BPDSB Chapter 41: “Hmph, just passing by, you’re thinking too much.”

The next morning, when Xu Xiliu woke up, he discovered a figure standing by the bed.

The figure was tall and straight, dressed neatly. The suit he wore carried a strong sense of pressure. With his back to the bed, he was tidying his clothes. From this upward-looking angle, one could clearly see the other party’s heaven-defying long legs.

Xu Xiliu was startled and immediately sat up. After blanking out on the bed for a few seconds, he finally reacted. Last night, he had agreed to sleep beside the protagonist gong to help treat his insomnia. Right now, he was on the other party’s bed.

At this moment, Qin Li also heard the movement and turned around, his gaze settling on Xu Xiliu as he said calmly, “You’re awake.”

“…Mm.” Xu Xiliu responded, got out of bed, glanced at the time, and couldn’t help yawning. “It’s only six o’clock.”

“Haven’t woken up yet? If you’re not fully awake, you can go back to sleep for a while.” Qin Li’s gaze paused briefly on the watery mist welling in the young man’s eyes before withdrawing.

Perhaps because early morning was an especially quiet time, people’s moods during this period were also quite peaceful. The same was true for both Xu Xiliu and Qin Li. One asked, one answered. Back and forth, perfectly in sync, carrying a harmony that felt like an old married couple who had lived together for decades.

Hearing the man’s words, Xu Xiliu shook his head. “Since I’m already awake, I won’t sleep again.”

Besides, even if he were to take a nap, he should go back to his own room next door to sleep.

Sleeping on the protagonist gong’s bed, what kind of situation was that?

It always felt a bit strange.

Even sleeping together at night was fine, since it was a proper “treatment.” Sleeping together again during the day was really strange.

Xu Xiliu took a couple of steps, and his mind cleared quite a bit. He looked at Qin Li, who was neatly dressed in a suit, and knew the other party was heading to the company again, which was why he had gotten up so early, even an hour earlier than Xu Xiliu usually did. During that hour, Xu Xiliu would still be asleep. He had heard from the butler that the protagonist gong would spend that hour drinking a cup of coffee, reading the newspaper, and looking over economic trends and such to wake himself up. Then, around the time Xu Xiliu got up, he would eat breakfast. By the time Xu Xiliu finished washing up and came downstairs, the other party would be just about done with breakfast and ready to head out to the company.

Thinking about this, Xu Xiliu could not help sighing, thinking that the protagonist gong, a CEO no less, actually got up earlier than regular working people.

He was about to return to his own room. After taking two steps, he suddenly thought of something and asked, “Oh right, Mr. Qin, how did you sleep last night? Was there any effect?”

Not far away, Qin Li paused in his motion of picking a tie.

Seeing his reaction, Xu Xiliu felt a burst of joy in his heart. “So it didn’t work? I knew it. That was probably just a coincidence. I’m not a sleeping pill. How could it be that just by being next to you, you suddenly managed to fall asleep…”

“No,” Qin Li turned back around. “It was very effective.”

Xu Xiliu’s words came to an abrupt stop. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “…So you slept really well last night?”

“Of course.” Qin Li kept a straight face, his tone stiff and blunt.

He really did fall asleep last night, although it was a very suffocating kind of sleep.

Last night, after he moved closer to the young man, for some reason he suddenly got slapped across the face. It was especially forceful, especially crisp, and showed absolutely no mercy. The slap was decisive. After it landed, heaven and earth went silent, as if even the birds outside had stopped chirping. The key point was that after hitting him, the other party did not wake up at all. He simply turned over, put his back to him, and continued sleeping, sleeping so soundly it was almost enviable.

And he could not wake the other party up either. After all, getting slapped like that was somewhat disgraceful. If he really did wake him up to demand an explanation, and the other party asked why he had gotten close in the first place, that would be a fatal question. He could not exactly say that he had pinched the other party’s face and even thrown out harsh words before getting hit. Wouldn’t that just mean he deserved the slap…

So Qin Li lay flat on his back in a daze, occasionally touching the side of his face that had been hit, falling silent.

Listening to the steady, unhurried breathing of the young man beside him, he somehow ended up falling asleep as well.

That was the entirety of Qin Li’s memories regarding the matter.

Thinking of this, he could not help touching his face again under the young man’s suspicious gaze, gloomily wondering whether there might still be a slap mark left. Realizing his own action, his face darkened for a moment. He stiffly put his hand down again, pretending nothing had happened. He gave a light cough, stubbornly sticking to his stance while forcing a justification: “I think it’s very effective. I fell asleep very quickly. I hope Doctor Xu can continue like this in the future.”

No matter what, he had already taken the slap. He definitely could not just let it go lightly.

He had to maintain this situation and then catch the young man in a slip-up.

Xu Xiliu’s first reaction upon hearing this was that he must have slept very properly last night, without tossing and turning. Those martial arts movie clips had failed to take effect, and he had not managed to create enough intimidation to make the man back off.

But as he listened further, the more confused he became, especially when he saw the strange, slightly twisted expression mixed into the other party’s sincerity as he spoke.

It made him start to doubt whether it was really effective.

Why did he feel like the other party was lying to him?

But if he was lying, what was the reason? Too much money with nothing better to do?

Xu Xiliu could not figure it out and felt that the protagonist gong was a strange person.

He decided that tonight, he would watch a few more martial arts movies to repay him.

Thinking this far, Xu Xiliu could not be bothered to say anything more. He turned around and went back to the room next door to wash up.

He had proper business to take care of today.

He was going out.

With that thought in mind, Xu Xiliu returned to his room, washed up, and changed clothes. In no time at all, he went downstairs to get ready for breakfast. At this hour, it was usually only Qin Li eating alone in the dining room. Seeing Xu Xiliu come down neatly dressed today, Qin Li was briefly surprised. He had thought that even if the young man did not go back to sleep after returning to his room, he would still laze around in there for a while. He had not expected him to change clothes and come straight down.

Qin Li’s gaze lingered for a moment on the light-colored coat of the young doctor before he pretended not to care and asked, “Doctor Xu is going out today?”

After coming to the villa for so many days, this little fox had always been in a lazy, sluggish state. Today, he was actually taking the initiative to go out. It was truly unexpected.

But immediately afterward, Qin Li thought of a certain possibility and could not help becoming alert.

Going out so early, was he going to see someone?

See who?

His dark eyes narrowed slightly.

Xu Xiliu did not notice Qin Li’s abnormality at all and answered casually, “Yeah. I haven’t been to the studio in a long time. I’m planning to go take a look today.”

Yesterday, the villain called him again. Xu Xiliu took the opportunity to probe him, and sure enough, managed to draw out some information. The reason he had not dared to directly confess his identity and pledge allegiance to the protagonist gong all this time was because he did not possess the original host’s early memories of interacting with the villain. He was worried that the villain might still be holding something important over him as leverage.

He thought it through carefully. With his current identity, he was an orphan, with no parents, so there was no possibility of threatening him through family. The original host also had very few social connections and hardly any friends, so the villain could not be using close friends as leverage either. Setting aside relatives and friends, if there was still anything that could be used as a threat, it would only be money and career. Coincidentally, before being hired by the protagonist gong, the original host had a studio. When he cautiously probed about it yesterday, he indeed received relevant answers.

During this period of staying holed up at the mountain villa, he had spent most of his time sorting through the original host’s interpersonal relationships and career. If nothing unexpected happened, the villain had most likely threatened the original host using his future prospects.

He needed to personally go to the studio to confirm things. Once that was done, he could pack things up and prepare to come clean to the protagonist gong. At that point, he would more or less be able to rid himself of the villain’s threat.

Thinking of this, Xu Xiliu glanced sideways at Qin Li, who was seated beside him in a sharp suit, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

These damn days could finally come to an end.

Qin Li’s attention had been on Xu Xiliu the entire time, so he naturally noticed the other party secretly glance at him, then smile. And it was a very good-looking smile at that.

He could not help but become alert.

Why was he smiling so sweetly at him?

Trying to bewitch him? Or had he thought of something happy?

…No, that was not right. Acting like this all of a sudden meant there had to be some kind of scheme.

This little fox was probably plotting something again in his heart.

Qin Li’s mind tightened. After weighing things and making sure his emotions would not show, he spoke calmly, “How are you planning to get there? You didn’t drive your car over. Let the household driver take you.”

“It’ll be faster and more convenient that way.”

When Xu Xiliu heard this, he felt it made sense and agreed readily.

Breakfast was Western-style: bacon-and-egg sandwiches and hash browns. Xu Xiliu had a sweet tooth, so he also had pancakes with nut yogurt. Qin Li did not like sweet flavors. He did not even put sugar in his coffee, and he frowned slightly while watching Xu Xiliu eat desserts. Chef Zheng’s cooking was excellent whether Western or Chinese. Xu Xiliu ate to his heart’s content, fully focused on his meal, and did not notice the little thoughts stirring in the man beside him. After breakfast, he prepared to head out directly.

However, just before leaving, he was suddenly stopped by Qin Li.

“Take a bodyguard with you,” Qin Li said. “I’ve arranged for Zhang Li to go with you.”

“A bodyguard?” Xu Xiliu was startled. He hesitated. “Is that really necessary? I’m just going to the studio and will be back soon. I’m not some public figure. Why would I need a bodyguard for protection…”

“You still need one,” Qin Li interrupted him. His dark eyes fixed on Xu Xiliu as he spoke righteously. “You’re my private doctor. Some people who want to deal with me will choose to start with those around me who are easier to target. There’s no guarantee you won’t be implicated because of me. Have you forgotten that group of reporters last time? So having you take a bodyguard is a precaution. Protecting you is also protecting me.”

Xu Xiliu felt a little guilty after hearing this.

Especially when he heard the line about “starting with those around him,” he secretly thought that, to a certain extent, the protagonist gong really was perceptive to an astonishing degree.

However, before he took the initiative to come clean, it was better not to expose anything. Otherwise, he would lose his advantage. Thinking this through, Xu Xiliu quickly agreed as well, leaving no openings. He kept a gentle expression on his face the entire time and thanked him with a smiling face. “I see. That makes sense. Then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Qin.”

Qin Li nodded reservedly, then called out for Zhang Li.

Zhang Li, dressed in sportswear and still as large and well-built as ever, poked his head out in response. He grinned brightly and greeted Xu Xiliu. “Good morning, Doctor Xu.”

He was immediately glared at by Qin Li, after which he returned to a serious expression.

Xu Xiliu glanced at Zhang Li and realized that he was the bodyguard who had been left behind to clean up the mess on the day they encountered the villain in the mountain forest. He was a familiar face. Even earlier than that, when they had been surrounded by reporters at a banquet, it had also been these people who helped block them. He had not expected that this time, the man would assign him to Xu Xiliu.

Xu Xiliu smiled. He suddenly remembered that he had even complimented the other party on his good physique before. With muscles like that, it truly lived up to his praise. So Xu Xiliu returned the greeting with a kind smile as well.

When Qin Li saw the almost dazzling smile on the young man’s face, his chest tightened slightly, and he felt somewhat uncomfortable. Even looking at his own bodyguard, everything about him suddenly became irritating.

He let out a cold snort and instructed Zhang Li, “Follow him and ensure his safety.”

Zhang Li responded, “Yes.”

In truth, Qin Li having Zhang Li follow Xu Xiliu was not solely for protection. He always felt that the young man’s sudden decision to go to the studio was highly suspicious. On the surface, that was the explanation, but privately, he might be going to meet someone. For example, that so-called good uncle of his. That was why he had Zhang Li accompany him as well. There was also the purpose of keeping an eye on him, to see exactly what the young man was going out to do and report back afterward.

Zhang Li naturally understood the situation. But while maintaining a serious face, he also felt that this was yet another lovers’ routine. Their Boss Qin was already so attentive to Doctor Xu. They lived together, he gave roses, and now he was even playing this surveillance game. Just thinking about it made goosebumps rise. This overwhelming, sickeningly sweet couple vibe.

Zhang Li and Qin Li exchanged a glance, each harboring their own thoughts.

“Hehe, Doctor Xu, let’s go.” Zhang Li did not want to keep looking at his boss staring at the doctor like he was eyeing a piece of meat, such a loss of dignity, so he urged Xu Xiliu forward.

Xu Xiliu also felt the timing was about right and nodded. “Alright.”

Thus, Zhang Li cheerfully followed Xu Xiliu into the car.

He had a fairly forthright personality and talked a lot. After getting into the car, he pulled Xu Xiliu into conversation. Xu Xiliu did not mind either. He felt that Zhang Li was quite entertaining to talk to, and since it was boring in the car anyway, he chatted with him the whole way.

Of course, he did not mention a single important matter.

He was being cautious too and knew where to draw the line.

After Xu Xiliu left, Qin Li stood at the doorway for a while. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

He felt that Xu Xiliu was too sly and too good at putting on an act. Even when he personally watched him, there was not a single flaw to be found. In front of Zhang Li, wouldn’t he be like a fox that had become a spirit? Even if Zhang Li stayed glued to him every step of the way, he probably would not get any useful information.

Xu Xiliu going out today was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Letting it slip by like this made him unwilling to accept it. After thinking it over again and again, he ultimately decided to take action personally.

With Zhang Li staying by his side without leaving him, and himself following behind, it counted as a double layer of preparation.

The more Qin Li thought about it, the more he felt this was a good idea. He did not notify Zhang Li of this temporary decision, afraid that if the other party slipped up even a little in front of Xu Xiliu, something might be exposed. After all, in his eyes, his private doctor was far smarter than a bodyguard.

Right after that, he made a phone call to Zhuang An and briefly explained that he would not be going to the company today. At the end, he hesitated for a moment, then, possessed by some inexplicable impulse, added, “I’ll probably be following Doctor Xu today…”

Zhuang An originally did not have much of a reaction to where his boss was going. Even if Qin Li did not come in, he could still arrange everything properly. But upon hearing that last sentence, he still took ten thousand points of emotional damage, thinking who cares where you’re going. By the time he hung up the phone, his face was completely expressionless.

Qin Li, still not quite satisfied, talked a bit more about his plans for the day. After finishing all that, he went to the garage, drove out a car himself, and quickly caught up to the one Xu Xiliu was riding in, following it from neither too close nor too far behind.

He followed all the way to the entrance of the studio. Only after seeing the young man’s figure enter through the studio doors from afar did he get out of the car.

The studio was located right next to a shopping mall. The location was actually quite decent. The mall next door was bustling with people, with a very large flow of foot traffic. Even in the plaza, there were plenty of people around.

Qin Li cast a glance over before fixing his gaze tightly on the studio again.

He had previously looked over the other party’s information. This studio was no different from the one written in the file. In this regard, Xu Xiliu had not lied to him. He really had come out to go to the studio.

But what about after entering the studio?

Would he meet someone?

Standing at the street corner, he pondered whether he should follow him inside. If he went in, he did not know what the situation inside was like, and there was the risk of exposing himself. But if he did not go in, then standing here without seeing the other party served no real purpose either. Unless he had the patience to wait the whole time, to see whether the young man came out alone, or together with someone else.

If the young man came out together with someone else, then barring the unexpected, that person would very likely be his accomplice.

Qin Li pressed his lips together as he thought this, yet his feet did not move even half a step.

Not far away, on the shopping mall plaza, a group of people were holding an event. They were all dressed in soft, cute mascot costumes, interacting with children while promoting their products. From time to time, noisy sounds drifted over.

Without realizing it, the activity range of this group of mascots expanded a little, with a tendency to spread toward the surrounding area.

Qin Li had not paid any attention to that side at all. He simply stood in front of his car, his gaze fixed on the studio’s entrance, or his eyes lowered, whatever he was thinking about known only to himself.

Until the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of a patch of yellow approaching him.

Qin Li glanced over. He had no interest in that oddly shaped mascot. After one look, he withdrew his gaze, irritation rising in his heart as he muttered inwardly about how Xu Xiliu had been inside for so long and still had not come out. Could this little fox really be secretly plotting something behind his back?

Then, all of a sudden, a person wearing a sunflower mascot costume stood right in front of him.

His entire body was a brilliant yellow. The headpiece was a warm, golden-yellow sun, shaped like a flower. This kind of design was probably very appealing to children, but Qin Li could only find it stupid.

“Sir, would you be interested in learning about our product?” As he spoke, the mascot handed over a small flyer.

The voice coming from beneath the mascot costume was muffled, but it was still clear that it belonged to a young man, and one full of energy at that. Even after walking around for so long promoting things in such a bulky outfit, he was still brimming with vitality, perfectly matching his dazzling, sun-like appearance.

This was the kind of voice that easily won people’s favor. But Qin Li frowned, his handsome face dark and gloomy. He felt that this stupid, silly big flower was truly in the way, blocking his view of the door. What if the little fox came out right at this moment and he failed to see him?

So his voice turned icy. “No need. Please step aside.”

Who would have thought that the other party did not move aside, but instead stepped forward again.

Qin Li paused, his gaze fixing on him. His eyes darkened further, his whole body exuding a frightening gloom.

“Sir, are you encountering some kind of trouble? You can talk to me about it. Maybe I can help you!” the mascot said, maintaining the gesture of holding something out.

Xia Zhi was a university student. With it being the weekend, he found some part-time work to do. Wearing a mascot costume and handing out flyers suited him very well. He had a good personality and was lively and cheerful. His classmates all called him Little Sun, so he never begrudged helping people or doing good deeds. From a distance, he noticed a man standing here. The man was very handsome, dressed in a sharp suit that looked completely out of place next to the shopping mall, yet his aura was very low and heavy. He stood alone in the corner for a long time, with no one else around. It looked as if he had run into some kind of trouble, to the point that his mood was clearly poor.

He glanced over once, and in that instant, his Little Sun attribute was triggered. He headed straight this way.

Thinking this, Xia Zhi took off the mascot headpiece and smoothed down his slightly messy hair, revealing a delicate and handsome face. His eyes were round, and he had small tiger teeth. When he smiled, he looked bright and cute, very good at making people let down their guard. Normally, whenever people around him had some difficulty, as long as he smiled, the other party would easily be infected by his smile, speak about their troubles, and then have them resolved. No one had ever rejected him because of this.

So Xia Zhi smiled again and pressed on. “I saw you standing here alone for so long. You must be unhappy about something, right? You can treat me as an outlet for your emotions and tell me what’s bothering you. If it’s something I can help with, I’ll do my best to help you!”

As he spoke, he smiled again.

Qin Li was disdainful upon hearing this. His expression did not improve in the slightest.

Help him? How?

Could this person make that little fox tell him the truth?

Qin Li only felt that the person in front of him was utterly tactless, and a bit absurd as well. Did they even know each other? Yet he ran over and started talking to himself like this, smiling foolishly as he spoke. His smile was not even half as good-looking as his private doctor’s.

And that buzzing chatter was unbearably annoying, completely meddlesome.

He refused coldly. “No need. Leaving is already helping me.”

Xia Zhi froze when he heard this.

He did not understand why his Little Sun halo had failed. His classmates praised him so much…

He still wanted to say something, but the man in front of him had already taken a long stride away, changed locations, and shot him a cold glance, full of disgust, clearly signaling him not to come any closer.

Xia Zhi felt a chill run through his entire body under that sinister glance, and then he felt a bit wronged.

He had only wanted to help…

At the same time, inside the studio, Xu Xiliu had already run into his collaborator, Zhou Xu.

Zhou Xu was also a doctor. Strictly speaking, this studio did not belong to the original host alone, but was jointly opened by the original host and Zhou Xu, with the original host holding the majority share. Later on, after the original host was hired by the protagonist gong, he gradually reduced his involvement with the studio, and it was then taken over by Zhou Xu.

After Xu Xiliu came over, chatted with Zhou Xu, and caught up a bit, he brought up the matter he cared about. “During this period, has anyone named Qin Zhangyuan come by? Or someone from his side?”

Zhou Xu thought for a moment. “Seems like there was. But it should have been someone from his side. After they came, they asked all sorts of questions, asked me about some operational matters. I felt it was a bit strange, so I didn’t say much.”

Unlike the gentle, polite demeanor Xu Xiliu deliberately put on, this partner of his was genuinely straightforward and simple-minded. Seeing his reaction, Zhou Xu patted Xu Xiliu on the arm and hurriedly asked, “Is there something wrong with him? I didn’t do anything wrong by handling it that way, right?”

Xu Xiliu smiled and shook his head. “It’s fine. I figured he was probably just asking around. This matter has nothing to do with you. It should be on my end. But it’s not a big deal and can be resolved soon. Just focus on running the studio properly.”

At this point, he was basically certain.

The villain had indeed threatened the original host using the studio. It was probably something along the lines of refusing to cooperate would lead to the studio being shut down, while agreeing would mean the studio would be protected, along with an additional sum of money.

Since it did not threaten personal safety, Xu Xiliu had nothing to worry about. As for the studio, once he pledged allegiance to the protagonist gong, it could naturally be placed under the protagonist gong’s umbrella. At that point, the villain would have no way to interfere. It was an issue that would be very easy to resolve.

Thinking this through, Xu Xiliu completely relaxed. The smile on his face also became more genuine and softer.

Zhou Xu suddenly elbowed him, curiosity written all over his face. “Hey, you still haven’t told me. What’s it like being a private doctor for a wealthy family? Is it comfortable?”

The smile on Xu Xiliu’s face immediately faded a little. He sighed softly. “…The pay is good, but there’s really a lot going on.”

He briefly summarized what he had experienced during this period. After Zhou Xu finished listening, he felt completely numb.

“You… hey, that really sounds hard on you.”

“Though it’s a bit improper to say this, thank goodness the one they chose back then wasn’t me. Even if the money’s good, with my personality, I’d probably get rolled up in my bedding and thrown out on the second day.”

Zhou Xu said gloomily.

The two chatted for a while longer. With the heavy stone in his heart finally set down, Xu Xiliu felt there was no need to stay any longer. Using the excuse that he still needed to return to the mountain villa, he got up to leave. Zhou Xu also stood up, saying he would walk him out.

The two chatted and laughed as they reached the door. Zhou Xu slung an arm over Xu Xiliu’s shoulder and joked that next time, when they had time, they should come out to eat and hang out together. Xu Xiliu agreed as well. Anyway, once things wrapped up on the protagonist gong’s side, he would be quite free. Making more friends would not be a problem at all. Besides, Zhou Xu’s frank, easygoing personality was also pretty comfortable to get along with.

As they were talking, a sudden force yanked Xu Xiliu away. Before he could even steady himself, he saw a familiar figure appear in front of him. He froze.

Zhou Xu froze as well, instinctively sizing up the tall man before him, whose aura was gloomy and whose features were handsome. His gaze swept over the other party’s impeccably tailored suit. He thought to himself, what big shot is this, so high-end. His mouth, however, moved faster than his brain. “Who’s this?”

Xu Xiliu was just as surprised. “Qin Li?”

What was he doing here?

Qin Li pressed his lips together, displeased. He glanced at the dumbfounded Zhou Xu, then at the young man beside him who was full of surprise, let out a cold snort, and ground his teeth. “Doctor Xu, who is he?”

He had waited outside for so long. In the middle, he had even been harassed by a stupid sunflower. And in the end, what he saw was his private doctor coming out laughing and chatting, arms slung over shoulders, with another man?

The moment he saw it, Qin Li instantly forgot about any so-called accomplice. His gaze locked onto the arm that man had draped over the young man’s shoulder, his eyes turning dark and grim.

Without thinking too much, he took a long stride forward.

Only now did he have the leisure to think.

So this was the person the little fox had deliberately run out to meet? His accomplice?

Qin Li felt even more displeased.

Xu Xiliu was stunned again by Qin Li’s question. He blinked. Although he was completely confused, he still put on a gentle smile and gave a brief introduction first. “Mr. Qin, this is my studio’s partner, Doctor Zhou Xu. Doctor Zhou, this is my employer.”

Zhou Xu understood immediately upon hearing that, a look of gossip lighting up his eyes.

Oh. That hard-to-serve wealthy big shot.

Why did he come here?

He greeted him, then his gaze flicked back and forth between Xu Xiliu and Qin Li. Whatever he was thinking was written plainly on his face, brimming with gossip. Taking advantage of the man not paying attention, he even waggled his eyebrows at Xu Xiliu.

The corner of Xu Xiliu’s mouth twitched. He could not bear to look.

This person really seemed like a naïve sweet fool. If he actually went to work for some wealthy family, he would probably get eaten until not even scraps were left.

That thought flashed through his mind, but what he cared about more was why this man was here. He could not help asking, “Mr. Qin, weren’t you supposed to be going to work? Why are you here?”

Showing up all of a sudden had really startled him.

“Could it be you came to find me?” Xu Xiliu made a bold guess.

Qin Li had not yet worked his way out of the questions of whether a partner equaled an accomplice, or whether the other party had already come clean to him, when he was suddenly hit with this soul-searching question. His body stiffened on the spot.

Meeting the young man’s curious gaze in front of him, and Zhou Xu’s gossip-filled stare on the other side, Qin Li instantly felt awkward. He pressed his lips together, looked off into the distance, restrained yet stubbornly saving face. “Hmph. I just passed by. You’re thinking too much.”

Xu Xiliu looked skeptical. “Is that so?”

But this place was not even in the same direction as the company, was it?

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Thanks for the Ko-fi, selenegin! Bonus chapter just for you ❤️