Free Web NovelChapter 178: Chapter 178: Piggyback or Bridal Carry
"Su Li..."
Chang E, who was beside Su Li, called out her name and rushed to support her.
The next second, with a blur of motion, Su Li was caught by Tang Yuanxiao.
"Su Li? Su Li?"
Tang Yuanxiao had been watching Su Li the whole time, so the moment she fainted, he was the first to rush over.
He held Su Li and called her name twice, but she didn’t respond.
"What happened?"
The group instantly fell into a bit of chaos.
Tang Yuanxiao made a swift decision, carrying Su Li to the side.
"You all continue forward."
Tang Yuanxiao glanced at Su Li’s instructor. "You stay with your class. Leave her to me."
Tang Yuanxiao picked up Su Li and strode quickly toward the school medic trailing behind the group.
Before he even reached the medic, Su Li had already started to come to.
"Tang Yuanxiao, you can put me down."
"You’re awake." Seeing Su Li stir, Tang Yuanxiao let out a huge sigh of relief.
He didn’t put her down. "What’s wrong? Heatstroke?"
Su Li shook her head. "No, it’s not that. Just put me down."
Before the words were even out of her mouth, she couldn’t help but furrow her brow—it still hurt.
"Don’t try to act tough." Tang Yuanxiao rushed to the medic with Su Li in his arms. "Doctor, quick, take a look at her."
Su Li squeezed her eyes shut, half-wishing she could just faint again.
"Coming." The doctor hurried over to take her. "Where does it hurt? Is it heatstroke? Nausea, headache?"
Tang Yuanxiao set Su Li down. She shook her head. "No, I’m fine. I’ll be okay after a short rest."
The doctor felt Su Li’s forehead. "How can you be fine? You’re so cold. Let’s take your temperature. Tell me where it hurts."
Su Li glanced at the male doctor in front of her, then at Tang Yuanxiao standing to the side, and closed her eyes. "My stomach hurts."
"Your stomach hurts?" The doctor didn’t immediately understand. "Do you have diarrhea?"
Su Li shook her head. "No... it’s my period... that kind of pain."
Tang Yuanxiao, who had been frowning and was about to tell Su Li to just be honest with the doctor: "..."
The long-absent... period.
It dawned on the doctor, and a flicker of embarrassment crossed his face before he adopted a professional expression. "It’s alright, no need to be shy. I’m a doctor."
Despite his words, he quickly called over his female colleague, who was tending to a student with heatstroke. "Let’s switch."
After that, he didn’t forget to pull away Tang Yuanxiao, who was standing there like a wooden statue.
"Let’s move farther away. The student will be embarrassed," he whispered to Tang Yuanxiao before going to switch with the female medic.
Tang Yuanxiao stood to the side, a familiar blush flashing across his face. Then he looked over at Su Li, his eyes filled with worry.
"It was probably caused by drinking cold water earlier," the female medic told Su Li after asking a few questions. "Drink some hot water and get some rest. It should gradually get better."
Then, she looked at Tang Yuanxiao, who had brought Su Li over. "It would be best to find a female friend to look after her. After some hot water and rest, she should feel better."
The female medic looked around. "It’s just that we’re a bit far from the school. She definitely can’t continue marching and tiring herself out."
Tang Yuanxiao, however, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the medic’s words. "It’s fine. I’m all she needs." fгeewebnovёl.com
The medics had to continue on with the main group. Before leaving, the female doctor added, "If she doesn’t get better, go to one of the nearby farmhouses and ask someone to make her some brown sugar eggs."
The medics left, leaving only Tang Yuanxiao, Su Li, and an assistant instructor.
"You go on ahead with the group. I’ll stay here and take care of her." Tang Yuanxiao dismissed the assistant instructor and went to check on Su Li.
Su Li was sipping the hot water the medic had given her. After a few sips, she felt a little better.
Tang Yuanxiao watched her drink. When she finished, he asked, "Feeling any better?"
"A little," Su Li said with a wry smile. "I was too thirsty earlier and drank too much cold water."
Seeing that Su Li’s face was still deathly pale, Tang Yuanxiao knew that when she said "a little," she really meant just a little.
He looked around, then squatted in front of Su Li. "Get on. I’ll carry you."
"There’s no need. I’ll be fine after a short rest," Su Li said quickly.
Without a word, Tang Yuanxiao reached back, pulled Su Li onto his back, and said, "Don’t act tough."
He hoisted Su Li up and strode quickly toward a village by the road.
Su Li’s body tensed. "Why are we going to the village?"
"You’ll see in a minute." Tang Yuanxiao glanced back at Su Li. "Relax."
Su Li couldn’t relax, neither from the pain nor from being on Tang Yuanxiao’s back.
With Su Li on his back, Tang Yuanxiao knocked on the door of a house. A big, burly man opened it.
"Can I help you?"
Tang Yuanxiao peered inside but didn’t see a woman, so he shook his head and said it was nothing.
He knocked on a second door, which was opened by an elderly person. Again, Tang Yuanxiao said it was nothing.
"What are you doing?" Su Li wondered.
Tang Yuanxiao didn’t answer and knocked on a third door. When a middle-aged woman opened it, he let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Ma’am, could I please ask you to make a bowl of brown sugar eggs for her? I can pay."
Hearing Tang Yuanxiao’s request, the woman blinked. "Brown sugar eggs?" She peered intently at Su Li on his back.
Su Li was still completely baffled and hadn’t had a chance to say anything before she heard Tang Yuanxiao speak.
"Yes, she’s... on her thing... her stomach hurts badly."
The moment she heard that, the woman clapped her hands. "I understand, I understand! I’ll go make it for you right away. Come on in and wait."
"Thank you, ma’am, thank you." Tang Yuanxiao breathed another sigh of relief, his face full of gratitude.
"Don’t mention it, it’s just a bowl of brown sugar eggs." The woman was a straightforward person.
Tang Yuanxiao carried Su Li into the courtyard before setting her down.
Su Li’s once-pale face was now red, both from embarrassment and frustration.
"Tang Yuanxiao, you... why didn’t you say anything beforehand? I would have been fine after a little rest."
’This is so embarrassing!’
A faint blush was on Tang Yuanxiao’s face as well, but he shook his head. "It wouldn’t have made a difference whether I told you or not. Pain that severe can’t be ignored."
The woman worked quickly and soon brought out a bowl.
"Here, drink up. It works best while it’s hot."
Su Li reached for it, but Tang Yuanxiao took it first. "Be careful, it’s hot. I’ll hold it for you while you drink."
The woman watched them from the side, snickering to herself. "Nice, very nice. A man should dote on his wife."
The woman just assumed they were a young married couple.
Su Li forced a smile, not having the energy to explain.
Tang Yuanxiao certainly wasn’t going to explain. He dreamed of the day Su Li would become his wife again.
"Be careful not to burn yourself," Tang Yuanxiao reminded Su Li.
Su Li wanted to hold it herself, but Tang Yuanxiao wouldn’t let her.
After finishing the bowl of brown sugar eggs, Su Li broke out in a sweat, and the icy knot in her lower abdomen finally began to warm up.
Tang Yuanxiao had been watching Su Li’s expression closely. "Feeling better now?"
"Much better," Su Li nodded.
Tang Yuanxiao let out a breath of relief and thanked the woman several times. She told him not to worry about it and refused to take his money.
"Why would I charge you for a simple bowl of brown sugar eggs!"
Once the color returned to Su Li’s face and the pain had subsided, they said goodbye to the woman.
As they left the woman’s house, Tang Yuanxiao moved to carry Su Li on his back again.
"I can walk by myself. I’m much better now."
"Be good. Didn’t you hear the doctor? You can’t overexert yourself," Tang Yuanxiao said, his brow furrowed tightly.
"It’s fine. We can just take a car in a bit." How could Su Li let Tang Yuanxiao carry her the whole time?
Tang Yuanxiao gazed at Su Li intently. "If you don’t want me to carry you on my back, then I’ll carry you in my arms. Piggyback or bridal-style—pick one."
