Lin Fan gripped Bai Jing's ankle, pressing hard on the arch of her foot to gather the pooled blood.
"Don't move," he warned.
As the silver needle neared the sole of her foot, Bai Jing, despite her claims of fearlessness, desperately tried to retract her leg. Fortunately, Lin Fan's grip was strong.
Lin Fan concentrated, his left hand a vice holding her foot firmly in place.
*Crack!*
A bright flash streaked past.
Tian Mengyao, beaming, held up her phone, watching the screen as Bai Jing flinched in fear. "So you have days like this too. See if you dare call me a delicate flower again."
"What are you doing?"
Bai Jing's face turned pale with anger.
"What do you think? You can take embarrassing photos of me, and I can't take them of you?" Tian Mengyao retorted righteously.
"Xiao Fan, she's leaving tomorrow. Make sure you treat her properly, don't leave any loose ends."
"Got it."
Lin Fan understood Tian Mengyao's implication – to be a bit more forceful. However, practicing medicine was no child's play and shouldn't be dictated by whims.
The silver needle twirled, piercing the delicate skin on the sole of Bai Jing's foot.
"It'll hurt a bit, bear with it," Lin Fan instructed. Cupping her small, exquisite feet in his hands, he steadily and slowly squeezed the pooled blood towards the needle's entry point.
*Plop!*
A stream of dark blood dripped from the sole of her foot onto the floor.
Even Tian Mengyao set aside her playful mood, a hint of surprise in her expression.
If Chen Wan'er were to find out, it would be hard to say what would happen to Lin Fan, but she, the instigator, would likely get a scolding.
Lin Fan patiently continued to extract the congealed blood, stopping only when Bai Jing's soles turned a dark crimson and the bruising subsided.
As he ceased his actions, Bai Jing let out a quiet sigh of relief and instinctively tried to pull her foot back.
"Don't move, we're not done yet," Lin Fan reminded her.
"What else needs to be done?" Bai Jing stopped.
"You think just draining the blood is enough? If the meridians aren't unblocked, your foot will swell up like a pig's trotter by tomorrow." Lin Fan poured some medicinal wine into his hands and began to rub them together rapidly.
"You're the pig's trotter!" Bai Jing rolled her eyes.
Tian Mengyao felt a pang of jealousy but couldn't voice it, pouting as she sat motionlessly.
"Ah~"
Bai Jing couldn't help but cry out in pain as Lin Fan's warm hands touched the sole of her foot.
"Why are your hands so hot?"
"How else would I melt the medicinal properties?" Lin Fan replied impatiently.
After he circulated his purple energy, a visible white mist emanated from his hands, mysterious and wondrous.
Bai Jing completely forgot the pain in her sole, her eyes fixed on Lin Fan's hands. The warmth spread from the outside in, akin to soaking her feet, and was incredibly comfortable.
"You're an internal martial arts master!" Suddenly, Bai Jing remembered experiencing this sensation before. When she was young, her father had taken her to visit Yang Si, a master of Xing Yi Quan with iron arms. Because of her mischievous nature, she had fallen, and Yang Si had massaged her in precisely this manner, with excellent results. As she grew older, she broke free from her parents' constraints and resolutely joined the army. Later, she wanted to apprentice under Yang Si, but unfortunately, he had already passed away. Yang Si's disciples and their successors, however, possessed mediocre martial arts skills, and many couldn't even defeat her. This always left her with a sense of loss.
"Internal martial arts?" Lin Fan shook his head. "I'm neither internal nor external. I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Liar!" Bai Jing said very seriously. "You clearly have very high attainments in internal energy. Perhaps..." She thought carefully, unsure who was superior between Yang Si and Lin Fan. However, regardless, Lin Fan was undoubtedly more skilled than Yang Si's disciples.
"Alright, it's time to condition the meridians in your leg." Lin Fan gestured, indicating he needed to roll up her trouser leg. Bai Jing immediately tensed, her face flushing with embarrassment.
*Slap!*
Tian Mengyao rushed over and slapped Lin Fan hard on the back. "Her foot is injured, why are you fiddling with her leg?"
Lin Fan turned back and explained, "The meridians in her leg were also bruised. If left untreated, it would cause pain for at least a month, and might even leave a lingering problem."
"Hmph, you always have an excuse." Tian Mengyao glared fiercely at him, recalling how her mother had been coaxed into revealing her calves by his honeyed words, only to be held in his arms by a twist of fate. With this thought, Tian Mengyao quickly brought over a small stool and sat down, watching intently.
Bai Jing became even more embarrassed. His hands, as if possessing a strange magic, massaged her slender, firm calves. Her face flushed, and she gripped the arms of the chair tightly, thinking, *Hurry up, hurry up, this is so embarrassing!*
Lin Fan followed her meridians, kneading them slowly, up and down. It was sore, numb, and tingly. Strangely, the areas he massaged, which initially felt hot, soon became incredibly comfortable, making her feel much more relaxed.
After Lin Fan had massaged her leg muscles twice, Tian Mengyao grew impatient. "How long are you going to keep touching her?"
"I'm treating her, can you not cause trouble?" Lin Fan protested aggrievedly.
"Treating her... where did your hand go just now?" Tian Mengyao pointed at Bai Jing's knee and questioned.
Lin Fan was amused and exasperated. "It's just the knee. Besides, that's how the meridians run, what can I do?"
*Whoosh!*
Bai Jing, mortified, quickly pulled her leg back. "Is that enough?" She used the chair to stand up, carefully placed her left foot on the ground, and took a few tentative steps.
"Huh?" Although there was still a slight pain, it was far better than the searing pain she felt before with every movement.
"As expected, an internal martial arts master." Bai Jing's eyes gleamed with a complex light. In modern society, the martial arts masters who once leaped across rooftops and reveled in righteous combat were gradually disappearing into the materialistic world. Rockets were in the sky, and missiles could travel thousands of miles. No one was willing to spend decades of arduous effort on something that might ultimately be meaningless. What use was excellent martial arts against firearms and cannons? Many renowned martial arts families, each generation weaker than the last, had gradually devolved into merchants. And Lin Fan, in addition to his medical skills, was also an internal martial arts master! This earned Bai Jing immense admiration. Those who persisted, worked hard, were diligent, and persevered were the most deserving of respect and admiration!
"Hey, why are you staring at Xiao Fan like that?" Tian Mengyao huffed, positioning herself between them.
Bai Jing thought sourly, *How did she get so lucky to snag him?* "Tch, only you treat him like a treasure." Bai Jing said the opposite of what she felt. She tested her leg, feeling that walking was no longer an issue, and said, "I'm going back to sleep. You two carry on."
"Hmph!" Tian Mengyao sulked, glaring fiercely at Bai Jing's retreating back.
"Mengyao, about your mother..." Lin Fan's primary concern remained Tian Mengyao's situation.