Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 77: Can’t Hide It Anymore

Li Xu was pleased.

Gu Xiaoya’s reaction was proof of just how incredible the techniques from the *Commentary on the Art and Literature Record* were.

It was a textbook case of ’an instant cure’.

It had taken only a minute to calm her down.

In ten minutes, her excruciating pain was completely gone.

He believed that with a few more sessions, he might be able to cure her completely.

Li Xu handed her a wet wipe. "You need to be mindful of your emotions in your daily life. Otherwise, you’ll suffer from liver qi stagnation, and the chest pain will return."

"Thank you." Gu Xiaoya took the wipe, then suddenly realized her collar was still open. She hastily turned away to straighten her clothes.

The car fell silent for a moment. The only sounds were their breathing and the faint laughter of children playing in the distant park.

Li Xu broke the silence. "In a little while, I’ll prepare some Cangzi Oil for you. Applying it will help soothe the liver and relieve stagnation."

"...I can’t believe how effective that was," she said softly, her voice filled with emotion. "The painkillers from the hospital have never worked this fast."

Li Xu’s tone was calm. "Western medicine treats the symptoms; Traditional Chinese Medicine treats the root cause. Your problem stems from your emotions. Medication can only temporarily suppress the symptoms."

He paused. "Of course, if the pain returns, you should still go to the hospital for a full examination."

Gu Xiaoya nodded. Trying to make small talk, she asked, "Aren’t you a doctor at a community clinic? How do you know massage, too?"

Li Xu smiled. "We doctors at the clinic are all jacks-of-all-trades. We know a little about everything... Of course, I’m a bit better than the rest. I don’t just know a little; I’m an expert."

If anyone else had said that, Gu Xiaoya would have been skeptical.

After all, she was an associate chief physician of ophthalmology at the City People’s Hospital—a rank higher than an attending physician. She was experienced and worldly.

But having just experienced the miraculous effects of his massage firsthand, she had complete faith in Li Xu.

"Let me drive. Where do you live? I’ll give you a ride," Gu Xiaoya offered.

Li Xu had a driver’s license, but he hadn’t practiced since passing the test and his skills were rusty.

Gu Xiaoya had noticed as much.

"Okay."

Li Xu didn’t argue. He got out of the driver’s seat and moved to the back. "Construction Road. Li’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, just north of Songjiang Noodle House."

As the car pulled out of the park, streetlights filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows inside the car.

Gu Xiaoya glanced at Li Xu in the rearview mirror and noticed he was quite handsome.

"Li Xu," she said suddenly. "Thank you. Not just for the treatment... but also... for the recording."

Li Xu shook his head. "You’re welcome. Besides, I’m the one asking you for a favor."

"No problem. Just bring the eye drops to the hospital tomorrow. I’m not scheduled for consultations, so we can go straight to the lab."

Gu Xiaoya agreed without hesitation.

She was very grateful to Li Xu.

She had been wondering how to repay him.

She had originally wanted to help him test the eye drops tonight.

But she was sticky with sweat and wanted to go home and shower, so she postponed it until tomorrow.

"Okay."

The traffic lights outside the window flashed.

The neon lights of the street glowed vibrantly, and people bustled to and fro.

Gu Xiaoya looked at the fleeting scenery outside the window and suddenly found she wasn’t so angry anymore.

’That bastard isn’t worth my anger.’

...

「While Li Xu was busy with Gu Xiaoya, a new day was beginning at the outpatient department of the District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.」

Lü Ying walked into the gynecology department, a white coat on and an irrepressible smile on her face.

She cheerfully organized the patient charts on her desk, her fingers tapping out a happy rhythm on the tabletop.

"Dr. Lü, you seem to be in a good mood today," said a nurse, Xiao Zhang, as she passed by with a clipboard, poking her head in curiously.

"I am! My son took two doses of his medicine last night, and this morning he’s not coughing at all. His voice is back to normal, too." Lü Ying’s eyes sparkled. "I was worried sick yesterday, afraid it would affect his interview today."

Xiao Zhang’s eyes widened in surprise. "That was fast! Was it the medicine Director Guo prescribed?"

Lü Ying shook her head mysteriously and lowered her voice. "It was from a doctor at a community clinic. He said he’d be ’cured in an instant,’ and I didn’t believe him at first."

When her office was empty of patients for a moment, Lü Ying hurried over to the internal medicine department.

Peeking through the half-open door, she saw Miao Li inside, organizing patient charts by herself.

"Is Director Guo in?" Lü Ying whispered, poking her head through the door.

Miao Li looked up, saw it was Lü Ying, and waved her in with a smile. "He’s doing his rounds. He won’t be back for at least half an hour. Sister Lü, what’s with all the secrecy?"

Lü Ying closed the door and grabbed Miao Li’s hand excitedly. "That Li Xu you recommended is incredible! My son took two doses of the medicine last night, and this morning he’s not coughing at all! He’s in great spirits and already left for his interview!"

"Really?" Miao Li’s eyes lit up. "I told you he was something special. There was a patient last time who saw us and got a prescription, but they were still coughing when they went home. Turns out, he gave the patient a bottle of almond drink, and they got much better."

Just as the two were getting animated, the office door was suddenly pushed open.

Guo Yu stood in the doorway, holding his patient rounds logbook, a slight frown on his face. "What medicine is so miraculous?"

Lü Ying and Miao Li both froze. The air in the room seemed to congeal.

Miao Li cleared her throat awkwardly. "Director Guo... Are you finished with your rounds?"

Guo Yu walked in and placed the logbook on the desk. His gaze swept between the two of them. "Whose prescription were you just discussing?"

Lü Ying bit her lip, knowing she couldn’t hide it any longer. "It was... Doctor Li Xu from the community clinic. He prescribed Ephedra, Aconite and Asarum Decoction for my son. It worked exceptionally well."

Guo Yu was visibly taken aback. "Li Xu? You mean that young TCM doctor from the community clinic?"

He had a strong impression of Li Xu.

So young, yet he was always keeping up with professional medical journals.

He was quite insightful, and had even been published in *Dragon Country Virology*.

However...

Guo Yu thought for a moment. "I seem to recall prescribing the same formula for your son."

"Yes, Director Guo," Lü Ying explained hastily. "Your diagnosis was perfectly correct. It’s just... Doctor Li said the herbs he used were of a higher quality, so they worked faster."

Guo Yu’s frown deepened. "The quality of the herbs?"

He suddenly remembered something and turned to Miao Li. "Wait, Miao Li, did you just say another patient was also cured with a single dose of medicine?"

The moment he said it, Miao Li’s expression turned awkward.

Guo Yu’s sharp gaze turned to her. "Dr. Miao, is there something you’re not telling me?"

The office was so quiet you could hear their hearts pounding.

Miao Li took a deep breath. "Last month... there was a child with a cough. The formula you prescribed wasn’t having much effect. Later... his mother took him to see Li Xu..."

Guo Yu’s expression turned stern in an instant, and he immediately pressed her, "Which patient?"

Miao Li grew even more flustered. Averting her gaze, she lowered her head and mumbled, "It was... the case you were discussing with me yesterday... the one you diagnosed with a Chaihu-pattern illness..."

...

A long silence followed.

Finally, Guo Yu sighed. Thinking back, he realized he’d felt that Miao Li was acting strangely at the time.

’So she wanted to tell me but was afraid I’d get angry.’

"Honestly, you..."

Guo Yu just shook his head, saying nothing more.