On How To Defeat Dr. Qing Leng Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Brother

Wen Yelan hurried toward the restroom, turning on the faucet. The icy water splashed onto his face, attempting to suppress the sudden, exposed vulnerability of his hidden corner. The sound of running water was a steady drizzle. In the mirror, his face was pale, a few strands of wet hair clinging to his smooth skin, making him look fragile. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, and when he opened them again, he had managed to restore the calm of a still, icy lake.

“How was the matcha mousse?” Pei Yan’s deliberately drawn-out tone still echoed in his ears, laced with mockery, piercing the shell of composure he tried to maintain. He hadn’t expected to run into Pei Yan here, and even less that the man would entangle himself with him like this.

This left Wen Yelan feeling a raw, exposed sense of unease.

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed a paper towel to wipe his face and straightened his slightly disheveled suit, trying hard to banish the wealthy second-generation heir’s frivolous smile and probing gaze from his mind. Wen Yelan told himself this was just an accident; after the banquet, they would remain people from two different worlds, with no further intersection.

However, just as he reached the shadow of the corridor corner, before he could fully recover, Director Chen appeared from nowhere, his face etched with urgency and dissatisfaction, grabbing his arm.

“Yelan! Where did you run off to? I’ve been looking all over for you!” Director Chen’s grip was strong, making Wen Yelan’s arm ache. “Quick, come with me! CEO Wang from Jinyuan Mining specifically asked to meet you! This is a major patron for our institute; several projects in the second half of the year depend on their funding!”

Wen Yelan’s face went white, and he instinctively tried to pull away: “Director, I’m feeling a bit unwell, could I…”

“Unwell? You were fine just now, weren’t you?” Director Chen looked him up and down, clearly unconvinced, his tone hardening: “Young man, overcome it! This is work! CEO Wang and the others are in the private room inside, drinking happily, and they specifically requested to meet the youngest expert in our institute. This is a rare opportunity, don’t mess it up!”

Without giving him a chance to refuse, Director Chen practically half-dragged him into a luxurious private room at the end of the corridor.

The moment the heavy door opened, a thick, pungent smell of smoke and alcohol assaulted them, making Wen Yelan’s stomach churn violently. The lighting in the room was dim. People were packed around the massive round table, clinking glasses and making a deafening noise. The middle-aged man with a beer belly sitting in the main seat was CEO Wang of Jinyuan Mining. Accompanying him, besides a few leaders from the institute, were several people who looked like corporate executives.

“Aiyo! CEO Wang, look, we’ve brought Dr. Wen over for you!” Director Chen instantly plastered on an enthusiastic smile and pushed Wen Yelan forward.

All eyes immediately focused on Wen Yelan, carrying various degrees of scrutiny, curiosity, and even flirtatiousness.

“This is the young expert who climbed Mount Everest? Tsk tsk, truly a talented man!” CEO Wang squinted, his gaze sweeping over Wen Yelan’s face and body with the air of evaluating merchandise. He laughed heartily: “Come, come, young man, sit here! Tell us some thrilling stories from Everest!”

A Vice Director from the institute also laughed, smoothing things over: “Yelan, don’t be shy. CEO Wang is very concerned about the development of our young researchers.”

Wen Yelan was pressed into the empty seat next to CEO Wang by Director Chen. He felt the air around him become thick and foul, suffocating him. He sat stiffly, his back ramrod straight, his lips pressed into a pale line.

“CEO Wang is too kind. It was just part of my job; there’s nothing special to tell.”

“Ah, modesty! Young people are too modest!” CEO Wang was clearly drunk. With a wave of his large hand, someone immediately filled the glass in front of Wen Yelan with clear baijiu. The strong smell of alcohol rushed into his nostrils. “I like young people who are capable but not showy! Come, Dr. Wen, I toast you! Thank you scientists for your contribution to the country!”

Wen Yelan looked at the full glass of baijiu, and his stomach lurched violently.

“CEO Wang, I apologize, but my stomach is not well, and I cannot drink alcohol,” he refused in a dry voice, trying to maintain his last shred of dignity.

The atmosphere at the table instantly cooled.

CEO Wang’s smile faded slightly, and he looked at Director Chen: “Director Chen, the experts from your institute have quite the attitude, don’t they?”

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Director Chen’s face. He quickly offered a placating smile, secretly nudging Wen Yelan’s arm, and whispered urgently: “Wen Yelan! Don’t be ignorant! CEO Wang toasting you is a sign of respect! Drink a little to show your appreciation!”

The Vice Director also chuckled: “CEO Wang, please don’t mind him. He’s young and a bit thin-skinned. Yelan, CEO Wang is toasting you, show some respect.”

The surrounding corporate executives also chimed in: “That’s right, Dr. Wen, give CEO Wang some face!”

“Just one drink, it’s a happy occasion!”

“Scientists need to integrate into society too, you can’t look down on us rough types, haha!”

Wen Yelan was trapped in the middle, his ears ringing. The noisy laughter and urging to drink hammered at his nerves. The pain in his stomach became sharper and clearer. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead and began to soak his clothes down the back of his neck.

He looked at the trembling glass of baijiu before him, then at the faces around him—eager, pressuring, or simply watching the show. He knew he had no choice. Here, he was no longer an outstanding doctor and researcher; his expertise, his principles, even his health, were irrelevant. What mattered was not disappointing the “patron.”

It was simply because he lacked background. A deep sense of powerlessness and disgust washed over him.

Wen Yelan closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, there was only a numb emptiness in his gaze.

He reached out, his cold fingertips touching the glass before him, and slowly lifted it.

“That’s more like it!” CEO Wang immediately beamed, raising his own glass.

Wen Yelan didn’t look at him, nor at anyone else. As if going to his execution, he tilted his head back and violently poured the spicy, burning liquid down his throat!

A searing, fiery pain burned from his throat all the way to the pit of his stomach. He clenched his jaw tightly to keep from throwing up on the spot. An unnatural flush quickly spread across his cheeks, and his vision swam with black spots.

“Good! That’s spirited!” CEO Wang laughed loudly, patting his shoulder in satisfaction: “Another glass! Good things come in pairs!”

A second glass of liquor was immediately refilled and pushed toward him.

Wen Yelan’s fingers were trembling; he could barely hold the cup.

“CEO Wang… I really…” He tried one last struggle, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremor.

“Hey~ Dr. Wen, that’s not very friendly now! I just finished praising you!” CEO Wang’s face darkened.

Director Chen frantically signaled with his eyes from the side.

Wen Yelan took a deep breath of the alcohol-laden air and picked up the glass again. This time, he drank slower and with greater difficulty. Every swallow felt like gulping down shards of glass, and his stomach cramped so violently it was almost spasming.

With two glasses of strong liquor down, the world began to spin. Tinnitus drowned out the surrounding noise, and his vision blurred. He felt his body burning up, yet he was constantly breaking out in cold sweat. The nausea intensified in waves, and he could only suppress it with all his might.

…He didn’t know how much time passed, but the people in the private room finally seemed to have had their fill. CEO Wang left, thoroughly satisfied, surrounded by his entourage. Before leaving, he slurred a compliment to Director Chen: “Dr. Wen… good! Very friendly! His project for the second half of the year…”

The leaders also left one after another. When Director Chen passed Wen Yelan, seeing his paper-white face and the cold sweat covering his head, he seemed to belatedly remember the complaint about his stomach: “Yelan, are you alright? Go back and get some good rest. You’ve done a great service this time; I will definitely report this to the higher-ups.”

With that, he also hurried away.

The previously noisy private room was instantly left with only Wen Yelan.

He couldn’t hold on any longer. He sprang up from the chair, stumbling into the private room’s attached restroom. As soon as he reached the sink, he began to vomit violently.

The burning alcohol mixed with acidic stomach bile was forcibly expelled, irritating his throat and nasal passages, making his eyes stream with tears. He was utterly wretched.

The vomiting brought temporary relief, followed by even more severe stomach pain and a debilitating weakness that felt like total exhaustion. Wen Yelan leaned over the cold sink, dry-heaving continuously, his body shaking uncontrollably, his vision intermittently blacking out.

Just as he felt he was about to collapse, a pair of strong hands suddenly supported his nearly limp body.

Wen Yelan vaguely lifted his head. Through his tear-blurred vision, he saw an anxious yet rugged face reflected in the mirror.

It was Pei Yan.

Why hadn’t he left yet?

Wen Yelan’s mind was a chaotic mess, unable to process anything. The intense discomfort and vulnerability overwhelmed everything, especially after enduring such a disgusting social obligation. Under the numbing effect of the alcohol, the vague subconscious awareness began to twist.

He looked at the concerned face in the mirror, and in a trance, he seemed to see a long-blurred figure from his memory—someone who had briefly given him warmth and shelter.

He spun around abruptly and grabbed Pei Yan’s arm as if clutching a lifeline. His eyes, red from vomiting, were misty with tears, his gaze scattered and dependent, revealing a vulnerability and grievance he had never shown to outsiders.

“Ge…” An extremely faint, tearful monosyllable escaped his trembling lips, like the whimper of a wounded animal: “…My stomach hurts so much… I feel awful…”

Pei Yan froze completely.

Wen Yelan had never accepted his friend request, which was why he had been waiting outside. Seeing CEO Wang and the leaders leave, but with no sign of Wen Yelan, he couldn’t resist coming to check. He hadn’t expected to walk into this scene.

Watching him vomit uncontrollably, almost collapsing from exhaustion, Pei Yan’s heart felt tightly squeezed, both aching and swollen, mixed with an indescribable surge of anger—at the people who forced him to drink, and at this fool who didn’t know how to protect himself.

But he never expected to hear that address.

Pei Yan looked at his suffering yet stubbornly enduring appearance, feeling inexplicably stifled, yet also slightly amused. He reached out, intending to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Before his fingertips could touch him, Wen Yelan flinched as if startled, sharply turning his head away. His body tensed, and his eyes, though scattered, looked over with instinctive vigilance: “Don’t touch me…”

Pei Yan’s hand froze mid-air. He laughed, exasperated. He was truly still a hedgehog.

Wen Yelan struggled to stand straight, but his legs gave way, and he pitched forward.

Pei Yan quickly caught him, pulling him back into his embrace. This time, he held him tighter, his voice laced with a hint of gritted teeth: “Fine, you’re capable, you’re the most capable. Wen Yelan, just keep being stubborn!”

Wen Yelan was uncomfortable with the tight grip and struggled a few times without success. Perhaps he was simply out of strength, or perhaps his stomach pain was too severe, but he finally quieted down, his forehead resting weakly against Pei Yan’s shoulder, breathing shallowly, like a wounded animal that had finally given in.