Chapter 6: Treating the Beautiful Boss

Although Bai Xueyan said she trusted Chen Ye, she plainly wanted to test his skills. Not just anyone could work as a massage therapist at her establishment; a certain level of training was required. Han Qiuya understood that this was his interview.

Chen Ye stepped behind Bai Xueyan and rubbed his hands together until his palms were warm. Then he rested them gently on her fair neck and shoulders and began to massage.

Bai Xueyan closed her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering. “That feels quite good. You have a nice touch.”

When she’d founded Shanghai Beauty, she had personally interviewed every employee. One massage was enough for her to judge a therapist’s skill.

“President Bai, may I ask you a few questions?” Chen Ye said. “Do you sometimes feel foggy during the day? Do you get occasional migraines, sleep poorly, and dream a lot?”

“Yes.” She sounded surprised. “How did you know?”

“When I massaged your neck, I noticed blockages in the channels there. That can restrict the flow of qi and blood and reduce blood supply to the brain.”

His earlier awkwardness had vanished; now he looked completely confident.

“I had a physical before, and the doctor did say I had insufficient blood supply to my brain.” She turned slightly and studied him. “You could tell just from a few strokes?”

“Yes. It’s simple enough to feel.”

“Qiuya, your young friend is impressive,” Bai Xueyan said.

“Of course he is!” Han Qiuya sat on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other, sipping tea.

Bai Xueyan sighed. “It’s an old problem. I was prescribed medicine before, but it didn’t help.”

“It isn’t difficult to treat,” Chen Ye said. “If I work out the blockages in your shoulders, neck, and back, the meridians will open up. Your qi and blood will flow freely, and the blood supply to your brain will improve naturally.”

“The principle makes sense, but those blockages aren’t so easy to work out.” Bai Xueyan knew enough about massage to understand the difficulty.

“I can do it,” he said firmly. “But it’ll take some time.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.” He nodded. He had treated several people in prison, and it had been no trouble at all.

Delighted, Bai Xueyan turned to Han Qiuya. “Let’s have Chen Ye sign a probationary contract this afternoon and start learning how the company works.”

“Well, well. You’re usually so composed, Bai-jie. It’s rare to see you in such a hurry!” Han Qiuya teased.

“Just wait until I have time to deal with you.” Bai Xueyan shot her a playful glare.

At lunchtime, Bai Xueyan took them to a nearby hotel for a Chinese meal. Han Qiuya then excused herself, and Chen Ye returned to the center with Bai Xueyan.

Instead of going back to her office or sending him to complete his employment paperwork, she led him into a massage room. Soft lights illuminated a large bed in the middle, with a sofa, wardrobe, and washbasin to one side. It looked more like a luxury hotel room, except for the therapy equipment around it and the specialized massage bed.

“You said you could clear my meridians. Now that you’ve eaten and have some energy, let me see what you can do.” Bai Xueyan sat on the sofa with her long, fair legs crossed and looked up at him.

“No problem. Please take off your shoes and come over to the bed, President Bai.”

“All right.”

She went over, slipped off her crystal high heels, and sat on the massage bed. Turning, she asked, “Face down?”

“Yes.”

She brushed her hair back from both sides and lay down. Chen Ye came closer, visually traced the meridians along her neck, shoulders, and back, and put his hands on her.

“Don’t you use essential oils?” she asked.

“What are essential oils?”

She laughed. “All right, just do it your way.”

He placed both hands gently on her neck and began kneading outward. Her skin was soft, supple, and smooth beneath his hands. He followed the meridian lines down toward her back, then hesitated.

To clear the channels in her back, he needed it uncovered; otherwise he couldn’t accurately find the acupoints. He didn’t know whether she would agree.

While he hesitated, her phone rang.

“Could you bring me my phone?”

Chen Ye handed it to her, and she answered. “Xiaodong, what do you want now?”

“Mom, my girlfriend’s been having treatments at the center for hours, and now she can’t pay. Come on, just this once, put some money on her card!”

“I won’t add money, but I can waive today’s bill. That’s my final offer, and it’s a one-time exception. Stop bringing your temporary girlfriends here to spend money. Bring someone when you’ve really found a woman you’re going to marry.”

“Mom, I really do plan to marry Wen Yu!”

*Wen Yu?*

Chen Ye’s heart jolted. Could Bai Xueyan’s son be Wen Yu’s boyfriend, Xie Dong? The coincidence was almost impossible to believe.

Then he remembered seeing Wen Yu in the treatment room off the corridor, and it all made sense. Bai Xueyan was Xie Dong’s mother; Wen Yu had come for beauty treatments as his girlfriend, and Xie Dong wanted his mother to pay.

Chen Ye looked at the graceful, attractive woman before him. He couldn’t understand how someone so young and beautiful could have a son Xie Dong’s age. Even if a sophisticated Shanghai woman took excellent care of herself, how could she still look so girlish with a son in his twenties?

It seemed, he thought, to speak for Shanghai Beauty’s expertise. With a son in his twenties and an appearance like that, Bai Xueyan was a walking advertisement for her own business. No wonder it had grown so large.

She was losing patience. “Stop bargaining with me. I’m busy. Goodbye!”

After hanging up, she messaged the business manager: *Waive the bill for a client named Wen Yu.* Then she silenced her phone, tossed it beside the bed, and said to Chen Ye, “All right, continue.”

Chen Ye drew a deep breath. Xie Dong’s infuriating face suddenly rose in his mind. He remembered the man insulting him the night before with an arm around Wen Yu, and anger stirred in his chest.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Xueyan turned when he didn’t move.

He took another deep breath. “President Bai, for the massage, you’ll need to take your clothes off first!”