Sophia initially thought of entering through the main door but reconsidered. With so many people around and gossip flying, it would be hard to explain if anyone saw her coming in. So, carrying her medical kit, she climbed over the balcony instead.
When she knocked on Scott Livinus’s door, she suddenly realized that if someone saw her doing this, it would be even harder to explain.
Seeing her, Scott Livinus frowned, his whole body stiff on the couch, and his tone was cool: “Why are you here?”
Sophia shrugged, sighing deeply:
“It’s not like I wanted to come. It’s the middle of the night—who doesn’t want to sleep? But someone called me, asking me to make a house call and offering a high consultation fee, so here I am, for the sake of money!”
Scott Livinus stared at her, expressionless.
Sophia met his gaze, equally unperturbed.
“What’s wrong? Don’t trust my skills? Then I can go back.”
She turned as if to leave.
Scott Livinus’s expression shifted, and finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “Stay.”
—
Scott’s condition was serious. He’d been stuck in this position on the couch for quite some time.
Without help, he couldn’t even stand.
“Can you get up? I need you to lie face down.”
Usually, his lumbar issues weren’t this severe, but this was the first time he’d been in such pain that he couldn’t move.
Sophia helped him up, and Scott was in so much pain that he broke into a sweat as he slowly moved to the firmer bed.
Sophia lifted his T-shirt and gently felt his lower back, saying, “Your disc issue is an old problem, isn’t it?”
“Mm.”
While herniated discs aren’t considered a serious condition, the pain can be excruciating! These days, people spend a lot of time in front of computers, and the likelihood of younger individuals developing herniated discs has increased. Many people don’t feel it when they’re young, but as they age, the pain can become unbearable.
After checking his pulse, Sophia could tell that he was in decent physical condition.
Given that he worked out regularly, he shouldn’t be experiencing age-related ailments like this.
However, with people today leading more sedentary lifestyles, many illnesses that used to be associated with old age were now becoming common among younger people.
Sophia pressed his lower back gently, trying to assess the extent of his condition.
Her hands were soft and warm as they moved across his chilled lower back.
“This issue doesn’t seem serious when you’re young, but when you’re older, it can be agonizing.”
Livinus’s body stiffened, and he frowned. “Are you saying I’m old?”
Sophia was about to nod, but realizing her poor word choice might have hurt someone’s pride, she quickly shook her head:
“Of course not. You’re in your prime. I mean that as people age, these issues get worse, so while you’re still young, you should take good care of yourself.”
“…”
He narrowed his eyes slightly, lying face down on the bed, clearly irked by the word “old.”
Scott Livinus was only thirty-two, a young and promising talent, and he considered himself more valuable with each passing year. How could he suddenly be classified as “old”?
But, thinking of Sophia’s youth, he chose to stay silent.
Sophia’s hands moved across his acupressure points, pressing gently on a few spots on his lower back.
“Does this hurt?”
“Not much,” He replied through gritted teeth.
Sophia studied him, puzzled. “Why do you seem like you’re in pain? This area shouldn’t be tender.”
Livinus remained silent, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
He wasn’t in pain.
It was simply that her hand, moving over his lower back, seemed to tease him.
A tingling sensation spread from his back, gradually working its way into his heart.
His whole body itched!
An unbearable itch!
Sophia’s hand moved to another spot on his back, pressing gently. “How about here? Any pain?” Her fingers slid down his spine to the sacrum. “And here? Does this hurt?”
Livinus narrowed his gaze, suppressing the emotions in his eyes.
Her hands felt like fire, heating up every place they touched.
A breeze brought a faint scent, and Livinus finally noticed that Sophia’s long hair was draped over her shoulders.
Perhaps she’d hurried over, as her hair was still damp, with occasional drops falling onto his back.
The cool drops only made him feel more unsettled.
Livinus frowned suddenly, grabbing her hand.
The sudden grip startled Sophia, and her hand hurt slightly from his strength.
She frowned, asking, “Still hurting?”
“Yes.”
“That’s strange!” She thought for a moment, then pulled out needles and a cupping set, saying, “Then let’s try a different approach. I might need to draw a little blood!”
Only when her hands left him did Livinus’s gaze darken slightly.
Returning to her task, Livinus saw in the mirror that Sophia was methodically placing needles along his lower back.
Livinus was no stranger to top doctors and specialists. Even the renowned national physician, Dr. Aaron Mateo, was familiar with acupuncture and skilled in his techniques. When he was young, he had been treated by Dr. Aaron Mateo and remembered his quick, precise technique. The doctor could locate acupoints effortlessly, insert the needles with minimal sensation, and leave the patient unaware of even being pricked.
But Dr. Aaron Mateo was older, and his proficiency with needles was expected. Sophia, on the other hand, was so young, yet her acupuncture technique was on par with his.
He watched her through the mirror, observing her intently.
There was an unusual confidence on Sophia’s face while treating a patient, a calm assurance not usually present.
Her brows were lowered, focused carefully on his back.
It was clear she was completely confident in her skills, her demeanor cool and collected.
But this calmness came from a profound understanding of her craft, a confidence that almost seemed to dismiss the severity of his condition.
Watching her work, Livinus found that her composure instilled a quiet confidence in him as well.
He had noticed this calm authority in her before when she treated Tony and his wife.
As a doctor, she seemed like an entirely different person.
Sophia continued with the acupuncture, and once she finished, she applied a cupping set on one of his acupoints. Scott watched as the cup darkened, indicating that blood was being drawn.
Time passed, and for the next hour, Sophia performed a combination of massage, acupuncture, bloodletting, and cupping. By the end of the session, Livinus felt the cold numbness in his lower back fade, replaced by a warm, tingling sensation that seemed to nourish his spine.
“All done! Try getting up,” Sophia said in a calm voice.
He pushed himself up, expecting some residual pain, but to his surprise, he rose with ease.
There was no pain in his lower back—it felt significantly better.
“Can you stand?”
