Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 128 Bearded Man: I Really Will Thank You

There is no sun today.

Although the air conditioner was on indoors, the damp cold of winter still lingered.

The pretty receptionist had to wear a thin suit jacket because of her job. To keep warm, she had to cover her long, slender legs, which were clad in flesh-colored stockings, with a small blanket while sitting at the front desk, and she also had a heat pack stuck to her stomach.

Even with all these efforts, the winter sky and scenery are enough to make one's skin feel cold just by looking at them.

The receptionist stared at the door, occasionally shivering when no one was around.

Ding-dong-

The doorbell suddenly rang, and the arrival of the guest instantly roused the previously drowsy receptionist, who responded with a greeting ingrained in her muscle memory:

"Hello, welcome to [Liu Lin Psychological Clinic]. Do you have an appointment...?"

"...!"

It was this simple greeting that made the receptionist's eyes light up, and her body felt as if it were being warmed by the sun.

Two men walked in through the door.

The man walking on the left looked to be in his early thirties. He was tall with broad shoulders and clearly had a habit of working out. He had some fine lines on his face, but instead of looking weathered, he exuded a mature air that seemed to have a story to tell. What was most striking was his meticulously groomed beard, which, combined with the fine lines on his face and his smile, gave off a sense of composure, maturity, and trustworthiness even without him saying a word.

This mature, older man is sure to catch the eye of both young and not-so-young women, no matter where he is.

However, there happened to be someone standing next to him at that moment.

A young man who looks to be in his early twenties.

He completely overshadowed the bearded man's charm, captivating the receptionist's gaze like a magnet.

"Hello... Do you have an appointment?" He's so handsome, how can someone be so ridiculously handsome?

"Yes, we were in contact two days ago."

"Okay, may I ask your surname and the last few digits of your phone number?" Your demeanor is excellent; your name must sound nice.

The young man in his twenties replied, "My name is Hu Renzhu."

"Okay, just a moment~" Oh, is he here for a consultation? Someone this handsome wouldn't be a bad thing, even if he were sick, or rather, it would be better. His eyes look so melancholic. Let me see his phone number…

At this moment, the bearded man stepped forward and said, "The last four digits of the number are 3411."

The receptionist glanced at the bearded man, her eyes filled with helplessness and disappointment—was the phone number left behind his?
The bearded man's eyes were also filled with helplessness.

He fell into memories.

……

two days ago.

Inside the Yan Nuo Psychological Counseling Room.

"Teacher Nan, are you going to pull another off-field stunt?!"

Thanks to his strong emotional control, the bearded man managed not to gasp out.

"You still want to drag me into this off-field scheme with you?"

Faced with the bearded man's surprise,

Nan Zhuren's expression was matter-of-fact: "Then I'll teach you [micro-expression analysis]."

The bearded man took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and barely managed to suppress his emotions.

It took him a while to finally manage to squeeze out a sentence: "Professional matters should be left in the consultation room; what you're doing is too unprofessional..."

Nan Zhuren interrupted preemptively: "The psychological clinic that transferred the case to me concealed crucial information, which could have led me to misjudge the client's situation during the consultation and thus interfere with the smooth progress of the consultation. In this situation, obtaining the necessary information through my own legal means is the greatest responsibility I can have towards the client!"

His righteous and awe-inspiring appearance made even the bearded man look somewhat irritating.

"Then I won't learn it." The next second, the bearded man turned around and was about to leave.

The bearded man was no young assistant like Shen Bing; he was a self-taught professional who knew the dangers of navigating the industry and was well aware of how complex it was.

The counseling room protects not only the visitors, but also the counselors!
Nan Zhuren did not stop him, but simply said leisurely:
“Teacher Hu, I’m going there not only for the visitors, but also for myself.”

The bearded man paused, blinking.

“You know about my past.” Nan Zhuren’s tone became serious. “I was expelled from my previous school because of a consultation accident.”

"However, I now know that there may be something else going on in my previous case, and that I was set up."

Nan Zhuren practically confided in the bearded man: "I want to know exactly what happened back then."

"So, my private visit to that psychological clinic this time was not just for the consultation, but also for personal matters—or rather, personal grudges."

The bearded man sat down again and looked Nan Zhuren up and down. "I've heard about your situation, and I sympathize with you." The bearded man's expression seemed to be considering something. "But to be blunt—our relationship doesn't seem to have reached the point where you need to tell me these things from the bottom of your heart, much less the point where I need to do the things you've mentioned."

"Did you plan to ask me for help beforehand, or did it just happen on the spur of the moment because I wanted to learn micro-expression analysis from you?"

Nan Zhuren thought for a moment and said, "Half and half."

"Which half is it, and which half is it?" the bearded man pressed.

Nan Zhuren looked at the bearded man. The man didn't leave but sat down again to start talking.

This means there's plenty to talk about.

"'Half', you're right. I only invited you on a whim because you wanted to learn about micro-expression analysis."

"But the 'other half' is because I don't invite everyone in this situation—I only make the offer because it's you who's here."

The bearded man slightly raised his chin and raised an eyebrow.

Nan Zhuren knew she needed to continue: "First of all, your abilities are trustworthy. What I'm about to do requires sufficient professional skills to deal with colleagues working in the same psychological counseling industry. Most people can't handle that, but you can."

Despite his frequent setbacks against Nan Zhuren, the bearded man is indeed a top performer at Yan Nuo Center, second only to Weng Pingting. After all, he is a senior consultant who has begun to try to transition into training and public speaking, something that not just anyone in the industry can do.

The bearded man nodded in approval, raising his chin slightly.

"Secondly, your professional ethics are also trustworthy. When I was at Jiangnan University, I saw that you protected the privacy of visitors; in our daily interactions afterward, I could also see that when you received visitors, you did not only consider commercial factors."

Indeed, while compared to people like Nan Zhuren and Weng Pingting, who are considered outstanding in their beliefs even among those with formal training, the bearded man's conviction is somewhat lacking; however, compared to purely business-minded individuals like Howard, the bearded man has far more professional conscience.

This can provide reassurance in critical moments and is enough to motivate the bearded man to do certain things.

The bearded man nodded in agreement with Nan Zhuren's words, raising his chin one degree higher.

"Then, the favor I ask of you is very small, and you won't lose anything even if you fail; but the benefits I give you far outweigh your investment—besides teaching you micro-expression analysis, if Chairman Chen, or any client of similar caliber in the future, needs me to do corporate training, EAP, or similar projects, I will definitely bring you along."

This is the most significant and substantial news.

The bearded man's breath hitched; for him, this was an absolute temptation.

For a moment, he even forgot to raise his chin another degree.

"And finally—we have a good relationship, but not a particularly good one. This allows me to ask for your help without worrying about the potential trouble it might cause you if I fail, and you can handle those troubles anyway..."

The bearded man suddenly raised his chin to the top: "Hey, hey, hey, is what you're saying...is that even reasonable?!"

but.

That makes a lot of sense.

His beard and eyes held a complex expression.

If Nan Zhuren were to catch him and shower him with praise, the bearded man might really have to reconsider whether it was believable.

But when such praise is mixed with a few less-than-pleasant truths, it makes rational people more willing to think and believe.

After a few breaths of thought, the bearded man clicked his tongue and said, "How are you going to guarantee those promises you made about taking me on corporate projects in the future?"

Nan Zhuren remained expressionless, but stared directly into the bearded man's eyes: "I can only give you a verbal guarantee, since even if a contract is signed, it won't be legally binding. But I think you can trust me, because I'm a very trustworthy person."

An absurd expression appeared on the bearded man's face.

However, what Nan Zhuren said was indeed correct.

Let alone the bearded man, given Nan Zhuren's past actions, even Bald Yang would have to nod in affirmation of Nan Zhuren's "credibility."

After thinking it over, the bearded man finally sighed and said, "Alright, I'll help you with this."

After agreeing to the promise, the bearded man felt even more relaxed than when he had just been thinking about it.

He shrugged, even joking with Nan Zhuren: "Tell me what you're planning to do. You sent a young law professor in before, you're not thinking of sending your psychology professor in this time, are you?"

"Hahahahaha..."

Nan Zhuren blinked, then suddenly laughed: "How could that be..."

……

The memory ends.

The bearded man stood with his feet on Liu Lin's Psychological Clinic, looking at the receptionist in front of him.

He pulled at the corners of his mouth, revealing a mature, cheerful, and sunny smile.

“I made the appointment.” He pointed to Zhi Zhuren. “He’s the one here for counseling, and I’m his…family member!”

(End of this chapter)