Brian Carter noticed a faint, elegant fragrance wafting into his nose. He couldn’t help but glance down at Grace Harris. She was wrapped in nothing but a bath towel, which only covered her most important parts. The edge of the towel revealed a pair of slender, rounded, fragrant shoulders, and the curves beneath the towel—delicate, beautiful, and gently rising and falling—highlighted the graceful lines of a woman’s body. Her long, snow-white, soft legs were perfectly shaped, but now there was a bruise on her knee that marred their perfection, making one feel a bit sorry for her. His right hand was supporting Grace Harris’s hip, and as he felt the smooth roundness, a thought flashed through his mind: he hadn’t expected this girl to be so well-endowed.

These thoughts only flickered by for a moment. Brian Carter recalled what Edward Harris had said to him earlier that day, and his mood gradually cooled. Brian Carter, oh Brian Carter, how could you have such unrealistic thoughts? He laughed at himself inwardly and gently placed Grace Harris on her bed.

Grace Harris quickly pulled a blanket over herself. Just now, Brian Carter’s hand had brushed against the skin of her hip, and his slightly rough hand had made her feel a bit ticklish. Did Brian Carter see anything? Remembering the scene just now, her cheeks flushed. This was the first time she’d ever been so close to a man, and she couldn’t help but feel a ripple in her heart. Brian Carter didn’t seem as annoying as he had when they were kids.

“The bruise isn’t a big deal. Just rub some medicinal wine on it and you’ll be fine. Where’s your medicine box?”

“In the cabinet next to the living room,” Grace Harris replied softly, not daring to look at Brian Carter, her head lowered.

Brian Carter brought over the medicine box, found a bottle of medicinal wine inside, poured some into his hand and rubbed it to warm it up. Looking at Grace Harris, he said, “This might hurt a bit. Try to bear it.”

Grace Harris made a face, a hint of fear in her eyes, but she quickly gritted her teeth and nodded, looking as if she was ready to face anything.

Brian Carter looked at her with amusement, then gently pressed his hand, now coated with medicinal wine, onto the bruise on her knee and began to massage it patiently. The skin beneath his palm was delicate and smooth, like the finest silk. Even with Brian Carter’s strong self-control, he couldn’t help but feel a stir in his heart. He quickly focused his gaze and calmed his mind, not daring to let his thoughts wander.

Grace Harris felt Brian Carter’s hand kneading her knee and blushed again. Brian Carter’s technique seemed very professional, massaging just right. Although it hurt a little, it was bearable. Grace Harris bit her lower lip hard, trying not to make a sound, but she still couldn’t help letting out a couple of soft moans. Hearing herself, her face turned even redder.

She sneaked a glance at Brian Carter, who didn’t seem to react at all and continued to focus on what he was doing. She quietly let out a sigh of relief.

“All done. Apply it a couple more times over the next day or two and it should be fine,” Brian Carter said, wiping his hands. Then he went to his own room and brought back an old, rustic-looking cloth bag.

“What’s that for?” Grace Harris looked at the cloth bag in Brian Carter’s hand. It wasn’t very big, but it seemed quite heavy.

“Needles,” Brian Carter replied with a smile, opening the bag. Grace Harris was surprised to see it was filled with countless gold needles of various sizes, some with very strange and unusual shapes.

“You’re not planning to stick those in me, are you?” Grace Harris said with a strange expression. She’d seen things like this on TV before, and the image of someone covered in needles was pretty terrifying.

“You can choose not to, but with your condition, it might not seem like much when you’re young, but over time, it’ll build up and become a big problem. By then, even getting injections at the hospital won’t help.”

“Is it really that serious?” Grace Harris said, making a face.

Brian Carter shrugged and said with a faint smile, “I wouldn’t bother doing acupuncture for just anyone.”

“Will it hurt?”

“Not really. Most of the time you won’t feel a thing. Want to give it a try?” Brian Carter looked at her mischievously.

Grace Harris hesitated for a moment, then nodded bravely and asked, “Brian Carter, how do you know all this weird stuff?”

“It’s been passed down in my family. Uncle Harris should know too. My father studied the ‘Huangdi Neijing’ in depth and once asked my father to teach him some of it, but Uncle Harris only learned a little. The ‘Huangdi Neijing’ is divided into three parts: first is traditional Chinese medicine, second is acupuncture, and third is Dao Yin techniques…”

“What are Dao Yin techniques?”

“An ancient form of qigong, used to strengthen the body. It’s almost lost now,” Brian Carter said with a smile. As he spoke, he took out three gold needles from the bag, removed the wax seals, and skillfully inserted them into Grace Harris’s calf and knee.

Grace Harris watched as Brian Carter inserted the needles into her leg. She was ready to cry out in pain, but found that it didn’t hurt at all—just a slight numbness and tingling, like being pricked by a hair.

“How does it feel?” Brian Carter asked with a smile, looking at Grace Harris.

“It doesn’t hurt at all. It’s a little numb, and a bit cold. Wait… I can feel my foot… It’s like little bugs are crawling upward nonstop, and my foot is starting to regain feeling!” Grace Harris was amazed, almost unable to believe that three such fine needles could have such a magical effect.

After a while, Brian Carter pulled out the three gold needles and said, “These three needles can only help relieve your symptoms. If you want a complete cure…” Brian Carter glanced at Grace Harris.

“What do I have to do for a complete cure?” Grace Harris was now very interested in acupuncture.