Chapter 50: Acupuncture

Chapter 50: Acupuncture

Xu Jianli said with a troubled tone, "How would I know? If I did, I’d have gone to find Xiao Xiao by now. And Duan Lei… he’s a tough nut to crack—can’t get anything out of him."

Shao Zeyu put down his book, recalling something, "Duan Lei asked me for some learning resources before."

Xu Jianli spread his hands, "He said he wanted to study hard—no idea what’s gotten into him."

Shao Zeyu chuckled lightly, "I bet those materials weren’t for him."

Xu Jianli looked up, "What do you mean? Are you saying those books were for Xiao Xiao? If that’s the case, checking his shipping records could tell us where she is."

Shao Zeyu: "But Duan Lei’s so tight-lipped, it means Xiao Xiao doesn’t want to be found. You probably shouldn’t bother her."

Xu Jianli was not satisfied, "I don’t care. If you won’t look for her, I’ll do it myself."

The teacher entered the classroom, and the two stopped talking.

The huge lecture hall, packed with hundreds of students, fell silent in an instant.

Ye Changsheng, however, slightly frowned. He had caught most of the conversation between the two behind him.

Was it really just a coincidence to bump into someone they knew?

Ye Changsheng didn’t turn around to look at them, only sneaking a glance at them after class.

Both students were tall, well-dressed, and spoke with a Beijing accent—probably locals.

Li Bowen called to Ye Changsheng, "Let’s head back to the dorm. Did you get all the problem types the teacher covered?"

Ye Changsheng nodded, "Most of them, yeah."

Some of the problem types were from the stack of review materials Ye Xiaoxiao had given him, so he’d reviewed them in advance.

Li Bowen was feeling the pressure. There were a few problem types he still didn’t get and needed to review.

During the competition training period, the base provided meal vouchers for three meals a day, and the food was way better than what they served at Baichuan No. 1 High School.

Everyone got to pick one meat dish, one veggie dish, and either rice or steamed buns.

Ye Changsheng and Li Bowen grabbed their food in their lunch boxes and headed back to the dorm to eat and study.

The others were in the same boat, all cramming as much as they could.

...

Ye Xiaoxiao hit the books hard at school every day, headed home in the evening to help Ye Changyuan with his studies, and on her days off, she’d go to the pharmacy to study medicine. The rest of her time was spent buried in medical books or practicing acupuncture.

One day, as Ye Xiaoxiao arrived at the pharmacy, she saw a guard standing at the door.

Before she could speak, the guard asked her first.

"Comrade, are you here to buy medicine?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "I’m an apprentice here."

The guard saluted her, "Please wait a moment."

The guard went into the pharmacy and came out after a while, letting her in.

Ye Xiaoxiao walked in, surprised to see a familiar face at the herbal shop.

Lu Hanchuan, who she hadn't been able to reach by phone, was standing inside the shop.

"What are you doing here?" Ye Xiaoxiao shot him a glare.

Lu Hanchuan: "I came with an elder and only realized it was a familiar place once we got here."

Ye Xiaoxiao finally found the opportunity, "What was the deal with the stuff you gave me last time? You just left all that money with the gatekeeper. Weren't you worried it might get lost?"

Lu Hanchuan raised an eyebrow, "So that's why you're so worked up about seeing me. We had a deal, didn't we?"

Ye Xiaoxiao widened her eyes, "What deal did we have?"

Lu Hanchuan looked at her face, "The deal to be each other's significant other. If you starve to death here, where am I supposed to find another one?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "..."

"Xiao Xiao, get in here!"

Song Guangjing's voice came from the backyard.

Ye Xiaoxiao shook her fist at Lu Hanchuan, warning, "Don't talk nonsense, or I'll punch you."

After threatening Lu Hanchuan, Ye Xiaoxiao hurried into the backyard.

Lu Hanchuan couldn't help but smile as he watched Ye Xiaoxiao walk away.

In the backyard, Ye Xiaoxiao saw two elderly men sitting on benches.

One was Song Guangjing, and the other was an old man in a dark blue Zhongshan suit, his eyes dull but still commanding respect.

Song Guangjing called Ye Xiaoxiao over and said to the old man beside him:

"Old Zhou, I've already told you, since that incident, my hands can't handle high-intensity acupuncture anymore.

But Old Zhou is my savior, so if you don't mind, let my apprentice perform the acupuncture and prescribe some internal medicine to see if it works."

Zhou Ziran looked at Ye Xiaoxiao: "Any apprentice of Old Song must be really talented. In my current state, I have no concerns."

Song Guangjing: "Good! I'll go get ready."

Song Guangjing brought out a special set of silver needles from inside, "Xiao Xiao, how's your practice with the Qiushan acupuncture technique coming along?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "I've pretty much got the technique down, but I haven't tried it on anyone yet."

Song Guangjing: "Getting the hang of it is enough. You've got a solid foundation, so you pick things up fast."

Ye Xiaoxiao was still unsure, "Master... isn't it wrong to practice on that old gentleman?"

Song Guangjing snorted, "What practice? We're fully confident."

Ye Xiaoxiao couldn't talk the old man out of it and could only follow Song Guangjing's instructions to perform the acupuncture on the patient.

Zhou Ziran's condition was an eye disease. There were Western medical treatments available abroad, but the old man was stubborn and refused to undergo brain surgery.

The organization was especially concerned about the old man's health and worried about his condition, so they had no choice but to come to Song Guangjing to try treatment for a while.

Ye Xiaoxiao followed Song Guangjing's guidance to perform the acupuncture on Zhou Ziran. During the process, Song Guangjing only mentioned the acupuncture points and said nothing else.

Every time Ye Xiaoxiao finished inserting the needles, Song Guangjing's gaze became even more affectionate.

Ye Xiaoxiao only stepped aside to rest after all the acupoints had been needled.

Zhou Ziran felt the needles penetrating his body at varying depths, and a warm, gentle sensation gradually rose at his temples.

"I didn't expect this young lady to be so skilled. How about it, would you be interested in working at a major hospital?"

Lu Hanchuan was somewhat surprised. Elder Zhou was known for his unwavering integrity; he wouldn't even arrange a job for his own grandson, yet he was actively inquiring about someone he had just met.

Song Guangjing became anxious.

"Ah... I'm treating Elder Zhou, don't steal my apprentice. Besides, my apprentice is still young and needs to study for a few more years."

Zhou Ziran chuckled softly, "That's true. With you as her mentor, there's no need to worry about her future."

Since Ye Xiaoxiao had school, Song Guangjing arranged for Elder Zhou's people to pick her up in the afternoon for acupuncture and bring her back in the evening.

Lu Hanchuan was honored to handle this task.

On the way back to school that evening, Lu Hanchuan asked, "Has that guy from last time been bothering you again?"

Ye Xiaoxiao shook her head, "No."

She hadn't seen Li Deshu lately and didn't know what had happened after that incident.

Lu Hanchuan: "That's good."