The poison in Old Master Qin's body was urgent and could not be delayed. Just after the surgery, it was not convenient for him to move, so Qiao Ying let him lie in bed for a while longer. She took this opportunity to make some antidote.
The hospital conditions were limited, and Qiao Ying could not perform to her full potential, so she had Qin Hanyue take Old Master Qin back to the Qin house. Not one of the doctors and experts dared to give any suggestions.
At the Qin house,
In Qin Hanyue's residence,
The bathroom was very large and spacious. The bathtub was built like a swimming pool, just right for the purpose.
Old Master Qin had his upper body bare as he was placed in the bathtub filled with hot water. Qin Hanyue and his nephew Qin Yuchen held the old master on both sides to keep him steady in the water.
Qiao Ying carried a chair and sat behind the old master, preparing to administer acupuncture while Older Ming stood at the side to assist.
Seeing the needles Qiao Ying took out, Older Ming leaned in closely to take a look: “Miss Qiao, you didn’t buy these needles from me, did you?”
Qin Yan had brought Qiao Ying's needles from the villa in the afternoon.
Without even lifting her head, Qiao Ying said: "A gift from Mr. Qin."
Qin Yuchen couldn't help but glance at his third uncle.
Older Ming seemed to understand something. He laughed and said, "Good stuff, these needles must have been hard to obtain."
Older Ming couldn't wait to see Qiao Ying in action.
At 6 pm in the evening,
the sky gradually darkened.
Holding the silver needle in her hand, Qiao Ying's acupuncture technique was slightly different from usual. She stabbed the needle into the acupoint, then roughly jabbed with the needle, tugging hard at the skin.
An amateur would be frightened to see it.
Qin Hanyue had seen Qiao Ying use needles to relieve Sak's pain before, and he had also seen her use needles to alleviate her own menstrual cramps. Her speed was usually very fast,
But this time it was clearly more time and energy consuming.
After half an hour, she had only inserted a dozen needles into the old master's back. Her technique for the areas around his heart and other parts was different as well.
But no matter what technique she used, Qiao Ying was extremely skilled and at ease.
Older Ming stared with eyes wide open, not even daring to blink, afraid to disturb Qiao Ying. When he saw something astonishing, he could only silently stare in shock, eyes wide open.
After a while, his eyes were strained from staring.
When Qiao Ying administered the acupuncture, she was as focused and attentive as when she wielded the surgical knife and conducted experiments. Her eyes saw nothing but the human acupoints, occasionally speaking to teach the eager-to-learn Older Ming.
Her voice was cold and clear with a slightly hoarse, weary edge.
The sincere devotion was a kind of indescribable charm.
While restraining himself, Qin Yuchen was attracted to her.
As the last needle went in, Qiao Ying straightened up and slowly exhaled, finally ending the lengthy process.
Fine beads of sweat lined her fair forehead.
Qiao Ying grabbed the old master's hand to check his pulse.
Then, taking the knife prepared in advance, she held the old master's hand and made a slit on each of his ten fingertips, letting the blood drip into the water.
Fresh red blood slowly flowed out, gradually turning dark red, eventually blackish red.
Older Ming at the side watched in astonishment.
Qiao Ying continued acupuncturing to help expedite the toxins leaving the body.
In no time, the formerly clear water had turned into an inky black bloody pool.
The bathroom reeked of blood accompanied by a foul stench.
Qiao Ying asked while acupuncturing, "How is the medicine decoction coming along?"
Snapping back to reality, Qin Yan quickly responded, "Let me go check."
Not long after, the young medicine attendant returned with Older Ming.
Taking the medicine bowl from the small attendant's hand and testing the temperature, Qiao Ying then had Qin uncle and nephew move the patient further back, tilting his head up.
She also had Older Ming help pry open the old master's mouth.
Seeing Qiao Ying bring the lip of the bowl right to the old master's mouth about to pour it in, Older Ming was just about to say that the unconscious man wouldn't be able to drink. But he saw Qiao Ying slide her hand to the patient's throat and smoothly massage it.
Older Ming didn't even see clearly what she did before the entire bowl of medicine had gone down without a drop spilled.
Older Ming gaped in shock and admiration, exclaiming: "Today my old eyes have truly been opened."
Even though the rest didn't understand Chinese medicine, from Older Ming's words they knew Qiao Ying's technique just now was highly skillful.
After finishing everything, Qiao Ying put down the bowl, "The needles can be removed after two hours, most of the poison will be gone by then."
When she finished speaking, she took the chair and sat facing the old master at the edge of the bathtub to rest while observing his condition.
The old master's complexion was still ashen, deathly looking, but much better than in the hospital. His lips were no longer that purple-black hue either.
She then glanced at Qin Hanyue, remarking to herself that the father and son's eyebrows and noses looked quite similar.
Qin Hanyue at that moment looked up at her; their gazes crossed fleetingly before Qiao Ying was the first to turn away and look back at the old master again.
As the toxins left his body and spilled into the water, the bloody stench in the bathroom was entirely overwhelmed by the foul fumes of the poison, becoming unbearable and even difficult to breathe.
Yet Qiao Ying appeared unaffected. She sat on the chair with her back against the wall, eyes closed at some point as if she had fallen asleep exhaustedly.
Between her brows were all fatigue.
These last two days, Qin Hanyue watched as the dark circles under her eyes gradually worsened. From overexertion, her eyes occasionally blinked or squinted.
He got Qin Yan to take his place supporting his father, then silently crept up to Qiao Ying and gingerly carried her limp form from the chair.
The girl frowned a little but did not stir.
So Qin Hanyue took her in his arms and out of the bathroom,
through the bedroom, and exited the room.
Outside in the corridor were gathered many Qin family members young and old, anxious to know the situation of the old master. But upon seeing Qin Hanyue exit carrying the sleeping girl, no one spoke to ask questions.
Qin Hanyue carried the person into his room next door, gently laying her on his bed. He sat down beside,
taking up the thin quilt to lightly cover Qiao Ying.
Qin Hanyue silently looked on at the girl's sleeping face showing sheer exhaustion, then after a while, quietly held her hand
and said softly yet solemnly, "Thank you."
This was Qiao Ying's first time overworking herself to such a high intensity after her rebirth, as the physical fitness of this body was still in need of conditioning.
Unable to withstand the degree of mental and physical exhaustion, Qiao Ying's sleep was fitful.
She dreamt not only of the inhumane torture for half a year in the Southeast Asian basement, but also of the fallen comrade on her final mission who died with her.
Perhaps not exactly a partner since they hadn't carried out many missions together, but the only friend she had amidst the shadows.
Qiao Ying awoke with a shock from the climatic explosion in the dream.
She opened her eyes staring at the ceiling, the fiery aftermath of the blast still before her visuals, slowly realizing after a while that it was an unfamiliar ceiling she saw.
Closing her eyes, she turned to one side, half her face buried into the pillow to reorient herself, breathing in the familiar scent from the pillow.
Without looking, she already knew where she had slept last night.
After some time, she opened her eyes again. What came into view this time was a human-sized shooting target with bullet holes clustered around the bullseye.
The target leaned by the balcony door to the left, concentric red rings a jarringly conspicuous sight amidst the black, white and grey refinedly understated interior décor of the bedroom.
Qiao Ying sat up on the bed and surveyed the spacious room.
It was Qin Hanyue's style alright.
The bedroom door opened at this time
as Qin Hanyue quickened his pace, "You’re awake."
"How is your father?" Just roused from sleep, Qiao Ying's voice was a little hoarse, lending a subtle languid feel.
Qin Hanyue: "His complexion has returned to normal now, the poisoning symptoms are gone. Older Ming is attending to him."
Qiao Ying softly acknowledged before bowing her head, massaging her temple with one hand.
The man's warm palm suddenly came to her forehead as he sat down by the bedside.
Her forehead was icy cold; Qin Hanyue asked concernedly, "Feeling unwell? Did you overstrain yourself? Want to rest longer?"
Qiao Ying lifted her head to meet his gaze and he retracted his hand accordingly.
"Just didn't sleep well," she said.
Seeing her pallid face, Qin Hanyue was still uneasy.
"Have breakfast first then? You didn't even eat dinner last night. Don't damage your stomach while growing up."
Hearing this, Qiao Ying glanced towards the balcony. The curtains weren't fully drawn, allowing daylight in— she had slept an entire night through.
"Will eat in a bit." She didn't feel like eating on an empty stomach for too long.
"Why didn't you look for me earlier regarding your father's condition?" Qiao Ying then asked him, "Thought I was only good for curing menstrual cramps, impotence and premature ejaculation? And maybe headaches if I was outstanding enough?"
Qin Hanyue nodded silently. "I originally believed Doctor Seely was the only one capable of this surgery."
Qiao Ying posed a question, "Doctor Seely? Don't I look the part?"
Qin Hanyue raised his eyes,
and the two looked directly at each other, completely at ease.
Qin Hanyue gazed into her eyes and told her, "But I discovered that Doctor Seely has another identity."
Qiao Ying raised her eyebrows slightly.
