Sighing, she deflected. “Yes, he is. So, if you could come get him when you’re free, I’d appreciate it.”

“Understood,” Assistant Zhao’s voice regained its professional tone. “Please take care of Young Master Ye until I arrive. Rest assured, any expenses incurred during this time will be added to this month’s therapy fees. Goodbye for now.”

After the call, Niu Shurui leaned against the wall, her left hand instinctively rising to touch her burning ear.

She froze, Qiao Qi’s deep voice echoing in her mind. She quickly lowered her hand.

Her left ear still tingled. Why had Qiao Qi suddenly dropped his façade after maintaining it for so long? Or was it a case of the doctor not being able to heal himself, finally succumbing to the darkness he witnessed daily?

His behavior had been strange, mirroring Ye Li’s.

His action of caressing her ear while speaking to her would likely have the intended effect…

Using a physical touch to imprint his words in her memory, making them unforgettable, was a common psychological tactic.

Qiao Qi had succeeded. Now, every time she touched her left ear, she recalled his words verbatim.

***

“Dr. Qiao… are you alright?”

After a long while, someone finally dared to approach him, though their trembling voice betrayed their fear.

Everyone kept their distance, watching Qiao Qi standing outside Niu Shurui’s closed office door.

He was trembling, radiating a chilling aura. He stared at the door, eyes wide with a manic intensity, the veins in his temples bulging.

Qiao Qi slowly turned his head, the simple movement appearing agonizing, as if his body wasn’t his own, controlled by external forces. He was stiff, like a marionette.

His eyes were dark, his expressionless face slowly twisting into a smile. “I’m fine.”

With that, he turned and walked away, his pace quickening. People parted like the Red Sea, avoiding him. Even the patients waiting for their appointments were unnerved.

They all knew Qiao Qi.

He was known for his gentle demeanor, his interactions always leaving people feeling at ease. What could have happened to change him so drastically? Whispers rippled through the waiting room.

The psychologists who’d gathered at the commotion shook their heads knowingly. Anyone with experience could see that Qiao Qi hadn’t simply experienced something traumatic.

He’d been hiding his true self.

The best psychologists were often the most deeply disturbed.

***

Qiao Qi was furious. How could Niu Shurui lie to him, again and again?

He’d just told her she couldn’t treat patients alone anymore. Why hadn't she listened? Why had she locked the door?

She knew he could sense what was happening, even if she hadn’t made a sound.

The sound of Ye Li pressing her against the door, his panting breaths against her skin, their hushed conversation… he’d heard it all. He shouldn’t have been able to hear, not with the office’s soundproofing. But fate, it seemed, was determined to torment him.

Who was Ye Li anyway? What right did he have to touch her?

Niu Shurui was his. His and his alone.

His er3ction throbbed, mirroring his rage. Qiao Qi glanced down, buttoning his lab coat tighter as he continued down the hallway.

He knew exactly what Niu Shurui was thinking.

From the moment she’d fallen silent mid-conversation, he knew she was strategizing, figuring out how to manage both of them.

Handing Ye Li her bag and sending him away seemed like she was prioritizing Qiao Qi. But in reality, she was putting them on equal footing.

Her bag was a constant companion. Niu Shurui was territorial. Despite her friendly demeanor, she maintained a polite distance, always keeping people at arm’s length.

He’d once admired that quality. Now, he loathed it. How could she so easily let someone else handle her belongings? They didn’t deserve that privilege.

Only those she trusted, those closest to her, were allowed that intimacy. And that person should be him, Qiao Qi.

His anger intensified, fueled by his intimate knowledge of her.

He couldn’t let her continue like this.