CHAPTER 424: CHAPTER 417: AN APPROPRIATE INTERIM CONCLUSION

Facing Nan Zhubin’s question.

The visitor hesitated for a moment, took a couple of breaths, and then slowly said: "Yes... I also tried sleeping pills, prescribed by the school hospital doctor. I took half a pill at a time... At first, I could fall asleep after taking them, but once I stopped, it didn’t work."

"Later, I was worried about addiction, so I stopped them, and that’s why I thought of trying psychological consultation..."

Looking at the visitor in front of him, wrapped up tightly, not even taking off his hat despite starting to sweat.

Nan Zhubin sighed inwardly.

"You are someone who has high standards for yourself." Nan Zhubin offered today’s first instance of [Positive Attention].

This focus was not only due to the person’s performance today but also some information presented in the materials.

Nan Zhubin said: "You have told two stories today, but I believe there is much you haven’t said. What you haven’t said aren’t just stories, but also some of your feelings, some issues besides insomnia and attention that greatly trouble you in life."

"But these issues make you seem ’weak’, so you haven’t spoken of them today."

"In such circumstances, psychological consultation can be somewhat helpful to you—I believe you feel better now compared to when you first entered the consultation room."

"However, the process for psychological consultation to take effect is very slow, and the final outcome may not meet your expectations either."

Nan Zhubin said earnestly: "For your own problems, how determined should you be to solve them, and to what extent should you resolve them—this might be something for you to think over carefully when you go back today."

"If we have another consultation, perhaps we can focus on the parts we haven’t talked about today and then map out our plan to solve these issues."

This was a [concluding] remark.

But the visitor had not realized it at this point.

Listening to Nan Zhubin’s words, the visitor licked his lips.

His gaze drifted away, taking a deep breath before reaching for the water cup on the table.

Empty.

"Teacher Nan, is there more water?"

Nan Zhubin softened his expression: "I’ll go see the front desk to ask her to get you some, just as our consultation time for today is up."

The visitor opened his mouth, holding the water cup somewhat helplessly: "Teacher, I have some more things I want to say..."

Nan Zhubin gently counter-questioned: "Are you sure about what you want to say now?"

The visitor kept his mouth open but couldn’t speak.

"Right now, instead of ’saying’," Nan Zhubin pointed to his temple, indicating, "you need more to ’think’ and ’organize’ your thoughts."

As these words fell, the consultant stood up: "Looking forward to our next meeting."

...

Chonghui felt a bit nervous.

Even though it was agreed to keep an eye on Nan Zhubin, he couldn’t really pull up a chair and sit at the door of the consultation room.

In the end, he chose a spot where the door of the consultation room was in view, watching from a short distance away.

Continuing to think about it, Chonghui sighed.

Today really had twists and turns.

The original plan was to take the new junior brother out for some fun and food, and then end the workday.

Even if Nan Zhubin indeed had to conduct consultations at his own company later, it certainly wasn’t supposed to happen under such circumstances.

—Taking on someone else’s mess in an unfamiliar environment!

As for whether to take the blame himself or gracefully handle it and make a dish, that was hard to say.

Even though Chonghui knew Nan Zhubin had solid consultation skills.

But the psychological consultation industry is inherently unstable.

Even those who have been entrenched in the field for decades might fail when facing an extraordinarily unique visitor.

Not to mention, the visitor today didn’t look easy to deal with.

Even Chonghui himself, when he first heard the front desk’s description of this visitor, the first thought was to use a [Humanism]-oriented approach to get through this consultation.

Play it safe.

Just hoping the junior brother can be steady this time as well—

"But the junior brother’s consultation skills are stronger than mine, he should be able to do better..."

Chonghui sighed.

This was one of the reasons he did not compete with Nan Zhubin for this consultation.

After all, if something unexpected happens during a consultation, it would affect Teacher Bai Qinghua’s company. Naturally, it required someone more capable to handle any mishaps.

"Buzz—buzz—"

The phone vibrated, and when Chonghui reached into his pocket and saw the caller ID, his tense face relaxed immediately.

"Hello? Teacher!" He lowered his voice to avoid disturbing the nearby consultation room.

Chonghui had also called Bai Qinghua several times earlier, but there was no answer, probably due to some meetings or such.

Now the call was finally returned.

"Dahui, I heard from Xiaoshan that you went to the company and brought Xiaonan along?"

"Yes!" Chonghui was excited, and a feeling that reinforcement had arrived surged up.

"And Xiaoshan said Xiaonan took the visitor?"

"Yes!" Chonghui nodded.

"Oh, then it’s fine." Then Chonghui heard Bai Qinghua respond like this.

"...Huh?"

What do you mean by "then it’s fine"?

Old Deng, do you even listen to what you’re saying?!

"It’s fine. Xiaonan has experienced situations much bigger than this." Perhaps sensing the student’s emotional fluctuation, Bai Qinghua added a comforting line from his position as a teacher, "Young people shouldn’t be so easily startled."

"..."

Old Deng! Are you invalidating my efforts of guarding the door for almost an hour for the sake of a junior brother’s project group and the company?!

Click—

Just then, the door to the consultation room opened.

Chonghui watched as the visitor walked out. The person was dressed in a hoodie and long pants, wearing a hat and mask, looking like someone who only appeared in places unlit by street lamps at night, showing nothing from their expression.

But from the tightly knit brows and the determined steps towards the exit, it was somewhat apparent that the visitor’s mood wasn’t very good.

"Teacher, the consultation ended, the visitor didn’t seem to stay."

"Left, huh? That’s normal. Xiaoshan’s description was quite scary. If one can send people off without causing damage or loss to the consultant and the company, that’s already a success~" Bai Qinghua answered rather relaxedly.

True words, and very reasonable.

Yet for some reason, Chonghui bit his teeth, his muscles tensed: "Teacher, are you coming over later?"

The person on the other end thought for a moment.

"Yes, I’ll come pick you guys up for a good meal around dinner, since we intended to meet with Xiaonan today anyway..."

Ding Dong—

Suddenly, the company’s front desk’s automatic door opened.

It wasn’t the visitor leaving, but someone from outside coming in.

This was someone Chonghui recognized, a consultant from the company.

The predicament Nan Zhubin picked up was from this consultant who shirked it.

The tardy consultant looked at the visitor, instinctively stared for a moment, then showed an apologetic smile: "Hello, are you..."

Nan Zhihao adjusted his hat brim and passed by the tardy consultant without a pause, heading straight out the door.

Leaving the other’s paused hand in mid-air.

Hiss—hoo—

Chonghui watched as the consultant took a deep breath, seemingly suppressing something.