118: Hit the soft spot

It wasn't just because Shen Zhixia's condition was a hundred times more complex.

Ailments of the heart's meridians affect the entire body; with every needle he inserted, he had to expend his mental energy to guide the Qi through the needles, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.

Even more so because... for every acupuncture session, Shen Zhixia needed to remove her top.

As the treatment ended, Shen Zhixia's pretty face was flushed crimson, as if dyed by a layer of sunset clouds.

Even her snow-white skin was tinged with an alluring shade of pink.

As Lin Chao withdrew the last Silver Needle, fine beads of sweat had already seeped from his forehead.

He quickly turned around, turning his back to that breathtaking expanse of snowy white.

“Put your clothes on.”

His voice carried a trace of imperceptible huskiness.

Even with his firm willpower, he couldn't help but feel a bit parched at this moment.

A faint, unnoticeable blush quietly spread across the tips of his ears.

The rustling sound of dressing came from behind him.

That slight friction of fabric, in this extremely quiet environment, seemed to be amplified countless times, thumping against Lin Chao's heart one beat at a time.

A moment later, Shen Zhixia's voice, tinged with shyness, rang out.

“Alright.”

Only then did Lin Chao turn around, his facial expression having returned to being as calm as still water.

It was as if the person whose heart had just been racing wasn't him.

“How do you feel?”

Shen Zhixia let out a gentle sigh of relief, the lingering flush still on her face.

She could feel that with each of Lin Chao's treatments, her heart—which had felt as if it were trapped in shackles—was gaining a new lease on life bit by bit.

“I feel...”

“My body feels much lighter, and my chest doesn't feel as stuffy anymore.”

“That's good,” Lin Chao nodded, his voice returning to its usual steadiness. “Keep taking your medicine and come for acupuncture on time.”

“Before long, your heart problem will be effectively under control.”

Shen Zhixia nodded slightly, a hint of conviction in her eyes.

Lin Chao looked at her and suddenly changed the subject: “By the way, that Guo Fandong hasn't come back to harass you lately, has he?”

At the mention of that name, a flash of undisguised disgust crossed Shen Zhixia's eyes.

“Of course he has.”

She seemed to recall something disgusting, her brow furrowing slightly.

“At first, he was constantly calling and sending wechats.”

“After I blocked him, he changed to other numbers to call and used alternate accounts to add me.”

“It was just those same few apologies over and over; my ears are practically growing calluses from hearing them.”

At this, the corners of her mouth twitched, revealing a cold, sharp sneer.

“Later it got even more ridiculous; he actually came to stake out the bottom of my building, saying he had to see me even if the sky fell down.”

Shen Zhixia shrugged indifferently, her tone full of the calmness of someone in total control.

“Later, I just spoke to the property management. If they see him, they're to just shoo him away like a fly.”

Hearing this, the tense string in Lin Chao's heart finally relaxed a little.

“That's good.”

He looked at Shen Zhixia, his gaze more serious than ever before.

“Guo Fandong is a man of bad character.”

“Think about it. Since he believed that malicious rumor before and yet pretended to know nothing while continuing to date you...”

“What does that show?”

“It shows that he had ulterior motives from the very beginning. What he's after isn't just you, but the things behind you!”

Lin Chao's voice wasn't heavy, but every word was like a nail, striking Shen Zhixia's heart.

“When this kind of person can't get what they want, they'll instead turn angry and use any means necessary.”

“You must not be soft-hearted, and definitely don't go to see him alone.”

“On the surface, he apologizes and begs for mercy, but behind your back, he might be plotting some even more insidious scheme against you.”

Listening to Lin Chao's clear-headed analysis, a hint of surprise couldn't help but appear on Shen Zhixia's cool, pretty face.

Then, she couldn't help but burst into a laugh, looking utterly charming.

“Hey, Lin Chao.”

“Do you really think I, as a director, only got to my position through connections?”

She gave him an amused glance.

“I'm not some silly sweet girl who's ignorant of the ways of the world.”

Lin Chao spread his hands: “Then if you were in a relationship with him for so long, how did you not notice anything wrong with him?”

That one sentence was like a sword drawn from its sheath, instantly hitting Shen Zhixia's weak spot.

The smile on Shen Zhixia's face froze instantly.

The air in the room seemed to solidify at that moment.

After a few seconds, she shifted her gaze somewhat unnaturally and gave a soft huff, her tone carrying a trace of stubbornness she hadn't even noticed herself.

“At that time... at that time I was just blinded by his facade.”

“Now that I've seen his true face, how could I possibly be deceived by him again?”

Lin Chao nodded, withdrawing that sense of pressure.

“It's good that you can realize this.”

Shen Zhixia, however, felt inexplicably annoyed, as if her mistake had been exposed in public, making her lose face.

She gave a light snort, her tone tinged with bitterness.

“Men, they're all the same.”

“They say high-sounding things, but who knows what filthy things they're thinking behind people's backs.”

These words were clearly spoken in anger.

Lin Chao immediately frowned, becoming anxious.

“Hey, don't go tarring everyone with the same brush!”

“I'm not that kind of person!”

Shen Zhixia looked at him sideways, the corners of her mouth curling into a playful arc.

“Oh?”

“Who knows?”

Seeing her distrustful gaze, Lin Chao suddenly felt a bit depressed and blurted out.

“I've only had one serious relationship, and in the end, I was even cheated on by that girlfriend!”

“I'm already this miserable, and you still want to talk about me like that?”

As the words fell, it was Shen Zhixia's turn to be stunned.

She looked at the flash of loneliness and self-deprecation on Lin Chao's face; it wasn't faked.

The office fell into silence once again.

This time, the atmosphere was no longer tense, but instead had a hint of subtle awkwardness and... softness.

Shen Zhixia opened her mouth, and for the first time, a trace of apology appeared in those beautiful eyes that were always cold and scrutinizing.

“I'm sorry...”

“I didn't know...”

The loneliness on Lin Chao's face lasted for less than two seconds.

He suddenly grinned and burst into hearty laughter, the bright sound instantly dispelling that bit of subtle atmosphere between them.

“Director Shen, I can't afford an apology like that.”

He waved his hand with a look of total indifference.

“To be honest, I can't even be bothered to think about that mess anymore.”

“Looking back, I even have to thank her for the grace of not marrying me!”

Shen Zhixia looked at how he had instantly recovered, a flash of surprise in her eyes.

“Thank her?”

Hearing this word from a man who had been betrayed was somewhat jarring.

Lin Chao nodded as if it were a matter of course, a hint of mockery hanging at the corner of his mouth.

“Of course!”

“If we had actually gotten married and then I found out she was a vain, gold-digging woman who only cared about designer bags and luxury goods, wouldn't that be even more miserable?”

“Cut your losses in time, you know? I call this being lucky!”

He spoke these words frankly and openly, without the slightest bit of strain or pretense, as if he were truly just stating an insignificant old matter.

Shen Zhixia looked at him, an interested smile appearing in her cool eyes.