the reason.

"That time before your period… did it hurt?"

Faced with his directness, Elena didn't bother pretending.

There was no point in being coy—she would only be the one suffering.

"Yes. A little." She pointed to her lower belly. "Here."

Since their marriage, they'd shared more than a few nights together. But this was the first time they had discussed it so seriously, so frankly.

With his eyes on her like this—deep, unwavering—her ears began to flush, her skin heating steadily.

Ethan gently took the tablet from her hand and placed it on the desk.

When he returned, he pulled her into his arms from where she was half-buried in the blankets.

Before kissing her, his fingers lightly pinched her burning earlobe. His eyes met hers—clear, luminous, misted with uncertainty—and he spoke softly, like a man asking for permission.

"This time, it won't hurt. Okay?"

Elena heard the unspoken question, the room he left her to say no.

For a moment, she wavered, torn between nodding and shaking her head.

But then his fingertips traced down her back, pressing lightly against the small of it—and a shiver ran up her spine. Her strength drained away as she melted into his embrace.

Still, just before he kissed her, she summoned a shred of courage—and made a request.