Chapter 503 Illusion
Li Tingxi was taken aback, his gaze towards her gradually deepening, a sense of vigilance rising within him, and he unconsciously released a trace of pressure. "Miss Xia and I have only just met, where did you come to this conclusion?"
Although she had expected it, Xia Zhiying still felt that Li Tingxi's strong sense of vigilance was more troublesome than she had imagined.
Fortunately, she had already prepared her explanation and was not flustered at all. "Mr. Li is very similar to a friend of mine. I mean, you are both in the same social class. Successful people like you are used to being in high positions and it is difficult for you to bow down to people close to you, so friction is inevitable."
Seeing that Li Tingxi had already frowned, Xia Zhiying stopped there and smiled, "I was worried that Mu Feng was the same way at first, but fortunately he cares about my feelings. Because Mr. Li is Mu Feng's good brother, I hope you can also be happy with your girlfriend. Of course, if you think I'm meddling, you don't have to take my words to heart."
If it were anyone else, Li Tingxi would never have sat here listening to her "lecture." However, considering that she was Li Mufeng's fiancée, he simply said with an inscrutable expression, "Miss Xia is quite different from the first impression she gave me when we first met. I am now more inclined to believe that you are the dominant one in your relationship with Li Mufeng."
Xia Zhiying was stunned for a moment, unsure how to respond to his words.
Li Tingxi casually asked her again, "If I may ask, Miss Xia, do you work in the field of emotional counseling?"
Xia Zhiying suddenly realized and chuckled: "Mr. Li, you may have misunderstood. I was just expressing my feelings. Relationships are not something that one party can lead. What is needed is equal effort from both parties and positive emotional value."
Upon hearing this, Li Tingxi paused for a moment, his slightly lowered brows concealing the subtle turmoil in his eyes.
Xia Zhiying observed his reaction and knew he had taken it to heart. She also knew that too much of a good thing could be bad, so she took out a small, exquisite perfume bottle from her bag and waved it at Li Tingxi. "It's a bit stuffy in the room because of the weather. Would Mr. Li mind if I used some essential oil?"
Li Tingxi raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling a strange unease in his heart because of her somewhat abrupt action.
Just then, Li Mufeng returned. Seeing the situation, he sat down and explained to Li Tingxi, "This is essential oil that Zhiying made herself. She has mild neurasthenia, so she's used to carrying homemade essential oil with her to relieve fatigue. I've tried it and it works very well. Why don't you try it too? Aren't you..."
Li Tingxi's eyes darkened. Not wanting to discuss his illness in front of outsiders, he immediately interrupted him: "I don't need it. Didn't you go to the kitchen to check? When will all the dishes be served?"
"Tsk," Li Mufeng said with a displeased look, "We're brothers, and you're being so perfunctory about this important event in my life? You're the first friend I brought Zhiying to meet, shouldn't we sit down and have a proper chat? From now on, Zhiying will be your sister-in-law."
Xia Zhiying's originally unmoved mind was disturbed by his words "sister-in-law," and she almost choked on her water.
Fortunately, Li Tingxi and Li Mufeng were discussing work and didn't notice her unusual behavior.
However, with Li Tingxi's tacit approval, Xia Zhiying still put the bottle of essential oil, which was actually specially made for him, to use.
Under the heating effect of the aroma diffuser, the delicate fragrance of the essential oils quickly blends in.
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When it enters the air, it has a calming and tranquilizing effect.
Even though Li Tingxi has never liked perfumes or essential oils, when he inadvertently inhaled this faint fragrance, he suddenly felt refreshed and his mind seemed to clear up.
As time passed, he unconsciously relaxed, and the furrowed brow that had been unintentionally furrowed also unfurrowed.
Xia Zhiying saw this and was very satisfied with the effect of the essential oil she had prepared.
Rather than subtly influencing and regulating patients psychologically over a long period, she excels at this current treatment method, which combines the effects of essential oils to improve patients' emotions and then provides psychological counseling.
Li Tingxi's condition is special compared to ordinary patients because he suffered a severe injury to the back of his head and has serious aftereffects. He cannot withstand mental stimulation, so she added analgesic and anti-inflammatory ingredients to the essential oil she formulated for him.
And now it seems that the effect is immediate.
The problem now is to ensure he continues to use it long-term, as this will be beneficial for further treatment.
While Xia Zhiying was pondering how to persuade Li Tingxi, Li Tingxi fell silent because of Li Mufeng's peacock-like boasting about his and Xia Zhiying's unfounded love story.
What flashed through his mind were the brief, sweet moments after he and Su Youling reconciled. He felt a pang of sadness. The happier Li Mufeng seemed now, the more lonely and pitiful he appeared. And he had brought all of this upon himself; he couldn't blame anyone else.
Recalling the moments during the period when his relationship with Su Youling was at an impasse, he remembered Su Youling's repeated attempts to soften her stance, as well as her explanations to him about concealing the fact that she had kept the children's parentage a secret.
Ultimately, it all comes down to his inability to accept the facts and his urgent need to avoid the mistakes he made back then. He is unwilling to admit that he almost killed his own flesh and blood because of a momentary lapse in judgment.
Now that he has learned that Su Youling did not have a miscarriage five years ago, and that her children have grown into smart and adorable youngs thanks to her tireless care over the years, he blames all the mistakes on Su Youling. He even resorts to despicable means to try to force Su Youling to submit and take the children away from her.
In particular, the threats he made to Su Youling during several emotional breakdowns plunged him into deep self-doubt.
What exactly did he do during this time?
Li Tingxi's face grew increasingly grim. His hand, which was under the table, clenched into a fist without his noticing. The protruding knuckles turned a frightening bluish-white, as if they would break open at any moment.
He's such a selfish bastard! He never considered Su Youling's situation from beginning to end, and he brought this mess upon himself.
Li Tingxi felt a bitter taste in his mouth and lost his appetite. He hadn't eaten much to begin with, and now he put down his chopsticks.
Xia Zhiying noticed his actions and his obviously unpleasant expression. She analyzed his current mental state without making a sound and couldn't help but wonder if her previous psychological suggestion had worked.
Just then, Li Tingxi suddenly received a call from Su Youling.
He paused for a moment when he saw the caller ID, wondering if it was his imagination.
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