Early in the morning, Jiang Chen was still yawning in bed when a gentle knock came at the courtyard gate.
"Jiang Chen, are you up? Come have breakfast at my place," came the soft voice of Wen-xian, with a touch of intimacy in its warmth.
Jiang Chen jolted awake, quickly dressed, and opened the door. The courtyard was bathed in golden sunlight, like an oil painting, and Wen-xian stood in it like a beauty from that very canvas.
She held a bamboo food basket in her hand, wearing a light pink home dress. Her hair was tied back, cheeks rosy as if just washed.
Jiang Chen was about to greet her when his vision blurred for a moment. A faint mist clouded his eyes, and suddenly—he could see right through her clothes.
Her fair, delicate skin, graceful curves, slender waist and full hips—all were laid bare before him as if she wore nothing at all.
For a moment, Jiang Chen thought he was dreaming. He pinched his thigh.
Ouch. Not a dream.
He wasn't just seeing her skin—he could see her internal structure too. Especially below the abdomen—it was clearer than a color Doppler scan.
Jiang Chen couldn't help but marvel—what a woman. Her broad pelvis alone marked her as prime for childbirth. A woman like her would bear children as easily as a hen lays eggs. If she were his wife, raising a brood of kids with her… wouldn't that make him a winner in another league of life?
His thoughts started running wild. He realized his gaze had lingered on her lower body too long and coughed to cover it up. "Good morning, Sister Wen!"
Noticing the sharpness in her gaze, Jiang Chen panicked and quickly looked away, heart racing and sweat beading on his forehead.
"What's wrong?" Wen-xian frowned slightly. "Didn't sleep well last night?"
"Not bad… just a bit, uh, excited," Jiang Chen replied, forcing a calm smile.
Wen-xian chuckled. She loved his awkward honesty. "Excited about what? Dreaming about me?"
Jiang Chen froze, blushing furiously. I didn't dream of you… but I saw everything.
She tugged his sleeve and turned without further comment. "Come on, breakfast is ready."
Jiang Chen followed behind her, but his eyes kept drifting to her back… In his sight, the dress was nearly nonexistent. That smooth white skin, slender waist, and round hips—everything was crystal clear.
He swallowed hard, stunned and delighted. So… he had really awakened a clairvoyant ability?
Wen-xian never let go of his sleeve, leading him into the house. The room was tidy, with a redwood table placed on the bed. Four small dishes were laid out: stir-fried cabbage in vinegar, scrambled eggs, pickled vegetables, steaming corn porridge, and freshly steamed buns.
"Don't just stand there—eat." She handed him a pair of chopsticks, eyes full of smiles.
Jiang Chen sat and began to eat, but his eyes constantly strayed toward her soft curves. Under his new ability, every detail of her body became startlingly vivid.
This wasn't an illusion. It was real.
And the system had given no notification—meaning this was a new power, naturally awakened.
Just as the Peach Blossom Goddess had said: the clairvoyance had now been fully integrated into the system. Jiang Chen had a sudden realization: if used for diagnostics, wouldn't this be even more powerful than CT or X-rays?
As his thoughts drifted, his gaze fell on a mole on the left side of Wen-xian's chest. He frowned. The mole was dark in color, with slightly irregular borders—a sign of potential malignancy.
His heart tightened. A doctor's instinct made him concerned.
But he held back. He didn't want to scare her. He needed to wait for the right time to bring it up.
He continued eating, though his heart was conflicted—filled with both joy and guilt.
Wen-xian watched him eat happily and cleaned up as she spoke. "I'm heading into town to pick up some things. Want to come?"
Jiang Chen shook his head. "You go ahead—I'll return to the clinic in case someone comes by."
"Okay. I'll be back soon. For lunch, I'll make forest frog soup and chicken with mushrooms…"
As she walked away, Jiang Chen couldn't help but stare at the way her hips swayed. He swallowed again, heart racing.
If only he could hold that soft white body in his arms every night… wouldn't that be bliss?
Grinning to himself, Jiang Chen hummed a tune all the way back to the village clinic.
He had just sat down when a burly man walked in—broad shoulders, flushed face, and blowing his nose.
"Doctor, where've you been? I've been looking for you all morning!"
"Are you here for treatment?" Jiang Chen asked.
"Yeah, got a bit of a fever. Thought I'd grab some meds."
"Sit down," Jiang Chen gestured, activating the system—but then paused. The clairvoyance was already functioning.
With one glance, he saw everything inside the man's body: not the flu, but a thin fish bone lodged in the stomach lining, causing inflammation and a mild fever.
"Does your stomach feel uncomfortable?" Jiang Chen asked.
The man blinked. "Yeah, a bit. I eat too fast."
Jiang Chen nodded. "System, initiate internal foreign-body extraction."
[Task initiated: Micro Invasive Extraction]
[Cost: 10 Virtue Points, 30 XP. Confirm?]
"Confirm."
The system activated. A fine probe appeared in Jiang Chen's hand. He had the man lie down, located the acupoints, and began guiding the needle with subtle energy.
Five minutes later, a thin fish bone was extracted and dropped onto a silver tray.
The man stared, stunned. "Holy crap, that was in my gut?"
Jiang Chen nodded. "That's what caused your low fever."
The man buttoned up and walked toward the door. "I came looking for you twice and was about to beat you up. But for this… we're even."
Wait—he was not planning to pay?
"Surgery's done," Jiang Chen said. "That's 35 yuan."
"Surgery fee? You dare charge me?" The man's voice turned cold. "You think you can charge me, an outsider? Tired of living?"
"In a hospital, this would cost two or three thousand at least. You won't pay 35?"
"Ha!" The man slapped his belly. "Go ask anyone in a ten-mile radius. When have I ever paid? Butchers, doctors, they all bend over backward to please me. You dare ask for money?"
"You really won't pay?" Jiang Chen's tone turned icy.
"What if I don't? What will you do?" the man sneered, grabbing an alcohol lamp from the table. "This thing's nice. I'll take it home."
With that, he strode toward the door.