By the time Lin Jiaojiao opened her eyes, she found Liu Mang looking down with an expression that screamed he was about to get fresh.
Startled by Liu Mang, Lin Jiaojiao quickly turned her head away and exclaimed, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing much, just thinking about taking advantage of you," Liu Mang teased her cheekily, waiting for her reaction.
"You are such a rogue. I'm not your girlfriend, how can you do that to me," Lin Jiaojiao complained non-stop, then suddenly remembered that during a previous outbreak of her cold disease, it seemed Liu Mang already kissed her.
No, no, Liu Mang was just administering medicine, it didn't count at all.
"How about this, why don't you become my girlfriend," Liu Mang said with a straight face.
As Liu Mang spoke those shameless words seriously, two blushes flew across Lin Jiaojiao's cheeks, "You're awful, I won't be your girlfriend! Besides, we've just met, do you really like me that quickly?"
Liu Mang watched Lin Jiaojiao's shy little demeanor with a smile in his eyes, finding this girl really quite innocent.
Gurgle gurgle...
Lin Jiaojiao's stomach growled, she rubbed her precious belly and looked eagerly at Liu Mang, "You're treating me to a meal."
Liu Mang rifled through his backpack, then remembered, the last bun had been eaten by him, "I have no idea where to find food nearby."
"Just look around and we'll find something," Lin Jiaojiao said, pulling Liu Mang's hand and hopping out from under the overpass.
After wandering around nearby, Lin Jiaojiao spotted a McDonald's and immediately dragged Liu Mang inside.
By the time Lin Jiaojiao ordered a heap of food, Liu Mang felt the pain when he paid.
Goodness, that meal actually cost over a hundred bucks.
With a droopy face, he took out the cash and paid; Liu Mang felt the pinch – earning a bit of money was not easy.
Spending so much on a meal, it seemed that keeping Lin Jiaojiao was going to be tough.
If she really became his girlfriend, his wallet was going to suffer continuously in the future.
Lin Jiaojiao saw the pained expression on Liu Mang's face and giggled, "What, does it hurt? It's just over a hundred bucks, look at you. If it's too much, I'll pay you back later."
"With you looking like that, where will you get the money to pay me back?" Liu Mang said.
"Hehehe, maybe there aren't many in Jiangnan City wealthier than me," Lin Jiaojiao said mysteriously, taking the ready food and heading for a table.
The two went upstairs, sat down at an empty dining table, and Lin Jiaojiao started munching on a spicy chicken drumstick, savoring it deliciously.
Liu Mang sat opposite, watching her, and couldn't help but smack his lips and swallow his saliva.
Seeing Liu Mang like that, Lin Jiaojiao burst into laughter, handed him another drumstick, and stuffed it into his mouth, "Don't just watch, eat if you want, I ordered a portion for two."
"You should have said so earlier, then I could have saved half of the money," Liu Mang bit into the drumstick, chewed a few times, and thought, hmm, not a bad taste.
Lin Jiaojiao rolled her eyes, my goodness, she had never seen anyone so stingy.
After finishing a drumstick, Lin Jiaojiao tossed the bone away and put her fingers one by one into her mouth to suck them clean, a little habit she had.
Liu Mang ate his drumstick while attentively watching Lin Jiaojiao's little actions.
But on second thought, it must be because her dad was particularly nasty to her, having never eaten much good food in her life, that she would lick even the oil off her fingers.
After cleaning her greasy fingers with her sweet little mouth, Lin Jiaojiao picked up a super-sized burger and started to eat.
While eating, Lin Jiaojiao asked Liu Mang, "Where are you from, and how come your medical skills are so miraculous?"
Liu Mang answered, "I'm from Liu Family Village. As for my medical skills, I learned them from my master and mistress."
"Oh," Lin Jiaojiao nodded slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering cutely, and her round, adorable eyes kept sizing up Liu Mang, appraising him.
He seemed to be just a year or two older than herself, yet it was surprising that his medical skills were so good.
The previous so-called Divine Doctor who formulated the elixir to suppress her cold poison was at least in his seventies.
It seems that you really can't judge a person's medical skills by their age.
The saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" is really true.
Lin Jiaojiao then asked, "What are you doing in Jiangnan City?"
"I'm here to see the world and, by the way, to complete three tasks my master and his wife entrusted to me."
"What three tasks?"
"I have an elder martial sister who ran away from Liu Family Village many years ago and hasn't returned since. My master and his wife miss her dearly, so they asked me to find her no matter what on this trip out. Also, I'm not young anymore, and my master's wife said it's time to find a wife, so I need to bring one back this time. Lastly, I am to train in my medical skills and definitely master the Nine Deaths Needle."
Lin Jiaojiao took all of Liu Mang's words to heart, and when it came to the Nine Deaths Needle, she asked, "Was the needle you just used on me the Nine Deaths Needle?"
"Exactly."
"Then you've already mastered it."
Liu Mang said, "I only know how to use it. The Nine Deaths Needle, the needle arrives and the disease is removed; once the disease is removed, the needle is destroyed. For every needle used, one less remains. To truly master the Nine Deaths Needle, one must be able to refine the needles as well. Oh, and let me tell you something, even though I've driven out the cold poison in your body with the Baihuo Pill and the Nine Deaths Needle, you have a natural cold constitution, meaning your body will naturally condense cold air, and the condition will flare up sooner or later."
"What should I do?" Lin Jiaojiao knew her body best; indeed, the cold poison flared up periodically, each time causing unbearable pain that made her want to die right away.
"Here, take this." Liu Mang took out a whole bottle of Baihuo Pills and handed them to Lin Jiaojiao, "I've pierced nine major acupoints on your body with the Nine Deaths Needle. Each time the cold poison flares up, if you take a Baihuo Pill, the medicinal power will force the cold poison to naturally rush towards those nine acupoints and dissipate. This bottle is full of Baihuo Pills, about a hundred or so, enough for you to use for a while."
Liu Mang's gesture stunned Lin Jiaojiao, who was munching away at her food.
She was well aware of how extremely precious the elixir Liu Mang had fed her earlier was. She hadn't expected Liu Mang to take out a hundred or so all at once, to have so many.
Such a precious elixir, and Liu Mang didn't seem to cherish it at all.
Lin Jiaojiao wanted to reach out and take it, but her hand stopped halfway. Liu Mang was giving her such precious medicine, and so much of it, what did he want in return?
After swallowing the food in her mouth, Lin Jiaojiao cleared her throat and asked in a low, soft voice, "These elixirs must be worth a lot of money, aren't they?"
"You ran away from home, where would you get any money? Consider it a gift from me."
"A gift for me?"
Lin Jiaojiao almost thought she had heard wrong. Such precious elixir, just given to her like that.
Earlier, Liu Mang grumbled about spending just over a hundred yuan, but now he was giving away a bottle of miraculous Spirit Pills without any sign of reluctance.
"Unless you have money to give me? Just take it," Liu Mang said, taking Lin Jiaojiao's small hand and placing the bottle in it.
While at it, Liu Mang pinched Lin Jiaojiao's small hand.
Feeling Liu Mang's naughty action, Lin Jiaojiao shyly withdrew her hand, "You really are something, always taking advantage of me."
Unable to get enough of Lin Jiaojiao's shy and cute appearance, Liu Mang said, "Look, we're so familiar now, let's not be so formal. How about you call me 'brother'?"
"Brother?"
"Ah, Jiaojiao, good little sister."
Lin Jiaojiao didn't expect Liu Mang to agree so quickly, leaving her with no chance to refuse.
Now, saying no seemed a bit pretentious. After hesitating for a bit, Lin Jiaojiao simply conceded, "If you're my brother, does that mean you'll always protect me?"
Liu Mang patted his chest firmly, "Do I even need to say it? If anyone dares to bully you, your brother will definitely take care of him."
"You said it," Lin Jiaojiao's lips curled into a sly smile, "You just bullied me."
Liu Mang scratched his head, "I did not. Or shall I return the favor to you?"
"Return the favor?" Lin Jiaojiao's index finger gently touched her lips, then she looked at Liu Mang and blushed, lowering her head.
"Hehe, shall I return it to you right now?" Liu Mang teased, pretending to scare Lin Jiaojiao.
"What a Liu Mang, getting fresh again!" Suddenly, a woman's angry shout came from the staircase, the voice of the fiery policewoman Lu Mengyao.