Ye Qiu took out a few long needles, disinfected them with alcohol, and looked at Tang Guo, who was tightly wrapped in a pink goose-down blanket adorned with a picture of a bare-bottomed Shin-chan. "Uncover the blanket," he instructed.
"What?" Tang Guo popped her head out from under the blanket. Her face, flushed from being under the covers for too long, had a healthy glow to it, and her skin looked so delicate that it seemed a pinch could draw water. Despite having made up her mind earlier, now that the moment was here, she felt a wave of nervousness.
"Am I really going to let this beast take advantage of me?" Tang Guo thought to herself.
"I can't administer the needles like this," Ye Qiu said, gesturing with the long needle in his hand. If the silver needle was exposed to the air for too long, it would need to be disinfected again.
"Alright then." Tang Guo hesitated but eventually uncovered the blanket. "Is this okay now?"
"No, it's not," Ye Qiu replied with a straight face. As soon as the blanket was lifted, a fragrant scent filled the air. Every woman has her own unique fragrance. Tang Guo's scent, while not as deep and rich as Shen Monong's, had its own charm.
Of course, every man has his own scent too. If a woman can't detect the scent of the man beside her, it means she loves him.
"You don't expect me to take off my clothes too, do you? Are you trying to take advantage of me?" Tang Guo said as she got up from the bed.
Ye Qiu got up from the bedside, put away the long needles, and started placing them back into the needle case. Then, he picked up the case and began to walk out.
"Hey, where are you going?" Tang Guo called out anxiously.
"Hey, hey, hey, why are you leaving? I still don't understand how TCM enhances bust size," Lin Bao'er quickly ran to the door to block Ye Qiu, preventing him from leaving.
"You can insult me, but please don't insult my profession," Ye Qiu said righteously. "A healer has the heart of a parent. What do you think we doctors are? Perverted scoundrels looking for cheap thrills? If that were the case, I'd be interested in Bao'er, not you."
Seeing Tang Guo's angry expression, looking like she was about to pounce on him, Ye Qiu quickly explained, "Do you think I'm eager to give you this treatment? Do you think acupuncture is easy? It drains a lot of energy. If you don't take off your pajamas, how am I supposed to administer the needles? Maybe it's better to wait until I've mastered blind acupuncture techniques, then I can treat you. By then, your body might have matured on its own."
Since both of these girls were novices, Ye Qiu wasn't worried about them seeing through his bluff. "Administering the needles involves precise points and careful pressure. If done incorrectly, it could have serious consequences."
"Serious consequences? Could it be dangerous?" Tang Guo, who had been about to throw a pillow at Ye Qiu, stopped midway, caught off guard by his words.
"Of course it's dangerous. Isn't everything risky? You could choke on water. Forget it, let's not do it," Ye Qiu said, hugging the needle case and making a move to leave.
Lin Bao'er quickly jumped up and wrapped her arms around Ye Qiu's waist, her lively little chest bouncing against him.
"No way. You're not allowed to leave."
"It's not even your bust we're talking about. Why are you so anxious?"
"But I want to see you enhance Sister Tang Tang's bust. She wears padded bras every day and wakes up so early to do yoga—it's so painful for her."
"Lin Bao'er, get out of here!" Tang Guo finally threw the pillow, but luckily, it wasn't aimed at Ye Qiu this time; it was aimed at Lin Bao'er.
"So, do you want the treatment or not? It's just a case of your spleen and liver channels being blocked. It's a matter of unblocking them, which is a qi and blood issue. If you had someone's hands—let's say you got a boyfriend as you grew older—it could solve this problem too," Ye Qiu said, losing interest in treating Tang Guo. Initially, he had wanted to practice his long-neglected needle skills, but seeing Tang Guo's hesitation made him lose enthusiasm.
"Do it," Tang Guo said decisively, lying back down on the bed.
"You'll need to take off your pajamas."
"Fine."
"My hands might touch your back."
"Stop dawdling! Today, I'm letting you take advantage of me."
"—"
When Shen Monong returned, the living room was empty. Ye Qiu's small room had its door open, but there was no one inside.
"Did they all go out? How careless to leave the door unlocked," Shen Monong muttered. She took off her silver-gray blazer, draped it over her arm, and walked to the dining room to pour herself a glass of lemon water before leaning back on the sofa to rest.
She didn't know how her uncle and aunt would report back to the family, but her family was still insisting on her marriage to Beckson. And this time, it wasn't clear how they managed it, but even her grandfather had called personally. Although he hadn't explicitly forced her to agree to the marriage, he had gently suggested that she visit Suhang in the next few days.
Beckson's grandfather was hosting a birthday banquet in three days, and her grandfather's suggestion to visit Suhang at that time seemed to imply that she should attend the banquet.
Work at the company was also frustrating. Having left the familiar network of her family in Suhang, she was now trying to make it on her own in the complex environment of Yanjing. Although Uncle Tang had provided some support in the beginning, her independent nature didn't like relying on others too much.
Behind every successful man, there's an unsuccessful woman; but behind every successful woman, there's a row of successful men. Her beauty had made her quite well-known in Yanjing, and those who didn't have strong backgrounds knew better than to pursue her. But some powerful business partners often tried to flirt with her in subtle ways.
Recently, she had been negotiating a major deal, and just when all the terms were agreed upon, the bald-headed general manager had been dragging his feet on signing the contract.
Shen Monong knew what he wanted. While she didn't participate in such dealings, she was aware of the industry's unspoken rules. She sent the company's PR manager—a charming middle-aged woman who had secured many contracts for the company, though her methods weren't always aboveboard. However, this was common practice among all companies, and the manager herself didn't mind, as she earned high commissions from it.
After spending a night with the general manager, the middle-aged woman angrily reported back that the man was a beast. He had initially agreed to sign the contract the next day but then changed his mind, demanding that Shen Monong meet with him in person.
Furious, Shen Monong felt like throwing her seven-centimeter high heel at his head. She had a mild case of mysophobia, and the thought of that sleazy face made her want to vomit. Naturally, she had no intention of meeting with him personally.
Unable to resolve either of these issues, she felt physically and mentally exhausted. She wanted to lie down on the sofa for a nap but was afraid of catching a cold, so she decided to head upstairs instead.
As she approached her room on the second floor, she heard some noise coming from Tang Guo's room. She listened closely and heard voices, including a man's voice. After carefully identifying it, she realized it was Ye Qiu. Relieved, Shen Monong thought, "I thought they had all gone out. Turns out they're just hiding in their rooms."
She opened her room door and was stunned by what she saw.
Tang Guo's head was buried under the blanket, and she wasn't wearing any clothes. Her smooth, white back was exposed to the air. Ye Qiu was sitting on the bed, inserting something into her bare back, while Lin Bao'er, looking like a curious child, squatted beside them, watching intently.
"What are you doing?" Shen Monong's blood boiled, and in her anger, she shouted.
Ye Qiu was just about to administer the needle when Shen Monong's sudden outburst startled him. His hand slipped, and the long needle plunged into Tang Guo's skin.
"Ahhh—" Tang Guo let out a piercing scream, her voice filled with agony.
Shen Monong rushed over, threw her blazer over Tang Guo's back, and then pulled the blanket to wrap Tang Guo up tightly. Seeing Ye Qiu still holding the needle, she glared at him and said coldly, "Get out."
"I'm not finished yet."
"Get out."
Ye Qiu smiled bitterly, realizing he had been misunderstood. Seeing that she was angry, he decided not to explain on the spot. Shen Monong would get the truth from Tang Guo soon enough. After packing up his needle case, he quietly left the room.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8