What a coincidence; to think that I would bump into her here.
Seeing the expression in Xie Yun’s eyes, Zhen Yu couldn’t help but ask, “Mister, you know me?”
“I have seen you once on the streets of the capital.” Xie Yun truthfully said. He then sat up, took off his trousers, and began pulling the thorns out.
“Mister, your hands are dirty right now, and using them to pull out the thorns will only cause an infection. Let me help you.” Zhen Yu took out an exquisite pair of pliers that was made for pulling thorns from her pouch.
Physician Mei gave this to me. I’ve only been learning medicine for a few days, so this man can be considered my first patient.
Xie Yun stopped, understanding that Zhen Yu was a female healer when he saw the pliers in her hand. He retracted his cold aura as he calmly said, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome! Physician Mei said that saving a person’s life is more meaningful than constructing a seven-floor pagoda for the deceased. This is how it works when learning medicine. I must warn you though, it’s my first time doing this. Please bear with it if it’s a little painful.” Zhen Yu bent down and began to work, pulling out the thorns with an earnest look in her eyes. While she did so, she was constantly afraid of hurting her patient, and continued to check his expression from time to time.
“Miss, I’m a grown man; I won’t scream in pain, so you can just pluck as you like.”
Zhen Yu simply nodded and continued her task, not raising her head to look at him anymore.
Xie Yun watched her as she worked; her skin was fair, her eyes were large and limpid, and some loose strands of hair fell beside her cheeks. Judging by her clothes and the calluses on her hands, he deduced that she was a young lady from a farmer’s family.
Xie Yun only watched her throughout the process, not uttering a single word. Their surroundings were unusually quiet with only the sound of tree leaves rustling in the wind.
After some time, Zhen Yu nodded, flashing a smile as she spoke. “Mister, I’ve removed the thorns on your legs, but there’s still some left on your hands and abdomen.”
Xie Yun nodded, then raised his left hand.
Zhen Yu took out a clean handkerchief, helping him clean the dried blood and grime off his hands before she began pulling the thorns out.
This wasn’t Xie Yun’s first time touching a woman’s hand, yet he felt that Zhen Yu’s hand was much softer. The ridiculous thing is that there are clearly calluses on her fingers.
After the thorns were pulled out from his left hand, Xie Yun extended his right hand. However, Zhen Yu was left shocked when she touched it. “Mister, why is your index finger broken? What should I do? I don’t know how to treat it. I have to look for Physician Mei.”
But Physician Mei is in the medical clinic. I rode a horse carriage to the mountains today, and I came from a small path on another mountain by myself.
Xie Yun laughed. “My family servants will come searching for me, and will find a physician for me at that time. You can just focus on taking the thorns out.”
Zhen Yu stared at him in bewilderment. He doesn’t look the least bit worried about his broken index finger. I don’t know how to treat it, so the only thing I can do is pull the thorns out as fast as possible. Hence, she lowered her head and continued to concentrate on her task.
After she was done with his right hand, she wiped the sweat on her forehead with her hand.
“Miss, you’re so nervous that your forehead is sweating?”
Zhen Yu nodded in embarrassment. “I have only started learning medicine recently, and you’re my first patient, so I couldn’t help but be nervous. However, I will try my best to treat you. Lie down and lift your outer shirt.”
Xie Yun felt some of his strength returning to him, and couldn’t help but tease her, “Miss, don’t you know that men and women shouldn’t have such close physical contact?”
Zhen Yu was left dazed for a moment before she replied, “Physician Mei once said that in the eyes of a healer, there’s no distinction between gender, but only between a healthy person and a patient.”
Admiration appeared in Xie Yun eyes. He lied down before opening his outer and inner robes to reveal his injuries.
Zhen Yu squatted down and moved closer, to the point that Xie Yun could feel her loose strands of hair tickling his abdomen.
