BPDSB Chapter 17: Just a slight pinch will leave a mark, The Princess and the Pea?

Xu Xiliu had stood up too quickly just now, his leg still numb, and instinctively grabbed the man’s trousers for support. It wasn’t until after he’d steadied himself that he realized what a foolish thing he’d done.

Although the suit trousers were sturdy and reinforced with a belt, they were now bearing half his body weight. Hopefully, they wouldn’t rip.

The consequences of that would be far worse than a stain on the thigh—if the trousers really tore from his tug, then this domineering and refined male lead would be heading back with his backside exposed.

Xu Xiliu touched the belt fastened around the man’s lean waist and found it secure, which eased his mind a little. Before he could check anything else, though, a force landed on his face, and he was yanked up by someone gripping his cheeks firmly. His gaze was pulled upward involuntarily, and only when he stood fully upright and met Qin Li’s darkened expression did he blink innocently.

What was that for?

Wasn’t it all out of concern for the expensive suit… concern that the proud male lead might end up half-naked?

Qin Li had watched the young man not only tug at his trousers but also shamelessly grope around his waist. The faint tickling sensation was like ants crawling over his skin—part of it creeping upward into his chest, leaving him unsettled, and another part brazenly traveling downward, pooling in a place better left unspoken.

In an instant, Qin Li’s expression darkened further. At last, unable to endure it any longer, he pinched the young man’s cheeks and forcibly redirected his gaze away from his waist.

Qin Li said in a low voice, “There’s nothing wrong with my pants. The belt is fine too. Can Dr. Xu rest easy now?”

Xu Xiliu blinked again, gently removed his face from the other’s grasp, cleared his throat, and swiftly returned to his usual mild-mannered smile. The peach blossom eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses curved slightly.

“Of course.”

“It was just a moment of urgency earlier… Mr. Qin, please don’t mind.”

Qin Li narrowed his dark eyes and gave a cold snort.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked out.

Seeing that the other man seemed to be letting it go, Xu Xiliu followed after him.

Anyway, he had already wiped off the troublesome stain. Since the man’s suit was black, it wouldn’t be noticeable unless one looked very closely.

The two emerged from the restroom, one after the other.

The moment they stepped out, several people hastily withdrew their gazes, sneaking glances in secret.

When their eyes landed on the young man in the light-colored suit walking slightly behind, they couldn’t help but notice the two distinct red marks on his fair face. Their hearts skipped a beat. At once, a tangle of emotions—shock, amusement, astonishment—flashed through their eyes, only to be swiftly masked through silent, knowing exchanges.

Whoa, look at those fierce finger marks!

Everyone said President Qin was half-mad—ruthless in his methods, and utterly reckless when he lost control. Looks like he doesn’t go easy on his bed partner either, tsk tsk. Poor young pretty-boy doctor, must take a lot of effort to please a man like that. One can only imagine what just went down in there…

Xu Xiliu, on the other hand, had no idea what filthy thoughts the people lurking in the shadows were entertaining. Ever since he came out, he’d felt a warm sensation on his face. He reached up to touch it, but didn’t feel anything unusual.

Just smooth, soft skin—his complexion was excellent.

But without a mirror on hand and growing curious, he couldn’t help asking the male lead in front of him:

“Mr. Qin, could you take a look? Is there something on my face? It feels a little hot.”

Could it be an allergic reaction?

But he hadn’t come into contact with anything that would cause that.

Qin Li turned his head casually at the sound, but when he got a clear look, his gaze faltered.

His private doctor was looking at him, wide-eyed and curious, completely unaware. But on both sides of that fair face were two faint red marks—finger-shaped, no less. Given their size and how recently they’d appeared, it was hard for Qin Li not to suspect they were the result of what he’d just done in the restroom…

He’d only given a light pinch—how did it leave a mark?

Qin Li was dumbfounded.

What kind of Princess and the Pea situation is this?

Meeting the young man’s curious gaze, Qin Li paused for a moment before looking away.

He heard himself say in an indifferent tone, “It’s nothing. You’re probably just feeling warm.”

“Really?”

Xu Xiliu sounded a bit doubtful and touched his face again, but still couldn’t feel anything unusual.

So he had no choice but to let it go, assuming the heat was from the stuffy air in the restroom earlier.

The two of them didn’t stay much longer at the banquet before Qin Li announced that he was leaving.

Naturally, Xu Xiliu had no objections—he had been just a decorative accessory beside the man from start to finish. Still, he privately speculated that Qin Li had come with a specific goal in mind, and now that it had been achieved, his interest had waned and he was ready to go. Based on what Xu Xiliu had observed over the past few days, if Qin Li didn’t have anything pressing to do, he would lazily hole up in his villa like a gloomy shut-in.

They had made a grand entrance, and now they made an equally grand exit—no one tried to stop them.

The return trip was slightly different; the swarm of crazed reporters was gone, much to Xu Xiliu’s relief—he had nearly gotten caught in the middle of that mess earlier.

He followed Qin Li into the car.

Qin Li was, of course, headed back to the mountain villa. Xu Xiliu thought it over and decided that, since the man was now in perfect health, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him, as a private doctor, to keep staying in someone else’s home. So he took the initiative to suggest being dropped off partway, since his small apartment was downtown and he could get home quickly.

Hearing this, Qin Li gave him a sidelong glance and nodded.

Xu Xiliu immediately smiled with his eyes and thanked him.

Noticing the suit the man was wearing, he hesitated for a moment, then felt he should take responsibility. He decided to have the suit dry-cleaned and return it properly, covering the cost himself. But when Qin Li heard this, the crease between his brows deepened. Inevitably, he recalled that ridiculous “going home bare-assed” remark, gave Xu Xiliu a chilly glance, and flatly refused. He then swiftly dropped Xu Xiliu off in the city center, the luxury car speeding away down the road.

Watching the car—which seemed to be fleeing rather hastily—disappear, Xu Xiliu curved his lips in amusement.

So, he didn’t need to take responsibility after all?

Saved some money—how nice.

He started walking toward home, checking the time as he went. It was early evening, and though he’d eaten half his fill at the banquet, he wasn’t hungry just yet. Still, it was worth thinking about. After all, he’d had mostly desserts, and now he was craving something spicy… After a brief deliberation, Xu Xiliu happily decided: hot pot for dinner later!

Passing by a supermarket, he turned in to buy ingredients.

When he came out, there was some kind of promotional event happening at the entrance—looked like they were marketing a new product.

Xu Xiliu glanced over from a distance, uninterested and not fond of crowds. Carrying a large bag of groceries, he turned to leave.

But just as he took a step, a voice beside him called out, “Hey, handsome, wait up!”

Xu Xiliu stopped in his tracks, helplessly.

He turned around.

He had encountered this kind of situation more than once or twice. It was probably because of his kind appearance and gentle, easygoing temperament. Whenever there was a promotional event like this on the street, he would always end up being stopped and earnestly persuaded.

Sigh.

Even though that was what he was thinking, Xu Xiliu still stopped when called and turned around. As expected, the person was one of the girls hosting the new product event outside the supermarket earlier. She had a rather cute face, and her eyes lit up when she saw him pause. She ran over and introduced herself confidently:

“Hello, handsome. We’re currently running a promotion. If you follow our public account and join the group, you can receive two exquisite gifts!”

“You don’t need to do anything else, just follow the account and join the group. It’s fine if you unfollow later,” the girl said hopefully.

Xu Xiliu was about to politely decline, but when he heard the words “exquisite gifts,” he changed his mind and asked gently, “What kind of gifts?”

The girl immediately replied, “A pack of tissue paper, and a dog frisbee from our brand!”

Xu Xiliu wasn’t particularly interested in the frisbee, but as for the tissue paper…

He nodded. “Alright.”

The girl instantly brightened, happily guiding Xu Xiliu through the process. Within a minute, everything was done. As promised, she handed him a pack of tissues, then generously opened the bag she carried and let him pick his preferred color of dog frisbee.

While doing so, she took the opportunity to say, “This new dog frisbee from our brand is made of soft, evenly textured material. It’s very flexible and has a hollow center, so it can be used in many ways. You can throw it, or let your dog wear it as a chewable collar, and it can even…”

Xu Xiliu smiled as he listened, not offering any comments.

He casually picked an orange one and was ready to leave, but the girl reminded him once more, “The group you just joined is a dog lovers’ group, full of dog owners who share tips and feedback about our brand’s products. You can take a look when you get home. It’s fine if you don’t have a dog now—you will one day. It’s always good to be prepared!”

Having gone to such lengths, she really had tried hard. Xu Xiliu nodded after listening.

He replied, “Alright.”

Then, carrying the newly acquired pack of tissues and dog frisbee, he headed home.

After getting home, Xu Xiliu opened the tissue pack and put it to use, while the frisbee had already been casually stuffed into his bag on the way back. Since he didn’t have a dog at the moment, the thing was nothing more than decoration. But truth be told, he did rather want one. In the past, he had been too busy with work to even take proper care of himself. Now that things were a bit more relaxed, the opportunity was there… Maybe once his role as the tool supporting the male lead ended and he cashed out with a huge sum, he really could lie flat and get a dog he liked to keep him company every day.

According to his preferences… a husky wouldn’t be bad.

With that thought, his tolerance for the so-called dog owners’ group increased a bit. On a whim, he tapped into the group chat for the first time and saw that it was, indeed, buzzing with activity.

There were all kinds of dog breeds, and naturally, all the participants were dog owners, with usernames proudly featuring their dogs’ breeds and names.

Names like “Invincible Thai-Ri-Tian Niu Niu,” “Purebred German Shepherd Elite Warrior Mu Mu,” and “Golden Retriever Caesar the Great”…

Each one more flamboyant than the last.

Each one more over-the-top.

Several people started @ing him to change his username. Oddly enough, Xu Xiliu was stirred by the competitiveness of the scene. He didn’t want his future dog to fall short even in name. After a moment’s thought, he suddenly remembered that batch of husky-faced alarm clocks he had bought wholesale, and on impulse, changed his name with a husky tag to: “My surname is Ha, I drink Aha, Hahahahahahahaha!”

If nothing else, he wouldn’t lose in flair. He didn’t even have a dog yet, so what did it matter what name he used?

After he changed it, the group fell into a brief silence—apparently stunned by the sheer ridiculousness of the name.

Then, “Thai-Ri-Tian,” “Elite Warrior,” and “Caesar the Great” all sent messages of congratulations, praising him for being truly badass. They admitted defeat.

Xu Xiliu smiled faintly, letting his dog bask in silent glory.