As these words fell, an indescribable silence enveloped the school clinic.
Yu Deng's mind flashed through countless scenarios of being silenced. He struggled to pry Lin Qinxu's arm off his waist, making a labored attempt to move toward the office door.
"Don't want to come inside and rest?" Lin Qinxu asked softly. Following Yu Deng's movements, he loosened his grip around Yu Deng's waist but didn't let go entirely. Instead, he slid his hand down to hold Yu Deng's wrist.
Yu Deng tilted his head back, glaring at Dr. Lin with a mix of anger and fear. His voice trembled slightly as he retorted, "I won't! You're a liar…"
Lin Qinxu, scolded, lowered his gaze with a seemingly disappointed expression. "How have I lied?" he asked.
"You're just a liar." Yu Deng scrunched his nose, convinced his sense of smell hadn't deceived him. "You said that place was dangerous… but aren't you dangerous too?"
Lin Qinxu looked at Yu Deng for a few seconds, then regretfully tucked away his look of disappointment.
"Well, it seems I've been found out by Yu Deng. I did lie."
Yu Deng stared, wide-eyed and dumbfounded, unable to believe Lin Qinxu admitted it so openly.
Lin Qinxu's lips curled into a gentle smile, but the obsessive madness in his eyes was now visible.
Originally, he had planned to employ just a small trick to frighten Yu Deng into leaning on him for support.
But now that Yu Deng had seen through him, he felt no regret over a failed plan. Instead, an overwhelming thrill and desire surged within him—a yearning to hide Yu Deng away and possess him entirely.
"How did Yu Deng figure it out?" the man asked as he bent down, his cool fingertips brushing against Yu Deng's cheek.
"The smell…" Yu Deng's mind went blank. After a two-second pause, he murmured in a small voice, "The smell is awful. It's the same."
Yu Deng's words were vague and slightly disordered, but Lin Qinxu instantly understood what he meant.
Lin Qinxu paused for a few seconds and sighed. "It was my oversight. Yu Deng is so clever to have noticed such a subtle detail."
Yu Deng was briefly flustered by the praise, then shook his head.
No, if he were truly clever, he wouldn't have been brought here before figuring it out. He was just average clever…
The two stood in silent confrontation for several seconds.
The door to the clinic swung shut on its own with a creak, as if carried by the wind.
---
[Oh my god! What is this bad man trying to do to my baby?]
[Watching Baby tame the beast made me forget this is an infinite flow genre. The bosses in these scenarios are all psychos…]
[Don't scare our baby! Don't you know he's a scaredy-cat?!]
[Relax, I bet he won't dare do anything to his wife! I'm wagering 5,000 live-stream coins that he's about to regret it.]
---
Yu Deng truly was a slow and timid little scaredy-cat. Whenever frightened, his response would always lag behind. However, after experiencing two scenarios, he had grown a little braver.
After a brief moment of panic and hesitation, Yu Deng straightened his back and barked fiercely, "In any case—any case, I'm not going in with you, you big liar!"
He was like a little kitten trying to puff itself up, clearly terrified but pretending to act fierce. Little did he know that every hair on his body was already standing on end, making him impossibly adorable.
The more Lin Qinxu thought about it, the more he felt this description was apt.
Yu Deng pressed his lips together, hastily using the acceleration tool and healing potion he had purchased from the shop. Taking advantage of Lin Qinxu's distraction, he abruptly broke free and turned to run outside.
His fluffy hair was lifted by the wind, and the loose, cheap school uniform jacket puffed up, revealing a slender waist. With the acceleration tool enhancing his speed, Yu Deng darted away like lightning, covering a dozen meters in no time.
Lin Qinxu's arms were suddenly empty.
The lovely and adorable Yu Deng had escaped.
Outside, the sky was faintly darkening, but the streetlights on campus had yet to turn on. The surrounding trees appeared to Yu Deng like lurking demons and ghosts.
Relying on memory, Yu Deng sprinted toward the dormitory building. But in his haste, just as he was about to leave the school infirmary building, he misstepped and slipped off the stairs, about to fall flat on the ground.
Yu Deng's face fell. "…!" Oh no, this is the end for me.
From a distance, Lin Qinxu saw this happen. Moving faster than thought, he instantly teleported forward without hesitation, catching Yu Deng around the waist and pulling him into his arms.
Behind Lin Qinxu, the infirmary twisted slightly, and from the sleeve of his white coat, a surgical knife slid out.
The chilling and terrifying aura leaked out momentarily, freezing the air around them.
Lin Qinxu held onto the person tightly. Within seconds, he carried Yu Deng back to the office, the iron door clicking shut and locking behind them.
Yu Deng was placed on the small bed in the corner of the office. Confused, he looked up at Lin Qinxu and then glanced around the room. "…Huh?"
Was he back in the office?
How had that deceitful doctor moved so quickly? If he was this powerful, how could Yu Deng possibly resist?
Sitting dejectedly on the bed, Yu Deng stayed silent. He seemed lost in thought, but in truth, he was still trying to process what had happened.
He'd been caught and brought back. He hadn't even succeeded in such a simple escape attempt…
Slumping for a moment, Yu Deng looked at Lin Qinxu—who exuded danger and perversity from head to toe—and for the first time, felt the true terror of facing his mission target as a dungeon boss.
Would the other two mission targets be just as terrifying? Hopefully not, he thought miserably.
"Don't move. Let me check you over."
Lin Qinxu stood in front of Yu Deng, holding him in place as he examined him carefully. Confirming there were no bumps or scrapes, an uncharacteristic sense of fear arose in his heart.
Grasping Yu Deng's wrist, the man sighed, "Why did you run, darling?"
Hearing this, Yu Deng's mind immediately returned to the room he had glimpsed earlier. Shrinking back, he prepared to pull out the wolf-fur sweater he had obtained in the last dungeon for defense. "Don't kill me! And don't hit me…"
Lin Qinxu held Yu Deng's shoulders, saying softly, "I wasn't—I didn't plan to kill you."
For once, Lin Qinxu stumbled over his words, unsure how to salvage his image.
Being held by the man made Yu Deng shudder again.
The healing potion's effects had worn off, and waves of pain returned to his ankle.
After such a tumultuous emotional rollercoaster—fear, panic, and tension—Yu Deng's skin hunger flared up again.
The unbearable heat and itchiness, combined with the throbbing in his ankle, made Yu Deng extraordinarily uncomfortable.
Looking at Lin Qinxu, Yu Deng's heart suddenly overflowed with feelings of grievance. The tears he had been holding back finally spilled over.
The teardrop clinging to his lashes trembled before falling, and once it started, it didn't stop. Soon, his face was streaked with tears.
"I don't believe you at all… You—don't come any closer!" Yu Deng, though overwhelmed by his need for comfort, forced himself to hold firm, glaring at the deceitful villain with tears in his eyes. Through sobs, he cursed him angrily.
"It's all your fault! You're just lying to me... You're so powerful, those things must be under your control, right? You even scared me! It hurt so much when I was running just now. Lin Qinxu, I hate you..."
He's the worst! This awful school doctor is worse than any man I've ever met!
After a jumbled string of complaints, Yu Deng refused to speak to Lin Qinxu anymore.
When Yu Deng cried, he rarely made any noise. He simply pursed his lips and silently shed tears. His nose and cheeks flushed red from crying, and his delicate, fair face was streaked with tears, making him look utterly pitiful.
Warm tears fell, splashing onto Lin Qinxu's wrist and spreading like water blooms.
Lin Qinxu's hands were cold, making Yu Deng's tears feel scalding, as though they burned right onto his heart.
...Why is he crying so much?
Lin Qinxu was stunned for a few seconds, his usual composed and calculating demeanor completely gone, replaced by a sense of panic. The dark thoughts he'd harbored earlier, along with his mischievous desire to tease Yu Deng, vanished entirely in this moment.
Unconsciously, Lin Qinxu began to reflect on whether he'd gone too far. Deep down, he admitted that he couldn't bear to confine Yu Deng, nor did he want to see him cry like this. Above all, he absolutely didn't want to hurt him.
The normally deceptive and fearsome school doctor found himself at a loss for words. After a long silence, he awkwardly said, "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
Yu Deng, who had been brought back against his will, didn't believe him. He didn't respond, just casting a suspicious glance at Dr. Lin with his tear-filled eyes.
Lin Qinxu crouched down in front of Yu Deng and said slowly, "I just... like you too much, so I wanted to coax you to stay here a little longer."
He paused before adding, "Your eyes are beautiful, your face is beautiful, your hands are beautiful... Everything about you is beautiful."
Yu Deng sniffled, trying hard to stop crying, and muttered gloomily, "I know I'm beautiful."
"But, but just because I'm good-looking, does that mean you can bully me? You're such a bad person."
Lin Qinxu was taken aback for a moment.
Before Yu Deng's question, he hadn't actually thought about why he was so deeply drawn to him. Was it purely because of his beauty? It didn't seem to be that simple.
Seeing Lin Qinxu remain silent, Yu Deng grew more upset and continued lecturing him. "You can't like me this way. You're making me uncomfortable."
Lin Qinxu slowly nodded. "I understand."
"You can't bully me." Yu Deng's clear and beautiful eyes blinked, and another tear fell, which he quickly wiped away.
Lin Qinxu remained silent for a long time. He restrained his frightening aura and sincerely admitted his mistake, "Yes, I used the wrong approach earlier. I'm sorry."
Yu Deng stared at the apologizing school doctor, dazed for a few seconds, and then instinctively took the lead.
"Just admitting your mistake isn't sincere enough. You—you also need to tell me what you know."
Lin Qinxu raised his eyes and stared deeply at Yu Deng for a few moments before replying, "Alright." He stood up and extended his hand toward Yu Deng. "But you're not feeling well right now. Give me a chance to help you feel better, alright? I'll explain while treating you."
Yu Deng looked doubtful. "Really?"
"Of course."
Testing the waters, Yu Deng grabbed the intimidating school doctor's hand. Only after confirming that the man had truly become well-behaved did he relax and lift his chin slightly. "Then hurry up and explain!"
[Just now, I was so mad at this old dog for scaring my dear wife, but now I feel so smug.]
[Acting all tough, daring to scare the baby, and now he's begging the baby for forgiveness!]
[Let's give it up for Master Dog Trainer Deng Deng!]
[But poor baby, crying so pitifully earlier. Let me kiss you.]
"Since my baby is so clever, you've probably already guessed that my authority in the school clinic is quite extensive. Or rather, I have special privileges throughout the entire school," Lin Qinxu explained. "I am responsible for enforcing punishments on students who violate the rules."
So impressive...
Yu Deng frowned, muttering, "Doesn't that make you invincible?"
Hearing Yu Deng's praise, Lin Qinxu shook his head. "Under normal circumstances, I cannot leave the confines of the school clinic."
"The clinic is a place for treating students, but it's also where punishments are carried out. The Self-Reflection Room is also located in this building."
Yu Deng repeated, "Self-Reflection Room?"
It seemed like this punishment was mentioned in several school rules—students were sent into the Self-Reflection Room to reflect on their behavior. It had to be a terrifying place.
"Yes. As the name suggests, the Self-Reflection Room ensures that students who enter fully reflect on their actions," Lin Qinxu said, wiping the tears from the corners of Yu Deng's eyes. "Be careful and avoid going there."
[Ding! Target's identity updated.
Lin Qinxu: School doctor at Guihuai High School. Wields significant authority, able to discipline rule-breaking students and perform surgeries on them.]
[Ding! Instance information supplemented.
At Guihuai High Schoolstudents who violate the rules are sent to the Self-Reflection Room. After spending a full day inside, most of them are reformed.]
Yu Deng pondered this for a moment.
This must be a supplemental rule derived from the main school regulations. But it still didn't clarify the hierarchy of power.
"All existing phenomena don't appear out of thin air. Everything leaves traces," Lin Qinxu said, watching Yu Deng's troubled expression, offering a hint.
Yu Deng: "Huh?"
What does "leaves traces" mean…? Does it suggest looking into past events?
[Host, your reasoning is correct. You can learn more by investigating past occurrences.]
Yu Deng let out a sound of acknowledgment and followed this train of thought.
If one wanted to understand a school's history, the best approach would likely be… the library or the archives?
That's right—maybe something useful can really be found there!
Yu Deng pondered for a moment and suddenly recalled something Qin Jun had said to him during the second instance.
"Rules aren't always meant to be followed, and playing by the book isn't necessarily the best way to break the game."
[Wife finally realized they could go to the library to find clues. So adorably clueless, hehe. I can't help but feel fond every time I remember wife only attended three days of class.]
[Experienced players probably thought of checking the school's history records on the first day, but baby's instance experience is so limited. It's only their third time entering an instance, so it's understandable.]
[Baby's already improved so much!! Let's not forget this is a solo paranormal instance. For most players, finding clues or deciphering the rules with so many traps would've been impossible—they'd be dead by now!]
[Exactly! Plus, the men around Deng Deng all scream key characters. Deng Deng already has them wrapped around their finger.]
Yu Deng glanced at the school doctor, who had just shared so much information with him, and asked his system, "Tongtong, why doesn't he just tell me everything outright?"
[Host, this instance is a B-rank, hard-mode instance. In most cases, NPCs might not be able to disclose too much information to players,] the system explained. [Or, they might only reveal everything once the player has gathered enough clues and the storyline progresses to the appropriate stage.]
[If there weren't restrictions, given the self-restraint of these quest targets, Host would probably only need to pout, act coy, and say something sweet, and they'd spill everything.]
[Even if you're the only special player selected by the Main System, it wouldn't let you completely cheat… although you're already pretty much cheating as it is.]
"I think that's about all I can say," Lin Qinxu said, lowering his gaze meekly. "Can you forgive me?"
Yu Deng thought for a moment and generously replied, "Alright, I'll give you a chance. I won't dislike you for now."
He looked just like a proud, beautiful little cat. Lin Qinxu was charmed by the cuteness and responded softly, "Alright."
At that moment, Yu Deng's phone vibrated twice in his pocket. It was a message from Zhuang Lin saying he'd come to pick him up.
—That morning, while Yu Deng was chatting with Lu Yan, Zhuang Lin had begged to add him as a contact too.
Not long after sending the message, Zhuang Lin arrived, calling out loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Baby, I'm here to take you back to the dorm."
But as soon as he stepped into the school clinic and saw Yu Deng's tear-streaked, red eyes, his smile vanished. He turned to Lin Qinxu, his tone stiff. "Doctor, why did you make the patient cry?"
Lin Qinxu didn't bother showing patience to anyone else, especially someone addressing Yu Deng so familiarly. He raised an eyebrow and gently reminded, "That doesn't seem like something you should be questioning."
The two exchanged a look of mutual irritation, laced with an unspoken understanding. Then, after glancing at Yu Deng again, they both instructed him to sit in the office for a while before stepping out together.
Yu Deng was confused. "What's going on?"
The next moment, the room seemed to shake slightly, and the main system issued a warning.
[Energy fluctuations detected—mission target's desire for destruction is increasing sharply, please be alert, player Yu Deng!]
Huh? Are they fighting?
Yu Deng slowly stood up, intending to check on the situation. As he moved, his eyes casually glanced at a piece of paper stuck to the desk.
[Guihuai High School Clinic Medical Guidelines:
1. Do not question the doctor's treatment methods.
2. Do not damage medical equipment.
3. Strictly follow medical advice.]
So the clinic has rules too.
He read carefully, not noticing the different footsteps echoing down the hallway.
"Deng Deng."
Yu Deng was startled and turned around, only to find it was Lu Yan.
The young man was standing not far from him, dragging a large suitcase.
Yu Deng was confused. "Lu Yan? Didn't you say the application wouldn't be approved until Monday?"
"I talked to Teacher Wang again. The stamp on the application will be done tomorrow, but I can move in today," Lu Yan said, walking over and gently pressing his finger to the corner of Yu Deng's eye. "I applied for your dorm room."
"Oh, okay..."
"Why are your eyes so red?" Lu Yan said softly. "Sorry, I shouldn't have left yesterday."
Yu Deng didn't understand what Lu Yan meant. "It's not your fault, it's someone else's problem! Lu Yan, can you take me to my dorm?"
Lu Yan nodded, leading Yu Deng to his suitcase. Yu Deng, still half-dazed, was pulled along a few steps. Not wanting to be carried by Lu Yan, he decided to sit on the suitcase instead.
The wheels of the suitcase rolled as they walked halfway, and Yu Deng felt like he had forgotten something. What was he supposed to do just now?
"How's it been, staying at school over the weekend?" Lu Yan asked, seemingly casually.
"Not bad," Yu Deng answered, then muttered about how Zhuang Lin had become more obedient.
Lu Yan lowered his gaze, a cold aura surrounding him.
"Oh, I also ran into a really mean scammer earlier..."
Lu Yan's eyes darkened. "And then?"
"Then, I taught him a lesson and told him he can't do that."
Yu Deng felt a little proud. "He doesn't dare anymore."