Holding her umbrella, she briskly walked through the small garden in the middle of the compound, while thinking about her trifling matters.
The night wind carried the drizzle, splashing down, sending a cool chill down her collar and raising goosebumps all over.
Creak— creak—
Amidst the thunder and the rain, she suddenly heard a very faint noise coming from a dim corner of the garden.
Her footsteps paused, and she asked, "Who's there?"
No one answered her.
Frowning, she tilted her head to look and asked again, "Who's over there?"
Patter patter patter—
Still, no one spoke, only the sound of raindrops beating on the umbrella overhead…
She pricked up her ears, but the sound was gone.
Looking at the puddle in the corner, she analyzed the dialectical relationship between having nightmares and experiencing auditory hallucinations, and continued walking towards the office building on the opposite side.
As a psychological counselor, Zhan Se didn't need to keep a regular schedule for teaching students. It was enough to provide various psychological counseling and guidance according to each student's situation. Generally speaking, troubled youths with unlawful behavior, influenced by their upbringing and family environment, would have some psychological issues to some extent.
In the morning, she had a chat with a few kids and had just entered their information into her tracking database when she received a call from Emperor Quan.
His tone was as domineering and wild as ever, leaving no room for refusal.
Had it not been for the hundred thousand bucks and the urgent matter, she really felt like smashing her phone.
Fearing that people in the center might misunderstand and not wanting Director Ai to find a reason to pick on her, she refused his offer to send a car for her.
In the season of plum rains, once it started raining, the drizzle would go on and on endlessly.
As soon as she stepped out with her umbrella, she saw Wei Jibei, who was parking his car outside the gate of the Juvenile Rehabilitation Center.
Wei Jibei was the father of the little girl Wei Cuo, whom Director Ai had asked Zhan Se to take care of. He was also the father of the daughter of the husband of the younger sister of Emperor Quan's elder sister.
With such a roundabout connection, this was in fact only the third time Zhan Se had seen him.
"Mr. Wei, are you here to see your child?"
Wei Jibei politely nodded toward her, "Is Teacher Zhan heading out?"
"Yes!"
Smiling, Zhan Se said goodbye and walked out.
To understand the students' upbringing and family environment for targeted intervention and guidance, Zhan Se was aware of Wei Jibei's identity and background. This restrained, calm-eyed 36-year-old divorced man was said to be the head of some military research institute.
"Teacher Zhan."
Wei Jibei called her back.
"Is there something else, Mr. Wei?"
He glanced at her with a fleeting look and was silent for two seconds before nodding, "With such heavy rain, it won't be convenient for you to hail a taxi. Let me drive you. Also, I would like to know about Wei Cuo's personal situation during this period."
After checking the time and considering the rain, Zhan Se smiled and did not refuse.
"Teacher Zhan, is it possible for me to contact you privately?"
"Hmm?"
"Ah, Teacher Zhan, don't get me wrong…" Wei Jibei, holding the steering wheel, turned his head and explained with a smile. He spoke slowly with clear and precise articulation, the kind of person who was especially considerate of others' emotions, "It's like this, our institute has an important project that will soon enter the data closure testing phase. For quite a long stretch of time, I won't be able to come over. But as a father, I want to stay updated at all times. Would that be convenient for you?"
Regarding such a request, Zhan Se felt embarrassed to refuse.
Pulling out her phone, she dialed a number into Wei Jibei's mobile.
Throughout the drive, he just listened quietly to Zhan Se's description, only interrupting occasionally at key points without being abrupt. Whenever he had questions, he would raise them without making her feel uncomfortable, showcasing the charm of a mature man in just the right measure. Therefore, within the short hour of the car trip, Zhan Se formed a more positive psychological evaluation of the man.
A good person, an absolutely good man!
With this thought, she became slightly curious about the reason he divorced his wife.
Arriving at the place designated by Emperor Quan, she didn't expect Emperor Quan to be waiting for her downstairs.
She was even more surprised when upon seeing Wei Jibei, Emperor Quan straightforwardly asked him to stay.
Regarding their relationship, Zhan Se was not very surprised, after all, he was the ex-husband of the younger sister's husband of Emperor Quan's elder sister; they were relatives who didn't need six degrees of separation to be connected. However, that Wei Jibei seemed startled to learn that the person she was meeting was Emperor Quan, even someone as calm and composed as Wei Jibei showed a momentary surprise. Nevertheless, he didn't ask any unnecessary questions.
"Little Yao, did you sneak out to steal cattle last night?"
Lord Quan the Fourth always had a way of speaking that could send a shiver down one's spine.
Touching her face, Zhan Se wasn't someone to take things lying down, "No, stealing hearts."
Looking down into her eyes, the man clearly teased, "Miss me, couldn't sleep?"
"Cough!" Wei Jibei 'coughed' lightly, "Young Emperor, didn't you have something to discuss with me?"
"Right. Old Wei, let's talk in the study." His eyes narrowed coldly, Lord Quan the Fourth gave Wei Jibei a cool glance, reducing an age-appropriate handsome man to 'Old Wei'. After speaking, he seemed to remember something, casually placing his hand on Zhan Se's shoulder, "Little Yao, have you thanked this man?"
Zhan Se was taken aback, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Did he really understand the positions of the two people here? It was that of doctor and patient, not lovers.
"Lord Quan the Fourth—" she intended to say it outright but hesitated, not wanting to disregard his privacy. In this moment of hesitation, Lord Quan the Fourth capitalized on the situation. Raising an eyebrow mockingly, he half-hugged her shoulder, his tone grew a bit warmer, "Be good, sit over there and wait for me. Okay?"
Was he deliberately aiming to cause misunderstandings? Scumbag!
It seemed Wei Jibei hadn't noticed anything amiss, and he smiled at her, "No need to be so formal, Wei Cuo still requires a lot of care from Teacher Zhan."
"Mr. Wei, it's what I should do, just call me if you need anything..."
She hadn't finished speaking when Lord Quan the Fourth, growing impatient at her side, let his handsome face darken.
"Got a mouth addiction today?"
Staring at the man's suddenly sharp and cold eyes, Zhan Se went momentarily speechless.
His mood was too strange! Just moments before everything was fine, and in the blink of an eye, spring had turned into harsh winter.
What kind of life experiences must a person have gone through to develop such an unpredictable character?
Compared with Wei Jibei's patience and tolerance, she felt that men with surname Quan were simply provoking the limits of nature with their aberrance. But realizing he was her patient, she understood in her heart. Sitting on the sofa, drinking the tea Iron Hand brewed, she began observing the apartment, which was drenched in a strong masculine style.
As part of her psychological research, she didn't overlook the interior decor.
Deep blue, black, white— the cold color palette made the whole apartment as cold and gloomy as the owner himself.
And yet, in the heart of the city, where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold, he owned such a spacious apartment—truly a sign of extravagance.