"Little Fang, deliver double the coffee to Consultation Room One."
"Oh, okay."
Fang Yike had barely sat down when she had to stand up again. This was her eleventh trip to the pantry that afternoon.
After struggling for three years, she finally became a psychologist and was fortunate enough to enter Ancheng's most renowned mental health hospital through a friend's introduction.
However, the female director, a respected psychologist herself, was known for her high standards and pride. Even though she hired Fang Yike to give face to her friend, she started Fang Yike as an intern. Half a month had passed without seeing a single patient, and she was essentially being used as a tea lady.
She didn't want special treatment just because she got in through connections, but her feet, squeezed into high heels, were sore and blistered.
The coffee was perfectly brewed, with the right amount of water and ideal temperature. The creamy brown liquid in the delicate porcelain cup emitted a rich aroma.
Consultation Room One was the director's private office, usually reserved for very important patients due to her busy schedule.
Fang Yike wondered about the identity of the day's significant visitor as she carefully walked down the long corridor, carrying the coffee. The air, tinged with the scent of coffee, seemed to carry a familiar, crisp male scent, very faint, very subtle...
She involuntarily paused at the door.
The plush carpet muffled her footsteps, and the partially open door of the consultation room allowed the voices inside to spill out without the occupants noticing.
She recognized that deep, magnetic male voice — it was Huo Xicheng!
Her heart raced, and she looked inside mechanically, as if struck by lightning.
Through the door, she saw the back of a man's head, half-reclined on a couch — it was him, Huo Xicheng.
The director asked, "Mr. Huo, do you have a woman in your life?"
He seemed to chuckle, his voice rich and lazy, "Yes."
"Do you feel any urges towards her?"
"Yes."
"And do you..."
He interrupted, the click of a lighter cutting through the silence, followed by the sound of him smoking. "Don't ask pointless questions. Ziqian recommended you highly, and I'm here out of respect for my friend. I'll be straightforward: I have a woman I love, but she's left me. Now, I don't aspire to forget her or lead a normal life. Any woman will do for my needs; I'm tired of dealing with it... alone. Is there a solution?"
The director was at a loss for words.
The room fell into an eerie silence, punctuated only by the sound of his slow, deliberate smoking.
Outside, Fang Yike stood frozen, her hands trembling slightly as she held the coffee, her face pale, her heart pounding erratically.
This encounter, this sudden meeting, was so light, so unexpected.
His words, about the woman he loved and couldn't forget... Was it because Gu Ru'an had passed away, leaving him unable to resolve his physical needs, that he came to Ancheng for help?
"Is there no solution then?" he continued, his voice low and smooth, tinged with a hint of laughter and the depth of nicotine.
The director looked down, overpowered by the charismatic patient who seemed to treat his turmoil as a jest, leaving her at a loss.
Fang Yike knew this was the kind of man he was — even in the most tense negotiations, a few light words from him could disarm and silence his opponents.
But the director persisted.
She inquired about his morning erections, his unintentional glances at attractive women on the street. He pondered before nodding, though Fang Yike knew he wasn't the type to notice other women. His affirmative response was likely driven by male pride.
In reality, he was reluctant to engage with women due to an emotional barrier — except for her and the woman he deeply cherished.
The director, rubbing her temples, seemed to admit defeat, recognizing that treating him might be beyond her capabilities, lamenting the waste of a man like him not being able to perform.
"Mr. Huo, as a friend of Mo Ziqian, I can't let you leave empty-handed. Our clinic has many qualified doctors; let me introduce you to another one?"
Huo Xicheng, his every inch exuding defiance, declined with a clear, indisputable tone, his gaze fixed on Fang Yike, who stood frozen at the door with the coffee, "Her. I'll go with her."
The director, now understanding the situation, suggested arranging a consultation time with Dr. Fang.
Fang Yike, snapping back to reality, protested, "Director, this isn't appropriate. I'm just an intern, without the experience or the end of my probation period, I'm not qualified to see patients."
Huo Xicheng, watching her fluster, simply stated, "I don't mind."