After shaking off the swarm of frenzied reporters, Xu Xiliu and Qin Li soon arrived at the banquet’s inner hall.

Xu Xiliu finally allowed his tense posture to relax slightly.

Damn, that was still suffocating to think about...

Qin Li tilted his head, his tone ambiguous. "Scared already?"

"Didn't expect Dr. Xu to be so timid."

Xu Xiliu caught the mockery in the man’s words and subtly clenched his fists.

He maintained a smile on his face—though it carried a hint of murderous intent. "Mr. Qin misunderstands. I was worried about you. After all, you're the more fragile one here. Wouldn't want you getting... overstimulated."

Qin Li recognized the retort in his private doctor's words and snorted coldly.

Neither slowed their pace.

Compared to the chaos outside, the inner hall was orderly. Guests mingled in small groups, maintaining polite decorum. No one wanted to lose face in such a setting. Amid clinking glasses, they exchanged flattering pleasantries with practiced ease, their laughter soft and restrained.

Noticing the commotion at the entrance, they all turned to look, only to wear identical expressions of subtle discomfort upon recognizing the newcomers. Though they tried to maintain their composure, their eyes betrayed flickers of disdain, suspicion, and poorly concealed panic. Realizing their lapse, they awkwardly smiled and averted their gazes.

But the Qin family was, after all, a top-tier dynasty. Even with its heir’s rumored instability and the resulting fluctuations in public opinion, they were still far beyond the reach of most here. Whatever their private thoughts, they had no choice but to steel themselves and greet the frosty-faced Qin Li, their forced smiles barely masking their unease.

"Haha, President Qin."

"President Qin, what a surprise to see you here..."

Their words said one thing, but not a single person dared approach.

As if the man were some kind of rabid beast.

From the entrance, the synchronized reactions of the crowd made them seem like puppets mass-produced on an assembly line—their expressions and movements eerily identical, creating a bizarrely comical effect.

Qin Li took in their gazes, the corner of his lips curling into a mocking smirk.

He ignored every single one of them, striding past to claim a quiet, sparsely populated seating area.

The surroundings fell silent for a moment before erupting into hushed whispers. Countless eyes secretly watched their direction, their owners hiding behind champagne glasses as if the flutes could mask their gossip.

Xu Xiliu naturally followed Qin Li, enjoying the same unsettling attention since entering. Compared to the horror of being questioned by reporters minutes ago about whether he was Qin Li's lover, being gawked at like a zoo exhibit was nothing. He calmly took a seat beside Qin Li, his peach-blossom eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses discreetly scanning the room.

Sharp as he was, he had sensed the peculiar atmosphere the moment they stepped inside.

And it was their arrival that had made it so strange.

The reason needed no explanation.

Xu Xiliu glanced at the man beside him, who, despite sitting, exuded a presence that overshadowed everyone else in the hall.

Tch. Quite the attitude.

He couldn’t resist asking, "Is it alright to just sit here? Don’t you need to mingle?"

They seemed to be the only two people seated in the entire venue.

Qin Li, who had shown no intention of moving since sitting down, lounged lazily on the sofa as if he were in his own home. His strikingly handsome face was veiled in gloom, practically screaming approach me and die. At the question, he glanced at Xu Xiliu and replied flatly, "Unnecessary."

Ah, unnecessary—not "don’t need to."

Xu Xiliu took the hint and stopped caring.

Fine. If he doesn’t need to, then I, as the tagalong, certainly don’t either.

He settled in comfortably, surveying the lavish surroundings with interest.

This was his first time at such an event.

As extravagant as expected.

The two of them stood out, each more unbothered than the other.

Qin Li’s ears buzzed with the low hum of chatter, like the incessant whine of mosquitoes. Frankly, the environment grated on his nerves.

This charity gala might appear high-class, but in truth, it wasn’t even worthy of his attendance. The only reason he was here was that he needed a formal public appearance, and this event happened to be the soonest available.

Fortunately, his purpose was simple: show his face, announce to the world that he wasn’t dead yet, and—as a bonus—irritate his dear uncle. That was it.

Oh, wait. There was one more thing.

He wanted to test his private doctor.

With that thought, Qin Li’s gaze shifted, settling eerily on the young man’s back.

The media frenzy at the entrance had been coincidental, but lingering there had also served as a test for Xu Xiliu. After all, exposure to public scrutiny tended to reveal cracks in even the most meticulously crafted facades.

What kind of surprise will you give me...?

Qin Li stared at Xu Xiliu’s back, a sinister smile playing on his lips.

Unaware that he had become the prime suspect in the man’s mind, Xu Xiliu leisurely observed his surroundings while snippets of whispered conversations reached his ears.

"Whispered" wasn’t quite accurate, though, because Xu Xiliu quickly pinpointed the source. A group of young socialites—likely heirs of wealthy families attending the gala—were clustered together, some seated, some standing, their eyes repeatedly darting toward him and Qin Li. When Xu Xiliu followed the sound and looked over, he locked eyes with them immediately.

This is practically loud, open scheming.

He could even hear their words clearly:

"...How dare that mad dog show his face? Isn’t he afraid of having a public episode?"

"Who knows? Rumor has it he’s so ill he can’t even walk, abandoned by the Qins and barely clinging to life. But he looks fine now."

"Not that fine. My aunt came in right after them—she said the mad dog brought a doctor. Look, that pretty boy next to him. Who’s that scared of dying?"

"Shh, keep it down..."

Xu Xiliu, the aforementioned "pretty boy": "..."

Personal attacks now?

That’s just rude.

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

Qin Li, beside him, noticed his private doctor’s fixed gaze and slight frown, as if he had spotted someone familiar.

His lips twitched.

What, you’ve run into an acquaintance already?

But according to the information he’d obtained, Xu Xiliu shouldn’t know anyone here.

As expected of a fox—so good at pretending.

Qin Li smirked coldly, convinced he’d caught Xu Xiliu in a lie. A flash of malice crossed his eyes as he leaned in, following Xu Xiliu’s line of sight, and whispered ominously in his ear, "What’s wrong, Dr. Xu? You seem... uncomfortable."

Xu Xiliu felt an inexplicable chill crawl down his spine, making him shiver slightly.

Snapping back to attention, he noticed how close Qin Li’s face was to his. Though the man’s features were undeniably handsome, Xu Xiliu still recoiled in distaste.

What’s wrong with you, getting so close?

At the question, he almost repeated what he’d heard but stopped himself at the last second.

Ah, those people were quite... vocal.

Insulting the boss.

Probably not a good idea to say it out loud.

Qin Li, sharp as ever, caught the fleeting hesitation in Xu Xiliu’s expression.

Just as I thought—there’s something fishy.

His smile grew more sinister as he pressed closer, relentless.

"Why stay silent, Dr. Xu? Don’t want to speak... or can’t?" Qin Li’s obsidian eyes reflected Xu Xiliu’s delicate features, a storm brewing in their depths—a mix of excitement and suppressed fury. "Or is it something I’m not allowed to hear?"

"Seems the doctor has his own secrets."

Watching as the man’s words grew increasingly bizarre and his tone more venomous, Xu Xiliu deadpanned and blurted out: "Mad dog."

"What?" Qin Li frowned.

"They called you a mad dog."

Xu Xiliu sighed, his expression utterly sincere. "I just heard it. Over there, that little group—they were whispering about you, saying you’re a mad dog."

The suppressed fury in Qin Li’s eyes froze instantly. His lips pressed into a thin line.

His sharp, dark gaze—still shadowed with lingering hostility—fixed on Xu Xiliu, unreadable.

Xu Xiliu blinked innocently.

His gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, making him look especially well-behaved.

Don’t blame me. You’re the one who insisted on hearing it.