After hearing Melina's explanation, Cheng Xiaofan almost spat out on the spot. "Little Sweet Cat"? That was way too mushy!
This woman had a truly unique imagination, coming up with such a nickname.
But had she considered his feelings, Cheng Xiaofan's feelings?
Still, since she had already suggested it, it was difficult for him to refuse.
Helplessly, he nodded and said, "Alright, Melina, as the guest, I'll go by your lead. Since I'm here, I'll do as you arrange!"
As soon as he spoke, Cheng Xiaofan felt something was off. Did his words sound like a surrender?
At this moment, Melina became incredibly excited. "Thank you, Mr. Cheng—oh, no, darling, that's how I should address you!"
Uh!
Is it starting already?
"Darling, you call me by my name too!"
Melina said, "So that when we go to my friend's house, you won't have trouble saying it. Let's practice first!"
Cheng Xiaofan had no choice but to say, "Okay, I'll call you Little Sweet Cat!"
Fearing she might not be satisfied, he added, "Little Sweet Cat!"
Melina looked entranced and said, "Thank you, darling!"
Cheng Xiaofan knew very well that ever since he saved Melina in the provincial capital, she had been completely smitten with him.
By the time they reached U Street in the Northwest District, it was already past three in the afternoon.
Melina took out her phone and dialed her friend's number: "Mary, I'm almost at your doorstep. Come out and welcome my Prince Charming!"
"Okay, I'm coming out right away!" A charming voice quickly replied from the other end of the phone.
Mary?
That name sounded so familiar!
While Melina was hanging up, Cheng Xiaofan asked, "Your friend Mary, did she star in the movies 'I'm Not a Lady' and 'Proud Woman'?"
Melina immediately nodded and said, "Yes, she played the female lead in both those films. You could say she's definitely one of the goddesses in Hollywood movies!"
"The characters she plays are mostly sexy, beautiful, bold, and very rebellious. She's the dream girl for many men!"
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled and said, "Back when I was in college, I watched some of her films and knew she was quite famous in the acting world."
Melina smiled and said, "Jin Yanyun mentioned that your 'White Goddess' was also a famous Chinese film and television actress in her early years, wasn't she?"
Cheng Xiaofan laughed and replied, "Yes, but the roles my White Goddess played, while sometimes mischievous, were more often virtuous. She's an idol in the hearts of Chinese men!"
As they chatted, they arrived at the entrance of Mary's villa.
Through the car window, Cheng Xiaofan saw Mary standing at the villa entrance.
As soon as Cheng Xiaofan and Melina got out of the car, Mary opened her arms and ran towards them, giggling loudly. "Melina, let me hug your Prince Charming first!"
Faced with this enthusiastic, tall blonde with blue eyes, Cheng Xiaofan couldn't avoid her and let her give him a perfunctory hug.
After all, Cheng Xiaofan's current identity was Melina's "close boyfriend," so she naturally had to restrain her behavior a little.
After that, she and Melina hugged each other tightly.
Upon entering the house, Mary immediately brewed Cheng Xiaofan a cup of tea. The leaves were personally selected from Chinatown, clearly, she had learned from Melina that he liked drinking Chinese tea.
Actually, Cheng Xiaofan wasn't averse to Western beverages, but he preferred Chinese teas.
He remembered that when he was young, he and his mother went to the market. His great-uncle grabbed a handful of his own baked willow leaves and made them a pot of tea.
The tea had a strong bitter taste, but Cheng Xiaofan found it incredibly fragrant, saying it tasted like early spring.
This showed how much he loved drinking tea.
"Not bad, this is Huangshan Maofeng!" Cheng Xiaofan praised after taking a sip of the tea.
Of course, no matter what tea it was, it couldn't compare to the Golden Tea he had developed.
Getting Cheng Xiaofan's praise, Mary appeared very excited. "Mr. Cheng, as long as you like drinking it, I'll be happy!"
Cheng Xiaofan glanced at her and said, "Mary, you're one of the top ten goddesses among Hollywood actresses. Being able to drink tea brewed by you is my honor, Cheng Xiaofan!"
Mary laughed, "I dare not. From what I understand, you are the truly divine figure. I, this so-called goddess, rely on my acting skills, while you rely on genuine abilities."
"In front of you, I'm just a woman!"
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled, "You're too modest!"
At this moment, Melina said to Cheng Xiaofan, "Darling, can you tell now what illness my friend has?"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "Little Sweet Cat, the moment I saw your friend Mary outside, I could tell from the aura she exuded that she suffers from a special 'snake shedding' disease."
"What is 'snake shedding' disease?" they both asked in unison.
Cheng Xiaofan explained, "'Snake shedding' disease is a metaphor. After a snake is born, it sheds its skin multiple times a year. For a snake, this is a normal physiological phenomenon."
"For humans, shedding is also a normal process of skin metabolism. The skin is divided into the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue, and the epidermis continuously regenerates and metabolizes."
"However, there is a special 'snake shedding' disease, which refers to the patient becoming irritable, restless, and prone to nosebleeds before shedding. Especially in the middle of the night, they suffer from insomnia and a feeling of nausea!"
"This condition lasts for about half a month and is extremely harmful to the body. Towards the end of the month, a thin layer of skin peels off, and then they feel some relief."
"The problem is that after a month, this condition recurs!"
"If I'm not mistaken, Mary's condition started in March of last year, caused by accidentally eating a poisonous plant in the deep mountains during a film shoot three years ago!"
Mary looked extremely shocked.
She said, "You're right. Three years ago, while filming in the mountains, I accidentally ate a poisonous plant. I was rushed to the hospital and managed to save my life."
"The doctors said the poison was expelled, so how could this aftereffect occur?"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "That toxin was very potent. It was impossible to completely eliminate it in a short period. It's just that when the doctors re-examined you, they didn't detect a highly hidden toxin, thus mistakenly believing it had been completely expelled."
Mary asked, "Can my condition be treated?"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "Any illness I discover can be cured. I'll write you a prescription for some medicinal herbs. Have someone buy them from Chinatown immediately, and I'll refine them into pills for you!"
"Okay, okay!" Mary immediately got paper and a pen and handed them to Cheng Xiaofan.
Cheng Xiaofan picked up the pen and quickly wrote on the paper, handing it to Mary. "Have someone go buy them. I believe these herbs can be found in Chinatown."
"If one place doesn't have them, try two more!"
Mary said, "I understand. I'll have someone go buy them now!"