"The thickness of the skin increases, and the ability to resist ultraviolet rays... also increases..." Looking at Jiang Hai and Xiao Ya in front of her, Bernice's voice remained steady, but it was not hard to see from her rapidly shaking pupils that she was truly surprised.
"Yeah, does that mean I can go out and bask in the sun?" Hearing Bernice's words, Xiao Ya jumped up instantly, threw her arms around Jiang Hai's neck, and then asked Bernice nervously, ignoring the fact that she was nearly strangling Jiang Hai. To be honest, Jiang Hai didn't mind her clinging; he wasn't too bothered by it.
"It's probably not possible to bask in the sun directly, but you can open the curtains in the morning and at sunset," Bernice said after a moment of thought, looking at her sister seriously.
"That's good too. Thank you so much, Jiang Hai." Xiao Ya's face lit up with excitement upon hearing that, even though she couldn't directly bask in the sun, she could still open the curtains. The idea of seeing the sun was something she had never even imagined before. She quickly turned her head to Jiang Hai and sincerely thanked him. Then, she kissed him on the cheek. Fortunately, it was just on the cheek, or Jiang Hai might have felt even more embarrassed.
"It's okay. Didn't we agree that I'd help you heal?" Jiang Hai smiled, his face flushing slightly from the warmth of her soft lips. Honestly, seeing Xiao Ya getting better was exactly what he wanted.
Since Jiang Hai had returned, he had been treating Xiao Ya, sending her about one-twentieth of a piece of spiritual energy every day. He would then actively communicate with the energy to perform healing work in her body.
However, before today, he hadn't thought the energy was doing much. Xiao Ya's body was getting stronger, just like Afra and the others. She was improving in physical fitness, and her once-fat body was gradually turning into lean muscle. Of course, her streamlined waist, long legs, and the developing lines on her body were becoming more noticeable, which was a result of her consistent exercise.
Even so, after a month of treatment, her physical fitness was quite impressive.
But the issue was that despite her improved fitness, her appearance and hair—once reminiscent of a white elf—had shown no signs of returning to normal. Jiang Hai and the others had initially believed the treatment was ineffective—until yesterday.
A mosquito had entered Xiao Ya's room, and in her attempt to swat it, she accidentally opened the thick curtains. For a short time, she was exposed to sunlight. Bernice had witnessed this and immediately pulled her back, but when she checked Xiao Ya afterward, she found that despite the exposure, Xiao Ya seemed to be fine. Today, after further testing, they discovered that while her skin remained pale, Xiao Ya now had some resistance to ultraviolet rays. She still couldn't be exposed directly to the sun, but mild sunlight no longer harmed her.
"You're amazing!" Looking at her excited sister, Bernice pushed the tools aside and glanced at Jiang Hai with curiosity. She had no idea how Jiang Hai treated her sister or what kind of medicine he used, but now that her sister was undergoing such a transformation, she was filled with excitement and wonder.
Jiang Hai, seeing Bernice's curiosity, smiled. "Thank you for the compliment." He had initially thought the treatment hadn't been effective. But now, it seemed that it was having an impact on her physical health, even if not on her appearance.
His spiritual energy improved physical fitness, but it didn't affect appearances. Whether it was Feng Yunchen, Ai Xiaoxi, Aphra, Darlene, or Marianne—any woman who received Jiang Hai's spiritual energy saw improvements in their health. However, their appearance didn't change. Whether they had premature gray hair or a slightly aged look, they remained the same. His energy could repair the body but not reverse genetic traits or DNA factors.
Jiang Hai had been skeptical about whether his energy could cure Xiao Ya, but now, seeing the changes, he couldn't have been happier. He reached out and touched her silver-white hair.
Feeling the warmth of Jiang Hai's hand, Xiao Ya's face turned slightly pink. This was the first time she had been so close to a man. Even before, she and her father had never been this close.
A child with her condition usually didn't let people get too close. At home, her parents were somewhat afraid of her, with only her second sister being fearless. Now, there were more people who were not afraid of her—Jiang Hai, Darlene, Marianne, Azarina, Aphra, Dinah, Hilda, Becky, Sheila, Oshilia, Bridget, Janice, Uncle Robbins, Uncle Edward, Uncle Burke-Daler, Uncle Philemon...
But aside from Jiang Hai, everyone else was a foreigner, which made her feel somewhat distant from them. It was different with Jiang Hai. She truly relied on him now, not just because he had cured her but also because he was her first male friend. Is there pure friendship between men and women? From either Jiang Hai's or Xiao Ya's perspective, it wasn't very realistic. So, feeling Jiang Hai's hand on her head, Xiao Ya's face turned even redder.
"Well, from now on, you can open the curtains before 10 o'clock in the morning and after 4 o'clock in the afternoon, but between 10 o'clock and 4 o'clock, the curtains must remain closed. Understood?" Bernice, watching the closeness between Jiang Hai and Xiao Ya, felt a strange flutter in her chest. She wasn't sure whether it was because of Jiang Hai or Xiao Ya. But, subconsciously, she set the rules.
Upon hearing her sister's instructions, Xiao Ya and Jiang Hai relaxed from the tension, and Xiao Ya smiled and nodded.
"By the way, sister, can I go to the hot spring?" Xiao Ya suddenly asked.
"Okay, but only at night," Bernice replied. The hot spring contained various substances, and Xiao Ya's skin hadn't been able to handle them before. After all, her skin had been so sensitive that even sunlight could harm her. But now that her skin had gained some protection, Bernice allowed it. If she didn't, Xiao Ya might rebel.
Xiao Ya cheered, thrilled to finally have another outdoor activity. After arranging to go to the hot spring that evening, she eagerly told Darlene and Marianne that they must wait for her to join them. The excitement made her cook even better that night, and the meal she prepared was especially delicious.
After dinner, they all headed for the hot springs.
Since the hot springs were built at Jiang Hai's place, they had become a daily tradition for the group. Unlike Americans, who didn't care much about hot springs, Jiang Hai had ensured that each villa had its own water supply. So, Robbins and his group were considerate—they used their own bathrooms, leaving Jiang Hai's hot spring to the others.
Every night, after a long day, the group would soak and relax in the hot springs. Today, however, with Xiao Ya joining them, the atmosphere felt different.
As Bernice and the others entered the water, they began chatting, just as they always did. "Wow, Darlene, I didn't realize you were so... well-endowed. I usually don't notice because you wear loose clothes."
"Xiao Ya, you're not bad either. Your skin is so soft you could almost squeeze water out of it."
"Hey, Aphra, you still have the nerve to say that? Yours is the biggest of them all! Why is yours so big?"
"Let me tell you, Xiao Ya, if you want it to grow, you need a man. Aphra's is so big because she's with Jiang Hai, hehe. So if you want it to be big, you've got to... you know."
"Really? But wouldn't it be embarrassing to ask Jiang Hai?"
"Xiao Ya, don't listen to them. They're just teasing you. They mean no harm."
Hearing their voices, Jiang Hai couldn't help but blush. Honestly, he was more than willing to help in this regard—but no, he was a man of principle. (To be continued.)