As a licensed nurse, Xu Jingyin knew how serious a fever of 40 degrees Celsius could be. She was instantly terrified, her pretty face turning pale:
"It's all my fault! I knew Jingwen couldn't get wet, but I insisted on dragging him out of school in the rain..."
"Stop blaming yourself for now. Hurry and take him home for acupuncture. The space in the car is too cramped for me to work properly."
Chen Xiao said, effortlessly lifting Xu Jingwen, who weighed no more than eighty jin, onto his back.
"Okay... Okay, thank you, Doctor Chen."
Xu Jingyin nodded repeatedly and led the way, quickly bringing Chen Xiao to a cheap rental room divided into two small single rooms. She then frantically rummaged through drawers and cabinets for fever reducers, saying with both heartache and self-reproach:
"My brother has always had a weak constitution since he was young. He catches colds and fevers easily, even falling unconscious if I'm not careful. He especially can't get wet or cold. The fortune teller in our hometown even said he wouldn't live past eighteen. To take better care of him, I had no choice but to bring him from our village to Juxian City to study. I never expected such a lapse in my attention to make him fall ill."
Laying Xu Jingwen flat on the narrow single bed, Chen Xiao continued to circulate the wordless golden scripture to conduct a comprehensive examination. His expression grew increasingly serious and grave.
Seeing Xu Jingyin bring the fever reducer and a cup of water, he couldn't help but shake his head and stop her:
"Nurse Xu, your brother's constitution is not suited for Western medicine. Otherwise, let alone eighteen, he probably won't even make it through tonight."
"Ah?"
Xu Jingyin was greatly alarmed, nearly dropping the cup of water:
"Dr. Chen... Doctor Chen, please... please don't scare me."
Chen Xiao's entire attention was focused on Xu Jingwen, and he hadn't considered Xu Jingyin's tolerance at all. He continued to shake his head:
"His immune system is underdeveloped. According to my diagnosis, it's likely congenital vascular malformation caused by chromosomal abnormalities. The fact that he's miraculously lived to this day only shows how well you, as his sister, have taken care of him."
Xu Jingyin's heart leaped into her throat, her voice trembling with tears:
"Can... can he be cured?"
Chen Xiao nodded, still somewhat shaken:
"Fortunately, you met me in time!"
As he spoke, Chen Xiao quickly removed Xu Jingwen's school uniform and pants. Then, he took out the hundreds of silver needles he carried with him, as well as those stored at Xu Jingyin's home, and began acupuncture on Xu Jingwen.
During this time, he also managed to dictate a prescription of over a dozen Chinese herbs, asking Xu Jingyin to write it down and go to the pharmacy downstairs to get the medicine.
When Xu Jingyin returned with the medicine, she was horrified to find her brother's emaciated body covered from head to toe in silver needles. A rough count showed at least a hundred, if not more. She was immediately terrified:
"Dr. Chen... Doctor Chen, why have you turned my brother into a porcupine? Can he withstand so many needles in his body?"
"What porcupine? This is the Tian Gang Thirty-Six Needles and the Di Sha Seventy-Two Needles combined, the Tian Gang Di Sha Star Cluster Needles. It has the miraculous effect of promoting your brother's immune system's secondary development. With this acupuncture treatment, and by consistently taking the hundred-character herbal formula I'll give you for one to two years, once a week, he will not only regain a normal constitution but also grow taller and stronger. However, this medicine is only effective if I personally decoct it."
As Chen Xiao spoke, he got up, took the herbs Xu Jingyin had bought, and began to prepare them using the induction cooker and stainless steel pot at home, his mind's profound and mysterious wordless golden scripture operating at its peak.
Xu Jingyin was skeptical but quickly found an electronic thermometer to monitor Xu Jingwen's temperature. When she discovered that his fever had returned to normal, she was greatly surprised and gradually began to believe Chen Xiao's words. She then voluntarily went to the cramped kitchen counter, where it was difficult to even pass by, to help Chen Xiao.
Chen Xiao genuinely treated Xu Jingyin as his assistant and intended to train her, readily agreeing. However, after several unavoidable intimate contacts with Xu Jingyin's soft and delicate body, Chen Xiao couldn't stand it anymore:
"Nurse Xu, your clothes are soaked. You should go take a hot bath and change into dry clothes, or you'll catch a cold."
"This..."
Xu Jingyin was immediately put in a difficult position, saying timidly:
"The rental room is small and doesn't have a bathroom. I usually wash up secretly when Jingwen is at school and I'm home alone."
Despite the awkwardness, she clearly feared offending Chen Xiao more. As she spoke, she took a basin of hot water to the adjacent room and closed the door tightly. However, Chen Xiao could still inevitably smell the scent of shower gel lingering in the air, making him somewhat infatuated and his heart race.
Soon, after Chen Xiao had administered the decocted medicine to Xu Jingwen and removed the hundreds of silver needles, he suddenly heard a knock on the door. Without thinking, he casually got up and opened it.
Standing outside was a man over forty, with a full beard, a cigarette dangling from his lips, wearing only boxer shorts and no shoes. He stumbled, exuding a strong smell of alcohol.
Frowning slightly, Chen Xiao cautiously extended his hand to block the door:
"Who are you looking for?"