Chapter 138: A Trace of Favoritism

Gu Xiujin finally managed to stop his twitching lips. He remained silent on the other end of the line for a long moment, and just as Xie Qingtang, standing in Cunshantang, began to think he would refuse, a voice finally came through.

"Fine. I'll be there shortly." Even Gu Xiujin did not know why he had agreed. By the time he hung up, the fact that he had allowed Xie Qingtang to use him as a test subject felt surreal.

Li Zhao, standing behind him, opened his mouth, his expression one of such profound astonishment that words failed him. It took a long while before he managed to ask, "Mr. Gu, are we really going to Cunshantang?"

"Bring a few more bodyguards. If anything goes wrong, get me to the hospital immediately." Only after hanging up did Gu Xiujin realize what he had actually agreed to, and he rubbed his temples in frustration.

Li Zhao nodded immediately. He had initially planned to bring four bodyguards, but feeling that wasn't enough, he ended up bringing eight, following behind Gu Xiujin’s car all the way to Cunshantang.

When Zhou Jinfan saw three cars parked in a row outside the entrance, he knew Gu Xiujin had arrived and quickly notified Xie Qingtang, who was busy in the back courtyard.

By now, Xie Qingtang had prepared the medicinal tub. Drenched in sweat from the effort, she nodded with satisfaction. She walked to the entrance of Cunshantang and, seeing Gu Xiujin in his wheelchair, smiled and said, "I’ve got everything ready for you. I truly believe it’s worth a try."

"Have you ever used this treatment on any other patients before?" Gu Xiujin asked tentatively upon arrival.

To his surprise, Xie Qingtang shook her head bluntly and admitted, "Of course not. However, I once saw my master use it, and I believe it will be effective. You should feel honored; you are the first person I am treating with this method."

Hearing this, the corner of Gu Xiujin’s mouth twitched upward, and a flicker of wariness appeared in his eyes. Xie Qingtang, however, did not notice; she was too excited about her new treatment and led everyone to the back courtyard.

The group was surprised to see the large tub of steaming, medicinal water. Xie Qingtang, hands on her hips, gestured boldly at Gu Xiujin and commanded, "You—strip down and get in the tub."

Li Zhao’s jaw dropped. He had not expected Xie Qingtang to utter such scandalous words in front of the bodyguards and the secretary.

Gu Xiujin’s face darkened as he pointed at the tub. "Do you mean to tell me I must strip down to nothing and climb into that?"

"That goes without saying. For the medicinal vapors to penetrate every part of your body and aid in your recovery, being stark naked is naturally the best way," Xie Qingtang replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

What was even more surprising was that the tub sat atop a massive stove. When Xie Qingtang first arrived at the back courtyard, she hadn't understood the purpose of that large stove, but once she decided on the medicinal bath, its function became clear.

At this moment, a fire was burning beneath the stove. Li Zhao couldn't help but swallow hard, muttering, "Dr. Xie, it looks like you’re trying to boil our boss."

"Nonsense. Although this is my first time using this stove, I can tell it was designed specifically for medicinal baths at this century-old clinic. At first, my heat control wasn't great—the water was either too hot or too cold—but I’ve mastered the technique now. I definitely won't boil your boss."

Xie Qingtang patted her chest in assurance, though she inadvertently revealed that she had indeed only started using the stove today and was still struggling with the temperature.

This only made Gu Xiujin regret his impulsive agreement to let her experiment on him.

"Don't tell me you're scared, Gu Xiujin? I’ve wasted so many precious medicinal herbs to brew this bath for you; you cannot let it go to waste. Get in and soak!" Xie Qingtang said, growing impatient as she watched him hesitate.

As the water temperature rose, the medicinal steam was dissipating. If he delayed any longer, he would miss the optimal window for the treatment.

Noticing the guarded look in Gu Xiujin’s eyes, Xie Qingtang added with a hint of mockery, "What? Are you a man of your word, or not? You already promised to let me test this new treatment, and now you want to back out?"

"Of course not. Everyone, turn around," Gu Xiujin said coldly. Li Zhao and the others, looking at him with a mix of awe and pity, dutifully turned away.

Just as Gu Xiujin was about to remove his clothes, he noticed Xie Qingtang was still staring at him as if nothing were amiss. His face darkened. "You, turn around as well."

"Oh, what is there to be shy about? It’s not like I haven't seen it before," she grumbled, though she eventually turned her back.

A moment later, the sound of a heavy body splashing into the tub echoed through the yard. Xie Qingtang clapped her hands and turned around with a grin, seeing a grim-faced Gu Xiujin submerged in the water. "Done. Add more fire."

She walked over to the stove and fed another piece of wood into the furnace, causing the flames to leap higher. With the chilling, eager smile on her face, the scene looked exactly as if she were boiling Gu Xiujin alive.

"Why do I feel like your boss looks like a demon from hell while she's boiling our boss? It’s terrifying," Li Zhao whispered to Zhou Jinfan, shivering.

Zhou Jinfan nodded in agreement, clicking his tongue. "How could our boss just be a minor demon? She’s clearly the King of Hell himself."

As they spoke, the two men looked at Xie Qingtang. Bathed in the glow of the fire, with that eager, unsettling smile, she truly looked no different from the King of Hell. Even Gu Xiujin, sitting in the tub, couldn't help but shiver.