Volume 1, Chapter 5: My Sister Has Her Reasons

Therefore, this task was one Zhou Yang could easily handle.

If he succeeded, Xie Hongtao would no longer have to toil away in the district office; the top executives would surely transfer him to headquarters immediately. Once at headquarters, becoming a trusted confidant of the leadership would guarantee him a brilliant future.

Driven by this, Xie Hongtao set aside his managerial airs and approached Zhou Yang once more.

"Zhou Yang, I may have spoken too harshly earlier, but it was all for your own good. I guarantee that if you make a move, Tang Yumei won't be able to resist. You have to seize an opportunity like this..."

Xie Hongtao puffed out his small belly, his narrow eyes gleaming with a mix of sycophancy and lechery.

"You're overthinking it. Sister Mei is a socialite; she's warm to everyone," Zhou Yang said, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes. "I’ll deliver this last order to her this afternoon, and then I’m resigning."

"Ungrateful fool!"

Xie Hongtao’s face turned pitch black. Without another word, he turned and marched back to his office. A moment later, his shouting could be heard echoing from within: "Idiot! With that attitude, you'll never amount to anything in your life!"

That afternoon, after the warehouse finished loading the shipment, Zhou Yang drove the company truck to Tang Yumei’s villa. He rang the doorbell, but there was no response. Using the key card she had provided, he opened the door and entered the foyer.

To his surprise, he saw Tang Yumei lying on the living room sofa in a seductive posture, seemingly fast asleep. The television was on, its volume quite high, which explained why she hadn't heard the bell.

She lay reclined like a sleeping beauty. The strap of her black silk nightgown had slipped down to her elbow, revealing her delicate collarbones and ivory-like shoulders. Beneath her short black hemline, her long, slender legs were crossed. A stray lock of wavy hair rested across her nose, looking both messy and alluring.

Feeling awkward, Zhou Yang quickly turned to leave, hoping to slip out quietly. However, a gust of wind slammed the heavy villa door shut.

*Bang!*

The impact of the heavy door in the enclosed villa echoed like a landslide, far louder than the television.

"Ah!"

Tang Yumei bolted upright in shock. Seeing Zhou Yang standing there, she looked as if she had been struck by lightning. Her nightgown was slightly disheveled... In that instant, a look of shame and embarrassment, the likes of which she had never shown before, washed over her face.

"When did you get here?"

"Just now," Zhou Yang said, scratching the back of his head. "Sister Mei, I came to deliver the goods. I rang the bell but got no response, so I used the key card you gave me..."

"Did you see everything?" Tang Yumei’s face flushed as red as a sunset.

"What?"

"The way I was just now... did you see it all?"

Zhou Yang didn't want to lie. He nodded. "I did." He hurried to add, "But it’s really nothing..."

"Get out!"

Tang Yumei buried her face in her hands, her head bowed low. Her long, wavy hair cascaded like a waterfall between her legs, and she looked utterly mortified.

"I... I’ll go then! Sister Mei, I left the key card on the coffee table."

Holding his breath, Zhou Yang set the card down, turned, and tiptoed toward the door.

"Wait!"

Tang Yumei lifted her head. Her expression had returned to its usual composure, though her eyes were sharp. "I have a question for you."

"Go ahead, Sister Mei," Zhou Yang said, stopping in his tracks.

"In your eyes, am I a shameless woman?" she asked.

It was hard to imagine that this usually glamorous and dignified businesswoman would ask such a question. It revealed just how fragile she felt in that moment.

"What are you saying, Sister Mei? This is perfectly normal, especially..."

Zhou Yang wanted to say that for a woman who had spent so long living alone, it was natural for physical needs to arise. But realizing that wasn't the right thing to say, he stopped himself.

"I have my own unspeakable troubles," Tang Yumei said, brushing a stray hair from her forehead. "If you don't mind, I can tell you about it."

Zhou Yang certainly didn't mind. "Sure, I have time."

Tang Yumei managed a faint smile and patted the sofa beside her. "Sit here."

Zhou Yang sat down gingerly. Smelling her faint perfume, he felt even more self-conscious and sat bolt upright.

Tang Yumei leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "I have a gynecological problem."

"Huh?" Zhou Yang was taken aback.

Tang Yumei sighed helplessly. "I've been to several major hospitals in Shencheng and taken plenty of medicine, but it always comes back."

"What kind of gynecological problem is so hard to treat?" Zhou Yang asked.

Tang Yumei found it difficult to speak, her cheeks reddening further. "I don't want to get into specifics, but I keep myself clean and pay close attention to hygiene. I don't understand why I keep getting sick."

"Sister Mei, give me your hand!" Zhou Yang said.

"What?"

"Give me your hand!"

Ignoring her confusion, Zhou Yang took her hand. He pressed the index and middle fingers of his other hand against her wrist. After a few moments, he said, "This isn't a gynecological disease."

"You know how to diagnose illnesses?" Tang Yumei’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise.

"My family comes from a long line of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. I’ve been following my father on house calls since I was a child, learning by watching," Zhou Yang explained. "Judging by your pulse, you have damp-heat in the liver meridian, combined with an inherent yin deficiency, dry blood, and internal heat. This is causing your skin to lack nourishment and internal heat to disturb your pelvic region, which lowers the local immune response of your reproductive system, leading to these symptoms."

"But this isn't a disease; it won't affect your health or hygiene. It just..."

"Just what?" Tang Yumei asked, her gaze urgent.

"It just means that your libido might be a bit stronger than usual," Zhou Yang said, feeling a bit embarrassed. When the pelvic area is irritated and one suffers from internal heat, it’s only natural for one to feel restless.

"You really hit the nail on the head," Tang Yumei murmured. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, and she blushed like a peach, looking as if she might melt. "That's why I always have those kinds of dreams when I’m asleep."

Zhou Yang smiled. The helplessness and confusion of the small-time salesman had vanished from his face, replaced by a calm, easy confidence. "This isn't a disease and it's easy to treat. A few Chinese herbal remedies will do the trick."

Born into a family of traditional doctors, Zhou Yang had inherited hundreds of ancestral prescriptions, including one for treating damp-heat in the liver meridian.

"I never expected you to have this skill," Tang Yumei said, her face glowing. Her usual cold demeanor had faded, replaced by the warmth of a big sister. "Little Zhou, if you can cure me, I’ll take care of all your sales quotas from now on."

Zhou Yang’s expression dimmed. He sighed, "Sister Mei, I appreciate the offer, but there's no need to worry about my sales quotas. I’ve been fired by the company."

"What? Why?" Tang Yumei asked, stunned.