Chapter 496 - 338: The Paper of the Future

Xue Rui glanced at Dr. He’s name badge. "Dr. He, she never asks me for anything. Whatever I want, she gives me. It’s just..."

"It stems from low self-esteem."

"Then what about her dressing me? And wiping my face?"

Xue Rui decided to press for specifics.

"It’s the same principle. She wants to give you what she never had," Dr. He said calmly.

"She really doesn’t have a mother," Xue Rui muttered to himself.

He’d never been a part of Lin Ruoxi’s childhood, but he could imagine it. ’She must have seen other children whose mothers washed their faces and helped them dress. The little girl had no one. She must have been so envious.’

’So, Lin Ruoxi was making up for what she lacked by giving it to him?’

’Should I try to make it up to her?’ Xue Rui pondered.

An image suddenly flashed through his mind: him, dressing Lin Ruoxi...

’So awkward!’

’He was much better at taking clothes *off*...’

"You’re talking about the woman outside, I assume? Let’s leave that for now. First, let’s talk about you," Dr. He said calmly.

She hadn’t intended to tell Xue Rui so much, but his attitude was clearly biased, as if he were questioning her professionalism.

Xue Rui nodded. ’This doctor the girl found is pretty professional,’ he thought to himself. He had, in fact, been biased against psychologists, thinking their job was just to get paid for a chat—something anyone could do.

But after their discussion, Xue Rui realized the profession certainly had its merits.

"Someone requested the results of your evaluation. You can refuse to share them, and I won’t tell her," Dr. He said calmly, handing Xue Rui a form.

Xue Rui was a little surprised. ’It seems she has strong professional ethics, refusing to be swayed by money.’

"It’s fine. You can even record it," Xue Rui said magnanimously. ’Didn’t I come here today to prove things to the girl?’

’If the girl didn’t find out about his condition, wouldn’t this whole visit be for nothing?’

"I used to have recurring nightmares where a girl would die over and over. And at the time, I didn’t even know the girl very well..." Xue Rui recounted the nightmares from his previous life.

Dr. He listened with a deeply furrowed brow. Despite having seen countless patients, this was the first time she’d encountered a case with a touch of the metaphysical.

"A while ago, when I saw her face smeared with lipstick, it made me think of that nightmare again," Xue Rui sighed.

"Oh? And what was your reaction?" Dr. He asked, picking up her pen.

"Anxious and helpless? My hands were shaking a bit?"

"Mm... Go on."

...

Half an hour later, Dr. He closed her notebook.

Xue Rui asked urgently, "Do I need a prescription for this condition?"

Dr. He shook her head. "Just try to avoid gory scenes in the future. It’s similar to having a fear of blood."

Xue Rui heaved a long sigh of relief. ’Looks like she didn’t realize my story was ninety percent truth and ten percent lies.’

’Of course, he knew he wasn’t sick. His strange reaction that day was just a pile-up of coincidences, coupled with the psychological pressure Gu Muxue had put on him.’

He wondered if the girl would feel a little better hearing the diagnosis.

However, in Dr. He’s eyes, it looked as though Xue Rui had finally let a great weight off his chest.

"Alright, Lin Ruoxi, you can come in now." Dr. He shook her head. She hadn’t even called for Lin Ruoxi, and yet Xue Rui had already laid out most of her situation.

When Lin Ruoxi saw Xue Rui emerge, she shot up from her chair and subconsciously checked him over.

"It was just therapy. What, you think you can see right through my soul?" Xue Rui chuckled, gently pushing Lin Ruoxi inside.

"Mm, I can’t, but you can tell me," Lin Ruoxi said softly.

Dr. He handed Lin Ruoxi a form, studying the girl before her with curiosity. ’A slender, exceptional figure and a beautiful face. Her childhood may have been tragic, but her looks will afford her many advantages in life. Things will get better for her with time.’

In her opinion, this wasn’t an illness. She began, "What is it you’re hoping to address?"

Lin Ruoxi, who was in the middle of filling out the form, looked up blankly. "I don’t have anything."

Dr. He was silent for a moment. ’It seems Lin Ruoxi is quite satisfied with her life,’ she thought. ’You can tell from her healthy complexion.’

"Then why are you here?"

"Someone said I should see a psychologist, so here I am."

"Alright." Dr. He sighed. ’The session’s already been paid for, so I have to provide some kind of service. Besides, everyone has their own inner struggles.’

"Have you run into any trouble or found anything upsetting in your life recently?"

Lin Ruoxi sank into thought. ’She got up early to buy Xue Rui breakfast, went to class with him, and even got to hold him while they rested at noon. The school application would be approved in a few days, and then she could live with Xue Rui every single day...’

Just thinking about the future made her heart fill with joy.

’Anything upsetting...’

Lin Ruoxi thought of Gu Muxue’s dejected look that night. Her breath caught in her throat. She said slowly, "Yes. A friend has helped me a great deal. She’s sacrificed so much, and I don’t know how to repay her. She’s the one who helped me get here today, too."

Dr. He tried to map out the relationships in her mind, but she just couldn’t seem to untangle the connections between them.

She suspected it was a romantic dispute, but it wasn’t her place to offer opinions. Her job was to help people resolve their inner turmoil.

’Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi had come to see her as arranged by Gu Muxue. But the one with the real problem wasn’t Xue Rui or Lin Ruoxi; it was Gu Muxue, who was currently resting in her office...’

’Normally, she had to protect her clients’ privacy, but sometimes, you couldn’t be too rigid...’

"You could try talking things over with her. Everyone needs help sometimes."

"Oh, and let me leave you with a piece of advice: to love others, you must first love yourself." Dr. He gave a faint smile, then led the way out of the therapy room and glanced toward her office.