"This isn't the place to talk. Can we go to your office to discuss this in detail?" Liu Yifeng asked, glancing at the teachers who occasionally walked by.
Zhao Qing, only now realizing the situation, quickly invited Liu Yifeng into her office.
Seated on the sofa, Liu Yifeng explained the method to remove the love蛊 (qíng gǔ - love curse/worm).
Upon hearing it, Zhao Qing was stunned. "You mean Tongtong can cure my brother? But he's only three years old, how can he understand this?"
"I understand your concerns, but my son is no ordinary child. He learned this method from his master. Of course, if you don't believe in my son's abilities, I won't force you. You can take your brother to Thailand to find a master." Liu Yifeng was not going to beg for their trust or insist on curing the love蛊 for them.
Seeing Liu Yifeng's slight displeasure, Zhao Qing quickly explained, "Mr. Liu, please don't misunderstand. I know Tongtong is not an ordinary child, but this involves acupuncture. I can't help but ask a few questions, as any mistake could lead to irreversible consequences."
Liu Yifeng nodded in understanding. "I understand. That's why I said I respect your choice, whether Tongtong performs the cure or you find a master in Thailand."
This matter was of great importance, and Zhao Qing had to be cautious. She looked apologetically at Liu Yifeng and said, "I can't make this decision alone. May I call my father first?"
"Of course, Principal Zhao, please go ahead."
Zhao Qing immediately called her father. "Dad, have you bought the plane tickets to Thailand yet?"
"No, why?" Zhao Dewang asked, puzzled.
Zhao Qing hurried to say, "Mr. Liu just visited me. He said Tongtong can cure Shubo's love蛊, but it requires sealing the meridians and performing acupuncture for half an hour. So, I wanted to ask for your opinion?"
Zhao Dewang was taken aback. "How did Tongtong suddenly learn to cure it? Didn't he say last time that we'd have to find a master in Thailand or the person who cast the蛊 willingly destroy it?"
"This is a method he learned after consulting his master over the phone."
Zhao Dewang, who had been skeptical, perked up upon hearing this. He might not believe others, but he had to believe Master You Li Zi. Since Master You Li Zi had taught this method to Tongtong, it meant he had confidence in the child, otherwise, he wouldn't let Tongtong take such a risk.
He excitedly said to his daughter, "Quick, hand the phone to Mr. Liu!"
Zhao Qing handed the phone to Liu Yifeng. "Mr. Liu, my father wants to speak with you."
Liu Yifeng took the phone. "Hello, Mr. Zhao, what can I do for you?"
"I've just heard from my daughter that Tongtong can cure my son's love蛊. I believe Tongtong will succeed. Is there anything you need me to do in advance? I want to cooperate fully!"
Seeing how much Grandpa Zhao trusted Tongtong, Liu Yifeng's face finally showed a hint of a smile. "There is indeed something that requires your cooperation. My son plans to remove the love蛊 for Mr. Zhao at noon. However, there must be no disturbance during the acupuncture. This requires Mr. Zhao to cooperate by sleeping, and he absolutely cannot wake up midway. Otherwise, if he resists, it will all be in vain and could even cause secondary harm."
This posed a problem for Zhao Dewang. "This boy never takes naps. And even if he did, no matter how deeply someone sleeps, how can they not wake up when someone is needling them? If all else fails, I'll get some sedatives from the hospital for him!" He couldn't think of any other solution.
Liu Yifeng smiled faintly. "It won't be that troublesome. Tongtong has already considered this. So, last night he specifically concocted a sedative. I'll give it to Principal Zhao later. At lunchtime, you can add it to his food, and Mr. Zhao will fall into a deep sleep shortly, unable to wake up no matter what."
Zhao Dewang was overjoyed. "Alright, we'll do as you say. I'll call him over for lunch later and add the sedative to his food."
"Whatever you do, don't tell him about this. Otherwise, it will cause him to resist, and the person who cast the蛊 will also become aware," Liu Yifeng cautioned.
Zhao Dewang nodded repeatedly. "Okay, I understand! Then we'll meet at noon. You and Tongtong should come to my place for lunch."
"Tongtong can eat at the kindergarten. I might be having lunch with some friends, and I'll pick him up afterwards to take him to your place." Liu Yifeng planned to take a nap at a hotel later; he was already feeling extremely tired.
Zhao Dewang didn't insist. "That's fine too. I'll hang up now. I need to call my son immediately to ask him to come home for lunch, or he might have other plans if it's too late."
After hanging up, Zhao Qing hurriedly asked, "What did my dad say?"
"He said he trusts Tongtong and asked me to bring Tongtong over at noon to perform acupuncture on your brother." Liu Yifeng returned the phone to Zhao Qing.
"What about the sedative you mentioned?" Zhao Qing took the phone and casually put it in her pocket.
Liu Yifeng didn't reply but took out the sedative from his pocket. "This was concocted by Tongtong last night. Whoever takes it will fall into a very deep sleep, unable to wake up even if there's an earthquake. During the acupuncture at noon, to ensure your brother doesn't wake up midway, he needs to take this. Otherwise, if Tongtong's acupuncture is disturbed, it will all be in vain."
Zhao Qing was surprised that Tongtong could also concoct such things, and her eyes showed admiration. "This child Tongtong is truly capable of anything."
"That's thanks to his master's good teaching. Principal Zhao, do you have any clean paper?"
"Clean paper? Would newspaper do?" Zhao Qing brought yesterday's newspaper.
Liu Yifeng nodded, then placed the small jar on the coffee table. He tore off half of the newspaper, opened the lid of the jar, and poured a small amount of white powder into it, roughly the size of a fingernail, as Tongtong had instructed. Finally, he folded the newspaper to prevent any spillage.
"Principal Zhao, please take this sedative to your father later. He will call your brother over for lunch. Add it to his food beforehand. Be careful not to ingest it yourself, or you'll be the one falling asleep," he warned.
Zhao Qing looked at the small amount of medicine with such potent effects and carefully put it away. "Okay, I understand. I'll take it over shortly."
"Alright, I'll be going back now. I still need to go to the pharmacy to buy silver needles for Tongtong. I'll pick him up at noon to take him to your father's place!"
Zhao Qing nodded. "Okay, thank you for your trouble. Once my brother's love蛊 is removed, I will definitely reward you handsomely!"
Liu Yifeng smiled dismissively. "Principal Zhao, there's no need to be so polite. Your father and you are teaching my son for free. How can I possibly charge you?"
"This is a separate matter. Mr. Liu, please hurry. I also have a teachers' meeting to attend. We'll see each other at noon."
Liu Yifeng then left the kindergarten and went straight to a traditional Chinese medicine store, where he expected to find silver needles. He inquired with a shop assistant, who then found the silver needles for him. Although Tongtong had said sixteen would suffice, he bought twenty just in case some were unusable.