Chapter 4

Bella curled up in bed in pain, even though the summer sun was warm and radiant, it offered no help. She was still shivering from the cold.

Beads of cold sweat emerged from the pores of her body, dampening the white bedsheet.

Damn it! Why do women have to endure this torture? It's really unfair!

"Bella, wake up quickly." Outside the door, Ethan lightly knocked on her door.

"Don't... disturb me." Bella's voice was weak and displeased. It was too much. She was already in pain, and Ethan dared to wake her up early in the morning for a jog. Does this man have any humanity left?

"Woof woof woof..." Cotton and Snowflake, as if sensing her pain, anxiously scratched at the door with their sharp claws.

"Bella, you can't stay in bed. You have to set a good example for Cotton and the others!" Ethan knew her weakness well and switched to another tactic to coax her.

Who cares about him?

"I... don't want to go jogging." Bella immediately saw through his trick of deceiving children.

Ethan shook his head outside the door in frustration, almost powerless against this lazy bug.

"Bella, if you don't get up now, I'm going to get angry!"

In the past, Bella would have obediently gotten out of bed without any dignity, but today was an exception.

"Don't... bother me." She shouted back angrily, but unfortunately, her weak voice ruined her momentum.

Any woman has the right to take a day off when in physical pain, she thought grumpily.

"Lousy ghost!" Ethan reluctantly slid open the Japanese sliding door, intending to wake her up himself.

Upon entering the bedroom, he found Bella buried under a thick pile of blankets, with only her black head sticking out.

"You fool! It's so hot, and you still cover yourself with a blanket!" Ethan gently scolded her, walking to the side of the bed and preparing to uncover the blanket. She really liked the hot weather too much, didn't she?

Bella clutched the blankets tightly. "Go away." She tightly closed her painful black eyes and forced out two words from her dry throat.

Only then did Ethan realize something was wrong with her, and his thick eyebrows knitted together like swords. "Bella, are you sick?"

He circled to the other side of the bed, carefully pulled down the blanket covering her face, and worriedly checked her condition. Even the two dogs came over to watch the commotion. He saw that her eye circles were as black as a panda's, her once honey-colored healthy complexion had turned pale, and her black hair seemed to have lost its shine overnight.

"Don't bother me." Bella didn't want to pay any attention to him at all. She found him more annoying than a buzzing fly, and she wanted to quietly endure this round of pain alone.

"No, I'm taking you to see a doctor." Ethan nervously bent down to hug her.

Bella groaned and angrily slapped him. "Let me down...you're making it worse..." Ethan! He'll be the death of me!

Ethan froze on the spot, only able to carefully hold her, not daring to make any sudden movements.

"Bella, where does it hurt?" 

"My stomach." Bella bit her pale lip, her vision going dark. "Let me...down, let me lie down..."

Ethan immediately gently placed her delicate body back on the bed.

As soon as she was back on the bed, Bella immediately rolled onto her side, hugging a soft pillow to her stomach, curling up into a ball as if this posture could alleviate the pain.

"Bella, be honest, did you sneak out in the middle of the night and eat junk food again?" Ethan's voice sounded strange.

If he had known Bella couldn't resist temptation so easily, he wouldn't have bought so many cookies and chocolates to keep at home.

Bella managed to open her eyes with difficulty, giving him a furious glare. "You idiot, it's cramps, not a stomachache from eating something bad." After yelling uncontrollably, Bella seemed to have used up all her strength and returned to her previous weak and pitiful state.

"Physical pain?" Ethan first looked at her with a puzzled expression, then jumped up intensely, retreating to what he considered to be the safest distance, staring at her abdomen in terror. "You're a woman... Is it that kind of physical pain that comes with menstruation?!"

"Yeah." If her stomach hadn't been hurting so much, Bella would have laughed at his panicked actions and expression.

He really is like a little boy, getting so frightened over such a small matter.

"What should we do then?" Ethan suppressed the urge to turn and run. He had never encountered such a tricky and embarrassing problem in his whole life.

"Just ignore me... let me sleep." Bella weakly whispered.

"Um... alright, I'll take Cotton and the others away right away, so you can... go to sleep!" After saying that, Ethan hurriedly rushed out.

Bella smiled contentedly, glad that the troublesome guy had finally been scared away.

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On the other side of the world, in the United States –

Lillian stood in the elegantly decorated living room, staring at the telephone receiver in her hand in disbelief, wondering if her ears were playing tricks on her.

"Lillian, why are you staring at the phone? Who called?" Olivia Thornton saw her surprised expression and curiously walked over.

"Madam, it was the young master who called." Lillian hung up the phone and a hint of affectionate smile appeared on her dark and plain face.

Olivia couldn't help feeling suspicious. "This child rarely calls home, and he didn't even chat with me before hanging up. How strange!"

Strange! How did Ethan become so close to Lillian? His personality has always been cold, but in the past two years, he has been particularly close to Lillian, as if they have some kind of secret between them, which makes her jealous to death.

"Madam, the young master just called to ask me how to deal with physical pain." Lillian explained with a smile.

"Physical pain?" Olivia's face showed the same astonishment as Lillian just now. "Why does this child ask about that?"

"It's probably because Bella is experiencing physical pain!" Lillian guessed.

"Bella?!" Olivia's eyes brightened.

"Bella is the young master's love interest." The young master learned cooking for Bella, so Lillian has heard quite a bit about her.

Olivia excitedly touched her chest. "Lillian, how do you know so much?" She had been investigating for half a month, but she didn't find out anything, including her son's current residence. She never expected Lillian to have such extensive information, even knowing the name of the "leading lady".

"Master mentioned it to me when he was learning to cook!" Lillian didn't think it was a big deal. 

"Cooking?!" Olivia exclaimed again. Her son can actually cook! Oh my god! How come she's never heard him say that before? 

"Madam, every time young master comes back from the military on leave, he always comes to the kitchen to learn how to cook with me." Lillian proudly stood up, relying on her skill to serve the Thornton family for over twenty years. 

"Lillian," Olivia smiled and put her hand on her shoulder. "I think we need to talk more." Maybe she can find out more secrets from her. 

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Hearing the noise of Ethan coming in and out of her room, Bella's face slowly emerged from the blanket. 

"What are you doing?" 

In just a short while, Ethan had filled the low table next to her bed with various items, including a row of painkillers, a cup of hot water, a rectangular piece of chocolate, and a pot of steaming nourishing soup. 

"Bella, I bought painkillers. Do you want to take one?" Ethan sat down on the bed, and the mattress sank under his weight.

"I've already swallowed three this morning," Bella exclaimed. The herbal smell of the pot of nourishing soup was making her dizzy, and she felt like she was about to foam at the mouth.

The pain in her abdomen had eased a bit, either because the pain medication was taking effect or because she had just taken a nap. Her vision was no longer blacking out every now and then.

"Why are you still in pain then?" Ethan furrowed his brows. It was said that pain medication was the most effective method, but he didn't see any improvement in her.

Bella stuck out her tongue lightly. "I have a high tolerance to medication." That's why she often had to switch to different pain relievers, but in the end, almost all of them had no effect on her.

Ethan gently brushed aside the fine strands of hair that stuck to her face. "Bella, I have another method to relieve your pain. Would you like to give it a try?"

"No," Bella responded cautiously, glancing at the pot of nourishing soup by the bedside. If she didn't understand what he meant by now, then she would be a fool.

"Bella, I haven't even started explaining yet!" Ethan's deep voice was soothing and gentle.

"I don't want to take Chinese medicine," Bella said resolutely, pulling the blanket over her head. She would rather suffer in pain than drink the nauseating soup.

"Bella, this is pork rib soup, not Chinese medicine," Ethan tried to reason. Her stubborn resistance was giving him a headache. He hadn't taken into account her aversion to tonics.

"You're lying! I can clearly smell... the herbal scent," Bella muttered incoherently from under the covers.

"I guarantee that there is no hint of Chinese herbal taste when drinking it, and the taste is not bad!" Ethan's coaxing words were no different from those of an old lady. 

The woman hiding under the blanket remained silent, clearly showing a high level of indifference. 

"If you don't believe me, you can try a piece of pork rib first. It's delicious!" Ethan had great confidence in Lillian's ancestral recipe. 

He scooped up the stewed pork rib soup, which was already very tender, with a large spoon and poured it into a small bowl. Then, he brought it to his lips and slowly blew to cool it down. 

Bella's voice hesitated for a moment. "Is it the kind of pork ribs that I like to eat...?" She quietly grabbed a corner of the blanket. 

"Yeah! I just had Cotton and the others try it earlier, and they eagerly devoured it." Ethan didn't give her any room to back down. He put down the porcelain bowl in his hand and gently supported her soft body. 

"I want to eat the ribs first." Bella leaned against him, reminding him anxiously. And she decided that after finishing all the ribs, she would immediately lie back down and continue being lazy. 

"Understood." Ethan picked up the porcelain bowl again and scooped a small piece of rib to her lips with a spoon. 

Bella delicately chewed a bite and her eyes instantly lit up with a sparkling light. 

"Is it delicious?" Ethan revealed his first smile of the day.

"Ethan, This is delicious." Bella nodded in approval, the spare ribs he cooked were very light and refreshing, not greasy at all. And as expected, she couldn't taste the medicinal flavor, it was a hundred times better than the terrifying tonic her mother used to make.

"You should eat more then." Ethan chuckled softly, secretly mixing the most nutritious soup with the spare ribs, feeding her spoon by spoon.

After drinking two bowls of Four-Treasure Spare Rib Soup, Bella patted her bulging stomach and said, "I can't eat anymore."

"Well then, why don't you rest a little longer!" Ethan helped her lie down gently, taking care of her as if she were a patient. "Is there anything else you need?"

"I... I want to go..." Bella's words were stammered and she blushed uncontrollably. She wanted to take care of some "personal matters" while her stomach wasn't hurting too much.

"Go where?" Ethan was completely confused.

"The...the bathroom." Bella shyly avoided his gaze. Although Ethan was only two years older, he was a grown-up boy who had received health education, so he should be able to guess what she needed to do in the bathroom.

Indeed, Ethan's handsome face immediately turned slightly red, and he cleared his throat. "I'll carry you there." This time, his composure was much better than before when he had fled in a panic.

Because it was too awkward, Bella didn't want to show her independent side, so she obediently extended her hands and let him carry her to the bathroom outside.

"I'll wait for you outside." Ethan put her down and quickly flashed outside the door.

"Okay." Before long, Bella called out, "Ah!"

"What's wrong?" Ethan struggled to maintain his composure. 

An innocent little hand poked out from the slightly ajar door. 

"Ethan, I forgot to grab something important. Can you please help me get it?"

"What thing?" Why did women always have so many issues?

"Well... you know... that thing we bought at the supermarket last time..." Bella tried her best to hint at him.

Ethan rolled his eyes. "I don't know, can you be more clear?"

Bella's hand began to feel a little sore, so she shyly withdrew it.

"It's... the thing we bought... last time at the supermarket..." 

Ethan's face suddenly turned green, he could hardly believe his ears. "Where did you put it?"

Damn it! How could there be such a careless woman in the world?

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"Inside the cabinet where Shadow loves to sleep."

"Wait a minute," Ethan ruffled his jet-black hair in frustration.

"Thank you," Bella politely thanked him and fearlessly made another request.

"Ethan, can I ask you another favor?" since she couldn't see his smoky face anyway, she wasn't embarrassed anymore.

"Go ahead!" Ethan asked gruffly.

"Help... me get the nighttime brand."

Ethan stared at the crack in the bathroom door in disbelief, as if he could stare down that woman who was pushing her luck inside.

Nighttime brand?!

As a grown man, he already felt humiliated enough to fetch sanitary pads for her, and now she dares to ask for some specific nighttime brand? What does he know about all that?

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After being rudely stuffed back into bed, Bella took a nap until she was woken up by the sound of the doorbell.

Carefully turning over, she was delighted to find that her stomach no longer hurt.

"Ah... Ethan's rib soup is really effective."

"Meow..." Shadow stood up from the end of the bed and walked over, stepping on the blanket.

"Shadow, have you been by sister's side this whole time?" Bella grabbed it, moved by its actions, and kissed its face enthusiastically. "Shadow, you're so good to sister."

"Meow..." Shadow endured for a while, then coldly broke free from the woman who was slobbering all over its face and jumped off the bed, urging her to open the door.

"So you wanted to go to the bathroom!" 

As Bella was about to get out of bed, Grace Autumnal stormed in like a whirlwind.

She had a round face resembling an egg, with a pair of distinct and bright eyes, one black and one white. There were a few faint freckles on her slightly upturned nose, making her look quite cute. Although she had a petite figure, she was full of energy and never idle.

"Huh? Classmate, weren't you sleeping?" Grace, holding a thermos, walked to the bedside with a radiant smile on her face. 

"I was woken up by the sound of your doorbell." Bella stretched lazily, a satisfied smile on her rosy lips. 

"Grace, what delicious food did you bring?" 

Grace was her good college classmate, good at arithmetic and even better at memory. Every time, she would remember to bring something to help relieve Bella on the first day of her period. 

"Wang Ji's scrambled egg beef porridge." Grace blinked in surprise. "Strange! Why aren't you screaming in pain this time?" Having seen Bella in such pain and agony so many times, her good complexion today startled her. 

"Ethan cooked me a magical siwu pork rib soup to drink." Bella smiled sweetly. "I only drank a little while and my stomach stopped hurting!" 

She lifted the lid of the thermos, took a deep breath of happiness. How fragrant! Wang Ji's scrambled egg beef porridge was the most delicious and expensive porridge she had ever eaten. She could only have it once a month during this time. 

"Is Ethan the handsome guy outside?" Grace, like all women, showed a gleam in her eyes that only appeared when seeing a handsome guy. 

"Yeah! Ethan is really handsome, isn't he?" Uninformed people seeing Bella's proud smile would think Ethan was her son! 

"Absolutely, Bella, where did you find such a handsome butler?" Grace asked enviously.

Although she was rudely interrogated by him at the door just now, she enjoyed it after all. After all, an ordinary woman doesn't have the opportunity to be interrogated by a handsome man every day.

"Ethan is not the butler, he is my brother's American soldier friend," Bella sighed and enjoyed the "offering" brought by Grace.

"I didn't expect Jake to be so friendly. As soon as he left the army, he brought a handsome American soldier friend to your house, letting you have a handsome man with every meal. Sigh! I also want such a good brother." This woman is really happy, she actually has such a thoughtful brother.

Bella showed a glimpse of her white teeth and smiled lightly. "Ethan is staying at my house because he has difficulties. Don't think too much."

"Not likely." Grace muttered softly. "He must have other motives."

Look at the man's elegant appearance, you can tell that he is an elite in society. How could he have difficulties just like that? Only Bella, this fool, would be fooled so easily.