The comfortable fabric of his casual pants brushed against his skin time and again. Qin Sui-xi lowered his head, watching the fox’s silent urging, and said, “Sorry for the wait, let’s go.”
Actually, it hadn’t been long—only a minute or two.
Looking at the fox’s back, Qin Sui-xi was momentarily dazed, thinking: Could that have been the fox’s voice?
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
Must believe in science.
Ning Qi-an finally got the breakfast he wanted—a piece of boiled chicken breast.
It was as bland as water; even a dog wouldn’t touch it.
But then he turned and saw Qin Sui-xi carefully cutting it into small pieces, eating with elegance.
Looking at those well-defined muscles, Ning Qi-an gave a mental thumbs-up.
With that kind of discipline, he wasn’t jealous anymore.
After eating, Ning Qi-an returned to his bed for a nap. Seeing this, Qin Sui-xi unconsciously lightened his movements. He put the plates into the dishwasher and returned to his room. He didn’t close the door tightly, and a moment later, there was the sound of rushing water.
Is he going out?
Drowsily, Ning Qi-an lazily lifted his eyelids to glance at the bedroom door.
After putting on clean clothes, Qin Sui-xi pulled out a phone number and dialed. A second later, the call was answered.
“Hello, how may I help you?” asked a middle-aged woman with a kind and gentle voice.
“Hello, is this Dr. Wang?”
“Yes,” the voice replied from the other end. “May I ask for your name?”
“Qin Sui-xi.”
The appointment with Dr. Wang was in the afternoon. After eating, Qin Sui-xi turned on the television and handed the remote to Ning Qi-an. “I’m going to see a doctor this afternoon. Be a good boy at home and watch TV, and wait for me to come back.”
See a doctor?
Ning Qi-an caught the keyword. He scanned Qin Sui-xi up and down; no missing limbs, his cheeks were rosy and normal, his voice sounded fine—he didn’t look like he had any problems at all.
What kind of sickness does he have?
The Demon Bureau had said that you don’t only need a doctor when you see blood or flesh; there are some major, deeply hidden illnesses that show no outward symptoms, which even doctors have trouble treating.
Ning Qi-an was very worried. He leaned in and sniffed Qin Sui-xi’s hand, which was resting on the edge of the sofa.
He didn’t smell anything abnormal; instead, he caught the faint scent of mint body wash mixed with a woody cologne—strands of it, like invisible threads pulling at his rationality, sinking into a trance.
Ning Qi-an liked this scent. Just as he was about to lose focus on his initial intention, he snapped back to his senses. He cleared his head, his nose twitching slightly as he sniffed earnestly.
Cool air sprayed on the back of his hand. The fox’s nose was moist—Qin Sui-xi had searched, and that was a sign of health.
Did the fox understand what I said again, and is that why it’s concerned for me?
They say animals can smell illnesses, but what about heartache?
He flipped his hand over; the cool air reached his palm, causing a slight itch. Qin Sui-xi closed his palm, catching a wisp of the creature’s breath. The refreshing coolness escaped through the lines of his palm, but the moisture could not; he had caught the fox’s damp concern.
His palm suddenly pulled away. Ning Qi-an, who had been sniffing intently, was a bit stunned. But before he could react, a large hand landed on his head.
“I’m fine,” Qin Sui-xi explained. “It’s just a check-up.”
The hand on his head moved to his chin and scratched. Recently, Qin Sui-xi’s petting technique had improved tremendously. Under his touch, Ning Qi-an immediately felt incredibly comfortable and forgot everything else.
A check-up? Well, then, go and come back soon.
Thinking that, Ning Qi-an felt reassured.
He saw Qin Sui-xi off, but just as he hopped onto the sofa and watched TV for half an hour, the door opened again.
Hmm? Qin Sui-xi is back this soon?
Ning Qi-an looked closely and saw Secretary Chen at the door, smiling at him. With a wave of his hand, a group of people marched in, carrying…
A wire mesh fence?!
Ning Qi-an was dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He watched helplessly as the three or five men skillfully stretched wires across the balcony glass outside.
He sat on the sofa with his mouth agape until the workmen finished, packed their toolkits, and left.
His gaze slowly shifted to Secretary Chen.
Secretary Chen gestured with his palm toward the balcony sealed off by wire, a wicked smile on his face. “This way, you won’t be able to sneak out anymore.”
Ning Qi-an: …
Why do the working class have to make it hard for the working fox? I just wanted to see the world!
Ning Qi-an bared his teeth at him, then turned his back and dragged his tail… under the dining table.
It doesn’t matter, Ning Qi-an thought. I’ve already mastered the door code anyway. A wire fence is useless.
“Alright, Mr. Qin. Tell me about your situation in detail. No rush, take your time.”
Qin Sui-xi deliberated for a moment and said slowly, “For the past two months, I’ve heard people talking in my ear. But when I ask about it, no one answers. A couple of times, there wasn’t even anyone around me. I suspect it might be auditory hallucinations.”
Dr. Wang asked, “Is it one person talking, or many people?”
Qin Sui-xi answered without hesitation, “One person. Every time I have a hallucination, I only hear one sentence.”
Dr. Wang: “Is it the same voice every time?”
Qin Sui-xi: “On the contrary, it’s a different voice every time.”
Dr. Wang: “Do you take any medication?”
Qin Sui-xi said, “My workload was heavy a few months ago, and my sleep cycle got messed up, so I took a little bit of sleeping pills.”
Dr. Wang grabbed onto the key point and pressed, “Can you tell me the dosage?”
There was nothing to hide. Qin Sui-xi said, “About one pill every two days. I only took them for half a month.”
“Do you feel your work pressure is high now?”
“It’s okay.”
After getting over the initial scramble of not being adjusted, things were quite proficient now, and he didn’t have to pull all-nighters like before.
Dr. Wang asked, “Do you often feel anxious?”
Qin Sui-xi: “No.”
He was quite optimistic. The lowest point in his life was probably just the two or three years after his mother passed away.
Dr. Wang stopped asking questions, his pen moving rapidly. Qin Sui-xi looked around the counseling room: simple and tasteful decorations, sufficient light that wasn’t glaring, and lush green plants in the corner stretching their leaves.
There were a few dolls on the edge of the sofa. A simple, honest-looking fox doll caught Qin Sui-xi’s attention.
He reached out and squeezed the fox doll’s round head. His fingers sank into a lump of cotton—it was soft, but lacked any warmth.
It doesn’t feel as good as the fox at home. Qin Sui-xi instantly lost interest in the toy.
He stuffed the fox doll back next to its companions.
“Mr. Qin,” Dr. Wang stopped writing and hesitated. “Generally speaking, the biggest cause of auditory hallucinations is excessive mental stress. I suggest you relax more recently and put work aside for a while. Come back for a follow-up in half a month to see if things improve.”
Qin Sui-xi had no objections. “Mhm, thank you, Dr. Wang.”
Before leaving, Dr. Wang glanced at the fox doll on the sofa and smiled. “I saw you liked it just now; do you want to take it home? It’s free.”
Qin Sui-xi looked at the sofa subconsciously, then immediately turned back. “Thanks, but I already have a fox at home. One is enough.”
He had turned on the TV before leaving; the fox should be sitting on the sofa watching it intently now, with no room to think about him.
Qin Sui-xi told himself this before opening the door. He wasn’t surprised to see the room behind the door empty, yet he still felt a tinge of inexplicable disappointment.
After taking only two steps, a low figure dashed out from the corner. Qin Sui-xi lowered his eyes to look at the fox rubbing against his feet, thinking, at least this is an improvement over last time.
Being able to resist the temptation of the TV to come and find him—Qin Sui-xi really enjoyed the feeling of being explicitly placed at the top of someone’s priorities.
Ever since he held the fox that time at the pet hospital, Qin Sui-xi never messed with the skin on the back of its neck again.
The little creature in his arms had no smell, didn’t shed, and brought a unique color to his cold life by being full of spirit. Qin Sui-xi was truly liking this fox more and more.
Before leaving the counseling room, Dr. Wang gave him a note suggesting he get more rest and relax his mood.
Qin Sui-xi took a photo of the note, tapped his finger, and hit send.
[Whatever: (Image)]
[Dad: Hallucinations?]
[Whatever: Yes, I’m applying for two more days of leave.]
[Dad: Aren’t you already on vacation? Hallucinations are normal; you’ll be fine in a few days.]
The cold text on the cold phone screen… well, as expected of his own father.
Qin Sui-xi had only asked on a whim and didn’t really expect to get the leave, so he changed the subject.
[Whatever: Dad, leave the fox to me from now on.]
He hadn’t forgotten that this fox was entrusted to him by his father. He had indeed been casual about it at first, but perhaps the fox really had the ability to charm people—he had been captured by it in just a few days.
One day, he would eventually move out and start his own family. If possible, he hoped the fox would greet him every time he came home.
What? The fox is his dad’s?
It doesn’t matter; what’s my dad’s is my own.
Qin Sui-xi was not polite at all; he reached out to claim it.
[Whatever: My mind is made up. Let it be.]
[Dad: Did he agree?]
That was a good question. Qin Sui-xi never did anything to force others. He moved the phone away, tugged on the fox’s ear, and asked, “I’ll raise you from now on—are you willing?”
Before the fox could react, the hand on its ear slid down and pressed firmly on its fluffy head.
“Good, you’re willing.”
Qin Sui-xi replied without hesitation.
[Whatever: He agreed.]
Ning Qi-an: ???
What just happened?
He had no idea he had just been “adopted.” His mind wandered, and he was soon distracted by a funny variety show on TV.
If I didn’t hear it, it must not be important. Focusing on the joy right in front of me is what matters.
Qin Yuan stared straight at the text on his phone screen. His serious expression made Secretary Chen think that the CEO had run into some business crisis.
Strange, I didn’t receive any news?
Qin Yuan didn’t know what Secretary Chen was thinking. He clicked on Ning Qi-an’s WeChat and asked:
[Time and Distance: Qi-an, does he know you’re a demon yet?]
There was no reply from the other side, but Qin Yuan wasn’t in a hurry. He put down his phone and said to Secretary Chen, who suspected the company was going bankrupt: “Where is the Golden-Threaded Moon Vase I bought a few days ago?”
Secretary Chen’s heart skipped a beat. “It’s already packed and placed in your study, sir.”
Could the CEO be planning to sell the vase to raise money to save the company?
Unlike what Secretary Chen thought, Qin Yuan looked pensive. “That’s fine. You may leave.”
Secretary Chen bowed slightly and left composedly.
Father’s birthday is in a month. The gift that brat Xi prepared is probably something like jade again.
Qin Yuan thought to himself. He pulled open a drawer, inside of which lay a stack of papers neatly arranged. On top of the papers was a black feather. He took the feather out and tucked it into a small pocket inside his suit jacket.
The black feather pressed closely against his chest, right by his heart. Qin Yuan straightened his collar and cuffs, and happily went off to finish work.
As for the remaining tasks, he’d dump them on his son the day after tomorrow.
Excessive stress causing hallucinations? That was nothing.