Live Broadcast: My Blunt TCM Practice and My Patients Are Dying Online - Chapter 18

Zhou Bo hadn’t realized just how sharp Qin Jiang was until now. Holy crap. Was this even a medical consultation? It felt more like Qin Jiang was stripping him bare!

So what if the doctor knew his private life was messy? But how could he pinpoint the exact times? That was just insane!

Qin Jiang looked at Zhou Bo with a meaningful expression. “I’m the doctor, you’re the patient. To find the root cause of your illness, we need to be completely honest and work together. Do you understand what I mean?”

Zhou Bo was sweating profusely. “Understood, completely understood. I’ll cooperate fully, Dr. Qin. I’ll answer whatever you ask from now on, I won’t hide anything else.”

Seeing Zhou Bo become so compliant so quickly, the live stream fans were in stitches.

“Hahaha, Zhou Bo has really met his match this time. He had no idea how formidable the host is.”
“Wow, his mouth is already in that state, and he can still get girls to hang out with him?”
“Buddy, money makes the world go round. If you pay enough, not only will they overlook a rotten mouth, even if your butt was rotten, some girls would still stick around.”
“How shallow! Can money buy love?”
“Reply to the above: What do I need love for? Haven’t you heard? ‘The wise do not fall in love’.”

It wasn’t just the fans; even Qin Jiang was somewhat impressed by Zhou Bo. This guy was an animal! Even with his mouth like that, he still couldn’t stay put. However, these were the patient’s personal lifestyle choices, and Qin Jiang had no right to interfere.

To identify the root cause as soon as possible, Qin Jiang continued his questioning: “What is your relationship with those women you mentioned?”

The expression on Zhou Bo’s face froze instantly. While he had promised to cooperate, he never expected Qin Jiang to ask such a pointed question!

“Dr. Qin, about these… you might be mistaken, I don’t really have…” Before Zhou Bo could finish his feeble attempt to deny it, Qin Jiang raised an eyebrow.

“What? Don’t want to get cured?”

Zhou Bo fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then whispered, “They’re just… regular friends.”

“Elaborate,” Qin Jiang pressed.

Zhou Bo coughed and began racking his brains to fabricate a story. “Well, I exercise, right? Sometimes after a workout, I like to go for a bath, maybe get a foot soak, a massage, that kind of thing.”

“Sometimes during these massages, you meet girls who’ve had a hard life. They’re young, and their work isn’t easy.”

“I’m a bit soft-hearted, I can’t bear to see that. So sometimes I’ll get a hotel room to… offer them some guidance. To make sure I’m really helping them, I usually give them some money before I leave. You know what I mean?”

As soon as Zhou Bo finished speaking, a notification appeared in the live stream:

[Jincheng Cyber Police] has entered the live stream.
[Jincheng Cyber Police] is now following the live stream.
[Jincheng Cyber Police] liked the live stream.

This instant ‘triple action’ from the Jincheng Cyber Police account sent the fans into a frenzy.

“Make way, everyone make way! Let me hear what’s going on here!”
“Jincheng Cyber Police: Go on, I’m listening.”
“Holy smokes, are they trying to meet their year-end quota? I’ve got a feeling Zhou Bo is done for.”

Zhou Bo, unaware of what was happening in the live stream, gave Qin Jiang a ‘you-know-how-it-is’ look after he finished talking, hinting that he should drop this line of questioning.

To his surprise, Qin Jiang acted as if he didn’t get the hint and proceeded to ask, “Do you have any… unusual habits or preferences?”

“Unusual habits?” Zhou Bo was startled at first, then put on an indignant expression. “Dr. Qin, you can’t just say things like that. I’m a respectable gentleman; I don’t play those kinds of games.”

“Are you sure?” Qin Jiang countered.

Zhou Bo hesitated, momentarily speechless.

Qin Jiang continued, “Think carefully. If you didn’t have any unusual habits, you wouldn’t have ended up in this condition.”

Zhou Bo thought for a long time and finally remembered something. He stammered, “Dr. Qin, I do have one… preference. But it… it shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”

“Go on, what is it?”

Zhou Bo’s face reddened. He said in a small voice, “I… I have a thing for feet. Especially… if they have a bit of a scent. That’s even better.”

The moment these words left Zhou Bo’s mouth, the live stream chat exploded.

“Zhou Bo, you dog! I never knew you were into that! How dare you like the same things I do!”
“Bro, being into everything ‘jade’ [a homophone for ‘foot’ in the slang term ‘jade feet’] will only lead to ruin. Stop now, Qin Jiang is everywhere!”
“Jincheng Cyber Police: Likes ‘jade prisoners’ [a homophone for ‘feet’]? We can arrange that!”
“It’s over. So liking ‘jade feet’ makes your mouth rot? What should I do, brothers, I like ‘silk stocking milk tea’ [a type of drink, but plays on the word ‘silk stocking’]? Am I beyond saving?”

After confessing his unique preference, Zhou Bo felt an inexplicable sense of relief. He instinctively glanced at Liu Yan and noticed she was wearing red high heels paired with [Brand Name] stockings that day.

Zhou Bo grinned, revealing his rotten teeth, and gave Liu Yan a flirtatious wink.

Liu Yan’s face turned pale with fright, regretting not wearing jeans out today!

Qin Jiang let out a sigh. “I know what’s wrong with you now.”

Zhou Bo turned back quickly. “What is it?”

“Athlete’s foot,” Qin Jiang stated flatly.

Zhou Bo was dumbfounded. “Ath… Athlete’s foot? Dr. Qin, are you saying my mouth is infected with athlete’s foot? That’s impossible! I’m always very hygienic!”

Qin Jiang gave him a look of utter disdain. Did this guy even have any self-awareness about his hygiene?

“Your appreciation for ‘jade feet’ probably isn’t limited to just looking, is it?” Qin Jiang’s question made everything click for Zhou Bo.

Embarrassing. So utterly embarrassing! Was this why his mouth was rotting?

Zhou Bo deflated like a punctured balloon and awkwardly sought Qin Jiang’s help. “Dr. Qin, can this be treated?”

“It can,” Qin Jiang said. “But before treatment, you need to correct your bad habits. Otherwise, even if it’s cured, it will just come back.”

Zhou Bo nodded repeatedly. “Dr. Qin, please tell me. I’ll listen to whatever you say.”

Qin Jiang laid out the rules: “First, stop putting just anything in your mouth, especially things associated with athlete’s foot.”

Zhou Bo’s smile stiffened. He didn’t dare make a sound, only nodding in agreement.

“Second, when you shower, it’s best to have two separate towels. One for your face, one for your body. Don’t mix them up.”

Zhou Bo looked puzzled. “Is that really necessary? It’s all my own body. Why differentiate?”

Qin Jiang said coldly, “Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t need to. It doesn’t matter much. But you already have athlete’s foot on your feet, and now athlete’s foot in your mouth. If you don’t keep things separate and they mix, you’ll end up exactly as you are now.”

Zhou Bo had a sudden moment of clarity. “That makes sense! I understand, Dr. Qin. And the third point?”

Qin Jiang pointed to the QR code on the desk. “Third, scan the code and pay first. Then I’ll treat you. The medical fee is thirty-seven thousand. I’m worried you might make a run for it later.”

Zhou Bo: “…”