novelraw Chapter 163: Treating Phobias
Chapter 163: Treating Phobias
When Yu Minglang was sending Qian back, the sky was already dark. No matter how reluctant he was, he couldn’t help it. At her doorstep, Qian wanted to get out of the car, but he grabbed her hand.
"Can’t you show a bit of reluctance?"
Every time they parted, she left very decisively without a hint of hesitation.
"What you express isn’t necessarily true; truly reluctant doesn’t mean lingering a little longer," Qian looked at him, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
Yu Minglang, today you got a taste of your own medicine! In their past life, whenever work called, he would leave without a second glance at her.
The chickens always come home to roost. In the month of dating him, Qian felt like she had vented all her past life’s frustrations.
"Alright, go back and rest early. I’ll make sure to call and write to you regularly."
As soon as he said this, Yu Minglang perked up, pulling her into an embrace and kissing her.
Jia Xiufang heard the sound of a car outside. When she went out to take a look, she happened to witness the scene. Even through the car window, she could see the two hugging.
Qian got out of the car, and Yu Minglang stuck his head out of the car window, "Auntie, still awake?"
"Not yet..." Who can sleep when you haven’t sent my daughter home?!
"Sleep early; I’m not coming in. Qian, don’t forget to call me."
Yu Minglang left, and Jia Xiufang glared at Qian, "You silly girl, get in the house!"
Once they were inside, Jia Xiufang noticed her daughter’s clothes were different, holding a bag in her left hand and a bucket in her right. The bag contained the clothes she wore out in the morning.
"What did you two get up to!!!"
Qian grabbed a piece of fruit, but before she could put it in her mouth, Jia Xiufang snatched it away.
"You’re not allowed to eat! Tell me, what did you two do!"
"Mom, you’re overthinking. Look at all the mud on the clothes. We went fishing, I slipped, and he bought me new clothes."
Jia Xiufang opened the bucket; it was filled with small fish. She inspected them carefully; there were big ones and small ones, indeed caught.
"How much were the clothes? Pay him back later; don’t let him spend money on you all the time!"
"If not now, when should I let him spend money? The most direct way of expressing affection for a man is to empty his wallet, ideally investing his fortune in yourself. That’s what relationship experts often say, frugal women are most easily dumped, like Jia Xiufang."
"Did I ever teach you like that? You two just started dating, and you’re spending his money like this. What will his family think of you? If he has bad intentions and wants to take advantage of you, a bit of stuff and you’re hooked..."
Qian showed a taught expression, but found it amusing inside. If Yu Minglang were as her mom described, he would have made a move when they were sleeping together today. Though this man mostly lacks shame, he is kind of old-fashioned in some areas, hesitating even when encouraged, insisting on waiting until she grows up.
"Your father and I aren’t together, just worried you and your brother, as if you haven’t seen money before, going out to get something to eat with just anyone, letting people laugh at you. From tomorrow, you’re not allowed out, stay home and help me."
Jia Xiufang feared her daughter would suffer without quite explaining the reason, so she planned to restrict Qian’s outings.
"Mom, you’re guarding Yu Minglang as if he’s a wolf, why did you agree to us dating?"
"Back then, the boy was too sly; he blocked my words with his smooth talk, leaving me no choice but to agree. But you both need to mind the limits in your relationship. You’re still a student, and until you’re married, don’t, don’t do that! Young people today are not like us back then. If he tried that today, he’d be judged guilty back then!"
"Alright, relax, Yu Minglang isn’t the kind of person without principles. Don’t think the worst of him." How she talked about Yu Minglang was her business, others couldn’t say anything, not even when her mom was concerned for her well-being.
"Damn it, now you’re defending him; if you marry him later, won’t you suffer?" Jia Xiufang grumbled while handing the fruit to Qian and lugging the heavy fish to the kitchen, "This boy can fish alright, they’re so heavy, how can we finish eating them..."
"Mom, I’m going out tomorrow—"
Before Qian could finish her sentence, she saw Jia Xiufang come out of the kitchen, brimming with hostility.
"I’m going to pick up my brother, what’s got you so worked up? Yu Minglang is heading back to work tomorrow; we won’t see each other for a while."
"Fine, just make sure to pick your brother up early."
The next day, unlike going straight to pick up her brother, Qian took a detour to see Zheng Xu.
Zheng Xu likely didn’t expect her to come this early, still in pajamas, his hair was tousled.
He was different from usual with a bit of laziness, looked kind of mischievous.
"Did your Husky let you out alone without bodyguards?"
"Are you insane? I’ll give you ten minutes to freshen up, I’ll be waiting in the treatment room."
This time, Qian came with immense confidence; it’s all depending on this to unravel the case she couldn’t solve in the past.
After a while, Zheng Xu came over; following simple desensitization treatment, Zheng Xu asked Qian.
"Any progress?"
"No, actually regressed. Essentially, the initial treatment was wasted."
"...And yet you’re saying this so gleefully? I think I might charge you extra for the treatment."
"I’m genuinely happy now—" Qian beamed with joy, and Zheng Xu raised an eyebrow.
"Generally speaking, after several treatments with me, symptoms shouldn’t relapse, yet you regressed after visiting school yesterday; the issue must be at the school! Zheng Xu! By the end of today, I will definitely make significant improvements in your condition, trust me!"
Zheng Xu smiled seeing Qian’s spirited demeanor, but wasn’t overly optimistic. After all, this illness has been with him for a long time.
Guiding Zheng Xu into a hypnotic state, Qian repeated the steps she had taken last time, asking about Zheng Xu’s experiences year by year. When they reached age 14, Zheng Xu’s expression seemed pained. Qian felt a little anxious; success hinged on this attempt.
"I was playing with fire... burned down the school warehouse..."
Qian’s eyes widened, what?
But professionalism guided her to continue using the hypnotic tone to inquire, "Why play with fire?"
"There was a symbol I had made as a bet on the beam of the warehouse. Used alcohol to wipe it, then alcohol spilled... not sure why dangling branch got ignited... I was curious to see if such a small flame could ignite the alcohol, and then it caught fire."
So he was the one who drew that symbol! Qian was a bit speechless at the moment; how idiotic a way to start a fire, even he had a phase of immaturity?
She thought, the source of fear for someone like Zheng Xu would be something bloody or violent, like the case abroad with a phobia of whirlpools, stemming from the patient’s grandfather dying stuffed into a barrel, a swirling-like corpse, sparking a fear of whirlpools, making the patient fear snails, eventually leading to a horrific self-inflicted death after an episode.
But Zheng Xu’s phobia source... turns out to be like this!
Next was the most crucial step in resolving the phobia, Qian gently leaned closer to his ear.