BPDSB Chapter 2: “Good boy, you are a mature adult now.”

The young man stood tall and straight like jade, smiling gently and a bit shyly. His long, narrow peach blossom eyes curved slightly behind the gold-rimmed glasses. Coupled with the gentle movement of tidying the wrinkles on his clothes, no one could possibly associate him with the image of the person who just violently knocked a man out with a punch.

It was surreal.

Xu Xiliu’s eyes were sincerely earnest.

What else could he do?

The patient was clearly in a mentally disoriented state during an episode, attacking people indiscriminately. He had to ensure his own safety first, right? He came to treat an illness—if the disease wasn’t treated yet and the doctor died first, that wouldn’t do.

He blinked a few times.

The room was eerily quiet.

Uncle Zhong was dumbfounded. He looked at his master, who had been in a terrible state since falling ill that night and trapped in his own world, now unusually quiet. Then he looked at the calm, gentle, and polite Xu Xiliu, and his throat bobbed with difficulty.

This doctor… he’s a bit hardcore.

Xu Xiliu blinked: “Uncle Zhong… should we take a look at Mr. Qin now?”

“Oh right, right…”

Uncle Zhong was pulled back to reality. His dazed expression quickly faded, and he hurriedly helped the muddle-headed Qin Li up with great care. Qin Li was an adult man nearly 1.9 meters tall. Even though illness had worn him thin, his height remained, making it quite difficult for Uncle Zhong to support him all at once.

Xu Xiliu hurried forward, intending to lend a hand, but before he could get close, the stunned servants snapped out of it and beat him to it. They swarmed around Qin Li, helping him onto the bed in a flurry of hands.

Xu Xiliu stopped in his tracks and followed with his gaze.

Only then did he have the chance to take a proper look around the room.

The room was a mess, disorganized not just with people but also with furnishings.

Most of the ornaments on the table had ended up on the floor. Near the doorway were the shards of a recently broken glass from the earlier struggle and a wheelchair lying crooked and overturned. Nearby was a puddle of water and several pills. The white pills had fallen into the water, and their edges were already starting to dissolve, suggesting they had been there for a while.

It was easy to guess that this had happened because the protagonist gong refused to take his medicine during an episode.

In the midst of this mess, Xu Xiliu’s gaze passed through and fell on the man.

The man had probably been stunned by his punch earlier and now sat quietly, head slightly lowered, his expression still bearing signs of endurance, frowning in pain. Xu Xiliu had inherited the original host’s memories and had read the novel, so he knew that during his episodes the protagonist gong often suffered from splitting headaches, hallucinations, and auditory delusions. Self-harm was also common, and being covered in injuries was a regular occurrence. At the moment, he was being supported by several strong servants, and his thin frame was laid back on the bed. For some reason, he looked especially pitiful.

Xu Xiliu quietly sighed and walked over, unable to stop himself from glancing at the man a few more times.

There was no denying it. The man had an exceptionally striking face. A high nose and thin lips. Under the light, shadows played across the side of his face, making his features appear even more defined and deep.

It was just that his complexion was far too pale, and his lips were also colorless.

Set off by the dark silk pajamas he wore, he was the very picture of frailty and illness.

His figure was also tall, with long limbs, but he had grown overly thin from prolonged illness. It was difficult to imagine what kind of spirited and commanding presence he might have had without the weight of his sickness.

Xu Xiliu silently felt a sense of regret.

What a pity.

But it didn’t really matter. He was the protagonist gong, after all. Although he looked pitiful now, his mental state would eventually improve. And judging from that melodramatic setup, it would be the protagonist shou who would carefully care for and heal him. In the end, it wouldn’t have much to do with him, the private doctor who had worked hard for so long.

Still, melodramatic as it was, illness had to be taken seriously. Otherwise, his conscience would not be at ease.

He had only been distracted for a moment when trouble broke out again.

No one knew what triggered it, but the man who had just been hanging his head in a daze suddenly erupted in violence. His brows were furrowed, his face twisted in pain, and he kept letting out hoarse roars, even trying to break free from restraint.

Somehow his hand had been cut. Blood welled up over the old wound and dripped to the floor. His eyes were bloodshot and fierce, staring wide in a daze, unfocused. But the murderous aura he exuded, as if he was ready to drag everyone to hell with him, was chilling to the bone.

“Get out…”

“Get away from me!”

“Don’t touch me!”

The hoarse and violent shouts rang out, accompanied by the bleak sound of rain outside the window, sending goosebumps over one’s skin. A flash of lightning suddenly cut through the midnight sky, followed by a crash of thunder. The man’s body went rigid, and his struggling became more intense. It looked like he was about to explode.

The servants were clearly panicking.

“It’s happening again, hold him down!”

Xu Xiliu froze for a second, but then keenly noticed their movements. Maybe because they were too panicked and scared, the servants’ actions were extremely rough and chaotic. One of them even had an arm around the man’s neck, making his already pale face flush red. His handsome features twisted in pain.

This was supposed to be the brilliant heir of the Qin family, yet here he was, hiding away in a deserted mountain villa, tormented daily by mental illness. Even the servants around him treated him with cold indifference and violence. How tragic was that?

Suddenly, Xu Xiliu realized that perhaps that water glass thrown at him when he first entered was not meant as a threat, but a form of resistance.

He quickly furrowed his brows and gave an order.

“Let go of him.”

The servants looked troubled when they heard that.

“This… Doctor, how can we just let go?”

“That’s right, Dr. Xu. The master becomes terrifying when he has an episode. We’re just afraid he’ll hurt himself.”

“Exactly, he almost lost control just now…”

As they spoke, they even tightened their grip.

Seeing the man becoming more and more agitated, Xu Xiliu could no longer stand it and snapped, “Shut up.”

“I’m the doctor, are you the doctor?”

“If I say let go, then let go. What are you going on about? Do you call that restraining someone? You’re about to strangle him.”

Psychiatric patients cannot tolerate excessive stimulation. It was likely that some careless actions from the servants had accidentally triggered the man’s psychological trauma, making his condition worsen.

The housekeeper, Uncle Zhong, who had been helping tidy up the bed, suddenly snapped out of it. His face turned grim as he realized the meaning behind Xu Xiliu’s words.

“What are you doing? The master is just ill. How can you treat him like a criminal?”

“Do as Dr. Xu says.”

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help feeling remorseful.

He was upset at his own negligence, and also deeply distressed by the suffering Qin Li endured during his episodes.

But most of the time, he was truly powerless.

After the scolding, Xu Xiliu returned to his usual gentle and refined demeanor, continuing to give instructions.

“Stop touching him unnecessarily. Some of you leave the room. There are too many people here. When a patient feels unsafe, it can trigger stress responses, which will only worsen his condition.”

As his voice softened, the rough-handed servants reluctantly let go. The man on the bed clearly settled down quite a bit, though he was still breathing heavily, his eyes vacant, lost in his own world.

Now that only he and Uncle Zhong remained in the room, Xu Xiliu felt much more at ease.

While opening the medical kit he had brought, he finally had time to ask the housekeeper about the man’s condition.

“Uncle Zhong, had Mr. Qin taken any medication before I arrived?”

“…No, sir wouldn’t take it.”

Xu Xiliu nodded. That made sense. With how stubborn the protagonist gong was, it would be strange if he actually took the medicine.

The original host’s memories of treating the protagonist gong were full of moments like this and full of headaches because of it.

He took out a sedative, checked it thoroughly, and explained, “To stabilize Mr. Qin’s emotions quickly, I need to give him a muscle injection with a sedative. Once he calms down, I can check for any issues with his body and treat the wounds caused during the episode.”

Uncle Zhong nodded in agreement.

So Xu Xiliu sat at the edge of the bed, rolled up Qin Li’s pajama sleeve, and skillfully administered the injection into his arm.

The sedative would soothe the patient’s tense emotions and bring rapid calm. Given the current situation where the protagonist gong refused to take oral medication and was in a manic state, this was the most direct and effective approach. Moreover, once the injection took effect and his mental state relaxed, he would soon fall asleep, which would help with the subsequent examinations.

After the injection, the man on the bed quickly relaxed. The pained, restrained expression on his face eased, and his heavily heaving chest calmed somewhat, though his eyes still showed a slight trace of confusion.

Xu Xiliu didn’t pay much attention to that. Seeing that the protagonist gong’s condition had improved noticeably, he let out a small breath of relief.

He spoke with the housekeeper. “Has Mr. Qin’s condition been the same recently?”

“…Yes. The master is still very resistant to taking medicine. He usually stays alone and doesn’t allow anyone near. As for meals and such, sometimes when they’re sent in, they come out later completely untouched. The master won’t eat properly either…”

Xu Xiliu sighed. “This can’t go on. Sedatives are only for emergencies and can’t be used frequently. Mental illness must primarily be treated with medication. Those prescriptions, Mr. Qin absolutely needs to take them on schedule.”

“And for his gastritis, he has to eat regularly too…”

The more Xu Xiliu spoke, the more he felt like it was pointless. If the protagonist gong would actually behave and follow instructions, he wouldn’t be getting called over in the middle of the night all the time.

He shut his mouth, inwardly and sincerely hoping for the protagonist shou to appear soon, bringing that inexplicably warm and cheerful smile that could drive away all gloom and heal the protagonist gong.

But thinking about it carefully, it seemed like the protagonist shou wouldn’t appear for quite a while yet.

With that in mind, Xu Xiliu resigned himself to the task, took out forceps and an alcohol swab, disinfected the area, and began tending to the wounds on the man lying on the bed.

With the others gone, the room suddenly felt much more spacious.

Uncle Zhong saw that the man on the bed had calmed down significantly and felt quite relieved. Thinking he might be disturbing Xu Xiliu’s work, he quietly stepped out of the room. However, he didn’t dare to go far. He didn’t fully trust Xu Xiliu, this private doctor, and stayed by the door, ready to intervene if anything suspicious happened.

Xu Xiliu didn’t mind. He knew that in these powerful families, there were always countless petty concerns and deep suspicion.

Outside, the night rain seemed to have lessened. The once-heavy patter had become a soft rustle, no longer as irritating.

Amid that soft sound, the man on the bed stirred slightly between his brows.

Qin Li felt like his sluggish, murky thoughts had begun to clear. The darkness clouding his vision, the hysterical screaming of a woman going mad—all of it seemed to be fading. Even the thick metallic scent of blood that clung to his nose was retreating. Above him, he could see the warm light of the lamp and the ceiling.

Listening to the faint sound of rain outside, his head still ached, but the manic urge to destroy everything had lessened.

His body, now still, felt weak and powerless, like a pile of useless mud at the mercy of others. With his eyes half-closed, his thoughts began to replay everything that had just happened, slow and uncontrollable.

A man’s fake smile, eyes that seemed concerned but brimmed with malice, rain, screaming, torn fabric, bloodstained hands, the sensation of suffocating… it all came back like shattered puzzle pieces. Just the slightest attempt to piece them together made his nerves tremble and his head throb.

Qin Li loathed this state of his. It made him feel disgusted to the point of wanting to vomit. Yet he had no choice but to endure this pain over and over. During his episodes, he lost control like a beast without thought. When he was lucid, he was forced to relive his humiliating madness again and again. His body grew weaker by the day, dragging out a pitiful existence.

Heh.

What nonsense about peaceful rest.

Clearly, it was just making him stay lucid while watching himself rot and decay.

Qin Li’s gaze turned dark and vicious. His hand clenched involuntarily, fingernails digging into his palm. He wanted to use physical pain to numb himself, but in the next second, someone gently took hold of his hand and softly smoothed it out.

“Hmm? You’re awake?”

A warm and pleasant voice drifted over, paired with the soft rustling of rain outside. It was as gentle as a nocturne.

The strong smell of disinfectant replaced the bloody hallucinations at the tip of his nose, giving Qin Li an intense illusion that he had returned from hell to the world of the living. Somehow, the normally unpleasant scent of disinfectant didn’t seem so offensive anymore. In fact, it even brought a sense of calm.

Who was in his room?

Qin Li hadn’t fully regained his senses. In a daze, he looked over and vaguely saw a figure leaning toward him. The man had a tall, supple build, wearing a long camel-colored trench coat over a cream knit sweater. The corners of his lips naturally curled upward. He looked so gentle it didn’t seem real. In his haze, Qin Li momentarily mistook him for the person rooted deep in his memory.

He squinted, and without thinking, softly called out, “Mom…”

The room fell into instant silence.

Xu Xiliu, who had just come over to check if the protagonist gong had woken up: “???”

Did this man just call him what??

His naturally warm smile froze, instantly turning into a forced grin. As if by reflex, he swiftly reached out and covered the delirious protagonist gong’s mouth, smiling as he said,

“Good boy, go back to sleep. You are a mature adult now. Don’t go around calling for your mom whenever something happens.”

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T/N: Dr. Xu isn’t this son cute? Lol