Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Maybe, you can call him, baby...
The next day, the psychologist hired by Chen Louchen arrived.
The shadows of the trees in the courtyard were lengthened by the sunlight, and the Omega doctor happened to be standing in the shadow. He was wearing a plain beige suit, with his long hair loosely tied up, revealing his slender neck.
"Mr. Shen," Gu Wangyan walked in, his voice as gentle as silk soaked in warm water, but with a barely perceptible sense of alienation, "Azhou, no, Doctor Lin has already told me about Fu Xu's condition in advance."
Chen Louchen nodded, his eyes passing over the medical kit in his hand.
When he and Lin Yunzhou mentioned Gu Wangyan yesterday, Lin Yunzhou's words were full of disgust towards Gu Wangyan: "You went to him? There are so many psychologists, why don't you go to anyone else? Go to the one that I hate the most."
Gu Wangyan also comes from a prominent family. His family is in charge of the supply of medical equipment in the entire imperial capital. Marrying Lin Yunzhou can be said to be a match made in heaven. I still remember that they often got together when they were young. How come the former friends have become enemies now?
However, Gu Wangyan is an omega and easy-going, making him the most suitable person to be Fu Xu's doctor. Apart from him, who else knows what those alphas are thinking?
"Mr. Shen?" Gu Wangyan reminded softly.
"We're all friends who grew up together, how can you be so distant?" Chen Louchen reacted and stepped aside to make way. "The bedroom is on the second floor. Do you need me to accompany you?"
"It's okay. I'm Dr. Lin's fiancée. Mr. Shen has a special status, so I should address him as such." Gu Wangyan politely declined. Chen Louchen was busy with official duties, and he heard that he was not in good health either. Wasting his time now would be tantamount to costing his life. "Post-traumatic intervention requires minimizing external stressors as much as possible, especially..." He paused, as if weighing his words, "The presence of a strong alpha might be too much for the omega. Can I contact Assistant Zong after we're done?"
Chen Louchen thought about it and nodded. He still had a lot of things to do and really couldn't waste time here.
Gu Wangyan carried the toolbox upstairs, walking slowly, for fear of disturbing the omega in the room.
Fu Xu still had a low fever this morning, but he still forced himself to get up and finished his housework before Shen Louchen came out of the study. He didn't go back to his room to rest until noon.
Unable to sleep, Fu Xu took out a book from his small bag and flipped through it. This was the book that Assistant Zong brought back when he left the Fu family that day. Probably, the Fu family didn't want to keep any of his things, so they asked Assistant Zong to bring all of these back. The cover of this only book was worn out, but Fu Xu still couldn't let it go.
Gu Wangyan knocked on the door. Fu Xu thought of what Mr. Shen said that day and guessed that the psychologist must have arrived, so he put down the book in his hand and responded, "Here I am."
When he opened the door, Fu Xu was a little surprised by the person standing at the door. He didn't expect that Mr. Shen would look for an omega, which made him feel a little more at ease.
It’s good that it’s not alpha.
"Hello." Gu Wangyan walked in, softened his voice, and sat down on the single sofa a few steps away from the bed. "I am your psychologist, Gu Wangyan, you can call me Wangyan."
Fu Xu sat back on the bed, his fingertips tightly gripping the edge of the page, his knuckles turning white. He took a deep breath before speaking: "My name is Fu Xu."
The room was very quiet, with only the sound of two people's heartbeats. Gu Wangyan did not rush to speak, but took out a small recorder from the toolbox, placed it on the coffee table, and then took out a few cards with simple patterns on them.
"Mr. Shen should have told you this. Let's do a test first, okay?" She picked up a card with a picture of a clear sky, and when Fu Xu nodded, she asked, "What do you think of when you see this?"
Fu Xu's eyelashes trembled, and he whispered, "...Yun."
"What kind of cloud?"
"Very light clouds."
Gu Wangyan nodded and changed to a card with a picture of rainy weather: "How about this one?"
Fu Xu's breathing became noticeably shallower. He lowered his head and spoke in a voice as thin as a mosquito: "...cold."
In such weather as usual, he always dragged his tired body to sweep the fallen leaves on the ground in the heavy rain. The cold raindrops fell on his body, leaving him with endless coldness.
Seeing Fu Xu's dazed expression, Gu Wangyan didn't ask any further questions. He put the card away and took out an aromatherapy bottle from his bag. He gently sprayed it twice and said, "Smell this. What do you think?"
The sweet fruity aroma filled the air, and Fu Xu shook his head.
Gu Wangyan observed his reaction, wondering why such an S-level placebo was almost ineffective on Fu Xu. It seemed like a direct psychological tactic, so he said softly, "This is my favorite smell when I was a child. Back then, there was an apple tree in my yard. Every autumn, it would bear many apples. Someone would help me pick them, saying they would help me grow the biggest and sweetest apples. But then...something happened, and the tree was cut down."
His tone was very flat, as if he was telling someone else's story. Fu Xu's eyes relaxed a little, and he asked hesitantly, "Gu, Doctor, are there things you don't like?"
"Of course there are," Gu Wangyan smiled, a hint of self-mockery in his tone, "For example, being forced to do things I don't like, just like you were forced to stay in the Fu family, and I was forced..." He paused, looking at the lush tree outside the window, "forced to get engaged to an alpha who doesn't love me."
Fu Xu was stunned. From the moment Dr. Gu came in, he felt that such a gentle and powerful omega must have been brought up in pampering, just like Fu Jiaze. He never thought that such an omega would have these troubles. He always believed that only "defective products" like himself would be tortured by fate. It turns out... isn't that the case?
"You know my fiancé, Lin Yunzhou, your glandular examination doctor." Gu Wangyan seemed to have opened up a chatterbox, with helplessness in his tone, "Although we grew up together, he doesn't like me. For the sake of the family, I can only force him to marry."
He looked at Fu Xu with a sincere look in his eyes: "So I can understand your feelings, so don't belittle yourself, you are very good."
Fu Xu's lips moved, his Adam's apple rolled, and after a long moment he murmured "hmm." It was as if a crack had quietly opened up in his heart, and Gu Wangyan's words were like a ray of light, squeezing through the crack and shining into the dark corner where he had been curled up alone for so long.
"They said my glands were damaged and I was useless," Fu Xu's voice trembled. "I brought shame to the Fu family."
Gu Wangyan didn't comfort her immediately, but just listened quietly. After Fu Xu finished speaking, he spoke softly: "Fu Xu, do you know? People who hurt you often try to make you believe that it's your own fault, but the truth is, it's never your fault."
She pulled out a book from her bag. The cover was light blue and printed with a bird about to take flight. “I’m giving this book to you. Perhaps you’ll benefit from it.”
Fu Xu took the book and his fingertips touched the outline of the bird on the cover. The gold-plated patterns gleamed in the sun. He raised his head and looked at Gu Wangyan. The initial fear was gone in his eyes. Instead, there was more exploration and a hint of trust.
"But I have never been to school." Fu Xu suddenly lowered his head. Everything he has now is due to Mr. Shen's charity. He only read a little in the welfare home. He should not be able to understand such a profound book.
Gu Wangyan smiled and said, "Your alpha is a rare genius. Even after being recommended for university, he always ranks first. With such a good resource, why not use it?"
Fu Xu shook his head in horror: "I...I can't trouble Mr. Shen anymore."
He is already very content with his current life and has never thought of asking for anything else. Mr. Shen's time is precious and he cannot afford to waste it.
"Have you ever thought about what if he wants to?" Gu Wangyan said meaningfully, touching Fu Xu's head. "Today's treatment ends here. I'll come back tomorrow."
"Thank you, Dr. Gu."
"Don't forget what I said." Gu Wangyan blinked, packed his suitcase and left the room.
When Gu Wangyan went downstairs, he saw Chen Louchen sitting on the sofa, holding a document in his hand, but he was obviously absent-minded.
"Mr. Shen," Gu Wangyan walked up to him, "Fu Xu's situation is more complicated than I expected. The psychological trauma caused by long-term physical abuse has created a strong defense mechanism in him."
"Is there any way?" Chen Louchen's voice was filled with a subtle urgency.
Gu Wangyan pondered for a moment: "Drug intervention is only auxiliary. What's more important is to establish a safe emotional connection. He needs someone who can make him completely relax his guard, someone who can make him feel 'accepted'."
He looked at Chen Louchen: "According to what Yunzhou told me, Fu Xu is not repulsive to your pheromones, and may even have a certain soothing effect on them. This is a good entry point."
Chen Louchen frowned: "What should I do?"
"Shorten the physical distance, and also shorten the psychological distance." Gu Wangyan smiled gently, "For example, try using a more intimate name instead of constantly using various words. I guess that when he was a child, no one treated him as a human being, so what he lacked was a sense of security. Sometimes, a simple nickname can convey a signal of security."
"Nickname?" Chen Louchen was a little uncomfortable with this word. From childhood to adulthood, he had only been called "Young Master Chen" and "Minister" by people around him, and had never used a nickname on anyone.
"Well," Gu Wangyan nodded, "For example... you can think about whether there is a nickname that you think is suitable for him and can make him feel warm. Don't rush, try it slowly. The key is to make him feel that your attitude towards him is not just about needing an omega, but..." He paused and said carefully, "but treating him as an individual who needs to be cared for."
At this time, Lin Yunzhou called. Gu Wangyan glanced at the caller ID, frowned slightly, and answered the phone with a hint of nervousness: "Yunzhou."
Lin Yunzhou's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hurry back after seeing the doctor, and don't say anything you shouldn't say to Lou Chen."
Gu Wangyan's eyelashes trembled slightly, but his voice remained steady: "I understand."
After hanging up the phone, he nodded to Shen Louchen: "Mr. Shen, I will ask my assistant to send you the follow-up treatment plan."
Looking at Gu Wangyan's back as he walked out of the villa, Chen Louchen seemed to be thinking about something.
Walking upstairs, Chen Louchen gently pushed open Fu Xu's door. The young man was sitting by the window, holding the book that Gu Wangyan had given him, reading intently. Hearing the noise, Fu Xu raised his head with a hint of surprise in his eyes: "Mr. Chen?"
Chen Louchen walked to his side and was silent for a moment. The sunlight shone through the gauze curtains, casting mottled light and shadows between the two of them.
"What are you looking at?" he asked, his voice softer than usual.
"This is a book Dr. Gu gave me," Fu Xu closed the book, revealing the bird on the cover. "He said... he wanted me to read more."
Chen Louchen looked into his clear eyes, which still contained a trace of uneasiness. He remembered Gu Wangyan's words and the suggestion about the nickname, and frowned slightly.
He took a deep breath, stretched out his hand, and wanted to rub his head like last time, but his fingers paused in mid-air and finally landed lightly on the top of his head. He still couldn't bring himself to really get involved in a relationship.
Will there be a day when Fu Xu will be like that omega...
Some things are enough to experience once.
Chen Louchen's fingertips rested on the top of Fu Xu's head. The soft touch carried the unique warmth of a young boy. The sunlight flickered behind the gauze curtain, coating the uneasiness in Fu Xu's eyes with a layer of fine light, like sparks falling on a shallow beach, flickering, but always with a sense of timidity.
"Is the book interesting?" He changed the subject.
Fu Xu nodded, then pursed his lips a little embarrassedly: "There are many things I don't understand... but Doctor Gu said that I can just take my time to read it." He paused, as if remembering something, and added in a low voice, as if afraid that others would hear but also afraid that no one would hear, "Doctor Gu also said that if Mr. Shen has time, he can also... explain it to me."
"What else did he say?" Shen Louchen asked.
Unexpectedly, Shen Louchen heard it so clearly. Fu Xu blushed in embarrassment and said truthfully: "Tell me... let me change my name to Mr. Shen."
Chen Louchen's heart moved slightly. Gu Wangyan's words were like a thin needle, gently picking up the distance he had deliberately maintained.
I want a familiar nickname... He thought silently in his heart, with the tip of his tongue against his palate, but he couldn't utter any syllable with any intimate meaning. Since he was a child, he was used to calling others by their surnames or positions. Asking him to spit out those sticky nicknames to a boy he had just met was tantamount to asking him to wear a skirt.
"Well, let's talk about this another day." He responded vaguely, turned and walked to the door, his back to Fu Xu, "It's getting late, go to bed early."
Fu Xu nodded seriously, looking at Chen Louchen's back which was stretched out by the setting sun. That figure seemed to always have an invisible barrier around him, making people want to get closer but afraid of touching the cold edges.
He opened the book again, but his eyes were a little distracted, falling on the words on the pages, but he was wondering in his heart, does Mr. Shen hate him?
That night, Chen Louchen lay in the empty master bedroom, tossing and turning, his mind replaying Gu Wangyan's suggestions and Fu Xu's eyes that were filled with expectation but also anxiety.
Just like those colleagues treated omegas? Chen Louchen recalled the scene when they were discussing cooperation, recalling their name for omegas. He tried to read it a few times in his mind, but it felt extremely awkward, as if every syllable carried a scorching temperature, making him unable to speak. He even began to suspect that Gu Wangyan was deliberately giving him a difficult problem. After all, that doctor Gu was always good at "treating" patients in some unconventional ways.
A sleepless night.
The next afternoon, Gu Wangyan appeared in the living room of the Shen family on time. He was wearing a casual light gray suit and holding a beautifully packaged cake box in his hand. He looked like he was here to visit rather than to see a doctor.
"Mr. Shen," he handed the cake to the servant with a smile, but his eyes fell precisely on Shen Louchen who was walking down the stairs, "I'm here to see what's going on today."
Shen Louchen sat down on the sofa, expressionless: “He is reading upstairs.”
Gu Wangyan kept smiling, nodded to Fu Xu, turned around and asked, "Mr. Shen, what have you thought about yesterday's question?"
Chen Louchen was silent. He could feel Gu Wangyan's probing gaze, like a sharp scalpel, precisely dissecting his hesitation.
"It seems there's been no progress." Gu Wangyan smiled knowingly, leaning forward and clasping his hands on his knees. "Mr. Shen, I know you're not used to it, but this is a key step in building trust. Look, how about this..." He paused deliberately, a hint of mischief flashing in his eyes. "You two can try calling each other 'husband' and 'wife' first. It's simple and direct, and it can quickly bring you closer."
Chen Louchen's brows instantly twisted into a "川" shape, and the expression on his face was as if he had heard some ridiculous suggestion, "Doctor Gu." His voice was a little colder.
"Can't accept it?" Gu Wangyan waved his hand. "I'm just kidding, but this method really works. Of course, if you really can't say it," he changed the subject, his eyes becoming serious, "how about trying calling him 'baby' or something like that? This is more universal, not easy to make mistakes, and it can also make your omega feel valued."
"Baby?" Chen Louchen almost squeezed out these two words from between his teeth. He felt uncomfortable all over. This title was even more difficult for him to accept than "husband or wife". It was overly intimate and... childish.
"Yes, baby," Gu Wangyan nodded, his tone firm. "You see, he's like a child who needs a sense of security. Using this name can make him subconsciously feel that he is being cared for, which is very important for his emotional stability and pheromone regulation. Even if you don't have that intention in mind for the time being, you can try it out in a formal way first, just as a way to cure the disease."
He spoke in a high-sounding manner, as if this was really just a pure treatment method. Chen Louchen looked at him, knowing in his heart that what Gu Wangyan said did make some sense, but this kind of words... were really hard to say.
"I..." He was about to say something when the two of them arrived at the door of Fu Xu's room. There were light footsteps from inside. Fu Xu opened the door and saw Gu Wangyan. His eyes lit up: "Doctor Gu."
Gu Wangyan immediately put on a gentle smile and walked in. "How did you feel yesterday?"
Fu Xu walked to Chen Louchen, subconsciously moved closer to him, and whispered: "Not bad."
Gu Wangyan glanced at Chen Louchen, his eyes carrying the meaning of "Look, here comes your chance." Chen Louchen met his gaze, then glanced at Fu Xu's lowered eyes beside him. His Adam's apple rolled, but in the end, he still couldn't say the word "baby". He just raised his hand and gently touched Fu Xu's arm with his knuckles: "You can come into the study room from now on. If you don't understand something, ask me."
Fu Xu suddenly raised his head, surprise flashing in his eyes: "Really? Mr. Shen is willing to teach me?"
"Um."
Gu Wangyan took out a stack of information from a box and handed it to Chen Louchen. He then looked at Fu Xu and said, "There's no treatment today. I'm just here to deliver some follow-up arrangements and check on your situation. You look fine. I have something else to do today, so I'll leave first. Remember to communicate more."
After saying that, Gu Wangyan stood up and said goodbye. Only Chen Louchen and Fu Xu were left in the room, and the atmosphere became quiet for a while.
Chen Louchen asked Zong Yuan to send the man out, then asked, "Do you like studying?"
The author has something to say:
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Unexpectedly! Updated suddenly, the author's brain is not very good and forgot that there are rules and restrictions for being on the list, so I can only update today, everyone just treat it as my Thursday update... (weak) Please comfort my fragile heart and cry [burst crying]
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