Miss Zheng said, “My chest feels tight. If I eat even a little too much, I can’t digest it, and I get acid reflux. I have no energy at all. After walking just a few steps, I start seeing stars. Sometimes my heart races for no reason. I don’t have the strength to do anything, and I’m always irritable. I’ve been feeling a little better after the treatments these past few days, but my chest still feels so heavy, and I keep burping…”
Listening from the side, Xu Xin wanted to roll her eyes but held herself back and said nothing.
Lin Yi’an took Miss Zheng’s wrist and checked her pulse. A few minutes later, she let go and said, “Emotional distress can also affect the spleen and stomach…”
The moment Xu Xin heard that, she became irritated. “Isn’t it just because your husband cheated on you? What’s so unbearable about that? You actually made yourself sick over a man. You’ve really got some promise.”
Miss Zheng flushed with embarrassment. “Cousin, y-you… why did you say that?”
Xu Xin replied impatiently, “Why shouldn’t I? Do you think it’s something to be ashamed of? Besides, Dr. Lin and I are old friends. So what if I said it? Doesn’t Dr. Lin need to know the cause before she can prescribe the right treatment?”
Miss Zheng lowered her head. “No… I just… I just…”
Seeing her panic and noticing that her body had begun to tremble, Lin Yi’an gently held her hand. “It’s all right. Take your time.”
Her hand was soft and pleasantly warm. Feeling that warmth spread from Lin Yi’an’s hand into her own, Miss Zheng gradually calmed down.
“My husband has another woman…” she said quietly. “I just can’t understand it. I treated him so well. How could he betray me? We… we used to love each other so much. Every time I think about it, my chest hurts. I just can’t figure it out…”
Lin Yi’an listened attentively.
Miss Zheng continued, “I just can’t understand it. Why did he treat me like that? Every time I think about it, I can’t breathe. I don’t know what I did wrong to make him treat me that way. I was so good to him…”
“Dr. Lin, if this happened to you, you wouldn’t be able to make sense of it either.”
“…”
Lin Yi’an said, “If I treated him that well and he still cheated on me, then the problem lies with him. The only thing I’d blame myself for is being blind enough to choose him. I’d hurry up and cure my own bad eyesight.”
“Huh?” Miss Zheng blinked.
Xu Xin immediately chimed in, “What’s with the ‘huh’? Nian Kai is a complete scumbag. Fine, you were blind enough to fall for him in the first place. Now hurry up and get divorced and treat your eye disease. Isn’t it just bad eyesight? That’s easy enough to cure.”
Miss Zheng gave a bitter smile. “If it were that easy to recover from, I would’ve gotten over it long ago.”
Xu Xin was so exasperated she didn’t even want to talk to her anymore. She truly hated seeing someone refuse to help themselves.
Lin Yi’an said, “If you keep dwelling on it and can’t let it go, then even if I treat you now and your condition improves, it’ll only come back later.”
“But I can’t get out of it…” Miss Zheng murmured.
“You can’t?” Lin Yi’an looked at her. “Then are you planning to stay trapped inside it, letting yourself rot away and waste the rest of your life?”
Miss Zheng froze in astonishment.
She had never expected Dr. Lin, who looked so gentle and soft-spoken, to speak so bluntly… and so fiercely.
Lin Yi’an said, “The truth may be hard to hear, but it still needs to be said. If you can’t move on, then you’ll spend your whole life trapped in it.”
“It all depends on whether you want to walk away from it. If you do, then make up your mind and follow through. If you’re determined enough, you’ll definitely be able to move on.”
Miss Zheng was shaken.
Lin Yi’an’s voice was soft and gentle, yet for some reason it carried a quiet strength that made her instinctively trust her. She quickly grasped Lin Yi’an’s hand.
“Dr. Lin, what should I do? I don’t want to go on living like this. I need to heal myself. My parents are getting old, and I don’t want them worrying about me.”
Lin Yi’an nodded. “Cooperate with your doctor and focus on your treatment. You’ll be fine. Keep taking the medicine Dr. Xiong prescribed for you. Now take off your shoes and lie down on the treatment bed…”
“Okay.”
She lay down on the bed. Lin Yi’an walked over and pressed a few spots just below her chest.
“Does it feel blocked here?”
“Yes, yes! That’s exactly the spot.”
Lin Yi’an pressed the area a few more times, and Miss Zheng immediately said, “Yes, just like that…”
After briefly massaging a few acupoints, Lin Yi’an told her she could get up.
Miss Zheng climbed off the bed in surprise. “I feel like my stomach isn’t so blocked anymore.”
Lin Yi’an said, “In a moment, have the massage therapist give you a therapeutic massage. And remember to take your medicine on time.”
Miss Zheng asked, “You’re not going to use acupuncture?”
Lin Yi’an looked at her and asked with a smile, “Do you want acupuncture?”
Miss Zheng shook her head. “No. I don’t like needles. I had acupuncture once a few days ago, and now I get nervous whenever it’s mentioned.”
Lin Yi’an said, “Then we won’t use acupuncture. If you’re afraid of needles, it’ll only add to your psychological burden. Therapeutic massage will be just as effective for your condition. It’ll simply take a little longer, so you’ll need to stick with the treatment.”
Hearing that, Miss Zheng felt this treatment suited her perfectly and nodded in satisfaction.
Lin Yi’an continued, “After you go home, take a walk in the park every morning. Spend more time with your friends and go out together once in a while…”
Xu Xin cut in, “She stays cooped up at home every day. No matter what I say, she refuses to go outside. She says everyone will laugh at her.”
Lin Yi’an said, “Then start by being a little braver. Go to the park and try shouting at the trees as loudly as you can. Let all the pent-up frustration and stagnant emotions inside you out…”
Xu Xin nodded. “Don’t worry, Dr. Lin. I’ll go with her.”
After the two of them left, Li Chenglin walked in with a smile.
“Our traditional Chinese medicine clinic is starting to feel more like a counseling center.”
Lin Yi’an smiled back. “As long as we can solve our patients’ problems, that’s all that matters.”
Many of the people who came to their clinic liked chatting with them. Some patients had even fully recovered, yet still stopped by from time to time just to talk and share what was on their minds. They always said that after chatting with them, they felt much better.
Li Chenglin nodded. “That’s true.”
In the afternoon, when it was almost time to get off work, Assistant Chen couldn’t help glancing at Zhou Mingshi.
Zhou Mingshi was reading through the documents on his desk. Without even looking up, he asked, “What is it?”
“President Zhou, don’t you have any plans today?”
Zhou Mingshi looked up. “What are you trying to say?”
Assistant Chen grinned. “Aren’t you going to ask Miss Lin out today? You finally made a little progress last night. You should keep up the momentum tonight.”
He had seen it clearly the previous evening. President Zhou had held Miss Lin’s hand. Even though it had only lasted for a moment before he let go.
Zhou Mingshi closed the folder and leaned back in his chair. “You’re awfully concerned about my marriage.”
“Of course I am. You’re my boss. When the boss is doing well, the employees do well too. And if you’re in a particularly good mood, maybe you’ll even give me a bigger bonus.”
He couldn’t resist ending with a joke.
Zhou Mingshi replied, “You can keep dreaming.”
Assistant Chen didn’t mind in the slightest. “It’s not a busy day today…”
‘So… you’re really not asking Miss Lin out?’
Zhou Mingshi said, “She’s working today.”
Assistant Chen said, “How about I give Assistant Ye a call and ask?”
“Mhm.”
“I’ll call her right now.”
Most of the patients at the traditional Chinese medicine clinic came in during the morning, so the afternoons were usually much quieter. At the moment, Lin Yi’an was tidying up her desk, getting ready to head home.
Ye Lingzhi wasn’t surprised when she received Assistant Chen’s call. “What is it?”
“Is Miss Lin busy? President Zhou would like to invite her to dinner.”
Ye Lingzhi glanced at Lin Yi’an. “Sister Yi’an is just about to get off work and go home.”
Lin Yi’an looked up. “Who’s calling?”
“It’s Assistant Chen. He said President Zhou wants to invite you to dinner.”
Lin Yi’an said, “Aunt Wang has already prepared dinner. Ask him if he’d like to come over and eat at our place.”
Ye Lingzhi spoke into the phone again. “Aunt Wang has already made dinner at home. Sister Yi’an wants to know if President Zhou would like to come over and join us.”
Assistant Chen looked at Zhou Mingshi. The call was on speaker, so Zhou Mingshi had heard the entire conversation. He gave a slight nod.
“All right.”
They left the office, went downstairs, and got into the car.
After the car had been driving for a while, Zhou Mingshi spotted a flower shop outside the window.
“Pull over somewhere.”
Assistant Chen glanced at him. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m buying a bouquet.”
After parking the car, Assistant Chen asked, “Should I go buy it?”
“No.”
With that, Zhou Mingshi got out of the car himself and soon returned carrying a bouquet of roses.
Assistant Chen couldn’t help feeling secretly gratified.
‘See? I knew a man as outstanding as President Zhou couldn’t possibly be clueless about courting a woman. Without me even reminding him, he already knew to buy flowers.’
Thinking of that, he couldn’t resist asking, “President Zhou, do you know what red roses symbolize when you give them to a woman?”
Zhou Mingshi asked, “What?”
Assistant Chen replied, “Passionate, romantic love.”
Assistant Chen: “…”
After a moment of silence, Zhou Mingshi finally said, “The florist recommended them.”
Assistant Chen: “…”
Zhou Mingshi said, “It’s one thing for you to spout nonsense in front of me. Just don’t say any of it in front of Miss Lin.”
Assistant Chen wanted to argue that he wasn’t talking nonsense, but instead he simply said, “Don’t worry. I won’t say anything like that in front of Miss Lin.”
He guessed that President Zhou probably knew roses were a suitable gift for a girlfriend or fiancée, but had no idea what they actually symbolized.
Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, “President Zhou, if you had known the meaning behind red roses, would you still have given Miss Lin a bouquet?”
“…” After a brief silence, Zhou Mingshi replied, “Whose assistant talks as much as you do?”
Assistant Chen chuckled sheepishly and wisely decided not to press the matter any further.