Chapter 92 Psychological Intervention

When she was placed on the sofa, Ruan Yi subconsciously moved to the edge of the sofa.

But even if she moved to the edge of the sky, it was no use; Gu Zhi seemed oblivious and moved closer.

Ruan Yi felt somewhat helpless. She originally wanted to complain about the unpleasant things that happened to Seren, but she swallowed the words back.

She knew Ah Zhi's personality all too well. If he pressed her for details about why she apologized to Seren, given his tendency to make a mountain out of a molehill, it would be difficult to explain.

However, it's still necessary to tell your family about things like getting a checkup, so they can feel more at ease.

"By the way, Ah Zhi, I'm planning to see a doctor."

Gu Zhizheng bent down to change her slippers without pausing, his movements still gentle and efficient. When he straightened up, he even had his usual gentle smile on his face.

He didn't react much to what the girl said.

"Hmm?" The man sat back down next to her.

"Why does my sister suddenly want to see a doctor?"

Gu Zhi narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone carrying just the right amount of concern.

"Is it because the aftereffects from before haven't healed yet?"

Ruan Yi quickly shook her head, "It's not a side effect...it seems like there's something else wrong with my brain."

He paused halfway through his sentence, and Ruan Yi noticed that the worry in his eyes seemed to have deepened.

Ruan Yi tilted her head slightly, a mischievous thought surfacing in her eyes.

"Ah Zhi... what if my sister becomes an idiot or mentally ill? Will you take care of me for the rest of your life?"

The girl put on an exaggerated expression of resentment and sadness.

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Zhi chuckled softly.

It wasn't a perfunctory chuckle, but a genuine laugh that resonated deep within the chest.

The man didn't speak, but simply reached out and gently grasped her wrist, his fingertips sliding down her delicate skin until they intertwined.

His fingertips, calloused, caressed Ruan Yi's knuckles with a gentle, almost playful touch.

As the strange sensation spread quietly along their clasped hands, Ruan Yi tried to pull her hand away, but he held it even tighter before finally speaking.

"What if my sister is an idiot..."

"Then I will take care of my sister for the rest of my life, feed her three meals a day, and keep her by my side every day."

The man's gaze fell on her hands, which he had wrapped around hers.

He looked up at her, his dark eyes swirling with a thick, almost overflowing emotion.

Those intense, extreme emotions seemed to be completely veiled by a gentle veil, revealing only their sincere and earnest feelings.

“I will take care of my sister’s daily life, including eating, drinking and toileting. I will make sure she is well-fed and chubby, and she will even need me to carry her when she walks.”

He gently squeezed her palm, his tone tinged with self-praise and pride, "I'm definitely the best zookeeper."

Ruan Yi felt a chill run down her spine at his words. It was clearly a joke, a pie in the sky, but somehow it sent a shiver down her spine.

Gu Zhi frowned as if deep in thought, as if he were seriously planning something, and then slowly spoke after a few seconds.

"What if my sister is mentally ill..."

The man leaned closer, his breath almost brushing against her earlobe, "Then I'll be your punching bag. Sister, you can scold me if you want, hit me if you want."

The man raised his hand and gently rubbed her cheek with the back of his fingers, a gesture that was incredibly tender.

"As long as my sister can stay by my side without worry, I'll do anything."

His gaze was so intense that Ruan Yi felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze, so she quickly pushed his face away.

Wow, what a filial son! My good little brother!

As Ruan Yi spoke, she leaned against his shoulder and pretended to wipe away non-existent tears, acting quite convincingly.

Gu Zhi chuckled softly, and following her force, he leaned slightly towards the girl, holding her even more securely.

But this scene of sibling affection lasted only a couple of seconds before the close proximity made Ruan Yi a little uncomfortable. She sat up straight, supporting herself on his shoulders, and patted his arm.

"Okay, stop."

Her ability to act out scenes anytime, anywhere only deepened the smile in the man's eyes.

Ruan Yiqing cleared her throat and brought the topic back.

"Oh, to be honest! I don't think it's a big problem, but it's better to get it checked out to be on the safe side."

Ruan Yi dared not say anything about cognitive issues, much less mention those sudden flashbacks and fragments whose truth or falsehood was unknown.

To avoid causing Gu Zhi to worry and overthink.

After listening, the man nodded thoughtfully.

"I see..." His tone was somewhat meaningful.

"Should we see Dr. Pei?"

"Yes." Ruan Yi sensed the strangeness in his words and, fearing he might overthink it, quickly added.

“I’m more familiar with Pei Lian here. I feel more at ease with acquaintances. He also recommended that I get the checkup. It’s out of concern for my friend.”

The man looked at her, then chuckled softly and reached out to tidy up the stray hairs on her forehead.

"He recommended that you do it..."

The hospital's treatment room was covered with a light gray carpet.

Outside the window is a neatly trimmed palm grove, and the air is filled with the woody scent of sandalwood and lavender.

Ruan Yi sat in a soft single sofa, with cotton swabs from the blood draw on the small table beside her.

The snow-white cotton ball had a small tinge of dark red.

After closing the curtains, Pei Lian sat down in the chair opposite the girl, his silver hair falling over his forehead, his fingertips lightly touching the edge of the report, his gaze calm.

"The blood test results should be available this afternoon."

He spoke in a low voice, with a calming tone.

"Now let's talk about what you said earlier."

It was fine when she mentioned it vaguely, but now, seeing Pei Lian's serious expression, Ruan Yi became a little nervous.

"The premise of psychological intervention is complete honesty."

"The images that trouble us may be messages that our subconscious is trying to convey."

His voice was extremely gentle, drifting into the girl's senses along with the scented mist.

Pei Lian didn't rush to the main topic. He first picked up the warm water on the table and handed it to her, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against the back of the girl's hand.

"Don't be nervous, we're just chatting." His tone was as gentle as the afternoon sun.

Did you sleep well last night?

Ruan Yi took the water glass, feeling the coolness of the glass against her fingertips, and subconsciously replied, "It's fine, but I'm starting to dream again."

"Hmm." He responded, tapping the table twice with his right index finger, the sound so soft it was hard to pinpoint the direction.

Have you had anything delicious to eat lately?

"White food is so greasy, but Ah-Zhi has been cooking for me since he came, and everything he makes is delicious!"

"Is that so?" He tapped the table twice more, a gentle knock. "So what do you usually do to relax?"

"I'll just vent my emotions directly, but when my mind is a mess, I don't know what to do."

The three questions were all trivial and ordinary, and the girl's tense shoulder line quietly relaxed a little.

Pei Lian's gaze remained calm, as if he were attentively listening to something utterly ordinary.

"In fact, many times, whether it's a nightmare or a strange image in your mind, it may just be a little anxiety in life. Don't be too normal."

He paused, then his fingertips tapped on the table again, the two soft taps exactly the same as before.

"Now, shall we close our eyes together?"

His voice was lower and deeper than before, carrying a strange soothing quality. Hearing the other person's deep breath, the girl involuntarily calmed her own breathing.

"What is it about those recurring images that you care about the most?"

The girl's eyelids seemed to be pulled, and she closed them involuntarily, the rhythm formed in the previous three questions and answers still echoing in her mind.

The two light taps acted like an invisible switch, prompting her to answer truthfully without thinking.

The aromatherapy mist seemed to be thicker, and the fragrance, along with the man's voice, wafted into my ears, giving me the illusion of being immersed in warm water.

As her eyelashes trembled slightly, Ruan Yi's shoulders slowly relaxed, and her voice seemed to come from a very distant place.

"I don't know, but the person I should hate... doesn't seem so hateful in my memory. I think I like him?"

Is that so?

“It seems like we were together.” The girl suddenly stopped, her brows furrowing.

“But that’s unlikely. I have a terrible relationship with him, but the memories are so vivid…” Her breathing faltered.

"It's like...like we were originally going down a different road, but we took the wrong turn at some intersection."

The man didn't interrupt, but simply scribbled his pen lightly across the paper.

"Pei Lian, am I having delusions?" Ruan Yi opened her eyes, her eyes veiled with a thin layer of mist.

"Those memories existed on a real timeline, and they even have details, but my life now is completely different. It's like... a parallel world?"

Pei Lian put down his pen and tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest of his chair, the rhythm slow and regular.

"Don't think like that. Whether it's just wishful thinking needs objective verification." His tone was gentle but carried an undeniable certainty.

"A person with a fever cannot determine whether their body temperature is normal or not; your subjective feeling is not valid at this time."

Ruan Yi's gaze fell on the man's fair knuckles tapping lightly on the armrest, the rhythm inexplicably coinciding with the frequency of the aromatherapy lamp's glow.

She felt her eyelids getting heavy, and the emotions swirling in her heart became chaotic.

A man's gentle voice rang out at just the right moment, as if guiding her through something.

"You've been behaving normally so far. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

“And…” The girl’s pupils were slightly unfocused, and she suddenly blurted out a sentence, filled with confusion and desperation.

"I don't know if this world is real."