C13 Coming for a Massage

"Sis, just tell me what you're after. I've said everything I need to say. Today was just a misunderstanding; I didn't do anything to you."

Once inside the house, Wang Xiaochuan set down the takeout and spread his hands in resignation.

To his surprise, he suddenly heard a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, "Um... I'm sorry! I realize now that I misjudged you."

"Huh?" Wang Xiaochuan's eyes widened. "Qianyi, what did you just say? I didn't catch it."

"Wang Xiaochuan, Bao Fan told me that you rescued me from some thugs yesterday and helped him take me home. I was wrong to accuse you. I specifically requested your delivery service today to apologize. Xiaochuan, can you forgive me, please?"

Lin Qianyi clutched Wang Xiaochuan's hands and stepped closer, pressing against him. Her large, tear-filled eyes made his heart race.

Who could refuse such a heartfelt apology from a beauty?

Certainly not Wang Xiaochuan.

"Okay, okay, I forgive you."

At his words, Lin Qianyi's face blossomed into a radiant smile.

"Qianyi, if there's nothing else, I should get going. I have more deliveries to make." Wang Xiaochuan said, turning to leave.

But Lin Qianyi stopped him, "Xiaochuan, what's the rush? Stay and chat with me a little longer. I have some questions for you."

Lin Qianyi's eyes sparkled as she looked at Wang Xiaochuan. "You know, I've been wondering why you look different. It's like you've gotten fairer and more handsome."

"No, you must be mistaken. Qianyi, perhaps you're still not fully sober," Wang Xiaochuan quickly denied.

"Really? That's odd, because I truly think you've changed," Lin Qianyi said, tilting her head in puzzlement.

Wang Xiaochuan, not wanting her to probe further, swiftly steered the conversation elsewhere. "By the way, Qianyi, how are you feeling now? What happened to you yesterday? You drank so much. If Bao Fan and I hadn't come across you, it could have been really dangerous."

Lin Qianyi was indeed captivated by his words. She gestured dismissively and walked over to the dining table to pour herself a glass of water. Then she sighed, "Ah, let's not talk about it. It's all just part of networking, right? I was actually dining with my hotel's suppliers yesterday. Those lecherous old men were practically in cahoots, urging me to drink non-stop. As if I couldn't guess their intentions!"

"I see... But Qianyi, if you know those people are up to no good, why dine with them at all?"

"I wish I could avoid it, Xiaochuan, but you see, despite the success I may appear to have, it takes a lot for a woman to carve out her own career. If I hadn't dined with them yesterday, believe me, they would've cut off my shop's supply today. Unless I turned to my family for help... but let's not get into that."

Lin Qianyi seemed reluctant to delve deeper into the subject. She waved off the conversation and quickly finished her water, then started massaging her temples vigorously.

Seeing her in discomfort, Wang Xiaochuan felt a pang of sympathy.

"If you can't escape these social obligations, Sister Qianyi, how about I prepare an antialcoholic drug for you? That way, you won't have to suffer like you did yesterday," he offered.

"Antialcoholic drug?" Lin Qianyi's eyes sparkled. "Does it work?"

"I'm not sure, as I've never made it before," Wang Xiaochuan admitted truthfully.

"Hehe, Xiaochuan, since when did you start teasing me? Alright, I appreciate the thought," Lin Qianyi chuckled, clearly assuming he was joking.

"No, really, Sister Qianyi, you should believe me. My family has a traditional formula for an antialcoholic drug. I haven't made it yet, but I'm confident it's effective. If you're doubtful, why not ask Bao Fan? I recently prepared a kidney tonic for him using our ancestral recipe, and it worked wonders."

"Kidney tonic?"

"Yes. Maybe you could give Bao Fan a call to verify?"

Lin Qianyi looked intently at Wang Xiaochuan, realizing he wasn't kidding after all. "Alright, I'll take your word for it," she conceded.

Wang Xiaochuan felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing her words. Being trusted was truly a wonderful sensation.

Lin Qianyi pressed on, "How soon can you get the antialcoholic drug to me?"

Wang Xiaochuan pondered for a moment before responding, "It's difficult to say. I need to check the herbal medicine market first to see if the necessary herbs for the antialcoholic drug are in stock."

"Is that so..." Lin Qianyi sounded disappointed. "That's too bad. My head is still throbbing, and I was hoping to try your magic medicine sooner rather than later."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaochuan felt a stirring in his heart. "Sister Qianyi, if you trust me, allow me to give you a massage. I'm familiar with a technique that can sober someone up from drunkenness."

"Massage?" Lin Qianyi stepped back, her expression wary.

"Yes, just a few simple strokes. Why not give it a try?" Wang Xiaochuan suggested earnestly, his eyes free of any ulterior motives.

Lin Qianyi wavered, asking, "Xiaochuan, where will you massage?"

"Just the lower back, targeting the liver area. It'll only take a few strokes."

"Really, just a few strokes?" Lin Qianyi asked softly.

"Exactly, just a few. It's straightforward," Wang Xiaochuan assured her.

"Okay then."

Lin Qianyi, somewhat self-consciously, made her way to the sofa and sat down, her cheeks flushed.

Wang Xiaochuan joined her, taking a seat by her side.

Lin Qianyi then turned slightly, presenting her back to him.

Wang Xiaochuan couldn't help but blush at the sight. Lin Qianyi's perfect silhouette was unmistakably outlined before him.

Swallowing his nervousness, Wang Xiaochuan quickly refocused. Lin Qianyi's request for a massage was a sign of her trust, and he was determined not to betray it.

Closing his eyes, Wang Xiaochuan reviewed the massage techniques from the Universal Sage's legacy in his mind. This time was different from when he massaged Wang Jun; he needed to channel genuine energy to stimulate Lin Qianyi's liver, enhancing its natural detoxifying function to alleviate the effects of alcohol.

Once he had the technique down, Wang Xiaochuan channeled the genuine energy into his palms and gently pressed them against Lin Qianyi's lower back.

As his palm gently grazed her waist, Lin Qianyi couldn't help but let out a soft moan.

"Ah!"

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she quickly bit her lip, puzzled at her own reaction. She couldn't understand why she had been so vocal.

Yet, the sensation from his touch was undeniably soothing.

What technique was Wang Xiaochuan using? It was so effective that she felt as if she were floating, struggling to maintain her composure.

Eventually, Lin Qianyi couldn't contain her emotions any longer and let out another involuntary cry.

Wang Xiaochuan felt a wave of frustration. It was only a massage, after all. Why was she reacting so strongly? Wang Jun hadn't reacted this way.

But Wang Xiaochuan failed to consider that Lin Qianyi, being a woman, might naturally be more sensitive than a man, which explained her intense response.

After enduring Lin Qianyi's cries for three minutes, Wang Xiaochuan finally ceased his movements and concluded the massage.

"Sister Qianyi, we're done."

"That's it?"

Lin Qianyi blurted out, immediately realizing her faux pas as a blush crept across her face.

To hide her embarrassment, she quickly stood up, only to notice a remarkable change in how she felt. The lingering hangover had vanished, replaced by a profound sense of relief throughout her body.

"Xiaochuan, your massage is miraculous!"

She murmured, then swiftly turned to seize Wang Xiaochuan's hand, examining it with awe.

"Sister Qianyi, what's going on?" Wang Xiaochuan exclaimed, taken aback and somewhat embarrassed.

"Xiaochuan, your hands are truly incredible."

After a moment's inspection, Lin Qianyi inquired, "Xiaochuan, do you have a girlfriend?"

"Huh? Sister Qianyi, why do you ask?"

"I, I..." Lin Qianyi stammered, her face glowing red, then suddenly blurted out, "I was thinking, if you don't have a girlfriend, maybe I could be yours. That way, you could come over for massages more often."

"Ah!" Wang Xiaochuan's face turned beet red, and he leaped up from the sofa.

But then Lin Qianyi burst into laughter and said, "Haha, I'm just kidding. You saw me in such an embarrassing state earlier, so now we're even."

"Oh, I see." Wang Xiaochuan let out a sigh of relief, though he couldn't shake a sense of disappointment.

For some reason, they both lapsed into silence.

After a bit, Wang Xiaochuan made his way to the door. "Sister Qianyi, it's getting late, so... I'll head out now!"

"Mm..." Lin Qianyi nodded, then added, "Oh, Xiaochuan, give me your number. That way, if I need something, I can reach you directly instead of going through all this like today."

"Sure, sure." Wang Xiaochuan hastily scribbled his phone number on the delivery slip and dashed off like the wind.

He skipped the elevator and ran down the stairs of the building, finally allowing himself another sigh of relief.

The emotional rollercoaster he'd been on today surpassed anything he'd experienced in the past eighteen years. Had he not already embraced his inheritance and fortified his resolve, he wasn't sure how he might have reacted earlier.

Still, the memory of Lin Qianyi's teasing words lingered, and even though he knew she was joking, Wang Xiaochuan couldn't help but daydream a little.

Girlfriend...

He sighed, as the image of a girl he once admired appeared in his mind.

He had never had a girlfriend, but there had been a girl he deeply admired.

He had thought of her as his goddess.

He had even confessed his feelings to her, but to his dismay, not only did she reject him, she ridiculed him publicly, accusing him of wishful thinking. Her actual boyfriend also taunted Wang Xiaochuan, likening him to a toad lusting after swan meat and even insulting his parents.

At that time, Wang Xiaochuan's father had recently died from overwork, and in a fit of rage, Wang Xiaochuan fought with the boy.

Technically, the other guy had started the provocation and struck first, but since his father was a high-ranking city official, Wang Xiaochuan ended up being the one expelled from school.

Wang Xiaochuan had harbored resentment and complained about the unfairness, but now, nearly two years later, he had mostly put it behind him. It was only Lin Qianyi's mention that brought those two people back to mind.

Reflecting on it now, those two must be gearing up for their college entrance exams, right?