Yao Wei felt wonderful and comfortable. Warmth surged up from the soles of her feet, easing her urgent discomfort in an instant.
But when she thought of the deflated bottle, she felt a little wasteful. "Thanks. It's just that the bottle's all squashed now..."
Lu Xi'an smiled and said unconcernedly, "It's fine. It was only two bottles. I've saved up plenty more, so we have enough. And don't we still have the buckets? They're a bit much to carry, but if we squeeze things together, we should be able to fit one."
The buckets had to sit on a flat surface, and they needed to be filled with water, too. With a whole load of supplies piled in the vehicle, they weren't easy to stow.
Only then did Yao Wei nod. "Mm."
Lu Xi'an brought over a bowl and said, "Here, drink the rest of this hot water. There was a little left over after I filled the bottle, so you can have it."
Yao Wei shook her head. "I don't want any right now. You drink it."
"If I drink it, it'll go to waste," Lu Xi'an said. "Drinking hot water during this time can help ease the pain. If I'd known your period was coming, I would've heated water for you sooner."
Yao Wei asked, "What period?"
"..."
"It's what you're going through right now," Lu Xi'an explained.
"Oh."
Yao Wei blinked twice, looking as if she'd learned something new.
Of course, what she'd mainly learned wasn't the term itself, but how to deal with her current situation.
She hadn't known people called it that before.
She didn't refuse again. Sitting up, she drank the hot water. A warm stream slid down her throat and into her stomach, leaving her cozy and comfortable.
It seemed... she really did feel a little better.
Of course, one bowl of water couldn't make that much of a difference. Yao Wei's improvement was only psychological.
But over the following days, Lu Xi'an boiled water for her every day and even heated the water she used to wash up. Yao Wei gradually felt much better, and her stomach really didn't hurt as much.
She thought Lu Xi'an was amazing. He seemed to know everything.
"How are you feeling?"
Lu Xi'an asked.
"Pretty good."
Yao Wei said, handing the bowl back to Lu Xi'an.
Lu Xi'an smiled faintly. He set the bowl on the table, then climbed back into his own bed.
He'd made another "hot-water bottle." Wrapping it in a pillowcase, he placed it by his feet. Once he was under the covers, he pressed down on it with his foot. The warmth beneath his sole soon turned slightly scorching, making him shiver.
"Feels great!"
He let out a soft breath and pulled the covers tighter around himself.
Watching him, Yao Wei started laughing for some reason. They exchanged smiles, and Lu Xi'an called the dog over before turning off the light and going to sleep.
Over the next few days, Lu Xi'an started boiling water often.
Of course, Yao Wei wasn't some delicate woman who'd just lie in bed and leave everything to Lu Xi'an, letting him take care of her completely.
She did whatever she could, helping clean the dorm, boil water, and cook.
She'd learned from Lu Xi'an and had picked up how to make a few simple dishes.
None of it was particularly difficult for her.
But when she offered to wash the pots and bowls, Lu Xi'an stopped her.
"Coming into contact with cold water during your period can cause your blood to clot. That's why your stomach hurts. You don't need hot water to wash dishes, either, so you can leave that to me."
Lu Xi'an explained this to Yao Wei, then sighed. "If I'd known you'd go through this, I wouldn't have let you touch cold water before. Being exposed to cold water before your period can cause this, too."
Yao Wei nodded. "Mm. I'll be more careful next time."
She believed in learning to handle things herself and didn't intend to rely on Lu Xi'an for everything in the future.
For now, though, she still had to count on Lu Xi'an to fetch water.
The bitter cold lasted for several days, and it had snowed outside. With no sign of warmer weather, the snow and ice wouldn't melt. Going out meant getting wet and chilled, which could easily leave them damp and cold.
So Lu Xi'an took over the task. While he was at it, he tore open the back wall of the neighboring building, went inside, and lifted the vehicle's hood. Using tools from Yao Wei's toolbox, he disconnected the wires from the battery.
The world was frozen over, and the reservoir had turned to ice. Lu Xi'an didn't chop through it for water. In such bitter cold, there was no telling how thick the ice was. If it was thin, getting water would be dangerous; if it was thick, chopping through it would be a hassle. Neither option was ideal.
Instead, he gathered snow from right outside the entrance and waited for it to melt into water. It was easier that way.
He even had the dog check it. The melted snow was safe to drink, let alone use for anything else.
There was snow and a river outside, so getting water was easy; they just had to make a few extra trips. Lu Xi'an didn't plan to deprive himself, so he made sure he got the same treatment as Yao Wei.
Every time warm water slid down his throat and into his stomach, leaving him cozy and warm inside, he couldn't help letting out a soft breath. It felt wonderful.
In this world, you always had to conserve everything. He'd nearly forgotten what this felt like. It was nice to experience it again.
And he indulged in another small luxury: soaking his feet in hot water every day.
They still had nine buckets left, after all. There was no need to use every bucket of water for drinking. He set two buckets aside specifically for flushing the toilet, filling the hot-water bottles, and soaking their feet.
He and Yao Wei each had a bucket. They heated the water until it was just the right temperature, then placed it beside the bed before going to sleep. Sitting on the bed, they lowered their feet into the water, and its heat enveloped their feet and ankles.
The warmth rising from the water and the heat in their feet seemed to drift upward, warming their whole bodies. A lazy, cozy feeling swept right through them.
So comfortable!
"How is it?"
He asked Yao Wei as he soaked his feet.
Yao Wei nodded, looking at her toes in the bucket. "Mm."
Yao Wei's period lasted only four days, and she could even sense in advance when it was about to start, giving her time to take care of it.
Lu Xi'an was sure that New Humans had evolved to improve in this regard, too, but for some reason, the change hadn't been complete.
Once the four days had passed, Yao Wei was back to full strength, and the shelter suddenly grew warm as well.
The cold snap had passed.
They stayed there for another two days, waiting for the snow and ice outside to melt before getting ready to leave.
They both knew these two days would be their last chance to relax, so they kept indulging themselves, drinking hot water and soaking their feet every day.
But they no longer needed the hot-water bottles in their beds. Using them now would make things too hot.
"Sometimes I really do want to stay here. Life here is so comfortable."
As they were about to leave, Lu Xi'an sighed and said this.
Yao Wei pressed her lips together. "You can stay."
Her voice sounded muffled, as if she were saying the opposite of what she really felt.
Lu Xi'an could tell. He glanced at Yao Wei, then suddenly laughed. "I'm not staying. What would I stay for?
"Supplies always run out eventually. By then, my willpower will be gone along with them, and I won't be able to survive even if I leave. Then what?
"This place isn't an oasis. Hurry up and pack. Let's go."
Yao Wei nodded. "Mm." She thought Lu Xi'an was clearheaded and made a lot of sense.
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