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

Chapter 589 Two Completely Opposite Directions

The next day.

As the year draws to a close, the streets of Beidu enter a complex state of being both busy and leisurely.

The streets are busy because people are still coming and going.

The leisurely atmosphere stemmed from the fact that the fatigue and anxiety on the faces of the crowd had finally disappeared, replaced by a rare expression of inner ease and joy.

Even those who are still working are experiencing a surge of suppressed joy due to the incentive of doubled pay during holidays.

Your coffee~

"Thank you," Weng Pingting politely thanked the waiter in a soft voice.

She casually picked up the cup in front of her, first gently sniffing the bittersweet aroma of milk, then taking a small sip.

His eyebrows relaxed for a moment.

A metal wing cuts through the sky outside the window and lands at the airport not far away.

The noise of the plane's engines gave Weng Pingting a headache, disrupting her newly calmed-down mood.

Weng Pingting gently rubbed her temples and pushed the plate in front of her toward Shi Qianqian, who was sitting opposite her: "Try it, I really like this cake, I always come here to try it when I'm waiting for my flight."

Shi Qianqian smiled softly and said, "Thank you, Senior Sister~"

The two were currently in a coffee shop near Beidu Airport. This area could indeed yield treasures if one searched carefully; however, the treasures would also be very expensive.

If it weren't for her senior sister treating her, Shi Qianqian wouldn't have had the chance to taste it.

The sweet, milky aroma bursts on her taste buds, and Shi Qianqian involuntarily squints her eyes.

After the dopamine from the dessert slowly subsided from its peak, she finally had time to exclaim, "Senior, you've taken several flights this month already. You must be exhausted."

Another iron-winged aircraft slowly took off outside the window. Weng Pingting had heard the same sound countless times recently and was already annoyed by it.

Weng Pingting sighed, "There's just too much work. I need to keep up with the research projects here, and I also need to oversee my company in Jiangdu. Especially now that I have to take a team of students to Jiangdu... I can't keep my hands full."

"But thankfully, it's almost Chinese New Year now, so I can finally take a break." Weng Pingting stretched as she spoke, then chuckled and looked at Shi Qianqian across from her. "You've worked very hard too."

Bai Qinghua's company was almost empty, and only Shi Qianqian was left in the research group still analyzing data. She stayed until today, just like the workaholic Weng Pingting, to go home.

It cannot be said that he is not ambitious.

There were two large suitcases next to their table; they were traveling together today.

Shi Qianqian stuffed another bite of sweet cake into her mouth: "There's no other way. Although Chonghui isn't very useful, he still has some effect... But he's about to graduate and go abroad for a visiting scholar position. Without him, the teachers' situation will probably be even worse. I need to get back on track quickly."

Weng Pingting's lips curled up, whether out of satisfaction at the younger generation's hard work or simply because she was amused by the banter between her juniors, it was hard to tell.

She sighed, "Dahui has done a great job, juggling his studies, research, consulting, and occasionally business trips to expand his business. It's only because he's in good health and has plenty of energy that he's able to keep up. Even if most people could mentally handle it, their bodies wouldn't be able to."

“It’s just that the teacher is too…” As she spoke, Weng Pingting’s brows furrowed deeply again. “When I first came here, the teacher kept saying that he would become an academician and that I would be his top disciple—but now he’s wasting his life on frivolous pursuits!”

Shi Qianqian chuckled. The interaction between the senior sister and the teacher was also a unique feature of the research group. Even though she had watched it for so long, she still felt that it was a must-try delicacy.

It's even more delicious than the cake in my hand.

But after laughing, Shi Qianqian put on a hesitant expression.

This hesitation did not escape Weng Pingting's notice: "What's wrong?"

"Actually, senior sister," Shi Qianqian said hesitantly, "the reason why the teacher is like this now is partly because of your case back then... it involved a lot. He's putting on this act to avoid the limelight."

"After that incident, the dean and the principal came to the research group to see the professor several times. I heard that the people on the opposite hill were trying to snatch many of the professor's projects at that time, so..."

"Of course." Shi Qianqian looked cautiously into Weng Pingting's eyes and hurriedly explained, "Senior sister, your decision back then was absolutely right. I would have made the same choice if I were in your shoes. I have also heard our teachers tell us more than once to learn more from you."

"The teacher himself said that even if nothing had happened to you, something else would have likely occurred; the current situation was inevitable..."

After listening to her junior's explanation to the teacher, Weng Pingting fell silent for a moment.

"Of course I know..." After a long pause, Weng Pingting sighed, "A teacher who has achieved so much at such a young age is bound to attract attention. I was young and impetuous back then, which gave those guys the opportunity to attack the teacher..."

"After I caused trouble, I ran to Jiangdu to avoid the storm. In the end, it was the teachers who cleaned up my mess. You may even have been implicated by me, and your resources have decreased."

Weng Pingting gazed longingly out the window at another plane landing: "That's why I'm in such a hurry now, wanting to bring you more resources and find more projects for the team... Everyone in the industry says I'm 'the general who conquered the world for lazy Bai Qinghua,' but when I was in Jiangdu, I kept thinking, what would Teacher be like now if it weren't for me..."

Shi Qianqian quickly interrupted Weng Pingting's self-pity: "What do you mean by 'involvement'? Senior sister, you are our role model!"

Seeing her junior sister's hurried explanation, Weng Pingting finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"However," she suddenly changed the subject, "I still have some doubts, perhaps the teacher has wanted to retire for a while, but was held back by the high grades all along, and now seems to be enjoying it..."

Shi Qianqian nodded in agreement: "I've always thought so too."

Weng Pingting narrowed her eyes: "Dahui is probably no longer a reliable candidate. You keep an eye on the teacher for me. He's in his forties, which is the prime age for scientific research. What's with him playing games all day?!"

Shi Qianqian nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I'll keep an eye on him!"

The two, senior and junior, reached an agreement and, in high spirits, ordered two more small cakes.

However, Weng Pingting quickly thought of something else: "Speaking of which, how is Zhu Ren doing in the research group?"

Upon hearing Nan Zhuren's name, Shi Qianqian's expression immediately turned strange.

Before she could speak, a black sedan with a frog-eye design pulled up in front of the coffee shop.

The stylish car attracted attention, and the two young men who got out of it were even more eye-catching.

The person who got out of the back seat was Nan Zhuren, whom they were talking about at the moment; the young man who got out of the driver's seat in the front also looked somewhat familiar.

If Weng Pingting remembered correctly, this young man seemed to be Bai Qinghua's assistant to Nan Zhuren. She had run into him a few times on the road before, but he wasn't driving this car then... Weng Pingting keenly sensed a similar aura about the young man to her current business partner in Jiangdu, and asked Shi Qianqian beside her, "Who is this?"

Shi Qianqian replied, "The junior student who got into Professor Bai's research group this year through the postgraduate recommendation program, I heard, has some connections at home. It seems he brought a project with him directly into the group? But the project hasn't started yet. They said he'll have to do it himself after he joins the group in his first year of graduate school..."

I understand. The younger generation of the family, sent here by a local tycoon who had heard of his reputation, were added as disciples in exchange for resources.

However, if one has a decent temperament and talent, it is not impossible for them to be accepted as an inner disciple in the future, and one day they can become an important help to the sect.

It seems the teacher hasn't been idle all this time. Weng Pingting nodded slightly in satisfaction.

……

"Hello, senior sister, I'm Mo Kai."

As soon as he entered, Mo Kai greeted Weng Pingting and Shi Qianqian politely.

Mo Kai had obviously heard of Weng Pingting, who had left behind many legends within the research group and even the college.

The way he looked at Weng Pingting was similar to the way other girls in the school looked at her; it was the kind of look that said, "I want to become like that person in the future."

To this younger person, Weng Pingting skillfully gave her a gentle look: "Hello."

Then he added a casual question: "You're a senior in your second semester now, right?"

"Yes. Graduate students will join the group when the semester starts in the second half of the year."

How's your graduation thesis coming along?

"Teacher Bai said it's ready, and now I'm basically doing an internship at the company."

"That's great." Weng Pingting nodded, using this brief comment to conclude her small talk with Mo Kai, whom she was meeting for the first time.

Then she turned to Nan Zhuren, who was deep in thought, and said, "Speaking of which, Zhuren, you should have your results by the end of the year, right? If all goes well, you'll be starting school in the second half of the year... Zhuren, Zhuren?"

Nan Zhuren's unfocused eyes were brought back to focus by the call, and he looked at Weng Pingting with a puzzled expression.

Mo Kai quickly explained, "My senior brother hypnotized the visitor yesterday, but it seems the result wasn't quite right. He's been thinking about things since last night and hasn't slept well at all. This morning, when he was helping you senior sisters with the documents, I was a little worried about his mental state, so I drove over with him..."

This is why Mo Kai and Nan Zhuren, one a local and the other not going home, came to the airport to find Weng Pingting and Shi Qianqian.

Weng Pingting and Shi Qianqian live together, but their residence, company, and airport are not conveniently located. Last night, while Weng Pingting was packing her luggage, she suddenly remembered that she had some documents to take with her, but there wasn't enough time, so she asked Nan Zhuren for help.

However, Weng Pingting's attention has now shifted, and it's rare to find a consulting case that has made Nan Zhuren think for so long.

She asked Nan Zhuren, "What do you mean?"

Nan Zhuren blinked: "Oh, if all goes well, I should be enrolling in the second half of the year. The written exam is no problem; I know all the answers to the questions. The interview goes without saying..."

No answer.

Weng Pingting chuckled: "I was asking about your visit. Tell me your questions before the plane takes off, and I might be able to give you some advice."

Weng Pingting leaned back: "After all, I'm also your supervisor."

Nan Zhuren looked around at the people sitting around the table.

Former supervisor, senior sister, junior brother, and assistant.

From the perspective of case studies, there are indeed exceptions where appropriate confidentiality can be maintained.

Weng Pingting chose a quiet corner in the coffee shop, essentially a small private room. After thinking for a moment, Nan Zhuren began to talk about Li Lingling.

Weng Pingting and Shi Qianqian's expressions gradually shifted from curiosity and seriousness to pity and distress.

"This experience is just too..." Shi Qianqian murmured to herself. Her level of expertise was not yet sufficient to offer opinions on cases of this magnitude, so she gave up and focused on empathy.

She glanced at the small cake in front of her, and it didn't taste as sweet anymore.

"A survivor of the flood disaster, and also lost loved ones..." Weng Pingting picked up her coffee and took a sip: "[Borderline Personality Disorder], even under hypnosis, the defense is so strong..."

After a moment of contemplation, she looked at Nan Zhuren and asked, "What are you thinking?"

Nan Zhuren said, "After this consultation, I kept thinking about the images in her hypnosis... Her situation completely extended into two opposite possibilities."

Mo Kai blinked. He felt even less strongly about the case than Shi Qianqian. He had no other thoughts to offer besides empathy.

So, could this hypnosis session lead to two more possibilities?
Nan Zhuren said, "The disaster scenarios described by the visitors are, after all, in a hypnotic state; they appear vivid but are actually abstract."

Nan Zhuren recalled: "For example, she recalled that her mother wanted to come back to her with her younger brother in her arms, but her father stopped her and moved further and further away from her."

Nan Zhuren asked a crucial question: "How did they drift further and further away from her? Were they swept away by the flood? Or did they escape by boat without taking her with them?"

"If it's the former, then it's an objective disaster and tragedy; if it's the latter, then there are even more complex traumas involved—"

Nan Zhuren recounted the details with great familiarity: "The core issues are severe attachment trauma, betrayal, and a fundamental collapse of self-worth. The focus of treatment will be on dealing with the anger and sadness of abandonment, repairing damaged attachment patterns, and establishing the core belief that 'I am worthy of being loved,' etc."

Shi Qianqian nodded repeatedly as she listened, feeling as if she had a vague idea but couldn't quite grasp it, and now the clouds had parted and the sun was shining through.

Mo Kai nodded repeatedly as he listened, feeling as if knowledge had been forcibly stuffed into his head, making him seem smarter.

“But what I’m thinking about now is this: the visitor said she was on her own roof, hugging the chimney.”

Nan Zhuren frowned: "If we really consider this roof and chimney as just a roof and chimney, it seems there's no problem. But—what if they aren't?"

Nan Zhuren looked into Weng Pingting's eyes: "What if they are just images symbolizing the concept of 'safety'? They could be search and rescue teams, rescue ships, or something else that rescues visitors from disasters. Considering the visitors' strong defensive nature, that's entirely possible."

“But if we consider it this way,” Nan Zhuren took a deep breath.

The visitor's statement that "they are getting further and further away from me" may actually be "I am getting further and further away from them."

(End of this chapter)