Chapter 12 Why is he still so beautiful?

Gu Jinshu had spent the entire afternoon in her room practicing needle insertion on pork.
Her technique was flawless—steady, precise, and decisive.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Jinshu?”
It was her teacher.

Gu Jinshu stepped over to open the door, thinking he was there to call her for dinner.
She didn’t expect that, the moment her gaze landed on the man standing behind her teacher with his sharp, rugged features, she would feel inexplicably guilty.
Why was he here?!
Was he really planning to demand that she take responsibility for what happened—right in front of her teacher?
This man was too petty!

Before she could say anything, Zhang Pingtian glanced at the pork on her table.
“You can’t learn much from practicing on pork. I found you a real person to practice on! Stick him as you like ╮(￣⊿￣)╭”

Gu Jinshu: “…”

Zhang Pingtian walked straight past her into the room and sat on a stool, tapping the table with his knuckles.
“Come on! Take off all your clothes—”

What kind of shameless words were those?!

Gu Jinshu’s dazed gaze met Lu Shiyan’s.

The man, however, was brisk and efficient—he stepped inside, and when it came to undressing, he wasted no time.
Soon, he was down to just a thin shirt. His long fingers were already moving to unbutton it when Gu Jinshu snapped back to her senses.

“Te… Teacher?”

“Oh, I’ve run into Commander Lu hanging around outside our place these past few days. Anyone who didn’t know better would think a thief had their eye on our house!” Zhang Pingtian waved a hand.
“It’s fine. Don’t feel any pressure. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility.”

“It’s fine. If I can make a contribution to traditional Chinese medicine, it’ll be a meritorious deed,” Lu Shiyan said in his low, deep voice.
He was more than willing to be her “human pincushion”—as long as it meant spending time with her.

Gu Jinshu’s mouth twitched hard.
Who in their right mind would volunteer to be stuck with needles?!
Lu Shiyan was obviously threatening her into taking responsibility, reminding her of it at every turn.

“Teacher, he’s perfectly healthy,” Gu Jinshu said, implying there was no need for treatment.

“Come, let me take his pulse,” Zhang Pingtian gestured for Lu Shiyan to extend his wrist.

Indeed, the man’s body was as strong as an ox—no issues at all.
Zhang Pingtian nodded slightly.
“Too much internal heat. Give him a few needles to bring it down.”

Gu Jinshu: “…”

When the shirt finally came off, an impeccably proportioned physique came into view—broad shoulders, a narrow waist, skin the color of wheat, exuding a masculine aura.
His muscles weren’t overly exaggerated, but just right.

Gu Jinshu’s throat bobbed unconsciously.
Beauty was a dangerous thing.

Zhang Pingtian: “…”
A miscalculation.

He’d originally wanted Jinshu to stick him as a lesson—so the man would stop hanging around his house pining after someone.
But now… this was playing out exactly like with his grandfather—once the shirt was off, the situation was spinning out of control.
Why did the kid have to look this good?!

The world had truly gone mad.

Unable to bear watching, Zhang Pingtian got up and left the room. He had full confidence in Jinshu’s skills anyway.
On his way out, he even worried that Lu Shiyan might get cold and thoughtfully shut the door.

Now, the only ones left inside were Lu Shiyan and Gu Jinshu.

To reduce internal heat, the acupuncture points were conveniently located on the back.

Gu Jinshu picked up the silver needle and inserted it.

To her surprise, he didn’t seem to feel any pain at all.
Turning his head, Lu Shiyan could even see the needle in place. The sight of her fair fingers holding the needle, her serious expression—it was impossible to look away.

“All done,” Gu Jinshu said after ten or so minutes, putting away the needles. She kept her eyes fixed on his face—better that than letting her thoughts wander.

Lu Shiyan reached for his clothes and began to dress. The room was filled with a slightly… odd silence.

Was it her imagination, or was he dressing much slower than he had undressed?

“What have you decided?” Gu Jinshu was the first to break the silence—wondering what kind of way he’d come up with for her to “take responsibility.”

Lu Shiyan’s thin lips pressed together, his dark eyes dimming slightly.
“And you? What do you think?”

Gu Jinshu took a deep breath. This was her first time dealing with something like this.
She hadn’t expected the man to be even more troublesome than a woman!

“That night was an accident,” she said calmly, pausing before continuing, “I don’t need you to take responsibility. If you want me to take responsibility, I’ll agree to whatever request you make.”

“I can ask for anything?” Lu Shiyan raised a brow, lowering his voice as if afraid she might take it back. “Really?”

Gu Jinshu: “…”
This felt like a trap.

Still, she’d said it—there was no taking it back now.

“Yes, really.”

“Alright, then take responsibility for me and give me a title.”

Huh?

Gu Jinshu was stunned.

Based on this man’s looks and status, women chasing after him could probably form a ring around the entire military compound.
And he was asking her for a title?!
Could it be that he was actually a very traditional person deep down?

“By ‘title,’ you mean… boyfriend and girlfriend?” Gu Jinshu asked again, unsure.

“Boyfriend and girlfriend for now, of course. Later our relationship should go further.”

Gu Jinshu: “…”

Further meaning… marriage.

She had never even considered that possibility.

“Boyfriend and girlfriend requires a foundation of mutual feelings—two people have to like each other first,” she said softly. “That night was our first meeting. I don’t believe we have that foundation.”

“This condition isn’t acceptable.”

“Who said that night was our first meeting?”

Lu Shiyan didn’t like her rejection—he felt… uncomfortable.

Gu Jinshu frowned. Could it be there was something missing from the original body’s memories?
Impossible.

“When have we met before?”

“You figure it out yourself.” Lu Shiyan didn’t tell her.

Gu Jinshu couldn’t think of anything.

“Hey! That’s enough! Your grandfather’s calling you home for dinner!”

In the courtyard, Zhang Pingtian’s impatient voice sounded.

Lu Shiyan looked at the little woman still lost in thought, and a glint of determination to win flashed in his eyes.

“Alright, let’s pretend nothing ever happened.”

As he left, Lu Shiyan thought—if she couldn’t accept it yet, he’d just take it slow~

——

Gu Chuxue and Lin Jinxiu hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and they missed each other dearly.

Lin Jinxiu had been stuck at home these past few days, unable to go out.
Today, she had snuck out while her father was away.

She looked at Gu Chuxue with concern.
“You’ve lost so much weight. Don’t you know how to take care of yourself?”

“Forget me for now—you too,” Gu Chuxue said, taking her hand before asking about Gu Jinshu. “How is she?”

“Why bring her up!” Lin Jinxiu’s tone turned sour—just hearing the name Gu Jinshu made her fume. Everything she was going through now was thanks to her.

“Was she expelled from school?” Gu Chuxue asked, with a hint of barely concealed glee in her voice.