Jiang Xiaoshuai led Guo Chengyu into the examination room, the heavy tension in the air almost palpable. He gestured to the examination table, trying to maintain a professional demeanor despite the unsettling glint in Chengyu's eyes.
"So, Mr. Guo," Xiaoshuai began, picking up a pen and clipboard, "what exactly is this 'peculiar ailment' you're experiencing today?" He tried to keep his voice level, but the memory of Chengyu's direct question about his preferences, and now his obvious sizing up of Wu Suowei, chafed.
Chengyu settled onto the edge of the table, not quite sitting, but perching like a predator observing its prey. "It's a generalized fatigue, Doctor. And a persistent... feeling of needing to be in your presence." His smile widened. "My work, you see, is incredibly demanding. High-stress environments, long nights. It drains a man." He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. "Constant negotiations, ensuring... agreements are upheld. It can be quite taxing on the system."
Xiaoshuai frowned, scribbling notes without looking up. "I see. Given the nature of your 'work,' and assuming you're exposed to various... stressors," he emphasized the word with a pointed glance, "I'd recommend a course of antibiotics. A preventative measure, to boost your immune system." He reached for a syringe and a vial of medication. "It would be an intramuscular injection."
Before Xiaoshuai could finish, Chengyu moved with startling speed and efficiency. With a smooth, practiced motion, he unzipped his tailored trousers and pulled them down, along with his expensive boxers, just enough to expose the upper curve of his left gluteus. He then turned slightly, presenting the perfect injection site, his gaze never leaving Xiaoshuai's face.
Xiaoshuai froze, the syringe poised in his hand. His eyes, against his will, dropped, not just to the exposed skin, but lower, taking in the undeniable bulge beneath the fabric. A sudden, hot flush crept up his neck, and he found himself swallowing hard, his mouth unexpectedly dry. The professional facade he'd desperately tried to maintain wavered.
Chengyu watched his reaction, a flicker of amusement and satisfaction in his eyes. He knew exactly the effect he was having.
With a mental shake, Xiaoshuai forced himself to focus. He took a deep, steadying breath, then, with a hand that trembled almost imperceptibly, he swabbed the area with alcohol. His brow furrowed in concentration, he plunged the needle swiftly and decisively into Chengyu's gluteus.
"AAAHHH!!!!"
The sound, sharp and surprisingly high-pitched, burst from Guo Chengyu. It was less a roar of a mafia boss and more the startled yelp of a large, surprised cat. He actually jerked, though only slightly, a flicker of genuine shock on his face before he quickly composed himself. Xiaoshuai, meanwhile, pulled the needle out just as quickly, trying to suppress the triumphant little twitch at the corner of his lips.
"Done," Xiaoshuai muttered, tossing the syringe into the sharps container, a smug satisfaction bubbling beneath his professional veneer. He avoided Chengyu's gaze as he reached for a small bandage.
Chengyu, however, remained still, a smirk playing on his lips, though it seemed a little forced this time. "Efficient, Doctor. Very efficient. Though perhaps a touch... enthusiastic." He pulled his clothes back up slowly, deliberately, rubbing the spot.
"So, is that all, then? No further... physical examinations required? Perhaps something less... stabby?" 😂✋ (I can't 😫😂)
Xiaoshuai spun away, busying himself with putting away supplies. "No, Mr. Guo. That's all for today. Unless you have any actual medical concerns that don't involve a personal affront."
"Oh, I always have actual medical concerns, Doctor," Chengyu said, rising smoothly from the table. "Especially where you're concerned." His voice dropped to a low, intimate tone. "You know, seeing you that night, so lost and vulnerable... it was quite something."
Flashback On Guo Chengyu's Thoughts During His Absence
Guo Chengyu hadn't been idle during his nine-day absence. Every report from Li Wang about Jiang Xiaoshuai had been meticulously absorbed, analyzed. He'd learned about the clinic's slow but steady flow of patients, Xiaoshuai's quiet dedication, his long hours.
He'd noted the doctor's tendency to skip meals, to lose himself in his work. He'd even learned about Meng Tao's recent misfortunes, ensuring the cheating ex-boyfriend was thoroughly preoccupied with his own collapsing business to ever bother Xiaoshuai again. That particular detail had brought a grim satisfaction.
But then came the reports of a young man, Wu Suowei, taking up residence in the clinic's backyard. That had sparked something far less pleasant than satisfaction. A sharp, unfamiliar jolt of possessiveness, hot and immediate.
Xiaoshuai, in Chengyu's mind, was a delicate, intriguing creature he had set his sights on. He was meant to be admired, pursued, protected by Chengyu, not offering sanctuary to stray, unknown men.
The image of Xiaoshuai, alone and heartbroken in the bar, had been a captivating one. A beautiful, damaged bird that Chengyu intended to lure into his golden cage. The unexpected kindness Xiaoshuai showed to Wu Suowei, while admirable in a detached sense, was a direct threat to Chengyu's carefully laid plans. It meant Xiaoshuai's empathy, his vulnerability, could be exploited by others.
Chengyu had spent the last few days not just monitoring, but formulating his next move. He needed to reassert his presence, make it clear that he was the dominant force in Xiaoshuai's new reality.
He needed to show Xiaoshuai what true, unwavering protection felt like, something his gentle nature might not have ever experienced. And he needed to make it abundantly clear to anyone else, especially a seemingly harmless 'stray' that Jiang Xiaoshuai was now, by unspoken decree, his to pursue.
The "consultation" was merely the first step in re-establishing that claim.