She pressed the red, power button on the remote. It was overwhelming for her to hear Free Fire World Cup after all those months of trying to cope with her life after losing a mother and her so-called team in the past was not looking for her, she was losing already without even trying. "I thought you were into that kind of announcement since you look like you are excited about it." Doctor Tan said and explained the facts of what she sees in Xiao Mei Zhi's visions. Compared to what Doctor Tan said, she was not exceptionally comfortable. "I lost that excitement since the day they thought I abandoned them."
"And when was that?"
"When I was busy playing and I got my mother killed."
Doctor Tan was not frightened facing Xiao Mei Zhi as she said those words. She was just starting to accept and regret now. Because if a patient found their way to a memory that they wanted to forget, they must forgive themselves first and break the blaming cycle about what they have done since many people with almost accurate problems like Xiao Mei Zhi would beg in the temple and gather their strength to continue living.
"Do you mind if I close the curtains?"
Xiao Mei Zhi watched Doctor Tan grip the edge of the curtain, "I guess not." She was just contemplating and making herself unable to break down the emotions of missing Free Fire and Misses Zhi, her mother.
"Hold on, I have something for you to have a look at." Doctor Tan gave a sign using her hand to make Xiao Mei Zhi move forward and stand beside her. She examined what Doctor Tans hoped for her, she touched the curtain and swiftly move a little of it aside so that she can see the view.
Doctor Tan turned her head and ask Xiao Mei Zhi, "What do you see?"
Compared to the other hours that has passed, she was starting to have a little steady stream of emotions. Because of what she saw outside the window, "Several men and women are passing by."
"Meaning?"
It took a long second for Xiao Mei Zhi to get what Doctor Tan was trying to say. "They are good at pretending to be fine even though they are not?"
Doctor Tan was not expecting Xiao Mei Zhi to be less bitter toward people, so she let go of her grip on the curtain which made the office dim.
"Your answer is not bad, however, you should not doubt them. Just like you, they pretend, even I. I am pretending-- "
"Pretending to be a good doctor,"
"No. I am not pretending to be good, I am trying to make you accept the differences between the people that surround you. Communicating with them will help you feel better in knowing them too."
Doctor Tan grabbed her chair and sat down, looking at Xiao Mei Zhi who was still looking outside the window. "Then you have less knowledge when it comes to approaching your patient, Doctor." She shifted her sight to the clear sky while her ear hears the cars beeping on the road, "Can you imagine yourself leaving your mother to die and you can not go back to protect her? Do you even know what it looks like?"
Doctor Tan felt guilty as Xiao Mei Zhi continued, "Everyone in the Freis Residence thought that it was acceptable for me to just try hard and forget. They even suggested a witch for me to come and visit in those past few months, but I refused to remove my memory."
Not to mention that Xiao Mei Zhi noticed that Doctor Tan is a witch, in case she would do anything to remove her memory based on her observation, she would be in a state of leaving everything behind in Tianjin. Since she would not resort again to finding ways to die.
Doctor Tan reassured her, "Look, I have to be honest with you. I am a witch, but not pure. I live among humans to stay human, there are so many things I want to do as a human in this world, surely now you know that I am trying to gain your trust."
Xiao Mei Zhi believe that it was still hard to accept hybrids, but Doctor Tan encouraged her, "You should discover something that everyone needed," She looked at Doctor Tan seriously again, trying to figure out what she was implying. "Have a contact with a man, and maybe ask Qiji your friend to find a way how to start with a man," Doctor Tan took her pen out from the pocket of her coat and wrote down something on the sticky note. "This is your first assignment."
"Wait, Qiji is still young. I cannot let her do that nor ask. And why would I need a man? This is ridiculous."
Doctor Tan smiled at her after she finish writing, "Have you ever fallen in love?"
Xiao Mei Zhi sighed as she was trying to get herself involved with the word love, for all those months, she was ruined by losing her mother, and now, love? Her life was like a juggler in the circus. Doctor Tan was starting to poke her patience, "Can you dismiss me now? I have to rethink this,"
When Xiao Mei Zhi was about to head to the door, Doctor Tan went toward her with a few steps and had a couple of stares, like they treated each other as siblings fighting over invisible food.
"You have to go out, and start your assignment."
Xiao Mei Zhi was about to speak but the office has been vacuumed and taking Qiji with her to another hideout in Tianjin. 'Doctor Tan! You said you were not a pure witch!' She screamed inside of her head. She felt squeamish. The atmosphere they were in has a dirty white wall and cubicles. They were inside the lady's comfort room. Doctor Tan knows that she was not feeling well but why would she send her out to communicate? she was forcing her to see the world.
"Miss, where are we? And how did we get in here?" Qiji ask.
"You better ask that question to Doctor Tan, she tricked me."