After Marrying the Aloof Beauty, I Totally Fell for Her - Chapter 35

Chapter 35:  A Gentle Kiss

“You’re being inappropriate. Put me down.”

Although the woman in her arms spoke in a stern tone, An Ning could sense she wasn’t actually angry. Even the hand tugging her ear through the glove wasn’t using much force. The soft friction on her earlobe actually felt kind of nice.

Suppressing the joy bubbling up inside, An Ning obediently set Mu Yan down and smiled, “It’s because you were so amazing just now, Teacher Mu.”

Her heart was still pounding from earlier.

The woman glanced at her, her gaze tinged with helpless affection—like someone looking at an overly enthusiastic pet that had just licked their face. After a pause, she finally said, “Let’s go check out something else.”

That day, the two of them tried every signature attraction at the snow park. It wasn’t until dusk that they returned to their lodge. Even An Ning, with her good stamina, felt tired. After a quick dinner, they both went to rest.

An Ning slept exceptionally well that night. Maybe it was because she hadn’t had coffee, or maybe it was because she had spent the entire day with Mu Yan. Either way, Mu Yan didn’t appear in her dreams again.

So when she opened her eyes in the morning, An Ning felt a strange sense of loss.

She picked up her phone from the nightstand and checked the time—6:30 a.m.

What a deep, satisfying sleep.

She felt fully awake and knew she wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep. So she got up and did an hour of no-equipment exercise, followed by a morning shower.

By the time she stepped out of the bathroom, it was 8 a.m., but Mu Yan’s bedroom door was still closed.

Was Miss Mu exhausted from yesterday?

Yesterday morning, Mu Yan had only gotten up about half an hour later than she did.

An Ning stared at the bedroom door with growing concern but ultimately didn’t disturb her.

At 8:30, the front desk delivered a steaming hot breakfast. An Ning kept glancing upstairs as she ate.

But even after the hot milk had gone lukewarm, the person she was waiting for still hadn’t appeared.

An Ning couldn’t sit still anymore.

“Teacher Mu?”

She raised her hand and gently knocked on the sturdy wooden door, calling softly.

No response.

Could she have caught a cold?

An Ning’s worry grew, and she knocked harder.

“Teacher Mu!”

Still no sound, but then her phone buzzed with a message from Mu Yan.

MY: I’m a little tired. I’ll get up later. Go out and have fun on your own—don’t worry about me.

The old An Ning might’ve been reassured by that message.

After all, Mu Yan clearly said “don’t worry about me.” Clinging on despite that would only make one seem annoying.

But the current An Ning had spent enough time with Mu Yan to know better. That message only deepened her concern.

No matter how aloof Mu Yan appeared, she was just as stubborn, reserved, and careless with her own health.

An Ning normally followed Mu Yan’s instructions without question, but this time she took a deep breath and continued knocking.

Being pushy and getting disliked didn’t matter—what mattered was Teacher Mu’s health.

Besides, she could feel it—Mu Yan might speak coldly, but she had never truly disliked her.

“Teacher Mu, could you open the door first? Skipping breakfast is bad for your stomach.”

Now that she knew Mu Yan was awake, An Ning no longer lowered her voice.

There was another stretch of silence. Just as An Ning was about to go ask the front desk for a spare key, she heard a soft click. The heavy door slowly opened from inside.

Standing on the other side was a woman with slightly tousled, silky black hair. Her burgundy robe was loosely tied, revealing a wide expanse of pale, smooth skin.

But An Ning had no mind to care about that—because Mu Yan looked absolutely terrible.

Her black eyes were clouded with fatigue, and there were faint dark circles under them. Clearly, she hadn’t slept much the night before. Her pale lips had a sickly purplish tint.

Even without saying a word, An Ning could tell from her clenched fists and tightly pressed lips that she was in pain.

Mu Yan gave her a listless glance, said nothing, and turned to walk back toward the bed.

An Ning followed instinctively. But even as she curled up under the covers, Mu Yan didn’t speak another word.

So An Ning had to ask, “Miss Mu, you don’t look well. Are you sick?”

Mu Yan’s visible eye moved slightly. After a moment, she looked at the worried girl and finally said, “It’s not an illness. I’m fine.”

You still won’t tell me, even now?

A nameless anger rose in An Ning’s chest, only to be smothered by a surge of helplessness.

Leaving only ashes, smoldering and searing her heart.

She took a deep breath, calming the storm inside, crouched down beside the bed, and met Mu Yan’s gaze.

“If you don’t want to tell me, I can’t force you. But I can’t relax while you’re like this. I’ll stay here with you—I’m not going anywhere.”

Mu Yan stared at the girl’s face—so close, eyes normally full of joy now rimmed with red, lips trembling like she was about to cry.

She knew she’d upset An Ning again.

Her heart twisted with guilt, eclipsing even the gnawing abdominal pain that made her curl up.

Mu Yan slowly closed her eyes, as if building up the courage to speak.

And just like before, back at Mu Yan’s apartment, An Ning quietly sat cross-legged at the edge of the bed, no longer pressing her.

She didn’t believe Miss Mu could really ignore her.

Mu Yan’s indulgence was the only confidence she had—and it had proven reliable time and time again.

Another long silence. And again, it was Mu Yan who caved.

She curled further into the blankets, and a weak voice finally came from under the covers:

“…It’s not an illness. It’s menstrual cramps.”

“…Ah?”

An Ning finally understood why Mu Yan had kept it from her. Menstruation was a normal thing, but still a private matter—and given her personality, it made sense she hadn’t wanted to say.

Thinking this, An Ning felt slightly guilty for pressing so hard earlier. She scratched her head and asked, “Is it still hurting?”

She’d never had cramps herself, but her roommate Huang Lu did.

An Ning remembered those few days every month when carefree Huang Lu would become short-tempered and gloomy—sometimes even pounding the desk in pain.

Mu Yan glared at her but didn’t answer. She burrowed deeper into the blankets, only a few strands of hair left visible.

So yes, it still hurt.

An Ning thought of how badly Huang Lu suffered, then looked at Mu Yan’s dark circles again.

She must’ve been in pain since last night—enduring it all alone.

Her heart ached again. No, she didn’t regret pressing for the truth.

Not telling her was one thing… but couldn’t she at least do something to ease the pain?

She hadn’t wanted to talk about this with her roommates, but now she opened their dorm group chat.

I’m Not Jealous: @HuangLu Arrived, what can you do to ease menstrual cramps?

HuangLu Arrived: You asking that? I thought you never got cramps—I’ve been jealous for ages.

YingYingYing: Speechless.jpg. Can’t you read the room? Just because she doesn’t hurt doesn’t mean someone else isn’t hurting?

I’m Not Jealous: No, I am hurting. First time. Don’t know what to do.

Luzhou Moon: Trying too hard, Ning Ning.

HuangLu Arrived: I won’t say it out loud, but I see you, heh. Anyway, warm compress on the belly helps—hot water bottle, red sugar water. But if it’s really bad, painkillers are a must. I take these all the time—very effective. [med photo]

I’m Not Jealous: Got it. I’m going to buy them now.

YingYingYing: Go! Don’t wait! HuangLu turns into a murder machine when she cramps—I don’t even dare breathe loudly those days.

“Teacher Mu, wait a sec. I’m going to check with the front desk to get some medicine,” An Ning said gently before rushing out.

Once her footsteps faded, the woman under the covers slowly poked her head out, her expression complex as she stared at the ajar bedroom door.

How embarrassing.

She hadn’t wanted to ruin the trip over something like this, but her cycle was irregular—impossible to predict.

Another wave of pain hit. She clenched her teeth, curling up tighter in silence.

Meanwhile, An Ning called the front desk. Fortunately, since this was a large resort, they had everything she needed and promised to deliver it quickly.

After hanging up, she boiled water, and once the staff delivered the items, she quickly brewed red sugar water and filled the hot water bottle.

She placed the meds in her pocket, hugged the water bottle, and carried two cups—one of warm water for the pills and one of the freshly made sugar water.

“Teacher Mu, please take the medicine,” An Ning said, nudging open the door, placing everything on the nightstand, and tucking the hot water bottle at the edge of the bed. “Here—this will help warm your tummy.”

Mu Yan sat up, took the medicine without looking at it, swallowed it with water, and yanked the water bottle under the covers, ready to lie down again.

An Ning quickly stopped her, handing her the sugar water. Facing the gloomy woman, she coaxed softly like a child, “Drink some sugar water before sleeping. I checked the instructions—the medicine takes about thirty minutes to work.”

Her eyes brimmed with concern, and her voice was careful, as if afraid of upsetting her.

What am I doing, regressing like this…

Mu Yan thought she must be abnormal. On one hand, she didn’t want An Ning to tiptoe around her, but on the other hand, she reveled in the girl’s gentleness.

Compared to all that emotional chaos, her menstrual pain was nothing.

She quietly took the cup, pressed the hot water bottle to her abdomen, and sipped the sweet tea slowly.

The warmth slid down to her stomach, softening even the tightly wound pain in her belly.

An Ning stood silently beside her, gaze full of worry and tender affection.

To Mu Yan, An Ning caring this much was more effective than the tea.

After drinking half, Mu Yan handed back the cup. When An Ning turned to put it down, she found only a lump under the blanket left on the bed—Mu Yan had vanished beneath it completely.

Only a faint “thank you” lingered in the air.

An Ning found it both amusing and helpless.

Teacher Mu, when will you be honest with me? Were you always like this toward the old me too?

She looked down at the bed with a complicated expression and softly said, “You don’t need to be so polite with me.”

As expected, no reply.

Maybe it was the meds, maybe the water bottle, but before long, the sharp pain faded. The tension that had gripped her all night finally eased, and Mu Yan drifted into sleep.

But she dreamed.

She dreamed of her first period, lying on the bed in pain, unable to speak. Her mother had yelled at her and left. She lay there, unable to sleep, wishing she could just die and be done with it.

“Teacher Mu?” Through the pain-blurred vision, she heard An Ning’s voice and saw her small figure.

Even without seeing clearly, she could imagine the anxious look on her face.

But there was nothing she could do—just reach out and hold the girl’s hand tightly.

Don’t be afraid, Ning Ning.

But the girl broke free and ran off.

You too don’t want me anymore?

The empty palm brought more pain than the cramps. She curled up tighter, fighting the urge to cry.

She knew the one truly scared was herself.

But just before she passed out, footsteps rushed back in.

A hot water bottle was stuffed under her covers, followed by a warm little body.

Like a true mother, the girl hugged her tight, pressing the bottle to her stomach, whispering with trembling voice:

“Don’t hurt, Teacher Mu. Don’t hurt.”

There weren’t any special painkillers back then, but with every word of comfort, the pain really did disappear.

Breathing in the soft scent of milk from the little girl, she finally fell into a deep sleep.

At the bedside, An Ning noticed Mu Yan was sleeping, but not peacefully.

Her brows were furrowed, her body trembling faintly, lips murmuring something.

An Ning leaned closer to hear.

“Ning Ning… Ning Ning…”

The voice was weak, but the tone was urgent—like that name was a miracle cure that could save her from any pain.

It should’ve been heartwarming. But An Ning felt like she was drowning in salty sea water—suffocating.

Teacher Mu never called her that when awake. Not even once.

So the one saving her in the dream… was still her past self?

A sudden impulse surged in An Ning’s heart. She wanted to grab Mu Yan’s shoulders and shake her awake—make her see clearly.

The one by your side now is me, not the old me.

But in the end, she simply sat down quietly, reached under the blanket, and held Mu Yan’s hand.

It was soft and delicate, and perhaps due to the period, unusually warm.

The moment she touched it, the hand clutched hers back tightly.

Mu Yan’s furrowed brows gradually relaxed. An Ning felt a flicker of joy in her heart.

She gently lowered her head, leaning close to Mu Yan’s pillow, her voice soft and aggrieved.

“I’m here, Teacher Mu.”

If your love belongs to the old me, then just for this moment… let me be a shameless little thief.

When Mu Yan opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was An Ning’s sleeping face, just inches away. Her brows were slightly furrowed, the corners of her eyes faintly red—looking both pitiful and aggrieved.

The girl sleeping so close, combined with Mu Yan’s still-fuzzy mind, made her feel like time had reversed.

“Ning Ning” was right on the tip of her tongue—but she swallowed it instinctively.

The old An Ning never kept things from her, never showed such a conflicted expression.

And the An Ning of today… because of her, would no longer sleep so trustingly at her side.

As her eyes scanned the room and clarity returned, she remembered—this was the present, and the girl beside her was the grown-up An Ning.

Mu Yan’s gaze returned to the girl sleeping uncomfortably close to the bed, clearly trying to stay near.

Her breathing was steady, but her expression showed she wasn’t sleeping peacefully.

Because of her—again.

Mu Yan had always believed she knew An Ning well, but since they reunited, she realized the girl had changed in ways she couldn’t predict.

Like right now—she couldn’t understand why An Ning looked so sad.

Was it really just because she hadn’t shared her cramps?

Mu Yan gently ran her fingers through An Ning’s soft curls, heart brimming with tenderness and guilt.

After a long moment, she lowered her head and gently kissed the girl’s forehead hidden beneath her hair.

“…I’m sorry.”

A sigh lost to the silent air.

An Ning’s sleeping eyelids fluttered faintly.