Huo Yao walked up the stairs and said, “Brother Yulin, go back to your room. I will go and get my needles.”
Huo Yulin nodded. “Okay.”
Before long, Huo Yao came to his room with the box of needles.
She opened the box and said, “Can you lie at the foot of the bed? It would help make it easier for me to apply the needles.”
Huo Yulin did as she instructed and lay down in bed to look at the ceiling. Even though he was exhausted, it was impossible for him to sleep when he closed his eyes.
Huo Yao noticed the incense ash in the burner next to the coffee table when she took out the silver needles.
Huo Yao didn’t say anything and turned around to walk up to the bedside. Her thin hands landed on Huo Yulin’s temples and massaged the spots.
Huo Yulin closed his eyes as she rubbed his temples steadily. He quickly felt relaxed and comfortable.
Despite his little sister’s young age, she was particularly deft at massaging.
Huo Yulin was rather surprised.
After massaging his temples for a few minutes, Huo Yao picked up the needles and accurately applied them to two acupoints. She proceeded to take two shorter needles and applied them to si shen cong acupoint.
Si shen cong acupoint was best used for insomnia treatment. Silver needles had to be slowly pushed into the acupuncture point so that it could take effect. Hence, the treatment required patience and time.
Initially, Huo Yulin just wanted to give it a shot. However, he unexpectedly fell asleep unknowingly in no time and looked particularly relaxed.
Huo Yao glanced at him before she continued performing acupuncture. She put away the needles 20 minutes later.
Huo Yao checked to see that her brother was in a deep sleep before she disinfected the needles and replaced them in the box.
Huo Yao paused before she leaned against the bedside and held Huo Yulin’s hand lying on top of the blanket.
He suffered from a weak heart and spleen, exhaustion, Qi deficiency, a weak pulse, and severe insomnia.
Other than that, he was anemic and had some problems with digestion. Apart from these issues, he was rather healthy.
Huo Yao stopped examining his pulse. She glanced around the room until her eyes landed on the long box lying on the table. She walked over and opened it to see that there was barely any incense left.
Huo Yao turned to look at Huo Yulin. She had given him enough incense to last three months, but he had used two months’ worth of incense in a month.
The incense had clearly lost its effect on him.
Auxiliary treatment only worked in the short-term. His sickness had to be dealt at the root, psychologically.
Huo Yao quietly took her needles, and left the room.
Huo Yanxi’s room was near Huo Yulin’s room. Huo Yao looked up as she gently closed the door and saw Huo Yanxi walking out rubbing his temples.
She paused in her steps briefly before she went straight to her room and closed the door.
Huo Yanxi stood where he was with a splitting headache, but the pain could not compare to his disappointment.
He inhaled deeply before he went back to his room.
*
At breakfast.
“Oh yes. Brother Yulin only managed to fall asleep in the morning. Since he is suffering from jet lag, he will probably sleep in today. Don’t bother waking him up,” said Huo Yao to her parents and Huo Tingrui at the dining table after she sat down.
Huo Tingrui’s hand froze in mid-air with a coffee cup and he looked at her somewhat begrudgingly.
She barely knew Huo Yulin but was being so thoughtful towards him!
He was so unhappy!
