I raised stunning young ladies, but they all wanted to possess me.

after awhile.

A long-handled black umbrella pierced through the hazy night and the damp air after the drizzle. Under the umbrella, Gu Yan hurried over.

Sure enough, not far from the agreed place, he saw Shen Youyao's slender figure.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the fabric around her shoulders and lower abdomen was slightly darker, indicating that it was indeed partially wet.

But as she got a little closer, Gu Yan slowed down, a hint of doubt appearing on her face.

Did he... mistake someone for someone else?

The girl standing under the eaves was still wearing that familiar old clothes and those black-rimmed glasses.

But Gu Yan felt that... something was different.

It's not about appearance, but rather an indescribable aura.

Normally, Shen Youyao is like a mimosa trembling in the corner, with a faint presence, and she always subconsciously shrinks away.

The girl before him, though still standing there quietly, resembled a night-blooming cereus that had quietly straightened its stem, exuding a calm yet mysteriously alluring aura in the damp air.

Gu Yan took a few more steps closer, and now she could see it even more clearly.

It was indeed Shen Youyao's face, and that iconic figure that made an old T-shirt look amazingly curvy.

The panda is so big.

It's definitely Shen Youyao... but something just doesn't feel right.

Is it the look in his eyes? Or his posture?

Gu Yan's gaze unconsciously fell on Shen Youyao's face, looking into her eyes through her glasses.

In the dim light, it seemed that deep within the blue eye of those heterochromatic pupils, there was an extremely subtle, fleeting hint of red.

Gu Yan blinked, and when he looked again, the girl had already lowered her head slightly, avoiding his gaze.

He raised his hand, as if to say something, but the words caught in his throat.

For a moment, he felt that Shen Youyao in front of him was somewhat unfamiliar.

At this moment, Aunt Tian, ​​who was standing nearby, noticed that the atmosphere was a bit awkward and quickly tried to smooth things over: "Master Gu, you're finally back!"

"While you were away, Miss Shen waited here for you for a long time, and she even got soaked."

"It's all my fault. I didn't take good care of Miss Shen."

Upon hearing Aunt Tian's words, Shen Youyao's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.

"No, it's not Aunt Tian's fault! I chose to wait here myself..."

"Brother Gu Yan, blame me if you must. It's all my fault."

She immediately raised her head, her face showing the timid, flustered, and helpless expression typical of her dominant personality, her voice soft and gentle.

After saying that, she lowered her head quickly, like a child who had done something wrong, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Seeing that familiar expression and movements, Gu Yan's inexplicable sense of unease and pressure instantly dissipated, and she even secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

This is the Shen Youyao I know...

It must have been a lighting issue, or just my fatigue causing an illusion.

His tone softened, and he said apologetically, "It's not your fault, Youyao."

"It's my fault. I should have told you beforehand that if it rained, you could find a place to take shelter and I would come find you."

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, and you even got wet."

Shen Youyao kept her head down and didn't speak, but the corners of her mouth curved upwards very slightly from an angle that Gu Yan couldn't see, outlining a fleeting smile of satisfaction that was completely inconsistent with her timid appearance.

Looking at the girl's lowered head, Gu Yan assumed that she was afraid to look at him because of her inferiority and guilt, and felt a pang of pity for her.

Actually, looking at it from another perspective, Youyao, this child...

Aside from being too introverted and having low self-esteem, she's really good in every other way; she's just too obedient and compliant.

She could have found a place to shelter from the rain and waited, but because she was afraid he wouldn't be able to find her, or afraid he would think she was disobedient and immature, she insisted on staying where she was, even if it meant getting her clothes wet.

Gu Yan could almost guess what had happened.

It must have been one of the staff members who saw it was raining and quickly ran over to hold an umbrella for her.

Otherwise, given this silly girl's personality, she would probably stand there until she's completely soaked.

From her brother's perspective, Gu Yan didn't like her obedient nature.

He just felt sorry for him.

He once read a psychology paper that contained a sad discovery.

Only children who truly feel loved and have enough security dare to disobey and express their needs and dissatisfaction.

Children who don't feel enough love tend to be exceptionally well-behaved and sensible.

This isn't rebellion; it's the confidence that comes from being loved.

This isn't true maturity; it stems from fear.

Shen Youyao's obedience falls into the latter category.

It was the heavy shell she used to protect herself.

Gu Yan's thoughts drifted back to the description of Shen Youyao in the original work.

After experiencing those heinous and tragic events, she later turned completely evil and committed countless murders.

The book says it's the awakening of a second personality that's dominant, but Gu Yan feels she sees it more clearly.

When the so-called second personality acts, the primary personality is not dormant or resistant, but rather acquiesces or even cooperates.

They were more like two souls in one body, sharing the same pain and hatred, and ultimately became each other's only friends who could understand and trust each other.

However, according to the original storyline, the initial manifestation and stabilization of Shen Youyao's second personality will not occur until at least five years later.

If Shen Youyao wants to truly grow and break free from that extreme cowardice and dependency, she may ultimately have to rely on the awakening of her own inner strength.

No matter how advanced Gu Yan's knowledge of psychology is, she cannot force the development of a personality that is not yet ready.

Some wounds need time to heal.

Some transformations can only occur from the inside out and cannot be pried open prematurely by external forces.

He remained silent for a moment, looking at the girl in front of him with her head down, looking like she was at his mercy. The helplessness he felt because she was too obedient eventually turned into a deeper gentleness.

He reached out and, as usual, gently ruffled Shen Youyao's hair.

"This time it was my fault; I didn't explain myself clearly."

His voice was gentle, "Youyao, you don't have to be so obedient all the time."

"Occasionally, it's okay to have a little temper or do things your own way."

"It's okay."

Shen Youyao blinked as her head was patted.

At this moment, "she," who was in control of her body, seemed to understand why her cowardly and timid younger sister was so obsessed with the feeling of being patted on the head.

The last time she was patted on the head, she wasn't fully awake; she only felt a vague sense of comfort.

And now, as the boy's warm, dry hands gently stroked her head, a strange, comforting warmth spread through her hair, making her feel...

stupid!

She cursed herself in her heart.

How did I really become just like that idiot Shen Youyao?

How could I possibly crave such a simple touch, and even have the absurd thought of wanting to be touched like this for the rest of my life?

For a moment, she almost didn't want to give back control of her body.

Forget it.

She immediately suppressed this unfamiliar flutter of excitement.

I'm not the kind of fool who gets easily swayed by a little bit of warmth.

If we're going to use it, let's use a more direct and effective method!

P.S.: I'm a bit lacking in imagination. I wonder what new superpower Gu Yan should acquire.