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

Chapter 157 Psychological Counselor

The middle-aged woman in front of me grabbed her husband's arm, trembling all over.

The middle-aged man raised his eyes and looked at Nan Zhuren expressionlessly.

"Are you playing dumb, Teacher Nan?"

"Or have you already forgotten about our Xiaojie so quickly?"

If you're looking for a private setting to talk, there's no better place than a counseling room.

However, Nan Zhuren did not face the visitor with her left side as usual.

Instead, he moved a chair and sat opposite Chen Jie's parents.

For some reason, I felt a sense of unease similar to that of a real visitor.

[Emotional readjustment]

Nan Zhuren's gaze immediately turned calm. He looked at the person opposite him and subconsciously began to collect information about the micro-expressions on their face.

Compared to Chen Jie's father, Chen Jie's mother's expression was more undisguised.

Nan Zhuren looked over.

[Slightly clenching teeth, pursing lips, and tightening neck skin—nervous?]

No, to put it more seriously—fear.

Are you afraid to look at me because you're afraid of me?

[Because of re-exposure to the traumatic stimulus, she began to relive the traumatic experience—similar to Chen Ting in the past.]

Chen Jie's mother leaned against Chen Jie's father, her hands, arms, and shoulders all resting on her husband.

It seemed that only in this way could she gain the courage to stay here and face Nan Zhuren directly.

There is also severe regression.

It's obviously difficult to communicate with someone like that.

Nan Zhuren then turned his attention to Chen Jie's father.

His reaction was completely different from his wife's.

[Clenched teeth, twitching eyes—extreme emotions are present, but there is restraint.]

[Leaning forward, aggressive. But with hands pressed on knees—still restraint.]

The man in front of me was like a balloon that would burst at the slightest touch.

However, compared to another person experiencing traumatic emotions nearby, Nan Zhuren, as a counselor, preferred to communicate with Chen Jie's father.

So Nan Zhuren thought for a moment and turned to look at Chen Jie's father.

"Mr. Chen... did Teacher Lin tell you I was here?"

Nan Zhuren's voice was deep and steady.

Although Chen Jie's father was obviously furious, he was surprised to find that his anger-filled mind calmed down a little after hearing Nan Zhuren's voice.

Then, he sensed a sense of confusion from Nan Zhuren's words.

The counselor's words implied that he didn't know her at all.

This feeling reignited the anger that Chen Jie's father had just begun to calm.

"Teacher Nan, are you pretending not to recognize us? Or... have you already forgotten about Xiao Jie so quickly?"

Subconsciously, Nan Zhuren pressed a switch in his brain.

[Emotional readjustment]

Nan Zhuren was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "It seems that it was indeed Teacher Lin who told you."

He then asked, "Did you come here today because of... Chen Jie's matter?"

Chen Jie's father's face twitched.

Nan Zhuren's suppressed emotions seemed to shift onto this father. Chen Jie's father pressed his hand on his knee even harder: "No, what happened to Xiao Jie... has already happened."

He had the anger that Nan Zhuren could see at a glance, but his voice was surprisingly calm, as if he were telling a story.

Someone else's story.

“Professor Nan, you know I’m a doctor. Compared to you, I’ve seen far more life and death separations—not even as many as everyone in this building combined.”

“I know what the family should do after something like this happens—although you only realize how heavy it is after it actually happens to you, I know what to do.”

Chen Jie's father, or rather, Dr. Chen.

He murmured to himself, as if trying to convince himself.

"So I know that it's all over now; I need to move on from here, and you need to move on from there too."

"So I also know that Xiao Jie's situation wasn't entirely your fault, Teacher Xiao Nan."

When Dr. Chen said this, his entire mouth, face, and even his entire upper body were straining.

It's as if he wouldn't be able to say what he's saying right now if he didn't try so hard.

"In fact, you are a victim in a way."

Not only was Dr. Chen putting in effort when he said those words, but even his wife, who was listening to him, started to exert herself as well.

Nan Zhuren was truly stunned this time.

His tone became somewhat dry: "Is that so?"

Dr. Chen nodded, took a deep breath, and said, "The past cannot be undone; we should look forward."

“At first, I didn’t dare to ask about anything related to Xiao Jie, such as you. I only found out later that you were expelled from school for all the wrongdoing.”

“This is not right. I know it’s not just your responsibility. I also hope you can get through this.”

“But after Xiaojie’s accident, I was depressed for a long time and I couldn’t make up my mind to come to you. You should be able to understand that I feel sad just seeing you, and I believe you feel the same way.”

"I didn't even have the energy to find out where you were until the day before yesterday!"

As he said this, Dr. Chen's face began to crumble.

He began clenching his teeth and taking deep breaths more and more frequently, a sign that he was finding it increasingly difficult to control himself.

Nan Zhuren, however, did not use her psychological skills again, nor did she use her voice to disturb Dr. Chen's emotions.

His voice was dry and monotone: "You know I work as a therapist here."

Dr. Chen took a deep breath.

"Counselor," Dr. Chen rejected the term, "psychological counselor."

"You're still a therapist."

Dr. Chen clenched his fist and gripped the fabric on his knees tightly: "I'm a doctor, but I couldn't save my own daughter. Not only her mental illness, but also the injuries she sustained after jumping off the building, I couldn't do anything about it."

"I wanted to prevent this tragedy from affecting others. But I never imagined, Nan Zhuren, that you would actually do this just one year after that incident!"

"You've started working as a therapist again?!"

His speech became faster and faster, as if he could no longer suppress himself.

"You've forgotten about the two of us? Pretending not to know us? What gives you the right?!"

"When you're sitting in the counseling room right now, do you think about Xiao Jie?"

"You're going to keep doing consulting, and you want to achieve a few more small successes?!"

boom!
Dr. Chen slammed his fist hard on the coffee table in front of him, making the glass creak under the weight.

Nan Zhuren felt his throat becoming increasingly dry.

He was about to say something.

The next second, Dr. Chen suddenly stepped over the coffee table in front of him.

His arm transformed into a black shadow, slashing towards Nan Zhuren!
(End of this chapter)