Chapter 29: Health Theory

Chapter 29: Health Preservation Theory

11:30 p.m., Company Dormitory.

Xiaoyao sat cross-legged on the bed, scrolling through his phone when he suddenly burst out laughing: "Zero! Look at this—"

Zero walked out of the bathroom, with hair still dripping from the shower, frowning at the screen: "Traditional Chinese Medicine: Falling asleep while holding something you love replenishes Qi, calms the spirit, prolongs life."

"Bullshit." Zero grabbed a towel to dry his hair.

Xiaoyao swung off the bed in one move, his bare feet hitting the floor as he approached: "How is it nonsense? The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon says..."

"When did you ever read the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon?"

"That's not important." Xiaoyao suddenly grabbed Zero's wrist, his thumb stroking his pulse point, "What matters is putting theory into practice—"

Zero twisted his hand back and pinned him against the wall: "Say that again and you're dead."

---

12:15 a.m., Xiaoyao continued his argument tirelessly: "Look, sleeping with a hand warmer does make you sleep better, right? So if you replace it with something you like even more..."

Zero snapped shut the Journal of Supernatural Medicine: "Where's the experimental group? The control group?"

"I am the experimental group!" Xiaoyao lunged forward and grabbed Zero's pillow, "Now I'm holding my favorite pillow—"

Zero smacked him in the face with the other pillow: "Now there's the control group."

They had a pillow fight in the dark for a dozen rounds, feathers were flying everywhere. Finally, Xiaoyao pinned Zero down with a grappling hold, his nose brushing against Zero's earlobe: "...Caught my 'favorite.'"

---

Alice studied the medical report, lost in thought: "Strange. Xiaoyao's cellular activity increased by 15%..."

Ma Mianren leaned closer: "What's he been eating lately?"

"Based on observation..." Alice adjusted her glasses and pulled up a screenshot from the training room surveillance—in the frame, Xiaoyao was clinging tightly to Zero's waist, his face buried in Zero's back, sound asleep.

"......"

"......"

Ma Mianren silently closed the screen: "Reschedule their mission for tomorrow."

--

In a tent at the Ancient Dian Kingdom ruins, Xiaoyao was wriggling into his sleeping bag: "Senior, science has proven—"

Zero stuck his tactical dagger between the two of them: "Boundary."

A sudden rainstorm hit at midnight. Xiaoyao felt his way over in the dark: "Hypothermia would compromise the mission..."

Zero pinched his cheek precisely in the darkness: "Move again and I'll throw you out to the mummies."

Xiaoyao took the chance to press Zero's hand over his own heart: "See? My heart rate is steady. The treatment works."

---

Three months later, at Supernatural Company's Annual Forum.

Alice read her research paper expressionlessly: "On the Positive Effects of Human Contact on Post-Traumatic Recovery—A Longitudinal Study Based on Two-Person Combat Teams."

A hand went up from the audience—Xiao Huang asked: "Was a control group set up?"

Vivian interjected: "The whole company can see the *control group*—those two now only request one sleeping bag for missions."

Ma Mianren buried his face in his hooves.

—

So what did Xiaoyao hold?

1:20 a.m., Supernatural Company Dormitory.

Zero had just closed his eyes when he felt a hand sneak over, precisely grasping his wrist.

"…Xiaoyao."

"Mm?" Xiaoyao pretended to sleep with his eyes closed, but his fingers slid deeper into Zero's palm, "Chinese medicine says holding hands while sleeping harmonizes Qi and blood."

Zero rolled over and pinched the back of Xiaoyao's neck precisely in the dark: "Yesterday you said it was holding the ankle to clear meridians, the day before it was hugging the waist to strengthen Yang Qi—"

Xiaoyao suddenly flipped over and pinned him down, his knee pressing into the mattress: "Today I'll hold something even more nourishing."

The Tianxiao Stone on the nightstand suddenly glowed faintly, illuminating Zero's ears, which had turned bright red.

[So the answer is: He held Zero's hand/waist/Mingmen (?) ]