Two days later.

Qin Li tossed a garment bag at Xu Xiliu.

"Change. We leave soon."

Xu Xiliu, who had been summoned to the villa at dawn, caught it in confusion. He had expected another one of Qin Li’s medical episodes, only to remember the upcoming banquet. The man’s reminder had almost slipped his mind.

Peeking inside, Xu Xiliu blinked. "Clothes?"

"What else?" Qin Li's obsidian eyes swept over him critically. "Did you plan to attend in your lab coat?"

Admittedly, he hadn't considered it.

Having never attended high-society events, Xu Xiliu shrugged and headed to the dressing room.

As he walked, a strange sense of déjà vu nagged at him. Why did this scenario feel oddly familiar?

The atmosphere reeked of cliché romance tropes—the domineering CEO dragging his plain love interest to a gala, mocking their lack of etiquette, the protagonist's wounded pride leading to tearful confrontations and forced intimacy... Ugh.

Xu Xiliu shuddered, forcibly dispelling the thought.

Where did that horrifying analogy come from?

Must be from my colleague's endless drama recaps pre-transmigration.

Emerging minutes later, he adjusted the tailored suit. "Fits surprisingly well. My thanks, Mr. Qin." His gaze turned curious. "Though how did you know my measurements?"

Qin Li’s expression remained imperious, but his fingers twitched imperceptibly. "Obvious at a glance. Stick figure like you? Standard sizing suffices."

"Is that so?" Xu Xiliu smiled.

Even sartorial illiterates could tell this wasn't off-the-rack. Custom tailoring required precise measurements—hardly something one could "eyeball."

His pointed look made Qin Li’s nape prickle.

The truth? He’d pulled the data from Xu Xiliu’s background check.

Bringing the doctor required presentable packaging, especially when trust remained uncertain.

Qin Li squared his shoulders, scrutinizing the result.

The light-toned suit complemented Xu Xiliu’s refined bearing. The tailored waistline accentuated his slender frame, while the gold-rimmed glasses and perpetually amused peach-blossom eyes crafted an illusion of aristocratic gentility.

Passable.

"Move out," Qin Li ordered.

Following behind, Xu Xiliu studied Qin Li’s back with newfound interest. Having only seen him wheelchair-bound or slouched in chairs, this upright, purposeful stride was novel.

Dressed in imposing black, Qin Li’s broad shoulders and towering height—a clear head above Xu Xiliu’s 180cm—exuded not youthful vigor but the formidable aura of a convalescent predator returning to claim his territory.

Every smirk promised retribution.

What exactly awaits at this banquet?

No plot points came to mind, but as a glorified prop, Xu Xiliu settled for going with the flow.

Their car idled at the villa's entrance, a second vehicle trailing discreetly behind. Qin Li immediately reclined with closed eyes, his stormy demeanor discouraging conversation. Xu Xiliu’s repeated glances at the tailing car finally provoked a glare.

"Problem?"

"Just curious about our companions," Xu Xiliu gestured backward.

"Security detail."

An entire car of bodyguards? For a charity gala?

Xu Xiliu’s eyebrows shot up, but Qin Li had already withdrawn into brooding silence.

The venue's periphery teemed with activity. As someone who had spent his previous life in hospitals, Xu Xiliu couldn't help absorbing the spectacle until Qin Li’s warning cut through:

"Stay close after exiting. I won't retrieve you twice."

The reason became apparent the moment their doors opened.

A sea of reporters descended like piranhas, cameras flashing, microphones thrust forward like spears.

"Mr. Qin! Rumors suggest mental health issues—any comment?"

"Does Qin Corporation's stock volatility reflect your deteriorating condition?"

"Your absence from public life—family power struggle or institutionalization?"

Qin Li strode forward impassively, but the media frenzy only intensified. Even with security clearing a path, Xu Xiliu found himself buffeted aside until a vise-like grip yanked him back to Qin Li's side.

"Next time you wander off, enjoy drowning," Qin Li growled, releasing him once secured within the protective cordon.

You could've mentioned the paparazzi ambush!

Xu Xiliu barely suppressed an eye-roll.

With their buffer gone, reporters redoubled their efforts. Qin Li’s patience visibly frayed as he delivered curt rebuttals: "Qin Corporation remains under my control. Personal matters are irrelevant."

Livestream comments exploded:

[OMG the rumored Qin heir! Younger/taller/hotter than expected!]

[So the "mental breakdown" tabloids were fake? Dude looks fine (if scary)...]

[Who cares about gossip—that DOCTOR beside him though??? Glasses! That smile!]

A reporter, desperate for scoops, suddenly brightened: "Mr. Qin, is this your previously unacknowledged partner?"

Xu Xiliu's polite facade cracked. "No! I'm his physician."

Holy shit—almost became the male lead's scandalous fling!

Qin Li, overhearing, shot Xu Xiliu an amused glance at his deer-in-headlights expression before surprising everyone by engaging: "Correct. My health necessitates Dr. Xu's accompaniment."

He then shouldered through the crowd, dragging a flustered Xu Xiliu behind him.

The internet, naturally, lost its collective mind:

[Suuuure "just his doctor." Since when do physicians hold hands at galas?]

[Did you SEE how Qin looked at him? That's wifey gaze.]

[New ship unlocked: CEO x His Hot Doctor ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]