Chapter 682: Spray

Chapter 682: Chapter 682: Spray

The child’s parents were mortified, standing there with faces as red as a baboon’s backside.

Just a moment ago, they had said they liked the smell.

Now...

’So much for a father’s love being as solid as a mountain.’

Only Li Xu, who had been squatting in front of the child the whole time, showed no reaction.

He calmly removed the last needle, finishing the acupuncture treatment.

"Alright, his qi is flowing freely now. Take him to rest for a bit, or have him sit on the toilet for a while. He’s passing a lot of gas right now, and he’ll probably have a bowel movement soon."

As if granted amnesty, the parents quickly scooped up their child and fled the consultation room.

...

The day’s consultations came to an end. Li Xu’s masterful medical skills and precise diagnoses were a real eye-opener for Li Lin and the other interns, whose notebooks were nearly full.

When it was time to clock out, everyone gradually packed up to leave.

"Li Lin, you coming? Let’s go chow down at the cafeteria!"

A male intern shouted.

But Li Lin dawdled, not moving from his spot. His eyes shifted evasively. "Um... you guys go ahead. I’m going to catch up with my senior. It’s something private."

The other interns didn’t think much of it. They assumed he was just trying to suck up to his senior again, teased him for a bit, and left.

Once the two of them were alone in the room, Li Lin closed the door behind him, his face instantly flushing red all the way to his neck.

He fidgeted for a long time before whispering like a thief, "Senior... um... could you take a look at me?"

Li Xu was organizing prescriptions on his desk. Hearing this, he glanced at him and smiled. "A problem between a man and a woman?"

"Holy shit!"

Li Lin was so shocked he nearly jumped. "You... how did you know? Is it written on my face?"

Ever since he got his current girlfriend, things in *that* department hadn’t been going smoothly.

Every time, it was over before it even began. He couldn’t even last thirty seconds.

It had become a source of great anxiety, and he couldn’t hold his head high in front of his girlfriend.

Li Xu pointed to a chair, motioning for him to sit. "Don’t forget, for a TCM doctor, observation, listening, questioning, and palpation are the fundamentals," he said with a smile. "Look at you: the dark circles under your eyes clearly indicate insufficient kidney-water; your cheeks are flushed, but it’s from deficiency-fire; your voice lacks strength, and your eyes wander—these are also signs of depleted essence and qi. Add to that your age and how you’re stammering about a private issue... what else could it be but *that*?"

Li Lin was completely in awe. He sat down obediently. "Senior, you’re a miracle worker. I... I really can’t perform. I’m too fast. It’s less than thirty seconds every time. I’m getting depressed over it."

Li Xu frowned. "Less than thirty seconds? Logically, while you are a bit deficient, you shouldn’t be *that* deficient. Did you... overdo it with your hand in the past?"

Li Lin’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. He nodded awkwardly. "Yeah... back when I was single, I was... pretty frequent."

Li Xu gestured for him to extend his hand, then took his pulse and examined his tongue coating.

His pulse was deep and fine, with the chi pulse being weak. His tongue was pale red with a thin, white coating.

It was indeed insufficient kidney-qi, a state of deficiency.

"You definitely have a kidney deficiency, but it hasn’t reached the level of an organic lesion," Li Xu analyzed. "Besides the physical reasons, the main issue is psychological. Do you get really nervous every time? You desperately want to perform well, but the more you think about it, the faster it happens?"

Li Lin nodded repeatedly, as if he’d found a kindred spirit. "Yes, yes, that’s exactly it. Whenever it’s time, my heart starts pounding like a drum. I get extremely sensitive, and the slightest touch is too much."

"That’s it, then. It’s a disharmony between the heart and kidneys, plus oversensitivity of the head."

Li Xu said, "I can prescribe you some conditioning medicine to tonify the kidneys, strengthen yang, consolidate essence, and reduce urination."

"But..." Li Xu’s tone shifted. "Taking medicine only treats the root cause, and that takes time. I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to last longer immediately after taking it. This is something you have to nurture slowly."

Li Lin gave a bitter smile. "Senior, I’ve even considered getting a dorsal neurectomy at the hospital. If they cut the nerve, I won’t be so sensitive, right?"

"Don’t even think about it!" Li Xu stopped him sternly. "The surgery is very risky, and it’s irreversible. Once the nerve is severed, you certainly won’t be sensitive anymore, but you won’t feel any pleasure either. It could even lead to erectile dysfunction. That’s killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. You absolutely shouldn’t do it unless it’s a last resort."

"Then... what about those sprays you see online?"

Li Lin asked, not ready to give up. "I’ve seen ads saying they can help you last a long time. Can I use them?"

Li Xu pondered for a moment. "Those sprays... the market is a mixed bag. The cheap ones, the kind that cost a few dozen yuan a bottle, are mostly full of chemical anesthetics like lidocaine and benzocaine. The principle is to numb your nerves so you don’t have any sensation. You might last longer, but it’s like you’re made of wood—you don’t feel anything. Plus, long-term use is bad for the penis and can even lead to being unable to get an erection."

"Of course, there are also ones made from pure plant extracts, like the very popular ’Enjoyable,’ which uses ingredients like Butea Superba and Damiana. They’re relatively mild and have fewer side effects. But they’re also expensive. A small bottle can cost seven or eight hundred yuan."

Li Lin winced when he heard "seven or eight hundred."

"Forget it. I’ll just stick with the conditioning medicine for now."

Li Lin said helplessly, "Senior, please don’t tell anyone about this. It’s too embarrassing."

"Don’t worry, a doctor’s lips are sealed."

Li Xu agreed with a smile and wrote him a prescription.

...

Back home, he opened the door to the fragrant aroma of a home-cooked meal.

Song Sisi, wearing an apron, was busy in the kitchen.

Seeing Li Xu return, she came up to him with a smile. "You’re back? Go wash your hands and eat. I made your favorite braised pork ribs today."

The two of them sat at the dining table, enjoying a warm dinner and chatting about the interesting things that happened during the day.

Li Xu looked at Song Sisi’s face under the light, his heart filled with happiness.

After dinner, Li Xu went back to his study.

Although he had advised Li Lin not to use sprays recklessly, he himself had become curious about them.

He opened his laptop and looked up some information.

The most reputable delay sprays on the market had more or less the same ingredients.

The main ingredients usually included TCM herbs that tonify the kidneys and strengthen yang, such as Cynomorium, Cistanche, Morinda root, and deer antler;

as well as herbs with mild anesthetic and analgesic effects, like Clove and Xixin;

and ethanol as a solvent.

But nearly all formulas included two indispensable herbs—Ginseng and Horny Goat Weed.

Ginseng, which greatly replenishes Primordial Qi, can improve cell vitality and enhance stamina. That was easy to understand.

As for Horny Goat Weed, its name was truly fitting.

In ancient times, people gave many beautiful, poetic names to Chinese medicinal herbs.

For example, Sedum, Cynanchum paniculatum, Black Nightshade, Erigeron, Banxia, Paris, and Indigo Naturalis...

But not all TCM herb names were so picturesque.

In the world of herbal medicine, there was also a black sheep with a name that was incredibly simple and crude.

That would be Horny Goat Weed.

The name itself hardly sounded like it met the classical standards of poetic elegance.

So how did it end up taking center stage in the world of Chinese medicine?

The origin of its name is quite literal.

The "horny goat" part refers to a goat that is easily aroused and has a strong libido, while "weed" refers to the plant itself, whose leaves resemble those of a bean plant.