78: Bonus Chapter: Two Kinds of Medicine

When the alarm went off in the morning, Qin Lu didn't even open her eyes.

She fumbled for her phone and turned it off.

It took her a moment to gather herself before she sat up.

Tsk... how is there still more?

Qin Lu cursed under her breath.

She went to the bathroom and washed her face with cold water.

Waking up a bit, she started brushing her teeth.

Her movements were slow and somewhat weak; she really wanted to keep sleeping.

But she had to go to the pharmacy.

Qin Lu spat out the foam and rinsed her mouth.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she suddenly felt it was a bit absurd.

Thirty-eight years old, and she still had to worry about this kind of thing.

And with her own student, no less.

Qin Lu's lips twitched into a self-deprecating smile.

She dried her face, returned to the bedroom, and rummaged through the wardrobe for clothes.

A high-necked sweater and a pair of black trousers.

There were quite a few marks on her body, including her neck and collarbone; she covered everywhere she could.

When putting on her pants, bending over was a bit of a struggle.

The muscles at the base of her thighs were sore, and there was a faint pain in a certain place.

Qin Lu pulled up her pants and fastened her belt.

She threw on a coat and grabbed her wallet and phone.

When she walked into the living room, Qin Ya's bedroom door was still closed.

This child wouldn't leave her bedroom until almost noon.

Even if she woke up early, she'd stay huddled in bed playing with her phone.

---

The neighborhood pharmacy was right next to the community entrance; it wasn't big, but it was well-stocked.

When Qin Lu pushed the door open, there was only a middle-aged female clerk tidying the shelves.

"Morning," the clerk looked up at her. "What do you need?"

"I..." Qin Lu paused. "I'm buying some medicine."

"Got a cold?" the clerk asked.

"No." Qin Lu walked to the counter and lowered her voice. "Do you have Yuting?"

The clerk glanced at her, her expression unchanged, then turned to grab a small box from the shelf behind her and placed it on the counter.

"This one."

Qin Lu picked it up and flipped it over to read the instructions.

This was actually her first time taking this.

"Anything else?" the clerk asked.

Qin Lu hesitated.

She actually knew of another medicine, a short-acting one called Yasmin.

Lin Liyan had mentioned it before.

Two boxes of medicine sat side by side.

One was for emergencies, the other for long-term use.

These two medicines seemed to represent two different lives.

Qin Lu bit her lip and, as if possessed, pointed at the shelf: "That Yasmin, give me a box of that too."

"One hundred and fifty-six in total," the clerk said, handing her the box of Yasmin as well.

Qin Lu paid and tucked the two boxes into her coat pocket.

When leaving the pharmacy， The sunlight was a bit too bright.。

Standing by the roadside, she pulled the box of Minting from her pocket and opened the packaging.

Inside was a single small pill.

Qin Lu looked around; there was a convenience store nearby.

She went in, bought a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed it, and swallowed the pill with the water.

The pill was a bit bitter, dissolving slightly in her throat.

Qin Lu took another large gulp of water and threw the bottle into a roadside trash can.

She checked the time; it was almost eleven. Qin Ya should be awake by now.

There was a small stir-fry shop by the community entrance; the food was decent.

Qin Lu walked in and greeted the lady boss.

"Teacher Qin is here?" The lady boss knew her. "What are you having today?"

"Two dishes to go." Qin Lu looked at the menu on the wall. "One Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork and one Kung Pao Chicken, both mildly spicy. Also, two boxes of rice."

"Alright, just a moment. It'll be ready soon."

Qin Lu sat on a plastic stool by the door to wait.

The shop was busy right now, and the smell of cooking fumes was heavy, making her feel a bit nauseous.

Maybe it was a reaction to the medicine she just took?

Or maybe she was too tired from last night.

It couldn't be that she was pregnant, right?

Heh... Qin Lu found that she wasn't particularly angry.

She was even in the mood to joke with herself.

"Teacher Qin, your food is ready."

Qin Lu quickly stood up and took the takeaway boxes.

She paid and headed back with the food.

She ran into a few neighbors on the way; Qin Lu smiled and nodded in greeting.

In truth, she was panicking inside, feeling like others could see something.

Although the red marks were covered, she felt her collar wasn't high enough.

---

When she got home, Qin Ya was curled up on the sofa playing with her phone.

"Mom, you went out?" Qin Ya looked up and saw the takeaway boxes. "Wow, what good stuff did you buy?"

"Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork and Kung Pao Chicken." Qin Lu placed the food on the dining table. "Go get the bowls and chopsticks; it's time to eat."

Mother and daughter sat facing each other.

Qin Lu didn't have much of an appetite and ate small mouthfuls of rice.

Qin Ya, on the other hand, ate heartily while scrolling through phone videos.

After a moment of silence, Qin Lu asked as if casually, "What time did you go to sleep last night?"

Qin Ya's hand paused while picking up food, but she quickly returned to normal. "Around eight or nine? Anyway, not long after Yu Heng arrived, I went to sleep."

"That early?" Qin Lu looked up.

"Don't I always sleep this early after livestreaming?" Qin Ya muttered, her voice carrying a hint of complaint. "Sitting for three or four hours is very tiring."

"Tiring after sitting for three hours?" Qin Lu instinctively retorted. "I sit in the office all day."

A voice in her head added, wasn't I even more tired after doing it for an hour or two last night?

Qin Ya curled her lip. "You don't have to keep making noise there."

But last night, the sounds were constant... Qin Ya had listened at the door for a long time, hearing Qin Lu's voice go from suppressed to unrestrained.

Hearing it made her feel a bit... so she hurried back to her room.

"Alright, let's eat. I still have to take you to your livestream this afternoon."

---

After finishing the meal, Qin Lu went back to her room and closed the door.

She pulled the two boxes of medicine from her coat pocket.

She had already taken one pill of Yuting, leaving one spare.

The Yasmin hadn't been opened yet.

Qin Lu stared at the box of Yasmin for a long time.

Finally, she opened the packaging and took out a blister pack.

Today was Sunday. If she started today and took it for seven days... by next Sunday evening, it would be effective.

Qin Lu stared at the tiny pill and suddenly laughed.

Laughing at her own shamelessness, laughing at her own absurdity.

But her hand was steady as she popped out a pill and put it in her mouth.

Without water, she just swallowed it dry.

The pill got stuck in her throat, a bit bitter.

But Qin Lu didn't feel uncomfortable.

She just stuffed the medicine box into the bottom layer of her handbag.

Then she lay back on the bed and pulled the quilt over her face.

The quilt seemed to still carry a hint of the scent left by Yu Heng.

She really was beyond saving.

Thirty-eight years old, and she had actually started comforting herself.

Carried by that feeling, she drifted back into a groggy sleep.

When she woke up again, it was already past two.

It was time to take Qin Ya to her livestream.