Er Gou, life in the countryside is so carefree!

Under the moonlight, Lin Yuqing stood at the door of Chen Ergou's house, clutching her stomach, her brows furrowed, looking extremely pained.

Chen Ergou saw her slightly exaggerated expression and knew exactly what was going on.

This aloof and beautiful policewoman was faking her stomachache; she was really trying to test him.

She probably became suspicious because the last time he caught the wanted criminal was too coincidental. She wanted to see if he really had any skills, or... if he had any bad intentions.

Chen Ergou chuckled inwardly, but put on a concerned expression.

"Oh dear, Officer Lin, what's wrong? Come in, come in!" He quickly stepped aside to let Lin Yuqing into the house and closed the door behind him.

The bedding in the outer room hadn't been taken in yet, and only a dim kerosene lamp was lit inside.

Lin Yuqing sat awkwardly on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), but her eyes secretly observed Chen Ergou's reaction.

"I probably caught a chill last night, my stomach is cramping..." she said weakly, continuing to act.

"Catching a cold can be a minor or major issue. Let me take a look." Chen Ergou rubbed his hands together, sat down next to her, and said in a serious tone, "Extend your hand, let me take your pulse."

Lin Yuqing hesitated for a moment before extending her right hand.

Chen Ergou extended three fingers and placed them on her fair wrist.

The touch on my skin was delicate and slightly cool.

Chen Ergou pretended to close his eyes and concentrate on sensing.

In fact, there was no need for a detailed investigation. With just a slight activation of his Dragon King Technique's perception, he discovered that Lin Yuqing's pulse was steady and strong, and her blood and qi were abundant. There was no sign of abdominal pain at all. She was clearly healthy enough to kill a bull!

But he deliberately hesitated for a moment, his brows furrowing more and more tightly.

"Hmm... Officer Lin, your pulse... is floating, tight, and rapid, like a cold pathogen has directly invaded you! You need to get treatment quickly, otherwise the cold will penetrate to your bones and cause serious trouble!" he said with great seriousness.

Lin Yuqing's heart tightened. Had he really figured it out? Or was he just making things up?

"Then... how do we treat it?" she asked tentatively.

"Simple!" Chen Ergou released his hand from taking your pulse, his face full of righteousness. "I'll use my family's traditional massage techniques to massage a few acupoints on your abdomen to dispel the cold. It'll be effective immediately!"

As he spoke, he pressed his warm, large hand against Lin Yuqing's lower abdomen!

Alarm bells rang in Lin Yuqing's mind!

Here it comes! Just as expected, he's going to get physical! That lecherous bastard!

Just as Chen Ergou's hand was about to touch her pajamas, Lin Yuqing suddenly struck out, gripping his wrist like an iron clamp! Her movements were swift and ruthless; she was clearly trained!

"Chen Ergou! What do you want to do?" Lin Yuqing's expression changed instantly, her eyes sharp as knives, and she no longer looked weak and sickly!

Chen Ergou's wrist was squeezed painfully, but he was secretly overjoyed.

See, they've been exposed!

He feigned an extremely innocent and aggrieved expression: "Officer Lin, what... what do you mean? I'm treating your illness! If your stomach hurts, why are you rubbing your head instead of your stomach?"

"Does treating an illness require getting this close? Does it require directly touching the patient?" Lin Yuqing sneered, increasing the pressure on her hand.

"Ouch! Be gentle, be gentle!" Chen Ergou grimaced. "My goodness! My technique is called 'heat conduction through clothing,' it doesn't work well through clothes! Besides, you're wearing pajamas, what could I possibly touch? Do you think I, Chen Ergou, am the kind of person who takes advantage of others in distress?"

He widened his eyes, looking as if he had been utterly wronged: "If I wanted to take advantage of you, I would have done it long ago at the police station when you were interrogating me... Would I have needed to wait until you had a stomachache?"

That makes some sense. Lin Yuqing paused for a moment, then loosened her grip slightly.

Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, staring at each other blankly.

With a creak, the door to the inner room opened.

Zhang Qiaofen came out carrying a steaming bowl of ginger soup, her face expressionless.

She was inside the house and heard everything that was happening outside.

"Oh, Dr. Chen, busy practicing medicine again in the middle of the night?" Zhang Qiaofen placed the ginger soup on the table, her voice indifferent. Her gaze swept over Chen Ergou's wrist, still held by Lin Yuqing, with a hint of coldness. "Should I leave for a bit? To make room for you?"

Lin Yuqing reacted as if she had been burned, abruptly releasing Chen Ergou's hand, her face instantly turning bright red, utterly embarrassed.

"Sister Zhang... it's not what you think..." She hurriedly stood up, her words incoherent.

Chen Ergou quickly rubbed his wrist and explained, "Sister-in-law, Officer Lin has a stomachache, I'm just checking on her..."

"Stomach ache?" Zhang Qiaofen walked up to Lin Yuqing, looking at her slightly flustered but noticeably healthy and rosy complexion, and smiled faintly. "Officer Lin, you look great, not like you're sick. Are you tired from investigating the case and want to talk to someone?"

Her words were loaded with meaning, exposing Lin Yuqing's pretense.

Lin Yuqing's face flushed even more; she knew she couldn't hide it any longer. Under Zhang Qiaofen's knowing gaze, she felt her little scheme had nowhere to hide.

She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and regained her police composure, but her tone was apologetic: "I'm sorry, Sister Zhang, Chen Ergou. I... I really was faking it. I just... I just wanted to test him."

She looked at Chen Ergou with a complicated expression: "You're too mysterious. I... I want to know what kind of person you really are."

Chen Ergou breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, his sister-in-law arrived in time; otherwise, this situation would have been difficult to resolve.

Zhang Qiaofen sighed and pushed the ginger soup in front of Lin Yuqing: "Officer Lin, drink it while it's hot to ward off the cold. Even though you're faking it, it's windy at night, so it won't hurt to drink some."

She looked at Lin Yuqing, her tone becoming more sincere: "Our Er Gou is a bit of a rascal, glib, and unreliable. But he's not a bad person at heart, and whatever skills he has, he uses them for good. We'll cooperate with your investigation, but please don't look at him with prejudice, and especially don't... test him like this. He's an honest man, and he can't handle this."

These words were spoken neither humbly nor arrogantly, both protecting Chen Ergou and pointing out the inappropriateness of Lin Yuqing's actions.

Looking into Zhang Qiaofen's clear and determined eyes, Lin Yuqing was suddenly touched.

This woman genuinely protected Chen Ergou, believed in him, and was tolerant of him.

This unreserved trust and protection made her, an outsider, feel a little...envious?

She picked up the bowl of ginger soup, feeling the warmth coming from her palms.

"Thank you, Sister Zhang, I understand. It was my fault, my method was inappropriate." Lin Yuqing apologized softly, took a sip of ginger soup, and the spicy taste invigorated her.

She looked at Chen Ergou, then at Zhang Qiaofen, and a new plan formed in her mind.

A direct assault seems unlikely; Chen Ergou is slippery, and there's also Zhang Qiaofen as his "protector."

Perhaps it's time to change our strategy.

The next morning, Lin Yuqing changed into a set of light sportswear and went to the yard.

Zhang Qiaofen was washing clothes by the well.

"Sister Zhang, let me help you." Lin Yuqing rolled up her sleeves, picked up a piece of clothing, and started rubbing it.

Zhang Qiaofen was a little surprised, but she didn't refuse.

Two women, one gentle and quiet, the other capable and efficient, sat side by side by the well, working and chatting at the same time.

Lin Yuqing stopped proposing and instead asked about the village's situation and Chen Ergou's past.

"Sister Zhang, was Chen Ergou... always like this? I heard his parents passed away early?"

Zhang Qiaofen's movements slowed down, and her gaze drifted into the distance.

"Yes, Er Gou had a tough life. He grew up eating food from many families, slept in cowsheds, and lived in woodsheds... But he was stubborn and never complained. Later, he built a thatched hut at the end of the village, which was his place."

She sighed and continued, "Before, he was just an ordinary young man in the village, a little clever, but not much of a prospect. But recently, he almost drowned in the river, and when he woke up, he was like a completely different person. Suddenly, he had a breakthrough, and his abilities became extraordinary..."

Zhang Qiaofen chattered on and on, talking about how Chen Ergou helped her drive away the thugs, how he grew the miraculous vegetables, how he cured Wang Laowu's illness, and how he led the villagers to make money together...

Her tone was filled with heartache, pride, and an indescribable deep affection.

Lin Yuqing listened quietly, her prejudice gradually swaying.

This Chen Ergou doesn't seem to be the rural charlatan she initially imagined, who only knows how to mystify and manipulate women.

His rise to prominence is legendary, but it is also accompanied by real hard work and the protection he provides to those around him.

He brought hope to this impoverished village.

Seeing the sparkle in Zhang Qiaofen's eyes when she talked about Chen Ergou, Lin Yuqing suddenly felt that her previous investigation might have been somewhat biased.

To understand Chen Ergou, perhaps we should set aside his identity as a police officer and start by understanding his life and the people around him.