Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

Ma Xiaotao stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly smiled, but didn't ask any more questions. She turned and walked away, leaving Wang Dong'er standing there alone, feeling uneasy and afraid that someone would notice something.

Jiang Nannan carried a stack of wooden planks past her, glancing at her. Wang Dong'er met her gaze, feeling inexplicably guilty, and quickly looked away, pretending to carefully examine the row of wooden cabinets. Jiang Nannan didn't say anything and continued walking.

In the courtyard, Ling Yu was bending over, tidying up a pile of old wooden planks.

Jiang Wanqing came out of the kitchen, carrying a bowl of freshly cut fruit, and walked quickly over: "Dr. Xiaoyu, take a break and have some fruit to quench your thirst."

Ling Yu looked up, took the bowl, and said softly, "Thank you, Madam Jiang."

Jiang Wanqing smiled and shook her head, then squatted down beside him and gently helped him tidy up the scattered wooden planks.

Sunlight streamed down from the courtyard, bathing the two of them in a warm glow, adding a touch of subtle ambiguity to the atmosphere.

Wang Dong'er stood in the shop, looking through the door at the scene in the courtyard. Suddenly, she felt a little irritated, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

She looked away, picked up the rag beside her, and vigorously wiped the row of wooden cabinets, so hard it seemed she wanted to tear them apart.

Ma Xiaotao passed by her, glanced at it, and couldn't help but say, "This cabinet is already very clean. If you keep scrubbing it so hard, you'll tear it."

Wang Dong'er ignored her and continued wiping vigorously, her frustration unabated.

Ma Xiaotao shrugged, ignored her, and turned to rest aside.

In the courtyard, Ling Yu ate fruit while continuing his work. Jiang Wanqing stayed by his side, glancing up at him every now and then with a gentle, tender look, like she was looking at her own child, yet also harboring a few indescribable emotions.

Ling Yu kept his head down, silently eating fruit without looking at her. He ate the fruit a little faster than usual, and there was a subtle unease about him.

As night fell, the clinic became completely quiet, and even the sound of the wind outside the window was almost silent.

After Ling Yu finished tidying up the front hall, he was about to go back to the backyard to rest when he saw that the door to Jiang Wanqing's room was ajar. Warm yellow light leaked out from the crack, casting a long, thin shadow on the ground.

He paused, intending to quietly walk around, but the door was suddenly pulled open from the inside.

Jiang Wanqing stood at the door, still wearing the same plain dress she had worn during the day, but her hair was loose and fell over her shoulders, giving her a more relaxed and gentle appearance than during the day. When she saw Ling Yu, she was clearly taken aback for a moment, and then an unnatural blush rose to her cheeks, even her ear tips felt slightly hot.

"Dr. Xiaoyu..." she called softly, her voice lower than usual, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, "You're still awake?"

Ling Yu looked at her, his tone indifferent: "I was just about to sleep. Is there something you need, Madam Jiang?"

Jiang Wanqing's fingers gripped the door frame tightly, her knuckles turning white. She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling gently in the moonlight, like butterflies about to take flight.

"I... feel a little uncomfortable in my chest," her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, yet it carried a hint of deliberate grievance. "I'd like to ask you... to take a look."

Ling Yu frowned slightly, a hint of doubt rising in his heart.

He remembered clearly that when he examined her in Lingdou City ten days ago, her pulse was stable, her blood and qi were flowing smoothly, and her damaged meridians had recovered better than expected. He specifically scheduled the next treatment for a month later.

"Didn't you just see a doctor in Lingdou City ten days ago?" he asked directly, his tone carrying the seriousness of a physician. "Everything was normal then, there shouldn't have been any discomfort."

Jiang Wanqing's face turned even redder, her head drooped even lower, and her voice grew softer and softer: "It's...it's just now, after lying down, I suddenly felt stuffy, an indescribable feeling, and I didn't dare to take it lightly..."

Ling Yu looked at her flushed cheeks, trembling eyelashes, and clenched white fingers. After a moment of silence, he finally nodded: "...Okay."

The room was not brightly lit, but a warm yellow glow gently spread out, carrying a faint scent of perfume.

Jiang Wanqing sat down on the edge of the bed, head down, hands on her knees, fingers tightly intertwined, even her breathing was extremely soft.

Ling Yu stood in front of her, his tone still calm: "Lie down."

Jiang Wanqing softly hummed in agreement and slowly lay down on the bed. The fabric of her plain dress was very soft and clung tightly to her body, naturally outlining her gentle curves.

The shadows cast by the lamplight fell on her face, making her already gentle features appear even more alluring and enigmatic.

Ling Yu sat down on the edge of the bed, his fingertips curling slightly.

Jiang Wanqing slowly raised her hand and placed it on the buttons at her collar. Her fingers were visibly trembling. When she tried to unbutton the first button, her fingertips slipped, and she only managed to unbutton it after two attempts.

She bit her lower lip, her cheeks flushed, and slowly pulled her clothes open to the sides, revealing the fair skin below her collarbone.

Ling Yu's gaze fell on that skin. Moonlight streamed in through the window, mingling with the lamplight to illuminate the skin, making it appear delicate and translucent, with a faint glow.

As you breathe, your chest rises and falls gently, causing your skin to tremble slightly, and the indentation of your collarbone changes in depth accordingly.

He quickly lowered his eyes, and a faint green light emanated from his palm.

With his hand hovering a few inches above her skin, he softly reminded her, "It might be a little cold."

Jiang Wanqing softly hummed in agreement, closed her eyes, her eyelashes casting faint shadows on her eyelids, trembling more violently, and even the rise and fall of her chest became more rapid.

Ling Yu's hand slowly descended, and the moment his palm touched her skin, both of them trembled involuntarily.

The warm, delicate touch spread across his palm, carrying a hint of the skin's natural coolness. Beneath his skin, his heartbeat was clearly audible, much faster than normal, each beat sending shivers down his spine.

He held his breath, circulated his soul power, and the green light slowly seeped into her meridians, traveling along the veins little by little, carefully sensing every inch of blood and energy, every meridian.

Her heart meridians were clear, her blood and qi were abundant, and the previously damaged blockages had all been cleared up. The new vitality was slowly being nurtured and accumulated in her heart—everything was normal, even better than he had expected.

Ling Yu's brows furrowed even more, his doubts growing deeper, and he even began to wonder if his medical skills had deteriorated, preventing him from noticing the subtle abnormalities.

He examined her again carefully, his fingertips gently moving across her skin, from below her collarbone to near her heart, repeatedly sensing her, but the result was still the same: there was nothing wrong.

After confirming that she was unharmed, Ling Yu prepared to stop—just then, a cool and soft hand suddenly covered him and tightly grasped his wrist.

Ling Yu froze instantly, his muscles tensing slightly.

The hand was soft, trembling slightly, its fingertips gently pressing on his wrist bone. The pressure wasn't heavy, but it was unusually firm, refusing to let go.

He slowly lowered his head, meeting a pair of shimmering, watery eyes. Jiang Wanqing had opened her eyes at some point, her eyes slightly red-rimmed, filled with tiny sparkles of light, as if they were moist, containing a cautious expectation and a trace of undisguised emotion.

Her cheeks were flushed, the blush spreading from her face to her ears and neck, creating a striking contrast with her fair skin. Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing rapid, and the rise and fall of her chest was clearly transmitted through his palm, making even the warm touch feel exceptionally hot.

"Dr. Xiaoyu..." Her voice was incredibly soft, trembling slightly, and full of pleading, "Could you examine me a little longer? I still feel a bit stuffy..."

Ling Yu remained silent, his doubts vanishing instantly, replaced by a profound sense of unease.

She wasn't feeling unwell at all.

The sensation under his palm was so clear; the soft, warm skin rose and fell with his breath, and his rapid heartbeat, flushed cheeks, and burning gaze all spoke of different thoughts. There was no trace of illness about him.

A sense of foreboding gripped him instantly, even stronger than it had been in the shop that afternoon.

The skin beneath his palm was as delicate as fine silk, with a faint dampness. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to leap out of her chest, each beat clearly striking his fingertips and his heart.

He could feel her body temperature slowly rising, and he could feel the strength in her grip on his wrist increasing.

He suddenly remembered Wang Dong'er's sarcastic remark from that afternoon. Now, looking at the scene before him, at those watery eyes, at that hand tightly holding his, at that still exposed, slightly undulating skin, the phrase "just entered the tiger's den" exploded in his mind, and a dense sense of unease crept up his spine.

"Mrs. Jiang," he said, his voice a little hoarse than usual, with a hint of tension that was barely perceptible, as he tried to gently pull his hand away, "there is nothing wrong with your body, you don't need any more tests."