Chapter 44: Well Done, Bruce

The last patient arrived just before the clinic’s closing time, and Maxy, the Wood Elf doctor, stayed busy until midnight before finally finishing his shift.

But Maxy didn’t want to sleep. He had finally reached his own time—no work, no social obligations, just himself and his books, accompanied by his black dog nurse, Bruce.

“Bruce, I really want to know who the author of this book is. It’s so fascinating. Some of the details about the Foxkin Maiden—do you think the author might actually be a Foxkin Maiden themselves?”

Maxy gently patted Bruce, who was wearing his nurse’s cap.

Besides reading his favorite herbology and alchemy books, Maxy spent most of his free time reading these stories about Beastmen.

“Woof!”

Bruce let out a bark.

After reading for what felt like ages, Maxy felt his eyelids growing heavy. But the thought of getting up tomorrow and returning to the same old routine of treating patients and dispensing medicine made him unable to accept sleep.

He imagined himself just drifting through life like a vagrant, unwilling to work!

“Sigh.”

Just as Maxy sighed and reluctantly prepared to go to bed, there was a sudden, urgent knock on the door.

Usually, such a grim knock meant an emergency patient had arrived.

Although he was reluctant about his job, Maxy hurried to open the door.

It was Cuihua. Maxy immediately remembered she had come to borrow a book before.

“Cuihua? What’s this about?”

Maxy glanced aside and saw a person sitting in a wheelchair with their head down, looking like a patient.

“H-he… he…” Cuihua stammered, clearly anxious.

“Come inside and talk first.”

Maxy stepped aside, and Cuihua quickly pushed the wheelchair into the clinic.

As Maxy closed the door, he exchanged a glance with Qingmu.

“The consultation room is this way.”

Maxy led Cuihua to the consultation room, turned on a lamp made from glowing mushrooms, and asked, “What’s wrong? Is he unconscious?”

“Yes, he’s my friend. I don’t know why he suddenly passed out.”

“And his legs?”

“Congenital—he’s paralyzed from the waist down.”

“Let me take a look.”

Maxy pulled out a magical flashlight and approached Qingmu, while Cuihua lifted Qingmu’s face.

“Huh? He looks a bit familiar.”

Seeing Qingmu’s face, Maxy paused in surprise.

“Really? He’s just a generic face.”

“Is that so?”

Maxy frowned and then reached out to hold Qingmu’s face himself, signaling Cuihua she didn’t need to help.

Seeing this, Cuihua let go and moved behind Maxy, scanning the room.

She noticed a large iron pot used to brew medicinal soup, scrubbed clean.

Cuihua walked over, picked up the iron pot, and faced Maxy, who was still checking Qingmu’s pupils.

“Hello, doctor.”

Suddenly, Qingmu, whose eye was being examined, opened both eyes wide, startling Maxy.

“Sorry!”

Without warning, Cuihua swung the iron pot toward Maxy’s head.

Knock him out, then force-feed the medicine!

That was their plan.

However—

“Woof!!!”

Out of nowhere, a big black dog lunged at Cuihua, knocking her off balance and causing the pot to slip from her hands, sparing Maxy.

“What the—!”

Maxy immediately grew alert, pushing the wheelchair and Qingmu away.

Seeing his dog nurse Bruce biting the screaming Cuihua, he shouted, “Good bite, brother! Well done, Bruce!”

Then he grabbed the fallen iron pot, preparing to hit Cuihua over the head.

Knock out this wild one first, then deal with the paralyzed friend!

That was Maxy’s plan.

He raised the pot high, but—

“Let go!”

Suddenly, a strong shove from behind made him drop the pot, which struck Bruce’s head, causing the dog to yelp in pain.

Maxy looked up and recognized the figure—not the paralyzed Qingmu at all, who was now standing and charging at him with a strong iron shoulder tackle!

“Damn dog!”

Cuihua, whose arm was bleeding from Bruce’s bite, was furious. She stood and kicked Bruce’s head.

“Hit this one!”

Qingmu grabbed Maxy’s waist and shoved him onto the consultation table, sending bottles and jars crashing to the floor.

“It’s on!”

Cuihua didn’t lose her cool despite Bruce’s snarling. She picked up the iron pot again and swung it hard at Maxy’s forehead.

“Bang!”

This time, the pot definitely connected.

Maxy’s head spun; his strength drained, and he slumped against the table.

Qingmu caught him to keep him from hitting his head.

“Medicine!”

Seeing Maxy faint, Cuihua urged Qingmu.

“Open his mouth!”

Qingmu held Maxy’s chin, but Maxy, barely conscious, clenched his teeth tightly and refused to open his mouth.

“Open up!”

Cuihua tried to pry Maxy’s mouth open.

“You’re harder to convince to take medicine than a child!”

“Open your mouth!”

Together they struggled, but Maxy shook his head stubbornly.

He knew something was wrong with that pill!

Two fists couldn’t beat four hands, but one mouth was still harder to force open.

Just as Maxy felt the pill going down would mark the beginning of a twisted fate, his loyal friend Bruce stepped in once again.

The black dog nurse swept in like a dark wind and swallowed the pill from Qingmu’s hand.

Qingmu: “Eh?”

Cuihua: “Ah?”

Maxy: “Good boy, brother! Well done, Bruce!”

But as Maxy said this, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

This isn’t good!

“What kind of pill was that?”

Maxy asked them, and Qingmu and Cuihua exchanged a worried look.

“We’re done for!”

They thought.

Giving that pill to a dog—and still expecting to control the doctor!

“Howl!!!”

The pill worked so fast even Qingmu was stunned.

Suddenly, Bruce howled in pain, bleeding from all seven orifices, collapsing to the ground and convulsing.

Seeing this, Maxy shouted, “Brother, what’s wrong with you? No!”

Ignoring the broken glass on the floor, he weakly crawled over and hugged Bruce, crying out, “No, Bruce! How am I supposed to live without you? Without you, how will I get through these lonely nights, brother!”

If Qingmu and Cuihua hadn’t noticed Bruce’s male dog anatomy, they might have thought:

“Oh, they’re into some human-animal nurse play?”

But this doctor cared so deeply for his dog nurse?

Qingmu and Cuihua exchanged a knowing smile.

Cuihua: “Dr. Maxy, you don’t want your good brother to die, do you?”

Qingmu: “If you don’t listen to me, your good brother Bruce will explode, you know~”

Maxy, tears streaming down, looked down and saw Bruce’s dog belly bloated with gas.

“What exactly do you want?”

Just then, the clinic door was knocked on again.

“Dr. Maxy! I just heard all that crashing. What happened here?”

Qingmu and Cuihua thought, this isn’t good.

Maxy’s gaze toward them was full of hatred.

He shouted, “I need help!”