Unexpectedly, after all the twists and turns, Xiao Yanzhi had managed to make her make the choice voluntarily in such a way.
Jiang Li blinked. "You're scheming against me."
"Can't really call it scheming," Xiao Yanzhi pinched her cheek. "It's just a gentle approach, and the decision lies with you."
"If you still feel strongly averse, we can put it on hold. There's plenty of time."
He wouldn't force or rush her.
He'd let everything happen naturally.
Jiang Li pressed her lips tightly together. After a long while, she looked up and said, "I only want to be treated by my previous psychologist."
Psychotherapy is a process of gradually dissecting oneself. The patient needs to trust the doctor enough. Frequent changes of doctors and repeatedly exposing one's innermost feelings can also be a meaningless kind of harm.
"Zhou Cheng, right? I've made an appointment with him in advance."
"How did you know..."
"I asked Dr. Qiao," Xiao Yanzhi replied calmly. "He said he'd introduced a doctor to you before, and your interactions were quite harmonious?"
Jiang Li unconsciously pinched the edge of the bedsheet. "It was okay."
Zhou Cheng was indeed an excellent psychologist. He would quietly listen to her accounts and calmly and objectively analyze her situation. He never comforted her as if she were a child.
In his view, due to the pressures of life and family, everyone had some psychological problems to some extent. This was perfectly normal and didn't need to be over - emphasized.
Undergoing psychotherapy was painful, but with a good psychologist, the results would be twice as effective with half the effort.
Xiao Yanzhi had truly thought of everything. He'd prepared almost everything and was just waiting for her answer.
As for how long he'd have to wait, he hadn't thought about it.
But he still meant what he'd said - he had all the time in the world to wait for her.
Finally, Jiang Li took a deep breath and gave a faint smile. "Then let's go see the doctor. For Mr. Xiao's sincere efforts."
When she called him "Mr. Xiao", the slightly rising intonation carried a sense of arrogance, like a feather brushing against his heart.
Xiao Yanzhi's eyes darkened.
Next time in bed, he'd make her call his name more often.
...
After lunch, Xiao Yanzhi took Jiang Li to Zhou Cheng's psychological clinic. The doctor had been waiting for her for quite some time.
Before seeing Jiang Li, he'd already learned about what had happened to her recently and made a simple speculation about her current condition.
When he saw Jiang Li in a beige overcoat standing in front of him, he smiled and said, "Miss Jiang is still as beautiful as before."
She didn't look overly haggard. It was obvious that she'd put some thought into her dressing and even wore lip gloss, which showed that she still had a positive attitude.
This was a good sign.
"Thank you," Jiang Li replied politely and glanced back at Xiao Yanzhi.
"Mr. Xiao, you can stop here," Zhou Cheng said. "You can wait outside or take a stroll downstairs."
Xiao Yanzhi understood and nodded. His eyes were fixed on Jiang Li's face. "I'll be right outside. Call me if you need anything."
Jiang Li nodded obediently.
"Also," his gaze shifted to Zhou Cheng. His previously gentle aura suddenly turned a bit more serious. "Dr. Zhou, I know you're very professional, but I hope you can stop the treatment immediately if she feels uncomfortable."
Some doctors might adopt radical methods to make the patients wake up quickly. This might be a correct treatment approach, but it might not be suitable for Jiang Li.
He didn't want to take any risks with her.
"Don't worry. My treatment approach always prioritizes the patient's experience," Zhou Cheng nodded and smiled. "Shall we go in, Miss Jiang?"
After three long hours of psychotherapy, it was already dark outside.
When the door opened, Xiao Yanzhi was indeed standing outside as he'd promised, waiting quietly.
During the long wait, he didn't show the slightest bit of impatience or annoyance.
His patience was truly astonishing.
Zhou Cheng prescribed some medicine for Jiang Li and told her to take it on time. He also reminded Xiao Yanzhi to supervise her and not let her secretly stop taking the medicine again.
"I'll keep an eye on her," Xiao Yanzhi's voice was deep, and his emotions were very stable. "When is the next treatment? I'll bring her here on time."
...
On the way back, Jiang Li kept turning to look at Xiao Yanzhi several times. Finally, she couldn't hold back anymore. "Why don't you ask about the result of my examination?"
"This is your private information. It's not appropriate for me to ask too much," he turned to look at her. "You can choose to tell me or keep it to yourself. It's your freedom."
Jiang Li suddenly felt a bit flushed. "Then I won't tell you."
Today's psychotherapy had indeed been a disaster.
During the conversation with Zhou Cheng, she'd lost control of her emotions several times. Each time, she'd managed to calm down with the help of ice - water and then continued the conversation.
In the end, Zhou Cheng said that her negative emotions were too strong at the moment. She needed to gradually accept the outside world and increase her sense of deservingness and happiness.
Considering her current condition, the fact that she'd actively chosen to come for treatment was already a miracle.
He also told her that there was someone in her subconscious that she could rely on. This person was the lifeline that had pulled her back from the brink of death many times.
"Is it Mr. Xiao outside?" Zhou Cheng didn't beat around the bush. "You unconsciously looked at him many times just now. You instinctively wanted to seek his protection."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"If he's worthy of your trust, then it's a good thing."
Thinking of what Zhou Cheng had said to her, she unconsciously looked at Xiao Yanzhi several more times.
He was worthy of her trust.
Sensing her gaze, the man suddenly looked up at her and asked gently, "What do you want to eat for dinner?"
"I don't want to eat out. Can you cook?"
Jiang Li swore she'd just asked casually.
When she saw the man put on a pink apron and skillfully wash and cut vegetables in the kitchen, she thought she was having a hallucination.
Jiang Li asked, "You can cook?"
Xiao Yanzhi looked up at her. "A little. It's barely edible."
When he was studying abroad before, he'd rented an apartment by himself and occasionally cooked something in the kitchen. Although it wasn't a gourmet meal, it was at least edible.
Jiang Li pouted and unconsciously complained, "Since you can cook, you always made me make midnight snacks for you before."
She still remembered all those little things.
Xiao Yanzhi's hand paused slightly while cutting the vegetables. He smiled helplessly. "Is our Lili so vindictive?"
"Yes. I still remember clearly how someone made me make midnight snacks in the middle of the night and asked me to pick him up by car."
Knowing he was in the wrong, he had no choice but to nod resignedly. "It's my fault. I admit it."
Jiang Li wasn't going to let it go. She lifted her chin and looked down at him with her hands on her hips. "Just admitting the fault is enough?"
The way she wasn't willing to give in when she was in the right was really cute.
Xiao Yanzhi looked at her, then turned around and turned on the faucet. After washing his hands, he immediately grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her into his arms.
He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "Then how do you want me to atone for my sins, huh?"