CHAPTER 335: 335 MASSAGES ARE DIFFERENT

After a comfortable soak and a steam bath, Liu Banxia finally took the elevator to the Fifth Floor.

This was the VIP area Qiaoqiao referred to, where there were more staff at the service desk than on the lower two floors.

"Did Qiaoqiao and the others come up already?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Mr. Liu, they have arrived and are in Room 5. I’ll take you there," one of the staff members replied.

"Thank you. This is my first time here," Liu Banxia said, nodding with a smile.

"Mr. Liu, actually, I was also part of the group that went to the hospital last time. We typically serve in the lobby, but due to our outstanding performance then, we were promoted up here," said the staff member in a soft voice.

"Haha, I knew you looked familiar, I just couldn’t put my finger on where I’d seen you," Liu Banxia patted him on the shoulder.

There were so many service staff and security personnel that time; he couldn’t tell who was who. But now that he was in a relationship with Qiaoqiao, his perspective had changed. Previously, he viewed their actions as Qiaoqiao simply causing a ruckus with her entourage. Now? He saw it as them being loyal to Qiaoqiao, which was quite good.

"What took you so long? Have some orange. Today’s oranges are good, very thirst-quenching," Qiaoqiao waved to him as he came in.

"I thought you guys would mess around a bit longer before coming up. I didn’t expect you to be up so quickly. This place is nice. If we get tired, can we just sleep on the sofa?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Of course. There are even better rooms available. This area is designed for groups to have fun. There are some dedicated resting rooms on the sixth floor, but they cost extra," Qiaoqiao explained.

"Honestly, how much would it cost to eat, drink, and have a good time here?" Liu Banxia asked curiously, taking a seat.

"Well, it’s hard to say. Drinks alone can make a big difference in price. For normal spending, it’s usually a few hundred to a little over a thousand. We have many value-added services; it really depends on what you choose," Qiaoqiao answered, handing him a couple of orange slices.

"For example, the foot massage included in a package deal will certainly be of lesser quality than an à la carte service. We even have a few master pedicurists invited from Yangzhou. Anyway, the goal is to provide the best possible service."

Liu Banxia nodded. "That’s really good. I imagine the profits here must be comparable to Jinbao, right?"

"Actually, not as much as Jinbao. Jinbao has a strong brand reputation. They host many wedding banquets, birthday banquets, and all sorts of other feasts. Plus, some people prefer to conduct business at Jinbao, and some are Old Qiao’s friends who help support the business," Qiaoqiao said.

"Qiaoqiao, you can’t just tell him everything," Liang Xiaolin poked Qiaoqiao.

"What are you poking her for? Did you have a wardrobe malfunction or something?" Liu Banxia teased, pretending to glance over.

Liang Xiaolin was startled and hurriedly checked her clothes.

"Why are you so gullible? These outfits are specially designed to prevent any such mishaps," Qiaoqiao said, laughing.

"You’re the gullible one! Your boyfriend is flirting with someone right in front of you, and you’re not doing anything about it?" Liang Xiaolin complained, exasperated.

Qiaoqiao, who was eating an orange, paused and looked at Liu Banxia. "Hmm, you might have a point there."

Liu Banxia patted her foot. "Lie still, I’ll check your waist. You’re always roughhousing with Tang Dou and not paying attention to yourself."

"Oh." Qiaoqiao obediently lay down on the sofa.

"You two, come over and watch. Orthopedics is truly an art," Liu Banxia said.

"What we usually see in movies, though somewhat exaggerated, does have a certain artistic basis. Don’t think I was just playing around with those skeletal models all day in the past. Human joints are truly fascinating.

"Especially in emergency situations, with enough experience, you can diagnose bone injuries without needing X-rays or CT scans. Our current orthopedic director, Director Xu, can do that. I can’t, not yet, especially if the patient is overweight.

"When examining bones, it’s not just about feeling the skeletal structure; you also have to observe the patient’s physical reactions. It’s crucial to distinguish reactions caused by pain from involuntary movements, like how Qiaoqiao is squirming now because it tickles."

"But it really tickles," Qiaoqiao chimed in shyly.

"In manual bone-setting, the most common procedures are relocating dislocations and reducing fractures. Both operations are very risky, because one wrong move can cause even more harm to the patient," Liu Banxia continued.

"So, at that point, we need to understand not only the condition of the bones but also the state of the patient’s muscles. When we’re performing a reduction, we actually need to leverage the patient’s own strength.

"You have to work with them; otherwise, some patients might suffer more. Anyway, that’s the gist of it. I’ll give her a massage now to help her settle down."

Massage is a skill. It’s not about blindly kneading; it’s about finding the correct spots and helping the recipient’s muscles relax. This falls under the category of Tui Na, or remedial massage, which Liu Banxia had also studied. Even though he wasn’t formally trained as a Tui Na therapist, his skills were quite commendable.

Qiaoqiao felt incredibly comfortable from the massage. She even regretted not asking him for one last night—what a waste!

DING! Massage complete. Gained 30 experience points, Orthopedic Skill proficiency +30 points, Diagnostic Skill proficiency +30 points.

"I don’t even want to get up. How’s my waist?" Qiaoqiao muttered.

"Just lie there for a bit longer. Your recovery is going well. Once you’ve rested enough, we can go home," Liu Banxia said.

"What about us?" Qing Kewa asked.

"Of course, I’ll take you all back," Liu Banxia chuckled.

"You two shouldn’t slack off during this period. Even though Xu Yino and his group joined later than you, their growth rate is quite fast.

"They were all carefully selected by Grandpa. We have to find a way to keep them all at the hospital," Liang Xiaolin said, sitting with her legs crossed.

Liu Banxia nodded. "During this time, I suggest you get more exposure to both cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology procedures. You need to master the full range of cardiac surgeries and PCI for interventional cardiology.

"Although procedures in the catheterization lab are generally handled by interventional cardiology, this is just a modern medical specialization. In other countries, surgeons often perform them too, right? I’ve seen your brother do them very well.

"Anyway, I believe that a wealth of skills is never a burden. As long as you’re capable, it’s always good to learn more. Director Xu once said that departments are becoming increasingly specialized these days, which can sometimes hinder progress."

"Oh, by the way, Grandpa asked me if you were feeling any burden. I suppose not, right?" Liang Xiaolin asked curiously.

Liu Banxia nodded. "What burden could I have? Everyone has taken such good care of me. It would be truly ungrateful if I had any other complaints."

"Do you guys want to eat anything else? Or should we eat when we get back to the villa? I was afraid eating too much would be bad for the bath, so I didn’t eat much."

"Let’s eat when we get back then. I need to get something for Tang Dou too. Sometimes I don’t dare leave too much dog food out, because it’ll eat whatever amount is there," Qiaoqiao said quickly.

"What about me? I want a massage too!" Qing Kewa, not wanting to be left out, piped up from the side.

I’ve waited all this time, and now they’re talking about leaving? Why don’t I get a massage? I absolutely have to protest!

Liu Banxia looked a bit helpless. "Alright, lie down then."

Hearing Liu Banxia’s words, Qing Kewa happily lay down on the sofa. Because she was tall, her feet dangled over the edge.

Liu Banxia started the massage right away. Nearby, Qiaoqiao watched his hands intently, like a hawk.

Liu Banxia couldn’t help but be amused. "Just think of me as a professional massage therapist. I wonder who it was that kept suggesting I teach the technicians here. Actually, their skills aren’t bad; they just don’t have my hand strength."

"Well, I guess I forgot you were my boyfriend for a moment," Qiaoqiao mumbled.

"I really don’t know what to do with you two. One is immature, and the other is just as bad," Liang Xiaolin said, shaking her head.

She could just imagine the kind of mischief those two would get up to together.

As for Qing Kewa, she thoroughly enjoyed herself today. She had received massages here before, but those therapists’ techniques were still somewhat inferior to Liu Banxia’s.

After Liu Banxia massaged her, she initially felt sore and a little painful, but then it became extremely comfortable, as if all the tension from a day’s work had been kneaded out of her body.

Other therapists could achieve a similar effect, but one would need to rest well after their massage.

She also noticed that Liu Banxia’s pressure varied during the massage, sometimes strong, sometimes gentle, but always perfectly judged. This was his fine-tuning; he could adjust his strength based on the response of Qing Kewa’s muscles.

He massaged Qiaoqiao for a longer time, as she was his official girlfriend. For Qing Kewa, it was a quicker affair; he just briefly worked on her back and then finished.

It was a bit perfunctory, but Qiaoqiao, who was acting as supervisor, seemed quite satisfied. Perhaps because he had rushed it, he didn’t receive any system rewards for this massage.

"Dr. Liu, you’re truly amazing. I really envy Qiaoqiao, getting to enjoy your massages every day after work," Qing Kewa said.

"Hehe, I never expected such a perk either, hahaha..." Qiaoqiao said, starting to laugh heartily.

Liu Banxia habitually ruffled her hair, much like one would play with a child. Normally, Qiaoqiao would have protested, but today she accepted it willingly, looking quite pleased.

After fooling around for a while and finishing the fruit, it was time to head home. Tang Dou was waiting at home, likely pining pitifully for Qiaoqiao’s return.

Its dog life was truly one of extremes: ecstatic happiness or profound misery.

Qiaoqiao cared a lot about Tang Dou. It was just that when she came home late, Tang Dou suffered. And dogs are sometimes like that; you can’t overfeed them, as they’ll eat until they’re stuffed. Tang Dou was just like that.