Chapter 89 Psychological Counseling: Exes should uphold their ex's virtues...

In October, Qin Lan went to Nanyu.

Jiang Yan would arrive two days later, so Qin Lan went to visit Yun Chui first.

On the phone, Yun Chui always reported good news and never bad. When Qin Lan met her in person, she discovered that Yun Chui's condition was more serious than she had imagined. Parenteral medication didn't seem to be very effective for her either; she had become so haggard that she was no longer the elegant dancer she used to be.

Qin Lan stayed there for two days with a heavy heart, and then Jiang Yan arrived.

Yu Shan tapped the screen twice: "Sister Qin, Teacher Jiang's assistant said they've arrived."

Qin Lan opened her eyes. Through the car window, she could only see two women covered from head to toe.

Yu Shan honked her horn, and one of the women turned around. The gaze behind her sunglasses made Qin Lan shudder.

They walked towards her car. Qin Lan immediately looked away, hurriedly sweeping everything off the seat.

"Mirror, mirror..." she frantically searched, and the all-powerful bodyguard Yu Shan quickly handed over a small mirror for the vain young lady to fix her appearance.

Jiang Yan pushed open the door and entered, and Qin Lan quickly sat down.

At the same time, he kicked Yu Shan's chair hard with his toe, signaling her to say something.

Yu Shan received the signal and grinned broadly: "Good afternoon, Teacher Jiang, were you tired from the journey?"

"It's alright, you've worked hard too." A familiar voice, the fabric rustling.

Qin Lan strained her voice, wanting to speak, but when she turned her head, she saw that Jiang Yan had already closed her eyes, her face full of exhaustion.

She bit her lip in frustration.

Jiang Yan hated her so much that she didn't even want to greet her...

Yu Shan started the car. Qin Lan was in a state of utter confusion.

Jiang Yan, sitting next door, trembled slightly with her eyelashes and squinted as she secretly peeked at Qin Lan.

Every strand of hair was curved in a perfect arc, and the lines of her profile remained domineering, breathtakingly beautiful.

She was really tired, and Yu Shan drove so smoothly that she soon fell into a light sleep.

Qin Lan felt that her breathing had stabilized, so she immediately moved closer to the center and carefully placed her shoulder over her.

Wow, such a soft face...

Qin Lan couldn't resist the urge, so she simply wrapped her arms around Jiang Yan and let her rest her head on her neck.

The scent of her shampoo filled Qin Lan's nostrils, making her head spin.

I want to kiss you.

They can't kiss anymore; they've already broken up.

I want to kiss you!

No, the ex must uphold the ex's virtues...

Qin Lan was also dazed for a while, not knowing how Yu Shan had driven. When she woke up again, Jiang Yan was snuggling in her arms, the car had stopped, and Yu Shan was staring straight at the steering wheel.

Qin Lan's voice was hoarse when she spoke: "What? Have we arrived?"

Yu Shan: "Mm."

Jiang Yan's confused voice came: "How did I end up on you...?"

Qin Lan, her palm resting on the seat, said, "I don't know. Maybe Yu Shan's driving was too bumpy. Let's get out of the car first, so Anna doesn't have to wait..."

Jiang Yan sat up straight with reluctance, watching Qin Lan get out of the car as if fleeing.

I've definitely started to dislike her touch.

The two entered the elevator with their own thoughts, and Qin Lan's neck began to turn red as if she had an allergic reaction.

Anna tidied up her rented apartment a bit, but it was still quite messy: "Please come in."

Qin Lan changed into slippers and looked around. The room seemed to have been temporarily decorated, with cozy... um... ribbons and various sheer curtains hanging around.

That tablecloth on the table looks so much like a bed sheet...

Anna rubbed her hands together and chuckled, "Just a little bit. I've never done psychological counseling for anyone here, so I haven't made any special arrangements."

"It's okay, it's very cozy, it feels like home," Jiang Yan said as if it were true.

The next second, a piece of cloth fell down from above and covered the three of them in the face.

“I need to consult with each of you separately.” Anna poured each of them a glass of water. “It will take fifty minutes. Who wants to go first?”

The two said in unison, "She goes first."

Anna: "Okay, you two play rock-paper-scissors."

Qin Lan: "That's too naive."

Jiang Yan: "Can you just call the troops?"

Anna looked around and first led Jiang Yan into the study.

"Teacher Qin, why don't you go outside and play for a while? You can do whatever you want and look around. There are snacks on the shelf if you want to eat them."

Anna turned around, gave a brief instruction, and then closed the door.

Qin Lan, having nothing to do, wandered around the room a couple of times. Anna was clearly a person with refined tastes; medical books were piled up like mountains, red wine and peanuts were arranged on top, and hundreds of postcards with scenes from all over the world hung on the pegboard.

Qin Lan became interested and began to look at the photos carefully. Most of them were landscape photos, with a few individual photos and group photos mixed in. The group photos... had clouds hanging in the sky above them.

Qin Lan was so engrossed in watching that she didn't notice Jiang Yan coming out and silently sitting down on the sofa.

From inside the room, Anna called out, "Teacher Qin, it's your turn."

Qin Lan went inside, trying her best to keep her eyes straight ahead.

After the door closed, Jiang Yan waited for a while, then stood up expressionlessly and strolled to the postcard wall to look at them.

An hour later, Anna said, "That concludes the one-on-one consultation. I will now assist you with two-way communication."

Qin Lan nodded and was about to get up when Anna called her back: "There's something else about Jiang Yan's private matter, but she's allowed you to know."

Qin Lan turned her head curiously: "What?"

"Jiang Yan used to work as a psychological counselor. It was four years ago when you first broke up."

Qin Lan was stunned.

She pointed uncertainly to herself: "So...it's because of me?"

Anna nodded: "Yes, she was hurt badly in your relationship. She has a tendency to be depressed and anxious and has been taking medication for a long time. I'm telling you this not to make you feel guilty, but to make you understand that she is extremely insecure about you. A careless word can cause her emotional fluctuations. So, Ms. Qin... you can be a little gentler in the future."

＊

There was only one chair in front of the desk. Anna slapped her forehead, then moved another chair and placed it a meter away.

The two sat down, one on the left and one on the right.

When Anna saw the two of them together with their expressionless faces, she couldn't help but laugh.

Qin Lan: "What are you laughing at?"

Anna tried to purse her lips: "Actually, I've received rigorous training and I don't smile easily..."

Qin Lan's face turned warm.

Jiang Yan's face twitched.

"Sorry," Anna gestured, "From now on, don't treat me like an old friend. Let's officially begin..."

"Wait a minute!" Qin Lan said, "Can I record this?"

Anna: "???"

"Why are you recording me? I have a business license!"

"I was actually going to bring my laptop, but it would take too much time, so I decided to record it first and study it slowly when I get back."

Anna remained silent. "Let's record it."

The couple she met were quite an oddball.

"First, let's address the question that's puzzling you both the most: why do you argue?"

Anna reached out her hand to Jiang Yan: "Teacher Jiang told me that she can't feel your love."

Then she looked at Qin Lan and said, "Teacher Qin told me that she didn't know why they were arguing."

The two nodded in unison: "That's how it is."

Anna: "Let's address Teacher Qin's issue first. Your inability to understand Teacher Jiang's sensitivity stems from the vast differences in your upbringing."

"Ms. Jiang was separated from her parents when she was young and was raised by her grandparents. Before that, her parents had already had a huge conflict. We can reasonably speculate that perhaps Ms. Jiang's parents did not give her enough attention during that period."

She looked at Qin Lan: "Teacher Qin may not truly understand what parents mean in a child's growth. Young children do not have the ability to survive independently. If parents cannot give them enough security at this time, even children from single-parent families will lack a lot of love. This lack will seriously affect the child's growth. Many people never escape the shadows brought by their childhood, almost all of which are due to the unhappiness of their original family."

"But Ms. Jiang was very brave. After burying her grandparents, she came to the city alone. This period was crucial to her personality transformation because she was in a rather unfamiliar environment. Although she found her father, he did not provide true love; it was just exploitation and false expectations. Therefore, it can be said that Ms. Jiang had long lacked a sense of security in her life. Fortunately, she had grandparents who loved her very much; otherwise, we might not see the famous actress Ms. Jiang Yan today."

Anna smiled, which made Qin Lan's heart skip a beat.

"People who lack love tend to be clingy in relationships because of their inner deficiencies. This is even more pronounced in Ms. Jiang's case because she has suffered severe emotional trauma in the past, resulting in some traumatic disorder that you may not be able to understand. While she certainly needs to work on herself, you also need to provide her with a sense of security so that her wounds can heal."

Qin Lan was speechless, while Jiang Yan seemed to be deep in thought.

“But I thought I was all better.” She looked at Anna. “I told you before, the first time… it was quite serious, but I pulled through and can work normally now.”

“You’re not cured, you’re just slowly healing yourself. Some people need a lifetime to heal, it’s a very long process. Don’t even mention that you two have only been dating for a few months, it might take years to fully recover.”

"I...I think I have some problems too," Jiang Yan said slowly. "Over the past few months, I seem to have become more sensitive and irritable. I never thought there was anything wrong before, but during that period, I just felt that she was so fierce and didn't love me at all..."

Anna took a sip of water: "Your 'demanding' of Qin Lan actually stems from a long-standing lack of security and satisfaction. Another important reason is that you, Teacher Jiang, haven't truly understood Teacher Qin's 'indifference.' You're just blaming her for not loving you enough out of intense anxiety. She does love you, but not in the way you need."

Qin Lan quickly focused her attention even more intently.

“You two have completely different attitudes toward arguing. You, Ms. Qin, may not mind, but every argument is very hurtful to Ms. Jiang. For Ms. Jiang, who is already very sensitive, your attitude is tantamount to passive-aggressive behavior.”

Qin Lan was speechless; she had only recently realized this herself.

"Look at Teacher Qin's life, it's like she's on a winning streak." Anna, seeing how depressed they were, first sighed and tried to lighten the mood: "Teacher Qin's upbringing goes without saying, everything went smoothly for her, she's a well-rounded individual, with no weaknesses except in matters of the heart. So we need to analyze, since Teacher Qin clearly doesn't lack love, why does she seem to not understand love?"

"Teacher Jiang, ask yourself honestly, have you never felt Teacher Qin's love?"

Jiang Yan subconsciously shook her head: "Yes, sometimes I feel that she loves me quite a bit too."

"Right, so it's not that Teacher Qin is completely incapable of love, it's just that she's not sensitive to emotions, her threshold is too high, and her way of loving is different from others."

Jiang Yan pursed her lips. "Why are you insensitive to feelings?"

"Teacher Qin has a taken-for-granted attitude towards love, or rather, she doesn't cherish it enough. Having been in the position of being loved for a long time, she has never lacked anything materially or emotionally, so Teacher Qin doesn't need to learn how to actively express her desires because her needs are always met in advance. This leads to Teacher Qin's clumsiness in expressing her emotions, which is what Teacher Jiang sees as a lack of desire to express herself."

Jiang Yan had to admit that she was right. At the same time, she felt a gaze beside her begin to burn, and the person shifted restlessly in the chair, making her feel itchy inside.

“I understand that Ms. Qin expresses her care by giving gifts, which means that she is trying to express her feelings in a way that she is familiar with. But Ms. Qin, you don’t realize that your attitude as the giver reinforces the inequality between you, and you also don’t realize that these are not what Ms. Jiang needs most. Compared to gifts and a more luxurious and expensive lifestyle, Ms. Jiang wants your tenderness, your sweet words, and your love. For her, hugs and expressions are more important than all material things.”

Qin Lan couldn't help but glance at Jiang Yan.

"Is that so?"

“Yes.” Jiang Yan gave her a slightly resentful look: “I don’t care about your family background, I’d rather be an ordinary couple with you…”

“I need to correct you,” Anna said immediately. “The teacher you love, Ms. Qin, was raised with an expensive family background. Everything has two sides. The qualities you admire in her are inseparable from her privileged upbringing.”

Jiang Yan nodded.

"As for why Teacher Qin likes to compete with you, it's because she's very competitive and doesn't like to be second best. She grew up in an environment full of outstanding people, and she demands that she be the best. Therefore, she rarely seeks help from outside and prefers to solve problems independently, which has created a certain sense of detachment in her personality. She seems to never need to rely on you, which to some extent has exacerbated Teacher Jiang's suspicions about you."

Qin Lan leaned forward: "Then what should I do?"

Anna: "I suggest you reconsider this matter after a while. Ms. Jiang isn't in the mood for effective communication with you right now. The most important thing is to meet her needs, express love in the way she needs, and say sweet words."

Qin Lan had a headache and didn't care that Jiang Yan was right next to her: "This is too difficult, at least I feel it's very difficult to do."

Anna: "Practice... You can improve your skills through practice. For example, you can start with words. Next time you give a gift, you can include a little note with it. Or you can start by saying good morning and good night. If you want to win back a relationship, you must learn how to express your feelings."

Then she turned to Jiang Yan: "Ms. Jiang, as the one who understands more in a relationship, you should guide Ms. Qin appropriately, coax her into saying 'I love you,' or give her some rewards to help her learn this lesson. Also, you two can take turns dating, instead of you constantly dragging Ms. Jiang into high society. Expensive doesn't necessarily mean good; Ms. Jiang might lose her sense of security and self-worth in your familiar world. You should also try to understand Ms. Jiang better, to comprehend her sensitivity and vulnerability. If you truly understand, you'll feel sorry for the anxiety and fear behind every outburst of hers, instead of just seeing 'I didn't do anything wrong' in your own world."

As it got dark, Anna invited them to stay for dinner.

The cars are parked outside the community gate, and people can walk side by side for a distance.

Qin Lan put on her sunglasses and mask and glanced at Jiang Yan.

Thankfully, they didn't just leave; at least they arrived one after the other.

Qin Lan stood still, and waited for her to walk to the side before casually taking a step forward.

Jiang Yan rubbed her nose: "It's easy to get photographed."

Qin Lan was about to say, "Let's just take the picture," but what came out of her mouth was, "This neighborhood has a nice environment and the security is pretty good."

Jiang Yan: "Oh."

Qin Lan racked her brains trying to think of something nice to say, but in the end it was too awkward, so she had to bring up a work-related matter: "Director Xue, are you really not going to make the movie?"

Jiang Yan paused for a moment: "This isn't appropriate right now."

"It's a great opportunity." Qin Lan genuinely felt sorry for her: "You're really missing a substantial film project."

Jiang Yan was well aware of the film's significance; her career desperately needed this crucial step, but...

She felt exhausted just thinking about those days of arguing: "I was afraid we would start arguing on set while playing a couple with you."

“They’re not a couple.” Qin Lan muttered, “They broke up quite a few years ago in the original story.”

Jiang Yan sighed.

They are indeed very suitable for the role.

"I don't want my feelings for you to fade away in arguments."

She stopped abruptly and looked at Qin Lan seriously: "I know it's a bit unfair to you to break up with me unilaterally, but Qin Lan, our relationship pattern is really unhealthy. I need some time to heal my wounds before we can explore how to have a good relationship."

“I’ve never blamed you.” Qin Lan looked at her with a wronged and guilty expression. “If you’re unhappy, you certainly have the right to break up… I just don’t want our relationship to affect each other’s future.”

Jiang Yan was tempted. Anna's words had also deeply affected her, and she was still deep in thought, so she said, "Let me think about it some more."

Qin Lan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that there was a chance for things to turn around.

As she reached the entrance of the residential compound, she pulled her mask up a little higher and pushed the door open first: "...See you tomorrow."

Jiang Yan gave her a deep look, a look that made Qin Lan shudder involuntarily: "Mm."

She got into the car, but Qin Lan knocked on the window again.

Jiang Yan rolled down the car window: "What is it?"

Qin Lan leaned down slightly, clenching his fist, wavering between kissing her and restraining himself.

She finally held back and stared intently at Jiang Yan: "I've written down everything Anna said, and I'll study it carefully. I...I miss you so much. Get some rest, goodnight."

Jiang Yan was silent for a moment, then her voice softened: "Goodnight, you too."

Ye Wei stepped on the gas.

The car drove away quickly. Jiang Yan glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Qin Lan still standing there, staring straight ahead, lost in thought.

Jiang Yan withdrew her gaze and pressed her forehead against the cold glass.

"Ye Wei, have you ever liked anyone?"

Ye Wei remained completely unfazed: "My lover is my profession."

Jiang Yan fell silent.

And then I ran into an asexual person.

Ye Wei: "But I understand your dilemma."

Jiang Yan: "You have no experience, how would you know?"

Ye Wei smiled shyly: "There used to be a time when I really loved reading youth romance novels. Later, a senior from my senior class was pursuing me. She discovered my hobby, so she started pursuing me by imitating the domineering CEO from one of the books. She probably thought it was cool, and she would say things like, 'Don't bother working hard, I'll take care of you in the future.'"

Jiang Yan hissed, "And then?"

Ye Wei: "I was so scared that I quickly worked hard to get into the police academy. When she said that, I suddenly realized that if a loser with no character, no grades, and no family background swears that he will take care of you, you should run away as soon as possible in reality. Only what you hold in your own hands is yours, and my life is in my own fist."

"You're so cool, Sister Weiwei!" Jiang Yan exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "Did you suffer a lot at the police academy?"

"The hardships I've endured have become the foundation of my confidence as a police officer and bodyguard." Ye Wei casually turned the steering wheel with one hand: "Protecting everyone has always been my dream. I've wanted to be a hero since I was a child. Love and romance can be novels I enjoy reading to relax, but besides these entertainments, I also need my own life. I can never lose my job; it's my foundation and the source of my eternal confidence."

Jiang Yan listened intently and couldn't help but ask, "You just said to always be confident, but the bodyguard profession has a short career span. What will you do after you retire?"

"I can continue to be a teacher for a few more years and continue to mentor others."

Ye Wei grinned: "If one day I get so old that I can't even throw a punch anymore, then I'll go sweep the streets. If I run into a thief or robber, I can still show off a bit. In short, everyone must have a job, a spiritual sustenance that will never crumble."

“Your statement sounds similar to Yun Chui’s.” Jiang Yan pondered, “That’s what she taught me too… I did as you said because I was afraid of losing myself.”

I support your decision.

"But I miss her so much. I'm almost afraid to look at her now, afraid that I'll lose control and throw myself into her arms the next second..."

Ye Wei thought for a moment and said, "Although Sister Qin is proud, she is not someone who will not listen to advice. Once she realizes her shortcomings, she will actively try to improve. I have never seen anyone more compatible than the two of you. You two will definitely end up together."

"Really?"

Jiang Yan's eyes lit up, and she sat up straight with a reserved air: "Actually, I think so too."

Looking out the window, she suddenly felt full of confidence in the future again. So she opened Green River and started reading Green River Flower's "Star Spy" with great enthusiasm, which was the original novel of the script in director Xue Wumi's hands.

————————

Sorry for the lateness. I've been very busy lately, and my review time has been fragmented, but I'll try to update the page on the same day as long as the review process goes smoothly.