Chapter 68
He tried his hardest to steady his shaking hands and it was a while before he was able to send a WeChat message —
“Were you up all night?”
As though He Shen hadn’t expected that he would reply, just as he’d sent the message, a voice call came.
Qiao Shao hesitated and by the time he had returned to his senses, the call had already connected.
He Shen’s voice passed from the phone to his ear. “It’s the weekend. Why aren’t you sleeping in? Did I wake you up?”
Completely at ends with his teasing tone in WeChat messages, his deep voice was even more soothing than the music floating around the room.
Qiao Shao said, “I …”
After just one word, he choked.
Unexplainable emotions filled his chest, and at this moment he seemed to be standing at the edge of a boundary. Behind was an endless abyss, and ahead was the infinite light. He wanted to step forward, but his feet were stuck and he make a single move.
He Shen’s voice was a bit keyed-up. “What’s wrong?”
He heard Qiao Shao’s trembling voice and heard his sobbing.
Qiao Shao was unable to say, but he was unwilling to hang up.
He Shen asked him, “Did your dad drink again?”
Qiao Shao knew he had misunderstood, but he couldn’t explain it.
He Shen said again, “Your house is …” He paused, but didn’t continue to ask, and instead changed his approach. “Come to my place. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
Qiao Shao finally found his voice. “No need.”
He Shen spoke at almost at the same time, adding, “Don’t worry, you don’t have to pay the taxi upfront, you just have to get here.”
He considerately thought that Qiao Shao might have no money and could not take a taxi.
Qiao Shao’s heart felt warm and the warm blood flowed through his entire body. It was as if he had been pulled back forcefully, breaking away from the fear of the abyss.
He had managed to calm his voice somewhat. “My dad didn’t drink.”
He Shen was clearly relieved. “Then what’s the matter?”
Qiao Shao’s lips curved into a smile, “I’ll tell you by WeChat.”
After that, he hung up and edited a message in the WeChat dialog box for a while.
After typing, he stared at it for a while. He then closed his eyes and sent it.
He Shen stared unblinkingly at his phone. His mind was running through all sorts of possible scenarios, such as the child taking care of his father who was completely smashed. He must be so weary, full of grievances but with no one to confide in, only able to sob it out…
Then he saw the message from Qiao Shao–
Qiao Shao: The first day without He Shen Shen. I miss him to (T ^ T)
He Shen: “!”
After sending it, Qiao Shao regretted it!
Crazy! He’s gone crazy! What is he doing joining He Shen in his madness!
He Shen called again.
Qiao Shao didn’t want to answer and he just hung up!
He Shen called again, Qiao Shao firmly rejected it once again. He Shen called again, Qiao Shao …
“What on Earth are you doing!” Qiao Shao was shamed into anger.
There was no movement on the other end of the phone. Qiao Shao’s hand that was holding the phone started to sweat.
After about two or three seconds, a low laugh came from the other end, and Qiao Shao almost dropped the phone!
Did this person’s voice … Carry an electric current!
He Shen has never been so happy. It was if he was seeing the world for the first time.
“So …” He asked Qiao Shao softly, “you’re saying you miss me so much, you want to cry?”
Qiao Shao: “&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;&#k2026;”
With a “bang” he jabbed this call shut!
That’s right, with a “bang”. He had jabbed his phone so hard, his finger almost folded!
Qiao Shao strode back to his room and buried himself in the quilt.
He should have ignored him!
When the heat faded from his ears, he groped about for his phone and took it out.
With a single glace, he regretted it! His eyes looked as though he regretted it so much, his insides would turn blue!
Timed out! Can’t be withdrawn!
He blames He Shen for calling him!
Then He Shen sent another message. “Call me if something happens.”
Qiao Shao pretended not to see it.
He Shen sent again, “If you really miss me, you could come to me.”
Qiao Shao sent him back two words: “Bye bye!”
He Shen returned to him: Mwah! (* ╯3╰).
Qiao Shao threw the phone again!
He buried himself in his quilt for a while, but couldn’t help but grope around to get his phone back.
He opened their chat records scrolled up one by one.
If he hadn’t scrolled up, he wouldn’t have known. But now that he has, he was startled!
The two of them talked a lot … There were several messages every day.
Do normal friends talk so much?
Qiao Shao looked as though his heart was trembling. But he had no one to ask.
But he also has other friends–
For example, Chen Su, Song Yixu, Wei Jiayu, Jie Kai and when push comes to shove maybe the school tyrant as well.
Qiao Shao opened the chat records of these people one by one.
Ok……
Five, three, two, one, zero …
He then looked at his and He Shen’s countless messages…
Qiao Shao buried his head in the quilt again.
At breakfast, Qiao Shao was absent-minded but Qiao Zongmin didn’t think too much about it.
Every time he would go see the psychologist, Qiao Shao would always be nervous.
After all, it would expose his rotten scars. Even if it was healing, but it was also painful.
However, this time it really wasn’t because Qiao Shao was going to see Dr. Zhang…
But the reason was…
He couldn’t say!
At around ten o’clock, Qiao Shao met with Dr. Zhang.
Every time he saw him, Qiao Shao felt it was magical.
The years didn’t seem to leave too many traces on this person. He was obviously six or seven years older than Da Qiao, but it looked like he was only in his early thirties.
He dressed casually, wearing rimless glasses behind which a pair of dark eyes resembled the vast night sky which embraced the stars and covered the earth, but left no sense of oppression.
Qiao Shao smiled at him. “Dr. Zhang, hello.”
Zhang Guanting also curved his lips into a smile. His voice sounded like a harp played by a beautiful angel, tender and soft. “Hello.”
Qiao Zongmin couldn’t stay in the counseling room. On his brow were worry lines that he couldn’t hide no matter how hard he tried. “I’ll go out first.”
Qiao Shao sent a smile to reassure him. “En!”
Zhang Guanting looked at him with a smile, and after the door was closed, casually asked, “Have you made any new friends?”
“Well,” Qiao Shao sighed softly, and said everything he had experienced recently.
He was used to this type of communication.
During the previous half-year of treatment, Qiao Shao always conversed well.
He didn’t want to resist the treatment. He wanted more than anyone to get better because he didn’t want his loved ones to worry.
Zhang Guanting listened attentively, and interjecting occasionally, showing his approval and that he was listening.
Doubtless, it was comfortable to talk to him. As he talked, Qiao Shao thought to himself that these past couple of months have been very happy.
He talked about Chen Su, about Wei Jiayu and Lou Xiao …
Finally, he inevitably talked about He Shen.
Talking and talking…
Qiao Shao looked uneasily at Zhang Guanting.
He knew how powerful this man was, and that he could always see through his mind with a single glance.
Zhang Guanting smiled. “It’s all right.”
He only said these two words, and Qiao Shao knew he had been seen through.
His cheeks were flushed and he was somewhat embarrassed.
Zhang Guanting reassured him. “This is human nature. There is no need to feel conflicted about this.”
Qiao Shao’s face became hotter, he whispered, “Can you not tell my dad about this?”
Zhang Guanting said, “I won’t say anything you don’t want me to say.”
With this, Qiao Shao was reassured.
Zhang Guanting wasn’t just humoring him, but really respected his privacy.
It was also because of this respect that he could tell him everything.
Qiao Shao thought of something and he said, “That’s right, I got a memory from before …”
Zhang Guanting asked, “What is it?”
After a while, Qiao Shao said, “I don’t know why but I suddenly remembered that I had gone with my dad to the Xie family.”
Actually, their family has almost no dealings with the Xie Clan and Qiao Shao didn’t recognize anyone from the Xie Family.
Zhang Guanting asked again, “Did you have this memory when you were around He Shen?”
Qiao Shao was uncomfortable when he heard He Shen’s name, but this was part of the treatment. He was still feeling a little bit awkward, and he nodded. “En.”
Zhang Guanting thought for a moment, and when he looked up, he looked into Qiao Shao’s eyes. “Do you want to try this time?”
Qiao Shao’s back straightened instantly.
Zhang Guanting said quietly, “You don’t need to force yourself.”
Qiao Shao curled his hands into tight fists and his lips were pursed into a thin line, but he firmly said, “I want to try.”
He wanted to try, even if that fear was rooted in his bones, he wanted to try. Escaping was useless, he wanted to get back his lost memories. This was the only way to recover.
Zhang Guanting said, “Let’s try it.”
Qiao Zongmin paced back and forth. This uneasy look on his face would surprise everyone who knew him.
Fifteen or six minutes later, Zhang Guanting came out.
He took off his glasses and squeezed his temples. “He’s still very resistant. Once he enters deep hypnosis, he goes into convulsions.”
Qiao Zongmin’s face turned several shades paler. “C-compared to before …”
Zhang Guanting said, “He’s doing much better than before.”
Qiao Zongmin was relieved and went into the counseling room.
Qiao Shao was asleep on the chair. His eyes were wet, tears fell down his cheeks, and he was crying silently.
With just the briefest glance and it was like Qiao Zongmin’s heart had been pound into a shapeless mass.
“It’s all my fault,” Qiao Zongmin’s strong shoulders collapsed. “I didn’t protect him.”
Zhang Guanting whispered softly, “Let’s go out and talk. We’ll let him rest.”
Qiao Zongmin followed Zhang Guanting, and the two sat outside. To a certain extent, the father resembled a patient more than the child in the room.
Indeed, they lost both lost their loved one at the same time, and the trauma they suffered were equally grave.
He was just a young child, but he has already shouldered such heavy burdens.
Zhang Guanting poured him a glass of water.
Qiao Zongmin said with a hoarse voice, “Dr. Zhang, wouldn’t it be better if he just forgot his past?”
Zhang Guanting said: “For the short term, it would pose no problem. His current psychological state is very good.”
Qiao Zongmin understood, “But in the future …”
Zhang Guanting made an analogy, “The memories of the past are like the roots of a tree buried in the ground. If you never look, it might not affect the growth of the tree. However, if this root is infected by an insect and you choose to ignore it, the tree will eventually wither.”
Qiao Zongmin closed his eyes and said, “He can’t even face the word “Mother”. So far, he hasn’t even dared go up to the third floor.”
The third floor was his wife’s, where everything related to her was stored.
But since Qiao Shao came home, he never took a single step up there.
“He couldn’t even face his mother, how could he face that year …”
Qiao Zongmin thought of this and it was like his chest was stung.
Zhang Guanting said, “I don’t think the year of the abduction affected him more severely than the death of his mother.”
Qiao Zongmin was stunned. It was like all his internal organs had been lumped together. “Yes, he loved her so much.”
Zhang Guanting couldn’t say any more.
This was very cruel to the man before him.
Although the patient was Qiao Shao, Qiao Zongmin was also in need of systematic treatment.
It was just that this man refused to accept it. The only thing he could do was to give him a measure of mental relief while he treated his son.
“Take it slow,” Zhang Guanting said. “At present, going to East High was the right choice. He has a good environment and can meet new friends. This is a good start.
The author has something to say:
Spoiler, Shao Shao has not suffered any physical harm, but the mental problem is more serious.
But he will be coaxed by He Tiantian !
En, if he doesn’t coax him well, we’ll kill this old beast!
See you tomorrow