In this way, he coldly blocked all her words.
Tian Yao looked at his face that had once again been covered with frost, and suddenly understood.
It wasn't that he didn't want to be treated. He was... afraid to!
Maybe he had tasted too much hope, only to see it shattered time and time again.
Before leaving any weakness for others, some things were not suitable to be made a big deal of.
Because there was simply no one in this world who could truly keep a secret.
[If he's afraid of losing face if the treatment fails, then he's really a vain fool.]
It wasn't really a big problem, but it was truly distressing and frustrating.
She lowered her head and replied sullenly, "Yes, this maid understands."
It seemed that she could only rely on herself.
She had to try the massage method mentioned by Doctor Zhang of the Zhang Mansion!
Once she had made up her mind, Tian Yao stopped hesitating.
Now that she belonged to He Ciyuan, they would either rise and fall together. If he fell, there would be no way for a little grass like her to survive.
Rather than waiting for death, it was better to take a chance!
For several consecutive days, Tian Yao had been extremely vigilant, constantly keeping an eye on He Ciyuan's movements.
She had visited Doctor Zhang and practiced the massage techniques he had mentioned on her own legs over and over again. She had memorized the positions of several key acupoints perfectly. Coupled with the massage techniques she had learned in modern times, she thought it might work.
This night, just after midnight, the chill was growing stronger.
Tian Yao was sitting by the warming stove, listening to the howling wind outside, her heart also feeling uneasy.
Suddenly, there came a faint sound of teeth chattering, desperately suppressed, from the inner room.
It's here!
But the onset was really too fast. Tian Yao was truly worried about him.
She quickly tiptoed in, bringing a basin of hot water with her.
As soon as she entered, she saw his body shaking uncontrollably, the veins on his forehead bulging, and his cold sweat soaking the pillow.
He gritted his teeth tightly, not allowing himself to let out a single groan of pain. That kind of forbearance made Tian Yao's heart ache.
She put down the basin, took a deep breath, walked to the bedside, and softly called out, "My lord?"
He Ciyuan didn't respond. It seemed that he was in so much pain that he had gone deaf.
Tian Yao didn't hesitate any longer. She reached out and lifted a corner of the quilt, revealing his stiff and cold legs.
"My lord, please forgive my rudeness."
She whispered an apology, held her breath, and placed her warm palm on his icy-cold calf.
[Sure enough, it's so cold. No wonder in winter, there were so many charcoal fires lit in his room and so many quilts prepared, but they were of no use at all.]
The moment they made contact, He Ciyuan's body suddenly went rigid, and the strength he had accumulated almost kicked her flying!
He was really in great pain, but he also realized that it was Tian Yao, so he didn't use all his strength in time.
"My lord, don't move!" Tian Yao quickly held him down. Her voice carried an unshakable firmness. "This maid went to inquire about some massage methods. Moreover, I've learned some before. Maybe it can relieve your pain a little."
Maybe it was the words "Doctor Zhang of the Zhang Mansion" that worked. He Ciyuan's violent demeanor softened a bit.
Tian Yao didn't dare to delay. She immediately found several major acupoints on his legs according to her memory.
The pads of her fingers had thin calluses from years of hard work, but she controlled the strength just right, sometimes light and sometimes heavy, sometimes slow and sometimes urgent. From Zusanli to Yanglingquan, and then to Chengshan, her movements were clumsy but earnest.
At first, He Ciyuan's muscles were still as tense as iron, resisting her touch.
But gradually, as the warm strength continued to penetrate, a strange warm current seemed to come from her palm and slowly flow through his frozen meridians.
How could massage techniques dispel the pain in his ancient body? It could only relieve it a little.
Just a little...
He Ciyuan seemed to realize something and actually didn't resist.
Before he knew it, his breathing became steady and long, and his tense body slowly relaxed, no longer shaking so violently.
I don't know how long it had passed, but he actually fell into a deep sleep in the midst of the pain.
Tian Yao was so tired that she was sweating all over. She didn't dare to stop at all. The man's muscles were just too hard, and she had to use most of her strength.
Seeing his relaxed eyebrows, Tian Yao let out a sigh of relief and wiped the thin sweat off his face.
"You're so pitiful. I must take good care of you."
She tucked the quilt around him and quietly stayed by his side until dawn.
The next day, when He Ciyuan woke up, he only felt that his whole body was not so uncomfortable.
He propped himself up and sat up. At a glance, he saw Tian Yao sleeping soundly beside the bed.
Her little face was pale from exhaustion, with two dark circles under her eyes. Her breathing was even, and her sleeping face was peaceful.
He Ciyuan coughed uncomfortably.
Tian Yao was startled awake, and she raised her head blankly. "My lord, are you awake?"
"What did you do last night?"
Tian Yao's heart skipped a beat. She quickly knelt down and replied with her head down, "This maid... saw that my lord was in pain, so she took the liberty to try. It was just a little bit of knowledge learned from the old madam before. I thought it might be useful."
This was the excuse she had thought up long ago.
"The old madam?" He Ciyuan let out a cold laugh with an unclear meaning. "She would teach you this? I thought people like her would only teach you how to please your master."
These words were sarcastic, cold and harsh.
Tian Yao's face turned pale, but she could only force herself to continue making up the story. "Replying to my lord, the old madam is old and often has back and waist pains. This maid just learned a few tricks."
She portrayed herself as a scheming maid who secretly learned skills in order to climb up. This kind of explanation was more in line with her character and easier to believe.
"My lord, how do you feel about this maid's skills? Has the pain been relieved?"
"Passable." He spat out two words indifferently.
Her face lit up. "Then can this maid massage you often in the future?"
He Ciyuan glanced at her. The corner of his mouth curled up in a half-smile arc, full of cold mockery. "What, are you using me as a guinea pig?"
"This maid wouldn't dare!" Tian Yao stuck out her tongue in fright and quickly lowered her head. But in her heart, she was overjoyed.
When he said that, it meant he had given his tacit approval!
Although the massage was effective, Tian Yao knew that it was only a temporary solution. If she wanted to completely get rid of the cold poison, she still needed the cooperation of medicine.
After serving He Ciyuan for breakfast, she found an excuse to go shopping and quietly slipped out of the courtyard. She went straight to the pharmacy in the mansion.
Doctor Zhang was sorting out the medicinal herbs. When he saw Tian Yao, he was first startled, and then he understood and invited her into the inner room.
"Miss Tian Yao, is it about the lord?"
"Exactly." Tian Yao didn't beat around the bush. She lowered her voice and asked eagerly, "Apart from massage, is there any other prescription that can be used for the lord's leg disease?"
Hearing this, Doctor Zhang showed a troubled look on his face and let out a long sigh.
"You don't know. The lord's cold poison has already penetrated deep into his bones. Ordinary warming and tonifying medicinal herbs are just a drop in the bucket and of no use. If you want it to be effective, you can only fight poison with poison. However, you must be cautious about this. After all, these medicinal herbs are extremely powerful. No one dares to act recklessly. Are you sure you want to look for them?"