Chapter 2: Saving People

Clementine gave Santino a sultry look and purred, "Santino, tell me, which is bigger? This steamed bun or my chest? Go on, tell me." She even squeezed her breasts together for emphasis. Seeing her tease him on purpose, Santino's courage swelled. Still holding the steamed buns in both hands, he reached toward Clementine's chest to grab a feel. Clementine hopped back a step and squeaked, "You rascal! You had the nerve!" "What's the problem? Weren't you asking which is bigger? How else am I supposed to tell without using my hands?" Santino grinned shamelessly. Clementine eyed her cheeky younger brother-in-law. She had come to tease him, yet he had turned the tables and taken advantage. "Eat your meal. Don't stuff yourself till you burst." Her cheeks flushed as she scolded him. Santino chuckled, let his gaze drift to her chest, then squeezed the buns in his hands hard. Bang, bang! He heard heavy pounding on the front door. "Santino! Santino, are you home? Come out, someone jumped in the river!" He had been halfway through his meal. At the shout outside, he hurriedly set down his food, opened the door, and found Clarissa, the village chief's daughter-in-law, at the door. Clarissa was easy on the eyes, but her hips were something else. When she walked, her hips swayed side to side, a sight that made Santino's hands itch to touch. Her husband worked away from home all year, and the villagers had long whispered she had a thing going with the village chief. "Finally! Come with me, quick!" As soon as the door swung wide, Clarissa grabbed Santino's hand and took off toward the riverbank. "Hey, Clarissa, what's going on? Don't just drag me," Santino protested, shaking free of her grip. Realizing she had lost her composure, Clarissa flushed and said, "I'm just in a rush! The widow up the road, Elise, fell into the river!" "What?" Santino had heard of Elise. She was a striking beauty. Rumor had it that the men she married kept dying. She had married more than once, and each time the man died in some grim mishap. She had not remarried since and lived alone. Why would she jump in the river now? "Clarissa, why would she jump?" Santino asked, baffled. "I don't know the specifics. All I know is she's unconscious. Your parents are good at medicine, so you probably know some. Come take a look," she said, urgency in her voice. "No more talking. Saving a life comes first." Before she even finished, she seized Santino's hand again and took off running. They reached the river, where a group of villagers crowded the riverbank, pointing and muttering. "Hey, make way. Santino is here. Let him see if there's still hope!" Clarissa's big voice did its job. The villagers parted to open a path. Santino looked and saw Elise with her neck tilted to one side, her refined features plainly visible. Her eyes were shut, her face was pale, yet her body still held a trace of warmth. He checked her wrist and felt the faintest pulse. He quickly tapped several acupoints, but a few of them lay on her chest. She was his senior, and with the whole village watching, he hesitated. "Hey, Santino, what are you doing? Can you handle this or not? Don't waste time!" Seeing him standing there, hands idle, the villagers grew anxious. Someone blurted, "Santino, can you do it or not? If not, I'll call 911." He knew they meant no harm, only worry, so he forced himself to say, "Look, can you all close your eyes so I can work?" Close their eyes? The crowd went still, startled. Thank goodness for Clarissa, who shouted, "Do what he says. He knows a bit about medicine. Everyone, turn around and close your eyes." They kept quiet. Since life and death mattered more than gossip, they turned their heads away. Once everyone looked away, Santino still felt a stab of shyness. He reminded himself he was treating a patient. He lifted Elise's head and settled it on his lap. His hands trembled as he undid the buttons of her blouse. At once her chest surged up, creamy skin and deep cleavage flashing into view, a sight that jolted him to the core.  Heat stirred in his body. He kept telling himself, "I'm a doctor. I'm saving a life." With shaking fingers, he eased Elise's blouse off and saw the black lace bra. Without thinking, his palms settled over Elise's chest. It was so soft, and one hand wasn't enough to hold even one. Some reckless part of him wondered how she compared with Clementine. He remembered how he had blundered into the backyard just now and caught her bathing. His grip tightened. Elise, still unconscious, let out a small, breathy moan. The sound snapped him back to himself. He yanked his hands away.  Seeing she still had some sensation, he swiftly tapped several more acupoints in sequence, then sent a thin stream of inner force into her using his family's Mystic Technique. Elise suddenly broke into a fit of coughing. She coughed up several mouthfuls of river water, then slowly opened her eyes. As her gaze cleared, the memory came back. At dawn, she had gone to the river to wash clothes, slipped, fallen in, and then blacked out. Relief washed over Santino when her eyes opened. He took in her still-pale, pretty face and those tempting red lips and almost leaned in to steal a kiss. Elise peered at the man watching her and recognized him. Had Santino saved her? "Ahh!" She suddenly noticed her blouse had been removed and that she lay cradled in Santino's arms. Color flooded her cheeks. She stammered, "Thank... thank you for saving me." "It's fine, no need to thank me. We're all from the same village. How could I stand by?" Santino said, then let his gaze drop again to Elise's chest, still exposed.