Warmth Behind the Cold
Growing up, Scarlett had always been frail, taking after her mother. She had a cold constitution, which wasn't much of an issue until she hit puberty at twelve. From then on, her monthly periods were so painful that she often joked about saving up for a gender transition.
Her family took her to several doctors, but they all said the same thing: it could only be managed, not cured. Her mother, having heard of a home remedy, introduced her to red date cakes and hawthorn brown sugar juice. To everyone's surprise, it worked wonders.
Fast forward twelve years, and the person who used to make those red date cakes for her was no longer around. But Scarlett had grown so accustomed to having them during her monthly cycles that she learned to make them herself.
On Monday, as was her routine, she went to the Zhou residence. When she entered Jack's room, he was lying on his side, eyes half-closed, looking like he was in between sleep and wakefulness.