Chapter 68
He had messed up.
This was Xia Wansheng’s only thought.
This thought oddly mirrored the time he had tried to steal the documents and go offline.
How did things become like this?!
He was trapped. Although his wrist was free, he couldn’t push Yu Congyan away.
And it was his own fault for being lazy and initiating the kiss instead of explaining.
But he couldn’t just let himself be kissed breathless.
Xia Wansheng gently pushed against Yu Congyan’s chest, signaling him to stop, but not too hard, he didn’t want to traumatize him.
One’s mind raced when nervous. Only a few seconds had passed between his thought and action, but Yu Congyan still noticed his distraction.
“What are you thinking about?” Yu Congyan released him, then, seeing him still dazed, leaned in for another kiss.
Xia Wansheng, finally snapping out of it, stopped him with a finger, “Wait, didn’t you just ask if I wanted to see a therapist?”
He was always good at reading the situation. This atmosphere was getting dangerous, if he didn’t find a way to escape, things would get out of control.
They were very close, a perfect kissing distance, the air thick with tension, a single spark could ignite a wildfire.
“Changed your mind?” Yu Congyan chuckled, “Don’t force yourself, you can go when you’re feeling better.”
He had anticipated a long and drawn-out process, he hadn’t expected Xia Wansheng to change his mind so quickly.
Hopefully, he wasn’t just trying to avoid the current situation.
“I know something’s not right with me, but I’m more afraid of dissecting myself in front of others.” Xia Wansheng unconsciously fidgeted with his pajamas.
He thought, the first hurdle was to convince the therapist of his bizarre transmigration experience.
He would probably be labeled as overly guarded or delusional.
That was why he hadn’t actively sought treatment here, even if he did, it probably wouldn’t be helpful.
But he didn’t want to reject Yu Congyan’s kindness.
“Then let’s go now.” Yu Congyan was afraid he would change his mind again.
He was confident that there would be other opportunities for intimacy, but this chance to help Xia Wansheng open up, if missed, might not come again.
Without wasting any time, they quickly got ready and headed to the clinic.
“This is the place Fu Yan recommended, it’s very reputable.” Yu Congyan explained as they got out of the car.
Coincidentally, this was the building he had just sold.
As they got out, Xia Wansheng looked up at the building, and the dozing system in his mind was suddenly alerted by a notification sound.
[Congratulations on reaching a plot trigger point, please remind the host to activate the plot, there will be a bonus reward.]
“???”
This broken system still had side quests?
Xia Wansheng looked around, but nothing seemed familiar, he had no idea what was happening here.
[Don’t worry, host, let me check the plot details!] The system was annoyed by this interruption to its leisure time.
As a competent system, it just had to wait for the host’s situation to stabilize and then it could go offline, but now, this strange task appeared.
The system frantically searched through the plot, unable to find this location, then finally saw the address mentioned in the ending, realizing this was the same place, although the building looked completely different.
It had been transformed from a dilapidated office building to a modern commercial complex in the city center.
[Host, wait, don’t go in yet! This is the location of the previous ending, where Yu Aotian was betrayed, yes, yes, take a few steps to the left,]
The system, like a GPS, guided Xia Wansheng to the plot trigger point,
[A bit to the right, host, the mission is clear, just stand at the same spot and say a line with the same number of words as the original line, then you’ll receive a two-million bonus, don’t miss this chance!]
The excitement in the system’s voice was genuine, how did this stingy higher-up suddenly become so generous?
“I’ve completely lost interest in following the plot…” Xia Wansheng protested in his mind.
[Two million in cash, directly deposited into your account!] The system, seeing the reward amount, exclaimed excitedly.
“Perhaps I’m still slightly interested.” Xia Wansheng, ever adaptable, said.
Yu Congyan hadn’t planned on explaining his reasons for buying this building.
After all, it was an old memory, a distant past.
But he saw Xia Wansheng pacing back and forth, as if searching for a specific location.
“Are…are you looking for something?” he asked tentatively.
Was there some hidden wishing well by the flowerbed only visible to special people? Or some hidden quest?
Xia Wansheng waved his hand, signaling him to be quiet, he could barely hear the system’s instructions.
After much effort, following the system’s strange directions of “left, right, forward, backward,” he finally reached the designated spot.
The location of Yu Congyan’s downfall in his previous life.
Xia Wansheng froze, reaching out for Yu Congyan to support him, afraid he would lose his balance.
Yu Congyan, although puzzled, quickly approached him, seeing his outstretched hand.
Xia Wansheng leaned in, seemingly trying to come up with a line on the spot, hesitating, unable to decide what to say.
The system had called him over for the mission, but after searching for a while, it said it wasn’t sure about the exact wording.
[Host, why don’t you ask Yu Congyan? He might remember!]
After all, this was the lowest point of his life, betrayed and stripped of everything, he must have a vivid memory of it.
“System, are you serious…” Xia Wansheng was speechless, this was practically asking him to reopen old wounds.
[Host, it’s two million! The main mission was only five million, and it was so complicated, this is just a minor psychological jab, why are you feeling guilty now… ]
The system was puzzled.
It felt like its host had changed, no longer the cold and efficient mission-completion machine.
They stared at each other for a long while.
Xia Wansheng couldn’t bring himself to ask.
Forget it, it was just two million, no big deal.
Just as he was about to move and abandon the mission, Yu Congyan, sensing his hesitation, placed his hand on his shoulder, his voice gentle,
“Didn’t you just spend a long time finding this spot? Don’t start over again.”
Xia Wansheng, unable to resist his sincerity, finally told him the truth,
“Well… do you remember what was said to you here before you were reborn? I need to say a line with the same number of words to trigger the mission and get the reward.”
He realized this was a bit much, but he instinctively felt that hiding it wouldn’t be a good idea.
But he was still a bit worried. He didn’t know what had happened here. What if Yu Congyan had been beaten up by the villains?
Yu Congyan inwardly relaxed upon hearing the mission details.
It was much simpler than he had anticipated.
He had simply been mocked with “You’re so easily deceived.” The words themselves weren’t particularly hurtful, but combined with his situation at the time, being at his lowest point, they had added a layer of sadness.
“Six words.” He answered directly.
Xia Wansheng started counting on his fingers, “Six words, let me think.”
He couldn’t think of anything suitable.
Then, for some reason, the scene from his apartment flashed through his mind.
The two of them getting closer, his ears burning even after Yu Congyan left.
He buried his face in his scarf, trying to hide his blush.
“Be – to – ge – ther – okay?” (Will you go out with me? / Want to be together?)
As he looked up after counting, he met Yu Congyan’s serious gaze.
He was about to explain that he was just fulfilling the word count requirement, but Yu Congyan interrupted him.
“I didn’t hear you clearly, say it again.” He covered Xia Wansheng’s hand with his own, pulling him closer.
The first time was to confirm the word count, but the second time wasn’t.
Xia Wansheng stumbled forward, into Yu Congyan’s arms, his face buried in his soft scarf, mumbling: “Want to be together?”
He didn’t know why he was so nervous, he couldn’t possibly be rejected, could he?
Yu Congyan finally heard the words he had been longing for, “It would be my honor.”
He gently placed his arm around Xia Wansheng’s waist, his touch light, as if afraid of losing him again.
This embrace was long overdue.
The elevator dinged, reaching the top floor.
This was the most reputable psychological clinic in City A, discreetly located, with connections across various industries and collaborations with companies worldwide.
And they had a very effective client filtering system.
The price of 600 yuan per minute made Xia Wansheng feel instantly better.
“Six hundred is just the starting price?” He suddenly felt like even these few words were worth a fortune.
His own value seemed to have increased.
“Of course, our pricing is transparent, what are your needs?” The receptionist expertly handled their surprise and skepticism,
“You’ll find it’s a worthwhile experience, we have a perfect track record, and we’re dedicated to providing the best service.”
Yu Congyan took out the business card Fu Yan had given him, a black and gold stripe printed on the edge, and said, “I’ve been here before.”
The receptionist’s expression changed upon seeing the card’s VIP status, then her smile became even more genuine and radiant.
“A valued guest! You can call us directly for future appointments, we can have the therapist visit you, there’s no need for you to come here personally!”
Xia Wansheng thought, if the therapist saw his less-than-80-square-meter apartment and charged 600 yuan per minute, they would probably assume he was bankrupt, hence his unstable mental state.
“This way please, our chief psychologist is available, please have a seat, I’ll make the arrangements.” The receptionist led them to the waiting area and offered them water.
Xia Wansheng looked around, it was similar to the counseling room at his former school.
He had been there once, but the counselor had simply rephrased his problems and then told him to “work through it himself.”
“…” He had been speechless.
Emotional regulation wasn’t something easily achieved without changes in external circumstances.
It was practically impossible for him.
But that experience had taught him a valuable lesson, to stop relying on others.
He had no one to depend on.
The lighting in the therapy room was soft and calming.
The sofa was comfortable, and to avoid triggering any sensitivities, there were no scented candles or air fresheners, the walls painted a calming shade of blue.
Everything was designed to help the patient relax and open up.
But Xia Wansheng’s priority was to explain his transmigration experience and convince the therapist he wasn’t delusional.
The door opened, and a psychologist in a trench coat entered. She adjusted her coat, gave Xia Wansheng a professional smile, and said in a gentle and soothing voice: “It’s alright, relax, would you like to talk about what’s been happening recently?”
It wasn’t that Xia Wansheng didn’t want to speak, but the system in his mind started acting up.
Its voice, distorted by static, said intermittently: [Host, something’s not right about this person, she also has a system!]
Judging by its excited rather than panicked tone, it shouldn’t be dangerous.
Xia Wansheng told it to communicate with the other system, feeling relieved himself, having a system made things much easier to explain. He recounted his recent bizarre experience without reservation.
But the psychologist’s reaction was different from what he had expected. She didn’t question his transmigration experience, instead focusing on a minor detail, “When did you transmigrate?”
Although Xia Wansheng didn’t understand why she was asking this, he answered honestly: “About three or four months ago? I was hit by a truck on my way home from work.”
“Did you feel any discomfort? Any pain?” she asked again.
“No, it was like nothing happened, I just opened my eyes and I was here.” He shook his head.
“That’s strange…” The psychologist’s voice was filled with genuine confusion, but her next words were chilling,
“So, according to you, even if I kill you now, you’ll just painlessly return to your original world?”
Xia Wansheng jumped up, “What…what do you mean?!”
“Lack of security and belonging, with suicidal tendencies, you don’t truly belong here, even death is insignificant,” the psychologist smiled, “Want to play a game?”
“What game?”
“My system is different from yours, it has a built-in amnesia therapy, which can block and eliminate negative emotions. The side effect is temporary memory loss,
The memories will return when their soul is strong enough,” she tapped her temple, “The feedback from patients has been overwhelmingly positive.”
“But some find it more interesting to play the amnesia card, treating life as a role-playing game can also reduce psychological burden,” the psychologist leaned in closer, her voice laced with gentle persuasion,
“What will you choose?”
