Xiao Jun had gone through a trauma that an adult would likely have a hard time getting through. While he might not understand the gravity of what had happened to his family she was somewhat surprised that he hadn't experienced nightmares at least.
'Had he been tucked away somewhere while everything had been going on?' She frowned slightly at that thought. If he'd been tucked away without seeing anything then how could he know that his parents were dead? Had his brother told him… no… if his brother cared about him at all why would he tell a child something like that right before sending him off on his own?
'Why do you care?' Jin Hai's deep voice reverberated in her mind. That lisp just as apparent as usual.
'Because I care…' She responded absentmindedly.
'Must you worry over every little thing just because you care. He's obviously alright, why are you so hung up on such small details?' Jin Hai just couldn't understand this human. He'd been with her for such a small amount of time yet it was becoming increasingly clear that he was understanding less and less about her.
Bai Mei Li was silent for a moment before answering. 'I use to be something called a profiling psychiatrist'
He'd never heard about such a thing.
'I'm going to guess that you don't understand what either of those two words mean. I'll start with psychology. I introduced myself as a psychiatrist. Basically I study the mental process and human behaviour. I do this through observation, and then by interpretations, and then recor… then writing it all down.' She'd been about to say recording but had changed her mind because then she'd have to explain what recording meant. 'This process enables me to understand why people do what they do. It helps me to help others understand why they do what they do.'
'Why would this be important?' Jin Hai still couldn't understand why this would be important. For him it felt like a waste of time.
'You think it's worthless? When you understand what motivates someone… or something better then they understand it themselves… well it can no longer be considered a battle at all.'
Bai Mei Li was looking at Xiao Jun. He was still on the ground playing with Fei'er. Both children appeared to be having fun with one another. Xiao Jun was explaining his interpretation of the picture book that he'd been looking at.
While Bai Mei Li didn't want to see Xiao Jun sad, crying, or generally unhappy, she was also worried about the complete lack of those exact things.
What she was worried about was the lack of the signs of trauma. From what Xiao Jun had told her he'd escaped from a very dangerous event. He had to of had death all around him.
She understood that this was the cultivation world and not earth but that didn't mean that children here were born with a natural desensitization to death. The very idea was ridiculous and she rejected it immediately.
Xiao Jun also didn't have the ego… the narcissism and manipulative personality that a sociopath lacking empathy would of exhibited. Even if there was the smallest signs of it, Bai Mei Li would of sniffed it out. It was what she did after all, and Xiao Jun wouldn't been the first child sociopath or psychopath that she'd come across.
Since this world didn't even know what psychology was she doubted he would of even been on guard enough to try to fool her to extent that would of have been necessary for her not to notice.
'You think this such tricks are really so useful?' Jin Hai asked slightly confused.
'They aren't tricks. Using such methods I can gain a deep understanding of how a targets thought process works… what would gives them a temporary sense of security and satisfaction long enough to confuse them and perhaps frighten them in that confusion. This can force someone to let down their guard, and as soon as they do I can attack.'
Jin Hai didn't respond. He got the idea but he still found it hard to understand how she would be able to figure out all of that about someone that she's fighting in just a short amount of time and then formulate a plan of a attack that would allow her to utilize this observation ability in battle.
He thought about it for a little bit and then realized that it would indeed be useful on weaker humans. But in his opinion that one a being grew sufficiently strong all tricks could just be nullified. 'Then what does that word profiling mean?'
'Profiling just means I take what I understand about a persons psychology and behavioral characteristics so that I can assess and predict their movements, capabilities, or identify them or group in general.' She stood back up and went into the kitchen to help bring the food. 'You know people aren't as complicated as you would think. What motivates a person is usually very simple. Love, Hate, lust, anger, vengeance, loyalty, obligation. These things are very simple to understand. What makes a human being complicated is the path that they take to get to what motivates them. Once you understand the motivation you can narrow the path. That's more then have the battle… add an understanding of their psyche and well… battle won.'
"The miso soup smells so cool. Chu Ling, this all looks great! Thanks a lot."Bai Mei Said while helping Chu Ling set the table. She took the bowls meant for the two children and cooled them in her hand to a safe eating temperature.
"Come and eat you two!" Chu Ling called to the children and then looked to Bai Mei Li with a smile. "It's my pleasure. Thanks for having us."
"I'll feed Fei'er!" Xiao Jun said has he ran up and got their food. He walked it all carefully back to the table that they had been playing by.
"But what about you?" Bai Mei Li asked amused.
"I'll eat after I feed Fei'er." He said as he sat down and started feeding her before the big sisters could object.
Bai Mei Li and Chu Ling looked at each other and laughed while shaking their heads. Since he wanted to do it so badly they decided to just leave it to him.
'Then why are you so worried about that boy.' Bi Yu finally asked after thinking about everything that Bai Mei Li had said.
'That's complicated. In short I'm worried about how the trauma he's faced will effect his future development. I don't think you'd understand the reason why I'm worried… so we'll save that for later.'
She picked up her chop sticks and started eating.
The food was just as good as it looked. Chu Ling was an excellent cook. So good in fact that as of now Bai Mei Li couldn't remember how she'd stomached her own food for so long, and she'd actually thought she was a really good cook.
"Chu Ling you have to teach me how to you cook like this. I'm afraid Jun'er will never look at me food the same way again." She laughed a little, but she was very serious. This was just too good and she wanted to learn how to cook like this. She couldn't expect Chu Ling to become her personal chef, and she certainly needed this level of food quality in her life from now on.
"Of course, I'd love too! So… um, how long have you been here?"
"Almost two months, you?"
"Eleven years now. But I've only in here in the sanctuary for a year."
"Wow… so long? So was the other Chu Ling an orphan?"
"No… far from it actually." She gave a bitter smile. It was clear that she wasn't all that happy talking about her family from this world. "I come from the Chu family from the capital. Very prestigious and all that."
"One of the big three." She smiled. Go course she knew all about the big families of the capital her own family the Bai clan was also one of the big three. The last clan was the Wang family. "The previous owner of this body was also from one of the three big families of the capital. The Bai Family. My mother is a member of the Chu family so I suppose we are cousins"
"I know." She smiled. "Who in the capital didn't know of the Goddess Bai. Every boy in the Chu family wants to marry you. The elders couldn't stop trying to think of ways to entice the bai family into talking to the Secular Pan Tao sect about a marriage with you, but I hadn't thought about your mother. I remember my mother talking about her now that you mention her. The elders had thought that it would be much easier getting you because your mother is a Chu clan family member."
"Well… I guess that's to be expected I suppose. However that's all done now. I've been declared dead. So all of thats probably good and finished."
"Oh.. how?"
"How did she die? She killed by Shen Chao Jian, but to be far fair she was planning to murder his main squeeze." She laughed and took a bite out of her sandwich.
Chu Ling burst out laughing. How long had it been since she'd heard language like that? "Main squeeze? That is so unladylike. What would Madam Bai think?"
"What? Not accuracy enough?" Bai Mei Li laughed as well. She could sense the change in Chu Ling's mood. Talking about her family in the capital stressed her out, so Bai Mei Li decided to lighten the mood.
"Mei Li… What did you do on earth?"
"I was a psychologist."
Chu Ling tensed up, Bai Mei Li noticed it but didn't react.
"What was your specialty?" Chu Ling hadn't thought that Bai Mei Li had such a profession. She suddenly felt unconformable. She felt bare now and worried that Bai Mei Li had seen through her and figured something out.
"I was a profiler with the FBI." She said bluntly. She could of just talked about being a clinical psychiatrist. That was what she'd been I the later half of her career, but this would a half truth and once Chu Ling found out she be deeply hurt. Bai Mei Li liked Chu Ling, she didn't want to start there friendship off with half truths.
"You.. I… do you know?" Chu Ling was flustered now and didn't know how to act. She was twisting her fingers and biting her lip.
"I've… somethings that I suspect, yes."
"what do you suspect?"
"…"
"Please."
Bai Mei Li sighed softly. "I believe you were assaulted and Chu Fei was a result of that assault."