Chapter 26 – Suggestion

After Chi Qing took his temperature, he had a slight fever, but it wasn’t that obvious, able to keep an eye on it for a few more days. Xie Lin didn’t bring up going to the hospital for the time being: “Take the medicine first. If you don’t get better in a few days, then you’re going to the hospital even if you don’t want to.”

Chi Qing had never been ordered around like this before. If he had lost control, he would have told Xie Lin to get lost the second he uttered the first word.But now it was clear that he himself had ulterior motives.

So it was rare for him to let Xie Lin finish talking, and he didn’t refute him in a face-saving way: “Oh.”

Xie Lin: “That ‘oh’ of yours sounds reluctant.”

Chi Qing admitted it: “Just going along with you.”

Xie Lin walked over to the water dispenser to get water while holding the empty glass of water.

While just getting water, Chi Qing still felt restless.

Xie Lin could tell that Chi Qing seemed to be constantly touching his hand, and his method of touching was very reserved. Chi Qing’s fingers were thin, and because of the low fever, his fingertips were also a bit hot. Carrying some warmth, they brushed against his knuckles lightly, looking as if it was just an accidental touch.

But the number of accidents were a bit much.

By accident when taking the thermometer, and again by accident when taking the water.

……

Xie Lin could regard the first two times as accidents, but as he handed those few cold medicines over, Chi Qing accidentally brushed his palm while taking the medicine. He could be almost certain that it was not an accident.

“You’re not wearing gloves today.” Xie Lin waited for him to swallow the medicine before suddenly speaking.

Chi Qing had already prepared: “I’m sick.”

“Oh.”

“Light headed.” Chi Qing said, “Forgot to wear it when I went out.”

Then he added, “……And even touched me three more times.”

“Once or twice can be described as an accident, but not more than thrice.”

Xie Lin watched him as he spoke, no questioning in his tone; his voice made it hard for people to feel as if they were being interrogated: “Mr. Chi, you’ve touched me so many times, don’t you owe me an explanation?”

“……”

Chi Qing swallowed the medicine, wrapping his hands around the glass cup, and thought about how he should reply.

His thoughts were actually not very clear at the moment, having not slept for several nights, his mind working slower than usual.

He couldn’t exactly say that his mysophobia suddenly got better overnight.

It’s not like he’s a walking medical miracle.

Chi Qing put the glass cup down in the end, speaking frankly: “There’s no cure for the late stage of my mysophobia. Even if I’m light headed, there would be no improvement even if I have a fever of 40 degrees.”

Xie Lin gestured for him to continue.

The hand was what caught Xie Lin off guard for what was said next.

“But touching you doesn’t seem that uncomfortable.” Chi Qing said this sentence very slowly. He lifted his eyes, looking back at him, “As for why, I don’t know.”

His “I don’t know” was not entirely a lie.

Because he really did not know why he can’t read Xie Lin’s mind.

In order to make those words sound more convincing, Chi Qing explained what he had done before right after: “And when I poked you those times before, it wasn’t because of the tablecloth, or because I was drunk, I just wanted to test it.”

Chi Qing finally explained: “I consulted Dr. Wu last week, he also couldn’t find a reason.”

This explanation barely convinced Xie Lin: “Hold your hand out.”

Chi Qing: “?”

Although they’ve touched a few times before, each of those times were under special circumstances, in a rush, not having the time to react until after their hands parted.

Right as Chi Qing’s hand moved from the glass cup, Xie Lin was worried that he wouldn’t be used to it, only slightly touching the cold fingertips. Seeing that he really didn’t have a reaction, he retracted his hand, pulling half of Chi Qing’s fingers that were exposed outside of the sleeve into his palm.

“Any feeling?”

Feels very quiet.

But Chi Qing couldn’t say that.

In the end he only said: “No feelings.”

“Not uncomfortable? Are you sure you don’t want to punch me right now?”

Chi Qing looked at him coldly, retorting: “Do you want to be beaten up that badly?”

“……No,” Xie Lin said, “I’m just making sure.”

Ji Mingrui, whose touch was dismissed as “feels disgusting” just last week, would probably vomit three liters of blood up on the spot if he saw this scene of differential treatment.

After bringing up “Dr. Wu,” Chi Qing found a perfectly legitimate reason for his behavior: he came as part of his treatment.

This lunatic named Xie Lin seemed beneficial for his treatment.

–

“That’s right,” the next day, in the psychiatric clinic, Dr. Wu spoke to Xie Lin while looking through Chi Qing’s patient files, “He did mention that to me when we spoke on the phone last week.”

“His mysophobia is really hard to cure. I’ve never encountered such a difficult case before. Other patients with similar symptoms were able to find some psychological causes through communication, but this Mr. Chi is just like you— I don’t know why he dislikes being touched by others, and I don’t know what the origin of his mysophobia is. He seems to have a hard time trusting others. I originally didn’t have any hope,” Dr. Wu smiled wryly, “I’m even introducing him to more experienced doctors.”

The consultation room was the same, but the scene of the aroma diffuser had changed.

Xie Lin disagreed with the phrase ‘just like you’: “The topic is Mr. Mysophobic, why bring me up.”

Dr. Wu: “……Don’t you think that although our consultation has lasted for so long, it can be said that there has been no progress.”

Xie Lin disagreed: “I think there’s quite a bit of progress.”

Dr. Wu remarked in his heart that given our current state, how could there be any progress.

“Coming here every week to listen to your knowledge about mental health and safety has allowed me to understand things differently and see many things in a new light,” Xie Lin said, “People’s lives are so stressful nowadays, it is necessary to come here regularly to cleanse the soul.”

Dr. Wu: “……”

See, saying so many words that sound nice, but it’s the same as not saying anything.

The same was true of his understanding of Xie Lin over these years. There was no useful information that could be found, and when it comes to psychology, this person knew more than him.

He seemed to have been this way since they met……

No, there was one exception.

Dr. Wu recalled when Xie Lin first stepped into the consulting room a few years ago.

Xie Lin didn’t say anything that time, borrowed the rest bed in the consulting room, slept for almost two hours, and thanked him when he woke up.

Dr. Wu couldn’t remember the exact date, only that it was a snowy winter; the streets were covered with a layer of white snow, and flakes of snow fell on Xie Lin’s shoulders when he put on his coat and walked out.

“So now I have to cooperate with him for his treatment?” Xie Lin’s words brought Dr. Wu out of his thoughts.

Whenever Xie Lin tried to figure out a person’s mind, he was rarely wrong. Before Dr. Wu could say what his ultimate goal was, he brought it up first.

Dr. Wu’s thoughts were indeed that. Although he didn’t know the reason at all, Chi Qing’s mysophobia had at least made a breakthrough: “Of course this also depends on your willingness, it’s best if you’re willing. In his current state, if there’s someone who can help him get used to being touched, he’s very likely to get better.”

Xie Lin was still wearing the ring when he went out; he pinched the silver ring, turning the ring around, and finally said: “I’m fine, as long as he doesn’t reject it.”

Every time Xie Lin came to the clinic, there was a lot of commotion. The commotion wasn’t because he did something, but rather that the receptionists would start talking about lively topics, the two words “Mr. Xie” being unavoidable.

When Xie Lin’s consultation ended, several receptionists turned their attention away from the wall-mounted TV in the waiting room: “Mr. Xie, the consultation is over? How do you feel?”

Xie Lin smiled at them, speaking familiarly: “Do you know if Dr. Wu knows some kind of magic, otherwise why do I feel like I’m in a very good condition after each consultation.”

This was essentially the same as saying that it’s good to see you.

The receptionist smiled, speaking shyly: “Then…… see you next week.”

While waiting for the car to be driven to the door, Xie Lin glanced sideways at the screen on the wall-mounted TV. The TV channel was broadcasting a report from the news stations, the topic revolving around the current popular case of “the mysterious deaths of tenants.”

Since the TV was placed in the waiting area, it couldn’t affect the patients going in and out for business. The TV was muted, only a line of headlines could be seen, along with the new anchor’s closed mouth: There is no progress on the case…… We have no way of knowing how the murderer entered the house, or how the crime was committed……

The female receptionist noticed Xie Lin’s gaze, saying: “So terrifying, I’m scared to go home after work every night. I also rent a place nearby, and I don’t feel safe at home.”

The female receptionist chatted with Xie Lin for a while; when Xie Lin’s car arrived at the door, the female receptionist finally noticed Dr. Wu who had been standing at her side for an unknown amount of time: “Dr. Wu.”

Dr. Wu jokingly said: “Finally came back to your senses, I usually don’t see you talk this much.”

The receptionist laughed: “Mr. Xie is very kind. There’s a lot to talk about with him.”

Dr. Wu sighed, but he didn’t say anything else. He was more concerned about whether or not the two most difficult patients in his hands could cooperate well with his treatment plan.

The author has something to say:

I’ve! Come! To! Pay! Off! The debt!!!