Ye Qiu’s face changed drastically. He rushed to Su Luoying’s side and checked her pulse.
No breathing.
Bai Bing panicked, “Ye Qiu, is Su Luoying…?”
“I won’t let her die.” Ye Qiu swiftly took a gold needle and inserted it into her Baihui acupoint with lightning speed.
He propped her up, grabbed three more needles, and placed them in her chest.
After the four needles, he didn’t stop.
“Sister Bing, hold her.”
Bai Bing quickly supported Su Luoying’s shoulders.
Ye Qiu grasped two needles and inserted them into her temples simultaneously.
Six needles to revive!
After this, his right hand swept down her spine, retracting the forty-nine needles.
He pressed a palm to her forehead, frantically channeling inner energy into her body.
This lasted twenty minutes.
After twenty minutes, his inner energy was depleted.
He then channeled innate true qi into her.
Time passed slowly.
One minute.
Two minutes.
…
Ten minutes.
…
Fifteen minutes.
Finally, Su Luoying’s body reacted, trembling as black blood trickled from her mouth.
Moments later, she slowly opened her eyes.
Ye Qiu kept his hand in place.
Thirty minutes later, color returned to Su Luoying’s face. Ye Qiu withdrew his hand, his own face pale as paper.
“Luoying, how do you feel?” he asked.
“Much better. Thank you, Dr. Ye,” she said gratefully.
“Don’t thank me. I failed,” Ye Qiu said. “I couldn’t clear the ninth meridian.”
Su Luoying was stunned.
She thought he’d succeeded, not expecting this outcome.
Bai Bing could hardly believe it. She knew Ye Qiu’s skill—any complex case he took was resolved quickly.
Yet, he failed this time.
Su Luoying’s condition was clearly intricate.
“I owe you an apology. You nearly died because of me,” Ye Qiu said.
“Dr. Ye, don’t say that. You found a thousand-year-old herb and treated me. I’m already grateful.”
“It’s not your fault it didn’t work. It’s my fate.”
“Don’t blame yourself.”
Worried he’d feel guilty, Su Luoying added, “You cleared eight of nine blocked meridians. That’s incredible.”
“Since eight are cleared, does that mean I can live longer?”
Ye Qiu paused, then nodded, “Yes.”
Su Luoying smiled sweetly, thanking him again, “Thank you, Dr. Ye.”
“No need…”
Before he finished, his vision darkened, and he nearly collapsed.
Su Luoying instinctively opened her arms to catch him.
She was unclothed, and if she caught him, Bai Bing’s jealousy would erupt.
A strange scene unfolded.
As Ye Qiu fell forward, he twisted, landing in Bai Bing’s arms just before losing consciousness.
…
When Ye Qiu woke, sunlight filled the room.
“Awake? Need more rest?” Bai Bing sat by the bed, concerned.
“I’m fine.” Ye Qiu smiled, recognizing Jiangzhou Hospital’s VIP ward.
“How’s Luoying?” he asked.
“You’re in this state and still worrying about her? How important is she to you?” Bai Bing grumbled, then said, “Su Luoying’s fine. She’s working.”
Ye Qiu said, “Sister Bing, I need a favor. Arrange an expert clinic for Su Luoying, but limit her daily patients. Make sure she rests more.”
“Why?” Bai Bing asked, puzzled. “Her skills are top-notch. When you’re not in TCM, she’s the pillar.”
“She can’t overwork,” Ye Qiu said. “I didn’t tell her, but she doesn’t have much time left.”
“What?” Bai Bing froze. “Didn’t you clear eight meridians? You said she’d live longer…”
“I lied,” Ye Qiu admitted. “The treatment didn’t just fail—it was a complete disaster.”
“She had six months left originally. After clearing eight meridians, her chill is reduced, but her condition’s worse. She has three months now.”
“Overworking will hasten her death.”
Bai Bing asked gravely, “Why did it fail?”
Ye Qiu shook his head.
He didn’t understand.
At the final step, when success was near, why did a massive force surge from her body?
It not only threw him back but also dispersed the He Shou Wu’s potency, causing the failure.
“Alright, I’ll arrange it, reduce her workload,” Bai Bing said. “What about her condition…?”
“I’ll find a way,” Ye Qiu said. “She has three months. I’ll do everything to save her.”
“It’s my fault.”
“If not for me, she’d have had more time.”
“I won’t give up until the last moment.”
Seeing his guilt, Bai Bing comforted him, “You did your best. We’re doctors, not gods. As long as we give our all, we can face ourselves without shame.”
“By the way, Sister Bing, how long was I out?” Ye Qiu asked.
“You passed out last night, slept through it,” Bai Bing said, chiding, “You scared me to death.”
“I get you want to save people, but don’t push yourself so hard.”
“Take care of yourself. If something happened to you, what would I do?”
Ye Qiu grinned, “Don’t worry, Sister Bing, I know my limits.”
“Limits? And you fainted?” Bai Bing retorted. “Today, you’re staying here, doing nothing, just recovering.”
“Is that necessary?” Ye Qiu said wryly. “I’m fine now.”
“I don’t care. You’re staying put,” Bai Bing insisted firmly.
Ye Qiu’s eyes flickered, “Sister Bing, really nothing at all?”
“Fine, I won’t do anything else.”
“But what about you?”
