One-Finger Zen Pushing Technique

Ten minutes slowly passed, and soon it was Jun Wangchen's turn to see the doctor. Just as he had said earlier, there was nothing seriously wrong with his back where the basketball had struck him. It was merely a little red, and some ointment would take care of it.

Once that was done, Zi Hanyan dragged Jun Wangchen around various shopping malls, saying she wanted to thank him.

During this time, Jun Wangchen's mood could best be expressed in a poetic passage: holding an oil-paper umbrella, I wandered down long, long, bewildering streets. She looked up and laughed; I lowered my head and screamed.

People always said girls forgot even their own families when they went shopping. Now that I've seen it myself... damn it, they'd sacrifice their families for the greater good!

Pretty clothes? Buy them!

Tasty snacks? Buy them!

Delicious drinks? Buy them!

Fun toys? Buy them!

In the eyes of a girl out shopping, there was nothing she couldn't buy, only things the stores didn't stock.

After three hours of shopping, Jun Wangchen was carrying a huge pile of bags containing all kinds of food, drinks, everyday items, and toys. He was practically a walking shopping mall.

Seeing Zi Hanyan about to enter yet another mall, Jun Wangchen broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly caught her arm. "Zi Hanyan, we've been shopping for so long that we must be tired. Why don't we head back and rest?"

Zi Hanyan seemed eager to keep going, but when she saw the exhaustion on Jun Wangchen's face after following her around all this time, she suddenly realized something. Looking embarrassed, she gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Jun Wangchen. You've spent so long shopping with me, and I even made you carry all these things. I'm really sorry."

"It's fine. It's getting late anyway. Let's head back," Jun Wangchen suggested, glancing at the darkening sky and then checking the time on his phone.

In the past, he would have gladly spent his entire life shopping if it meant staying close to the campus beauty. Now, however, going home to seriously consider his plans for the future mattered more than keeping her company.

After all, in a world where strength commanded respect, only sufficient power could let him live a fulfilling life.

Hearing that Jun Wangchen wanted to leave, Zi Hanyan quickly spoke up. "Jun Wangchen, you haven't had dinner yet. Let's eat together before we go back."

She had invited him out for three hours, but aside from a few words of thanks, she had apparently done nothing tangible to express her gratitude. If they went back just like this, wouldn't her little thank-you outing seem far too halfhearted?

Faced with Zi Hanyan's gaze, which allowed no refusal, Jun Wangchen paused. Unable to turn down the campus beauty's warm invitation, he finally nodded.

Without any hesitation, Zi Hanyan booked a Didi ride and took Jun Wangchen to a restaurant called Misty Rain Disperses.

Pushing open the restaurant's heavy doors revealed a spacious, luxuriously furnished interior. The magnificent crystal chandeliers overhead refracted dreamlike, multicolored light from every angle.

The elegant European-style tables and chairs and the small, exquisite bar counter were all pure white, exuding an aristocratic air.

A white porcelain vase stood on every table, with pink roses blooming softly inside. Their delicate fragrance was neither overpowering nor cloying, blending harmoniously with the elegant surroundings.

Soft saxophone music filled the restaurant, spreading like invisible mist. It slowly settled into the soul, bringing peace and tranquility.

For a moment, Jun Wangchen felt as though he had stepped into a magnificent palace.

Seeing him stare dumbfounded at the interior, Zi Hanyan covered her mouth and laughed. "Jun Wangchen, my father gave me this restaurant for my seventh birthday. Whenever I bring friends out to eat or hold an event, I usually come here. Both the atmosphere and the food are first-rate, every bit as good as any five-star hotel."

The corner of Jun Wangchen's eye twitched. Comparing yourself to others really could drive you mad.

An ordinary person might have to save for an entire lifetime to afford a meal here, yet Zi Hanyan had owned the place since she was seven. The gulf between people truly was enormous.

After looking around the restaurant's first floor a few more times, Jun Wangchen withdrew his envious gaze and followed Zi Hanyan to the top floor.

Although this restaurant served Zi Hanyan alone, and she only visited occasionally, none of the staff ever slacked off. They remained on call around the clock, ready to provide every service as soon as she arrived.

Today was no exception. Barely three minutes had passed since Jun Wangchen and Zi Hanyan arrived at Misty Rain Disperses, yet by the time they reached the top floor, an array of exquisitely presented dishes had already been neatly arranged on the crystal dining table. The speed was almost absurd.

Two servers beside the table bowed slightly to Zi Hanyan. "Miss, dinner is ready. Please enjoy your meal!"

"Thank you for your hard work." Apparently accustomed to this, Zi Hanyan raised a hand to dismiss them, then turned to Jun Wangchen with a sweet smile. "Jun Wangchen, come sit down and eat."

Looking at the dishes before him, which could almost constitute an entire imperial banquet, Jun Wangchen was overwhelmed with emotion.

To rich people, money wasn't even money!

People said country children inevitably lost their bearings after coming to the city, and Jun Wangchen was no exception. There were plenty of dishes on the table, but eating them involved all sorts of complicated procedures. Often, he had no idea how to approach a dish, leaving him thoroughly embarrassed.

Fortunately, Zi Hanyan patiently guided him. Though he still felt somewhat awkward afterward, it was much better than before.

"Jun Wangchen, you have to try this dish. It's my favorite." During the meal, Zi Hanyan picked up something resembling a slice of fish and moved to place it in his bowl.

Perhaps because she rose too quickly, however, she accidentally wrenched her lower back as she stood.

The intense pain turned Zi Hanyan's face deathly pale. Cold sweat immediately trickled down her cheeks, her chopsticks fell from her hand, and her whole body tilted to the left.

"Careful!" Jun Wangchen's expression changed, and he hurried over to catch her.

"Zi Hanyan, are you all right?"

Zi Hanyan was about to shake her head, but the movement tugged at her lower back again, making her cry out in pain.

"Did you strain your back?" Jun Wangchen's expression grew serious. He immediately reached out and lifted her clothing slightly, intending to check how severe the injury was.

"Don't!" Having never let a boy touch her body before, Zi Hanyan blushed and instinctively tried to push Jun Wangchen away.

"Don't move!" Before her hand could reach him, Jun Wangchen suddenly turned his head and fixed her with a look that brooked no resistance.

That forceful, commanding look made Zi Hanyan freeze. For some reason, her hand quietly dropped halfway through the push.

Zi Hanyan's lips moved, but in the end, she could not utter a word.

It was the first time she had seen such a look in Jun Wangchen's eyes: domineering, forceful, even unreasonable. Yet beneath it lay concern and care.

Zi Hanyan suddenly discovered that Jun Wangchen now radiated a subtle sense of security, an assurance that even if the sky collapsed, he could hold it up with one hand.

She had never experienced that sense of security before. Today alone, she felt it.

Under Zi Hanyan's blushing gaze, Jun Wangchen lifted part of her clothing and examined her carefully. His brow furrowed. "This looks a little serious. You've strained your lower back quite a few times before, haven't you?"

"How did you know?" Despite her embarrassment, Zi Hanyan could not help feeling surprised.

She majored in dance and practiced frequently. Sometimes, a careless movement would leave her with a strained back.

"A normal sprain mainly involves damage to the soft tissue around a limb joint or part of the torso. But yours has affected the nerves in your lower spine, so it hurts much more than an ordinary strain," Jun Wangchen explained, flexing his fingers.

"Those nerves generally don't suffer this kind of injury unless your lower back is frequently hurt or subjected to repeated irritation. Otherwise, a condition like yours is very unlikely."

Zi Hanyan nodded, enduring the pain as she raised her brows and smiled. "So that's why. You really know a lot, Jun Wangchen."

"Traditional Chinese medicine is vast and profound. I only know a little, nowhere near enough to call myself accomplished." Jun Wangchen waved a hand, considered for a moment, and said, "Zi Hanyan, I think your frequent dance practice has been repeatedly irritating your lower back. If you trust me, I can repair the damaged nerves and cure the problem completely."

Zi Hanyan's eyes lit up. Her back problems had kept her from participating in several dance competitions. Her father had brought in several renowned doctors to treat her, but none had helped much. Within half a month, the condition would flare up again.

If Jun Wangchen could completely heal the nerves in her lower back, then even if she couldn't dance with total abandon afterward, at least she wouldn't have to move so cautiously.

With that thought, Zi Hanyan did not refuse. She nodded her agreement immediately.

"Bear with it. It might hurt a little at first," Jun Wangchen warned. Then he relaxed the muscles of his upper limbs and loosely curled his hand into a fist. Pushing firmly while moving slowly, he gathered force in his palm, directed it into his finger, and focused it on the thumb pad as he gently pressed it against Zi Hanyan's lower back.

Had Bai Ren been there, he would certainly have cried out in astonishment.

The move Jun Wangchen was using was none other than the One-Finger Zen Pushing Technique!

Legend had it that in ancient times, when traditional Chinese medicine flourished, there was a special acupuncture treatment that used a finger in place of a needle. Following the principle of tracing meridians and pushing acupoints, it concentrated intent and energy in a finger, primarily the thumb. With the shoulders lowered, elbows dropped, and wrist suspended in a bent position, the practitioner's wrist movements drove the thumb joint to flex and extend. This produced a continuous alternation of light and heavy force against the meridians and acupoints, stimulating the circulation of meridian qi, clearing the meridians, balancing yin and yang, strengthening healthy energy, and dispelling harmful influences.

Although the One-Finger Zen Pushing Technique was an acupuncture art, it dispensed with the central requirement of inserting silver needles into the body. Instead, the thumb replaced the needle, applying its tip, pad, or side to specific acupoints to administer the treatment.

Because the One-Finger Zen Pushing Technique concentrated considerable pressure over a small contact area, its sustained, rhythmic application could penetrate acupoints throughout the body. It was more convenient than acupuncture arts that could only be performed with needles, earning it a reputation as the most practical of the ancient specialized treatments.

By now, Jun Wangchen was releasing the force generated in his dantian through his palm and fingers, channeling it into his thumb pad and applying it to Zi Hanyan's lower back, keeping the force contained rather than letting it spill outward.

His massage alternated between fast and slow, heavy and light. Anyone unfamiliar with it might have thought he was kneading dough.

Zi Hanyan's pale expression gradually eased. She could feel how unusual Jun Wangchen's technique was. Each pass carried away a little heat, and the longer he massaged her, the cooler her lower back became.

As Jun Wangchen varied his technique, Zi Hanyan felt increasingly comfortable. By the end, she could no longer feel any pain.

Jun Wangchen's expression remained calm. He merely changed his technique, loosely forming a half fist and bringing the palm-side surface of his thumb joint into light contact with the thumb-facing side of his index finger's outer segment as he continued massaging Zi Hanyan.

"Ah... oh..." Unable to hold back under the soothing sensation in her lower back, Zi Hanyan began to let out soft moans.

Fortunately, Jun Wangchen was an upright gentleman, deeply influenced by the core socialist values and impeccable in his conduct. Had someone else heard those sounds, they probably would have already raised their weapon and charged into action, tangling their limbs like an old tree's roots.

After a minute of continuous pressure, Jun Wangchen swept his palm in a semicircle and slowly drew the force back into his dantian. Then he lifted his hand from Zi Hanyan's lower back without any hesitation or intention of taking advantage of her.

The moment his hand left her, Zi Hanyan felt her lower back relax completely. It was as though she were walking on clouds, so comfortable that she could not help letting out a low moan.

Having finished, Jun Wangchen wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled slightly. "There. Unless your lower back suffers a very serious injury, those nerves should no longer be damaged."

"Mm... thank you, Jun Wangchen!" Zi Hanyan seemed reluctant for it to end. After straightening her clothes with a flushed face, she found herself almost afraid to look him in the eye.

Truthfully, in all her life, she had never let a boy touch her body for so long. In the past, anyone who dared do so probably would have had all four limbs broken.

Yet after Jun Wangchen had touched her for so long, she felt no resentment whatsoever. Instead, there was a strange feeling mixed in, as though she were a woman held in her husband's arms, without the slightest awkwardness or distance.

Jun Wangchen cleared his throat. "No need to thank me, Zi Hanyan. It's what a handsome man ought to do. If you ever want to know what being good-looking feels like, just ask me."

"Jun Wangchen, you're so full of yourself!" Still feeling shy, Zi Hanyan burst into laughter at his words.

"I'm teasing. Come on, let's keep eating." Jun Wangchen rubbed his nose and cleared his throat a few more times.

"Okay!" Zi Hanyan nodded with girlish sweetness and placed some food in Jun Wangchen's bowl, a sweet smile on her face.

Naturally, Jun Wangchen accepted everything she offered and ate with relish.

But anyone who examined his expression closely would have realized that he was utterly exhausted.

The One-Finger Zen Pushing Technique consumed a great deal of elixir qi. While repairing the nerves in Zi Hanyan's lower back, Jun Wangchen had nearly exhausted his entire supply, leaving his vitality, energy, and spirit depleted. The result, naturally, was tremendous fatigue.

But Jun Wangchen did not mention any of this, because the smile blooming on Zi Hanyan's face was the faith he would hold unchanged for the rest of his life...