"Miss Lin, are you alright?"
Jiang Xinghai shook the drunken woman.
But Lin Liping didn't react. Seemingly oblivious to the pain in her knees, she had dazedly fallen asleep.
Just as Jiang Xinghai was about to wake her, his phone rang.
The caller ID read: Shen Lingxue.
The thought of her inevitably brought back flashes of their wild night together.
He quickly answered the call. "President Shen, I'll be visiting your home a little later."
"Jiang Xinghai, are you safe?"
Worry flickered in Shen Lingxue's eyes, and she was desperate for an answer. "I heard the Wang Family found out Wang Junhao was injured, but a little while ago they took him home from the hospital. Do you know what's going on?"
Ever since Jiang Xinghai had dropped her off at home that morning, she had been on edge.
Catching Sophie was a minor issue. Pacifying the Wang Family's wrath was the top priority.
But she hadn't heard anything back from Jiang Xinghai, and the wait was unbearable, so she took the initiative and called him.
"I'm at the pharmacy buying herbs for you right now. That bitch Sophie is already dead at the hands of the Wang Family. As for the Wangs... how about this? I'll head straight to your place as soon as I'm done here, and we can talk in person," Jiang Xinghai said reassuringly.
"Sophie's dead? At the hands of the Wang Family?" Shen Lingxue was utterly shocked.
"You don't need to worry. I know what I'm doing. I guarantee nothing will happen to the Shen Family." Jiang Xinghai glanced at the time.
It was one o'clock in the afternoon. After he finished Feng Lulu's massage, he would head to the Shen Family's estate.
Then, he would wait there until ten o'clock at night, when he would arrive at the Wang Family's home for his appointment on the dot!
"Alright then, I'll be waiting for you."
"By the way, a little while ago I pulled some strings and managed to invite Master Xue Zhong, one of the ten Saint Hands of the National Medical Hall. I just learned he's temporarily staying in Central State and will be coming to Jizhou this afternoon to treat my father. You might get to meet him. I hope that between the two of you, my father's chronic illness can finally be cured," Shen Lingxue said, forcing herself to sound calm.
"Master Xue Zhong, the grandmaster from Central State's National Medical Hall?"
Jiang Xinghai narrowed his eyes and said gravely, "President Shen, before I get to your house, you must not let that so-called master from the National Medical Hall treat your father. Remember this: even if your father's heart stops beating, I'm confident I can pull him back from King Yama's grasp. Just wait for me."
"Well... I'll try to wait for you, but you have to be quick..." Deep down, Shen Lingxue actually trusted Jiang Xinghai's medical skills.
'But I'm worried my uncle will get in the way...'
"President Shen, don't 'try.' You *must* wait for me!" Jiang Xinghai's tone was resolute.
Soon, the call ended.
Meanwhile, the still-drunken Lin Liping remained asleep in her kneeling position.
The position was truly awkward.
"Miss Lin, wake up."
Left with no other choice, Jiang Xinghai flicked his finger, and a hazy stream of energy seeped into Lin Liping's head.
Then, he used his hands to lift her head.
"Ah? What's this...?"
Lin Liping's beautiful, sleepy eyes shot open, and her mind instantly went blank.
'What else could it be!'
She pressed her red lips together and swallowed hard, her embarrassment palpable.
'Wait!'
'Why are Jiang Xinghai's hands holding my head?'
'Did he do this on purpose?'
Just as she was about to raise her hands to push his away, she was struck by an intense pain in her knees. Only then did she remember the moment she had almost collapsed.
'It's not Jiang Xinghai's fault!'
'It was just my own accident...'
"Miss Lin, you're drunk. Let me take you upstairs to rest," Jiang Xinghai said with a faint smile.
He had no idea that in that single moment, Lin Liping's thoughts had become a tangled mess.
"I... I'm sober now."
Lin Liping lowered her head, trying to use Jiang Xinghai's hands to help herself up.
But the pain in her knees was excruciating.
Moreover, the knees of her pants were already stained with blood; she had definitely scraped them when she knelt.
"You've hurt your knees. Sit down first, let me treat them for you." Jiang Xinghai helped Lin Liping up.
"No need."
As if waking from a dream, Lin Liping waved her hand and said with a smile, "I'm a doctor, too. A little scrape like this is nothing. Just get me some disinfectant, and I can handle it myself."
Jiang Xinghai brought over the disinfectant and other medical supplies.
But Lin Liping was stumped.
She was wearing capri pants, and they were the tight-fitting kind. Rolling the cuffs up to her knees was proving to be extremely difficult.
Unless... she took them off.
"Miss Lin, what are you spacing out for?" Jiang Xinghai pulled up a stool and sat down.
"The pants are too tight. It's not very convenient... Why don't you step outside for a moment..."
"It is a bit inconvenient."
Before Lin Liping could finish, Jiang Xinghai said, "Let me help you."
"Don't!"
Lin Liping thought Jiang Xinghai was going to help her take off her pants. Her face went pale as she clutched her waistband.
But Jiang Xinghai's hands still reached for her.
"RIP!"
"RIP!"
Jiang Xinghai was decisive. He grabbed both of Lin Liping's pant legs and ripped them upward from the cuff.
But because he used too much force, the tears ran all the way up to the tops of her thighs before stopping.
Her well-proportioned, slender legs were revealed, their lines elegant. Every inch of her skin exuded a captivating charm, like a perfect work of art.
"Mr. Jiang, you..."
Lin Liping was instantly speechless, her face blushing crimson.
Jiang Xinghai stared at the smooth, flawless legs before him, also feeling very awkward. "Sorry about that. I wasn't thinking straight in the heat of the moment. I'll buy you a new pair of pants another day. Let's treat your wounds first."
"It's fine."
Lin Liping didn't blame Jiang Xinghai. This method actually wasn't half bad.
She lowered her head further and further, looking at the scraped skin on her knees. The bright red blood was a shocking sight.
"How about this? Since Lulu is asleep, I won't do her massage today. We can reschedule for another time."
Jiang Xinghai stood to the side, finally making a reasonable suggestion as he prepared to leave.
"Mr. Jiang, please wait."
Lin Liping suddenly looked up at Jiang Xinghai, then lowered her head again and said, steeling herself, "Lulu is asleep, but I'm wide awake. Why don't you... give me an acupuncture massage today instead?"
"You?"
Jiang Xinghai's eyes stared directly at Lin Liping's chest. "Miss Lin, if you'll forgive my bluntness, you're... at least a 34D, right? Your figure is nearly perfect..."
"Just as you said, I want to be a perfect woman."
Lin Liping gazed at Jiang Xinghai, her eyes shimmering with emotion, and murmured softly, "Mr. Jiang, please, just help me this once, okay?"
She had only one goal: to test the extent of Jiang Xinghai's medical skills.
As for propriety... or the distinction between men and women, she didn't care!
If she could confirm that Jiang Xinghai's skills lived up to his reputation, she would do whatever it took to get this man to help her Jishan Hall regain its former glory!
"Very well. Let's begin."
Jiang Xinghai nodded agreeably and pointed to the treatment bed in the corner of the pharmacy.
"Do I still need to go 'wash up'?" Lin Liping's cheeks were flushed, her voice as quiet as a mosquito's buzz.