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

Chapter 90 Let her trip over her own feet

It is not uncommon in heterosexual relationships for a 30-year-old man to seek marriage after several years of stable dating, only to be opposed by a younger woman.

Especially in certain special circumstances.

"May I ask about your and your boyfriend's occupations?"

"He's an editor, I think he works for some magazine," the visitor replied. "As for me, I started my own business, running an online store and setting up a studio."

Hmm, it seems to fit the "certain special circumstances".

The visitor blinked: "Is there a problem?"

Nan Zhuren lowered his head and silently made two notes in the folder: "Nothing, just enriching the background information. After all, you came to consult about relationship problems, so it's important to collect as much information as possible for the first consultation."

"May I continue with what happened that day?"

[Are you so fixated on what happened that night that you have an overwhelming urge to recount specific scenes?]

Nan Zhuren caught another detail, but maintained her smile, saying, "Of course, please continue."

The visitor rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly as he spoke: "He discussed marriage with me. At first, it was fine, but soon he started to get very agitated, started to lose control, and started to lash out."

“I was watching a show and he was playing games next to me, everything was normal. But suddenly he stopped, turned to me, and then his eyes welled up with tears. He said he couldn’t take it anymore, and then, he really started crying.”

The visitor scoffed, "Can you believe it? He's a grown man, and he actually cried. It's the first time I've ever seen him cry."

Nan Zhuren's smile faded slightly, but she maintained it: "How do you feel about this?"

"I... am a little angry."

The boyfriend cried because he had been rejected multiple times when he proposed to her, and the client's reaction was anger.

"why?"

The visitor frowned: "I think he's trying to play the victim, trying to plead my case so I'll agree to do things I don't want to do."

Her gaze wandered; she didn't look at me.

[This wasn't the case when I first shared the timeline of my relationship with my boyfriend and other basic information.]

So, are you lying right now?

Having worked in this industry, Nan Zhuren has seen all sorts of visitors, and this type is not uncommon.

However, based on experience, one should show a "disdainful" expression at this point to show one's sense of victory in seeing through the man's scheme.

Of course, visitors are all different, and it is not surprising that different people react differently to the same situation.

Nan Zhuren continued watching.

……

The visitor said, "I'm really tired from work during the day, and I don't want to go and comfort a 30-year-old man with tears in his eyes. I slammed the door and left, and borrowed this dress from a good friend."

Nan Zhuren asked, "Did you borrow this dress?"

The visitor loosened the blanket covering her, revealing the area that should be exposed by her low-cut, sleeveless, bodycon dress, and then tugged at the fabric around her waist: "Yes, this dress is borrowed, not mine."

As she said this, she lowered her head, pursed her lips, smiled, and then looked up at Nan Zhuren, seemingly embarrassed.

Nan Zhuren did not respond to the other party's behavior and continued to guide the conversation: "And then you went to the bar?"

"Yes, I went to a bar."

The visitor still had a strong desire to recount the experience: "My friend and I started drinking—or rather, I was the one drinking while she comforted me." "During this time, several men came over and asked for my contact information, but my friend turned them away. She said she envied me and that I was very lucky."

"Later, my friend got tired and left. Then, a man came to the bar."

[A gaze that flickers between uncertainty and uncertainty—a story that's a mix of truth and fiction?]

[No, it's a real framework with some slightly off details added.]

What is the purpose of filling in these false details?

"He was tall, handsome, and very classy. To be honest, I found it hard to imagine meeting someone like him in a bar."

“We chased away the guys who tried to chat us up before, but with this guy… I started talking to him.”

"He knows a lot and has a wide range of interests, including skiing, horseback riding, and archery. He has also traveled to many places and can talk about them in great detail."

"It was fine at first, but when we were having our third drink, he suddenly wanted to go somewhere else to have a drink with me."

The visitor frowned, as if complaining, but quickly relaxed: "At first I felt disgusted, but then—I became interested again."

Nan Zhuren refrained from commenting, as the visitor was clearly in the mood for conversation.

“I was thinking, I’ve never had this kind of experience in a bar before. Am I just going to marry my boyfriend like this and never have the chance to experience this kind of thing again? After all, you know, Teacher Nan—it’s definitely not okay after marriage, and you can’t even really go to bars anymore.”

"Shouldn't we experience everything while we're young?"

Nan Zhuren captured an important point: "Do you think your thought at the time involved more of your own considerations or more of the argument you just had with your boyfriend?"

"...Of course it's me. I want to experience it."

Nan Zhuren observed the visitor's expression and understood what was going on.

Combining the stories the other party had told him, Nan Zhuren focused on organizing his thoughts.

The visitor continued, “So, we went out together. I held his hand, and the breeze was refreshing.”

She smiled, but then her expression froze: "But when I got to the hotel reception, I suddenly felt...very uncomfortable, so I shook off the man's hand. He got angry, grabbed me, and we almost got into a fight. He yelled at me, and I started screaming..."

"Luckily, there were other people around at the time..."

"These things all happened last night, just last night..."

At this point, the visitor started crying again.

The story is over.

Most people would be very disappointed to hear this, wondering why the crucial part is being cut off.

Perhaps the visitor has prepared another, more detailed and completely different version, but it's not appropriate to discuss it due to privacy concerns.

Nan Zhuren's thoughts became clear at this moment.

The trembling and fear emanating from the other person were genuine and could not be faked.

However, too many details in this story are false.

For clients who try to cover up their true intentions by saying too much during the first consultation, confronting them directly is one approach, but this can easily trigger strong defensiveness in the future.

The best approach is to let the visitors expose their own lies, to let their left foot trip over their right.

Taking advantage of the moment when the other person calmed down, Nan Zhuren began to organize her thoughts.

(End of this chapter)