Zhu Qiushui agonized over the decision for several more minutes.

Finally, under Liu Ergou's watchful gaze, she removed her clothes one by one.

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Qiushui was left with only her last two undergarments. She clutched them tightly, her face flushed with embarrassment.

However, Liu Ergou acted as if he hadn't seen a thing and said indifferently, "Didn't I tell you? Not a single piece of clothing can remain."

"I need to examine the meridians throughout your entire body, not just one area!"

Helpless, Zhu Qiushui bit her lip and shyly took off her bra. She crossed her arms over her chest and whispered, "Will this do?"

But Liu Ergou just shook his head.

"Qiushui, didn't I tell you? I need to see your whole body!"

"How am I supposed to work like this?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Qiushui quietly retorted, "Er Gou, I think this is fine!"

"Besides, such thin fabric hardly makes a difference, right?"

"Let's just leave it at this!"

Liu Ergou's face turned awkward at her words.

What am I supposed to say to that?

Truth be told, she's right. Such a small piece of cloth really doesn't hinder me. But then again, I'm not just examining her for medical reasons; I have other motives. If I don't get her to take everything off, won't my plan fall through?

He was about to invent an excuse, but then he had another thought.

I'm the doctor. Why do I need an excuse? Besides, I made everything clear beforehand.

With that, Liu Ergou no longer held back. He strode forward and, catching her off guard, swiftly removed her last garment.

Zhu Qiushui let out a yelp and reached out to stop him.

Anticipating this reaction, Liu Ergou gently flicked her wrist. In an instant, Zhu Qiushui felt her wrist go numb, losing all strength. And with that, Liu Ergou took her last piece of clothing.

Having done this, his gaze returned to her body. After sizing her up, he spoke, "Alright, Qiushui, the preparations are complete. Now I can treat you."

"Lie down on the sofa."

Hearing his words, Zhu Qiushui instinctively wanted to refuse, but looking at his expressionless face, she swallowed her protests and obediently lay down on the sofa.

Though she was lying down, her legs were pressed tightly together, and her arms were crossed firmly over her chest, trying her best to cover herself.

However, all her efforts were in vain. It wasn't because Liu Ergou stopped her, but because her figure was simply too magnificent. She couldn't possibly hide it all.

Liu Ergou kept his eyes on her as he gently took her arm, preparing to examine her meridians.

"Qiushui, be prepared," he said. "You might feel some discomfort during the examination, so please bear with it. I'll be as quick as I can."

As he spoke, he placed both his hands on her arm and began to slowly move them upward. His movements were extremely slow; anyone who didn't know better might think he was behaving inappropriately. In reality, he was checking the condition of her meridians.

Meridians were a mystical concept. If one were to look for their physical form, they would find nothing. Only a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine could locate meridians using unique techniques, something Western medicine could not do.

As Liu Ergou's examination continued, Zhu Qiushui, who was already blushing, turned an even deeper shade of red, making her look like a traffic light from a distance. Her body began to tremble nervously.

After what felt like a long time, Liu Ergou finally finished examining one of her arms. He let her go, stroked his chin, and said with all seriousness, "Hmm, it's about what I expected. However, the disease is progressing faster than I initially predicted. I thought it would take a year to manifest, but at this rate, it will be half a year at most."

"It's a good thing you came to see me now. If you'd waited another six months, you could pull my head off, and I still wouldn't be able to save you."

Part of what he said was true, and part of it was a lie. The last part was, of course, the lie.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Liu Ergou's medical skills had reached the pinnacle of perfection. Even if Zhu Qiushui's condition truly manifested, he could still cure her, though it would take much more time. That, however, would be far from ideal.

Lying on the sofa, Zhu Qiushui began to tremble even more violently upon hearing his words.

"What?" she cried out. "Half a year? How could it be so soon? You said I had a year! This is too sudden, Er Gou!"

Stroking his chin, Liu Ergou explained, "It's not sudden. It's just that nothing in life is absolute. A year was the most optimistic scenario. To be blunt, your condition could flare up this very second."

His statement rendered Zhu Qiushui speechless. He was right; there were no certainties in life.

After making his point, Liu Ergou earnestly continued to examine her body. A short while later, he had finished examining both of her arms.

"The condition in your arms is still manageable," he said. "There are signs of an impending episode, but it hasn't actually happened yet. I imagine the other areas won't be too severe either."

With that, he lifted his hands to her face and began to gently knead it. Under his hands, her small face was pinched into the shape of a bun one moment, then stretched out the next. Someone watching might have thought he was kneading dough.

This went on for a good three or four minutes without him stopping.

At this point, Zhu Qiushui grew anxious. Her mind couldn't help but race with wild thoughts.

Why is he kneading my face for so long? Is there something wrong with it? For him to spend so much time on it, it must be a major problem.

The more she thought, the more frightened she became, until she could no longer bear it. "Er Gou," she asked, her voice trembling, "why is this taking so long? Is there a problem with my face?"

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