Who wants to be a male model after being reborn? I want to be a male god.

Chapter 351 Treatment changes more than one person
Gu Xingruo originally wanted to complain to Xu Wen about how bad today's exam was.

But after hearing him say that he was driving, he stopped talking.

"Then come back soon, I'll wait for you at home." Gu Xingruo's voice was excited.

After the exams, summer vacation is about to begin.

Although they are still busy at work, they will be able to meet each other every day in the future.

After hanging up the phone, Xu Wen drove away from Vitality City.

Her destination was not the villa, but Black Cat Tarot.

"I have something and I need you to put it in the safe for me." Xu Wen called Yang Yiyao.

The person on the other end of the phone fell silent after hearing this.

"Come on, I'll be there soon." He then added, "If I'm caught by the police one day, I'll be the first one to turn you in!"

In the evening after the book signing event, when Xia Ning opened the door of her house, the aroma of food hit her face.

She stood at the entrance, and for a moment she thought she had come to the wrong place.

This home, which was once as deserted as a hotel suite, is now filled with the flavor of life.

"Are you back? Dinner will be served in five minutes." He Shujin poked her head out from the kitchen. She was wearing a simple apron, her hair was casually tied behind her head, and there was a little flour on her forehead.

Xia Ning nodded and put her backpack on the sofa.

She looked around. There was a bunch of fresh white baby's breath on the coffee table in the living room, and a photo of her and her mother was polished to a shine and placed in the most conspicuous position on the TV cabinet.

These subtle changes took place quietly over the past six months, just like her own changes, slow but steady.

In the bathroom, Xia Ning splashed cold water on her face. The girl in the mirror had bright eyes. Although she was thin, she no longer had that sickly paleness.

She gently stroked the silver bracelet on her right wrist, where there used to be a hideous scar, but now it has been smoothed out by time into a light pink mark.

"Ningning, it's time to eat." He Shujin's voice came from outside the door, gentle and without any urging.

There were three dishes and one soup on the table: steamed sea bass, broccoli with garlic, scrambled eggs with tomatoes and a bowl of seaweed egg drop soup.

They were all home-cooked dishes, but they made Xia Ning's eyes warm.

She remembered the last time she ate a meal cooked by her mother was the day she won a prize in an essay writing competition in the sixth grade of elementary school.

"Try it. I learned it from a video. It might be a little salty." He Shujin picked up a piece of fish and put it in Xia Ning's bowl.

Xia Ning lowered her head and took a bite. The fish meat was tender, but there was indeed too much soy sauce.

"It's delicious." She said softly, but her throat seemed to be blocked by something.

He Shujin smiled, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out.

She didn't wear any makeup today, and the dark circles under her eyes were clearly visible, but she looked more real than when she wore delicate makeup in the past: "Will the book signing go smoothly?"

"Well, a lot of people came, more than expected." Xia Ning stirred the soup in the bowl.

"That's good." He Shujin nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Over the past six months, she has learned to give her daughter space and no longer control every detail like before.

Xia Ning looked up at her mother.

He Shujin's changes are even greater than hers.

The once vigorous and resolute barrister can now sit quietly on the balcony and read a book for an entire afternoon; the workaholic who once needed his assistant to remind him of his daughter's birthday now remembers every allergen of Xia Ning and every progress of her psychological treatment.

"I met Xu Wen today." Xia Ning said suddenly.

He Shujin's chopsticks paused for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

"Really?" Her voice was calm, as if she was discussing today's weather.

"He came to the book signing event, and I wrote this for him." Xia Ning put down her chopsticks, took out the book "The Disease is You" from her bag, and opened the last page to show her mother.

He Shujin looked at the line of words.

"To you who I once loved deeply, and to us who may meet again in the future."

Her fingers gently stroked the pages, as if touching her daughter's once broken and healed heart.

"What did you talk about?" This time, He Shujin couldn't help but ask.

Xia Ning closed the book and put it aside.

"We talked about treatment, the new ending of the book, and Gu Xingruo. I returned his things to him." When she said this name, her voice was steady and there was no tremor.

A hint of surprise flashed across He Shujin's eyes.

She remembered the locked little box, which contained Xia Ning's most cherished and painful memories.

"Have you let it go?" He Shujin asked cautiously, afraid of touching her daughter's old wounds.

Xia Ning nodded, a faint smile appeared on her lips: "Well, letting it go does not mean forgetting it, but accepting it."

She pointed to her temple and said, "The doctor said that true recovery is not about erasing the past, but about learning to live in peace with it."

He Shujin's tears suddenly burst out.

She hurriedly wiped it with the back of her hand, but the more she wiped, the more it came out.

"I'm sorry, I lost my temper," she said, choking.

Xia Ning walked around the dining table and gently hugged her mother.

He Shujin's body smelled of oil smoke and a faint scent of laundry detergent, no longer the cold scent of perfume as before.

This hug reminded Xia Ning of the rainy night half a year ago. When she walked out of prison, her mother hugged her like this and cried like a child.

After that day, He Shujin turned down all cases and took Xia Ning to the best mental hospital in Beijing.

In the waiting room, Xia Ning saw her mother's helplessness for the first time.

The strong woman who was so powerful in the court, her hands were shaking so much that she could hardly hold the pen when she faced her daughter's psychological evaluation form.

"Mom, I'm fine." Xia Ning patted her mother's back, just like He Shujin had done to her before: "Really."

He Shujin raised her head, and through her tearful eyes, she saw the calmness and determination in her daughter's eyes.

This is not a disguise, nor is it a forced effort, but real relief.

At this moment, she suddenly realized that compared to her daughter's success and achievements, what she wanted most was a scene like this.

A healthy and happy Xia Ning sat opposite her, sharing every detail of her life.

"You know what? I've regretted it every day for the past six months." He Shujin wiped away her tears, her voice still trembling a little.

Xia Ning sat back in her seat and listened quietly.

In the past, He Shujin never said the word "regret", and her life motto was "looking forward".

"I regret not discovering your pain earlier, I regret considering work more important than you, and I regret that when you needed me the most, I only satisfied you materially. I am a failed mother." He Shujin's voice became lower and lower.

"No, you just don't know how to love me." Xia Ning shook her head.

She paused and continued, "Just like I don't know how to love Xu Wen."

There was a moment of silence at the table. The dusk outside the window deepened, and the last ray of sunset shone through the gauze curtains, casting a warm light between the mother and daughter.

"The treatment has changed not only me, but you as well. In the past six months, I have seen a brand new He Shujin, a mother who can cook, stay up late with me to watch movies, and hug me when I have nightmares," Xia Ning continued.

He Shujin burst into laughter and said, "The first time I made breakfast for you, I flipped the fried eggs onto the ceiling."

"Remember, there was that time when you wanted to give me a surprise, but ended up baking the birthday cake into charcoal." Xia Ning also laughed.

The two smiled at each other, and the barriers that once stood between them melted away little by little in their laughter.

"Actually, I told Xu Wen today that we could start over as friends." Although Xia Ning was a little hesitant, she still took the initiative to say it.

He Shujin's expression did not change, he just nodded slightly: "Do you think this is good for you?"

"I don't know, but I want to try to treat a relationship in a healthy way, no longer one of possession and control, but of respect and space." Xia Ning said honestly.

"You've grown up and are much braver than your mother." He Shujin's eyes were full of relief.

Xia Ning shook her head: "You were the first to be brave. Remember when I had my first group therapy session, you were sitting in the corner taking notes? So serious and humble."

He Shujin thought back to those days.

Three times a week, she would show up at the hospital on time, sit in the last row, and record every word of the doctor like a good student.

She read every psychology book she could find and even sat in on a psychology course at college.

For the sake of her daughter, this once proud woman is willing to start from scratch and learn how to be a real mother.

"By the way, today is a milestone in your recovery, we should celebrate." He Shujin suddenly remembered something, stood up and took out a small cake from the refrigerator.

Xia Ning looked at the small cream cake with the words "Proud of You" written on it in chocolate.

It was simple and plain, but it moved her more than any expensive gift.

"When did you buy it?" Xia Ning asked.

"I bought it at the supermarket this afternoon. I know you will make the right decision today." He Shujin lit a candle.

Xia Ning made a wish when she blew out the candle.

It’s not about Xu Wen, nor about her writing career, but the hope that she and her mother can always be like this, finding each other’s warmth in ordinary days.

"Mom, I want to take another year off from school." Xia Ning suddenly said when they were dividing the cake.

He Shujin's hand stopped in mid-air: "Why?"

"It's not that my illness has recurred. I just want to travel and see the world. The doctor said that appropriate time alone is good for me." Xia Ning quickly explained.

Unexpectedly, He Shujin did not object. She just asked, "Are there any plans?"

"I want to go to Yunnan Province again, and then go to Tibet Province which I failed to visit last time. I want to write a book about 'recovery', not a novel, but a true record." Xia Ning's eyes lit up.

He Shujin pondered for a moment and nodded: "Okay, I support you, but there is a condition, call at least twice a week and send a message every day to report safety."

Xia Ning smiled: "Deal, but you have to promise me not to take on too many cases while I'm away."

"I promise, another partner in the firm has agreed to take over most of the work of the law firm. I will only handle inquiries from some old clients." He Shujin raised three fingers.

This decision was simply unimaginable to He Shujin in the past.

But now, she understands what is really important.

It's not the career achievements or the numbers in the bank account, but the living daughter in front of her who will bargain with her.

After dinner, Xia Ning took the initiative to wash the dishes.

He Shujin sat on the sofa in the living room, listening to the sound of running water coming from the kitchen and her daughter humming a tune, and a long-lost sense of peace came over her.

In the kitchen, Xia Ning wiped the last plate and looked up at her mother on the balcony.

He Shujin's back looked so thin, yet so strong in the night.

She suddenly realized that her own journey to recovery was also her mother’s journey of redemption.

Xia Ning walked gently behind her mother, hugged her waist, and put her face on He Shujin's back.

"Mom, I love you," she whispered.

He Shujin's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed.

She covered her daughter's hand, her voice choked with sobs: "I love you too, Ningning, forever."

In the past six months, Xia Ning not only found herself again, but also found the love between mother and daughter.

She likes her current life very much and is not afraid even if the quality of life declines.

But now she can earn money on her own and her mother doesn't need to work too hard.

There was just one thing that puzzled her.

My mother has been out of work for more than half a year, and the family relies solely on my father's salary.

But when I returned home, the situation at home seemed to have not changed at all, and the nanny was still there.

She thought, maybe her parents had saved a lot of money before, or maybe they just didn't want her to worry.

But no matter what the reason, Xia Ning felt it was unimportant.

Because she is now able to support the family together with her parents.

Xia Ning sat with her mother for a while before returning to her room to rest.

The first thing she did when she got back was to contact Bai Banxia and share with her what happened today.

The laptop screen lit up, and Xia Ning sent a video call request to Bai Banxia.

"Ningning! How was the book signing?" Bai Banxia on the other side of the screen was wearing pajamas with messy hair, and the background was her familiar bedroom.

Xia Ning adjusted the angle of the camera: "It went better than expected. A lot of people came."

"I knew it!" Bai Banxia said excitedly.

Then she deliberately lowered her voice and asked, "Um. Is he here?"

Xia Ning nodded, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the chair: "I came, and I talked to him alone for a while."

Bai Banxia's expression froze for a moment, then she let out a long sigh: "I knew this day would come."

"Aren't you happy for me?" Xia Ning asked softly.

Bai Banxia was silent for a while, and her eyes suddenly turned red: "Happy, of course I'm happy, but the thing I regret most is that I encouraged you to rush towards Xu Wen without hesitation."

Xia Ning remembered that her best friend once said, if you like someone, just kiss him/her forcefully, just pounce on him/her, and don’t think too much.

That's exactly what she did that night in the park.

She rushed forward before Gu Xingruo.

"I don't regret it, Banxia, ​​do you remember what I said before I got sick?" Xia Ning said calmly, her voice more firm than she thought.

Bai Banxia frowned as she pondered, while Xia Ning continued, "I actually hope that I can be a little maid, thinking about when the young master will come back to see me every day, and not having to think about anything else." (Source: Chapter 212)
"I remember that I laughed at you for reading too many romance novels." Bai Banxia smiled bitterly.

Xia Ning looked out the window at the night, her lips curled up slightly: "Now I don't want to be a mistress, I just want to be a little maid."

(End of this chapter)