40. Feel his broad embrace once again.

Wen Xueyan was in so much pain that she was losing consciousness, but she felt herself falling into a warm and solid embrace, enveloped in a familiar sense of security.

When Cheng Boyan's palm touched the shoulder blades on her back, he felt a cool dampness on the back of her pajamas.

He was soaked in cold sweat.

He grabbed a set of pajamas and began unbuttoning Wen Xueyan's pajamas.

Wen Xueyan opened her eyes as she unbuttoned the second button.

She weakly pressed his hand down, her voice faint: "Bo Yan, we can't do it now, I'm on my period..." A very faint blush appeared on her pale face because of this embarrassment.

Cheng Boyan paused, his heart softening at her embarrassed and weak appearance.

He gently pinched Wen Xueyan's fair cheek, the force as gentle as a feather brushing against her: "Silly girl, what are you thinking about? Of course I know." He had already seen the package of sanitary products on the bedside table, and continued to explain gently, "Your back is all wet from the pain, wearing wet clothes will only make you feel worse. I just wanted to change you into some dry pajamas."

His explanation was like a warm breeze, dispelling the embarrassment and doubts in her heart.

Wen Xueyan stopped resisting and let him gently unbutton her clothes and take off her damp, cold pajamas.

Cheng Boyan carefully helped her change.

The moment the dry, soft fabric enveloped my body, it definitely felt much more comfortable.

After changing his clothes, he held her hand and asked, "How are you feeling now? Should we go to the hospital, or should I contact a doctor to come over..."

Wen Xueyan shook her head slightly. Going to the hospital was too much of a hassle. She just wanted to rest. She remembered that many years ago, before she quit her first job, she had to work overtime and take care of her mother in the hospital. She was so tired that she almost fainted from menstrual cramps.

"I'll just take some painkillers. Can you look for it for me? It's in my desk drawer, but I can't get up."

Cheng Boyan got up and quickly found the painkillers.

He took the medicine and water glass back to the bedside and asked, "Have you not eaten since this morning? Taking medicine on an empty stomach is very irritating to your stomach."

Cheng Boyan continued, "I just had Yinlu prepare some light food and send it over. Eat a few bites to fill your stomach before taking your medicine. Just bear with it for a little while, okay?"

He made thorough and meticulous arrangements. Wen Xueyan looked into his calm eyes and nodded obediently.

About twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang.

Cheng Boyan went to fetch the lunchbox and returned, placing it on the bedside table. The dishes he had specifically instructed Yinlu to prepare were clearly the result of careful thought: Scallop and wolfberry vegetable porridge: a thick, melt-in-your-mouth rice porridge with a delicate color, perfect for nourishing the stomach. In addition, there was tofu stewed with wild mushrooms in golden broth, and brown sugar ginger tea, among other things.

Cheng Boyan first ladled out a small half bowl of the steaming hot vegetable porridge, gently stirred it with a spoon and blew on it to cool it down, then patiently fed it to her spoonful by spoonful.

Wen Xueyan initially had little appetite, but the warm, soft, and savory porridge did whet her appetite somewhat. She ate it in small bites, the warm liquid sliding down her esophagus into her stomach, seemingly relieving some of the abdominal cramps.

After a few mouthfuls of hot porridge, and a small piece of tofu and some vegetables, Wen Xueyan's pale face gradually regained some color, and her originally dry lips began to regain a faint rose color.

"It's much better now. Do they still offer delivery? I haven't seen it on the app."

"They don't deliver food; this was arranged by prior arrangement."

A glimmer of light appeared in her eyes. "You can take your medicine now."

Cheng Boyan then gave her the painkiller as instructed.

He had just breathed a sigh of relief as he watched her swallow the pill when Wen Xueyan struggled to sit up: "The blueprints, President Xu and Engineer Wang said they need to be revised today..."

Cheng Boyan's face darkened, and without a word, he gently pressed down on her shoulder, then pulled her into his arms: "Xueyan, even if the sky falls, you still need to rest! Work is never-ending. Think about it, the company was still running even before you joined, right? Don't worry, no matter how much power Xu Junhang has, is it as great as mine? Rest is very important. Everything in the world is like a bowstring; only when it is stretched and relaxed can it gather strength to fly far."

Perhaps it was the effect of the medication, or perhaps it was the reassuring magic of his words, but Wen Xueyan did indeed feel a strong wave of drowsiness wash over her.

She stopped resisting and obediently closed her eyes. Cheng Boyan adjusted his position so that she could lean more comfortably against him.

Cheng Boyan's embrace was broad and warm, and with the help of the medicine and food, the pain in her body seemed to gradually fade away. She soon fell into a deep sleep, and her breathing became even and long.

Once he was sure she was sound asleep, Cheng Boyan gently laid her down and covered her with the blanket.

He quietly closed the bedroom door, went to the adjacent second bedroom, finished the rest of the meal, and then opened his laptop to begin working.

The sky outside the window quietly shifted, gradually transitioning from the brightness of the afternoon to the tranquil and gentle twilight of winter.

When Wen Xueyan woke up again, she felt that the pain in her abdomen had been greatly relieved. Although her body was still weak, she no longer felt that heaviness.

Cheng Boyan heard her wake up and appeared at the door at just the right moment.

"Awake?" He approached. "How are you feeling? Does your stomach still hurt?"

Wen Xueyan shook her head, trying to sit up. Cheng Boyan stepped forward, helped her lean against the headboard, and placed a soft pillow behind her back.

"Much better." She looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears. "Thank you. If it weren't for you..."

"You're still saying all this to me?" Cheng Boyan's lips curled into a rare, slightly teasing smile. "Looks like you've recovered and even have the energy to say polite things now."

He took out the Q-version comic he had drawn that afternoon from his pocket to cheer her up: on the construction site of a chemical plant, a little person was putting a safety helmet on another little person who was holding a hot water bottle.

He pointed to the cartoon, saying, "No core component should be overloaded; violators will have to undergo a three-day treatment with brown sugar and ginger tea."

His rare humor made Wen Xueyan laugh out loud, tears welling up in her eyes, making her appear exceptionally beautiful.

Cheng Boyan reached out and gently rubbed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Do I not need to take painkillers tonight?"

Wen Xueyan nodded gently, nestled into his arms, and listened to his steady and powerful heartbeat.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Who could it be at this point in time?

He gestured for Wen Xueyan to be quiet, then walked to the door and looked through the peephole. After recognizing who it was, he turned and went back into the bedroom.

“It’s Song Tiancheng.” He lowered his voice. “How did he know you lived here? Do you still have feelings for him?” As soon as the words left his mouth, a trace of regret flashed across his eyes.

Cheng Boyan felt that he was not yet divorced, so what right did he have to ask? But the jealousy still uncontrollably welled up in his heart.

“No,” she said softly, her voice still weak. “My mom probably gave him the address. Don’t worry, he can’t get in without the door code. My mom is quite traditional when it comes to marriage. I know she means well, but I can’t accept Song Tiancheng anymore, so I haven’t told her the door code.”

Domestic violence is an absolute red line for Wen Xueyan. Even if she hadn't met Cheng Boyan later, she would still have gotten a divorce.

Before she could finish speaking, her phone rang on the bedside table, displaying Song Tiancheng's name.

When Song Tiancheng apologized, he still liked to show off his classical Chinese skills, rigidly believing that this was sincere enough.

The latest message reads: "Xueyan, I took the liberty of waiting downstairs at your company, but I did not see you even as the city lights came on. I heard you were on leave today, and I was very worried about you. Looking back, I realize that your kindness and care in ordinary days are the most precious warmth. In the past, I was obsessed and mistook passion for true love. Now I understand that a peaceful and ordinary life together is the true way to be."

She knew Song Tiancheng too well; if she didn't reply, he might turn around and bother her mother, saying things that would cause her distress.

"What did he say?" Cheng Boyan asked.

“It’s the same old stuff,” Wen Xueyan replied, then added a brief four-word answer: “Go out for a walk to clear your head.”

After sending the message, she put her phone back on the bedside table and said, "Check with me in five minutes to see if he's left yet."

Cheng Boyan suppressed all his emotions. His palms were warm and dry as he gently held her slightly cool fingers. "Okay. Are you hungry? I'll order a meal right away. Would you like some of their new soup?"

Wen Xueyan nodded gently: "Yes, I'm hungry." She honestly admitted that the agonizing cramps in her abdomen had subsided, leaving only the weakness brought on by hunger.

After confirming that he had left, Cheng Boyan took out his phone and called Yinlu Restaurant.

Twenty minutes later, the elegantly packaged meal arrived again. This time, the dishes were still mainly light, but the variety was greater. Cheng Boyan helped her to the living room.

The living room was brightly and softly lit.

Wen Xueyan watched as Cheng Boyan laid out the dishes on the table, the aroma enticing. The asparagus stir-fried with lily bulbs was clean and crisp, the braised pork ribs with plum sauce were sweet and sour without being greasy, the shrimp roe braised vegetables were full of fresh flavor, and there was also a bowl of yam soup that was rich and nourishing.

She ate in small bites, her taste buds awakened by the perfect freshness, and she couldn't help but sigh: now she finally understood why Cheng Boyan had taken her to Yinlu that night. The dishes there were indeed unique, and you could feel the chef's skill in every bite. Eating in a restaurant was definitely a better experience.

Cheng Boyan said, "You don't need to worry about the blueprints. I've already had my secretary, Qiao Lanyue, notify the companies below to readjust the work arrangements, and someone will take over. Your task tonight is to get some rest. Even if your stomachache is gone, you absolutely mustn't touch any work."

Wen Xueyan continued eating, then paused for a moment before asking, "Bo Yan, do you think a man who trades futures is a suitable marriage partner for an ordinary person?"

Cheng Boyan paused, his hand still holding the bowl of soup: "Someone like this has appeared in your life? You've taken a liking to him?"

“It wasn’t me,” Wen Xueyan quickly explained, “It was Zhiyi. Her fiancé, Dr. Qi, whom you’ve met. I learned by chance that Dr. Qi lost a lot of money trading futures a few years ago.”

Cheng Boyan's expression softened slightly, and he pushed the soup bowl in front of her.

He also served himself a bowl of soup, the rising steam momentarily obscuring his expression.

He leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment.

“Futures are a tool, neither right nor wrong,” he said slowly. “But it’s a zero-sum game, essentially a gamble on risk. I understand, but I don’t do it.”

What is a zero-sum game?

"Zero-sum game is a concept in game theory. It means that in an adversarial game, the sum of the participants' gains and losses is zero. In the case of futures trading, if one party makes money, the other party will suffer an equal loss. There is no win-win situation."

Seeing that Wen Xueyan still had some doubts, Cheng Boyan continued to explain, "This is a leveraged transaction that requires the use of margin. For example, if you invest 100,000, you can do business worth about 1 million. High leverage means high risk, requiring extremely strong financial expertise, as well as luck."

Cheng Boyan picked up a piece of spare rib with his chopsticks and put it in her bowl: "Futures trading is indeed not gambling, because it is legal. But compared with ordinary investment, its gambling nature is far greater. It tempts people to pursue short-term profits and can easily make people lose their rationality. This is also a test of human nature."

Wen Xueyan nodded thoughtfully. Cheng Boyan's few words had already revealed the crux of the problem.

Outside the window, the winter dusk, like a drop of ink gradually spreading across the sky, eventually merges completely into the inky blue night. The stars have not yet fully appeared; only the distant city lights form a hazy band of light on the horizon, like the faint glow at the edge of a dream.

An hour later, under the warm glow of the bedside lamp, Wen Xueyan leaned against the soft pillows, watching Cheng Boyan bustling about. He took Wen Xueyan's pajamas out of the washing machine and hung them out to dry on the balcony.

Before leaving, Cheng Boyan approached the bedside, pulled Wen Xueyan into his arms, and kissed her.

The kiss gently landed on her slightly cool forehead. Outside the window, the deep winter was still and silent, but his lips seemed to carry the lingering warmth from inside, and a solemnity that could withstand the entire winter's chill.

As he stepped out of the building, he felt the air below instantly filled with the chill of a winter night.

Cheng Boyan stood at the entrance of the building, turning back to look up at the window that was lit with a warm light.

The light shining through the window was like a small lighthouse in the cold night, warming his heart and stirring up a deeper longing.

He thought about how news of chemical plant explosions happened almost every year. Given his high position, he couldn't possibly oversee every project. This time, besides personal feelings, Cheng Boyan was also very grateful to Wen Xueyan for upholding the project's safety standards. Otherwise, if an explosion had occurred, the company's management would have been held accountable.

Then, Cheng Boyan walked towards his car, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over a black Bentley not far away, and he paused for a moment. The license plate of that car seemed somewhat familiar to him; he noted it down and sent it to Qiao Lanyue, asking her to look it up immediately.

Welcome all readers, teachers, and darlings to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.

I love it, please update more often.

I can't stand Song Tiancheng's text messages, hahaha! They're so embarrassing!

Mr. Cheng can even draw comics! So cute!

Thank you for your comments, readers!

Yes, he likes to express his gratitude to readers and teachers for their comments.

Thank you to the reader who left a message saying they wanted Xueyan to be happier and less in pain.

Can you update three times a day?

Okay~ Thank you readers for urging me to update more, I'll try to write as much as possible, thank you ^_^

I dislike this plot arrangement. It was practically a certainty that Song Tiancheng would be waiting at the entrance of the residential complex; everyone could have guessed. But the two people inside didn't seem to expect it at all, openly ordering takeout and freely coming and going? It's clearly designed to let Song discover their affair and then expose it! Such obvious arrangements make the story less interesting.