I’m Face-Blind, But I Devoted Myself To Three Guys - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: “Could I Be Written Into Your Thesis…?”

Su Hang’s family was in the garment business. He looked at the photo Qi Xu sent and found it a bit strange: “There’s no special design here, just a basic style. Aren’t these all over the streets?”

Qi Xu glanced at the ruined clothing, licking his lips: “I want the exact same one.”

“Alright, I’ll find it for you.”

Su Hang was highly efficient; in less than an hour, he found the identical item and sent over the link. Qi Xu carefully compared them to confirm there were no issues and let out a sigh of relief, placing the order immediately. However, shipping would take time; the earliest it could arrive was tomorrow.

Just as he exited the shopping app, the doorbell rang. Qi Xu checked the time; it was ten minutes earlier than their agreed-upon appointment. Jiang Yingshen had arrived early.

He jogged to open the door.

“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” Qi Xu had prepared his smile in advance, eyes curving into crescents, looking excessively radiant.

The person outside tilted his head slightly, a flicker of indiscernible confusion passing through his eyes. Qi Xu noticed his slightly damp shoulders: “Is it raining again?”

The weather had been poor lately, with occasional sleet and freezing rain, and the temperature had dropped significantly.

“Come in and dry off.” The cold air from outside was biting, so Qi Xu quickly invited him in.

The person being invited narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly deep in thought. Jiang Yingshen didn’t like to talk, and Qi Xu was used to it. Seeing the man standing still outside the door, Qi Xu simply reached out to lead him in.

Unlike previous accidental brushes, Qi Xu’s hand finally had some warmth. His smaller palm covered the other’s, barely wrapping around a few fingers. The contact allowed their body temperatures to mingle. To Jiang Yingshen’s surprise, the palm—one that had clearly never done hard labor—was unexpectedly soft and delicate.

Xie Chengyan lowered his eyes to look at their joined hands and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Wait—Xie Chengyan?

Although Qi Xu was always abruptly and recklessly trying to get close to him, those eyes usually held a trace of wariness and defense, like a rabbit forced to beg for food from a tiger’s mouth. Yet at this moment, that subtle sense of distance had vanished. It was so natural it was as if they had known each other for a long time.

Qi Xu, with his eyelashes half-lowered, only saw the well-defined hand of the man and didn’t notice the somewhat playful gaze. He pulled the man toward the living room: “I even made some special desserts, do you want to try them?”

“Senior…”

Just as he called out sweetly, another figure stepped out of the elevator and walked straight toward them.

The greeting died on Qi Xu’s lips. He locked eyes with the newcomer, and looking at the familiar silhouette, he failed to react for a moment.

Jiang Yingshen was clearly surprised as well. He stopped in his tracks. A few seconds later, his scrutinizing gaze moved from Qi Xu’s bewildered face to the hands joined together. His brow furrowed unconsciously.

Xie Chengyan noticed Qi Xu’s sudden blank expression and followed his gaze, turning his body to look.

It was him. Xie Chengyan recognized Jiang Yingshen.

For a moment, no one spoke, and the atmosphere fell into an eerie silence. After a while, Xie Chengyan looked back at Qi Xu, staring at his unblinking eyes, remembering the way he had just been addressed.

“Senior?” Xie Chengyan repeated with doubt.

As soon as his voice rang out, Qi Xu’s eyelashes fluttered. He looked up, appearing startled. A confused, complex emotion flashed in his eyes before quickly clearing into realization.

It was as if he had only just recognized him.

Xie Chengyan’s brow twitched.

Qi Xu looked at the man in front of him, his lips parting slightly. He hesitated for a few seconds before figuring out how to address him: “…Mr. Xie.”

As he spoke, his gaze flickered and shifted toward the other side. He looked at Jiang Yingshen and instinctively let go of Xie Chengyan’s hand, taking a step back.

The pressure on his hand vanished, but the warm sensation seemed to remain. Xie Chengyan rubbed his fingertips, feeling a strange sense of loss. He stared at the newly created distance between them, his gaze darkening.

Sure enough, that subtle sense of wariness had returned.

Jiang Yingshen took in the expressions of the two and quickly guessed that Qi Xu had likely mistaken the person again. He spoke up: “Do you not have time today?”

Qi Xu blinked, finally confirming the identity. He let out a secret sigh of relief. “No, I’m free.”

Then he looked back at the visiting neighbor: “Does Mr. Xie need something?”

Xie Chengyan’s lip line tightened; he unexpectedly disliked being called “Mr. Xie” by Qi Xu. He suppressed the strange feeling and smiled: “I just wanted to ask if you’ve seen my watch. I might have dropped it here the other day.”

Qi Xu tilted his head: “Watch?” He quickly searched his memory but didn’t recall seeing one.

“Never mind then,” Xie Chengyan shrugged. “Also, thank you for the medicine you sent. I was busy that day; I didn’t mean to ignore your message on purpose.”

“Ah… I see.” Qi Xu blinked. He hadn’t expected the other person to specifically explain the lack of a reply; he had almost forgotten about it.

Xie Chengyan glanced at the person behind him: “Since you have a guest, I won’t disturb you.” After saying that, he nodded to Qi Xu, turned, walked past Jiang Yingshen, and left.

Qi Xu watched Xie Chengyan’s back for a few moments. Normally, he wouldn’t miss an opportunity that literally knocked on his door, but right now, his target was Jiang Yingshen.

“Senior, come in quickly.” Qi Xu waved the man in.

Jiang Yingshen glanced at the man he had just passed and walked toward Qi Xu.

“Have a seat, Senior. I’ll pour you some tea.” Qi Xu settled him in the living room and ducked into the kitchen. When he returned with tea and handmade snacks, several sheets of paper were already laid out on the coffee table.

Qi Xu set the items down and knelt on the carpet, leaning in curiously. Jiang Yingshen pushed the forms toward him: “Finish these scales first.”

Qi Xu took them and scanned the titles. He realized he didn’t understand them.

SCL-90, BPRS, MMPI, PANSS, PDI

However, looking at the content below, he could guess they were similar to the psychological assessment forms he had done before.

“…” Qi Xu held the forms in front of his face, revealing only his eyes, and peered cautiously at Jiang Yingshen.

So, he really did think he was mentally ill.

Back when he went to see the psychiatrist, he had been eager to be diagnosed through these tests, but now, he was a bit reluctant. These forms would take at least an hour or two to finish. Jiang Yingshen had finally come over; he didn’t want to waste time on this.

Qi Xu leaned in and whispered: “Can I not do them today?”

Jiang Yingshen looked up and said flatly: “If you don’t have time today, I can come back another time.”

Qi Xu choked. That meant if he didn’t do them, Jiang Yingshen would end the meeting right now. He had no choice but to sit back obediently: “I have time. I’ll do them now.”

Qi Xu stared at the forms. Half a minute later, he looked back at Jiang Yingshen. Jiang Yingshen thought he was going to refuse again, but Qi Xu just curved his eyes and tested the waters: “Can I borrow one of your pens?”

“…” Jiang Yingshen almost wanted to laugh. Qi Xu seemed to have a unique obsession with his pens. Without a word, he pulled a signing pen from his bag and handed it over.

Qi Xu took the pen and finally settled down. Seeing him sitting cross-legged on the floor, Jiang Yingshen suggested he do the forms in the study. Qi Xu looked at the tea and snacks and shook his head. If he went to the study, these snacks he worked so hard on would go to waste. He was determined to make Jiang Yingshen taste them.

Thinking this, Qi Xu pushed the cookies toward him: “Senior, try the ‘Marguerites’ I made.”

Jiang Yingshen glanced at the food. He had a vague sense of deja vu.

“I made them specifically for you, Senior.”

Seeing the other person working so hard to promote his baking with eyes full of expectation, Jiang Yingshen took one so Qi Xu would focus on the forms. As soon as he touched it, the rough, dry texture reminded him of the mystery food he had thrown away while feeding cats in the neighborhood.

Jiang Yingshen paused, eyeing the remaining cookies in the dish, comparing them to the ones he had tossed in his memory. Well, relatively speaking, Qi Xu’s skills had improved. At least these looked slightly more acceptable.

While answering the questions, Qi Xu kept glancing at the man beside him. Seeing him take a bite, Qi Xu smiled contentedly. He had practiced many times and believed he had made great progress.

What he didn’t know was that while he was feeling proud, Jiang Yingshen’s chewing motion had frozen, as if he had suffered a shock. After a long while, Jiang Yingshen gave him an unreadable look, silently put down the half-eaten cookie, and picked up the tea.

“…” It seemed “doing well” was just an illusion.

While a patient completes a measurement, a psychologist must constantly observe their behavior and emotions. But the person answering the questions was clearly distracted, sneaking peeks that repeatedly met Jiang Yingshen’s scrutinizing gaze.

Caught in the act, Qi Xu didn’t feel embarrassed; he just smiled beautifully. Instead, it was Jiang Yingshen who couldn’t handle it and looked away.

He aimlessly scanned the layout of Qi Xu’s home and soon noticed a potted plant in the corner of the living room. To be precise, it was in a bucket. It was the Fiddle-leaf Fig that had been broken that day. Qi Xu had used a trash can as a temporary pot, and he hadn’t changed it yet. The black trash bag was even sticking out, looking so casual it seemed like he could throw the whole thing out at any moment. Compared to the original white porcelain pot, the trash can was small and lacked quality.

If a Fiddle-leaf Fig had thoughts, it might prefer being thrown away. As if hearing Jiang Yingshen’s thoughts and agreeing, a leaf fell off right then.

Pop. A very light sound, a silent protest against its owner, but its owner didn’t give it a single glance.

Jiang Yingshen felt like his profile was being stared through and had to look back. Turning his head, he found Qi Xu staring at him again without blinking.

“Finished?” Jiang Yingshen’s tone was a bit cool.

Qi Xu paused. The tone reminded him of a cold-faced, sarcastic teacher from middle school. He felt like the man was about to say: Why are you looking at me? The answers aren’t written on my face.

Qi Xu gripped the pen and lowered his head: “Not yet.”

After that, Qi Xu behaved much better. He didn’t cause any more trouble until he finished all the scales. Jiang Yingshen performed a manual analysis. After a long while, he frowned slightly. It wasn’t because he found a problem; on the contrary, the forms appeared perfectly normal.

Qi Xu knew they wouldn’t show anything. He bit the end of the pen and joked: “Senior, in my case, could I be written into your thesis?”

Immediately after saying it, he dismissed the idea in his head. That probably wouldn’t work. Since he wasn’t actually sick, if Jiang Yingshen really wrote about him, he might never graduate. The research would turn from science to theology.

Jiang Yingshen looked at the forms and said calmly: “If it’s confirmed your hallucinations aren’t caused by other diseases.”

Qi Xu scratched his cheek, unable to tell if the man was joking or serious.

“Have you had a comprehensive check-up to rule out organic lesions?” Jiang Yingshen asked after a while.

Qi Xu thought to himself that there was a lesion (the hemorrhage), but that wasn’t the source of the three voices in his head. He nodded: “Ruled out. No mental illness either.”

“Before the voices appeared, did you feel anything abnormal or experience a shock?”

Qi Xu propped up his chin, recalling: “Those few days… I was very sleepy and dizzy.” Looking back, it was likely the warning sign before his brain stem hemorrhage, but without the System, it wouldn’t have been as simple as dizziness.

Jiang Yingshen asked a few more questions, and Qi Xu answered honestly. Finding no issues, Jiang Yingshen’s frown deepened. He was starting to suspect the “hallucinations” were fake.

“They’re real.” Qi Xu keenly sensed the doubt in his eyes.

Jiang Yingshen was silent for a moment: “…I need to go back and ask my teacher.”

Qi Xu blinked, feeling a hint of frustration in the man’s tone. Perhaps this nonsensical case was bruising the top student’s confidence. He really felt a bit bad for him.

Jiang Yingshen packed his things briskly and looked up: “May I use your restroom?”

Qi Xu was secretly tucking the pen Jiang Yingshen lent him into his pocket. Hearing this, he nervously pointed a direction: “Th-that way is the restroom.”

Jiang Yingshen pretended not to see the little movement and left. While washing his hands, he looked at the layout of the bathroom in the mirror. It was large with many storage racks. On one of them, he noticed a piece of clothing.

A white hoodie. The black pen mark on the sleeve from a long time ago was still there. It was his shirt.

Jiang Yingshen reached out and took the crumpled clothes down. They smelled of a light floral scent, similar to the scent on Qi Xu, but mixed with a faint smell of disinfectant. He walked out of the bathroom with the clean clothes and spoke to Qi Xu in the living room.

“I’m taking my clothes.”

Qi Xu was drinking water and almost choked when he saw the hoodie: “Cough, no!” He rushed over and grabbed a corner of the hoodie, trying to take it back.

Jiang Yingshen didn’t understand. Why was he being refused his own clothes?

Qi Xu realized his reaction was too big and might arouse suspicion. He held the clothes and stammered: “…I haven’t washed them clean yet.”

Jiang Yingshen looked at the clearly laundered shirt.

“The washing machine at home isn’t good. I’ll wash them again for you tomorrow,” Qi Xu explained, seeing his confusion.

Jiang Yingshen: “…” He clearly remembered Qi Xu bragging about how great his washing machine was.

However, seeing how insistent Qi Xu was, Jiang Yingshen didn’t argue and let go. Qi Xu immediately clutched the clothes to his chest and took a step back, terrified the hole in the shirt would be exposed.

Jiang Yingshen couldn’t understand it. He just rested a hand on his hip and let out a speechless sigh.

Several hours had passed. Qi Xu saw it was almost dinner time and wanted to invite him to stay, but was refused. As he saw him out, Qi Xu hesitated before asking: “Could you not tell my sister about my situation for now?”

“I don’t want them to worry.” Most importantly, if they knew he still had hallucinations, they would overreact.

Jiang Yingshen looked at him, his lips pressed into a firm line. He gave no answer. Even as he left, he didn’t say yes or no.

Qi Xu thought he had given silent consent. However, shortly after dinner, his sister drove him to the family hospital. He then realized that Jiang Yingshen’s silence had been a polite refusal.

“Senior, didn’t you say you wouldn’t tell them about my situation?” Qi Xu found a moment to message Jiang Yingshen while being forced to undergo various tests.

This time, the reply was prompt: “When a patient lacks full decision-making capacity, I have an obligation to inform the family.”

Staring at the phrase “lacks full decision-making capacity,” Qi Xu blinked. That meant Jiang Yingshen suspected he was ill and lacked the judgment of a normal person, so he couldn’t keep secrets for him.

Qi Xu: “…” I really shot myself in the foot.