“Acne treatment?” Mary’s eyes lit up with hope. “Miss, I’ve had acne for eight years now… can you really get rid of it?”
Sophia looked up, gave her a quick glance, then took her wrist to check her pulse. After a moment of contemplation, she asked, “Do you often experience sudden amenorrhea?”
Mary was stunned, immediately asking, “How did you know?”
This was something so personal that even her roommates didn’t know about it. How could this young woman know? Could she really tell just by checking her pulse? Was that even possible?
Sophia remained silent and continued, “Your periods stop unexpectedly for months at a time, and when they do return, it often leads to excessive bleeding, along with dizziness, ringing in your ears, weakness, and irritability.”
Incredible! Mary was completely taken aback. Over the years, her temper had worsened significantly, and there were times she felt inexplicably angry. Her periods were just as Sophia described—they’d either stop for months or come with excessive bleeding. She had visited a doctor about it, and the doctor told her that if her periods had always been like this, it was normal. Mary had taken some medication, but when it ran out without results, she just let it go.
The more she listened, the more astounded she became. “Miss, how could you know all this? Just from checking my pulse?”
Sophia gave a slight nod, her expression calm.
Mary stared in disbelief. “This is amazing! I have to admit, everything you’ve said is true. My periods are extremely irregular. Sometimes, I even think it’s a blessing they just stop altogether. Isn’t that every girl’s dream?”
Sophia gave her a long look, then sighed and shook her head. “Do you really think sudden amenorrhea is a good thing? One day, if your ovaries start failing and you can’t conceive, I wonder if you’ll still feel the same way.”
Mary was taken aback. She had indeed thought it was a good thing—after all, periods were annoying, often painful, and an inconvenience. To her, life without them felt like a superpower, pure and simple!
Seeing her indifferent attitude, Sophia spoke sternly, “You have a low energy level with internal heat, and a congenital deficiency in kidney energy, which is the root cause of your acne. You might not care now, but a few years from now, when you’re thinking about starting a family, having irregular periods will be a serious issue. Plus, if you don’t address this, long-term bleeding disorders will make childbirth challenging.”
It struck Sophia that so many women these days seemed to suffer from irregular periods. Chloe had excessive bleeding, and now Mary had similar symptoms. Ironically, the two even had similar underlying causes for their acne, with only slight differences. She realized the ointment she made could likely work for both of them.
Hearing this, Mary finally began to feel a sense of fear. Could sudden amenorrhea really be that serious? If it meant she wouldn’t be able to have children, what would she do? Growing increasingly anxious, Mary asked, “Doctor, is there still hope for me?”
Sophia raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Why would there be no hope? This is a minor issue, no need to panic. However…”
Mary nodded eagerly.
“You’ll have to take it seriously and stick to the treatment. Otherwise, this condition might leave lasting damage.”
Pale with fear, Mary felt her heart sink. She had only wanted to do something about her acne and now had a serious medical problem to address.
“Thank you, Doctor! I’ll definitely follow the treatment. But what about my acne?”
“The acne is a result of your kidney energy deficiency,” Sophia replied.
Sophia finished preparing the ointment and added a specific herb to Mary’s mixture. She then prescribed an internal treatment focusing on goji berries, deer antler glue, and dodder seed to balance her internal deficiency.
“I don’t have the equipment to brew traditional medicine here, so you’ll need to do it elsewhere. I’ve written the instructions on the paper. With regular use of both the internal treatment and the external ointment, your acne should clear up soon.”
Mary had heard this kind of assurance too many times before.
Honestly, she felt no excitement whatsoever.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Sophia, but after eight years of battling acne, she had gotten her hopes up countless times, only to be disappointed.
She often wondered how civilization could have advanced so far without finding a permanent cure for acne! It felt like some kind of cosmic joke.
She glanced in a mirror and touched the scars on her face, which had accumulated over the years. Every time someone mentioned a miracle product, she was the first to try it, but her skin only worsened. Sometimes, her acne would even get infected, leaving her face covered in painful bumps and scars.
Could something as simple as an ointment made from traditional herbs really work this time?
Skeptical yet hopeful, Mary took the medicine and left.
That evening, Sophia handed the prepared ointment to Mr. James’s driver to deliver to Chloe. Later, with some free time, she decided to make some skincare cream for herself.
Because the original Sophia hadn’t had much money, she had relied on inexpensive supermarket brands, which did little to help her skin. Even premium brands didn’t interest her, though. Sophia had her own special formula for skincare, which she had used in her previous life and was incredibly effective. That night, she started preparing it herself.
She had just filled two jars when she noticed a woman in a white dress standing at the Scott family gate.
Soon, a tall figure walked out.
It was Scott Livinus.
From a distance, Sophia squinted at the woman, who looked remarkably like Miss Maggie from the other night at the banquet. Just who was she? Was Scott really convinced she was the one from that night? Sophia sincerely hoped he would keep mistaking Maggie for herself. Yet, somewhere deep down, she suspected Scott was too shrewd to be fooled.
Livinus Scott had a chilling sense of insight, and Sophia couldn’t be sure where she stood.
Livinus and Maggie exchanged a few words before the driver pulled up.
Maggie got into the car first. Livinus opened the door to get in but suddenly turned to glance in her direction. Sophia was startled, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights, and hastily pretended to be admiring the scenery, slowly shifting her gaze elsewhere.
From his position, Livinus observed her for a moment, seeming to recognize her silhouette.
“Mr. Scott?” the driver prompted.
Livinus shifted his attention back, giving Maggie a brief, unreadable look before stepping into the car.
Over the next few days, Sophia’s clinic remained quiet, with not a single visitor. The location was the likely culprit. She knew the importance of foot traffic in a business, and this place was tucked away halfway up a mountain, accessible only by a stone path. It was no surprise that no one had stumbled across it.
Sophia wasn’t in a rush for customers. Instead, she kept herself busy making skincare products, preparing extra sets whenever she had time, and even producing additional acne ointment.
Finally satisfied with her creations, she tested a few samples of herbal toner and cream on her face. The gentle scent of natural herbs was refreshing, and as she layered the products, she checked her reflection in the mirror.
Her skin appeared bright, smooth, and perfectly balanced—none of that greasy shine left behind by chemical-heavy creams. Her complexion was now dewy and clear, the very picture of healthy, porcelain skin!
This is exactly what I wanted! She thought with satisfaction. Herbal skincare was truly the way to go—no artificial ingredients, no side effects, and a real improvement in quality. Her skin looked noticeably better just from switching to her own products.
A few days later, Mary burst through the door of the clinic, exclaiming with excitement, “Doctor! Doctor! Your acne ointment is magical! I’ve only been using it for a few days, and all my pimples are already healing!”
Sophia smiled and inspected her skin closely, nodding with approval. “Good! You’re recovering well. The ointment is only a secondary measure, though. The real key is internal balance. It’s because the deficiency in your kidney energy is improving that your skin is clearing up. And remember—stick to the dietary restrictions!”
“Absolutely!” Mary responded eagerly. She would gladly stick to any restrictions if it meant clear skin. People who hadn’t struggled with severe acne could never understand the misery it caused. For years, she hadn’t had a single clear spot on her face. She couldn’t even bear to look in the mirror before. But now, with all her pimples drying up, she was finally seeing what her face looked like without them.
Overcome with emotion, Mary exclaimed, “Dr. Smith, you’re amazing! I’ll definitely spread the word about you!”
Sophia nodded. “Thank you. Keep taking the medication and applying the ointment, and come back in a week for a follow-up.”
“Got it!” Mary was thrilled, even buying an extra jar of the ointment. “Only 150 a jar—this is so affordable! I’ve paid 4,800 for a course of acne treatments before, and those didn’t do a thing!”
Sophia chuckled. “I’m a doctor, not a businesswoman. As long as it works, that’s all that matters.”
Mary seemed genuinely touched and replied, “I’ll definitely recommend you to everyone I know.”
Sophia thought it was just polite talk. But that very afternoon, as she was about to close the clinic for the day, a group of about a dozen people arrived together, gathering at her door and whispering excitedly.
“Is it her?”
“It must be! Mary said the doctor was a very beautiful young woman, so it has to be her!”
“Such a young herbal doctor? Let’s give it a try!”
Suddenly, they all turned to Sophia and greeted her with a collective smile that took her aback.
