Chapter 11: Testing the Matchmaking Name

Qin Zhixia thought that this world sometimes feels like a gigantic makeshift troupe.

For example, right now she, the Jiang Hai City Criminal Investigation Brigade Captain, is fretting over the black‑white‑gray tactical suits that fill her wardrobe.

Finally, she dug out a cream‑colored dress from the bottom of a box that she hadn't worn in a long time.

The woman in the mirror had soft lines, long hair draped over her shoulders, and her sharp Crimson Phoenix Eyes, softened by a deliberately relaxed expression, lost some vigor but retained their cold allure.

She faced the mirror, repeatedly building her mental resolve.

This is not an interrogation.

This is a test cloaked as a "date"; don't be too forceful.

The bait she hopes to lure might be a shark hidden in the Abyss for far too long, wearing a flawless human skin.

"Is everything set up?" she asked, putting on her Bluetooth earpiece, her voice pressed down to a whisper.

The teammate on the other end replied, "Qin Team, rest assured, the restaurant is covered 360 degrees with no blind spots; the brothers are all on standby. But… you really want to go alone? He's the prime suspect; what if he gets upset…"

"He won't," Qin Zhixia said with conviction. "If he really is the murderer, he wouldn't easily flip the table unless something is wrong with his mind."

"Alright… Qin Team, stay safe. If anything happens, just cough, and we'll rush in!"

She hung up, then gave herself one last glance in the mirror; the unfamiliar beauty made her feel uneasy.

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The story needs to start from last night.

After Qin Zhixia received the matchmaking profile sent by her aunt, she was surprised to discover that the other party was the suspect Chu Che.

She, who had originally planned to refuse, agreed to her aunt's suggestion to meet the other party.

This was a very good opportunity.

She intended to use the matchmaking as a chance to personally approach and test Chu Che.

After all, it's only a suspicion with no solid evidence; as a police officer, she knows that Chu Che can lawfully refuse a deep interrogation.

Restricting his personal freedom for that reason would be even more against procedure.

But as a matchmaking partner, it's different.

Questions about how many properties he owns, how much bride price to give… in a setting where such personal‑asset matters can be asked upon first meeting, delving into personal information is perfectly normal.

The "Casablanca" Western restaurant exuded an elegant ambiance, with violin melodies drifting through the air.

Qin Zhixia entered the restaurant and at a glance spotted the man sitting by the window.

He wore a crisp white shirt, gold‑rimmed glasses, and his warm, handsome face was quietly watching the street scene outside the window.

Sensing her approach, Chu Che turned his head, and upon seeing her, a perfectly timed surprise flashed in his eyes before turning into a gentle smile.

"Officer Qin?"

"Dr. Chu."

The two said it in unison, then both laughed.

"What a coincidence," Chu Che stood up and, with utmost gentlemanliness, pulled out a chair for her. "I never expected the person Aunt Wang introduced would be Officer Qin."

He was genuinely surprised; there was no pretense about it.

A few days earlier, she had interrogated him as a criminal police officer.

A few days later, they were sitting here for a matchmaking.

But after the surprise, Chu Che's heart gave rise to a deeper, more playful interest.

"I was also surprised when I first learned it was you," Qin Zhixia said, tucking a stray lock behind her ear, striving to appear more like an ordinary woman on a date rather than a police officer.

In the time that followed.

Qin Zhixia found Chu Che to be impeccably perfect.

From his familiarity with the menu and his dish recommendations to his perfectly timed conversation during the meal, everything felt like a spring breeze.

He was witty and erudite, able to effortlessly draw from classical music to internet memes, and never let the conversation stall.

Yet the more this was so, the higher Qin Zhixia's vigilance rose.

A normal person who had endured extreme injustice—mother's death, father's rejection, shattered faith, and long‑term threats and ostracism—

could still be so calm and warm, love life, be praised by everyone around, and show no trace of a dark emotional side.

It was no longer a matter of psychological resilience.

It was fundamentally unreasonable.

"The recent serial sudden‑death case has the public on edge," Qin Zhixia swirled the lemon water in her glass, seemingly casually opening the first topic. "Dr. Chu, as a professional, do you still think it was caused by side effects of a new drug?"

Qin Zhixia informed Chu Che about Zhao Wei's situation.

That didn't really require secrecy; sooner or later the press would dig up the whole story.

Here it comes.

Chu Che nudged his gold‑rimmed glasses up his nose, the lenses reflecting the warm glow of the candlestick.

"Hmm…"

Using a napkin to wipe his mouth corner, he analyzed in an extremely professional tone: "Then I may have misjudged. The time gap between the two cases is too short, and the victims' social circles overlap; this indeed already…"

"I have read some foreign literature that mentions a concept called 'collective psychosomatic illness,' which refers to a group sequentially exhibiting similar physical symptoms under shared psychological pressure and suggestion. Of course, that's just a theory. From a criminal investigation perspective, one generally leans toward a human factor behind it."

He spoke fluently, his logic closed the loop, and finally he tossed the topic back.

"So, Officer Qin, have you locked in a suspect?"

The direct question caught Qin Zhixia off guard.

She felt the punch she had been building for a long time land solidly on a lump of cotton.

The other party not only caught it perfectly, but also, in the same motion, shoved the cotton back into her mouth.

"Still under investigation," Qin Zhixia said vaguely.

The first test failed.

She changed her strategy.

Qin Zhixia set down her knife and fork, leaned forward slightly, and stared directly into Chu Che's eyes.

"Dr. Chu, before meeting you I did some homework; I hope you don't mind. I have a bit of a professional habit of investigating a blind‑date partner thoroughly."

She paused, and a hint of apology entered her tone.

"I've learned... about your mother. I'm very sorry."

The air seemed to solidify for a moment.

The gentle smile on Chu Che's face faded a bit; he didn't avoid Qin Zhixia's gaze, but looked at her calmly.

"It's nothing, it's all over."

"I admire you," Qin Zhixia said earnestly, "to have gone through that and still persist as a doctor, saving lives. What keeps you going?"

This is her real dagger.

She wants to tear off his perfect mask and see what motives lie beneath.

Chu Che fell silent for a moment upon hearing that.

Just as Qin Zhixia thought he would brush it off with some grandiose excuse, he suddenly curled the corner of his mouth, a smile tinged with an indefinable self‑mockery.

"Simply studying medicine can't change any of this," he said each word clearly, "so I've changed my mind."

Boom.

Qin Zhixia's heart tightened slightly.

Is it coming?

She forced herself to suppress the turmoil inside, and a look of curiosity and puzzlement appeared on her face.

Chu Che lifted his glass, took a gentle sip, and his gaze behind the lenses was as deep as a bottomless cold pool.

At that moment, gray clouds drifted past the window, casting a shadow over his profile.

"Officer Qin, have you heard of the 'Shepherd' theory?"

He didn't wait for Qin Zhixia to answer, and continued speaking on his own.

"A flock is blind; they only know to lower their heads and graze, following the lead sheep. Without a shepherd or a sheepdog, they can easily get lost, be devoured by wolves, or die of overeating. Human nature is the same."

"Greed, selfishness, short‑sightedness... these are ingrained vices in our genes. Law and morality are merely fragile fences, keeping out gentlemen but not scoundrels. When desire grows large enough, someone will always break the fence to nibble another's grass."

His voice was low, yet carried a chillingly seductive power.

"Therefore, the world doesn't need more doctors to stitch the wounds torn open by desire."

"It needs a stronger 'Shepherd'."

"A shepherd who can set the rules, guide the flock with absolute measures, and mercilessly eliminate the bad sheep that aim to become wolves."

These words sent a chill up Qin Zhixia's spine.

Yet her face still held a perfectly measured curiosity.

"It sounds... like a grand ideal," she followed his words, "so how do you intend to become that 'Shepherd'?"

The gray clouds outside the window dispersed with the wind, the scene brightened for an instant, reflecting Chu Che's handsome cheek.

Chu Che smiled, reverting to the gentle‑as‑jade doctor.

"I'll start by changing what I can change."

"For example, strive to become an administrator of our hospital, and from within implement fairer systems. One step at a time."

"That's why I keep going."

Airtight.

Qin Zhixia was speechless.

She felt as if she were dancing with a millennial fox cloaked in sheep's skin.

After dinner, the two walked out of the restaurant side by side.

"I enjoyed our conversation today," Qin Zhixia said as they were parting, her face bearing a sincere smile, "I think we click well. Next Saturday I happen to have two tickets to a musical; I wonder if Dr. Chu is interested?"

She gained nothing from this "date."

She will continue to create opportunities.

"My pleasure," Chu Che smiled, gladly agreeing.

Watching Chu Che get into the car, he waved an elegant farewell and merged into traffic.

Qin Zhixia's smile vanished without a trace the instant she turned.

Her expression was cold as frost.

Meanwhile, inside the black sedan.

Chu Che drove, the curve of his mouth rising higher until it became a playful grin.

As expected.

Placing the second weird setup outside the hospital was a completely correct choice.

He himself had already been targeted by the police.

But so what?

He was certain they had no evidence and couldn't even restrict his personal freedom.

He didn't mind accompanying this beautiful, persistent Officer Qin for a game of cat‑and‑mouse.

Just...

Like in a cartoon.

Tom is the Jerry that can never be caught.

At the same time.

In the outskirts of Jiang Hai City, outside a sprawling, brightly lit hillside villa.

In an unremarkable black sedan, Xiao Zhang looked toward the villa, a cold, fully cooked grilled sausage clamped in his mouth.

"Good… is this the life of the rich? This isn't a home at all, it's practically a palace!"

Xiao Zhang watched the black‑clad bodyguards coming in and out of the villa, finally steeling themselves, led the people out of the car, and walked toward the villa.