The Divorce Lawyer Is Very Hard To Flirt With - Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Dopamine Secretion

Ying Zhi’an felt the evening breeze, her wrist still slightly painful from where it had been restrained.

Her gaze was vacant and distant, her thoughts seemingly drifting into an unknown space, hovering and hesitating there.

After a moment, she finally slowly lowered her head, her fingers lightly touching the phone screen, dialing Song Xidan’s number.

On the other end, the call was answered almost instantly as the phone rang, followed by Song Xidan’s vibrant, enthusiastic voice that seemed to penetrate the phone line: “Sister Zhi’an!” There wasn’t a hint of gloom in her voice, as if the whole scene of the Love Cheat Device taking over using the “Charm Enhancement” function had never happened.

But Ying Zhi’an knew very well that the Love Cheat Device, having spoken so much to Song Moqiu, wouldn’t have left Song Xidan without saying anything.

Ying Zhi’an chose her words carefully. “What are you doing now?”

“Me? I’m studying hard! I swear I must pass the bar exam, stay at the law firm, and stay by your side!” Song Xidan’s voice was so high-pitched it almost pierced the clouds. That determination and passion were like a primary school student making a pledge during a Monday flag-raising ceremony; every word was forceful, loaded with infinite anticipation and resolve for the future.

In reality, this was a somewhat unhealthy state she acquired from her original family. This state was akin to being drunk on cheap liquor, a kind of self-anesthetizing optimism. She selectively ignored the words that made her unhappy or even despair, clinging tightly to every encouragement Ying Zhi’an gave her, like a drowning person grasping at the last straw.

If Ying Zhi’an hadn’t been controlled by the Love Cheat Device and could clearly remember the actual content of her conversation with Song Xidan, with her knowledge of psychology, she would have been able to keenly identify this as a typical state of “learned helplessness.”

This psychological state typically occurs when an individual repeatedly encounters negative events that they cannot control or predict, gradually losing confidence in changing the status quo and forming a negative self-perception.

Although Song Xidan appeared sunny, like a little sun radiating energy, her self-perception was not positive, and she suffered deeply internally. Facing the rejection from Ying Zhi’an while under the control of the Love Cheat Device, she chose to escape reality, unwilling to face failure. Instead, she sought to escape inner pain and loss through intensified effort and ingratiation toward Ying Zhi’an. This behavior pattern was highly concealed due to her long-maintained high-energy exterior, making her underlying vulnerability and helplessness difficult to detect.

And this humble eagerness to please, born from this psychological state, was highly deceptive.

At least for Ying Zhi’an on the other end of the phone, Song Xidan’s state and words reassured her, who was completely unaware of the actual situation. She thought: It seems the Love Cheat Device only urged Song Xidan to study well. That’s not overstepping any bounds.

Coincidentally, this was what she thought herself. Matters of love can wait, but the bar exam only happens once this year. If she could make Song Xidan seriously prepare for the exam, it would be a virtuous deed. So, Ying Zhi’an smiled and said, “Study well. I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay!” Song Xidan’s reply was still enthusiastically cheerful, but the moment she hung up the phone, her smile instantly froze. The lingering smile on her lips contrasted sharply with the look of desolation in her eyes.

In the vast house, she was left alone. Under the desk lamp, she mechanically flipped through bar exam materials, but her heart felt dragged down by an invisible force, slowly sinking, as if she were stepping deeper into a swamp.

“Sister Zhi’an, as long as I can be by your side…”

She murmured, layering chains and locks around her heart, to the extent that she dared not express anything anymore. Expression would lead to failure, would bring about change, and she had to avoid it at all costs.

But humans are animals that feel sadness. She gritted her teeth, reading the book while her heart felt shattered, as if it had fallen into an abyss.

That night, among the three people, Ying Zhi’an was perhaps the one who slept most soundly.

When she woke up the next day, Song Moqiu had already gotten up and left early to avoid awkwardness. When Ying Zhi’an got up, her wrist, which had been restrained last night, was swollen. It took her a while to gently rotate her wrist.

“Song Moqiu must have been frightened, or she wouldn’t have tied me up so tightly,” Ying Zhi’an muttered to herself. The next second, she heard the Love Cheat Device come online.

—That is indeed the case.

Hmph, you have the nerve to show up. Ying Zhi’an sneered, glancing at the time on her phone. “That Charm Enhancement function of yours can only last for 2 hours, right? And then it needs 12 hours of standby time?”

—The user’s summary is precise.

“You appeared out of nowhere, bound me without any regard for human rights, and now you can autonomously control my body. You lightly claim all this is just for falling in love? Are you sure this is your entire purpose? Is it truly as simple as ‘falling in love’? ‘Falling in love’ sounds so innocent and harmless, but is the reality that simple?” Ying Zhi’an had slept well last night, but that didn’t mean she was oblivious to the potential crisis of her current situation. Although her logical thinking was not as sharp as Song Moqiu’s, it was enough for her to perceive the hidden issues behind this system.

The system seemed to have anticipated her questioning and calmly explained: —The activation of the Charm Enhancement function does indeed depend on the user’s dopamine secretion level. When the conditions are met, the system will, based on the preset character profile, exhibit corresponding romantic charm to attract the target, promoting the establishment of an intimate relationship. The function’s duration does not exceed two hours per use, and after the system’s capacity is exhausted upon activation, it requires 12 hours to recover. All this is solely to help the user start a relationship more smoothly, with no other malicious intent.

It then emphasized: —Please trust, the system’s existence is only to help the user have a better romantic relationship, with no other purpose.

“Your kneeling posture is smooth, but honesty does not imply a simple purpose. Perhaps, honesty itself is a strategy you employ to achieve your goal.” Ying Zhi’an was not convinced. Instead, she posed another question as a test. “Then tell me, once I start a relationship, will you completely disappear from my consciousness?”

The system gave an affirmative reply: —Yes. As soon as the user enters a state of romantic relationship, the system will automatically unbind and exit the user’s consciousness space.

A playful smile curved on Ying Zhi’an’s lips. “Oh? If that’s the case, then I can start a relationship today. However, I have one condition—I don’t plan to date the ‘destined person’ you arranged. You have no objection to that, right?”

She lightly moved the fingers wrapped with the red thread. The thread still extended outward as usual, as if alive. Ying Zhi’an didn’t even need to call Song Moqiu; just by looking at the thread’s direction, she knew Song Moqiu must be eating breakfast in the cafeteria right now.

—The destined person is the scientific love…

“Love is fundamentally not a science. It’s without reason, illogical, not serious, and sometimes absurd! Furthermore, you claim that the Charm Enhancement function was activated because my dopamine secretion level was high. If I remember correctly, that was because of Song Xidan.”

Ying Zhi’an recalled her feelings for Song Xidan. Although this emotion was not yet surging, it was indeed different, causing Ying Zhi’an to experience unprecedented emotional fluctuations when facing Song Xidan.

In front of others, she could virtually ignore gender, viewing everyone as the same—human beings—whose existence might evoke sympathy or other emotional resonance, but never a strong sense of possessiveness or suffocation. However, Song Xidan was an exception. Whether it was pity or fluster, these emotions felt unusually strong and intense within Ying Zhi’an.

This kind of relationship was both dangerous and uncontrolled. It challenged Ying Zhi’an’s usual rationality and calmness, but at the same time, it brought an indescribable excitement. This sense of danger brought by the unknown, and the beauty that transcended control, made Ying Zhi’an both uneasy and inexplicably thrilled.

She knew she was standing at a brand new starting point, ready to step into a new world woven by the unknown and adventure.

It’s truly interesting!