After the hot water boiled, Dong Huiying, carrying a large wooden tub, entered the room, where she added plenty of herbs and poured in lots of hot water.
After testing the temperature, she turned to look at Liang Shuyu, "Come, take off your clothes."
Shu Yu glanced at her and set down the book in her hands.
At that moment, apart from Liang Shuyu and Dong Huiying, there was only Big Brother Liang Zhichen, who was assisting Dong Huiying. As for the others... well, the room was too small, and their presence would have been more of a hindrance, so she had cleared them out earlier.
Shu Yu untied his sash, and his clothes slid down from his shoulders. He was thin, having been bedridden for many years with a poor appetite, eating little and hence suffering from malnutrition.
Dong Huiying gritted her teeth as she looked at his protruding ribs. When he turned around, she saw his back, almost skeletal, and a wave of sympathy surged in her heart.
His skin was very pale, but it was an unhealthy paleness. Through the thin skin, one could even see the greenish veins underneath, his fragile figure resembling a wisp of ethereal smoke that seemed it could be blown away by the wind at any moment.
Shu Yu, retaining only his trousers, moved sluggishly to the side of the tub and then stepped into the tub with the assistance of Big Brother Liang Zhichen.
The tub was big, and the water was very hot, probably too hot, for it scalded him painfully enough that he frowned slightly out of discomfort.
Dong Huiying took out the acupuncture needles she had bought in town earlier, which were wrapped in a piece of grey cloth.
Once Shu Yu settled in, she stood behind him and started his head acupuncture treatment.
While inserting the needles, she did not forget to inform him, "Traditional Chinese medicine is slow to take effect, but its results are mild. Just soak for now. Starting today, you will soak for four hours every day, and the hot water must not stop."
Shu Yu uttered a "hmm" and then adopted a serene demeanor, slowly lowering his eyes and closing them to rest.
Dong Huiying stole a glance at the nape of his neck and then at his round, attractive shoulders.
This person was quite thin, but his shoulders, his hands, his waist—all in all, they were quite attractive.
She greedily took a few extra glances, after all, no harm in looking when it costs nothing.
Liang Zhichen returned to the kitchen to continue boiling hot water, topping up the bath with scalding new water whenever it cooled down in the tub.
Initially, Shu Yu appeared indifferent, but gradually, he felt as though there were tiny bugs crawling under his skin, making his bones itch, yet his face revealed a faint rosy tint. This rosiness was strikingly beautiful, giving his typically weak and pale appearance an exceptionally healthy glow.
Dong Huiying wasn’t idle either; she scooped some hot water for herself and then applied a black paste over her face.
To detoxify required ingestion, to beautify needed topical application.
Focusing on both internal and external remedies, she felt delightfully smug, as if she could already envision her transformed, more beautiful self. She believed that fairness could cover a myriad of flaws, and as long as she could lighten her skin and get rid of the irritating freckles on her face, she would certainly become a charming beauty in the future.
After all, there was nothing wrong with her facial features; it was just the freckles and her dark complexion that were holding her back.
Meanwhile, Shu Yu and Zhi Chen would occasionally steal glances at her, her face looking like it was smeared with mud, bizarre yet her big bright eyes sparkled, indicating she was in a good mood.
Little did she know, had the brothers not had exceptional self-control, they might have burst into laughter at the sight of her, but she, oblivious to how she looked, felt quite pleased with herself.