BPDSB Chapter 43: Their President Qin is super in love!

Xu Xiliu, without knowing or realizing it, spoke a few words that landed squarely on Qin Li’s sore spot, causing Qin Li’s expression to shift unpredictably for a moment. He wanted to refute it, but felt he had no solid ground and could not get a word out. He wanted to curse at him, but after glancing at the young man’s innocent gaze, he could only swallow it back. Of course, admitting it was impossible. As for “willing to strike and willing to take the beating,” that absolutely did not exist.

He had only been letting things go all this time because he wanted to completely seize the other party’s leverage.

If he succeeded, he would definitely make the other party pay the price they deserved.

Qin Li’s gaze turned vicious.

After doing a round of self analysis, Qin Li felt much more at ease, but his expression was still rather gloomy. His handsome yet sinister face, contrasted with a table full of delicacies and Xu Xiliu eating happily, looked especially dispirited. At a glance, it was obvious that he was in a bad mood, to the point that even his eating was slow and sluggish.

Xu Xiliu had his eye on a dish a little farther from him, clear wine almond chestnut pumpkin. It was plated so delicately that it was obviously a dessert. He was just thinking about how to extend his chopsticks and hit it in one go when suddenly a hand reached over and directly placed the plate of almond pumpkin in front of him.

Xu Xiliu froze for a moment and met the face of the man beside him.

“You eat it. I don’t like sweets,” Qin Li explained calmly.

Xu Xiliu blinked. “Okay.”

He continued eating happily.

He glanced at Qin Li midway and found that the other party was sullen, eyes lowered, the pressure around him so low it felt like rain could fall. After thinking about it, he guessed it was probably still that hypothetical relationship the other party had suddenly brought up earlier.

Although he did not know when such a figure had appeared by the other party’s side, offering a few words of consolation would not cost him anything. So he said, “When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten itself^[1]. Matters based on catching wind and shadows, who can really say for sure. If Mr. Qin truly suspects that person, then go do it. Only after seeing the evidence can you put your mind at ease.”

Qin Li was momentarily startled upon hearing this.

Then he asked, sounding slightly urgent, “……You also think I should drag him out, and not just let things drift like this?”

Did this little fox hear something? Did he realize that Qin Li was talking about him?

But if he had realized it, should he not be afraid, then dodge the issue and change the subject, making Qin Li stop pursuing it? Being this calm, was it because he was truly confident that no evidence could be found, or because he had other contingencies prepared?

In an instant, many thoughts flashed through Qin Li’s mind, yet his gaze never left the young man.

Xu Xiliu did not answer immediately. He glanced at the tabletop, then reciprocated the gesture by using the communal chopsticks to pick some of the black pepper garlic beef the other party had eaten earlier and place it on Qin Li’s plate. As he did so, he spoke gently and softly, “Of course you should act according to your own thoughts. After all, the protagonist of the story is not me.”

“As for now, it is mealtime. When eating, do not think about this and that. Be careful not to get indigestion.”

Qin Li saw the food that had been placed onto his plate and wanted to say something, but under the young man’s gentle yet sharp gaze, he still ate it first.

Xu Xiliu smiled as he looked at the other party. Seeing the man obediently eating the food, he curled his lips slightly. He put down the communal chopsticks and went back to eating his own food, thinking to himself that although the person the other party was talking about was not him, he still felt an inexplicable sense of being implicitly targeted. Fortunately, he had now also confirmed that the villain’s threat toward him was not that great. After going back, he would sort out the recording and openly talk things through with the other party. Dragging it out was not a solution.

With that thought, Xu Xiliu’s mood brightened again.

When he glanced over and saw the man’s expression, he could not help but laugh. Half jokingly, he said, “Stop thinking about it. With that long face of yours, you’ll make me think you’re unhappy that I’m freeloading this meal.”

“How could that be.” Qin Li snorted coldly the moment he heard this. “It’s just a meal. Even if you freeload for a lifetime, I wouldn’t be unhappy.”

He spoke quickly. Only after saying it did he suddenly realize what he had said, and his mind could not help but tense.

Subconsciously, he glanced at the young man beside him. Seeing that the other party was happily eating and did not seem to have any resistant reaction to that strange “lifetime,” and even looked quite happy, Qin Li could not help but let out a sigh of relief. What followed was an inexplicable, subtle joy rising from the bottom of his heart.

Qin Li felt awkward and conflicted.

He thought that if his private doctor freeloaded food and drink for a lifetime, it actually did not seem like much.

It was nothing more than a bit of money. Either way, he could afford to keep him.

With that thought, he became happy again, and the feeling of dark clouds hanging over him dispersed by more than half. Xu Xiliu noticed this and could not help but secretly shake his head. Sure enough, a man’s heart was like a needle at the bottom of the sea. Just a moment ago he had been gloomy like an inkfish that had attained enlightenment, and now he was bright like a sunflower. Tsk tsk tsk.

The two of them slowly finished the meal. Xu Xiliu returned to the mountain villa, while Qin Li went back to the company again. Having been absent for the entire morning, he needed to use the afternoon to deal with the backlog of matters.

After returning to the villa, Xu Xiliu felt lighter than he ever had before.

He first took a stroll around the villa and chatted with the butler for a while to help digestion. Only then did he return to his room to organize the recordings of his calls with the villain. After finishing that, he went out for another walk. Now he was just waiting for the man to come back in the evening so he could have a proper talk with him. One decisive strike. He could not live even one more day like this, constantly hiding and dodging.

The Qin Li who had been muttered about by Xu Xiliu for an entire afternoon sneezed in his office.

He rubbed his nose, and a trace of gloom flashed across his handsome face. He thought to himself whether someone was cursing him behind his back. Then, in his mind, a vague face inexplicably turned into that of his private doctor, wearing gold rimmed glasses, smiling with narrowed eyes like a fox.

Qin Li read documents while absentmindedly losing focus, suspecting that it might be this little fox cursing him behind his back.

As he thought about it, his mind could not help drifting to that exchange they had during lunch.

He had tested the other party, concealing the key information and the key person, but the general situation had not changed. If the little fox truly thought it through carefully, he should have known exactly who Qin Li was talking about. Qin Li had originally thought that with such implicit hints, the other party would panic, reveal a flaw, and then take the initiative to confess to him. Who would have thought that not only was the other party unmoved, he had instead sincerely offered advice, as if the person in Qin Li’s words was not him at all.

The act was so convincing that Qin Li was starting to suspect whether he had wronged the other party.

But the scene of changing medication that he had seen on the surveillance footage earlier was not something that had appeared out of thin air.

The more Qin Li thought about it, the more he felt that at noon he must have been bewitched by the sight of the other party frequently and obediently picking food for him. That was why he had overlooked the most important matter, only coming back to his senses now that he was alone and the surroundings were quiet.

……He had actually been muddleheadedly fooled again.

He felt annoyed.

Qin Li pinched the bridge of his nose. After thinking it over, he felt that his repeated misjudgments on this matter must stem from a fatal problem. So he decided to seek help from his secretary.

He summoned Zhuang An. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Secretary Zhuang, I have something I’d like to ask you about.”

“Go ahead, President Qin,” Zhuang An replied professionally, sitting upright.

Qin Li gave a light cough. “I have a friend……”

The corner of Zhuang An’s mouth twitched.

Everyone knew that this so called friend was usually oneself.

But as a mere wage earner, he did not dare expose his boss’s little trick. He simply hummed in acknowledgment, signaling that he was listening attentively.

“My friend has a very considerate family doctor who is very good at caring for and looking after people, and he also feels that this doctor treats him very well. But one day, he discovered that this doctor approached him with ulterior motives, and was not sincerely caring about him at all. He has tested him again and again, but that doctor is very good at putting on an act, and several times in a row he has not been able to find anything.” Qin Li paused, clearly not yet finished. His gaze fell on his secretary as he concluded, “Secretary Zhuang, what do you think I…… what should my friend do now?”

Zhuang An listened as his expression went from a full polite smile to completely blank.

Even though the boss deliberately changed “private doctor” into “family doctor,” he could still tell exactly who this doctor was referring to. Asking like this, did Doctor Xu know about it?

And not only that, he even emphasized it. Zhuang An was too lazy to count how many times words like “care,” “considerate,” and “thoughtful” appeared in just a short sentence.

You’re clearly head over heels, alright.

Zhuang An sighed helplessly, listening as the man in front of him, afraid he might not understand, added more details about the daily interactions between that “friend” and the “family doctor” for him to judge. But Zhuang An could not help thinking to himself that the relationship between his boss and Doctor Xu had already developed to the point of playing some kind of interest play. And judging from his boss’s description, this play was no ordinary one. It even seemed to carry keywords like spy. Would interrogation play come next?

Zhuang An silently marveled at how elaborate it was. But when he met his boss’s gloomy gaze, his heart tightened. Carefully choosing his words, he said, “President Qin, I think your friend is being too cautious about this matter.”

Qin Li’s heart stirred, but his face remained steady.

He leaned forward slightly and spoke casually, “Oh? How so?”

Seeing that his boss was interested, Zhuang An sighed inwardly about men, while outwardly putting on the appearance of a good subordinate worrying for his boss, offering advice. “I think that since the doctor is putting on an act and there is no leverage to be found at all, then perhaps President Qin you…… your friend can also go along with it and put on an act.”

“Be more specific,” Qin Li changed his posture, but his gaze did not shift.

“……Family doctors usually treat illnesses, right. In that case, President Qin you…… your friend could pretend to be sick once. Pretend to be the kind that is dizzy and muddle headed, not clear minded, making the doctor think that you are weak at this moment. That way, if there really are any ulterior intentions, would they not be exposed naturally? Then at that time, President Qin you…… your friend can catch him red handed. Even if the doctor wants to argue, there would be no way. After that, would it not just follow naturally?”

Zhuang An stopped at just that, giving a hint.

Pretend, everyone pretend.

You pretend and I pretend too. Exciting play, does that not come as long as you have hands?

Doctor visit play and the follow up interrogation play were all set. He truly was a genius. This year’s year end bonus first place was definitely his!

Qin Li’s eyes lit up when he heard this. The more he thought about it, the better this idea seemed. He cast a profound, inscrutable glance at his secretary. “Very good. Later, I’ll tell my…… that friend.”

Qin Li thought to himself that tonight, he could pretend to have an episode. Judging by how concerned the little fox usually was about his condition, he would definitely rush over without thinking. Then Qin Li could take the opportunity to observe what exactly this little fox did when he was having an episode. If he could not catch any flaws normally, there was no reason the other party would remain unmoved when he was not clear headed.

Tonight was the perfect opportunity!

Qin Li smiled smugly and gave his secretary a slight nod.

Zhuang An also smiled faintly, waved his sleeve, and left without taking a single cloud with him.

But once he turned and walked out of the CEO’s office, he almost wanted to raise his arms and announce to the entire Qin Corporation that their President Qin was super in love!

Qin Li focused wholeheartedly on handling documents all afternoon at the company. By evening, when he thought of his plan, he felt an itch of anticipation that was hard to endure.

He hurried back to the mountain villa.

He returned half an hour earlier than usual, informed no one, and quietly went to the study on his own. When passing by Xu Xiliu’s room, Qin Li paused for a moment, hooked his lips, and his eyes revealed a hint of confidence that he was certain to succeed. He quietly closed the study door and called the butler to give some instructions.

“Uncle Zhong, I’m in the study right now. In a bit, tell Little Fo…… tell Doctor Xu that I’ve had another episode and ask him to come to my study.”

The butler was startled. “Sir, you’re unwell again?…… No, wait, when did you get home?”

He had not noticed at all.

“……That’s not important,” Qin Li lowered his voice. Even though the study was separated from the nearby bedroom by quite a distance, he was still worried about what if Xu Xiliu happened to pass by and overheard. “I have something very important that I need to confirm. In any case, Uncle Zhong, just notify Doctor Xu as I said. After notifying him, you don’t need to come over either. I’m perfectly fine. There’s no episode. Uncle Zhong doesn’t need to worry.”

The butler listened in a muddle, but he still managed to extract the key points: tell Doctor Xu that the sir had an episode, then leave and not interfere.

He agreed.

Not long after, the butler knocked on Xu Xiliu’s door.

Xu Xiliu asked in surprise, “What is it, Uncle Zhong?”

“Did Mr. Qin come back?” That was his first reaction.

The butler smiled kindly, still gentle and good tempered as ever. However, recalling his sir’s instructions, he hurriedly withdrew that smiling expression and put on a look of urgency. “Doctor Xu, this is bad news. Sir has had another episode!”

“Another episode?” Xu Xiliu was stunned. He had originally planned to have an open talk with the man tonight. It seemed there was no hope of that now.

In the blink of an eye, he reined in those little thoughts. He went back and skillfully packed up his things, picked up the medical kit, then thought about it and, fearing he might suffocate later, took out a candy bottle, poured out one piece, and held it in his mouth to calm himself in advance. He chewed it up in a few bites and went out. “Where is Mr. Qin right now?”

The butler led Xu Xiliu along, speaking as they walked. “Sir is in the study. After coming back in the evening……”

He felt that the more he said, the more mistakes he might make. Afraid of ruining Qin Li’s plans, he glossed over it in just a few vague sentences. “After coming back this evening, he was alone, and no one knows what happened, and then he ended up like this!”

Xu Xiliu did not notice the butler’s slip up at all. His mind was entirely on the fact that the man had been taking his medication regularly during this period and had not been having episodes much anymore. How could it suddenly become so severe again?

When they reached the door of the study, the butler stopped. His face was still full of worry. “Doctor Xu, go in. Sir is inside. I’ll go prepare some things and come right back.”

Xu Xiliu did not hesitate and agreed. “Alright, I’ll go in first.”

The butler nodded. Watching the study door close in front of him, the worried look on his face instantly turned into a cheerful smile.

Although he did not know what his sir was planning, if the sir had instructed it this way, there must be his reasons.

Doing it was the right choice.

He quietly left, went downstairs, and instructed everyone not to approach.

At the same time, inside the study.

The moment Qin Li returned to the study, he began preparing to create the atmosphere of an episode.

He recalled what his episodes had been like a long time ago. After thinking it through carefully, he took off his suit jacket. He did not hang it up, but casually tossed it aside. Then he pulled off his tie, also throwing it aside at random, making everything look messy and inattentive. After that, he went into the bathroom, faced the mirror, and tugged open his shirt collar, deliberately popping a few buttons. He dabbed some water onto his clothes and his face, rubbed his eyes, making his clothes damp and his hair damp as well, so that he looked especially dispirited at a glance.

When he went back out and looked around, he felt the room was still too tidy. So he smashed two glass cups, creating the chaotic scene of confusion and disarray during an episode.

Finally, Qin Li sat amidst this mess, adjusted his facial expression, and toward the study door revealed a sinister, unfocused smile.

With preparations this thorough, was it not indistinguishable from the real thing?

Once the little fox came over, he would definitely believe it immediately!

Qin Li waited a bit. Hearing the familiar voice speaking outside the study door, he hurriedly gathered his focus and put on the act.

What Xu Xiliu saw the moment he entered was a mess all over the floor. He could not help but close his eyes for a second, feeling his blood pressure spike for an instant. However, the sweet taste of rose lychee candy still lingered in his mouth, improving his mood quite a bit.

Made into this state again. Looks like the illness is really severe this time.

Fortunately, these things were not for him to clean up. Otherwise, he would go crazy even more thoroughly than the other party.

Xu Xiliu let out a sigh, smiled, carried the medical kit over, found a spot to place his foot, temporarily set his things down somewhere, then tentatively called out to the man, “Mr. Qin?”

Qin Li’s mind jolted. He is here!

He did not know what he usually looked like during an episode in the past, but he knew that the more he said, the more mistakes he would make. So he simply maintained that gloomy, unfocused demeanor and gave the young man a sinister cold smile.

Xu Xiliu heard it and immediately felt it was right.

The other party did not recognize him. Looks like there was a cognitive issue, but there was no aggressive behavior. No need for a sedative later. Taking medication to stabilize it should be enough.

Xu Xiliu pondered and muttered to himself.

Qin Li, sharp eared, heard it.

Aggressive behavior? Was that what his episodes used to be like?

Then if he was sitting here quietly right now, was that not a bit abnormal?

Qin Li, with unfocused eyes, secretly sized up the young man standing nearby. Sure enough, he saw the other party folding his arms, brows furrowed, wearing an expression of suspicion and contemplation. Qin Li’s heart jolted.

He had not even begun testing yet. He could not afford to fail right at the start.

So without thinking, Qin Li swayed as he stood up. While pondering what exactly constituted aggressive behavior, he lurched toward the young man.

Xu Xiliu was still deep in thought when, in the blink of an eye, he saw the man stand up, and he was instantly delighted.

Had he gotten better?

“Mr. Qin……” He had just started to greet him, intending to ask, when he saw that the man’s gaze was off. It was not clear. It was still in a dazed state, unfocused, yet those pitch black eyes faintly threaded with bloodshot veins were fixed straight on him. The man himself swayed as he came toward him, breathing heavily.

Xu Xiliu immediately recalled the scene from the night he transmigrated into the book, when he had been chased and attacked by this man.

“……Damn it.”

Attacking just like that. He really was too unlucky.

At this moment, there was still no one else in the room, just him alone. This was not good.

Xu Xiliu raised his voice and called out for Uncle Zhong a few times, but there was no response. He grew a bit anxious. Yet he could not open the door and run out either. If the man chased after him and followed him out, making a scene throughout the entire villa, that would be even more deadly.

Just imagining that scene made Xu Xiliu unable to resist closing his eyes.

……Better not. He would endure it. He could do it.

Qin Li, on the other hand, was inwardly tangled up over where exactly the degree of this “aggressive behavior” should lie.

In the past, he basically had no memory of his episodes and did not understand his own condition back then. He only knew that after regaining consciousness, the surroundings would usually be quite messy. Now that he was putting on an act, on one hand he had to follow his own understanding of madness and ferocity, chasing the young man all around the room while worrying about exposing himself. On the other hand, he also had to be careful that this “attack” could not go too far and actually hurt the young man, so he kept restraining his strength. At the same time, he still had to pretend to be weak and dispirited.

As a result, his whole state was extremely twisted, and extremely exhausting.

He controlled the distance, maintaining a state where he looked as though he was about to pounce on the other party but never actually did. Along with that were the fierce sounds he made from exerting himself, and a trace of regret flashed across his handsome face.

……If he had known earlier that an episode would be like this, he should have chosen a different method.

Damn it. He had suffered a huge loss!

Qin Li thought this as he continued to put on the act.

Xu Xiliu glanced back, the corner of his mouth twitching.

After the man got up from the floor, he started swaying as he chased after him. Wherever Xu Xiliu went, the other party went too, and it even looked somewhat off.

It was not like the initial impression he had, that kind of uncontrollable state that made fear rise from the bottom of his heart. Instead, there was an extremely awkward flavor mixed into it.

If you said it was dangerous, it did not feel very strong.

If you said it was not dangerous, it was still quite intimidating.

Wobbling crookedly, limbs flailing, combined with the sinister, unfocused expression on that handsome face and the low hoarse growls from time to time. If there were a bit of blood on the side of his face…… A word popped into Xu Xiliu’s mind.

Zombie.

He watched with his own eyes as the man accidentally tripped over a tie thrown on the floor, went splat as he fell to the ground, then stubbornly climbed back up. His handsome face became even more dark and terrifying. Amid the madness, there was actually a trace of bizarre awkwardness.

Xu Xiliu hurriedly twisted his head back around. Behind the gold rimmed lenses, his peach blossom eyes suddenly widened.

Xu Xiliu covered his mouth.

……No, no, no, absolutely not.

He could not think like that. He could not laugh. It was too abstract, far too inappropriate.

He was a good doctor with professional ethics. This was not very respectful toward a patient. He could not think it, could not think it……

Xu Xiliu desperately hypnotized himself. After a moment, he still failed to hold it in and a laugh popped out. “……Puchi.”

That sound was not quiet in the room. Qin Li behind him, sharp eared again, heard it, suspicion hidden in his eyes.

This little fox is secretly laughing?

Laughing at what?

Could it be that he is laughing at my episode, thinking he has a chance to do something?

Qin Li was instantly invigorated, feeling that this damn ray of hope was right in front of him!

However, Xu Xiliu was no longer willing to maintain the status quo. He only wanted this bizarre scene of you chasing me and me running to end as soon as possible.

He glanced at his bag and suddenly thought of something. He lunged forward in one swift move.

That thing!

Xu Xiliu rummaged hard inside the bag. When he saw an orange, round object peeking out from inside, his eyes immediately lit up.

He quickly pulled it out.

It was a frisbee.

Sure enough, he still had to take this out.

After discovering last time that the man reacted to this frisbee, he had kept it, just to plan ahead. If the other party’s episode became severe, he could take it out to coax him into behaving a bit better, so he could wait for him to calm down before giving him a sedative injection and carrying out follow up treatment.

Now it proved that his choice back then had indeed been correct.

Xu Xiliu noticed that the man’s originally unfocused gaze fixed on the frisbee in his hand for a moment, and he could not help but steady his mind.

Sure enough, there was a reaction.

With this, things would be easy. As long as he used this to play with him a bit more and the other party settled down, everything would naturally be resolved.

So Xu Xiliu glanced around, then smoothly dragged over a chair and sat down.

Qin Li gauged the distance between himself and the young man. This distance was already very short. He did not know whether he should continue maintaining this so called “attack” and pounce over.

The next second, he saw that the young man, who had been facing his crazed and terrifying “episode,” suddenly stopped for no apparent reason. Just as Qin Li was puzzled, he saw the other party take out a strange round, frisbee like object, then sit down on his office chair as if no one else existed, smiling at him with confidence.

“Ts ts——”

“……?”

The feigned daze on Qin Li’s face instantly became a bit more genuine.

What was that?

---

T/N:

Xu Xiliu: After all, the protagonist of the story is not me.

Qin Li: Do you take me for a fool?

Lol these two brain are on completely different wavelengths and I’m living for it.