Although They're Mentally ill, They're Extremely Easy to Comfort - Chapter 35

The main hall of St. Mary’s Cathedral was solemn and tranquil. The colossal dome, suspended high overhead, was meticulously painted with “The Last Judgment.” The richly colored frescoes, bearing the marks of time, covered the entire dome, a true pinnacle of Renaissance art.

A beam of sacred light shone naturally through the open-air oculus at the peak, forming a column that draped over the man’s shoulder like a golden veil woven by a god. It blended with his platinum-blond hair, creating harmonious layers and making his presence even more enigmatic and mysterious.

The man was wearing a dark grey English suit, indicating he was a seasoned fitness enthusiast. The perfectly tailored outfit beautifully showcased the handsome lines of his muscular chest and straight back.

At this moment, the entire main hall was open only for him, and his was the only figure visible among the empty pews.

Facing the gigantic statue of the Four Apostles holding up the Gates of Heaven, the man closed his eyes and silently offered a requiem mass during the priest’s chanting and sermon.

As the chanting concluded, his special assistant appeared beside him at the opportune moment, bending low to whisper a few words. The man slowly opened his eyes and put the cross pendant he had been clutching in his palm back around his neck.

The man never spoke a single word from beginning to end, his beautiful amber eyes radiating a piercing sharpness.

A mere glance at the assistant intensified the already sacred and dignified atmosphere, plunging it into an unspeakable, invisible oppression.

Inside the private gym of the mansion, continuous barking echoed.

The person on the treadmill was laboriously gasping for air, the breathing made difficult and anxious by the black plastic bag over his head. The speed display had reached its maximum limit.

His hands were tied behind his back, and a piece of fresh raw beef hung from his neck. Terrifyingly, the treadmill was surrounded by a group of bodyguards, each holding the leash of a fully grown Doberman, each dog standing at least half a meter tall.

That piece of fresh beef was a fatal attraction. The Dobermans bared their teeth in a frenzy, their oily, developed muscles straining with all their might. Their surge of energy made it quite difficult for the bodyguards to hold the leashes.

Even though his breathing was extremely labored, the man dared not slacken. He had to maintain balance while running at the fastest speed. The slightest inattention would cause him to fall, and falling meant being ripped apart by these vicious dogs.

Joe Di’s veins bulged on his forehead. His dumbbell bench press form was excellent. After finishing the last set, he sat up slowly, breathing heavily. He picked up the towel draped over his shoulder to wipe the sweat and snapped his fingers twice. His barking beloved dogs immediately sat down obediently and quietly, motionless.

Joe Di tossed the towel aside, leaned against the treadmill, and stared at the man in agony, mocking him casually, “Look at you. A run is enough to cost you half your life. It’s just that you are too weak. You need to exercise more. After all, the body is the foundation of everything.”

With that, he ruthlessly pulled the plug. The sudden power cut caused the running belt to stop instantly. The man, utterly exhausted, his legs giving way, could not check his momentum and fell heavily right at Joe Di’s feet.

Joe Di crouched down and ripped the plastic bag off the man’s head. The man greedily gulped the fresh air and begged abjectly, “Boss, I’m sorry… Water… Please, give me some water…”

Joe Di’s face was gloomy and sinking. Watching the man’s desperate thirst nearing madness, he picked up a bottle of mineral water and deliberately poured it slowly over the other man’s head.

The man lapped up the water on the floor like a dog, ignoring the filth. His wretched, undignified sight made Joe Di let out a maniacal and vicious laugh.

But this kind of humiliation was nowhere near enough to satisfy his perversion. Tossing the bottle, Joe Di grabbed the man’s hair again and yanked it up savagely, emphasizing his displeasure through clenched teeth, “I hate hearing the word ‘sorry’ the most. ‘Sorry’ means you’ve failed, yet you still dream of forgiveness. The weak are not entitled to forgiveness. So, do you know what you did wrong?”

“I… I was wrong that I haven’t been able to complete what you assigned for so long…”

“No, no, no, that’s not the main point… You still haven’t realized what you did wrong…” Joe Di fiercely threw the man’s head back, stood up, and signaled the bodyguards to take him away.

Closing his eyes in weariness, his tone was utterly disappointed, “What I want is 100% completion of what I assign. Your mistake was not being able to give me 100% from the start, and even making me waste more time and energy. Sure enough, useless things should be discarded, not repeatedly used.”

This arrogant sigh made the man realize his death was imminent. He frantically broke free from the bodyguards’ grip, crawling on his hands and knees to Joe Di’s feet.

To survive, he had long crushed his dignity into dust: “Please, give me one more chance. I promise I can complete it… I can’t die, I can’t die…”

Joe Di did not kick the man away. He viewed himself as a god pitying all beings yet haughtily overlooking the world, indifferently gazing down at the lowly face, like dust: “People who kneel easily are not good things… I will give you one last chance. Go and bring Pearl Josepha back. Otherwise… you can only bring me your head.”

Having tasted the sweetness of enjoying time together, Qiao Bo’er always wanted to cling to Ling Xi a little longer. She felt like she was poisoned whenever they were apart, uncomfortable everywhere.

As the two stepped out of the elevator, she firmly took Ling Xi’s hand, terrified that the rebellious dog would slip away in the blink of an eye, and her tone was a non-negotiable directive: “I’ll drive you to school.”

Logically, as a slacker who found breathing a chore, Ling Xi should have agreed with Qiao Bo’er. Getting a free ride from a chauffeur was a no-brainer.

But being forced by Qiao Bo’er to wash dishes this morning had somehow stirred up a rare and precious bout of diligence.

Ling Xi pointed at the Beetle directly in front and flatly rejected her offer: “I’ll drive myself. You don’t need me to take you.”

Qiao Bo’er’s thought process was sometimes stranger than Ling Xi’s. The more the slacker resisted, the more she had to do the opposite: “Qu Ye.”

Hearing his boss summon him, Qu Ye immediately got out of the car and stood by: “I’m here. What are your orders?”

In front of Ling Xi, Qiao Bo’er jutted her chin towards the black Beetle, commanding as a matter of course: “Go and puncture the tires. All four of them.”

This unreasonable request was a bit too much. Qu Ye broke out in a cold sweat and looked to Ling Xi for help.

Upon hearing this, before the tires could explode, Ling Xi did. Was there any justice left in broad daylight?

Ling Xi threw off Qiao Bo’er’s hand and stood fully in front of Qu Ye, shouting, “Is Qiao Bo’er sick?”

“Yes… I’m sick.” Qiao Bo’er’s reply was not vague either. She was simply stubborn about making Ling Xi comply.

She wasn’t wrong. She was indeed sick.

If not for the morning rush hour, Ling Xi could have spent all day arguing with Qiao Bo’er in the parking garage.

Of course, she was also the one to give in easily: “Hiss… Fine, fine, you drive, you drive.”

“Since you knew you’d have to agree in the end, why bother refusing me and wasting time in the first place?”

Qiao Bo’er flashed a victor’s smile, but Ling Xi was impatient: “Oh, yes, yes, yes, you’re right about everything.”

Once they got in the car, Ling Xi noticed that Chu Xi was also inside. Ling Xi immediately changed to a better temper and greeted her, “Secretary Chu, good morning.”

Hearing the greeting, Chu Xi smiled warmly and returned the good wishes, “Good morning, Vice Professor Ling.”

Qiao Bo’er was petty and couldn’t stand Ling Xi being nice to anyone else; she felt quite unbalanced inside.

Chu Xi could clearly sense the world behind her was filled with frosty tension and couldn’t help but look up into the rearview mirror. Sure enough, her own stingy boss was having a tantrum like a child. Her smile became very helpless.

As expected, they couldn’t escape the morning rush hour traffic jam.

The carload of people was blocked solid on the viaduct. Ling Xi peered out the window, staring blankly at the gridlocked road. Qiao Bo’er raised her hand and tugged at Ling Xi’s T-shirt: “What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?”

“Whatever.” Ling Xi’s indifferent answer slipped out, but then she felt something was wrong and turned to look at Qiao Bo’er: “Hey! I don’t need you to bring me breakfast. I’m used to not eating in the morning.”

“It’s interesting how you state a bad habit with such self-righteousness.”

“There are still some leftover dinner rolls in the fridge. Don’t worry, I won’t starve.”

Ling Xi always habitually rejected Qiao Bo’er, and Qiao Bo’er, of course, wouldn’t buy into that. She simply instructed, “Chu Xi, you handle this.”

“Understood.”

Ling Xi looked at Qiao Bo’er in confusion, scratching her head, not understanding what kind of secret code this was.

Qiao Bo’er’s hand naturally covered Ling Xi’s hand, once again reminding her earnestly, “I told you, you need to learn to take care of yourself.”

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