Volume 1 / Chapter 59: Morning in the Mountains

The early morning in the mountains already carried the chill of winter.

Rain had fallen steadily through the night and still hadn’t let up.

At 4:40 a.m., Mò Xuěyáo was awakened by the alarm she had set the night before.

The sound stirred a few of the other girls as well, their eyes fluttering open in confusion. Most, however, simply turned over and drifted back to sleep.

Lǐ Wǎnyán sat up groggily, awakened by the alarm. She noticed Mò Xuěyáo also sitting up beside her and asked softly, “You’re awake?”

“Mmm... Good morning, monitor,” Mò Xuěyáo replied, stifling a huge yawn. She had just lifted the covers and was about to crawl out when a burst of cold air hit her square in the face, making her shiver uncontrollably and dive right back under the blanket.

“Still raining,” Lǐ Wǎnyán murmured, peering out the window.

“Yeah... By the way, didn’t the homeroom teacher say we had to wake up at five today? So what time does training actually start?” Mò Xuěyáo asked. Though the details had been mentioned during the military training orientation, she hadn’t paid much attention. Too many words, not enough substance—whatever useful info there was had long been drowned out.

“5:30” Lǐ Wǎnyán replied confidently. “So we’ve still got time. No need to rush. But it’s better to get up early and wash up now—those three bathrooms definitely won’t be enough once everyone’s awake.”

“Yeah...” Mò Xuěyáo shivered again, then forced herself out of bed. As the cold air slipped into the warm bedding behind her, Huā Yínyín let out a sharp gasp. Her round little face scrunched up, and she immediately curled herself up tightly, wrapping the blanket around her like a cocoon.

Mò Xuěyáo pulled on the camouflage uniform she had worn the previous day, but it offered little insulation.

The fabric was thin and coarse—not nearly enough for a chilly morning like this.

And on top of that, a dull ache had started to stir in her lower abdomen.

It felt eerily familiar—just like the pain she used to feel before her surgery. Cold, gnawing pain. As if her lower stomach had been shoved into a fridge.

The chill seeped through her entire body. Her limbs were icy. She couldn’t even straighten her back—only by hunching over and pressing a hand to her belly could she manage the discomfort.

Oddly enough, she found herself missing the oppressive heat of summer.

At least back then, she didn’t have to deal with this kind of cold.

“You okay? Not feeling well?” Lǐ Wǎnyán asked. She was already dressed in her own uniform and hopping gently in place, as if to warm herself up.

“Uhh... I’m okay. My stomach just hurts a little...” Mò Xuěyáo gave her a strained smile.

“Did you eat something bad? Or maybe it’s the cold?”

“I’m not sure...” she muttered through clenched teeth. Clutching her belly, she hurried off toward the bathroom. “I—I need the toilet...”

It felt like something inside her was about to gush out, completely out of her control. She rushed into a stall and sat down, only to be hit by a pain so sharp it felt like a blade was slicing through her from the inside out.

Her breath caught.

Her whole body tensed.

It felt like her insides—her very flesh—were being torn apart. “Ughh...” Mò Xuěyáo clenched her fists, trying to ride out the pain. She glanced down—and froze.

The toilet bowl was nearly red with blood.

For a few seconds, her mind went completely blank. Her first thought: Did I tear something again?

But that couldn’t be it. The surgery wounds had already healed.

And besides, the pain wasn’t coming from there.

She touched the area where it hurt the most. Was that... her liver? Or her kidneys?

No—based on what she vaguely remembered about female anatomy, it had to be the uterus.

Only then did it finally hit her.

She was having her period.

The first one—her menarche.

[menarche: means the first period]

Even though the term had come up in health class, the actual details had always been vague.

What was a girl supposed to do when her period started?

She had absolutely no idea.

Normally, this was something passed down through generations—mothers guiding daughters, older sisters teaching younger ones.

But how long had she even been a girl?

Not long enough to anticipate something like this.

And her mother hadn’t said a word about it either.

Maybe she forgot.

Sixteen years of being a boy had hardwired a different set of instincts. Even if someone knew Mò Xuěyáo had physically changed, it was easy to overlook things like this.

So now what?

She knew about pads—after all, sanitary pad commercials were everywhere on TV. It wasn’t like she was completely clueless.

But where was she supposed to get one now?

Even if someone handed her one, would she even know how to use it?

A knock sounded softly at the door.

“Mò Xuěyáo,” came Lǐ Wǎnyán’s voice. “If you’re not feeling well, do you want me to ask for leave on your behalf?”

“I-I’m fine...” she replied, still trying to sound tough.

But Lǐ Wǎnyán could hear the strain in her voice. “Hmm... are you having cramps?”

“Cramps...?” Mò Xuěyáo repeated blankly.

“I figured you might be on your period. It probably started last night, and with all this cold, the pain’s acting up. Just wanted to check on you.”

“O-oh... Yeah... I think that might be it,” she admitted, cheeks burning.

“You brought pads, right?”

“No...” Mò Xuěyáo’s voice was barely louder than a whisper.

“Are they in your bag?”

“N-no...”

“Really? Even if you didn’t track your cycle, you should’ve kept some on hand,” Lǐ Wǎnyán said, a hint of reproach in her tone. “Girls have to take care of themselves.”

“I-I didn’t know it’d be today...” Mò Xuěyáo mumbled, embarrassed.

“...Wait—don’t tell me this is your first time?”

“Y-yeah...” Sixteen years as a boy made admitting that unbelievably awkward.

“You mean you’re only just starting puberty now?” Lǐ Wǎnyán sounded a little surprised. “Alright, hold on. I’ll grab some of mine for you. Just stay put.”

“Okay...”

A few minutes later, the door was knocked again.

“Did you lock the door?” Lǐ Wǎnyán called.

“I don’t think so...”

The door creaked open.

Mò Xuěyáo kept her head down, feeling like she wanted to melt into the floor.

She only looked up when she saw Lǐ Wǎnyán’s shoes stop in front of her.

“Here.” She handed over a pad in white plastic wrapping, marked with bold letters—ABC.

“Do you know how to use it?”

Mò Xuěyáo shook her head quickly, like a bobblehead.

Lǐ Wǎnyán gave her a knowing look. “I figured. Okay, watch—tear here, stick this part to your underwear, and put them back on. Super simple. Don’t forget to unfold the wings so it doesn’t leak.”

Mò Xuěyáo’s face was burning, but she nodded earnestly—even if she only half understood.

“Also, wash your hands first,” Lǐ Wǎnyán added. She packed the unused pad back into the bag. “I’ll leave you to it.”

“Thanks...”

Once the door shut behind her, Mò Xuěyáo finally exhaled.

She washed her hands at the sink, then used napkins to dry off.

Back in middle school, boys had always been weirdly fascinated by “girl stuff.” Especially pads—they’d dig through girls’ bags, pull one out, and wave it around the classroom like some kind of trophy.

It was disgusting.

And even if they weren’t that extreme, many would still laugh when girls rushed off to the bathroom with a pad in hand.

They thought it was funny—until they saw what a real period looked like.

A puddle of blood and strange clots—definitely not something worth gawking at.

Mò Xuěyáo averted her eyes as she flushed it all away.

That was better.

She carefully put on the pad and pulled up her pants.

There was something soft and snug now, offering a reassuring kind of protection.

She took a few steps—no issues.

As long as she didn’t run, she’d be fine.

Though sweating might get uncomfortable...

She probably wouldn’t be able to participate in military training for the next few days.

And this was going to happen every month?

Just thinking about it gave her a headache.

Back in the attic, the other girls were beginning to wake up.

Mò Xuěyáo stuffed the used napkins back into her bag, only to feel something soft and squishy inside—like a piece of bread.

She fished it out and realized... it was a pack of Sofy brand sanitary pads.

She was sure she hadn’t packed these herself.

Which meant—her mother must have put them there.

Maybe she’d forgotten to explain what to do.

But she still remembered to pack them for her, just in case.

“Mò Xuěyáo, I’ve got a few more in my bag. You can use them if you don’t have enough,” Lǐ Wǎnyán offered kindly.

“Ah... I just checked my bag,” Mò Xuěyáo replied, scratching her head sheepishly. “Turns out my mom packed some. But thanks for earlier.”

“No problem.” Lǐ Wǎnyán nodded. “If you have any questions, just ask. I’ll tell the instructor you’ll be taking a break today. Make sure to drink lots of hot water, and skip anything spicy at the cafeteria. Oh, and don’t soak in the bath—just a quick rinse is fine, or better yet, a sponge bath.”

“Thanks...” Mò Xuěyáo was overwhelmed with gratitude.

“Also, change into your regular clothes. They’ll be cleaner. That uniform must be soaked with sweat by now, and if it smells, you’ll have to bathe again.”

“Ah... are you sure that’s okay?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain it to the teacher.”

“O-okay... Thanks again...”

“You don’t need to keep thanking me,” Lǐ Wǎnyán said with a gentle smile. “We’re classmates. It’s normal to help each other.”

“Mmm...” Mò Xuěyáo nodded.