Qiao Ying felt his forehead for a fever. After she retracted her hand, Qin Hanyue also felt his own forehead.
"Before coming here, I took my temperature, it was 38.1 degrees Celsius. It seems even higher now," he said.
Just as Qiao Ying was about to speak, Ye Si draped his arm over her shoulder.
"You've got the wrong place, this isn't a clinic. If you're sick then go to the hospital," Ye Si spoke unpleasantly without even addressing him, his unwelcomeness towards Qin Hanyue directly shown on his face.
"No women to act out a scene with, not even a private doctor?" Just as he was nicely catching up, being disturbed again and again, now grudges have formed.
Qin Hanyue: "Although it's a small problem, the constant relapse is quite annoying. Miss Qiao's medical skills are outstanding, I just wanted to find a fast and effective method. If I have disturbed you, I deeply apologize—I will take my leave now." He said to Qiao Ying.
Ye Si: "I won't see you off."
Qiao Ying reached out to stop him: "Come upstairs with me, I'll give you a few needles."
Ye Si adamantly said: "I do not consent."
Qiao Ying ignored Ye Si and turned around to go inside. Seeing that Ye Si was blocking the entrance not letting the other through, Qiao Ying helplessly said: "Stop making trouble."
Ye Si did not budge, still refusing to let the person through.
Qiao Ying: "Ye Si."
Ye Si turned around, looking extremely unhappy at Qiao Ying, the entire appearance of a jealous fit making a scene.
Unwilling in his heart, he still gave way.
Qiao Ying appeased him with a line: "Wait for me, I'll be quick."
Under Ye Si's unpleasant gaze, Qin Hanyue followed Qiao Ying upstairs, to her room.
After Qin Hanyue entered, Qiao Ying locked the door.
Her actions inevitably made Qin Hanyue feel dejected—from this it can be seen that Qiao Ying and Ye Si understand each other to a certain degree.
"Have a seat on the sofa," Qiao Ying said.
Not only did Ye Si bring wine for Qiao Ying, he also brought her a medical kit. Although the instruments were basic, they were absolutely state-of-the-art. Qiao Ying took out the medical kit.
"Open your mouth," Qiao Ying took out a small flashlight and leaned in towards him.
"Won't you put on a mask? What if I infect you."
"It won't transmit that easily."
Only then did Qin Hanyue obediently tilt his head back and open his mouth for her examination.
Qiao Ying put away the flashlight, "Have you taken medicine?"
She had drank quite a lot, when she spoke, her mouth was filled with the scent of wine. Her light pink lips were dyed an even richer red by the alcohol.
Qin Hanyue shook his head.
"Not even antipyretics?"
"No."
Qiao Ying looked at him dubiously, but didn't say anything else.
She took out a stethoscope and reached into his suit, placing the diaphragm against his chest through his shirt, from top to bottom, front chest to lateral chest, left lung to right lung.
Even with clothes separating them, the chill of the stethoscope's diaphragm still made Qin Hanyue unconsciously straighten his back bit by bit. Staring fixedly at the close-up sight of Qiao Ying bent over seriously auscultating him, his hands resting on his knees unconsciously curled up into partial fists.
Qiao Ying asked about his symptoms in a simple manner, he answered every question she asked.
After asking, Qin Hanyue couldn't help but say: "Are you always this meticulous when seeing patients? Even with minor illnesses like colds and fever?"
He had assumed that with Qiao Ying's medical skills and disposition, she would only "look" at him according to the four diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine. Then give him a few needles without going through all the trouble. He didn't expect her to be so patient and thorough.
Was it because she was in high spirits from drinking? Or was it because of the person drinking with her that put her in an even better mood, so she had so much patience and didn't mind the extra effort? Or was it because of him?
As soon as this thought surfaced, Qin Hanyue denied it of his own accord.
"I don't diagnose patients, I only operate," let alone minor problems like headaches and fevers. She didn't even plan on using this medical kit Ye Si gifted.
Qin Hanyue's eyes faintly brightened at her words, his heartbeat quickening along with it.
His gaze fixed intensely on the girl's face. In his absent-mindedness, he failed to notice his own anomalous condition and the suddenly elevated heartbeat had attracted Qiao Ying's attention. She had already moved the stethoscope diaphragm to his left atrium.
It was only when she spoke, "Your heart rate is very fast," that Qin Hanyue regained his senses, belatedly realizing it.
"I..."
Qiao Ying met his eyes, she already understood the sudden acceleration of his heartbeat was not because he physically felt unwell.
Qiao Ying removed the stethoscope and smoothly sat down on the sofa next, grabbing his wrist to take his pulse.
After taking his pulse, she took out needles, "Take off your coat."
"Alright."
"Unbutton two buttons and expose your nape."
"Okay."
She got up and went behind Qin Hanyue, pulling down the collar of his shirt to reveal more of his nape and shoulder area for needling.
The door handle was abruptly turned by someone. Realizing the door was locked, Ye Si directly knocked on the door, "Baby?"
"Why did you lock the door to treat him? Who are you keeping out, me?" Ye Si angrily demanded.
It hasn't even been a few minutes!
Qiao Ying already knew he wouldn't stay put, that was why she locked the door.
"Baby, if he dares have any ideas about you, just kill him directly. I'll go take care of the one outside afterwards," Ye Si said from the other side of the door. "Did you hear me?"
Qiao Ying: "Ignore him, he's always like this."
Qin Hanyue: "You two have known each other for long?"
Qiao Ying: "Mm."
It's hard to imagine her temperament could so amiably tolerate Ye Si's "willfulness".
She said she prefers the silent type, yet Ye Si is the complete opposite. She even allows such intimate forms of address and frequent physical contact.
No matter how they may have suffered adversity together, a relationship still needs years to establish its foundation. Yet she's only 18 this year...
After Qiao Ying finished needling his nape, she returned to sit on the sofa.
"Right hand."
Qin Hanyue held out his hand to her.
Qiao Ying gripped it and needled his tiger's mouth. This kind of physical contact made Qin Hanyue's heartbeat grow even faster.
"Before meeting Miss Qiao, I never envied anyone else. But now I do," Qin Hanyue suddenly confessed.
"First it was Sai Baixiao and the others, then your younger brother, followed by Cheng Jin Yan. And now there's Ye Si, too."
Qiao Ying: "Ye Si is indeed the person I trust most in this world."
Didn't even have an "one of", how could Qin Hanyue's heart not be affected.
"Little lady, are you done? It's been so long. Just carelessly give him a few needles and get it over with," Ye Si pestered from outside the door.
Qiao Ying knew he wouldn't settle down. That was why she locked the door.
She grabbed a nearby cushion and fiercely flung it at the door.
Ye Si briefly quieted down outside.
She lowered her head to resume gripping and twisting the needle in his tiger's mouth, then added a line, "Mister Qin is so outstanding, what need is there to envy them?"
Qin Hanyue: "Since I was little I lived overseas with my aunt. My aunt raised me, in my heart she's like my mother."
Qiao Ying raised her eyes to glance at him, seemingly asking why was he suddenly telling her these things.
So Qin Hanyue explained it to her: "I envy them because to you, they are not the same. Because they understand you more than me. I have no other way to get to know you, so I wanted you to understand me. But it appears I have done something stupid, because I do not know if you are willing to get to know me or not."
Provoked by Ye Si, coupled with his illness, Qin Hanyue was unable suppress his emotions. In a moment of heat, he disregarded whether the timing was right or not.
The corners of Qiao Ying's mouth pulled into a faint smile, the smile was very light, so light it was almost indiscernible. This smile was unrelated to anything else, she simply felt this businessman had a way with words. Had he been the slightest bit more vague, she wouldn't know what he meant at all.
Qiao Ying did drink quite a lot tonight.
"Miss Qiao, there's something..." Just as Qin Hanyue wanted to disregard the needle in his tiger's mouth to try taking Qiao Ying's hand.
His fingers had already closed in.
Ye Si violently banged on the door, "Baby! If you don't respond soon I'm going to kick the door down and come in!"
He was successfully interrupted.
It was also at this time that Qiao Ying finished needling, "Done."
She released his hand.
The moment the needle was pulled out, Qin Hanyue sobered up considerably. Looking at Qiao Ying busying herself with needle cleanup, he silently tidied his clothes.
While regretful, he was also glad he didn't end up saying it out loud.
Because the response he would get most likely wouldn't be to his satisfaction.
Qin Hanyue collected himself and consciously changed the topic: "Any plans for the winter break? Will you go somewhere further like during the summer?"
Qiao Ying: "Yes."
He promptly asked: "Will it be dangerous?"
Qiao Ying raised a brow, "Are you asking about me? Or those poor souls I find?"
Her? Or the unlucky bastards she finds?
Qin Hanyue looked at her expression, "You seem drunk."
Qiao Ying: "A little."
Qin Hanyue: "Is he...sleeping next door?"
Qiao Ying: "What, is Mister Qin going to say it's bad for my reputation again, an unmarried man and woman under the same roof?"
Qin Hanyue stood up and put on his coat: "I didn't mean it that way. I only need to give that kind of reminder once, any more would just annoy people."
