BPDSB Chapter 24: “Qin Zhangyuan once had contact with a large number of doctors……”

Until he woke up, Xu Xiliu hadn’t noticed anything unusual about the conference room.

He stretched lazily, his peach blossom eyes narrowing with a drowsy squint, feeling that the sleep he had missed the night before had finally been fully made up for at this moment—he was full of energy.

Gotta say, sleeping in the conference room with the protagonist gong was actually quite comfortable.

The chair was comfortable, leaning on the conference table was comfortable, the temperature was just right—not too cold, not too hot—and the buzzing voices of those big shots during the meeting were surprisingly hypnotic.

Five-star rating!

It was just that afterward, the look in the protagonist gong’s eyes seemed a little strange.

At some unknown point, everyone in the conference room had left completely, leaving the large room feeling empty and deserted. When Xu Xiliu opened his eyes, the others were already all gone. He saw only the protagonist gong sitting alone in the main seat, head lowered, fiddling with something in his hands—it looked like documents.

The aura around the other was cold and oppressive, sinister even, and the way he held the documents looked as though he were gripping a knife, planning where to strike. Sensing Xu Xiliu’s gaze, he looked over sharply, and at the moment their eyes met, the man tugged the corner of his lips, eyes filled with a familiar mockery.

“Doctor Xu is awake?”

Xu Xiliu paused, then nodded generously.

“Awake.”

“How was your sleep?” Qin Li narrowed his dark eyes.

“Not bad.”

Xu Xiliu could hear the hint of sarcastic sharpness laced in the other’s tone, but he had no idea what this damn man was angry about now.

Logically speaking, he wasn’t even supposed to be in this conference room. Different trades are like different mountains^[1]—he was an obscure little doctor who couldn’t even understand what these people were talking about. There was no use in him being here, and he didn’t know any of the big shots holding the meeting in the room. What could he possibly do after coming in? Either play on his phone or sleep. Was he supposed to provide some valuable strategic guidance or something? What a joke.

Besides, he’d always felt like his role following the protagonist gong was just that of an accessory. The accessory was already tagging along—who cared what the accessory did on the side?

…Could it be that the protagonist gong was working hard while he was snoring away, so the other felt psychologically unbalanced? Xu Xiliu speculated darkly.

He didn’t understand, and couldn’t figure it out.

So he replied very sincerely—after all, sincerity was always the greatest ultimate move. “Slept pretty well. Just one minor flaw—if there were a small pillow here, it would’ve been perfect.” After all, sleeping with your arm as a pillow for too long makes it go numb.

Sure enough, the other choked the moment the words left his mouth.

The air around him turned even colder, like a humanoid ice machine^[2].

Xu Xiliu raised a smiling face.

Now that he had slept enough, his irritability had lessened, his complexion looked better too, and he was even in the mood to manage his expressions. So he returned to his usual appearance—smiling, innocently gentle.

Of course, when this expression fell into Qin Li’s eyes, it gave him a bit of a heart spasm.

Qin Li scrutinized the expression on his personal doctor’s face, his dark eyes narrowing again.

At first, he had suspected that the young man was only pretending to sleep during the meeting, when in fact he was secretly eavesdropping on their discussion. So he had been intentionally or unintentionally watching him all along. Even when the young man seemed annoyed by the meeting’s noise and casually, as if unintentionally, covered one ear with a hand, Qin Li still believed the other was putting on an act to numb his vigilance.

Until he saw that, after falling asleep, the man’s arm had gone numb, and—under the watchful eyes of everyone—he groggily straightened up, shook it off, then changed positions and continued sleeping.

Qin Li: “……”

Then, even after the meeting ended, and everyone else had tiptoed away quietly, this personal doctor of his still hadn’t woken up, continuing to sleep soundly.

Left alone to see just how long the other could keep up the act, Qin Li waited for nearly an hour—only to find:

Qin Li: “…………………”

The space between his brows twitched hard.

The gloom on his face was mixed with a hint of daze.

Could it be that he really was mistaken?

Could it be that Xu Xiliu wasn’t someone planted by others at his side, but truly just an ordinary, unremarkable private doctor? Not pretending to eavesdrop on confidential matters, just doing as he pleased?

He stared at the young man again and again, his brows tightly furrowed.

Xu Xiliu didn’t know what the man in front of him was thinking, nor did he know that the other had all along harbored suspicion toward him, constantly probing him both openly and subtly. Having sat and slept for too long, his waist was starting to ache, so he simply stood up to stretch and move around.

Catching a glimpse of the well-dressed protagonist gong over there, he couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Qin, aren’t you tired from sitting so long? I feel like you’ve been sitting there for quite a while.”

He advised, “Moderate exercise is good for physical and mental health.”

Qin Li, who had been sitting still the entire time just to keep an eye on Xu Xiliu: “……”

Qin Li rubbed his brow.

A rare trace of weariness appeared in his eyes, along with a hint of distraction. His dark eyes looked the young man up and down again, but still couldn’t find even the slightest trace of anything abnormal. His gaze paused for a moment on the youth’s face, which bore a gentle smile and a look of concern, then shifted away inconspicuously. Finally, he lowered his eyes and slowly said, “…I still have some matters to take care of at the company. If you find it boring here, you can head back first.”

Xu Xiliu, who was so bored he’d been gazing out the window, turned around in surprise upon hearing this. “Really?”

The protagonist gong could be this considerate?

He thought for a few seconds, then seemed to realize something and asked suspiciously, “Then, Mr. Qin, about today’s pay…?”

Would leaving early mean today’s extra income would be gone too? After all, he’d wasted half a day here—that was still half a day’s wages! Money was money!

Was this guy trying to skip out on paying him?

Being stared at with such an extremely distrustful look, as if he were the reincarnation of Zhou Bapi^[3], Qin Li’s mood—which had just calmed down and was even tinged with guilt over possibly having suspected the wrong person—suddenly reversed again. The veins at his temple throbbed violently.

Barely holding back his temper, he said, “You’ll be paid as usual!”

Hearing that, Xu Xiliu was satisfied, and his smile instantly brightened by several degrees.

Words of praise didn’t cost a cent: “I knew it—Mr. Qin, you’re really so nice~”

“Then I’ll be heading off first. Mr. Qin, work hard!” Xu Xiliu turned to leave, but just as he took a step, he remembered his own role and turned back for a triple reminder: “Oh right, make sure to take breaks while working, eat lunch on time, and don’t forget your medicine—remember to take it with warm water.”

He deliberately emphasized the final four words—“take it with warm water”—afraid that this man would act willfully and skip his medicine while he wasn’t around.

Qin Li’s expression darkened slightly as he listened, but he didn’t lose his temper. He merely waved his hand in silent endurance.

Seeing this, Xu Xiliu left cheerfully.

He hadn’t driven, so naturally he was dropped off again by Qin Li’s driver, who took him to the small apartment in the city center before returning.

Once home, Xu Xiliu first changed his clothes, then began strolling leisurely around the house in more comfortable loungewear. The television was playing in the background as he pondered what to eat.

Meanwhile—

After Xu Xiliu left, Qin Li came out of the conference room and went straight to his office. Zhuang An followed after and asked for his input: “President Qin, regarding those things Qin Zhangyuan posted online?”

As Qin Li’s secretary, Zhuang An typically handled all sorts of documents and information, and he was unquestionably one of Qin Li’s people. In fact, he had been with Qin Li since the latter first began managing the company as the heir in his youth. His status had risen year by year, and now—setting aside his role as Qin Li’s secretary—he was considered a mid-level executive in the company.

During the months when Qin Li was sick and disoriented, staying at the villa and disconnected from the world, and Qin Zhangyuan took the opportunity to seize control of the company, Zhuang An had kept a calm façade but had been quietly watching Qin Zhangyuan’s every move on Qin Li’s behalf, ensuring his own boss wouldn’t fall into a disadvantage in the power struggle. As one of Qin Li’s people, he naturally knew there was no familial affection between his boss and Qin Zhangyuan, so he didn’t bother with polite terms of address.

At those words, a look of disgust appeared on Qin Li’s face, his eyes instantly darkening.

“No need to respond. Just single out a few of the most aggressive ones and send legal letters directly.”

“Yes,” Zhuang An responded.

The reason Qin Li hadn’t acted against the flood of rumors his uncle had been spreading online was because he felt it wasn’t necessary. The more energy one spent trying to explain these things, the more it looked like a guilty conscience—making the uninformed all the more convinced. On the contrary, if one remained open and calm, doing nothing at all, people might start to suspect there was something deeper going on behind the scenes.

The more Qin Zhangyuan wanted to see him collapse under the pressure of rumors, the less Qin Li would let him have his way.

Qin Li let out a sinister, cold laugh.

Off to the side, Zhuang An had originally been about to ask how the boss wanted to handle the sudden scandalous rumors involving him and the doctor, but before he could speak, he caught sight of the gloomy, sinister expression on his boss’s handsome face and felt a chill run down his spine.

…Forget it, he thought.

Since the boss said not to respond, that probably included this matter too, right?

Besides, judging by the sticky-sweet interaction today between the boss and that young doctor, it didn’t exactly look like some pure and innocent relationship—he’d best not get involved in the boss’s personal affairs.

But then, why had Qin Li previously asked him to look into Doctor Xu’s background? Even now, the order hadn’t been rescinded. He still had to keep occasional tabs on Doctor Xu’s movements.

Zhuang An couldn’t make sense of it no matter how he thought about it. In the end, he could only chalk it up to some strange kind of play between the two of them.

Qin Li stayed at the company for a while, dealt with some of the backlog, and then left.

Although he hadn’t been at the company for several months, the team he had left behind was highly competent and had ensured there were no errors in the Qin Corporation—aside from a few ridiculous stunts pulled by Qin Zhangyuan after arriving at the company.

Thinking of this, Qin Li furrowed his brows, disgust flickering in his eyes. But moments later, his expression eased again, and he let out a cold sneer.

No rush. It wasn’t time yet. The higher Qin Zhangyuan climbed, the more smug he acted, the harder he would fall later. Qin Li wanted to let him slowly savor the taste of that downfall…

When Qin Li returned to the mountain villa, Zhuang An had already efficiently issued official legal notices to the most aggressive marketing accounts. Following the principle of “kill the chicken to scare the monkey” by striking the most prominent targets, within just a few days, the people behind those accounts were swiftly arrested for defamation. For a time, all the rampant online discussions about Qin Li’s background vanished without a trace, the atmosphere tense and wary.

In truth, Qin Li hadn’t actually prohibited such speech—it was simply that after this incident, no one dared to speak up anymore. Even if someone did, they would do so with extreme caution, afraid of being targeted.

【Official statement’s out. Those big-name marketing accounts really got taken in, even their real names have been exposed…】

【So fast? It’s only been a few days? This is the power of the elite—it’s terrifying.】

【What’s so terrifying about it? It was slander, wasn’t it? I’ve had enough of those marketing accounts. They post anything and everything, completely without bottom lines! A lot of people in the entertainment industry have suffered at their hands, but couldn’t do anything about it. I heard those accounts were backed by some elite families, untouchable. Now they barely made a sound before falling this hard. No one even tried to save them. Makes you realize—President Qin is seriously impressive.】

【Exactly! They ran into a steel wall!】

【Lmao why are there still people sympathizing with capitalists? Y’all keep calling him President Qin like he even knows who you are. He cracked down this fast—it’s probably because those things people were saying were actually true. He’s feeling guilty, throwing a fit. If you ask me, he’s a full-blown lunatic.】

【You… good luck to you…】

【Although I don’t mean anything bad by this, I just want to say—President Qin might look healthy, but his temper doesn’t seem great. Those rumors online about possible mental issues might not be baseless… Is Doctor Xu really not going to suffer being with him?】

【Ah, I wanted to say that too. With the doctor’s looks, couldn’t he be with any other powerful man?】

【Little Xu doctor, time to find someone new.】

…

Xu Xiliu holed up at home for several days in a row, and the protagonist gong didn’t summon him over. Though he was lying around comfortably, he couldn’t help but feel slightly uneasy.

Things had been this calm the past few days? He found it hard to believe.

The protagonist gong hadn’t dragged him into anything out of nowhere, hadn’t made him run around following him, and even seemed to be in perfect mental shape—no midnight calls for him to go up to the villa and deal with things. It was a level of stability that felt utterly implausible.

So calm, in fact, that Xu Xiliu began to feel a strange sense of impending doom, like the calm before the storm.

He quickly interrupted his own train of thought.

No, no, no…

Why was he even thinking like that? Wasn’t lying flat and doing nothing exactly what he wanted? He must just be bored!

Thinking this, Xu Xiliu went and ordered a bunch of his favorite candies online. His previous stash was nearly gone, so this time he picked out a few new flavors to try.

At the same time, he was also keeping an eye on the rumors online.

Though he’d been comfortably lounging at home these past few days, Xu Xiliu had been surfing the web at full speed daily.

So he had personally witnessed those people calling Qin Li a lunatic disappear from the internet at a terrifying pace.

He also saw the official notices—so the fate of those people was easy to imagine.

Xu Xiliu had even heard that ever since that day when Qin Li returned to the Qin Corporation in such a domineering manner, several family-run companies had encountered internal problems one after another over the following days. They were now scrambling to clean up the mess, but it clearly wasn’t doing much good—their standings had already dropped significantly.

And in truth, that wasn’t all. Once some of the lesser aristocratic families realized something was wrong, they began flocking to the mountain villa to seek an audience with Qin Li. They wanted to explain themselves face-to-face, even brought along the troublemaking children from their households to apologize in hopes Qin Li would let them off the hook. If Xu Xiliu had been present, he would’ve immediately recognized those young men as the rich second-generation heirs who had publicly called Qin Li a mad dog at the banquet that night. Now they were pitifully being turned away at the villa gate, not even getting a glimpse of the tip of Qin Li’s shoe.

Of course, Qin Li would never show himself. From the moment they hesitated and chose to walk alongside Qin Zhangyuan, their ending had already been sealed.

Xu Xiliu silently watched the internet’s atmosphere be swept clean, and once again realized just how vengeful and ruthless the protagonist gong could be.

Even the slightest offense would cost you a layer of skin.

Even in his current fallen state, this man was nothing like the pitiful figure Xu Xiliu had imagined!

Xu Xiliu once again began to worry about his future.

How was he supposed to defect to the protagonist gong? Should he reveal the villain’s plans to him?

It wasn’t something he could rush—but he couldn’t delay it either.

If he rushed it, he was afraid the protagonist gong wouldn’t believe him upon hearing it and would start suspecting him instead. But if he waited too long, and the other figured it out before he confessed, he’d be finished.

So he had to find a perfectly timed, appropriate opportunity to lay everything out with complete honesty.

It was… a real headache.

Xu Xiliu fell into deep thought.

At the same time, Qin Li at the mountain villa received a call from his secretary, Zhuang An.

Zhuang An sounded somewhat hesitant, but still reported truthfully: “President Qin… the matter you previously asked me to investigate—there’s been a result.”

Qin Li’s expression shifted slightly, though his tone remained cold. “Speak.”

Zhuang An paused briefly, knowing how much this matter weighed on his boss’s mind, and so spoke plainly: “Nothing turned up on Doctor Xu’s side, but as for Qin Zhangyuan, we found that a few months ago, he made large-scale contact with numerous doctors—and all of those doctors… specialized in private family care.”

A few months ago.

That was precisely when he had fallen ill, been driven out of the old residence, and begun his muddled life in the mountain villa.

Upon hearing this, Qin Li felt a sense of confirmation—yet his eyes instantly darkened with viciousness.

He calmly instructed that the investigation continue, calmly ended the call, and the very moment he set the phone down, his entire body turned cold and oppressive. He then violently hurled the husky-dog-head-shaped alarm clock on his desk against the wall.

The clock shattered into pieces on impact.

Qin Li let out a sinister, chilling laugh, his heart filled with a mix of unspeakable disappointment and inevitable rage.

In the end, the rage won out. The man’s chest heaved violently, his expression dark and terrifying.

Good. Very good.

He just knew it.

His private doctor really did have a problem!

In this world, there truly was no one who sincerely, wholeheartedly cared about him!