Chapter 40 Concerned about reputation

The female doctor slowly entered the room, approached the bedside, and prepared to take the girl's pulse to check her condition.

When the bed curtains were lifted, the person inside was found completely covered by thick quilts, with not even their head showing.

If we can't use the four diagnostic methods of observation, listening, questioning, and palpation, how can we diagnose this illness?

The female doctor had no choice but to bow and whisper into the room, "Young lady, please put down the blanket and expose your wrist for examination."

After she finished speaking, she waited for a while, and finally the person under the covers slowly made a move. She slowly pulled the blanket down, revealing her smooth forehead, sweaty nose, and cherry lips.

The female doctor glanced at the woman out of the corner of her eye, her pupils involuntarily contracting as she was captivated by the woman's stunningly beautiful appearance.

Upon regaining his senses, he quickly noticed something amiss. The woman on the bed appeared exhausted, her breathing weak, her cheeks flushed with an unusual blush, her lips alluring, and her eyes deep and dark—she was clearly not an ordinary person.

She touched her forehead and found that her temperature was not high, then gestured and said, "Please extend your wrist, young lady."

Bai Hua did as instructed, replying softly, "Thank you."

Judging from the pulse alone, the pulse was deep and deep, indicating that the evil qi was trapped inside. It was clear that the girl was deeply worried and had difficulty calming her mind. However, the signs of poisoning were not obvious. The female doctor examined Bai Hua's face for a while, then lifted her eyelids to examine the bottom of her eyes. After thinking for a while, she came to a conclusion.

She asked proactively, "Have you recently consumed any pills of unknown origin, especially those from the Southern Region?"

Bai Hua felt weak all over and nodded slightly without realizing it.

The female doctor, having a clear understanding of the situation, explained: "The people of the Southern Region are skilled in refining elixirs and advocate seeking immortality through Taoist practices, witchcraft, and witchcraft. While they may have temporary effects, long-term use will inevitably lead to side effects."

Bai Hua's heart tightened, and she explained in a low voice, "I am not entirely convinced. This was an accident, and we will not have any further contact. If that's the case, can things return to normal?"

The female doctor said, "Don't worry, young lady. The dosage you ingested was not large. Although there are still some residual toxins in your body, they are not life-threatening. I will prescribe two prescriptions to regulate your body. Take them for a few days and you should be able to get rid of the toxins."

Bai Hua felt relieved and nodded: "Thank you."

Hearing her weak voice, the female doctor, wanting to be attentive, said, "Young lady, would it be convenient for you to sit up? I see that you look tired and lack energy, and you seem listless. I'm afraid the medicine has affected your spirit. Perhaps I can give you acupuncture on your back to help you recover. This way, you will feel lighter and more comfortable."

Bai Hua hesitated for a moment, then nodded in acceptance of the female doctor's kindness.

Although she knew that she was not in a position to face others in her current state, if the pill really contained poison, Bai Hua could not worry too much and was only anxious to get rid of the remaining poison first.

Her brother was imprisoned and unable to escape; he was still waiting for her to reunite with him in Jingqi. She absolutely could not let anything happen to him now.

With the help of the female doctor, Bai Hua struggled to sit up.

The blanket slipped off her shoulders, revealing the sheer fabric loosely draped over her body. The female doctor was stunned, her eyes involuntarily shifting to the side.

In the eyes of doctors, patients are not distinguished by gender. When administering acupuncture, they treat the body in front of them as an ordinary physical body, regardless of gender or social status. Their attention only needs to be focused on the eyes and wrists to ensure accurate and efficient needle insertion.

However, beauty is intuitive and impactful.

At such close range, the young woman's slender and shapely figure was reflected in his eyes, her white skin dazzlingly bright. Even a fleeting glance would be unforgettable.

The female doctor snapped out of her thoughts and continued to help her, telling her to sit more comfortably.

Bai Hua raised her hand and pulled her gauze dress tighter around herself. Although she didn't like it, she really had no other clothes to change into.

She tried to bend and straighten her legs, moving them around. Her calves were shapely, and her thighs were fair and delicate. When the blanket was completely lifted, her thighs were covered with obvious red marks and fingerprints, especially near the groin, where there were even more marks, making it almost unbearable to look at.

The female doctor was stunned and couldn't pretend she hadn't seen it.

She initially thought the young lady's weakness was due to the uneven quality of the pills produced by the people of the Southern Region, but upon seeing the horrifying red finger marks on the young lady's body and recalling the white-robed young man who had just left the room, she suddenly realized something.

Although the white-robed young man's expression remained unchanged, a hint of joy could be faintly seen in his eyes.

Doctors are skilled at observing facial features. When she first glimpsed it, she didn't think much of it, but now, recalling it again, she finally connected everything.

It turned out that it wasn't the pills causing any side effects that made the young lady so weak, listless, and lifeless; rather... she had just gone through an intense lovemaking session, completely exhausting her strength and being worn out too much...

She remained motionless for a long time. Bai Hua noticed this and turned around to ask, "May I begin the acupuncture now?"

Her clothes were so inappropriate that Bai Hua just wanted to finish as soon as possible so she could crawl back into bed and hide away.

Upon hearing this, the female doctor hesitated slightly, wondering whether she should continue administering the acupuncture.

Then I thought, no matter what, acupuncture can activate the meridians and clear away stagnation, which will always be beneficial to the body. Even if there is no illness, but just excessive sexual activity, acupuncture can help relieve fatigue in the waist and legs.

Thinking of this, the female doctor didn't ask any further questions, and simply replied, "Yes."

After saying that, she didn't delay any longer. She opened her medicine box, took out a needle and handkerchief, helped Bai Hua take off her gauze dress, and skillfully applied a few needles to her back.

While waiting, the female doctor wrote out the prescription and left it behind. It wasn't the original detoxification prescription, but a new one specifically for married women, a 'secret formula' to help them deal with frequent sexual activity.

Such matters are private, and to save face for the women, it is often best to avoid discussing them when prescribing medicine.

So when the female doctor introduced the prescription to Bai Hua, she only explained that it had the effect of replenishing qi and regulating the body. If she experienced a similar situation again, she could continue to follow the prescription to get the medicine and decoct it, and she was sure that her body would feel much better.

After the acupuncture was completed, Bai Hua had a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, and her body immediately felt much more relaxed.

The female doctor kindly helped her lie down to rest and then advised her not to engage in any strenuous activities or strenuous travel for the next two days, otherwise her body might not be able to recover properly.

Bai Hua agreed to everything and thanked the female doctor again.

The female doctor said goodbye to her, picked up her medical kit, and left the room slowly and quietly.

Seeing that the door was closed tightly, Bai Hua pondered to herself. She wondered if she was overthinking it, but she felt that the female doctor's words just now had a hidden meaning. In particular, when she was explaining, she seemed to deliberately emphasize the word "strenuous activity," which made Bai Hua inevitably think the wrong thing and her face turned embarrassed.

...

After the female doctor left, a moment later, a maid entered the room to bring her tea and water, as well as clothes. She then quickly withdrew with her eyes lowered, having fulfilled someone's instructions.

Apart from that, no one else entered the room.

Bai Hua waited and waited, thinking that the young master would stay outside the courtyard to watch over her and would come in to inquire about her condition as soon as the female doctor finished examining her. But to her surprise, he ignored her completely.

Apart from the initial sounds of servants moving around, no other sounds came from the doorway.

Bai Hua lowered her gaze, lay flat on the bed, staring blankly at the curtains above, her eyes reddening with embarrassment, and a wave of depression and frustration washed over her.

She couldn't help but let her mind wander. Just now, when she was with the young master, she had been so frivolous and unladylike. Perhaps the young master had seen a side of her that no one else knew about, and after being surprised, he had become disgusted with her...

Bai Hua was worried and depressed, feeling both annoyed and ashamed, so she simply closed her eyes.

It would have been better if she hadn't closed her eyes; as soon as she did, the scenes she had witnessed would replay in her mind, constantly reminding and stimulating her.

In her mind, the two of them had already done intimate things that only married couples would try, and even ordinary, respectful couples probably wouldn't act so dissolutely.

The young master was skilled in music; under normal circumstances, she had heard his whistle before—clear, melodious, and quite charming.

However, she dared not listen to or look at such refined matters again. Although the jade bone whistle was covered with smooth jade, its segments were clearly raised, hard and coarse, and it was not easy to swallow. It had to be smooth enough to accommodate it. Therefore, before fully pushing the jade bone whistle in, the young master first pulled it out, then bent down and leaned closer, taking the initiative to look up at her and personally guiding the spring down.

Feeling hot all over, Bai Hua dared not think about it anymore...

There was a knock on the door, twice, but she didn't answer.

The man knocked again, and Bai Hua could no longer remain indifferent and pretend to be deaf. She had no choice but to lift a corner of the blanket and weakly say, "Come in."

The other person pushed the door open and came in, backlit.

Bai Hua squinted to see the person clearly. He was surrounded by a soft halo, and it turned out to be the young master.

Upon seeing him arrive, Bai Hua felt nervous and quickly pulled the blanket over her head again, shrinking away completely, not daring to face him.

She had been looking forward to his arrival, but now that he had suddenly appeared before her, Bai Hua lost her courage and felt only shame and humiliation.

Seeing her like this, Ning Jue did not forcibly pull off the blanket and force her to look at him.

He placed the steaming hot plate on the table, then sat on the edge of the bed, very close to her, without being offensive, just quietly watching over her.

After a while, guessing that she should have calmed down a bit, he said gently, "The female doctor told me that you are fine and just need to rest. She left you a prescription, and I will send someone out to get you the medicine later."

Bai Hua didn't respond, but there was movement inside the blanket—rhythmic breathing.

She had been suffocating under the covers for too long, and her breathing became increasingly labored, so her movements naturally became more and more exaggerated.

Ning Jue carefully lifted a corner of the quilt, not letting her show her face, just to ensure that air could flow in smoothly so that she could be more comfortable.

"Are you... still feeling unwell anywhere?" Ning Jue asked again with concern.

Bai Hua finally responded, but her voice was extremely low, a murmur as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "No."

Ning Jue pondered for a moment, then said apologetically, "It's my fault. I'm not good at this kind of thing, and you were making a ruckus yesterday, so the jade bone whistle alone wasn't enough, so..."

As he spoke, his mouth went dry, and he subconsciously licked the corner of his lips, his demeanor not as composed as usual. It was a pity that Bai Hua didn't see it, otherwise she might have felt a little better.

"That's why... I kissed you."

Ning Jue struggled for a long time about how to say it, hoping to be as subtle as possible. After much thought, he still felt that the word "dear" was the most appropriate.

He did kiss her; it involved lips and tongue, so it definitely counts as a kiss.

But compared to a lip-to-lip kiss, this new attempt yielded several times more in return.

Bai Hua was embarrassed and could not continue listening to him. She threw off the covers, revealed her head, and said with difficulty, "Why should I apologize, young master? It was I who... lost my composure and made a fool of myself. I have no face to face you again, and I don't know how to face you."

She hasn't even learned his hidden sword techniques yet, should she really leave now?

After such a shameful thing happened, those unbearable scenes were so clear, Bai Hua couldn't stay, but she hesitated to leave.

What should I do about my brother?

And how could she possibly suppress the deep reluctance in her heart...?

However, Ning Jue only listened to the first half of her sentence.

He thought, "Where is the ugliness? She is clearly stunningly beautiful."

Every smile, every movement, every twist of her waist or sway of her chest exudes a captivating charm.

Those scenes, the ones Bai Hua most wanted him to forget, he probably will never forget.

Bai Hua lay on the bed, still looking at him listlessly, her eyes brimming with tears.

With such a radiant face and such a direct gaze, Ning Jue's heart skipped a beat.

He struggled to suppress his wandering thoughts and calmly asked, "Why can't we face each other?"

Bai Hua turned her eyes away and replied, "The two of you don't act like master and servant; it's neither one thing nor the other... I'm afraid it will affect your reputation, young master."

Upon hearing this, Ning Jue showed no outward change, but inwardly chuckled.

He had long seen through her thoughts.

It wasn't about caring about his reputation; it was clearly because she was ashamed, scared, and wanted to run away.

Ning Jue's eyes shone with an air of certainty as he asked directly, "If you truly care about my reputation and are afraid of gossip, why not just marry me? If we were husband and wife, who would dare to criticize our intimate and inappropriate relationship?"

Bai Hua was stunned, not expecting him to turn the tables so quickly.