Cheng Jinyan was wearing a white doctor's coat and pair of half-rimmed glasses, transforming from Cheng Lawyer into Cheng Doctor.
"Cheng Jinyan," Cheng Jinyan reached out his hand in a friendly manner.
"Xiao He," Xiao He shook his hand.
Qiao Ying said, "I'll leave him to you."
Cheng Jinyan looked at her and asked with concern, "What's wrong? You don't look too happy. Did something happen? Or is something on your mind?"
Qiao Ying: "It's nothing."
Cheng Jinyan brought Xiao He into the consultation room, "Have a seat."
He turned around to pour a glass of water for Xiao He, smiling, "Don't be nervous. You're Qiao Ying's friend, which makes you my friend too."
Holding the glass, Xiao He sat down on the chair and looked around the largely white consultation room with barely any color.
"Qiao Ying doesn't have many friends. You seem to be someone special to her." Cheng Jinyan sat down behind his desk.
Xiao He: "Did she tell you about my situation?"
Cheng Jinyan smiled faintly, "Which aspect? Your relationship with her or your medical condition?"
Xiao He: "Then it seems she told you about both."
Cheng Jinyan: "Indeed she mentioned some things."
Cheng Jinyan adopted a conversational approach to help the patient relax. He slowly entered the main topic, "Can you tell me your story?" Cheng Jinyan held a pen.
A light breeze blew the white curtains. Xiao He looked at him, seemingly unsure where to begin. More so, he found it difficult to confide. He didn't speak for a long time.
The consultation lasted three to four hours before the two finally left the room. Qiao Ying was still waiting where she had been sitting in the lounge area the whole time.
Cheng Jinyan was surprised, "You've been waiting here the entire time?"
Qiao Ying stood up, "How did it go?"
The first consultation did not go well, let alone any psychological treatment. There was no progress at all.
Cheng Jinyan could only say, "It's fine, there's no rush. This will be a long battle, we'll do better next time." He spoke gently, trying to reassure Xiao He with a smile.
Then he asked Qiao Ying, "Let's go have a meal together?"
Qiao Ying nodded.
The three arrived at a restaurant.
Cheng Jinyan and Qiao Ying chatted, "How have things been recently between you and Qin Hanyue? Any sparks flying?"
He just had to mention the touchy subject.
Qiao Ying: "Not great."
Cheng Jinyan: "Hm?"
Qiao Ying was a little annoyed, "He's a bit too nosy."
Cheng Jinyan: "Him? Or me?"
Seeing that Qiao Ying didn't answer him...
Cheng Jinyan was relieved, "Looks like it's not me then. Given your age gap and personalities... He's more suited to a settled life with a wife and kids by the fireplace. You don't fit that mold. Just staying friends works."
Qiao Ying: "..."
Cheng Jinyan then asked Xiao He, "Do you have a girlfriend, Xiao?"
Xiao He glanced at Qiao Ying and lowered his eyes, "No."
Cheng Jinyan smiled, "With your looks and capabilities, you'll have no shortage of prospects in the future."
Xiao He: "Capable?"
Cheng Jinyan: "Qiao Ying doesn't befriend inferior people."
After the meal, Qiao Ying drove Xiao He home.
The night was lonely and quiet.
In the villa, Qiao Ying ate grapes as she headed upstairs.
Qin Yan had been sleepless all night, unable to accept that the OTP he shipped was destined to break up. In his mind, Qiao Ying was already the Third Madam of the Qin family.
The blow was too much for even the young master to bear, let alone him.
Qin Yan wanted to contact Qiao Ying but didn't have the guts.
The next day at lunchtime, Qiao Yi found Qiao Ying and saw that Xiao He was also there. Qiao Yi hesitated, wondering if he should avoid Xiao He.
Qiao Ying asked him, "Have you eaten?"
Qiao Yi: "Yes, I got off class early today."
Qiao Ying: "Did you want something from me?"
Qiao Yi sat down beside Qiao Ying and lowered his voice, "Sis, did you and Uncle Qin have a fight?"
Qiao Ying: "Did Qin Hanyue tell you that himself?"
"Qiao Yi called and told me," and complained that the fourth master had locked him up and asked him to help plead his case.
Huo Chengdong yelled loudly, "A fight? Big sis Ying, did you really dump that scum?" His face was full of anticipation as he sat down opposite Qiao Ying, squeezing Xiao He aside.
His eyes shone brightly like a dog that had spotted shit.
Qiao Ying gave the ever timely Huo Chengdong a look, a little speechless: "Don't you have a lot of classes to attend in your final year?"
Huo Chengdong bared his white teeth, "That's unimportant. My brother just said you and Qin Hanyue fought? That old man has guts picking a fight with you, big sis Ying."
Qiao Ying: "It wasn't really a fight, just got some things clear between us."
Qiao Yi: "What things?"
Qiao Ying: "Kids shouldn't ask about these things."
Huo Chengdong: "Big sis, I'm not a kid. Tell me about it."
Qiao Ying: "You want to know that badly?"
Huo Chengdong nodded quickly: "Yes! So curious! Qin Hanyue fighting? What would that look like? Did he curse?"
Qiao Ying: "Ask him yourself if you want to know."
It made no sense to Qiao Yi. Qin Hanyue had such an easygoing temperament. How could he fight with his sister?
He looked at Xiao He across from him and vaguely guessed what this was about.
After Qiao Ying finished her meal, Qiao Yi pulled her aside. "Sis, your conflict with Uncle Qin, it's because of Xiao He right?"
Qiao Ying didn't answer at first, but eventually said, "It would have been someone else if not him."
Qiao Yi: "So it really is because of him this time?"
Qiao Ying didn't deny it.
Qiao Yi didn't understand, "Sis, why are you so good to Xiao He? And now you're fighting with Uncle Qin because of him too. Aren't you two already together?"
Qiao Ying: "Me and Xiao He..."
Qiao Ying couldn't tell Qiao Yi about what happened between her and Feng Ying.
Then, seeing his sister's rare irritation, Qiao Yi patiently told her: "In short, Xiao He is very important to me. I'll explain another time."
After that incident, Qin Hanyue did not come to find Qiao Ying again.
In the past, he would visit at least once a week. But two weeks had passed without a sign of him.
It wasn't a cold war per se. It seemed their relationship had simply stalled there.
It was rather sudden but not entirely unexpected either. Just as Cheng Jinyan said, they weren't suitable in many ways whether it was their age or personalities.
During this time, Xiao He went to Cheng Jinyan's clinic two more times.
Cheng Jinyan said Xiao He had difficulty opening his heart. After all, most people couldn't reveal their own wounds. So the treatment hadn't been making progress.
But Qiao Yi noticed Xiao He had cheered up a lot. The most obvious change was he talked more and had even smiled twice.
He would occasionally play ball with the fourth master and feed him snacks.
His haggard complexion had also improved.
This didn't seem like no progress at all.
In the consultation room, Cheng Jinyan tried again to get through to Xiao He.
Legs crossed, he held a pen in one hand, casually sketching something in his notebook. In a conversational tone he asked Xiao He, "So you like Qiao Ying, don't you?"
Xiao He: "Yes."
Cheng Jinyan: "I can tell. Otherwise your condition wouldn't be improving without me actually doing anything yet, given that baring one's wounds is hard for most people."
Unexpectedly, Xiao He took the initiative to ask him this time, "I remember Dr. Cheng is a lawyer."
Cheng Jinyan looked up from his drawing but his hand kept moving. "Looks like Xiao really does like Qiao Ying a lot, digging up my old news from when I guest lectured at Peking University last year. You only enrolled at PKU this year. Was it to find out more about her?"
Xiao He didn't speak, just watched him.
Cheng Jinyan: "I was a lawyer and am a licensed psychologist too. This hospital doesn't belong to me though. It's my classmate's and I'm just using it for now since I didn't intend to become a doctor when studying psychology back then. My goal was to better analyze my courtroom opponents."
He stopped drawing, tore off the page and handed it to Xiao He. On it were two little boys chasing a butterfly, a scene of childlike innocence.
Holding the drawing, Xiao He said, "So this drawing is... part of Dr. Cheng's treatment methods?"
Cheng Jinyan smiled, "You're thinking too much. I was just doodling."
He continued, "How about we start by talking about Qiao Ying today?"
Xiao He: "I'd like to know more about her."
Cheng Jinyan nodded, "What would you like to ask?"
