Chapter 106: Treating the Illness

"I need to take off tomorrow, for one day at most," Mu Lin said.

"What do you mean, 'at most one day'?!"

"I have to take Xue Yang's sister to see Divine Doctor Zhao. What else am I supposed to do?"

"Can't he take her?" Li Xue felt a knot in her stomach at the thought of Mu Lin being alone with another woman.

Mu Lin said seriously, "I'm just a slacker who doesn't contribute much value to the company. Xue Yang is a key member of the team. You tell me who should go and who should stay."

Li Xue was left speechless. The math was simple.

But she was still upset. She turned and walked away with a stony expression.

Mu Lin was indeed a bit hungry. He ate a steamed bun and took a shower.

「The next morning」

Mu Lin grabbed a few slices of bread and hurried out the door.

"Where are you off to?" Elder Li asked, pausing his morning martial arts practice.

Mu Lin replied, "A colleague's family member is unwell. I'm going to go take a look."

Elder Li didn't ask any more questions, simply watching as Mu Lin left.

Mu Lin stopped by a pharmacy to buy a few packs of silver needles, then navigated from memory to Xue Yang's apartment building.

Xue Yang was just coming downstairs. "Vice Team Leader Mu, you're here! My sister isn't up yet, so I'm afraid you might have to wait a bit."

As he spoke, he pressed a key into Mu Lin's hand.

Mu Lin smiled. "No problem, I can wait."

"I left breakfast for you in the steamer. It's on the second tier; you'll see it when you open it!"

"I've already eaten, but thank you!"

Mu Lin watched Xue Yang head to the parking lot to get his car. Only after he had driven away did Mu Lin turn and head upstairs.

He opened the door and walked in, only to see Xue Xi standing by the bathroom doorway, stripped down to a small tank top and shorts, holding a towel.

Well...

Mu Lin was mortified, but Xue Xi was even more so.

"Your brother said you were still asleep, so I let myself in. I'm so sorry..."

Xue Xi covered her chest with the towel and shook her head. "It's my fault. I've gotten into the habit of taking a hot shower after he leaves for work. It's perfectly normal that he wouldn't know."

Mu Lin turned around. Xue Xi retreated into her room and came out a moment later wearing a loose-fitting sweatsuit.

"I'm so sorry, I must have startled you," Xue Xi said, her voice full of apology.

Mu Lin waved his hand dismissively. "If we're going down that road, then I'm the one who should be apologizing profusely."

"Let's just drop it. I brought the silver needles, so let's start your treatment."

Xue Xi walked to the table and held out her wrist.

Mu Lin said, "Your pulse is quite a bit better than yesterday. It must be because of the hot showers. Taking them has slowed the progression of your condition."

Xue Xi's face lit up with surprise. "Really? I had no idea it had that effect. I just thought hot showers felt nice. I never would have guessed..."

Mu Lin chuckled. "Haha, why don't we do the treatment now, have breakfast afterward, and then head over to your friend's place? We can knock it all out at once. How does that sound?"

The reminder of her best friend made Xue Xi even happier.

"Okay! What do I need to do?"

Mu Lin said, a bit awkwardly, "Please take off your outer clothes. You just need to be in your underwear."

'So I put these clothes on for nothing. But if I hadn't, how much more awkward would it have been for the two of us to be alone in a room together?'

"And after I take them off?"

"Lie down on the bed..."

The words made Mu Lin feel even more awkward. He didn't know where to look.

"Brother Mu, it's okay. I know you don't have those kinds of intentions. You're my brother's colleague; I know I can trust you!"

Her words put Mu Lin a little more at ease.

Xue Xi went into her room. After a moment, she called out, "Brother Mu, you can come in now!"

Mu Lin entered. Xue Xi was already lying on the bed. Her excellent figure and full bust immediately captured his attention.

'Calm down, calm down. Stay focused!'

For her part, Xue Xi's face was beet red. She stared at the wall, not daring to look at Mu Lin, terrified he would see how flushed she was.

Mu Lin repeatedly reminded himself to maintain his professionalism. He took out the silver needles and said to Xue Xi, "My technique can be quite painful. Brace yourself."

"Okay!" Xue Xi's voice was barely a whimper.

Mu Lin took out nine silver needles at once, fanning them between his fingers in a spectacular display.

At the sight, Xue Xi squeezed her eyes shut. 'That's terrifying! I can't watch!'

With a sharp flick of his wrist, Mu Lin sent the nine silver needles flying. They landed perfectly on Xue Xi's body.

Sweat immediately began to pour from Xue Xi's body. Large beads of perspiration covered her skin, creating a strange kind of beauty as they caught the light from the window.

But Mu Lin just took out several more needles and flicked them out in quick succession.

In an instant, the beads of sweat on Xue Xi's body froze into a layer of frost that coated her skin.

Xue Xi gritted her teeth. "It hurts!"

"Endure it! We have to eradicate the cold poison completely, or it will just keep coming back!" Mu Lin sternly commanded.

"If it really hurts, you can cry out."

Xue Xi let out a sharp cry, but then immediately felt it was inappropriate.

'A man and a woman, alone in a room, with the woman crying out in pain... what would people think?'

'Never mind, I'd better not.'

'If I just bear it, it'll be over soon.'

After a long time, the frost on Xue Xi's body finally stopped spreading and began to slowly melt.

Mu Lin let out a long sigh of relief. "Alright, you can get up now."

Xue Xi obediently sat up, being careful not to dislodge the silver needles.

Mu Lin smiled. "Come on, stand up and face the wall."

'What is he planning now? But he didn't do anything improper before, so he certainly won't now.'

She did as he asked.

Mu Lin struck Xue Xi's back sharply. The embedded silver needles shot out like a volley of darts, sinking into the wall.

Only their ends remained visible.

"Oops, I've ruined the wallpaper..." Mu Lin said, his face full of apology.

'Xue Yang spent a lot of money on this apartment. It's so annoying that I accidentally damaged it.'

"Brother Mu, you saved my life! What's a little torn wallpaper compared to that? I'll fix it later!"

Mu Lin turned and left the room. Xue Xi scurried back to the bathroom and shut the door. A moment later, the sound of the shower, SPLASH, SPLASH, started up again.

She had to wash away the cold poison that had been expelled to her skin, otherwise it would just seep back in.

Mu Lin went out onto the balcony to wait, hoping to avoid another awkward encounter.

When Xue Xi came out this time, she wasn't wearing the small tank top, but a proper pair of hot pants and a t-shirt.

The outfit wasn't revealing, just fresh and wholesome.

It was easy to see what a beautiful young woman she must have been before her illness.

"Let's have breakfast first. After that, we can go see your friend."

Just then, his phone rang. Mu Lin answered immediately.

It was Zhao Ling'Er!

"Mu Lin, something terrible has happened!"

Mu Lin asked urgently, "What's wrong? Don't panic, tell me slowly."

Zhao Ling'Er said tearfully, "People from the Liu Family are trying to force my grandfather to treat a patient! He told them he can't cure the illness, but they insist he has to go..."

"If he refuses, I'm afraid they're going to beat both of us."

Mu Lin's expression darkened in an instant.

He didn't know many people in Anhua to begin with. Besides the Li Family, he was closest to the Zhao grandfather and granddaughter.

If someone dared to lay a hand on them, Mu Lin was determined to go and see for himself just what kind of monsters they were.

"Don't worry, I'm on my way!"

"Miss Xue, I'm so sorry, but something urgent has come up. I'll come back for you as soon as it's taken care of."

Xue Xi saw that Mu Lin's expression was unexpectedly grim. He hadn't been this serious even when he was diagnosing her pulse yesterday.

It meant that this must be something major.

"It's okay, go do what you need to do!" Xue Xi was very understanding. "I'll just take the opportunity to get some more sleep."

Mu Lin immediately turned and left, calling a rideshare and heading straight for the Holy Medicine Hall.

In front of the Holy Medicine Hall, pedestrians scurried past like a flowing river. Most hurried by, with only a few daring to stop and gawk.

For one, they were rushing to work. For another, the men surrounding the Holy Medicine Hall were clearly people you didn't want to cross.

It was best to steer clear. If you couldn't, you just had to count yourself unlucky.

"Divine Doctor Zhao, don't test our patience. You are the doctor we want, and refusing is not an option."

Divine Doctor Zhao was furious. "I've told you time and time again, I cannot treat your young miss's illness! If there were even the slightest glimmer of hope, I would risk my own life to try."

"Don't you dare question a doctor's sense of duty!"

But the leader of the men was impervious to both pleas and threats. He said with a stony face:

"This is the Patriarch's will. If you wish to refuse, you'll have to take it up with the Patriarch himself. It's useless talking to me. In short, Divine Doctor Zhao, please get in the car."

"I have patients to see. I can't leave. If you genuinely want a consultation, then please come inside the Holy Medicine Hall!"

Divine Doctor Zhao said sternly.

The burly leader continued, "Our young miss is in constant agony, and you refuse to go. What do you suggest we do about that?"

"Maybe if we tied up Miss Zhao, you'd be more willing to cooperate?"

Divine Doctor Zhao's face turned ashen. "You dare!"