Once the medicinal broth turned from clear to brown, he took a Blood-Clotting Dragonbone Flower from the jade box. With a light swipe of his fingernail, a petal split open, and pale golden sap dripped into the jar.
The broth turned from brown to dark gold, then from dark gold to blood red, as though something were burning inside the jar.
"Yaoyao, come here."
Chen Siyao jumped off the couch and ran into the kitchen. Chen Hao pushed the two glass jars toward the girls.
"Soak for half an hour. Keep the water between forty and forty-five degrees Celsius—not too hot, not too cold. You might feel a little uncomfortable the first time."
Yang Wanqing held her jar and looked down at the dark red liquid inside. She swallowed. "This... is for drinking?"
"For soaking. During the medicinal bath, calm your mind and focus. Don't circulate your energy to resist it. Just feel the medicinal potency seep into you."
"For soaking?" Yang Wanqing lowered her head and sniffed. A powerful medicinal fragrance filled her nose, like stepping into an herbal medicine shop with a humidifier running. Only then did it sink in.
At daybreak the next morning, Chen Siyao woke up.
She had thought that staying up late to study before her exams, then being too excited to sleep, would surely leave her haggard with heavy dark circles. Yet the moment she stood before the bathroom mirror, her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with a soft gasp of delight.
The girl in the mirror had a rosy, glowing complexion and brimming vitality. There wasn't a trace of darkness beneath her eyes, and she looked radiant.
Her eyes sparkled, and a faint air of spiritual energy seemed to surround her. Despite having slept for only a few hours, she