Chapter 102 - 100: I Have Essential Oil at Home

Chapter 102: Chapter 100: I Have Essential Oil at Home

Xiao Xiao gave Gao Yuan a surprised look.

Her big, glistening eyes were filled with suspicion.

"Is there anything you don’t know how to do?"

Gao Yuan deliberately paused for a moment, pretending to think it over seriously.

A moment later, he said with a perfectly straight face, "I’d say I know a little something about pretty much every profession."

"But if we’re talking about *getting* massages, I have plenty of experience!"

Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but roll her eyes. "I knew it," she said irritably. "All you men are into that sort of thing."

Seeing Xiao Xiao’s gaze drift back to the window,

Gao Yuan immediately knew she must be thinking of those shady massage parlors. He quickly explained, "The traditional Chinese medicine clinics in Hang City have developed rapidly these past few years!"

"Massage isn’t just a specialty of those foot bath places, you know. It’s a traditional craft passed down from our ancestors."

"It’s all about soothing the meridians to invigorate blood flow. That means clearing up any blockages, promoting circulation, boosting your metabolism, and balancing your endocrine system..."

Gao Yuan also gazed out the window at the Qiantang River.

His tone was extremely calm. It was less of an explanation and more like he was educating Xiao Xiao on the benefits of massage.

These past few years,

Gao Yuan had certainly made his rounds.

He had "supported" many a masseuse from a poor family—girls who hadn’t gotten much of an education and had to pay for a younger brother’s schooling.

But Gao Yuan didn’t go just for the enjoyment.

He had, more or less, picked up some massage techniques along the way.

He was no professional, of course, but his skills were good enough to provide some relief for the average person.

But right now, he was just making small talk with Xiao Xiao, so a few jokes would suffice.

There was no way Xiao Xiao would let him, her tenant, give her a massage.

Or so he thought.

While Gao Yuan didn’t think much of it, the system had no intention of letting him off the hook.

[DING! Charming Uncle - Auxiliary Skill - Massage Mission 1.0 initiated.]

[Mission: Change Xiao Xiao’s impression of you and help relieve the soreness in her neck.]

[Mission Reward 1: Traditional Chinese Medicine Massage Technique (Essential Oil).]

[Mission Reward 2: 2 EXP.]

Gao Yuan hadn’t expected that just chatting with Xiao Xiao could trigger a mission.

But being long accustomed to the mission notification sound, he showed no reaction.

He calmly sipped his coffee and continued to gaze out the window, his mind focused on the system’s mission details.

’Change Xiao Xiao’s impression of me?’

Gao Yuan couldn’t help but look at Xiao Xiao.

’Was it because I just said I had a lot of experience *getting* massages, making her think I frequent those kinds of places?’

The second part of the mission was to help Xiao Xiao relieve her neck pain.

In other words, this was a time-sensitive mission.

If he didn’t convince Xiao Xiao to try his massage technique today, the mission would be canceled by tomorrow when her neck felt better.

If that happened, he wouldn’t just miss out on the Traditional Chinese Medicine Massage Technique reward; he wouldn’t get the EXP either.

Watching Xiao Xiao gently rotate her neck, her brow furrowed, it was clear she was enduring the soreness from her stiff neck.

Gao Yuan’s mind raced, trying to figure out how to get Xiao Xiao to agree to a massage.

Just as he was about to open his mouth and pitch himself again, Xiao Xiao put down her coffee cup and said out of the blue, "How about I give you a chance to show me what you’ve got?"

Gao Yuan hadn’t expected such a sudden, favorable turn of events before he even had a chance to speak.

"If your neck is bothering you, just lie face down on the sofa. I’ll massage it for a bit."

Gao Yuan maintained the facade of a perfect gentleman, but inside he was ecstatic.

’Xiao Xiao was the one who offered, so what was he waiting for?’

’Once there’s physical contact, do the massage skills even matter?’

Xiao Xiao lay flat on her stomach on the sofa.

This woman was truly something else; even just lying flat, her figure was so curvaceous.

Gao Yuan took out his phone, played some soothing music, and turned off all the living room lights, leaving on only the low strip lighting along the hallway floor.

The entire living room was instantly cast in dim light.

At this moment, Gao Yuan naturally pushed aside any other thoughts. The mission came first.

Besides, if he could relieve Xiao Xiao’s stiff neck, he would also get a complete Traditional Chinese Medicine Massage Technique.

The technique Xiaoyan used when massaging his neck surfaced in his mind as Gao Yuan quickly rubbed his hands together.

He placed his warm hands gently on Xiao Xiao’s neck and began to knead the two large muscles running along either side of her cervical spine.

Neither of them spoke during the massage. Only occasionally would Xiao Xiao let out a soft, involuntary groan.

Whenever that happened, Gao Yuan would ease up on the pressure and knead that spot a little longer.

After a good while,

Gao Yuan’s hands were starting to ache when Xiao Xiao finally rotated her neck again and said softly, "I didn’t think you actually knew how to give a massage!"

"After that massage, the soreness in my neck is really a lot better."

Gao Yuan smiled slightly and was about to offer a few humble words when Xiao Xiao spoke again, "You must have a yearly membership at a massage parlor to have gained such profound ’life experience,’ right?"

"No way! I’m a respectable guy! An honest and trustworthy gentleman!"

"Pfft!"

Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but burst out laughing, her body shaking with mirth. She turned her head and shot Gao Yuan an amused, exasperated glance.

In the dim light, Gao Yuan didn’t notice the sly glint that flashed in her narrowed eyes.

As she moved, the pressure from Gao Yuan’s hands increased slightly.

"Ah! Ouch, ouch, ouch..."

The smile on Xiao Xiao’s face vanished instantly as she cried out in pain.

"Pain means there’s a blockage here. Endure it for a bit, and it’ll feel better soon."

Gao Yuan didn’t go easy on her. She had just been mocking him, after all. He kept the pressure steady.

Xiao Xiao sucked in a sharp breath, crying out in pain nonstop. Even her calves were flailing up and down on the sofa.

When Gao Yuan saw she was about to reach her limit, he slowly eased the pressure, changing his technique from kneading to rubbing.

This time, Xiao Xiao let out a long breath and slowly calmed down.

But while she was flailing around just now, her hand had involuntarily grabbed onto Gao Yuan’s thigh, and she didn’t immediately pull it away.

The unconscious physical contact in a moment of crisis gave her a surge of security, but it made Gao Yuan’s heart race.

Neither of them spoke again, and the vast living room fell silent once more.

The warm, yellow light reflected on Xiao Xiao’s face like a filter, adding a touch of allure.

He continued massaging like this for a while longer until the system notification for mission completion finally sounded in his mind.

[DING! You have a mission reward waiting to be claimed!]

With a thought, Gao Yuan claimed the mission reward directly.

It was only after seeing the explanation for the reward, "Traditional Chinese Medicine Massage Technique (Essential Oil)," that he understood why the words "Essential Oil" were noted at the end.

Traditional massage soothes the muscles and bones through physical manipulation, but adding Chinese medicinal herbs or plant-based extracts can speed up the body’s absorption and boost cell vitality.

’This is an essential oil massage!’

An image of a video he had once seen instantly popped into his mind: *Essential Oil Boy*.

His body instantly began to stir. Thankfully, he quickly adjusted his posture; otherwise, he would have definitely bumped into Xiao Xiao’s arm.

"It’s a shame. Without essential oil, I can’t demonstrate my superb Traditional Chinese Medicine massage techniques!"

With the glorious achievements of *Essential Oil Boy* in his mind, Gao Yuan blurted this out.

"Essential oil?"

Xiao Xiao turned her head again.

"That’s right! Your issue isn’t just from a stiff neck. You also have meridian blockages caused by your daily habits. Essential oil would help clear them up much faster."

Thankfully, he had already claimed the system’s reward. When Gao Yuan explained, his voice was full of confidence, with no trace of creepiness.

"I have some at home!"

"I’ll go get it for you!"

With that, Xiao Xiao actually stood up and walked toward her bedroom.