Mrs. Fu, please be mindful of the appropriate boundaries.

As a medium of communication, Song Chang introduced the two and then prepared to leave.

"Dr. Lu, I'm entrusting Qingcheng to you." Song Chang shook hands with Lu Jingzhou very solemnly.

She didn't actually know much about Lu Jingzhou, but the people Fu Jingting arranged should be fine.

"It's our first time meeting today, so let's just chat." Lu Jingzhou gestured for Xu Qingcheng to sit down, choosing a position that made her comfortable.

The consultation room was decorated in a warm and inviting manner, not like a hospital at all, but more like a place where friends could chat over tea.

The assistant brought Xu Qingcheng a glass of orange juice, but Lu Jingzhou pushed it towards her, saying, "I've looked at your file. You don't sleep well and often wake up in the middle of the night, so I won't make you tea or coffee."

"Thank you, Dr. Lu." Xu Qingcheng took it.

Politeness, a smile, and a subtle sense of distance.

This unconscious rejection is a very normal phenomenon at the beginning of a doctor-patient relationship. The first priority for a psychologist is to break the ice, so that the patient can let down their guard and trust him.

Because of Fu Jingting, Lu Jingzhou was quite familiar with Xu Qingcheng, feeling that although she was no longer in the martial arts world, she was still a legend there.

It had been a long time since he last met her, almost a year ago. At that time, the conflict between her and Fu Jingting had not yet been resolved. They met at the hospital, and both Fu Jingting's stubbornness and her hysterical resistance left a deep impression on him.

But looking at her now, her emotions are not outwardly expressed; they are tightly contained. She is polite and poised, and her demeanor is completely different from the person he remembers.

Lu Jingzhou chuckled. "Ms. Xu, relax. Psychotherapy isn't as scary as you think. We're just having a chat. You can talk about any problems you have, and I'll see if I can offer you any other ideas."

"Dr. Lu, you should have seen my medical records. Actually, this doesn't affect my life now. My family avoids talking to me about what happened before. I try to recall it myself, but my head feels like it's being split open, and in the end, I give up."

Does thinking about everything give you a headache? Or does telling you about things you've forgotten trigger this reaction?

"I haven't tried it myself, so I'm not really sure," Xu Qingcheng shook her head.

Have you been thinking about anything from the past lately?

"have."

"Can you tell me?" Lu Jingzhou looked up.

Xu Qingcheng hesitated for a moment, and her hesitation did not escape Lu Jingzhou's eyes. He could see that her self-protective barrier was still very deep.

"Try to talk to me more, so we can find a solution as soon as possible," Lu Jingzhou encouraged her.

"I saw my boyfriend—no, I should call him my ex-boyfriend—a while ago. Actually, I couldn't remember why we broke up." Xu Qingcheng lowered her eyes, "But then, it just suddenly came to mind."

"My brother went to jail, I remember that." Xu Qingcheng took a deep breath. The pain of the past, no matter how long it lasted, still hurts when she thinks about it, but thankfully Qingyao is alright now.

"What made you think of that? Was something particularly exciting?"

"A few days ago, Qingyao said he was going to the police station, and suddenly the image of him in handcuffs appeared in my mind." She couldn't help but cry at that moment; she was so sad, so very sad.

They were also worried that Qingyao might have done something wrong.

I hadn't thought much about it before, but for some reason, that memory suddenly became clear, as if it had all come together at once.

Because of the Ye family, Qingyao went to jail, and because of this, she broke up with Ye Tinghong.

Have you experienced any headaches?

"Yes, but it's bearable." Xu Qingcheng still felt lingering fear when she thought of the pain that made her want to bang her head against the wall.

Police station.

Related events can stimulate memory.

Lu Jingzhou made a note of it, which he could try gradually in the future, but it would be best to do so under surveillance and keep a close eye on her situation.

"Miss Xu's eyes were red when she came in, as if she had been crying," Lu Jingzhou asked cautiously. "If it's convenient, could you tell me why?"

"Oh, well..." Xu Qingcheng touched her eyes with her fingers, a little embarrassed, "On the way here, I saw a news report and lost control of my emotions."

"What news made Miss Xu feel this way?" Lu Jingzhou asked casually.

The information in the documents, his first impression of her, the image of Fu Jingting's lover, ex-wife, and wife in his mind, and the patient in front of him now—each one is different. Lu Jingzhou needs to reassess Xu Qingcheng's personality and temperament.

Her composure and defensiveness exceeded Lu Jingzhou's expectations; indeed, she couldn't be rushed.

Throughout the conversation, she didn't change her posture at all. She didn't choose a particularly relaxed position; she just sat there with her back straight, legs crossed, body slightly leaning forward, holding the glass of orange juice in one hand and touching the rim of the glass with the other.

The negotiating state revealed by her body language actually shows that she hadn't let her guard down subconsciously.

So, Lu Jingzhou closed his notebook and decided to just chat casually.

"News about child trafficking. These people should be executed, not just sentenced! They don't understand the pain and sorrow of parents and family members; they don't deserve to be parents!"

Her hand holding the cup trembled slightly. Lu Jingzhou glanced at her, then subtly changed the subject.

The two chatted casually. Perhaps because Lu Jingzhou had put down his notebook and the conversation wasn't directly related to her illness, Xu Qingcheng relaxed a bit.

The receptionist came in once to refill their water, and Lu Jingzhou casually asked, "Still not awake?"

Knowing that Dr. Lu was asking about the client who was resting at the counseling center, she asked, "There's still no news. Should we go check on them?"

"Need not."

Xu Qingcheng glanced towards the door instinctively, hesitated for a moment, but still asked, "Dr. Lu, did your friend come to the psychological clinic to rest?"

"People are under a lot of pressure these days, and they sometimes need psychological intervention."

"Him? He needs psychological intervention?" Xu Qingcheng didn't understand. Such a thick-skinned person.

Lu Jingzhou smiled. It was rare for her to bring up the topic herself, so without him having to lead the conversation, Dr. Lu simply went along with it, saying, "Hmm, doesn't seem like it?"

"It doesn't seem like it," Xu Qingcheng muttered, then couldn't help asking, "What are his symptoms?"

"He has been having trouble sleeping for several years."

Xu Qingcheng paused, then almost without thinking, blurted out, "No, he's always slept quite well, hasn't he?"

Lu Jingzhou glanced at Xu Qingcheng and asked casually, "Miss Xu, have you known him for a long time?"

"Huh? Ah...no, I haven't known him for long." Xu Qingcheng snapped out of her daze and quickly replied.

Lu Jingzhou frowned slightly.

Time flew by, and it felt like they hadn't discussed anything substantial. When Lu Jingzhou said that was the end of the day, he was met with a questioning look from Xu Qingcheng.

That familiar gaze made Dr. Lu's forehead twitch violently.

What the hell!

This couple!

Sometimes, even a good ten minutes of sleep can make you feel incredibly refreshed. Fu Jingting slept here for about an hour and finally felt that his head wasn't hurting so much anymore.

He knew that Xu Qingcheng was receiving psychological counseling nearby, since he had arranged for Lu Jingzhou to be there.

Fu Jingting called Song Chang and said, "I'll take her back in a bit, you don't need to come."

"I just heard from a colleague that FUC played a significant role in cracking this major child trafficking case."

Song Chang paused for a moment, then asked softly, "Is there any news about Qing Han?"

There was no sound from the other end of the phone for a long time, and Song Chang knew that this time it was probably another disappointment.

From the moment she learned that the case was solved because of Fu Jingting, she had a bad feeling. If everything went smoothly, he would probably rush to Xu Qingcheng's side as soon as possible to share the joy with her.

"Qinghan is definitely alive and well somewhere; we will find him."

Song Chang took a breath and made his voice more relaxed, "Don't say I didn't warn you, your wife is resentful because you haven't shown up for so many days. She thinks you're playing her for a fool and have gone out to find someone new. She's furious. You'd better try to appease her."

Fu Jingting hung up the phone, and a short while later Xu Qingcheng and Lu Jingzhou came out of the consultation room.

Fu Jingting sat up from the waiting area. The man was dressed casually in work pants and a black kilt, with a white T-shirt underneath. He was quite eye-catching.

The two locked eyes.

Xu Qingcheng turned her head away as if she hadn't seen him. She said goodbye to Lu Jingzhou and walked out.

I just sent a message to Song Chang.

Fu Jingting didn't even have time to say a few more words to Lu Jingzhou, saying he'd contact her by phone, and quickly chased after her. He reached out and grabbed her hand, "Didn't you see me?"

Xu Qingcheng quickly shook him off, glaring at him, "Who are you? Do I know you?"

Fu Jingting rubbed his temples, looking rather helpless. "Are you really angry? I had some urgent business to attend to these past few days and just got back."

If there's an emergency or I'm on a business trip, I can still call or text her, right?

Xu Qingcheng snorted; there were plenty of reasons not to contact her anyway.

The woman ignored him and walked straight out.

After leaving, she received a message from Song Chang: "Fu Jingting said he'd give you a ride. It'll be a good opportunity for him to experience Miss Xu's sour vinegar—not everyone gets to taste it!"

What?!

Xu Qingcheng's face flushed red.

Fu Jingting happened to come over, and she quickly took away his phone and hid it.

The man took her hand. "Song Chang entrusted you to me. I'll take you home."

"No need, I'll go back by myself, I don't need you to take me." Xu Qingcheng said petulantly.

"Listen to me, Qingcheng. If you have any questions, I'll explain them to you when we get back."

"What are you talking about? Who are you to me?" Xu Qingcheng looked at him with a mocking gaze. "Why should I listen to your explanation? What is our relationship? You don't need to explain anything to me."

Fu Jingting's forehead tightened, his eyes darkened, and he tried hard to suppress his emotions. The days of running around and the final disappointment had brought him to a low point.

"Stop being unreasonable. I don't want to argue with you. It won't solve anything. You can ask me anything, but not now. Let's go home first."

Xu Qingcheng was frightened by his stern and reprimanding appearance. His voice carried a suppressed anger, the emotion of which was hard to describe.

Before she could react, the man grabbed her hand and pulled her into the car.

He gripped her hand tightly, and her wrist ached from his grip. Xu Qingcheng couldn't pull him away.

Miss Xu was also angry, feeling wronged and sad. Actually, when a woman acts childish, it's just because she wants to be coaxed, not because she's really angry. But it's true that he hasn't contacted her for a long time without even saying hello. He could have easily told her, so she wouldn't have to think about him every day.

"Let go of me! I don't need your explanations, and I don't want to argue with you. I can go home by myself. I don't need... Ah!"

He shoved her into the car, and in the struggle, Xu Qingcheng slammed her head against the car door, letting out a scream and covering her head.

Fu Jingting was startled by her; the impact was quite loud. He quickly reached in to check, "Where did you bump into? Are you alright?"

He reached out to look at where her hands were covering the area. "Let go of your hands, let me see."

"You don't need to look!"

She twisted her body to avoid him.

Fu Jingting leaned closer, pulled her hand away to check, and rubbed his fingers on her head, finding no bumps.

He breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed her eyes a few times, and saw that her eyes were red.

The man suddenly realized he had misbehaved. He pressed his forehead against hers and said, "I'm sorry, it was my attitude that was the problem."

It would have been better if he hadn't said it; the moment he did, Xu Qingcheng was on the verge of tears.

She looked away from him.

Fu Jingting simply got into the car and sat with her in the back seat. He closed the car door and, ignoring her struggles, pulled her into his arms.

The man rested his chin on the top of her head. "Things weren't handled very well; it wasn't the result I wanted. I lost control of my emotions. I apologize; don't be angry."

When he spoke to her like that, her angry bubbles burst one by one.

But I still feel wronged.

"Were you yelling at me just now? Taking your anger out on me?" Xu Qingcheng asked him. "Who am I to you? What right do you have to take your anger out on me?"

She hadn't even said yes to be his girlfriend yet, and this happened.

Fu Jingting was speechless, choked by her words. Yes, in her worldview, he was just a man who wanted to pursue her.

"I don't consider you an outsider," Fu Jingting whispered in her ear.

My face suddenly felt hot, I didn't know if it was because he was too close or what he meant by his words.

Xu Qingcheng gave him a reluctant push and didn't say anything else.

Fu Jingting breathed a sigh of relief and went to drive back.

When he parked the car at Xinghe Bay, he remembered something and asked her, "Did you need something from me?"

"no."

"What did you want to say when you texted me?"

"What message..." Xu Qingcheng suddenly remembered her seemingly unintentional action halfway through her sentence. She covered one side of her face, "No, I just sent it to the wrong person. The message I meant for someone else was mistakenly sent to you."

Fu Jingting looked down at her, his eyes revealing a knowing understanding. Xu Qingcheng's face flushed red, and she stomped her foot, "It was sent to the wrong person."

"Hmm. I didn't say you sent it to me specifically." Fu Jingting reached out and put his hand on her shoulder.

Xu Qingcheng, "..."

When Xu Qingcheng got out of the car, she wanted to tell him to go ahead, but the man took his backpack from the car and went upstairs with her.

"You just got back?"

"Um."

Aren't you going home?

"Return."

"Then you can go now, I'll go up myself."

"I send you."

Then they escorted the person all the way to the door. Xu Qingcheng leaned against the door frame and said, "That's enough."

"Didn't you have something else to ask me?" Fu Jingting lowered his head, and then, in a moment of distraction for Xu Qingcheng, he entered the room.