Luo Li suddenly ducked his head.
So what if it’s flat-chested!
Besides, besides, besides… it wasn’t even that flat…
No.
He was a boy, after all. It would be weirder if it wasn’t flat.
What an idiot Kang Xun was.
But thank goodness he was an idiot—he hadn’t thought too deeply about it.
If he’d actually started suspecting Luo Li of being a guy in drag, that would have been a disaster.
Fu Shiyue paused for a beat, then arched a brow. “I didn’t mean to imply anything against Lili.”
His gaze lingered on Luo Li’s chest for a moment before he added meaningfully, “Besides, for me, it’s just right.”
A perfect mouthful in size—nice and fitting.
Kang Xun let out a tsk.
What did he mean, “for me”? Did he even qualify to say that?
Players couldn’t see each other’s conditions, so Kang Xun had no idea that Fu Shiyue suffered from Delusional Disorder.
But judging by Luo Li’s reaction, Kang Xun was dead certain that Fu Shiyue wasn’t “her” real boyfriend.
“A doctor sexually harassing a nurse,” Kang Xun said with disdain. “You’ve really outdone yourself.”
Fu Shiyue’s smile froze on his face.
“I just think Lili’s been getting too chummy with other guys lately. I’ve got to look out for my girlfriend and keep the riffraff from eyeing her, don’t I?”
Fu Shiyue paused, his tone softening even more. “Come on, Lili, no more fussing. Let’s talk this out nicely, okay?”
Kang Xun couldn’t stomach the man’s smug attitude. He cut in sharply. “Fu Shiyue, looks like you stole a doctor’s identity, huh.”
Something had felt off from the start—three wards, six beds, but only five players.
Given that Lu Yanyan had snagged a nurse identity for free movement around the place, there was no reason others couldn’t have done the same.
One bed sat empty, which probably meant someone had swapped out their patient role right at the game’s start and slipped free of the ward.
And that someone was most likely this thirty-two-year-old Chief Physician, Fu Shiyue.
Fu Shiyue slowly shrugged back into his white coat, his expression utterly calm. “And if I did? I don’t care how the rest of you clear the game. I just want to handle my own business.”
“Heh, is that right?”
Meng Hu’s death had been suspicious. Kang Xun had pegged the culprit as some monster lurking in the hospital.
But now? Fu Shiyue, who’d ditched the main game path early on, moved freely as a doctor, and could even conjure a Ghost Hitting Wall… He looked plenty guilty.
If he’d taken out Meng Hu, that meant player-on-player violence.
Still, snagging a doctor identity didn’t guarantee smooth sailing.
In this game, whatever role you claimed, you had to play by its rules. Deviate, and you’d face penalties.
So…
“Ding.”
The clinic’s mechanical chime rang out again. “Outpatient session ended. Next patient, please proceed to the clinic.”
Kang Xun shot Luo Li a glance. “What are you standing around for? Your exam’s done.”
That meant Doctor Fu Shiyue couldn’t keep Luo Li in the clinic any longer.
Having his weakness exposed, Fu Shiyue’s face darkened instantly.
He raised his arm, reaching once more to grab Luo Li’s hand and hold him there.
The little nurse bristled in an instant. “Get lost!”
In his struggle, the small leather whip tumbled from his pocket. Remembering the item only now, Luo Li scooped it up without thinking, clutching it like a lifeline.
Kang Xun was a little speechless at the sight of the whip.
Did Luo Li even know how to use it? Did he think it was for self-defense or something?
The moment Fu Shiyue’s palm brushed Luo Li’s shoulder, the little nurse held his breath and swung the whip.
The hasty lash whistled through empty air in an awkward miss.
Kang Xun tsked again, his handsome face twisting sour as he planted himself in front of Luo Li. “Fu, when are you going to quit—”
“Pa!”
The next instant, a faint stinging pain bloomed on his shoulder.
The whip was made of soft leather, but when swung with full force, it cracked with a sharp snap.
Luo Li hadn’t expected Kang Xun to step in front of him. Eyes squeezed shut for that follow-up swing, he’d landed it squarely on the youth’s broad back muscles.
Oh no, total disaster.
The arrogant, fierce youth’s brows furrowed tight. He reached back to touch his back, a vein throbbing wildly at his temple.
He’d always looked intimidating, but now with his face shadowed, half his sharp, angular features darkened menacingly. His canines ground with an audible grit.
Luo Li was utterly dumbfounded, wishing the earth would swallow him whole.
He ducked his little head nervously, mumbling guiltily, “I… I missed…”
Inside, he was already wailing.
With Kang Xun’s temper, he was surely about to blow up.
Luo Li peeked up through thin eyelids, but before he could even read the man’s expression, Kang Xun seized his wrist in a firm grip.
The youth’s voice came out harsh and vicious. “Move it. Get us out of here.”
Luo Li didn’t dare delay. He hurried around the nearest corner and out of the outpatient area.
The moment he rounded the bend, the unsettling dark-red hanging light strips vanished. The hospital’s stark white lighting enveloped them once more.
They’d finally broken free of the Ghost Hitting Wall.
Luo Li let out a sigh of relief, his palms slick with sweat—he’d broken out in a cold sweat without realizing it.
Glancing back, he saw Kang Xun a short distance behind, one hand braced against the wall, beads of cold sweat dotting his forehead.
The youth irritably yanked open his collar, exposing a stretch of wheat-toned, veined neck. His earlobes flushed an unnatural red, and his feral wolf-like eyes sharpened to razor points.
He kept clawing at a spot on his back, his Adam’s apple bobbing as muffled grunts escaped his throat.
Luo Li watched in confusion before it dawned on him.
The place he was scratching… was right where Luo Li had accidentally whipped him.
At a loss for what to do, a new pop-up window appeared.
【Player: Kang Xun】
【Condition: Masochism (40)】
【Note: This condition compels the player to crave rough handling. Acts that would insult ordinary people—like verbal abuse, beatings, mockery, or forced humiliation—will trigger abnormal sexual arousal in this player.】
【The more such humiliations occur, the higher the player’s Illness Value will climb.】
Luo Li was left reeling.
The window had popped up so abruptly—he hadn’t been prepared at all.
Still dazed, Kang Xun lunged forward in a single stride, backing him into a corner.
“Medicine.”
The youth’s canines clamped tight as he thrust out his hand, none too politely. “Hand over the medicine.”
When Luo Li’s pretty, damp almond eyes blinked in bewilderment, Kang Xun grew even more impatient. “Didn’t you already feed some to Ling Yu? Now give it to me.”
The medicine that eased players’ conditions was indeed still tucked away on Luo Li’s person.
But…
007 piped up suddenly. “Reminder: Acquiring medicine also factors into players’ points for settlement.”
In other words, as the Boss, it was probably best if he didn’t let a player get the medicine.
But this guy had just helped him shake off Fu Shiyue.
Luo Li felt a pang of reluctance.
As he hesitated, Kang Xun suddenly pinched his chin.
“I just don’t get you.”
“You act all reluctant in front of Fu Shiyue, but you’re plenty proactive with that Ling Yu.”
“Can’t even spare me a little medicine?”
The youth’s lips were parched, his tongue pressing against his canines as he ground his teeth in agitation.
“He even kissed your mouth.”
Hot breath ghosted over Luo Li’s cheek. He twisted his head away awkwardly, but Kang Xun pressed in relentlessly, crowding him.
“I saw everything you got up to with that doctor.”
“I pulled you out of there—bet you hated every second, huh?”
His husky voice murmured right by Luo Li’s ear. “…Looked like you were having a great time, though, wiggling your hips on his lap.”
Luo Li caught every word, his earlobes instantly staining deep red.
Fine, then—no more pity for this jerk!
He bit his lip until shallow teeth marks bloomed, clenching his small fists tight.
“You… don’t deserve me feeding you medicine.”
His heart hammered in his throat, his voice thin and reedy, yet laced with a bossy itch that begged to be scratched.
“You’re not as rich as Ling Yu, and your personality’s nowhere near as nice as Fu Shiyue’s. At best, you’re a mangy stray dog.”
Luo Li couldn’t meet his eyes, scrambling inwardly for words.
“If you want the medicine… you’ll have to beg me for it.”
Kang Xun froze for a second, a scoff slipping through his teeth. “Beg you? You have got to be—”
“You have to beg!”
Luo Li cut him off, mustering his courage to puff out his chest. “And it’s not just begging—you’ll have to bark like a dog, too.”
It was the most humiliating thing he could think of.
But would Kang Xun actually do it?
It felt ridiculous.
Luo Li had no confidence.
A long, heavy silence stretched out before Kang Xun curled his lips in a cold smirk.
“…Fine. I beg you. Give me the medicine.”
His lips brushed Luo Li’s ear as he let out a soft bark. “Woof.”
…That was it?
Luo Li stared at that face brimming with malice, showing no sign of his Illness Value spiking.
Panic fluttered in his chest.
Had the system glitched? Or was his approach wrong?
He blurted out hurriedly, “N-No, that’s not convincing enough. Um… you have to wag your tail like a good doggy, too.”
Kang Xun’s brows and eyes instantly darkened with thick menace.
“Don’t push your luck.”
A piercing alarm blared from outside.
The Battle Royale had come to an end. It looked like the remaining players had finally made their way here.
Through the corner of his eye, Luo Li caught sight of the newcomers. It had to be Ling Yu and the others.
The players were approaching in small groups of two or three, heading straight in this direction.
This was Kang Xun’s last chance to obtain the medicine.
“Are you satisfied now?”
The young man braced himself against the wall, his voice laced with intense pressure. “Is this what you want? For me to wag my tail at you like a dog right in front of them?”
Luo Li didn’t actually have the nerve for anything like that.
He was just about to backpedal and refuse when the menacing young man in front of him slowly squatted down.
He dropped right to Luo Li’s feet, his canine teeth grinding together with an audible creak.
…And then, just like a dog, he began to sway his lean and powerful waist, the muscles there sharply defined.
It was as if he were wagging an invisible tail.
Luo Li froze in place. Things had unfolded in a way that completely exceeded his expectations.
But he couldn’t very well tell Kang Xun to stand up now.
He might as well commit to the act. Pretending to be pleased, he huffed, “Hmph… Can’t you wag that tail any faster? You’re useless.”
He sneaked a glance toward the approaching players.
This time, they would probably catch the whole scene…
But would treating Kang Xun like this really raise his Illness Value?
Outwardly, there wasn’t the slightest sign of it. He looked utterly defiant.
“It will.”
007 spoke up, his voice icy cold and carrying a faint, almost imperceptible trace of disdain.
“He’s loving every second of it right now.”
