The television filled the room with sounds that made one’s face flush. It had to be said, the plot was explosive—a widow who had just finished bathing getting involved with the migrant worker who had come over from next door to fix the drain.
"Tu... turn it off, quickly!"
Zhang Ting’s face was as red as a peach, her eyes shimmering with an intensity that threatened to spill over. Her husband had died on the very first day of their marriage. To be married was to be widowed! It was a situation no young woman like her could bear, and four or five years had passed; she, too, had needs to satisfy her loneliness. With no man around, she naturally took care of things herself, which was why she had recently become hooked on films from the Cherry Blossom Country.
Zhao Dachuan didn't answer. His gaze involuntarily swept over her. Her slender waist, soft enough to be held in one hand, and her graceful, exquisite curves were breathtakingly beautiful. Her pretty face, especially under those peach-blossom eyes, was enough to make a man’s imagination run wild.
Zhao Dachuan almost leaned in to kiss her, but just then, a surge of True Dragon Qi rushed to his brain, snapping him to his senses. As he regained his clarity, a realization surfaced in his mind:
"This woman possesses superior spiritual energy. Merging with her will enhance the True Dragon Qi and increase one's fortune. The better the fortune, the more noble helpers one will attract, allowing one to leap over the dragon gate and soar across the horizon. Beware! The two must be mutually attracted, their souls in harmony, for the effort to yield the desired result; otherwise, one will fall short and all efforts will be in vain."
"Zhao Dachuan! D-do you like watching these kinds of movies too!?"
Seeing that Zhao Dachuan had delayed in turning off the TV, the shy Zhang Ting asked in a voice as thin as a mosquito’s hum.
"Is that so? Well, I’ve been single for so many years, I don't even have a girlfriend!"
Zhao Dachuan smiled, gave Zhang Ting a meaningful look following her remark, and then switched off the stimulating television. He helped Zhang Ting up, pointed to her slightly disheveled collar, and said, "Zhang Ting! If you keep tempting me like this, I might really lose my self-control!"
Zhang Ting hurriedly fastened her buttons and fled back to the bathroom.
After her shower, she collapsed onto the living room chair, feeling too exhausted to move. She had spent the better part of the day busy treating sick pigs, and she was worn out.
"Damn that Zhu Dapang! He’s worked me to the bone today! I’m aching all over!" Zhang Ting said, shaking out her hands and rolling her shoulders.
"Sister Ting! Let me help you with a massage! I know traditional Chinese medical massage; I guarantee I can get rid of all that soreness," Zhao Dachuan offered, leaning in.
"Really!?"
Zhang Ting was delighted and urged him to start: "Then please, help me! If I don't, I’ll be in so much pain I won't be able to sleep!"
"Let me show you what I can do!"
Zhao Dachuan smiled and began to channel his inner Qi to massage her. A warm current flowed through her shoulders into every part of her body, and her aches and pains vanished instantly. However, after three seconds, Zhao Dachuan sensed something was wrong. His expression grew grave, and he turned Zhang Ting over onto the sofa. Then, he slid his hands from her shoulders down to her lower abdomen.
"Zh... Zhao Dachuan! ...Aren't you... isn't this too fast? I’m not ready yet!"
Facing his intense gaze, Zhang Ting was startled at first, then flushed a deep red. She assumed he was stimulated by the film and was about to do something scandalous to her. She struggled slightly out of nervousness.
But Zhao Dachuan’s expression was deadly serious: "Don't move! Sister Ting! There is something wrong with you! Have you been suffering from insomnia lately? And frequent urination?"
"How... how did you know!?"
Zhang Ting stared at him in shock. She was stunned because he was exactly right. She didn't know why, but she hadn't been able to sleep at night, tossing and turning, and she had been running to the bathroom constantly.
"You have an excess of Yin-fire, your endocrine system is out of balance, and you're suffering from nervous exhaustion. If this continues, the consequences will be dire!"
As he spoke, he leaned in close to her face. Terrified, Zhang Ting squeezed her eyes shut. She was incredibly nervous, certain he was going to kiss her, her heart fluttering with bashful anticipation. Yet, she waited for a long time, but felt no touch on her red lips. She opened her eyes to find Zhao Dachuan’s handsome face just inches away, his nose sniffing near her lips.
"You've been taking some kind of herbal decoction? Where did you get this quack remedy? Don't you know this medicine is aggravating your condition? It will kill you within three days!" Zhao Dachuan said with a hint of anger.
Zhang Ting went pale with fright: "It was a remedy provided by Wang Hao, the village committee director. He said it would help with my insomnia! Is it really the medicine that's the problem?"
"Of course! How could you be so careless with folk remedies?" Zhao Dachuan nodded.
"Then... what should I do? I don't want to die!"
Zhang Ting was only twenty-seven or twenty-eight, in the prime of her life; naturally, she was terrified of death. Moreover, Zhao Dachuan’s heroic actions today had stirred her heart, and she had been daydreaming about pursuing him and imagining their future life together. Panic-stricken, she looked at him with pathetic, pleading eyes, hoping he would save her.
Zhao Dachuan certainly didn't want anything to happen to her; she was a woman with spiritual energy, which was of great benefit to him.
"Don't worry, Sister Ting! With me here, you'll be perfectly fine! You just have to trust my medical skills!"
"Lie down! Take off your coat and just keep your undergarments on!"
"Okay! All right!"
Although shy, Zhang Ting had already been seen by him, and she had feelings for him, so she let go of her inhibitions and removed her coat. In an instant, her beautiful figure was laid bare before him.
Zhao Dachuan acted like a perfect gentleman; he allowed his gaze to linger for only three seconds before entering his professional massage mode. He channeled his inner Qi, working the acupoints on her abdomen. This was an experience unlike any other for Zhang Ting; it was the first time she realized that a massage could feel this wonderful. A warm flow coursed through her body, dispelling all her discomfort. She had expected the treatment to be painful, but who would have thought it would feel so exquisite?
Half an hour later, Zhang Ting was panting, completely relaxed, lying on the sofa drenched in a light, fragrant sweat.
"There, Sister Ting! I've regulated your body; you won't feel any more discomfort from now on." Zhao Dachuan pulled his hands away, wiped them with a dry cloth, and added, "I've cleared the blocked meridians in your body. As for the toxic decoction, I'll write you a new prescription for some herbal medicine to neutralize the effects, and you'll be as good as new!"
Zhao Dachuan spoke with casual grace, but Zhang Ting took every word to heart. Overwhelmed with gratitude, she couldn't help but lean in and kiss him on the lips.