"If I said I was just here to treat your illness, would you believe me?"
Yu He looked at the handsome face so close to her, her heart pounding like a drum, unable to tell if it was hers or his.
His hot breath brushed against her face, as if to melt her.
"Does treating an illness require *that*? Hmm?"
Qin Bei Ting's magnetic voice was slightly hoarse, sending a shiver down her spine.
Yu He: "..."
She had truly been wronged by Ye Qi Chen, and there was no way to clear her name.
At this moment, the more she explained, the more it would sound like she was covering up. She decided not to explain at all.
"Perhaps, it might be useful to you," she said.
Qin Bei Ting's breath hitched. "How so?"
Did the little girl not realize that she was not only playing with fire but also about to get burned?
"..."
"For example, right now, you could get off me, take it into the bathroom, take care of yourself, and then take a bath before coming out. Then I will treat you with acupuncture," Yu He said.
Qin Bei Ting: "..."
Qin Bei Ting: "Is your understanding of 'a place where only the two of us are' for treating illness?"
"Isn't that what you meant?" Yu He retorted.
Qin Bei Ting looked at her beautiful peach blossom eyes, which held five parts innocence, three parts amusement, and two parts cunning. He smiled helplessly.
"I apologize, I overstepped," he said, getting up.
Yu He sat up on the waterbed, a smile playing on her lips. "Professor Qin is truly a role model."
"When you're older, I'll deal with you," Qin Bei Ting said, pinching her cheek, then kissing her forehead, and turning to enter the bathroom.
Yu He sat on the waterbed, listening to the rushing water from the bathroom, her lips curling upwards, her legs unconsciously swaying.
Twenty minutes later.
The sound of water stopped, the bathroom door opened, and Qin Bei Ting emerged, draped in a loose white bathrobe, exuding a chill.
The robe was loosely fastened, revealing firm pectorals and clearly defined skin. Water droplets from his hair trickled down his neck, collarbone, and chest, then over his abs, before being concealed by the towel.
A living picture of a handsome man emerging from a bath unfolded before Yu He's eyes.
"That fast?" Yu He deliberately glanced at her phone's time, then at his lower body, a mischievous smile on her lips.
"..."
Qin Bei Ting's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. He advanced step by step, cornering Yu He by the bed, then leaning down and trapping her between his arms.
"Woman, don't tease a man's speed lightly, or I can't guarantee I'll be able to hold back a second time."
Yu He felt the coolness emanating from him and realized he had taken a twenty-minute cold shower. Yet, even so, it hadn't extinguished the undisguised desire in his eyes.
She dared not push his limits any further. She nudged him, "I'm not playing anymore. Dry your hair, lie on the bed, and I'll perform acupuncture."
However, the man remained still.
Yu He raised an eyebrow. "You don't want treatment anymore?"
"The fire you've started needs to be extinguished first," Qin Bei Ting said, staring deeply into her eyes.
Yu He: "..."
She glanced at his lower body and found nothing unusual. She felt he was being deliberately provocative, but she still leaned forward and gave him a fleeting peck on the lips.
Only then did Qin Bei Ting release her with apparent satisfaction and go to blow-dry his hair.
When he returned, Yu He had already spread out a set of golden needles by the bedside.
"Take this medicine first," Yu He said, handing him a glass of warm water and a black pill.
Qin Bei Ting asked nothing, picked up the pill from her palm, popped it into his mouth, and swallowed.
Seeing this, Yu He teased, "Aren't you afraid I'd give you poison?"
"I'm not afraid. If I die by your hand, I'll do so willingly," Qin Bei Ting replied.
Yu He: "Tsk, cheesy."
However, Qin Bei Ting's lack of questions saved Yu He the trouble of explaining. The pill was made with the Black Spirit Pearl as the main ingredient, and explaining it would reveal too much about her.
After swallowing the pill, Qin Bei Ting felt a warmth in his stomach, followed by a wave of drowsiness.
"How long will the treatment take?" he asked via text message as he lay down on the waterbed, holding his phone.
"Acupuncture for half an hour, after which you will enter a deep sleep. When you wake up depends on your physical and mental recovery, estimated to be between 12 to 42 hours. During this time, you must not be disturbed. I suggest putting your phone on silent or turning it off," Yu He said, skillfully braiding her scattered hair into a pigtail down her back.
"Okay," Qin Bei Ting replied. After sending his message, he turned off his phone and lay down properly.
Yu He rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of her fair, slender arm.
She glanced at Qin Bei Ting's loose-fitting bathrobe and turned into the bathroom to get a towel, which she tossed to him. "Take off your robe."
Qin Bei Ting half-propped himself up, a hint of an unreadable smile on his lips. "Help me take it off?"
Yu He picked up a slender golden needle, wiped it with an alcohol swab, and in the light, the tip gleamed with a sharp, cold glint.
She glanced at him sideways. "Do you want to experience what it's like to be paralyzed?"
Qin Bei Ting: "..."
It's not good to tease a girl who's working seriously.
Qin Bei Ting took off his bathrobe, covered his essentials with the towel, and lay down on the waterbed in a posture that seemed to invite her.
"..." Yu He set the waterbed to a constant temperature and began the acupuncture.
She was already very familiar with the acupoints on the man's body, and her needling technique was effortless.
Before long, Qin Bei Ting was almost covered from head to toe with needles.
The main sixteen golden needles were personally crafted by Qin Bei Ting himself; the rest were silver needles.
Yu He observed Qin Bei Ting's expression. His brows were relaxed, and his breathing was steady and orderly. It seemed the medicine was taking effect, and he had fallen asleep.
Half an hour later.
She removed all the needles, put them away, and then unconsciously leaned over the bed, starting to admire his good looks.
Despite spending so much time in the military, exposed to the sun and wind, how could his skin still be so delicate and smooth?
Her gaze drifted downwards to the gruesome scar on his chest. Only his face remained so perfectly preserved; his body was almost entirely covered in scars.
She stood up, took out two small black bottles from her bag, poured out an apricot-colored powder from one and a clear liquid from the other, mixed them, stirred, and then carefully applied the mixture to the horrific scars on his body.
She applied it to the scars on his chest and sides. Finally, Yu He's gaze fell on the towel.
Her fingers, like delicate reeds, tugged at a corner of the towel, revealing a scar on his left thigh.
Yu He's cheeks flushed slightly. She glanced at Qin Bei Ting's face furtively, as if guilty of a crime, and seeing that he was still fast asleep, she knelt on the bed and leaned down to apply the medicine to the wound on his thigh.
She didn't know why she was so nervous, as she was just applying medicine to him.
"Ding dong," suddenly, the doorbell rang abruptly.
Yu He startled. Her knee on the bed slipped, and coupled with the waterbed's softness, she held the medicine in one hand, unable to let go, while the other hand hadn't found a stable point. Her body lost its balance, and her face landed squarely between the man's legs...