Luo Qianqian was brought to the front of a building by Luo Xiying, somewhat dumbfounded, "Uncle, a hidden expert living in the mundane world? A sage selling clothes?"
Luo Xiying’s face was full of black lines as he took Luo Qianqian up the elevator to the higher floors, "I didn’t say we were going to a mall to find someone; you misunderstood."
Looking at the modest sign in front of her: Keke Psychological Counseling Room, Luo Qianqian pretended as if nothing had happened just before, obediently sitting in her wheelchair.
"Hello, do you have an appointment?" As soon as they walked in, a cheerful girl came up to greet them, looking back and forth from Luo Qianqian to Luo Xiying, her face full of scorn when she looked at Luo Qianqian.
"My last name is Luo," Luo Xiying nodded.
But Luo Qianqian noticed the girl’s gaze and felt uncomfortable. What did she do to deserve such contempt?
"Mr. Luo, right? Dr. Wang is already waiting for you," the girl said with a light laugh, leading the way for them as if she was a completely different person from the one who had shown contempt to Luo Qianqian.
Luo Xiying nodded and followed the girl. Luo Qianqian felt very uncomfortable in the wheelchair. Was having a shadow in one’s heart the same as being mentally ill? If that wasn’t it, why else would the girl look down on her?
The girl knocked on the half-open door: "Dr. Wang, Mr. Luo has arrived."
The door suddenly opened, and a flustered woman who was panting stood in front of Luo Qianqian, her lower legs taut and shapely. The woman’s gaze slowly lifted to roam over a slender willow waist and heaving bust, a swan-like neck, a melon-seeded face, cherry lips, a protruding nose, and blurred almond eyes under curved eyebrows. Her chocolate-colored wavy hair was a bit messy from the hasty movement and lay limp on her shoulders. Seeing Luo Xiying, she quickly smoothed her hair and, realizing she had been overly eager, greeted him with feigned calm, "Hi, long time no see."
Luo Xiying coldly nodded without saying a word.
Wang Keyin bowed her head to look at Luo Qianqian, "Is this your niece?"
Luo Xiying nodded, "I’ll leave Qianqian in your care."
The girl standing to the side looked incredulous, her eyes bulging, then turned to Luo Qianqian with an apologetic face, "Cough, what would you like to drink?"
Luo Qianqian was a bit baffled but still chuckled lightly, "Just plain water is fine."
Her hoarse voice caught Wang Keyin’s attention.
Luo Xiying pushed Luo Qianqian into the room and sat down to the side. Wang Keyin also returned to her seat. Although her eyes lingered on Luo Xiying, she examined Luo Qianqian, calm, indifferent—could such a person need to see a psychologist?
"Can you tell me about the situation?" Wang Keyin asked.
Luo Xiying cleared his throat, "The thing is..."
"I wasn’t speaking to you; let her speak for herself," Wang Keyin glared at Luo Xiying. "If you’ve got nothing to add, go outside and take a walk; don’t disturb me." Wang Keyin’s eyes only had room for her client when she was in the zone, and she was quite annoyed with Luo Xiying’s interruption.
Luo Xiying touched his nose, took a couple of sips from the glass of water that the receptionist girl had brought in, and remained silent.
"I killed someone," Luo Qianqian began calmly, "One shot to the head; blood and brain matter sprayed all over me. Since that day, whenever I close my eyes, all I see is a world of blood, repeatedly reliving that moment, unable to escape." Luo Qianqian looked at Wang Keyin without a trace of emotion, "How do I overcome this?"
Wang Keyin was already stunned by what the girl in front of her had said. Did this teenager, who looked to be only in her teens, kill someone? Thinking about Luo Xiying’s identity, she couldn’t help but frown.
"Do you mind undergoing hypnosis?" Wang Keyin thought for a moment. For such a young child, it might be better to forget this memory.
Luo Qianqian shook her head. It didn’t matter; as long as she could forget, nothing else mattered.
"Come with me," Wang Keyin said, her tone turning cold. Luo Qianqian didn’t notice, but Luo Xiying, who had been paying attention to the two of them, did. She frowned but remained seated on the office sofa, silent and still, watching as Wang Keyin took Luo Qianqian into the room inside.
"Look at the clock. When I count one, two, three, you will close your eyes. Now, look at the clock. One, two, three... Now you are on a sandy beach, the sunlight is a bit dazzling, and the seagulls are singing..."
Luo Qianqian opened her eyes: "I can only see a space stained with blood."
"You need to follow instructions, otherwise no one can help you," Wang Keyin rubbed her brow, turned on the speaker on one side, the sound of wind blowing through grass: "Let’s try once more. Eyes, one, two, three... Now, you are lying on your back in a meadow, and all you can smell is the fragrance of fresh grass." Wang Keyin moved the incense from beside the speaker to the low table next to Luo Qianqian.
The music was beautiful, thought Luo Qianqian. Listening to the music and watching the continuous spray of blood in the reddish space, Luo Qianqian wanted to open her eyes but didn’t dare to, fearing her uncle’s disappointment.
Little did she know that Wang Keyin had already noticed her condition. She sighed, pulled open the door, then gently closed it again. Luo Qianqian opened her eyes and saw the very relaxing green room, but for some reason, she couldn’t relax. Was it because her obsession was too deep?
Luo Xiying saw Wang Keyin come out without Luo Qianqian and looked questioningly at Wang Keyin.
Wang Keyin sighed: "I can’t help you, sorry."
Luo Xiying furrowed her brows: "Is it that serious?"
"That serious?" Wang Keyin laughed bitterly, her tone ice-cold: "This is a matter of life and death, and in your eyes, it is less important than your niece’s sleep? In my opinion, she should live in such a dream for her whole life. I used to like you quite a bit, but I didn’t expect that you second and third generations treat human life so lightly!"
Luo Xiying’s brows were tightly knit, but she offered no explanation. She turned and entered the small room, seeing her little niece sitting in the lounge chair, crying, which pained her heart. The room wasn’t soundproof; with Wang Keyin talking so loudly, it would have been strange if Luo Qianqian didn’t hear her.
As Luo Xiying came in, Luo Qianqian looked up with tearful eyes: "Did I do something wrong?"
Luo Xiying shook her head and lifted Luo Qianqian into the wheelchair, stroking her head: "Qianqian, you’re a big girl now, don’t you know whether what you did was right or wrong?"
Watching Luo Xiying wheel Luo Qianqian out, Wang Keyin snorted coldly, without giving Luo Qianqian a glance, directly spoke to the glass: "Don’t come to me for this kind of thing again in the future. I make my money legitimately and don’t want to dirty my hands with blood. Not everyone in this world will cower at your feet!"
"Heh, goodbye." And never see you again. Luo Xiying added in his mind, his face frosty. He dared them to speak about his little niece—if you were just an ordinary classmate, or even a good friend, he wouldn’t hesitate to turn on you, let alone the trouble that the matter from middle school had caused him. So he didn’t bother to explain a single word and just left, pushing Luo Qianqian.
As they reached the door, the receptionist girl, looking apologetic, offered Luo Qianqian two candies: "I’m sorry, I misunderstood you."
Luo Qianqian shook her head, didn’t take the candies, smiled, and left.
"Qianqian, don’t worry, your uncle will cure you," Luo Xiying said firmly from behind Luo Qianqian.