The respectful yet distant form of address made Mr. Coriff's expression slightly darken, but he still maintained a smile. After Xiaowan sat down on the sofa with lace cushions, he sat opposite her.
Compared to the Xiaowan who frequently came here for psychological counseling two years ago, she had become much more reserved. Since she sat down, she kept her head slightly lowered, staring at the carpet, seemingly indifferent to her surroundings. She didn't notice the pink roses Mr. Coriff had carefully arranged on the table, nor did she see the cute Angora rabbit in the cage next to her.
However, this sadness wasn't due to her closing off her emotions, but simply because Xiaowan didn't know how to face this man—this man whom she had once confessed to but had been politely and seriously rejected by.
So, she could only keep her head lowered, while Mr. Coriff appeared quite excited. He asked, "It's been a while. Has anything interesting happened around you lately?"
Xiaowan wanted to finish this session quickly, so she directly got to the point, saying, "Yes, I have a boyfriend now."
Mr. Coriff wasn't very surprised by this news. He already knew Xiaowan had a rich emotional life, so he naturally asked, "So, is it because you broke up with him that you're feeling down and falling ill?"
Xiaowan raised her head slightly and said, "No, I haven't broken up with him. You might not believe this, but I think… maybe this man is the one destined for me. My illness this time was just an accident."
Hearing the words "destined for me," Mr. Coriff couldn't help but furrow his brows slightly. He said, "I see. So, apart from this incident, have you had any episodes in the past two years? If so, to what extent, and what were the causes?"
Xiaowan thought for a moment and replied, "About four or five times. One time was more severe because I didn't check the weather forecast before going out, and it snowed heavily. But luckily, Leng Qing found me in time, and neither I nor anyone else was hurt. The other incidents were just at night during dreams, and they weren't serious—at most, they just caused some twitching."
Mr. Coriff nodded, thinking that having only four or five episodes in two years was quite well-controlled. He relaxed a bit and decided to switch to a lighter topic. He asked, "Can you tell me your boyfriend's name?"
When Xiaowan mentioned Chen Xin, her expression softened a little, and she smiled gently. "His name is Chen Xin, but I usually call him Xiao Guai. He's very kind and tolerant of me, no matter what I do."
"Chen Xin, that's a nice Chinese name," Mr. Coriff said, forcing himself to compliment her. "So… can you tell me in detail what happened the night you had your episode?"
Xiaowan took a deep breath and told Mr. Coriff exactly what happened that evening. After listening, he thought for a moment and analyzed, "You probably recalled the things you did to Lance, and then connected that with… that incident."
"That incident" was their exclusive term for the dark memories between the two of them.
Xiaowan bit her lip and said, "I think that's it."
"Xiaowan, listen to me," Mr. Coriff said seriously and kindly. "That incident is in the past now. What we should do is move on from it, not keep connecting other things to it. If you do that, the number of times you'll think about that incident will keep increasing."
"I know, I didn't control it well," Xiaowan said, picking at her palm. "Actually, I just want to tell everything to Chen Xiao Guai. I want him to accept all of me. Maybe if I do, I won't feel burdened by that incident anymore."
Mr. Coriff was slightly taken aback and asked, "You want to tell your current boyfriend about that incident?"
"Yes," Xiaowan nodded eagerly. "Dr. Coriff, I came here today mainly to ask you, do you think my current state is suitable for telling Chen Xiao Guai everything?"
Mr. Coriff lowered his head and thought for a moment before saying, "Xiaowan, it's been a long time since we last met, so I don't know your current situation very well. Based only on today's session, I can't make a final judgment. If you're willing, we can meet a few more times, and I'll give you a full evaluation and tell you the results. How does that sound?"
Xiaowan lowered her eyes. "But… I know you're very busy, and your appointments are probably booked for months, right? It wouldn't be right for me to keep bothering you, maybe I should—"
"It's fine," Mr. Coriff quickly said. "I actually make time for myself to rest, so as long as you're willing, I can find time to see you whenever you need."
Xiaowan was a little surprised and looked at him, recalling the past. Back then, when she was just eighteen, she came to this foreign country with all her wounds, feeling lonely and helpless. It was Mr. Coriff's understanding and compassion that made her feel like she had found a savior. Back then, she wished she could visit him every day just to talk to him, but he never allowed it, always insisting that they could only meet twice a month.
But now… how did it change?
Perhaps Xiaowan's gaze was too obvious, as Mr. Coriff slightly blushed, turned his head, and rubbed his nose. "What I mean is, the more we communicate, the faster I'll be able to assess your condition and see whether you're ready to tell your boyfriend about that incident."
Thinking about Chen Xin, Xiaowan hesitated for a long time before finally nodding. "Alright then."
Mr. Coriff smiled warmly, his maturity evident. "Great. Let's meet again next week at the same time, if that works for you?"
"Sure, no problem," Xiaowan stood up. "Then I'll be going now, Doctor. I need to go back to see my boyfriend."
"Wait," Mr. Coriff quickly said. "It's been a while. I've prepared a gift for you. I hope you'll accept it."
He then brought over a cage containing the Angora rabbit and smiled. "I remember you once said you saw pictures of this rabbit online and thought it was cute, and you wanted to keep one as a pet. Now your wish can come true. This is for you."
Looking at the fluffy, cute rabbit in the cage, Xiaowan remained unmoved. She took a step back, lowered her head, and softly said, "Thank you for your kindness, but you're a doctor, and I'm just a patient. It's better if we keep some distance between us."
With that, she nodded slightly and turned to leave the room.
Outside, secretary Joanna was surprised and asked, "Xiaowan, you're leaving so soon? Aren't you having lunch with the boss?"
In the examination room, Kerriv stood dumbfounded, holding the fluffy rabbit in the cage. He stood there for a long time, lost in thought. He remembered more than two years ago when Xiao Wan had confessed to him with red eyes, and he had responded to her like this: "Xiao Wan, I am a doctor, and you are a patient. We need to maintain a distance between us. I have my professional ethics. What you feel for me now is only because you've developed a psychological dependence on me. It's not real love. You will understand when you become clear-headed."
At that time, after Xiao Wan had stormed out, Kerriv had only briefly felt guilty. But he never expected that small feeling of guilt would grow over two years, evolving into another emotion.
Later, he had tried to contact Xiao Wan, but she never came back, nor did she respond to his messages. The only way he knew she was doing well was through the photos she posted on Instagram.
So when Leng Qing had informed him yesterday that Xiao Wan wanted to see him, Kerriv had been so excited that he couldn't sleep the entire night. He wanted to make up for the events of two years ago, but Xiao Wan clearly hadn't thought about giving him that opportunity.
Now it seemed that she had completely moved on from that past emotional turmoil, but Kerriv sadly found himself falling into it instead.
"Forget it." Kerriv gently stroked the rabbit in the cage. He thought to himself, there's no rush. Xiao Wan's emotional life had always been unstable, and perhaps, before long, she and that man named Chen Xin would break up. He would have another chance. And when that opportunity came, he definitely wouldn't let it slip away again.
At the same time, Chen Xin was waiting in the villa for "Sun" to arrive. Half an hour earlier, "Sun" had sent him a message saying that he had found most of the information about Lance and would bring it over soon.
Chen Xin sat in the large living room of the villa, absentmindedly rubbing Xiao Wan's phone in his hand, until "Sun" called him again. As usual, Chen Xin didn't answer the call, instead, he walked straight to the car parked at the entrance and peered through the window.
"Sun" wore a pair of sunglasses, but they couldn't hide the new scars on his face. He handed over the file folder to Chen Xin and said, "Everything you wanted is here."
Chen Xin asked, "What happened to your face?"
"I ran into a few of the Mai'er family's bodyguards while gathering intel. It's nothing." The man replied. "Mr. Chen, inside there's a video copy, it's from the day Lance Meyer was injured in the studio. The surveillance footage was captured that day. I think you might want to analyze it."
"Thank you." Chen Xin patted him on the shoulder. "Good work."
"It's nothing." Sun nodded, quickly turning the car around and leaving.
Chen Xin returned to his study, took the USB drive from the folder, and inserted it into the computer. Sure enough, inside was a video file. The studio's surveillance footage was silent, but Chen Xin could mostly understand what had happened.
In the video, Xiao Wan was led into the studio by Lance with a blindfold. They both initially had sweet expressions on their faces, like lovers. But when Lance removed the cloth from Xiao Wan's eyes, she glanced around and suddenly lost control of her mental state.
Chen Xin paused the video, carefully searching for what could have caused her to become so frightened. The studio was cluttered with various items, and he couldn't figure it out after a long time. He continued to watch. In her dazed state, Xiao Wan seemed to briefly regain clarity after stabbing Lance with a knife, then collapsed onto the floor. When she saw the blood on her hands, she lost control again…
Chen Xin watched the video several times, still unable to understand what had triggered her breakdown, until his gaze landed on her hands.
At that moment, he suddenly realized: she wasn't looking at Lance's blood.
It was the artificial snow on the ground.
Chen Xin abruptly remembered that when he first met Xiao Wan, it had snowed heavily on Christmas Eve. She had asked him to drive her home, and along the way, she strangely covered her head with her clothes. She had said it was to smell his scent, but now, Chen Xin understood. She was trying to block her vision to avoid seeing the snow.
So, had something bad happened to her during a snowfall in the past?
Chen Xin felt a pang of sympathy when suddenly, the voice of Ai Li called out from outside, filled with excitement: "Mr. Chen, Xiao Wan is back!"
Chen Xin was startled, quickly placed the USB drive in the safe, and hurried downstairs.
As he stepped out the door, he saw Xiao Wan carefully getting off the back of Leng Qing's motorcycle. After adjusting her clothes, she timidly looked up at Chen Xin and gave him a faint smile.
Without a second thought, Chen Xin rushed over and tightly embraced her.
"You're back! Why didn't you tell me in advance?" Chen Xin asked excitedly.
Xiao Wan, who had been tense in his arms, gradually relaxed. She leaned close to his ear and said playfully, "I wanted to surprise you."
Chen Xin chuckled and lowered his head to ask, "Did you see the doctor? Are you okay?"
Xiao Wan bit her lip and said, "Yes, I'm fine for now. Xiao Guai, I'm sorry I never told you about my psychological problems… do you… do you despise me?"
"Don't say such silly things." Chen Xin sighed and held her tighter. "I love you."
Hearing those three words, Xiao Wan couldn't help but tear up. She tightly embraced him back, and after a long while, she calmed down. Chen Xin kissed her forehead and asked, "Are you hungry? I'll have Ai Li prepare something delicious for you, how about it?"
"Mm!" Xiao Wan nodded happily.
At this moment, Leng Qing, seeing the scene, put on his helmet, ready to leave. But unexpectedly, Chen Xin glanced at him and suddenly said, "Let Leng Qing stay and have dinner with us."
Xiao Wan was slightly surprised and asked, "Really? Is that okay?"
"Of course. Didn't you say he's like family to you?" Chen Xin gently caressed her face. "If that's the case, then he's family to me too."
Leng Qing rolled his eyes and coldly replied, "Dinner's fine, but family? Pass."
Xiao Wan couldn't help but laugh, pulling Chen Xin into the house while happily shouting, "Let's go eat! Leng Qing, hurry up and catch up!"
The three of them sat on the sofa waiting for Ai Li to prepare lunch, but before the meal was ready, another guest arrived.
When Ye Chen walked in with a cigarette in his mouth, he saw Xiao Wan lying in Chen Xin's arms, watching a TV drama on a tablet. She occasionally laughed out loud at the plot, her little legs swinging in the air, with bright red nail polish on her shell-like toenails, making her skin look even whiter.
However, the two weren't enjoying a romantic moment alone, as there was another man sitting across from them on the couch.
Leng Qing stared at Xiao Wan's swinging legs with an expressionless face, as though admiring them or contemplating how to make the owner of these slender, perfect legs his.
Ye Chen immediately felt a surge of jealousy and snapped at Xiao Wan, "Lin Xiao Wan, what's the meaning of bringing your hookup to your current boyfriend's house? Are you planning for a 3/P?"
Xiao Wan turned her head and rolled her eyes at him. "I wouldn't even let you join if I were playing 100/P."
"You—" Ye Chen was furious and turned to scold Chen Xin. "Bro, you've got some guts, you can fit the whole universe in your heart!"
Chen Xin helplessly said, "I'm just letting Leng Qing stay for a meal, they are only good friends now. Didn't you come yesterday? Why are you here again today?"
"Yeah, this guy is weird," Xiao Wan added, "He's been popping by every few days… Spit it out, what's your real intention?"
Ye Chen huffed, "I just came to check on my good buddy's recovery. What intention? Don't go around spreading rumors about me!"
"I don't believe a word from a playboy like you," Xiao Wan squinted her eyes. "Ah, I got it! You're not thinking about stealing some of the food that Aili made, right? Xiao Yi, get this guy out of here!"
Leng Qing turned his head and coldly gazed at Ye Chen, his eyes sharp as if he could see through Ye Chen's deepest secret. Ye Chen instinctively took a half-step back, recalling how during the car race last time, he had felt a similarly dark, chilling aura from Leng Qing. Ye Chen always thought his personality was tough to handle, but he didn't expect someone to be even more brooding and intense than him.
…What kind of weirdos has this woman, Lin Xiao Wan, attracted around her?
Ye Chen cleared his throat and said seriously, "I'm here to check on my buddy's health, I'm not interested in your food. Fine, I'm leaving if you don't want me."
Chen Xin, not wanting to ignore his best friend, quickly said, "Stay and eat with us. Xiao Wan, stop bullying him every time."
Xiao Wan snuggled into his arms and said, "Kiss me, and I'll stop teasing him."
Naturally, Chen Xin happily accepted and lowered his head to kiss her lips. What was supposed to be a brief kiss quickly deepened when she pulled him closer by his neck. They embraced, kissing passionately, and Ye Chen couldn't bear to watch, averting his gaze.
He then noticed Leng Qing sitting across from them, who appeared completely unbothered, calmly watching them kiss! Since the day Leng Qing insisted on joining them for the car race, Ye Chen had suspected he might also have feelings for Xiao Wan. If that was the case, how could he stay so indifferent to Xiao Wan kissing another man? Either this person's mind was incredibly strong, or…
Ye Chen now realized that Leng Qing had probably already planned to steal Xiao Wan away.
Realizing this, Ye Chen was about to find a moment to warn Chen Xin when Leng Qing suddenly turned his gaze toward him, looking sharply and coldly at him. He then whispered, "If you don't reveal my secret, I won't expose yours."
Ye Chen shuddered, realizing that Leng Qing had figured out his secret—he had feelings for Xiao Wan! How did Leng Qing know? Even someone as perceptive as Chen Xin hadn't figured it out, but Leng Qing had!
After a brief moment of panic, Ye Chen quickly regained his composure and looked back at him coldly, saying, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Leng Qing didn't respond further. At that moment, Aili came out of the kitchen and announced, "Lunch is ready."
"Oh! Let's eat!" Xiao Wan immediately pushed away from Chen Xin and happily ran to the dining room, waving at everyone, "Hurry up and join me!"
Chen Xin wiped his lips helplessly as Xiao Wan teased him again and ran off. Sooner or later, he'd find an opportunity to claim her.
Leng Qing stood silently and followed Xiao Wan, and Ye Chen followed as well. Once everyone had seated at the dining table, Aili had prepared a full spread of Chinese dishes—chicken, duck, fish, meat, and fresh vegetables, everything you could imagine.
Seeing all the delicious dishes in front of her, Xiao Wan happily hugged Aili and said, "Thank you!"
Aili, treating her like her own daughter, patted her head and smiled, "It's nothing, I'm happy to do it."
"Time to eat, time to eat!" Xiao Wan quickly grabbed her chopsticks, picked up a bite of steamed fish, and said with delight, "This is so good! It tastes just like what my grandmother used to make!"
Ye Chen rolled his eyes and pushed the fish in front of her. "It's all yours, no one's taking it."
Xiao Wan shook her head smugly, eating the steamed fish with rice. Chen Xin picked up an entire chicken leg from the braised chicken plate and was about to put it into Xiao Wan's bowl when it collided with the chicken leg that Leng Qing was also picking up at the same time.
They locked eyes for a moment, as if in a standoff, before both placing the chicken legs into Xiao Wan's bowl.
She swallowed her rice, looked to the left at Leng Qing, then to the right at Chen Xin, and finally placed her chopsticks down. She picked up both chicken legs, smiled sweetly at both of them, and began nibbling on one leg with her left hand and the other with her right.
Ye Chen was immediately furious, slamming his chopsticks down and growling, "Lin Xiao Wan, you really plan on playing both sides?"
"Of course! Who said you can only have one chicken leg?" Xiao Wan said seriously, her flower-like lips covered in sauce.
"…" Ye Chen fumed, "If a chicken had a hundred legs, would you try to get a hundred men to form a harem for you?"
Xiao Wan gave him a reproachful look. "Hey, I'm just eating chicken legs! Don't assume everyone else is as perverted as you just because that's all that's on your mind!"
"I? I'm perverted?" Ye Chen, irritated, turned to Chen Xin and asked, "You tell me, who's more perverted, me or her?"
Chen Xin picked up another chicken wing and placed it into Xiao Wan's bowl, saying, "Of course, it's you. It's just a chicken leg, you're thinking too much."
"Exactly!" Xiao Wan immediately added, "Alright, alright, I know you're jealous because I've got chicken legs to eat. Here, take the chicken neck!"
"You think there's meat on the neck? Give me that! Why don't you just finish it and leave me the chicken bones?"
"Good idea! Okay, I'll give you the bones once I'm done," Xiao Wan said, about to take the chicken neck from his bowl.
Ye Chen angrily grabbed his bowl, clutching it protectively. "If it's in my bowl, it's mine!"