BPDSB Chapter 48: Relying on someone else’s power to throw your weight around really does feel pretty great when there’s someone backing you up.

Xu Xiliu cast a distant glance at the wine bottle and glass placed on the bar counter and said irritably, “How much did you drink?”

Qin Li touched the shoulder that had been slapped earlier, still slightly numb, which was enough to show the anger hidden beneath that slap. Hearing the question, he finally came out of his silent misunderstanding. His throat tightened, and for some reason he felt the nervousness of being checked up on.

Under the young man’s scrutinizing gaze, he answered cautiously, “Not much. Just one bottle.”

“One bottle and you call that not much?” Xu Xiliu could not help rolling his eyes when he heard that. But it was late at night, and everyone was probably asleep. It was not good to blow up, and he did not want to anger himself into miserable insomnia later. So he took a deep breath, forced the anger back down, and instead said calmly with a smile, “……Forget it. Just this once. Don’t do it again. Do you feel uncomfortable now? Are you drunk? Dizzy?”

He was considering whether to make him some honey water or something to sober him up.

Qin Li had already prepared himself to be scolded. Who would have thought that after a cold snort, the young man would only show concern for his physical condition. Qin Li was surprised, and at the same time deeply moved.

His personal doctor really was considerate and gentle.

Looking at the young man, whose temperament seemed even softer in moon white pajamas, Qin Li felt a surge in his heart. That vague thought surfaced again. Even though he had misunderstood the young man’s intention earlier, Qin Li still did not feel that he had been wrong. On the contrary, his conviction grew stronger. After all, with a personality like Xu Xiliu’s, gentle on the surface but actually sly and not particularly good tempered, how could he possibly not care about him if he did not explode after discovering that he had been secretly drinking?

Qin Li narrowed his dark eyes, feeling sweet inside. His expression softened without him realizing it, and his voice became gentle as he took the initiative to say, “My head isn’t dizzy, and my body doesn’t feel uncomfortable. Don’t be angry. I won’t do this next time.”

Xu Xiliu snorted when he heard that. “That’s more like it.”

Qin Li hesitated, then softly called again, “Doctor Xu.”

Compared to his usual gloomy severity, this call could be described as winding with tenderness, low and hoarse. But after hearing it, Xu Xiliu frowned with a strange expression. Under Qin Li’s expectant gaze, he asked suspiciously, “What’s wrong with you? Why are you squeezing your voice like that? Does drinking alcohol change your voice?”

Qin Li stiffened. “……”

Why was this little fox so completely unromantic?

Facing his personal doctor’s puzzled, odd expression, and his urge to make him open his mouth to check whether his throat was inflamed, Qin Li felt helpless. He pressed down the other party’s restless hand and said, “It’s nothing.”

Xu Xiliu was still not reassured. “If you’re sick, say it. Don’t act like you were born without a mouth.”

“……Mm.”

“If there’s nothing wrong, then go back and sleep.” Xu Xiliu looked at the man who had been radiant, energetic, and brimming with vigor just moments ago, only to become listless and gloomy again in the blink of an eye. He had no idea what nonsense the other party was up to this time. Seeing him standing there without moving, he tugged on his arm. “Go to bed early. You still have work tomorrow.”

Most importantly, do not disturb his sleep.

Xu Xiliu thought.

The moment Qin Li heard that, he perked right back up.

That’s right. He was already lying in the same bed as the young man. Holding him was far more comfortable than sneaking off to drink alone. Who knew what he had been thinking earlier, actually running outside instead.

With that thought, Qin Li quickened his steps, moving even faster and more eagerly than Xu Xiliu.

Xu Xiliu followed behind him, raising an eyebrow.

The two of them returned to the bedroom.

Once again lying down on the bed, tucked into the blankets, Xu Xiliu’s drowsiness came back. He glanced at the time. Eleven thirty. Good. If he fell asleep now, he could still sink back into deep sleep. Wasn’t this far more comfortable than before, when he used to be dragged out of bed in the middle of the night to treat this man?

Without comparison, there was no sense of loss. Thinking about it that way, Xu Xiliu felt that Qin Li sneaking out to drink in the middle of the night was not that big a deal after all. Qin Li seemed to have a decent alcohol tolerance, was not drunk, and did not cause any drunken trouble. His mood eased, and he lay flat peacefully, closing his eyes to sleep.

Not long after, with no worries on his mind, his breathing grew steady.

On the other side, Qin Li keenly noticed that the young man had fallen asleep again. He thought that this little fox had a defensive mechanism while sleeping. He could not touch him. If he did, he would get hit. Then fine, he would not move. He would just wait for the other party to turn over and roll into his arms. That should work, right? After all, when sleeping, it was impossible for someone not to move at all the entire night.

Thinking of that possibility, Qin Li could not help hooking the corner of his lips.

He waited quietly.

However, more than half an hour passed and the young man did not move. Qin Li was very patient.

More than an hour passed and the young man still did not move. Qin Li began to frown slightly.

More than two hours passed. Not only had the other party not moved at all, even his breathing rhythm had not changed, quiet and still. Looking at the corpse like sleeping posture, Qin Li felt particularly puzzled.

Was something not quite right?

He observed for another twenty minutes and discovered that the other party’s sleeping posture was exceptionally calm and well behaved, without any of the chaotic kicking, flailing, or random turning one might expect. Without external interference, he could probably maintain the same position until he opened his eyes. Qin Li felt helpless. He wanted to reach out and pull the person over, but his hand froze halfway when he remembered the other party’s defensive mechanism. In the end, after thinking it through, if the other party was not coming over, then he could go over himself.

If he was discovered, he would just say that he had unconsciously turned over in the middle of the night.

Qin Li smiled confidently.

Then he quietly inched closer and, satisfied, nestled against the young man’s shoulder and closed his eyes.

Early the next morning, there was no scene of Xu Xiliu waking up in shock to find Qin Li holding him and demanding an explanation, because Qin Li woke up earlier than Xu Xiliu.

Qin Li woke up in the morning and found himself pressed close to the young man’s side, still a bit dazed. What followed was an unprecedented sense of refreshment. This night’s sleep was better than any he had ever had before. He leaned into Xu Xiliu’s neck and took a sniff of the pleasant fruity floral scent on his body, then reluctantly got out of bed, put on his suit, tied his tie, styled his hair, and returned to his usual image of a gloomy, unpredictable big shot.

After a while, Xu Xiliu also woke up lazily, just in time for Qin Li to come back in after finishing a phone call.

Waking up in the man’s bed for the second time, Xu Xiliu had already adapted much better, no longer as uncomfortable as the first time. He watched the man walk back and forth in the room, while he himself sat silently on the bed for a bit to fully wake up. Only then did he get out of bed under Qin Li’s line of sight.

He had just slipped on his slippers when he heard the man beside him give a light cough.

Having just woken up, Xu Xiliu’s mind was a bit sluggish and his reactions half a beat slow. He simply emptied his head and lazily headed toward the bathroom. It was only when a few more coughing sounds came from beside him, one after another, growing louder the closer he got to the bathroom, as if deliberately trying to draw his attention, that he unconsciously tilted his head to look over.

Then Xu Xiliu met Qin Li’s gaze, which seemed somewhat awkward and hesitant.

“There’s a Qin Corporation new product launch this morning. You’ll come with me,” Qin Li cleared his throat and finished the sentence with restraint. He handed a bag to Xu Xiliu. “The clothes inside are prepared for you. You can change into them later.”

In the span of a very short time, Xu Xiliu was shocked three times.

First was seeing that faintly shy, slightly awkward expression on the man’s face. To be honest, the Qin Li in his impression was always gloomy, cold, bad tempered, prone to sarcasm, and carried an inexplicable domineering aura. So when he suddenly saw an expression that looked suspiciously bashful appear on that handsome face, Xu Xiliu actually thought for a moment that he was still asleep and dreaming.

Next was the so called launch event. What did that have to do with him?

Then there was the bag tossed into his hands. He rummaged through it and saw a brand new suit, and it was even in a light color palette.

Xu Xiliu widened his eyes. Now he was fully awake. He could not help asking, “A Qin Corporation product launch. What am I going for as a doctor? It’s not even my field. And this outfit.” He lifted the bag in his hand, his face full of disbelief. “It’s different from last time. Where did this come from? Is it my size? Don’t tell me you went out early this morning to buy it?”

Qin Li’s gaze fell on the clothes in the bag, clearly very satisfied. He had personally picked them out. They absolutely suited the young man’s temperament.

But he said, “They were custom made together with the last batch. There are plenty more. Don’t worry about wearing them.”

Xu Xiliu’s mouth twitched.

What kind of normal person custom orders this many suits at once?

And all of them for him to wear. As a mere personal doctor, was this not a bit too generous?

He still wanted to say something, but the man in front of him seemed worried that he might refuse. Qin Li immediately lifted his chin and let out a cold laugh from above, his voice returning to its usual low, sinister tone as he reminded him, “Doctor Xu, don’t forget what you agreed to. This period counts as an observation phase. You can’t refuse my requests. So you’re coming to the launch with me.”

Xu Xiliu raised an eyebrow when he heard that.

If the other party had not mentioned it, he really would have forgotten about it.

But going was fine. He had not said he would not go. Why was this man in such a rush? Anyway, going meant earning extra money for him, and this man would even have to pay him on top of that. He really did not understand what the hurry was about.

He looked at the very handsome sucker in front of him, smiled good naturedly, did not argue, and went straight to wash up.

Qin Li, on the other hand, was stunned for a moment by Xu Xiliu’s smile.

What was this little fox smiling about?

Kind of sweet.

Wait, had his tone just now been a bit harsh? He had instinctively cold laughed and mocked again. That habit was not very good, at least he should not do that to the young man. What if the other party really thought he was being scolded and got hurt? He should change that in the future……

Qin Li pondered while waiting for the young man to finish washing up and change clothes.

A moment later, Xu Xiliu came out dressed neatly in a suit. The light gray color was elegant and enduring, matching very well with the dark gray on Qin Li. Moreover, the color suited him extremely well, outlining his long legs and slim waist. The champagne colored tie added a touch of noble liveliness to the elegance.

Qin Li was very satisfied. His gaze stuck to Xu Xiliu for a long while before he finally said, “Let’s go. After breakfast, we need to get there around nine.”

Xu Xiliu had no objections and nodded.

While eating, he could not help glancing at Qin Li a few times.

To be honest, thinking back to how he had confessed to the man last night about once being on the villain’s side still felt very surreal to Xu Xiliu. After all, in his impression, protagonists in novels were vengeful and would not let go of anyone who had been associated with the villain or had once gone against them.

Even though he had been instructed by the villain but had not done anything bad and had even voluntarily confessed, Xu Xiliu had already prepared himself to not continue staying at the villa once things were over. It would already be good enough not to be retaliated against and be let off. He had never thought beyond that. Yet he did not expect things to develop like this after the confession. The other party let him off lightly. The shock and anger were like a drizzle at most. He had not even asked much about the villain. As for this so called observation period, in Xu Xiliu’s own view, it was completely like child’s play, with no sense of threat at all. Setting all that aside, it was almost no different from usual.

He was very puzzled.

Being puzzled, he could not help stealing a few more looks at Qin Li.

Qin Li noticed. He froze for a moment, then the corner of his lips lifted unconsciously. When the young man snuck another look over, he suddenly asked, “Doctor Xu, is my face good looking?”

After asking, Qin Li did not even lift his head, as if it were just a casual question.

Xu Xiliu blinked. He did not hear any mocking tone in that sentence, so he replied very calmly and honestly, “Mr. Qin’s face is indeed quite handsome.”

As soon as Qin Li heard that, the corners of his mouth shot up wildly, then he forcefully pressed them back down.

He knew it. This little fox liked his face.

And his figure too.

Qin Li felt a little pleased inside, but on the surface he maintained a calm, serious expression. Hearing that, he only responded reservedly, then after two seconds added, “You’re not bad either.”

Xu Xiliu was stunned again, then let out a light laugh.

He did not understand how it had suddenly turned into a session of mutual commercial praise.

Nor did he understand the man’s train of thought.

The two finished the meal in a strangely harmonious atmosphere, then got into the car together.

This time, Xu Xiliu deliberately paid attention and noticed that behind the car he and Qin Li were in, there was indeed another one following. If nothing unexpected happened, this should be the bodyguards. He guessed Zhang Li was inside as well. Having learned from last time, Xu Xiliu was no longer as surprised as he had been on their first encounter. He only glanced once before withdrawing his gaze. Unexpectedly, the man beside him noticed and actually took the initiative to explain for once.

“Although it’s a Qin Corporation launch, reporters will definitely be there, along with other people. With so many people and eyes around, bringing bodyguards is safer.”

He paused, his expression turning mocking, and continued, “My uncle will definitely be there this time as well. At Qin Corporation events, as long as he’s not bedridden, he basically always shows up.”

Hearing this, Xu Xiliu silently lit a candle for the villain in his heart, but felt no sympathy. He simply nodded.

Seeing the young man’s reaction, Qin Li did not know which wire in his head had gone wrong. He suddenly reached out and lightly pinched the other party’s chin, turning his face toward himself, and said seriously, word by word, “From now on, you are my person. Don’t think about Qin Zhangyuan again. Understand? If I catch you, the consequences will be very serious.”

Xu Xiliu’s expression turned strange. After a pause, he said, “Why would I think about him? Does he pay my salary, or is he handsome? What would I want from him? His age? His ugliness? His not showering at night?”

“Besides, I never thought about him before. Otherwise, would I have taken the initiative to confess to you?” Xu Xiliu said irritably, turning his face aside to shake off the man’s grip.

Qin Li was very pleased to hear that.

Fortunately, he was young, rich, and good looking.

After a while, they arrived at the venue for the launch. It was held at a five star hotel.

This time it was a Qin Corporation venue. Security on their own turf was handled well, and the reporters invited were all relatively professional. There was no repeat of the scene at the previous charity gala, where the moment they got out of the car they were swarmed and buried by reporters. Seeing this, Xu Xiliu finally felt at ease and got out of the car.

As soon as the two stepped out, they immediately drew the attention of the entire venue. Most gazes fell on Qin Li, but quite a few also landed on Xu Xiliu, carrying unmistakable scrutiny, likely wondering what his identity was and how he could enter together with the man.

Xu Xiliu could be considered well seasoned and remained calm about it. In any case, none of them knew him. Let them look if they wanted. It was not the first time he had followed Qin Li here and there. Judging by the man’s attitude, it would probably not be the last either. Let them scrutinize. After seeing him enough times, they would probably not even bother looking anymore.

Thinking this way, Xu Xiliu could not help but smile slightly, the peach blossom eyes behind his gold rimmed glasses curving just a little.

In fact, if Xu Xiliu had not gotten out of the car so quickly, Qin Li had even intended to walk around and open the door for him.

But seeing that the young man had already gotten out of the car and was waiting for him, he could only give it up regretfully.

Qin Li walked over. As he led Xu Xiliu inside, he ignored the surrounding gazes and lowered his voice to speak to him. “Stay close to me later. If someone talks to you, chat if you feel like it. If you don’t like it, you can just ignore them. You don’t need to worry about anyone. Once the launch officially starts, I’ll be very busy and might not be able to look after you. If you find it boring here, you can walk around a bit, but don’t be alone. Have Zhang Li stay with you. I won’t feel at ease if you’re by yourself. Also, there are a lot of desserts at the buffet over there. You’ll probably like them. You can go take a look.”

Xu Xiliu was surprised that the man had said so much in one go, but he listened seriously. When he heard there were desserts, his eyes lit up, and a trace of barely contained eagerness immediately appeared in his gaze.

Qin Li caught sight of it, a flicker of amusement flashing through his eyes.

He knew it. This little fox liked sweets. The chefs at home had already gotten used to making extra desserts every day. When the launch event had been arranged a week in advance and the proposal was submitted, he had, on a whim, asked for more desserts to be prepared at the buffet. Now it seemed that decision had indeed pleased the other party.

He wanted to say more, but once they entered, quite a few people had already come up to talk to him. He had no choice but to swallow his words and switch into his cool, aloof mode of business pleasantries.

Seeing Qin Li surrounded by a crowd, Xu Xiliu tactfully did not disturb him and stayed a bit farther away. He casually took a glass of wine from a passing server’s tray and sipped it lightly while observing the surroundings.

Ever since he came in, he had been subjected to intermittent, indistinct scrutiny. These gazes came from many people, mixed together, impossible to pinpoint. Xu Xiliu simply ignored them all.

After he moved a little farther from Qin Li, people began to come up and greet him. It was probably because Qin Li’s presence earlier had been too intimidating for them to dare approach. Once he moved away, they immediately grew restless. These people spoke politely enough, but most of their words were covert attempts to probe his identity. Xu Xiliu picked up on it and uniformly answered frankly that he was Qin Li’s personal doctor.

The facts were right there. That was how it was, whether they believed it or not.

At the previous banquet, Qin Li had personally acknowledged his identity as a doctor in front of the cameras. Xu Xiliu did not believe these people would be unaware of that.

But after Xu Xiliu said that, he saw that almost everyone showed an expression of sudden realization, followed by thoughtful looks and then smiles that were distinctly ambiguous. He was puzzled. Was there something wrong with this identity?

It was obviously very normal.

Zhang Li, who was standing quietly nearby, twitched the corner of his mouth, unable to bear looking straight at it.

He glanced at those people who had finished probing, then gathered together to whisper among themselves with ambiguous smiles, then looked again at the young man sipping champagne with an innocent expression. He sighed helplessly in his heart.

The doctor identity itself was not a problem, but on the premise that people had already assumed he was the boss’s bedmate, hearing “personal doctor” would inevitably make them associate it with some improper things, for example, play……

Doctor Xu was actually this pure in that regard? That really was a bargain for his boss.

After today, the industry would probably start privately spreading rumors that the boss played pretty wild……

Xu Xiliu did not know what Zhang Li was thinking. Seeing him staring blankly, he thought the other party also wanted a drink, so he gestured to him. Zhang Li snapped back to his senses and hurriedly waved his hands. He was a bodyguard and had to stay clear headed and alert. Drinking would mess things up. He would not touch it.

Seeing this, Xu Xiliu did not insist. Thinking of the buffet with plentiful desserts that Qin Li had mentioned, he could not help feeling tempted. He looked around, searching for the location and wanting to head over.

Who knew that before he could find it, he suddenly met eyes with a bald, middle aged man.

Xu Xiliu glanced away, intending to leave, but after seeing him, the man actually walked over.

Xu Xiliu paused and looked toward Zhang Li, asking with his eyes, who is this?

Zhang Li gently shook his head. No idea, but probably not important.

At this point, Xu Xiliu also remembered what the man had said earlier. If you are unhappy, you can ignore them. In any case, he has your back. So he relaxed. Thinking carefully, Qin Li was the protagonist in the book. He was already immensely powerful and impressive. Even without protagonist halo, with the man’s abilities and methods, he really could act domineeringly without worrying about anyone else’s feelings. Thinking of this, Xu Xiliu suddenly felt that the man was a little handsome. He could not help clicking his tongue inwardly.

Since the man had already said so, what was there for him to worry about.

In the blink of an eye, the bald, middle aged man arrived in front of Xu Xiliu, a glass of wine in hand. He was a bit overweight, but dressed quite decently, very much the look of a successful big boss. It was just that his gaze made Xu Xiliu uncomfortable. As he walked over, he looked him up and down several times, his eyes greasy and leering, the way one would look at a commodity waiting to be priced.

As soon as he reached him, he started introducing himself. “Hello, my surname is Yu. You can call me Boss Yu.”

Boss Yu smiled, his eyes fixed on Xu Xiliu, and continued, “I know your surname is Xu. Then can I call you Doctor Xu?”

Not knowing the other party’s intentions, Xu Xiliu put on his usual gentle, polite smile and nodded.

Instinctively, he felt that the man’s tone was strange, carrying a sticky kind of discomfort.

Seeing this, Boss Yu smiled. As he smiled, he kept using his eyes to scan Xu Xiliu’s face, and even tried to move closer to clink glasses with him. Xu Xiliu lightly sidestepped and avoided it. Boss Yu froze for a moment, but did not get angry. He just narrowed his eyes slightly and continued. “I heard Doctor Xu is President Qin’s personal doctor. How is it, is that job easy to do?”

Xu Xiliu smiled back, perfectly composed. “Mr. Qin is handsome and wealthy. His temper is so so. It’s quite alright.”

“I see. But I’ve heard President Qin has a rather eccentric temper. Doctor Xu might find it hard to deal with him.” Boss Yu’s smile widened a little. His thin eyes narrowed as he lowered his voice ambiguously. “I’m different. I have a very good temper. I’m very gentle. Does Doctor Xu have time to treat my body as well? Any time is fine. The price is negotiable.”

As he spoke, his gaze once again slid inch by inch over Xu Xiliu’s face, then fell to his slim waist and long legs.

Inside, he clicked his tongue in admiration.

One had to admit, Qin Li might be crazy, but his taste was quite good. And he really knew how to play. Just look at this doctor. This face, this waist, these legs. Wrap an arm around that waist, have those long legs softly coil over, then add the glasses and those peach blossom eyes casting a look. Tsk. Don’t even mention how stimulating that would be.

He had heard that this doctor was Qin Li’s little lover. Though favored and brought everywhere, weren’t lovers always like that? No matter how much they were liked, once they were tainted, that was it. As long as he succeeded once, later, when Qin Li grew tired of him, wouldn’t this person be left to him to play with?

He was indulging in his beautiful fantasy when the gentle, refined young man in front of him glanced at him and, smiling pleasantly, said directly, “No need for treatment. Baldness is mostly genetic. Shaving it all off is more cost effective.”

Boss Yu froze. Having his sore spot poked, most of the smile vanished from his face, his gaze turning annoyed with a trace of sinister malice. “Doctor Xu, I advise you to know what’s good for you and follow me.”

Behind them, Zhang Li’s eyes widened instantly.

Good grief, who was this guy? How many dishes had he eaten to dare dig a wall corner^[1] like this?

Was his boss’s wall corner something anyone could just think of digging?

He was just about to warn the young man when he heard the other party blurt out something about patchy baldness looking like a world map. He immediately could not hold back his laughter, his eyes roaming back and forth over the man’s head. Come to think of it, Doctor Xu really knew how to describe things. The hair was patchy, one chunk here, one chunk there. It really did look like a map, even one chewed up by a dog.

Boss Yu was practically exploding with rage, yet he saw Xu Xiliu lift his foot and walk away.

He froze and called after him, “Did you hear what I said? I’m asking you to follow me once. I’ll give you a lot of money.”

Xu Xiliu still maintained his polite, smiling demeanor, but helplessly spread his hands. “Sorry, but Mr. Qin said that if I’m happy, I can ignore you.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means you don’t rank in front of him.”

Xu Xiliu smiled, his voice gentle. “Don’t bother me anymore. Otherwise, the consequences will be very serious.”

After saying that, he could not be bothered to talk any more with this strange, suddenly appearing greasy middle aged man. He turned around and left directly.

After walking a couple of steps away, he smiled and curved his eyes slightly, giving a soft snort in his heart. He found the experience rather novel, and quite interesting.

No wonder people said riding on someone else’s power felt good. After experiencing it once, it really was pretty satisfying.

Just look at that man’s darkened face before he left. Tsk tsk. He did not dare clash with Qin Li, did he?

Xu Xiliu felt not the slightest guilt about causing trouble for the man. Since the other party had said it like that, he would do exactly that, upright and justified.

Thinking about the nonsense that man had just spouted made Xu Xiliu feel speechless.

What did he mean by saying follow him once and the price was negotiable? What a joke. He was a person with medical ethics, alright.

Besides, he did not believe that man could be richer than Qin Li.

Xu Xiliu gave a light snort, happily tossing the memory aside, and looked around for the direction of the dessert buffet.

Meanwhile, Zhang Li, who was silently following behind him, glanced back once more at the still unwilling Boss Yu, then turned back around with a ferocious expression, pulled out his little notebook, and started writing furiously.

Someone had tried to dig the wall corner. He had to file a report.

Later he would quietly tattle to the boss and have him properly deal with this greasy man.