Volume One, Chapter Four: Treating Li Qingcheng's Illness

"The perfume in this room... is it your own?" Ye Tian changed the subject.

The woman seemed unable to keep up with his train of thought. She paused for a moment before replying, "Yes, it is."

Ye Tian frowned. "Are you certain? This is your own perfume?"

A look of slight confusion crossed the woman’s face. "Is there a problem?"

Ye Tian glanced at her and said slowly, "There is an aphrodisiac in the perfume."

"Oh?"

She blinked, a flicker of doubt crossing her eyes. However, she quickly regained her composure and said calmly, "I see. Thank you."

It seemed she did not wish to delve further into the topic. Since she had no desire to elaborate, Ye Tian did not want to press her. This was irrelevant to him; he had his own professional duties to attend to. He was here to treat a patient.

"You must be Li Cheng’s sister, Li Qingcheng," Ye Tian transitioned again.

"I am," Li Qingcheng nodded. Her expression was no longer as awkward as it had been before.

Ye Tian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The misunderstanding from earlier had almost made him think he had entered the wrong room. He stood up and said, "My name is Ye Tian. Li Cheng should have mentioned me to you, right?"

"You are Ye Tian?" Li Qingcheng looked him up and down, a hint of curiosity appearing in her eyes.

"Enough with the pleasantries. Let me check your pulse first." Without waiting for her consent, Ye Tian reached out and grabbed her wrist. It was an assertive, almost domineering gesture.

Li Qingcheng’s body stiffened; she seemed unaccustomed to physical contact with a stranger. However, this was for medical treatment, and pulse-taking was a standard procedure. She quickly relaxed and slipped into the role of a patient. "This strange ailment of mine has persisted for several years. It doesn't usually flare up, it’s just..."

"I can cure it." Before she could finish describing her symptoms, Ye Tian had already reached his conclusion.

"Huh?" Li Qingcheng was astonished. She had never seen such an efficient diagnostic process. Could this man truly be a miracle doctor?

"Take off your clothes. I need to perform acupuncture," Ye Tian said, taking out his silver needles and beginning to sterilize them.

Li Qingcheng hesitated. "You can diagnose me just by taking my pulse?"

Ye Tian didn't stop working. "Of course."

"Then tell me, what exactly is my condition?" she asked, clearly skeptical.

"Chronic poisoning. You wouldn't understand the details," Ye Tian replied, not wanting to waste time on explanations. "Take your clothes off. Once the acupuncture is finished, you won't have so many questions."

"I have to take my clothes off?" She seemed reluctant.

Ye Tian remained composed. "Of course. And you need to take them all off."

"What? Completely?" Her resistance grew. She began to suspect that Ye Tian was using the guise of medical treatment to take advantage of her. Although he had already seen her completely exposed moments earlier, that had been while she was unconscious. Now, being asked to voluntarily strip and reveal her body to a strange man made her feel deeply uncomfortable.

Ye Tian felt a sense of helplessness. "If you don't take your clothes off, how am I supposed to perform acupuncture? Don't overthink it; in the eyes of a doctor, there is no distinction between genders. Let's hurry."

The needles were already sterilized, but Li Qingcheng still clutched her bath towel, hesitant. Ye Tian sighed. He could understand her position; any normal woman would be reluctant to reveal her private areas to a stranger, especially someone as beautiful as her. Given the number of men who must surely covet her, her defensive instincts were only natural.

After a moment of thought, he came up with a solution. He ran to the bathroom, grabbed a towel, and tied it firmly over his eyes. "Will this suffice?" The thick fabric covered his eyes completely, blocking out every sliver of light.

Li Qingcheng was stunned. His behavior was certainly that of a gentleman, but if he couldn't see, how could he perform acupuncture? "Are you sure you can do this blindfolded? How can you be certain you won't hit the wrong points?"

She no longer had to worry about being seen, but now she had to worry about her own safety. Ye Tian, however, was filled with confidence.

"That is not something you should worry about. As the saying goes, one shouldn't claim to possess the diamond drill if one cannot handle the porcelain work. Even if you don't trust me, you should trust your brother. If he brought me here, he trusts me. If I say I can cure you, I can. Even blindfolded, I can still heal you. Just lie down."

Though Ye Tian had only learned the theory in prison and had little practical experience, he was extremely confident in his ability to locate acupuncture points by touch. After all, there had been no shortage of "volunteers" in prison to help him practice.

"I'm ready." Li Qingcheng finally lay down on the bed, closing her eyes with a sense of resignation. She kept the bath towel pressed beneath her to maintain a modicum of modesty. Her exposed back was smooth and fair.

Ye Tian could not see, but he didn't mind. He reached out and placed his hands on her back. The silky texture of her skin caused him to falter for a split second, but he quickly reined in his wandering thoughts. After moving his fingers slightly to confirm the positions, he began to insert the needles.

To him, the *Dragon Emperor Medical Canon* he had studied was merely the most basic of knowledge; acupuncture was child's play. He inserted the needles with divine precision. Within a few breaths, dozens of silver needles were densely arranged across her back.

Li Qingcheng felt no pain; she barely even felt the needles being inserted. But a few moments later, she felt a surge of warmth throughout her body, and her mind felt exceptionally clear.

As Ye Tian began to manipulate the needles, she felt a tingling sensation across her back, followed by a profound sense of comfort. It was clearly working.

"He really has some skill..." she thought to herself. She had experienced acupuncture before, but she had never felt such immediate results. Perhaps he really was a miracle doctor.

"Done." Ye Tian quickly withdrew the needles, moving even faster than he had when inserting them. Before she could even process what was happening, the needles were gone. Her body felt significantly lighter.

"You can put your towel back on now." Ye Tian turned away and removed the blindfold.