CHAPTER 71: CHAPTER 71: IMPRESSIVE SELF-CONTROL

Holly was momentarily stumped by Grandma Young’s question.

She felt a bit embarrassed. How should she answer that question?

Holly instinctively turned to Blake Sinclair, only to find that the usually composed and calm Blake had a faint blush on his earlobes.

His thin lips were tightly pressed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed a bit unnaturally.

Holly became more flustered, turning her head back and forth, her gaze alternating between Blake and Grandma Young several times.

After a long pause, Blake finally spoke, "We..."

As he was about to continue, he glanced at Holly and changed his words, "I’ve been quite busy with work since the wedding, so..."

He tried to offer a proper reason.

But before he could finish, Grandma Young interrupted him with a laugh.

The elderly lady leisurely took out her reading glasses from the drawer, her gaze kind yet all-knowing, "So, does that mean not even once until now?"

Blake’s jawline tensed slightly, and he nodded.

Grandma Young’s eyes moved between the two, watching them try to maintain their composure, and she chuckled lightly, teasing, "Young people sure have self-control."

With that, she withdrew her gaze and gestured for Holly to switch hands.

This time, the pulse-checking was quick, and after just a moment, Grandma Young withdrew her hand, lightly furrowing her brow.

Holly felt a pit in her stomach.

The doctor frowned?

Could she have a major health issue?

Noticing her tension, Grandma Young smiled gently, signaling her to relax, "Don’t worry, child, it’s nothing serious."

She adjusted her glasses, "You have a spleen and stomach deficiency, with weak digestive function. Do you often feel bloated, with a poor appetite?"

Holly’s eyes brightened slightly, nodding instinctively, "Yes, yes! I often feel bloated, and feel full after eating just a little."

"Your menstrual cycle is irregular too, right? Often delayed, with obvious pain when it occurs, correct?" Grandma Young continued to ask.

Holly was even more surprised. She could tell that just by feeling her pulse?

She quickly nodded, "Yes! It’s often delayed by one to two weeks, and when it comes..."

Recalling the feeling, she couldn’t help but frown.

"Before your period, do you often feel soreness and weakness in your lower back and thighs?"

"Yes, yes, yes! That’s it!"

Holly felt almost in awe. Is traditional Chinese medicine this amazing?

Grandma Young nodded knowingly and explained, "You have a congenital deficiency of kidney Qi, coupled with improper postnatal care, causing coldness in the uterus and Qi deficiency. The Qi and blood circulation is not smooth, which is why these symptoms appear."

She glanced at Blake beside her, then asked, "Have you had irregular living habits in recent years, like staying up late, irregular diet, or consuming too much cold food and drink?"

Holly bit her lip lightly, giving a soft "um".

Upon hearing this, Blake’s brow tightened, and he pursed his lips even more.

Those years, she really didn’t take good care of herself.

He turned his head slightly to look at Holly, who seemed a bit embarrassed because of being found out.

Recalling her previous periods where she endured pain until her face turned pale, and she casually brushed it off, reassuring him it was just from eating cold food.

But she never mentioned that it was an underlying issue from years ago.

Those years...he didn’t dare to think deeply.

His heart felt blocked, a breath caught in between, stifling, even his breath felt bitter.

Blake closed his eyes, a shadow over his eyes, mixed with regret, heartache, and indescribable bitterness.

Grandma Young took out a prescription sheet and a pen, comforting them, "Don’t worry, it’s not too late to make changes now. The key is moderation. It’s most important to break those bad habits, maintain a regular diet, and keep a relaxed and cheerful mood. Less sulking, and happiness will naturally smoothen your Qi and blood."

"Yes, I remember." Holly obediently replied.

"It’s not a big problem. I’ll write you a prescription. Follow it for a while, warm up the spleen and stomach, supplement the Qi and blood, and these symptoms will naturally alleviate."

Grandma Young said as she began to write the prescription, the pen scratching the paper.

"Hm...hm? Wait!"

Holly snapped her head up, realizing what was happening, only to see Grandma Young having written most of the prescription already.

A prescription?!

Medicine?!

Chinese medicine!!?

She agreed to the consultation, but didn’t agree to take Chinese medicine!

That’s a different matter! A separate charge!

She looked over to Blake, urgently tugging at his pant leg, her eyes desperately signaling: Reject it! Say we don’t want it! We agreed!

But instead of picking up on her plea for help, Blake caught her hand in his, pressing it down on his leg, not too forcefully but enough that she couldn’t break free.

He listened to the symptoms Grandma Young described, recalling her every painful period, with only one thought in mind, she must get treated.

He held her hand firmly, looking at Grandma Young, his tone serious, "Grandma, besides taking medicine, what else should we pay attention to?"

Grandma Young continued writing, without lifting her head, "Avoid spicy, cold, raw food. Don’t always stay in air-conditioned rooms, especially your abdomen and feet should not get cold. Go out more, walking or running to stimulate Qi and blood flow, and soak your feet in hot water before bed..."

Blake listened very attentively, silently memorizing every word.

As he listened intently, Holly beside him was already frowning hard.

Internally, she groaned— in the heat of summer, no bubble tea, no air conditioning, and now she has to take Chinese medicine?

What kind of hellish punishment is this?!

Seeing Blake’s determined demeanor, she knew she probably wouldn’t escape the situation, but still wanted to make a final attempt.

Seizing the moment Grandma Young got up to get another prescription sheet, she leaned close to Blake’s ear, lowering her voice, "Enough, Blake! I really can’t! I can’t handle Chinese medicine at all!"

Blake turned to look at her, his gaze firm and unmoved.

Holly was at her wit’s end, shaking his arm, her voice taking on a slightly coquettish tone, "I really hate bitterness the most, I’ve always taken Western painkillers for period pain, they’re quick and not bitter. Can’t you tell Grandma, maybe we can switch to some Western medication? Please...."

She blinked her eyes, looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to relent.

Blake listened to her soft, coquettish tone, his heart slightly moved, but...

"Bitter medicine cures, be good."

Oh, come on! This is what men are like?

He tricked her here with sweet words and now, he’s using tender coercion to force her to take medicine!

In weather that’s 38 degrees, how can he say such cold-hearted words!

Holly immediately puffed up, waved his hand away, huffily pulled the chair back, deliberately sitting further away, crossing her arms, showing him the back of her head, a clear "stay away from me" attitude.

Grandma Young handed the two prescriptions to Blake, carefully instructing on the method of decoction and medication cautions.

Finally, Grandma Young looked at Holly and added, "With Holly’s current physical condition, with a cold womb and blood deficiency, it’s not suitable to consider having children yet. You wouldn’t easily conceive, and if you did, it would be very tough. So you need to be more cautious as well."

Upon hearing this, Holly instinctively straightened her back, her peripheral vision sneaking a glance at Blake.

He took the prescriptions with both hands, gripping them tightly, "We understand, thank you, Grandma, we will be careful."

"Yes, go ahead, Clara is in the back pharmacy. Give her the prescriptions, she’ll prepare the medicine and help you decoct it, then send it directly to you."

With a kind smile, Grandma Young waved them off.

The two expressed their thanks once again, and walked out of the consultation room one after the other.

Blake carefully put away the prescriptions, attempting to hold Holly’s hand, but she irritably pulled away from him.