Chapter 974

Status is something you don't need to show off normally, but when you need it, you must have it.

Just like Ao Jing right now, he can't advance or retreat, feeling very stifled.

If he had status, whether marrying her or moving into her family, it would be natural for him to live with Shan Shan.

Now?

If he went, but Shan Shan no longer needed him, he would lose face.

After all, he's a decent person.

But if he doesn't go, wouldn't Shan Shan think he's using her and then discarding her, eager to come when he needs her and vanishing when he doesn't?

Ao Jing thought it over and eventually went to the Feng Clan.

No matter what, he first needs to confirm whether Shan Shan still needs him, then talk with her about the future to see how she's arranged things, so he can have peace of mind.

Shan Shan's situation tonight, however, is somewhat complicated.

At the specific time, the condition from the past week of being tormented by extreme yang energy, needing soothing, did not appear.

But her stomach hurt, a sinking, burning pain.

At first, Shan Shan thought she had eaten something bad, but she didn't feel like going to the bathroom at all.

She lay on her side on the bed, reviewed her diet over the past two days, confirmed she hadn't eaten or drunk anything random, and then realized this probably wasn't just a simple stomach upset.

Shan Shan also thought about going to see her maternal uncle for help, but she hesitated; it was late, maybe she could tough it out and sleep it through.

She's had a good constitution since childhood, hardly ever sick, so Shan Shan still has confidence in her physique.

The result was her stomach hurting more and more, with waves of cramping, as if a tiny hand were desperately twisting inside her lower abdomen.

Not only was it painful, Shan Shan also felt waves of weakness.

It was the kind of weakness where her vital spirit was rapidly being drained.

This was quite abnormal.

Shan Shan struggled to get up; now she had to go see her maternal uncle.

Just as she got out of bed, a sound came from the door.

Soon after, Ao Jing entered.

Ao Jing reflexively closed the door, walked to the bedside, was about to speak, but seeing Shan Shan's face, he froze: "Shan Shan, what's wrong? Your complexion looks so bad."

Shan Shan shook her head: "I don't know what's wrong with me either."

She told Ao Jing the whole story of her stomach pain.

Ao Jing then sat beside Shan Shan, placed his large hand on her lower abdomen, and asked: "Is your period coming?"

"No," Shan Shan said, "my period hasn't arrived yet, and it never hurts when I have it."

However, strangely, after Ao Jing helped rub her for a while, the tormenting pain disappeared.

Shan Shan had rubbed it herself for a long time with no effect.

When they turned off the lights and lay down, Shan Shan, with her back to Ao Jing, snuggled into his embrace, both hands resting on the wrist of his hand that was on her belly, and soon fell asleep.

That half-night, Shan Shan was truly exhausted from the torment, and inexplicably felt some weakness in her body, completely different from the vigorous state she had after the past few days of dual cultivation.

Ao Jing simply held Shan Shan, listening to her even breathing, and his earlier apprehension and turmoil vanished.

Shan Shan needing him made Ao Jing feel extremely happy.

The next day, Ao Jing left as usual at the first light of dawn.

As he left, Shan Shan was still half-asleep; Ao Jing lightly kissed her forehead and said, "I'll come again tonight."

Shan Shan nodded in response.

Ao Jing felt happy; coming again tonight would spare him the indecision.

But Ao Jing never expected that before evening arrived, Shan Shan's phone would call, urging him to come quickly because her stomach hurt unbearably again.

In fact, shortly after Ao Jing left in the morning, Shan Shan couldn't sleep.

At first her lower abdomen only had a faint ache, but as time passed, the cramping pain from last night grew stronger; this time Shan Shan chose to first see her maternal uncle.

A Cheng rushed over, took Shan Shan's pulse, and after a thorough examination found nothing wrong.

Shan Shan then thought of Bái Sōnglán and immediately contacted her.

Bái Sōnglán rushed over, conducted an examination, but still found no cause.

This was very strange.

Even Bái Sōnglán couldn't diagnose the problem, meaning the problem was truly serious.

Bái Sōnglán speculated: "Shan Shan's condition doesn't seem like an illness; even if it were in its early stages with symptoms latent, I could detect something from her pulse. Moreover, after contacting Shan Shan and saying that Ao Jing came last night and merely rubbed her belly, which relieved the pain, I believe it's still related to yin-yang harmony."

When yin-yang harmony was mentioned, Shan Shan felt somewhat embarrassed.

This was originally a private matter between her and Ao Jing; even if everyone knew Ao Jing would come at night, as long as it wasn't brought up directly, it was fine.

But now Bái Sōnglán, in front of Uncle A Cheng, was discussing this very seriously, and Shan Shan really wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

However, A Cheng studies occult arts and has no taboos, while Bái Sōnglán is a medical immortal with a parent's heart; neither of them thinks this is a big deal.

They discussed the matter matter-of-factly, right in front of Shan Shan.

Shan Shan felt utterly socially dead, yet could do nothing about it.

While they were talking, Ao Jing arrived.

He still rubbed her belly as he had the night before; after just five or six minutes, Shan Shan no longer hurt, though she was utterly exhausted and fell asleep leaning in his embrace.

It was fortunate she fainted asleep; otherwise, if she heard what Bái Sōnglán and Ao Jing said, she would likely find it hard to face them calmly in the future.

When she woke again, Shan Shan lay on her bed in her own room, with Ao Jing guarding beside the bed, staring at her steadily.

When Shan Shan moved, Ao Jing also moved accordingly.

He helped Shan Shan sit up and placed a pillow behind her back.

Shan Shan smiled: "I'm just a bit uncomfortable, not yet weak to the point of being unable to care for myself, Brother Jing, you don't need to be so nervous."

Ao Jing nodded, sat back down on the edge of the bed, looking worried.

Shan Shan then asked him: "Jing, what's wrong? Did they say something to you?"

Ao Jing hesitated a moment, then suddenly grabbed Shan Shan's right hand, stared at her eyes and said very seriously, "Shan Shan, let's get married."

Shan Shan was taken aback: "How come you're bringing up marriage again all of a sudden?"

Ao Jing's cheeks were already flushed over a large area, he stammered: "Bai Yixian said, we two need to continue the 'yin-yang harmonization', and when it will end is also unknown; her suggestion is to wait a bit longer, perhaps the crux of the problem will then truly show up."

Seeing Shan Shan's brows slightly furrow, Ao Jing became even more nervous.

He hurriedly explained: "Bai Yixian said, maybe your body can't withstand the supreme yang qi, needing yin-yang harmonization to completely consume it; or maybe during our previous yin-yang harmonization, something subtly changed in your body, leading to the current situation… In any case, whatever the cause, we can't rush; she needs time to follow up, then we can prescribe the right remedy."