Wanning sat with the blanket wrapped around him, fully, only his eyes can be seen. He watches with distant eyes as Chuqing prepares a bath for him.
Wanning squeezes his legs together, letting out another groan as the pain continues. His face flushed again. He must have seemed like a crazy baby with the way he was crying. The worst is how embarrassed Wanning feels now that he knows what's going on. He knows, of course he does, even as a grown adult man that women go through periods, but at that moment going through the pain of cramps he didn't piece it together.
Why would he? Why would anyone? The circumstances are not the same, even Chuqing didn't think it would happen. Considering she didn't warn him about this!
He feels like such a fool. How embarrassing! Wanning hides his eyes. He wouldn't put it past Chuqing to be laughing at him on the inside, or when she's done and he's situated.
At least no one else was around. He'd be ready to go back to the underworld, willingly.
"Wanning," Chuqing calls him softly. "Come, let's get you cleaned." She motions for him to get to her. Slowly Wanning gets to his feet, the pain still hurts but the heat of the baths steam is making it bearable. That and Chuqing gave him something for the pain. Once at his feet Wanning takes off the rest of his clothes, the last part of his middle robes, the cross collar shirt. Then he takes off his dudou. He walks to the side so he can scrub the dirt and blood off before sitting in the tub. As he gets closer he spots Chuqing also getting undressed. Wanning almost trips from shock (and pain) but corrects himself, turning his head to look away. Chuqing chuckles. "It's okay Wanning. We have the same parts." She says.
It's more the principle of the matter.
Seeming to read his mind she continues. "Then I've left my dudou on." She says.
'Sorry Zhengyong' Wanning thinks. He turns to see her directing him to sit. He does. She gets behind him to start washing. "I'm sorry." He says, knowing she must have more important things to do than be with him.
Chuqing shakes her head. "Wanning, this is important, you need someone on your side. You need help and guidance. This isn't easy. Even for me who's had plenty of periods. This is your first one, so I'll help you. But know after this I'll always be there if you need it. Help. Or the pain. Even if you need to talk." The two are quiet as she comes to the front. Wanning takes a cloth to wash between his legs himself. "With this... it means it must be permanent. You're a woman." Chuqing says.
Wanning doesn't say anything to that. Doesn't know how to feel about it. But already they've tried. That pink dust is strong.
"It's been longer than twenty eight days since you've been like this, after your last day of menstruation make sure to count twenty eight days for the next one." She tells him. With two people they clean his (her? With the way things are now it makes sense to call him that) body fast. Chuqing then leads Wanning to the tub. Water still sizzling hot. Wanning doesn't hide the comforting sigh that comes out of his mouth.
"Is the pain always the same?" He asks as he sinks in both the situation and tub.
"It's mostly consistent but every women is different. Some women have very bad cramps all the time. Some don't. While others get bad cramps one month then none the next." Chuqing says moving Wanning hair to flow down the side of the tub.
"Does it get better? The pain?" Wanning wonders as Chuqing brushes his hair.
"You get use to it." She answers.
"What will change?"
"Nothing has to. You are still Wanning, the Beidou Immortal we all know." Chuqing says. It makes Wanning happy to hear that but it also hurts. He never asked for that nickname and it's a nickname people avoid him for. But her words are comforting.
"What more should I expect?" He wonders.
Chuqing washes his hair as she explains what else will happen. After experiencing the pain it's no wonder women are more emotional during these times, add in that hormones are at the same time not stable anyways. It's a wonder women get anything done, go on with the day like nothing. Feeling bloated. Drinking water is important. Breast might be sore. Then there's the constant bleeding itself. Wanning thinks he's bled enough, now he's got to bleed naturally. Every month!
He retracts his statement.
Being a woman is not easy. Maybe he cannot handle being a woman. But there's no other choice at this point.
After braiding his hair Chuqing leaves him to soak as she gets him some clothes to wear. When she gets back she helps Wanning out. She tells him more about clothes to wear, undergarments that he'll be wearing to catch the bleeding. How to correctly layer his clothing now.
Once he's dressed, she dresses herself and helps him get to bed to lay down. Wanning goes slow, groaning as he lays down on his bed. Laying on his side curled up. Chuqing lets him lay down, deciding to clean for him.
"I can do that." He says softly to her. She gives him a smile putting the clothes stained with red in a pile.
With a small head shake she says "you are in pain. Relax while I do this. I'm going to need to leave to get some things for you. But I'll be back. Do... you want something to snack on." She asks sitting on the floor next to his bed.
"No..." he shakes his head "... osmenthis cakes." He then answers. She lets out a chuckle watching him close his eyes to rest.
"Okay, I'll get some for you. I'll be right back." She says reaching over to brush a strand of hair out of his face. She gives him a pet. Leaving to get what he needs.
The first place she stops at is Mengpo hall, to see if they have any osmenthes cakes. They don't so she asks if they can make a batch. As they do that she goes to the female disciple hall. She gets some cleaner for the floor and bloody clothes, even packing some extra for him to have. Even adding some lotions and bath salts for when the week is over and he wants to get an ending bath. Chuqing adds a heating pad, which is just a small sack of rice. With everything packed she heads back to Mengpo hall to get those cakes. She huffs, grabbing everything in an open box, walking at a steady pace back to the Red Lotus pavilion.
She can not help the small smile adorning her face. She felt like a mother again. Of course she will always be a mother but this, helping Wanning, it feels like having a daughter. She loves Meng-er but sometimes she wishes she had a daughter.
She catches the sight of the boys. Going the same way she is. "Where are you boys going?" She asks behind them smiling, seeing them jump in their skins, twisting to look at her. She gives them a smile.
"To see shizun." Xue Meng answers.
Chuqing shakes her head, "not today. Yuheng isn't feeling well." They look at her with worried faces.
"Is he sick?"
"Was he hurt?"
"What happened?"
"Wanning is going to be fine. But I wouldn't bother him. Why don't you check in with husband? Shi Mei after you should go to Tanlang, he's been so focused on the dust that he's hasn't been working." She tells them seriously.
The boys stand dumbfounded. They look at her, never seeing this side of her. She's been firm before but never commanding.
She moves them, pushing them towards the main hall. "Not today." She says sternly.
Mo Ran turns his head to see Chuqing walking towards the Red Lotus pavilion. For now he'll listen to her but he's worried.