Although Yan Feng didn't know why Chen Xi suddenly wanted to leave in such a hurry, he had almost finished eating, so leaving wasn't a big deal.

  They settled the bill, left, and headed to the daily necessities building.

  Yan Feng pushed the shopping cart ahead, with the young girl obediently following behind him, maintaining a constant distance between them.

  From time to time, he would turn back to ask her which items she wanted, what style she preferred, or if she liked something, though he usually only received a nod in response.

  Over time, Yan Feng had gotten used to it.

  Thus, the two maintained this peculiar way of communicating until they finished paying.

  Today, he had spent a lot for this young girl's daily needs. Not only did he buy toiletries and bedding, but he also picked out a couple of outfits for Chen Xi that he found pleasing. His wallet, which wasn't very full to begin with, was now empty.

  It couldn't be helped. Yan Feng didn't have many expenses or hobbies that required money, so most of his earnings over the years were sitting in the bank collecting interest. His current cash flow was indeed a bit tight.

  But fortunately, it was enough to support a child, and once next month's sary came in, there wouldn't be any issues.

  Thinking this, the man carried a rge pstic bag in each hand, filled to the brim with daily necessities.

  The weather outside was great, with plenty of sunshine. As soon as they stepped out of the supermarket, Chen Xi frowned, gncing up at the gring light with annoyance.

  Perhaps because she was used to living in dark corners, she never liked the sunlight, neither in the past nor now.

  But today, the sunlight wasn't the only thing she disliked.

  As they walked down the street, Chen Xi followed behind the man expressionlessly, suddenly widening her eyes and stopping in her tracks.

  Damn it! Why now...

  A hint of disgust and shame appeared in the young girl's eyes. She tried to call out to the man in front to stop, but after a long struggle, she couldn't say a word. In the end, it was Yan Feng who noticed something was wrong and turned back, looking worried.

  "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

  Chen Xi didn't speak, just frowned, biting her lip, slightly arching her body, her face turning pale, showing signs of enduring something.

  "What's wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

  Yan Feng quickly asked, but the young girl looked up at him, her usually cold and indifferent face showing a hint of blush and a rare trace of panic, which made the man's unguarded heart skip a beat.

  "No... no need..."

  Stammering, her face flushed, body bent, and lower abdomen aching, all signs pointed to...

  Yan Feng suddenly understood, gnced around to ensure no one was watching, then bent down and whispered, "Little Xi, did you... get your period?"

  The young girl immediately turned her head upon hearing this, her expression a mix of indescribable shyness. The next second, she stood up and, gritting her teeth, walked forward.

  The man quickly caught up, recalling the knowledge Gu Qing had shared with him before. But even if it was painful, it shouldn't come so suddenly, right? Or perhaps...

  His gaze fell on the young girl's back, and in the next moment, he understood why she was in such a hurry to leave.

  Without any hesitation, he immediately took off his jacket and draped it around the young girl's waist, perfectly covering the skirt she had just bought.

  Chen Xi froze, standing still, saying nothing, but her little face, turned away from the man, was already flushed red, looking pyful and cute, making one feel an urge to tease her.

  "Didn't you bring any... supplies?"

  Yan Feng swallowed, deliberately turning his head to the side to minimize the embarrassment for both of them.

  "Mm..."

  Receiving a positive answer, he didn't hesitate any longer, taking Chen Xi's small hand and leading the surprised girl back towards the supermarket.

  Feeling the grip on her wrist and looking at the man's back, Chen Xi was dazed as he pulled her back.

  They hadn't walked far, but she kept staring at their intertwined hands. His hand was broad and gave an indescribable sense of security, so much so that Chen Xi forgot she was supposed to be extremely averse to physical contact with others.

  She remained in a daze, letting him lead her to a resting area inside the supermarket.

  The man helped Chen Xi sit on the sofa, said something to her with a hesitant expression, though concern and worry were evident on his face. Unfortunately, she was too stunned to hear him.

  Until Yan Feng left.

  Her hearing returned, and awareness flooded back into her mind. Chen Xi could feel her flushed cheeks and trembling body, even a hint of an unfamiliar emotion surfacing in her heart, which filled her with immense fear.

  That emotion was strange, sweet with a hint of bitterness, like a green tangerine dipped in honey, making her head spin slightly, yet not unpleasant.

  But all fear stems from the unknown. Chen Xi had survived until now because of her extremely sensitive self-protection instincts, but now it seemed that instinct was being invaded, devoured, and dismantled by that unfamiliar emotion...

  The young girl shook her head vigorously, biting her tongue, the taste of blood and pain pulling her back to reality, her once-panicked eyes regaining their usual coldness.

  But something seemed to have changed.

  Chen Xi began scanning her surroundings, soon spotting the sneaky man by a snack shelf.

  Looking nervous, he was pcing snacks into the shopping cart while sneakily gncing around...

  Chen Xi couldn't help but wonder if someone saw Yan Feng like this, would they mistake him for a thief and catch him?

  But her specution would remain unverified, as Yan Feng had already reached the checkout counter, acting nonchant as he pced a pile of snacks on the table.

  What was he doing?

  The young girl couldn't help but feel curious.

  As the snacks were rung up, her confusion was resolved.

  Beneath the pile of snacks used for cover were two packages of feminine products, one rge and one small. With her eyesight, it wasn't hard to see that one was sanitary pads and the other was tampons.

  The female cashier, seeing the pile of snacks and the items hidden beneath, naturally understood, discreetly ringing up the total. Just as she was about to speak, Yan Feng picked up a packet of jujube red sugar and awkwardly asked:

  "Um... I also need this, and... do you have anything like heating pads or hot water bottles?"

  Meanwhile, not far away, Chen Xi watched Yan Feng's clumsy demeanor, finding it amusing, her lips curling into a faint smile.

  Like an iceberg melting, yet more beautiful than a snow lotus.