"Let me see your hand for a moment."
Zhang Yichen stopped teasing Chen Xiaoxi.
Last night, just by looking at her face, he had already noticed something was wrong. Her body wasn't in good condition—she had damaged her foundation during childbirth.
If it wasn't treated soon, she would suffer lingering illnesses in the future.
So, he decided it was time to reveal another skill. He would personally help Chen Xiaoxi restore her health.
But when his words reached her ears, they sounded more like a clumsy attempt to flirt.
"You cheeky brat, what are you thinking?" Chen Xiaoxi scolded lightly, flicking her finger against Zhang Yichen's forehead.
Zhang Yichen: "..."
Why did this feel so much like playful banter between lovers!?
"Stop, stop, stop!" He quickly raised his hands in surrender. "I just want to check your health."
"Hah, you cheeky brat—using this as an excuse to touch me? Aren't you pushing your luck?"
Clearly, she misunderstood again. Who in their right mind would casually offer to check a woman's body? Wasn't that just an excuse to take advantage of her!?
"I…" Zhang Yichen's mouth twitched helplessly. He was completely being wronged here!
But strangely enough, instead of being annoyed… he found himself almost enjoying it.
Was he crazy? Or just plain stupid? Probably both.
"Ahem… you might be overthinking it." He coughed awkwardly. "You look weak. It seems you have postpartum complications, so I just wanted to check your pulse."
He swore to the heavens—he was a decent young man! Really, he only wanted to take her pulse.
Nothing more!
"Postpartum complications…?" Chen Xiaoxi murmured under her breath.
He wasn't wrong. She really did suffer from them.
When other women gave birth, they spent hundreds of thousands at luxury recovery centers, or hired professional nannies. At the very least, they had rich food and tonics.
But her? She had been content just to eat enough to fill her stomach.
Because she had no money, she was discharged from the hospital the day after giving birth.
Because she had no money, she skipped postpartum recovery altogether and went straight to washing dishes at a restaurant to earn cash.
"You…" Memories of those days surged up. Her eyes stung, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around her skirt. "You… how do you know that?" Her voice trembled, carrying both grievance and fear.
The vulnerability she always hid beneath her tough exterior was suddenly exposed—raw and undeniable.
"Don't worry. You have me now." Zhang Yichen's gaze softened, his voice steady with conviction.
He had clearly heard the emotions behind her words.
"Come on, give me your hand."
This time, he didn't wait for her permission. He simply reached out and gently held it.
"N-No need…"
Before coming here, Chen Xiaoxi had thought Zhang Yichen was just an orphan barely scraping by.
But after yesterday, her understanding of him had been completely overturned.
Now, even if he claimed to be some kind of divine doctor, she might just believe him.
Still, letting him examine her body made her deeply uneasy. Her poorly healed postpartum left her with problems too embarrassing to admit—problems she didn't want him to know about.
"Relax." His voice was low and warm.
Ignoring her resistance, he placed three fingers gently on her wrist.
"Mm…"
His brows furrowed tightly.
Weak constitution. Malnourishment. Poor circulation. Damp-cold energy weighing down her body…
Her condition was worse than he expected.
Only after a long while did he release her wrist, his eyes filled with concern.
"Is it serious?" Seeing his solemn expression, Chen Xiaoxi's heart sank.
"It's not too bad. Don't worry. I'll help you." His tone was firm, leaving no room for doubt.
"Right now, you have two options."
"Two options?" She looked up, her gaze carrying both uncertainty and a faint glimmer of hope.
"First: follow the prescription I'll give you, take the medicine on time, eat well, and get light exercise. Within a month, your health will be fully restored."
He paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes. "Second: acupuncture combined with herbal medicine. The results will be faster—about a week—but…"
"But what?" Her voice tightened nervously.
"But acupuncture requires targeting certain acupoints. It might be a little… awkward." His ears reddened as he spoke, his voice dropping lower.
Chen Xiaoxi blinked, then quickly understood. A faint blush spread across her cheeks.
She pressed her lips together, gaze wavering for a moment before she drew in a deep breath and said with quiet resolve: "I'll take the second option."
She had already borne his child—what was there left to be shy about?
"Uh… alright." He was momentarily stunned, not expecting her to decide so quickly.
"Let's begin."
Once she made her choice, he didn't hesitate. He ran outside, went to the nearest medical store, came back, took out a cloth bundle, and unrolled it to reveal a row of gleaming silver needles.
"This… we're starting now?"
Even though she had decided, her nerves spiked at the sight of the needles.
"Yes. Lie down on the bed." His voice remained calm, like a warm spring easing her anxiety.
"Okay." She walked slowly to the bed.
As soon as she lay down, her body trembled involuntarily. She was clearly nervous.
"Don't be afraid. Relax."
With his gentle reassurance, she finally closed her eyes and calmed herself.
"I'm going to begin."
Seeing her steady breathing, Zhang Yichen warned softly.
He was just an ordinary man.
There was no flashy "one glance to locate acupoints," nor any mystical "controlling needles with qi."
And this was his very first time performing acupuncture—on the mother of his child, no less.
So, he concentrated with all his focus.
His left hand located the acupoints, while his right hand slowly inserted the silver needles.
At first, Chen Xiaoxi felt a faint sting. But as his technique grew steadier, the discomfort faded into a soothing, tingling warmth.
With each new needle, she felt waves of gentle heat spreading through her body, as if she were wrapped in a cocoon of soft energy.
"How does it feel?" he asked quietly, his movements precise.
Chen Xiaoxi opened her eyes slightly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "It feels… good. Like my whole body is soaking in gentle spring sunlight."
Zhang Yichen nodded and continued, his hands steady and controlled.
The needles seemed to come alive in his hands, awakening dormant vitality within her.
Time slipped by quietly. The only sounds in the room were their faint breaths.
Sunlight streamed through the curtains, scattering across her body like golden patterns—just as she had described.
The atmosphere was strangely harmonious, almost beautiful.
…
"All done." Finally, Zhang Yichen exhaled and withdrew the last needle.
Though there was a trace of fatigue in his eyes, there was also satisfaction.
Chen Xiaoxi slowly sat up, rolled her shoulders, and her face lit with surprise. "It really feels different! The soreness is much lighter, and I feel… refreshed."
"It'll keep getting better. You'll recover quickly." He smiled faintly.
"Thank you…" Her voice caught slightly as she lowered her head, fists clenched tightly on her lap.
Zhang Yichen's gaze softened with pity. "You don't need to thank me. This is what I should do."
"You must be tired…"
She glanced up and noticed the sweat beading on his forehead. Instinctively, she raised her hand to wipe it away.
But the moment her fingertips brushed his skin, she froze.
Her hand hovered there awkwardly—wipe, or don't wipe?
The air between them grew strangely tense.