The Fragrance of My Hot Patients

"Which school?"

"Right. The Southern School? The Northern School? Or a branch derived from some great master of Chinese medicine?"

"I don’t know the specific school, but my grandpa said that ours should be..."

"I don’t want to hear ’should be’ or ’maybe’ or any other uncertainties. Tell me, has your family ever produced any incredible doctors? What’s your grandfather’s name? Does he have any famous accomplishments? And what about your medical skills? How good are you?"

As she spoke, Liu Yun’s speech grew faster and faster, her emotions becoming more and more agitated.

Compared to her calm and gentle demeanor from moments ago, it was as if she had become a completely different person.

The reason for this was that her long-standing inability to conceive had become an obsession.

Over the past two or three years, Liu Yun had visited no fewer than fifty different hospitals and clinics, both large and small. If she hadn’t seen a hundred doctors, she’d seen at least eighty.

She had taken countless expensive, conventional medicines and tried every folk remedy she could find.

She had even, on several occasions, consumed talisman water and incense ash prescribed by fortune-tellers and spiritualists.

But without exception, every attempt had ended in failure.

The repeated disappointments and setbacks had gradually left her disheartened.

At the urging of friends and family, she had even begun to entertain the idea of giving up, and had even prepared herself for a divorce.

She had a job and her family was well-off. Even if she divorced and couldn’t have children, she could still live a very comfortable life.

But every time she delivered a precious new life at the hospital and saw the joyful smiles on the new mothers’ faces, she would be filled with envy.

She could handle a divorce. She could even handle losing her job.

But deep down, she didn’t want to be robbed of the right to be a mother.

And so, after each disappointment, she would secretly give herself a pep talk, muster her confidence, and go searching for another solution.

This cycle of constant disappointment and self-encouragement had only intensified over the last six months.

She used to be able to control herself, but recently, whenever she heard anyone mention having children or a good doctor somewhere, she would, as she was doing with Chenyang now, reflexively approach them and pepper them with endless questions.

Her best friends were already used to this obsessive state of hers.

But Chenyang, who had been all but ignored by her one moment and was now being treated like a rare treasure the next, was left looking utterly bewildered. He felt as though he were dealing with a mental patient.

Seeing his expression, Su Qianqian worried there might be a misunderstanding and quickly chimed in, "Sister Liu, don’t get so worked up. The little handsome guy isn’t going anywhere. You can ask your questions slowly. Look at you, rushing like that. You’ve scared him stiff."

Liu Yun also realized she had lost her composure.

She said awkwardly, "I’m sorry. I just got a little too excited."

"You can’t really blame Sister Liu for being so agitated. She has a strange illness, and she hasn’t been able to find a cure. That’s why she’s so desperate to ask questions after hearing you know medicine."

"Oh, so that’s what’s going on."

Of course, Chenyang knew Liu Yun was sick. But to make it easier for her to trust him, he went along with what Su Qianqian said, feigning a look of sudden understanding. Then, he smiled and said, "Aunt Liu, if you don’t mind, why don’t I take your pulse and have a look?"

"Hmm..." Liu Yun looked hesitant. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Chenyang’s help; it was that she didn’t want to waste time getting her hopes up before she knew what he was capable of.

Su Qianqian saw through her and said with a smile, "I think you should just forget it. Your Aunt Liu’s medical skills are a hundred times better than yours. Even she is helpless against her own strange illness, so I’m guessing it’ll be a waste of time for you to take her pulse."

"A physician can’t heal themself. Aunt Liu’s medical skills may be exquisite enough to treat other patients, but sometimes, a doctor can’t necessarily cure their own illness. My grandpa once told me that medicine has no boundaries and skill has no limits. A great physician might not be able to cure a minor ailment, and a young doctor isn’t necessarily incapable of treating a terminal disease."

Hearing this, Su Qianqian still wanted to dissuade him, because deep down, she felt Chenyang couldn’t possibly help Liu Yun.

In the past, it wouldn’t have been a big deal to let him take a look.

But Liu Yun’s condition had been getting worse and worse lately. Su Qianqian was worried that after Chenyang’s rash examination, he might accidentally upset her even more.

But just as the words of discouragement reached her lips, Liu Yun cut in, "What you said makes a lot of sense."

"Sister Liu..."

"Let’s give it a try. It’s just taking my pulse. If he’s really skilled, then it’s another glimmer of hope for me. And if he’s not, we can just treat it as a bit of pre-dinner entertainment."

"Alright. Just don’t get your hopes up."

Liu Yun smiled and placed her wrist flat on the dining table.

Chenyang placed his fingers on it, holding his breath as he focused on carefully diagnosing her pulse.

After about two minutes, he frowned.

"How is it?"

Chenyang shook his head without explaining, simply motioning for Liu Yun to place her other hand on the table.

After another minute or two, he finally said leisurely, "Aunt Liu, you don’t just have one illness."

"Oh? Tell me more. What illnesses do I have?"

Liu Yun asked with a smile, her tone carrying a hint of a test.