CHAPTER 70: CHAPTER 70: MARRIED LIFE—HOW MANY TIMES A WEEK?

Holly suddenly stopped.

..... No way?

At a time like this?

Oh God, don’t joke like this!

Out of order!

Blake Sinclair noticed her stiffness, stopped kissing, and asked in a suppressed, raspy voice, "What’s wrong?"

Holly suddenly bounced out of his arms, her face burning red.

She almost tumbled off the bed in a hurry, her awkward and desperate voice sounded in the dark:

"Blake! Wait... don’t... I... I think.... my period just came!"

The air instantly froze.

The light turned on.

All the earlier romance and ambiguity vanished.

Blake let out a low chuckle, somewhat helpless yet indulgent.

He reached out, took the thing from her hand, tossed it in the trash, and pulled her into his arms, "I’ll handle it."

Holly buried her face in his chest.

So embarrassing, it’s like she’s been humiliated in front of her grandma, can she still immigrate to outer space?

Holly went to the bathroom to take care of it, her emotions a tangled mess.

She opened the period tracking app on her phone and looked; the timing was indeed about right, but she always had a few days delay, who would have thought it’d be on time this time.

And at this pivotal moment...

No wonder she’d been feeling so emotional and physically unwell the past few days.

Looking at her flushed cheeks in the mirror, she exhaled and helplessly flicked her hair.

Could it be that those few sips of alcohol brought it on?

Truly a life controlled by hormones for women.

Holly lingered in the bathroom, replaying those earlier scenes over and over, not knowing how to face Blake now.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

Blake’s voice came from outside: "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

Holly tidied her hair and quickly replied, "I’m okay, coming out soon!"

She took a deep breath and opened the door.

Returning to the room, she found the bed sheets had been changed by Blake, but he wasn’t there.

She was in a daze for a moment, then footsteps sounded behind her.

Turning around, she saw him coming in with a cup of brown sugar water.

"Drink a little, it will help you feel better." He handed the cup to her.

Holly took the cup, remembering that they had run out of brown sugar at home, "When did you buy the brown sugar?"

"Yesterday when I went to the supermarket, you didn’t see," he said naturally, "calculating the time, it should be around these days for you."

He calculated based on her normal cycle, not expecting it to come in handy right now.

Recalling the last time she had cramps, he did the same...

She sipped the brown sugar water slowly, warmth traveling from her throat to her stomach.

After finishing the cup, she rinsed her mouth and then returned to lie on the bed.

At first, she felt nothing, but soon the familiar dull cramping sensation returned, wave after wave.

Afraid of leakage, she didn’t dare to move, lying stiffly on her back, gently massaging her abdomen without any real method.

The pain didn’t let up, but fatigue and drowsiness came over her, and her consciousness began to blur.

Half asleep, she felt the blanket being pulled, and warm hands gently covered her.

Blake pulled her closer, helping her lie more comfortably against him.

His palms were warm, massaging her abdomen gently with just the right pressure and a soothing motion.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

"..Mm."

"Does it always feel this bad?" his voice was next to her back neck, tinged with concern.

"Mm....."

Holly nestled in his arms, hearing his words made her heart ache a little, and she let out a soft, honest but aggrieved sound.

She clearly felt the breath behind her become heavier after she said that.

"Actually, it’s not that bad."

She wanted to comfort him a little, "Usually it’s just the first couple of days that are painful, then it’s not much of a bother, maybe it’s also because I’ve eaten something cold lately."

"Next time, start drinking something warm a few days earlier, no more sneaking cold drinks, okay?" His voice was muffled, yet his hands were gentler.

"Got it..." she replied softly.

"Sleep now, I’ll keep massaging you." He lightly kissed the top of her head.

"Mm..." Holly closed her eyes in peace.

Before falling asleep, in her haze, she thought, perhaps these days weren’t so unbearable after all.

The long night was peaceful, with someone tenderly watching over her, and she slept soundly through the night.

...

During those days of her period, Holly clearly noticed that the dishes on the table became especially nourishing.

Medicinal soups that had been absent for a long time returned, with angelica, astragalus, codonopsis...

Holly looked at the deep-colored soup, feeling her scalp tingle, her stomach already tasting bitterness in advance.

Yet whether it was psychological or due to Blake’s care, her period this time was indeed not as troublesome as the last.

In the morning, Holly changed her clothes and walked out of the room, pausing in surprise when she saw the person sitting on the sofa.

Blake wasn’t in his usual suit but wore a basic white T-shirt paired with loose black jeans, looking fresh and dashing.

Sunlight fell on him, like a striking young university student, one of those head-turning, top-tier campus hunks.

Holly felt a bit shy watching him, but couldn’t bring herself to look away: "Why are you dressed like that today? Aren’t you going to the company?"

Blake put away his phone, stood up, "I took the day off, going to take you somewhere."

The first part of his sentence shocked her more than the latter.

"You... The great President Sinclair needs to take leave?"

Blake chuckled, placed a baseball cap on her head, just hiding her surprised eyes.

"Sinclair Group is a listed company, presidents clock in too. But in these last few years I’ve hardly taken any time off, so I’ve saved enough days for us to enjoy for a while."

At this, he leaned in a bit, lowered his voice, coaxingly, "So, Mrs. Sinclair, shouldn’t you start thinking about where we’re going for our honeymoon?"

Holly: "..."

She was glad to have the hat, which perfectly covered her blushing cheeks and ears.

The black Maybach drove down the road, and the street scenes outside the window became increasingly unfamiliar.

Holly saw that they were about to leave the city center, and she turned her head to ask, "Where are we going?"

"To see someone." Blake Sinclair looked straight ahead, his tone calm.

"Oh..." Holly instinctively tightened her grip on the seatbelt.

Blake noticed her small movement out of the corner of his eye.

He gently held her hand, "Don’t be nervous, she’s very kind and easy to get along with."

Kind?

Holly became even more nervous.

Could it be a Sinclair family elder they were meeting?

The car finally stopped at the entrance of an alley.

The two got out of the car, and Blake led her inside.

The alley was quiet, and after two turns, they stopped in front of a traditional courtyard.

Green bricks and gray tiles, a vermilion gate, with an ebony plaque above inscribed with the three characters for "Veridia Hall."

The powerful brushstrokes were clearly the work of a master.

Holly became more puzzled and looked up at him, "This is..."

Blake gave her a reassuring look and raised his hand to knock on the copper knocker on the door.

Soon, footsteps came from inside the door.

The door opened, revealing a woman in a turquoise embroidered cheongsam. Seeing them, she greeted them with a smile, "You’re here?"

Her hair was styled in an elegant bun, with the grace of a classical Chinese beauty.

Holly felt she looked familiar but couldn’t remember where she had seen her before.

The woman focused her gaze on Holly, her smile deepening, "Hello Holly, I’m Clara Yates, I’ve often heard Laurel mention you."

Clara Yates?

Holly suddenly realized that she was Shane Yates’ sister! No wonder she looked familiar, the siblings indeed shared some resemblance.

"Hello, Clara." Holly quickly greeted her.

"Come on in," Clara moved aside, "Grandma is already waiting inside."

Grandma? Led by Blake, Holly walked inside, looking puzzled.

Blake noticed her confusion and explained in a low voice, "Clara and Shane’s grandmother is a very experienced traditional medicine doctor."

Traditional! Medicine!!!

Holly froze, her eyes wide in shock, almost instinctively wanting to break free from Blake’s hand and run outside.

She had always been afraid of bitter things since she was young, and Chinese medicine was the worst. Director Lennon once accidentally mentioned that she was very ill as a child and had to take herbal medicine for a month before recovering.

Just hearing about it, Holly could imagine the bitter taste of the medicine, let alone drinking it.

"I’m not going!" she resisted.

But it seemed Blake was prepared for this, holding her tightly and not letting go, "We won’t make you take medicine, we’re just here to have Grandma Young check your pulse."

Holly’s face said clearly, "I don’t believe you."

Visiting a traditional doctor and leaving empty-handed was impossible; she’d surely have to take something!

She was twenty-seven, not a three-year-old child.

She clung to the door frame, refusing to move, making a last-ditch effort to resist.

"Blake, menstrual cramps are really normal, it’s no big deal! But if I drink Chinese medicine, that would really be a problem! I’d lose the will to live due to the bitterness!"

Blake watched her whining like this, a quick flash of amusement in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, lowering his gaze.

He let go of her hand, gently holding her arm, his voice low, carrying a hint of grievance and fragility.

"Holly, just take a look, okay? Every time I see you in pain, your face pale, and I’m helpless, it’s really hard for me here..." he said, placing her hand gently on his chest.

This... was still the same decisive, calculating business elite from the Sinclair Group?

No, this was a lovelorn young boy feeling wronged!

A mix of vulnerability and charm! This man was so devious. No wonder he dressed like this today, just to wait for her!

Even knowing it was intentional, his rare demeanor, combined with his flawless face, was overwhelmingly powerful.

Damn it!

Holly’s heart, much to her shame, wavered!

Indeed, vulnerability is a man’s best dowry, one to be cherished dearly.

Male beauty can lead you astray! Faced with such allure, principles must step aside!

She bit her lip, finally giving in and said resignedly, "...Okay, okay, just a look, but we agreed no medicine!"

The despondency in Blake’s eyes immediately vanished, a victorious smile briefly appearing as he put his arm around her shoulder and led her inside.

The room held an even stronger scent of herbal medicine.

Upon entering, they saw an elderly female doctor with silver hair sitting behind a mahogany table, who smiled kindly when she saw them, "You’re here, have a seat."

Holly obediently greeted her, "Hello, Grandma Young."

"Don’t be nervous, child," Grandma Young said warmly, "Blake has told me a bit about your condition."

She pointed to the pulse pillow on the table, "Come, place your hand here, and I’ll take a look."

Holly placed her wrist on it, and Grandma Young extended three fingers, gently resting them on her wrist, closing her eyes to diagnose.

The room fell silent, with only the faint sound of birds chirping outside the window.

Time ticked away, but Grandma Young remained silent, occasionally adjusting the position of her fingers slightly.

What’s the scariest thing about seeing a doctor?

When the doctor stays silent without saying a word!

Holly’s heart was in her throat, anxious and uneasy, and she instinctively turned to look at Blake beside her.

Only to find him intensely focused on Grandma Young’s fingers as they checked her pulse, his brows slightly furrowed, his expression serious.

Seeing him like this actually calmed Holly down a lot.

She reached out her other hand, discreetly tugging at his pant leg, giving him a reassuring smile.

Finally, Grandma Young withdrew her hand and opened her eyes.

Her gaze swept over the two of them, her tone gentle yet direct, "How’s your married life usually? About how many times a week?"

Holly: "...!!!"

The air instantly froze.

The urge to escape, which she’d barely suppressed, surged up again.....