Chapter 57: Sprain
By the time Liu Ergou arrived where Fu Ya was, he found her desperately clinging to a dead tree with one hand, the rest of her body dangling over the edge of a cliff. Liu Ergou took a few hurried steps closer. He recognized this place—it was a deep valley. He was always extra cautious whenever he came here to gather herbs, terrified of falling in.
Of all the things he had planned for, he had never imagined Fu Ya would have an accident here. Without a second thought, Liu Ergou rushed forward and grabbed her small hand. Fu Ya was like a drowning person spotting a savior; her other hand shot out and seized his collar. But her desperate move threw Liu Ergou off balance. His body lurched forward, and just like that, they both tumbled into the valley.
As they plunged downward, Liu Ergou's quick reflexes kicked in. He pulled Fu Ya into his arms, twisting his body to act as a human cushion. They slammed onto the ground with a sickening thud. The combination of her weight and the force of the fall was a heavy blow. Fortunately, the valley wasn't exceptionally deep. Liu Ergou didn't suffer any broken bones, though his whole body was bruised and sore. For him, this was nothing new.
Fu Ya, however, was not in good shape. Even though Liu Ergou had protected her during the fall, she had still managed to twist her ankle. Now, she sat to the side, clutching her foot with a pained expression. The moment she saw Liu Ergou stirring, she started asking anxiously, "Er Gou, how are you? Are you okay? Your arms, your legs, your ribs… are they alright? You didn't break anything protecting me, did you?"
Before Liu Ergou could even answer, she continued, a look of guilt on her face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have grabbed you like that. I was just so scared… I…"
Fu Ya lowered her head, too embarrassed to continue. Liu Ergou had been about to scold her, but seeing her distraught state, he just sighed. Instead, he reached out to help her up. At his touch, however, Fu Ya whispered, "Er Gou, I think I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much, I don't think I can stand!"
Hearing this, Liu Ergou said nothing more. He just carefully helped her sit back down so he could examine the injury. He gently slipped off her leather boot, revealing a small, fair foot that he cradled in his hands. Even though Fu Ya was tall, her feet were not large at all; in his hands, they looked particularly petite and delicate. But right now, the side of that delicate foot was already red and swollen. It was undoubtedly a sprain.
Seeing the swelling, Liu Ergou took a deep breath. "Sister Fu Ya," he said softly, "I'm going to massage it. Try to bear the pain and don't cry out."
"Okay!" Fu Ya nodded obediently, her eyes fixed on him with anticipation.
Liu Ergou, however, didn't notice her gaze. He gently held her foot and began to massage it using a special technique. As he worked, a soft hum escaped Fu Ya's lips. After only a few minutes, she could clearly feel the excruciating pain in her ankle begin to subside, the burning sensation fading away. She was astounded. She had never expected his massage to be so effective, with such immediate results.
But as he continued, a strange sensation started to radiate from her ankle. The peculiar feeling spread up her thigh, suffusing her entire body and causing an uncontrollable shiver to wrack her frame. The shiver was followed by a wave of intense pleasure. The feeling was so overwhelming that Fu Ya couldn't help but cry out.
"Ah! Er Gou... Little Brother Er Gou, you're so good at this… It feels wonderful!"
Hearing her words, Liu Ergou gave no reaction, remaining completely focused on massaging her foot. But as time went on, Fu Ya felt her whole body grow warm. A completely different sensation began to build within her, growing stronger with each passing moment. It slowly spread through her limbs, eventually concentrating in her lower body and making her intensely sensitive.
"Ah… Ah… Little Brother Er Gou, what's happening to me?" Fu Ya asked, her voice trembling. "I feel… strange!"
Liu Ergou still didn't respond. Instead, he switched to a different technique and continued his work. With this new approach, the already sensitive Fu Ya could hold back no longer. A loud, high-pitched cry tore from her lips.
"AH!"
As she screamed, she felt as if her floodgates had burst open. If she hadn't been wearing thick leather pants, there would surely be a mark on her clothes.
Just as Fu Ya's cry echoed through the valley, Liu Ergou finished his treatment. "Sister Fu Ya, what was all that screaming about?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.
At his question, Fu Ya immediately grew flustered and started to stammer. Liu Ergou didn't seem to notice her reaction, however. He simply said, "Sister Fu Ya, let me help you up. Move around a little and see if it still hurts."
With that, Liu Ergou carefully helped Fu Ya to her feet. Fu Ya had no desire to stand up just then; she felt sticky and incredibly uncomfortable. But seeing the expectant look in Liu Ergou's eyes, she finally clenched her teeth and allowed him to pull her up.
The moment she was on her feet, Fu Ya was astonished. Her ankle, which had been so painful she couldn't even put weight on it, felt miraculously better. While not perfectly healed, it was at least eighty or ninety percent recovered—more than enough to walk on normally.
She already knew his medical skills were extraordinary—after all, he had saved her from the brink of death. But she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes until now. Seeing it firsthand, Fu Ya was deeply shocked by how impressive his abilities were. A simple massage had almost completely healed her sprained ankle. This was a miraculous medical skill that likely surpassed even that of the doctors in the provincial capital's hospitals.