Certain acupoints have a detoxification effect." Unlike during emergencies, Aria only administered three needles to Warren. Each of them left him wanting more. The sensation was too profound for him!It was as though a wave of renewed energy had washed over him, infusing him with a sense of vitality and vigor like never before.Warren felt a deep respect for Aria. "You're truly a young genius. By how skilled you are at such a young age, I'm sure traditional medicine will continue to thrive in the future.""It's all thanks to my grandmother's teaching," Aria replied as she pressed against his back.Before Warren could react, a crack could be heard. Warren turned to her. "Is this physiotherapy?"Aria nodded. "Yes. I noticed a slight protrusion in your thoracic area while administering the needles. Try moving now.""It doesn't feel stiff anymore." Warren marveled at how his long-standing ailment had been healed by a young woman.He had visited many traditional medicine practitioner
Aria was unaware that Frank had made her financial situation public knowledge to everyone since that night.Aria furrowed her brows and turned to Landon. "Why should you pay when I haven't even treated you yet?""It's for the herbal candy yesterday," Landon explained, gesturing toward Solo. Solo, long impatient to see Landon receive treatment, stepped forward with a flourish, presenting a black credit card gleaming with gold lettering. "Dr. Genius.""We can discuss payment after I've treated him," Aria said, tucking away her medical kit.Thinking she was about to leave, Solo asked, "What are you doing?"Aria was confused. "I'm packing up. What's the matter?"Solo's face turned beet red. "You haven't treated Mr. York yet."Aria walked to Landon. "Him? Are you in a rush?"Landon's voice was pleasing to the ear. "It's up to you."After a thoughtful hum, Aria decided. "Then follow me."Solo and Bryan exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of Aria's destination. Landon, however, s
The interior of the massage parlor looked more legitimate than its exterior.Initially, Solo had fretted that the place might be too grimy for Landon's treatment. However, the massage parlor was very clean. Its layout was traditionally adorned with various herbs and medicinal ingredients hanging about and a wooden medicine cabinet placed at its center. It evoked the ambiance of old houses in Janovin, reminiscent of ancient clinics.Landon scanned the room and found his attention drawn to a calligraphy painting. He absentmindedly twirled his rosary bracelet.Observing this, Aria approached. "It's fake.""How could it possibly be genuine?" Landon teased, arching an eyebrow. Aria grinned. "There's always a chance."Landon fell silent, his gaze darkening as he fixated on the painting.The artwork depicted towering pine trees casting shadows over lush bamboo. Thor, clad in red robes and black boots, leaned drunkenly against a pine tree.Had Landon not known that "Intoxicated Tho
"Don't pry," Landon reprimanded Solo with a low murmur. Even when delivering a stern admonishment, Landon retained his handsome demeanor.Georgina wheeled herself to them, addressing Landon and the others, "It's the first time Aria has brought friends to the clinic. You guys have fun. There's coffee prepared in the courtyard. Those who have slow digestion should take more of them. I'll go buy some shrimp to cook for all of you."Georgina's keen eye detected an air of privilege around these young men. Perhaps they weren't even friends, but intuition told her not to pry. What mattered most was that Aria had finally brought people home.After all, Aria had never been fond of the clinic. She used to complain that lingering there too long made her smell of traditional medicine, inviting mockery from her peers and making it difficult for her to fit in. Consequently, she would never stay for dinner.Whenever Aria visited her Georgina, she had to do so covertly, lest Karen berate her.Des
Aria's voice cut through the air. "Mr. Lowe."Bryan straightened up immediately. "Yes?""Can you identify medicinal herbs and boil water?" by boiling water?" Aria gestured toward the medicine cabinet with a subtle tilt of her chin.Bryan nodded. "Yes, but I'm not very quick at identifying them."Aria glanced at him sideways. "Prepare orzo, ground nutmeg, and rhizome. Only come find me if someone wants a massage."Bryan, a highly respected lead surgeon, couldn't help but feel like he was being relegated to receptionist duties.Aria grinned. "Do you not want to do it?"He rolled up his sleeves. "It would be an honor."He was there to learn from her, and a little receptionist work wasn't about to deter him. With tasks assigned, Aria led Landon into a room decorated in an intriguing style. A plush massage bed dominated the center, the air imbued with the calming scent of mugwort. A curious contraption, seemingly connected to the stove outside, was nestled beneath the couch.Upon
Landon tilted his head slightly, keeping his eyes closed.Whenever Aria lowered her head, her hair would brush against his arm.One's sensation would be amplified during a massage.Landon's gaze darkened as he watched the way her hair tumbled down as she moved. The massage only lasted about 20 minutes. Throughout the session, Landon found himself tempted to run his fingers through her hair, feeling strangely captivated."Done. You can get dressed now," Aria stated matter-of-factly, ending with a firm press of her thumb near the knee.Landon realized he was perspiring heavily. Unlike the clammy sweat of illness, his body felt warm all over.When he looked at Aria, his eyes were intensely dark, revealing little of his thoughts. "Thank you.""We're pressed for time today, so consider this just a trial of sorts," Aria remarked, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow. Her long hair clung to her neck, accentuating her cool yet enchanting appearance, especially against her crimson lip
Upon hearing that, Aria dashed out of the room before anyone else could react. Swift and determined, she grabbed a wooden stick from somewhere, her eyes flashing with fury.Outside, a crowd had gathered in the alley, mostly residents who had just finished their grocery shopping."What's going on?""Apparently, someone's accusing Ms. Harris of malpractice, saying she caused a death!""It can't be true, right?""It might be true. She's a traditional medicine practitioner, after all.""I had a neck massage from her yesterday. Could something happen to me?""If it's true, we shouldn't go there anymore."Georgina, her knuckles white around her cane, stood trembling amidst the discussion.The individual blocking Georgina sneered and shook his head. "No wonder you're living comfortably here. You think you can just hide your past. But you're still the same. Traditional medicine is outdated. How dare you try to steal our customers.""I don't know what you're talking about. Move asi
The voice had belonged to Aria. With the invitation card between her fingers, she said, "Go back and tell Dr. Gunther that Heartbound Hall will arrive on time. Your family, on the other hand, had better hang in there. I hope nothing happens to you.""We're the Gunthers! As if anything would happen to us!" Constantine boasted arrogantly. He chuckled as if he'd heard something funny. "I'll just leave this here! No one in Southbury would dare touch us. The Gunther family is king in this city! You better commit this to memory, young one.""Got it." Aria chewed on a piece of fruit candy, her gaze dark. "The Gunthers, huh."Assuming that she was a naïve young woman, Constantine turned and arrogantly walked away. Aria's gaze narrowed as she looked at his retreating. Constantine hadn't thought much of his arm, which Aria had twisted, but his face abruptly fell when he walked out of the alley and got into the car. Why did he feel like he'd lost feeling in his arm?Constantine wanted