SWNOVELS Chapter 25
and said, “Don’t worry, just act natural.”
Meanwhile, Waldo was being led upstairs by Marina. The chilly little villa had only one servant on hand. He scoffed internally. Howard was clearly in decline, nothing like the grandeur of Bainbridge.
“Dr. Waldo is here.”
“Mr. Chadwick,” Dr. Waldo greeted coolly, his contempt for Gwendolyn rising as he laid eyes on her. “I don’t like outsiders present during my treatments, especially not some medical student who thinks she knows it all. Please ask Mrs. Chadwick to leave.”
He looked down on Gwendolyn, even more so after learning she was studying medicine. He thought she was arrogant, pretending to be something after picking up a little knowledge at school.
“I won’t get in your way.” Gwendolyn asserted.
“Do you hope to steal a few tricks? I was trained by the renowned Mr. White. You probably won’t get the chance to witness such exquisite needling techniques again in your lifetime. No wonder you don’t want to leave,” Waldo said mockingly.
Howard remained calm, gripping Gwendolyn’s hand, “Newlyweds are often inséparable. I’m afraid I can’t bear to be apart from her even for a moment.”
Marina covered her mouth and giggled behind her hand, thinking to herself how men only realize the worth of a good wife after they get hitched.
Waldo snorted dismissively. “Well, she could stay here, though I doubt she has the aptitude to learn anything of value.”
His arrogance was almost laughable to Howard. No one knew better than him how gifted Gwendolyn was. Here was this charlatan acting all high and mighty.
*Thank you for your magnanimity, Dr. Waldo,” Howard said, not minding the extra courtesy.
Waldo, with a stern face, instructed, “Please undress Mr. Howard. I’ll need to apply
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acupuncture.”
Acupuncture involved both the insertion of needles and moxibustion.
Gwendolyn, like a dutiful wife silently bearing an affront, helped Howard onto the bed and began
to remove his shirt. She was used to this by now, though his physique still made her blush every time.
Waldo opened his lavish medicine kit and spread out his needles, the golden ones looking particularly impressive.
He handled the needles with a serious demeanor, inserting them at precise points.
Gwendolyn watched his hands, mentally noting the key operation.
These key operations could stimulate the legs, but the technique was mediocre at best, just showy with no real substance. Waldo was clearly not here with healing intentions.
After the needling, he began the moxibustion.
Gwendolyn knew that warm–needle therapy could be more effective. She would roll up the wool. into small balls, wrap them around the needle ends, and light them, allowing the heat to penetrate the body through the needles.
It would warm the body, promoting circulation and invigorating the blood.
Once Waldo finished, he produced a small packet of herbs, “This is for a medicinal bath, to be taken daily. I’ll return in three days for the next acupuncture session.”
He left with his medicine chest, and Gwendolyn unwrapped the packet, wrinkling her nose as she sniffed at the contents. She picked out two tampered herbs.
“The needling is harmless, but the medicinal bath is poisoned.”
Gwendolyn turned icy, “He’s revolting! He even ground the herbs into powder and dyed them.”