“Promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis?” Tina frowned. “Doctor, you must be mistaken. Pregnant women aren’t supposed to take anything that promotes blood circulation—it could increase the risk of miscarriage! Why would you prescribe that for me? Won’t it make it even easier for me to lose the baby?”
“You’re absolutely right, which is why I wanted to explain. I included herbs like Lycopus lucidus to improve blood circulation and clear out the blood stasis caused by multiple abortions. As I mentioned, without clearing this stagnation, the uterus won’t be able to sustain the baby. It won’t be able to absorb nutrients, and the baby, under these conditions, won’t survive past three months. In fact, based on the pulse, your baby’s growth is already delayed. This treatment is critical, or the consequences will be severe.”
Tina’s face turned pale. She almost believed Sophia but decided to take an extra precaution. Grabbing the prescription, she looked up each herb on Chrome.
To her shock, she found that several of the ingredients were indeed known to promote blood circulation—not just Lycopus lucidus, but others too. Was this young doctor trying to fool her? With all these blood-activating herbs, how could the baby possibly survive?
Tina gave Sophia a suspicious look. Sophia was young, with bright, healthy skin that glowed in a way Tina could only envy after years of repeated miscarriages. Despite her admiration for Sophia’s youthful energy, she found herself doubting her abilities. Maybe Sophia was just trying to make money, encouraging her to buy more herbs to help keep the clinic running?
Her expression turned cold. “I’m not getting treated here! Let’s go to the hospital instead!”
The older woman looked uncomfortable. “Are you sure, Tina?”
“Yes! I looked it up—Chrome says that promoting blood circulation during pregnancy is risky! I already have signs of miscarriage; if I take these herbs, the baby won’t make it. Mom, I even had a fortune teller confirm it—I’m finally carrying a son. I have to fight for him, or we’ll never be able to hold our heads high in this family. I’m not risking my life or my baby’s life with some traditional medicine! At the hospital, I can see everything with an ultrasound. I’m not putting my trust in a young, untested doctor!”
Nancy, who’d been quietly watching, couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Are you serious? You’re going to Chrome for medical advice? If Chrome could replace doctors, we wouldn’t need hospitals!”
“I don’t care. I’m not getting treated here!” Tina retorted, frowning.
The older woman gave an apologetic smile, and in the end, they carried Tina back down the mountain.
Sophia watched them go without much reaction. She simply sat back down and finished her patient notes. She had a habit of documenting her cases in detail, writing down her prescriptions and the reasoning behind each one. Sophia hoped that one day, her notes might serve future generations.
“What kind of people are they?” Nancy fumed. “They had you examine her for free, wasted your time, and didn’t even pay a single cent!”
“Let it go. I don’t charge consultation fees here.”
“That doesn’t make it right! And look at her—three daughters aren’t enough for them, so they’ve gone through four abortions. Seems like karma that she keeps miscarrying! Why even bother treating someone like that?”
Sophia smiled gently. “I’m a doctor. I don’t get to choose my patients. I treat illnesses, not pass moral judgments.”
Nancy paused, taken aback. “I guess that makes sense… but it’s still annoying. They clearly don’t believe in you.”
“It’s fine. What worries me is that if they go to the hospital now, the baby might not survive.”
Nancy, still curious, asked, “But seriously, how did you know she was pregnant just by feeling her pulse?”
Sophia patiently explained, “A pregnant woman’s pulse differs from a regular pulse. We call it a ‘slippery pulse,’ which feels very smooth, almost like a string of beads. This happens because a pregnant woman’s blood volume increases by about 20%, so the pulse is stronger. Of course, a slippery pulse isn’t exclusive to pregnancy. Traditional medicine relies on sight, smell, inquiry, and touch for diagnosis. I used all those methods to confirm she was pregnant.”
“That’s amazing!” Nancy looked at Sophia in awe. “Hearing you explain it makes me think traditional medicine is seriously impressive.”
For the past few days, Sophia’s life in the Scott household had been tense.
Now that divorce was openly on the table, the servants were buzzing with gossip. She often caught them whispering, their glances filled with curiosity or pity. Sophia, however, remained calm. Why should she leave this house? The Scott family had made a fortune off her family’s formula—she had every right to stay until she got what she deserved.
Casually munching on an apple, she lounged on the sofa, watching TV. Suddenly, a voice called out:
“Sophia! Are you home?”
Sophia frowned. “Miss Maggie?”
Maggie, not particularly tall, loved dressing herself up in a girlish style, though her mature features didn’t quite match the aesthetic. At her age, the whole “cute schoolgirl” look felt a bit off. Sophia hadn’t given her much thought before but after her encounter with Scott Livinus, Maggie’s pretenses only made her feel awkward.
There was something oddly uncomfortable about watching her continue to play pretend.
“Sophia, it’s great that you’re here! I was hoping you could come with me to Scott Corporation. I want to bring Scott Livinus some food.”
She lifted a pink Hello Kitty lunchbox, styled to be cute and feminine.
“I made a lot for Livinus. He works so hard; he really deserves a good meal.”
Sophia’s smile grew more strained.
“You’re so considerate. Why don’t you bring it to him yourself?”
Maggie’s face flushed. “He doesn’t want me disturbing him while he works. I’d feel awkward just showing up.”
Sophia stayed silent, watching Maggie, who blushed deeply, clearly caught up in her feelings. She seemed genuinely infatuated. But, knowing Scott Livinus, Sophia doubted he believed Maggie was the woman from that night. With his keen insight, he wouldn’t fall for such an obvious lie. Yet he didn’t correct her, allowing her to continue her self-delusion.
A man like Scott Livinus had a heart as cold as ice, with no trace of sentimentality.
