Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 241: Idle chat" 235

"When no one is home, you really... get carried away."

After the music had finished playing, Xu Qian felt completely enervated. She was practically hanging on Wang Jian, her head resting limply on his shoulder, too lazy to even open her eyes. Her whole body was drenched in sweat, and even after several minutes, her face was still slightly flushed.

Too lazy to open her eyes, Xu Qian simply listened to the sound of Wang Jian’s heartbeat, finding that it was racing just as fast as her own.

"Is this getting carried away?" Wang Jian took a deep breath to regulate his heart rate and whispered, "We didn’t even change positions. I’d say that’s pretty tame."

"Pfft." Xu Qian finally opened her eyes, shot Wang Jian a sidelong glance, and retorted, "You might not have changed positions, but I was the one moving back and forth constantly. I did all the work, so of course I’m the one who’s exhausted."

Xu Qian felt as if she had injured her waist. It ached as though she had just finished a thousand weighted hip thrusts, or maybe sit-ups.

"Did you... not get tired when you used to exercise?" Xu Qian suddenly asked.

"Tired?" Wang Jian thought for a moment before replying, "Of course it’s tiring if you’re in constant motion. But this sort of thing is all about rhythm. If you keep going without a break, moving like you’re broken, even a machine would start to ache." He paused, then added, "After all, ’exercise’ and ’fitness’ are all about technique."

Wang Jian had intentionally emphasized ’exercise’ and ’fitness’, the hint in his voice obvious.

Xu Qian immediately turned her head away, not daring to look at his profile again. She was too embarrassed. I was just over-exercising, not broken from it. But that feeling of exercise was indeed addictive; I couldn’t bear to stop. Besides, during the actual workout, I couldn’t feel the soreness in my waist at all, only waves of bliss. My brain ceased to function, and my vision filled with stars. I no longer cared about my waist, and there were no thoughts of ’should I or shouldn’t I’—only a primal demand for ’more, more, more’ and a greater exertion.

Even after the workout finished, despite being covered in sweat, nothing could replace the comfort brought by the rush of dopamine.

Xu Qian closed her eyes again, listening to Wang Jian’s breathing, his heartbeat, his words. Gradually, her mood began to settle. It was as if after a storm, the sea had calmed and the sky cleared. A gentle breeze stroked the tranquil water’s surface, and within this embrace, all the sensual, meandering thoughts in her heart were soothed.

Feeling Wang Jian’s body shift slightly, Xu Qian murmured, "Don’t move. Let me hold you a while longer."

"Alright." Wang Jian nodded. The evening sun streamed through the window, casting a beautiful glow on Xu Qian’s back. The view was uniquely serene. He had thought she might be uncomfortable sitting on his lap like that, but since she didn’t want to move, he was more than happy to oblige.

"Autumn is really here," Wang Jian remarked, his gaze following the sunset to the woods on the mountain outside. Vast patches of green leaves had begun to turn yellow, seemingly without him noticing. The traces of autumn had, unbeknownst to them, already crossed over the mountain range.

"Mhm, the season started a while ago," Xu Qian said softly, her eyes still closed. "It’s almost the National Day holiday. Once that comes, the weather will turn cooler, and before long, winter will be here."

"Indeed. Time flies," Wang Jian mused. "After all the leaves in the mountains turn red, I suppose it’ll be time for snow."

At the mention of snow, Xu Qian opened her eyes and smiled. "Snow is wonderful. Every year when it snows, the mountains are robed in silver, it’s especially beautiful. I remember last winter, I even saw a fox at my doorstep, but it ran away as soon as I got close."

"It was probably starving and came down to look for food." Wang Jian had also encountered his share of famished wild animals coming down from the mountains as a child. "My grandfather’s generation used to say that back then, even more animals came down to find food. All sorts, like snakes and even tigers, but you never see them now. Being able to spot a weasel or a fox is considered very lucky these days."

"Really?" Xu Qian’s smile widened with interest. "My hometown is on the plains, so we don’t have many mountain animals, but we do have weasels. When I was little, you could even see turtles and soft-shelled turtles crawling on the roads. I haven’t been back in many years, but I’ve heard you can’t find them anymore. Now, everything in our area is farm-raised or specifically bred. Wild creatures are becoming rarer and rarer."

"It’s the same everywhere," Wang Jian said with a laugh. "The more people there are, the fewer small animals you’ll find. It’s only natural for wildlife to slowly disappear as humans encroach on their resources. They’re clever and know how to hide. The ones that can’t hide get caught and eaten. There was also that period where eating wild game was especially popular. People believed in all sorts of ’like-for-like’ remedies, thinking everything could be some kind of tonic."

Wang Jian shook his head as he spoke, clearly disagreeing with the notion. He considered it all a scam. Medicinal cuisine was a real thing, but the idea of ’like cures like’ was pure superstitious association.

Xu Qian thought about things she had seen online. "Exactly! Some people even eat human placentas. I have no idea what they’re trying to achieve."

"Just thinking about it is nauseating..."

Wang Jian had heard of such things as well. The more ignorant people were, the more they would cling to hopes fabricated by others. After all, hope is always more palatable than despair. What if it works?

"It’s true," Wang Jian agreed. "And eating wild game is quite risky. It can easily lead to the transmission of cross-species viruses. In ancient times, many plagues, aside from the bubonic plague or those caused by major disasters, were a result of people eating things they shouldn’t have."

"But isn’t ’like cures like’ a concept from Chinese medicine?" Xu Qian suddenly looked up and asked him.

Wang Jian’s expression changed instantly. "Who said that? It’s not. Don’t spread nonsense." He quickly explained, "Authentic Chinese medicine would never have such a theory. That’s basically metaphysics. How could a real medical practitioner say something like that? Even in ancient times, if someone said that, it was definitely from some folk remedy. Or it might have come from certain Mages who only dabbled in the Qihuang Skill and ended up misguiding people."

"If treating diseases and strengthening the body were really that simple, wouldn’t that mean you could eat people to strengthen people and achieve immortality?" he continued. "The logic is actually quite simple, but many people refuse to see the truth."

Wang Jian sighed. This was one of the reasons Chinese medicine was so often maligned.

Xu Qian nodded, seeming to understand the principle. "Speaking of immortality, Xiao Jian, that Qi Cultivation you and your master, Master Xu, practice... isn’t that something along those lines?"

"Er..." Wang Jian shook his head with a wry smile. "How did you get an idea like that?"

Xu Qian pointed to the hand resting on her lower back. A warm current was emanating from it, steadily soothing her sore muscles. In just a short time, the ache had already lessened significantly. "Isn’t your Qi pretty miraculous?"

"Hahaha," Wang Jian laughed. "Honestly, my master and I still haven’t fully figured out the upper limits of Qi Cultivation. Is it miraculous? Definitely. It’s a set of techniques my master synthesized from countless Taoist scriptures to enhance his Medical Skills. Since ancient times, Taoists have been healers, so it’s certain that some among them developed strange and wonderful skills through clever tinkering. But as for immortality... look at all those Emperors in history who sought eternal life. Weren’t they all poisoned to death by Taoists practicing Alchemy? So, immortality is impossible, though living a bit longer might be."

He then added, "Besides, what I learned from my master is Ancient Medical Skills. I’m a doctor, not someone who practices Immortal Cultivation... ah, spit, I mean, I’m not a Taoist practitioner. You have to get that straight."

"..."

Xu Qian wore a strange expression. Hearing Wang Jian praise the prowess of Taoists one moment, then talk about Emperors being poisoned by their Alchemy the next, all while emphatically stressing that he was a doctor, left her feeling a sense of disconnect. "Your master, Master Xu... what kind of person is he, exactly?"

"Ah, speaking of my master... well, that’s a long story."