The Person I Love Who Has Been Missing For Three Years - Chapter 52

Chapter 52: It’s Beating, That’s Good (3k words collected…)

During the second therapy session, Wu Qingyi could clearly sense that the two people in front of her seemed much closer.

When they sat down, the two naturally settled side-by-side.

The servant served tea, then bowed and withdrew. It was Wu Qingyi’s favorite Mingqian Longjing, its fragrant steam drifting through the air.

This CEO Ming truly cared for Ms. Song; not only did she pay her a high price, but she also thoughtfully prepared everything Wu Qingyi liked.

“Ms. Song, let’s talk. What has happened recently?” The customary opening was more like a casual chat between friends than a doctor’s consultation.

Recent events, of course, revolved around… the first public performance…

Wu Qingyi listened attentively. Her gentle, watery eyes seemed to speak volumes, and the soft smile on her cheek made one feel instantly at ease.

Song Xiangwan’s heart relaxed, and as she talked about her friends and the performance, she naturally mentioned Su Chenxing.

Hearing the story behind the ripped dress, Ming Jin’s eyes darkened, but she didn’t interrupt.

At that moment, Wu Qingyi said, “CEO Ming, perhaps you should step out this time.”

“Alright, thank you, Dr. Wu.” Ming Jin didn’t hesitate for long. She never hesitated when it came to things that were good for Song Xiangwan.

Once only the two of them remained in the small tea room, Wu Qingyi raised her wrist. The jade bracelet on her wrist jingled slightly. She poured a fresh cup of tea and handed it to Song Xiangwan.

She said softly, “Ms. Song, you are afraid of loss.”

“Am I right?” Her tone was calm, like a friendly chat, but it landed like a heavy hammer on Song Xiangwan’s heart.

Song Xiangwan’s phoenix eyes seemed to tremble slightly. She looked at Wu Qingyi without speaking.

She felt like this person was a sorceress, who had exposed everything about her with just one sentence.

“The first time, I kept CEO Ming to observe your interaction and your attitude towards the past.”

“Regarding the past, you have regret, tenderness, and longing, but no fear, no hatred.”

“As you said, your past hatred has been completely eroded by the waxing and waning of your emotions. You have no hatred for her.”

“This time, I was going to send CEO Ming out to hear you talk about your love.”

“But, you evaded the topic…”

Wu Qingyi said slowly, “Have a sip of tea. Don’t be nervous. Hot tea can help you relax.”

“CEO Ming is not here. No one will know what we discussed. Trust my professional ethics. You can treat me like a listening ear.”

The tea in the cup was slightly scalding. As it rolled down her tongue, she could feel the heat slowly flowing down from her mouth.

Song Xiangwan remained silent, sipping slowly. Wu Qingyi didn’t rush her, simply raising her hand to refill Song Xiangwan’s cup.

Song Xiangwan’s mind was in turmoil. About ten minutes later, she finally managed to compose herself.

“I don’t know either…” Her tone was faint.

“I keep having nightmares, but I dare not speak the content of these nightmares, and I don’t know how to cope with them.”

“When she asks, I only say I woke up startled and can’t remember.”

“Then… what kind of nightmare is it?” Wu Qingyi softened her tone, gentle as the wind, without any aggression, just guidance.

“A car accident…” Song Xiangwan paused, whispering, “It’s strange. I’ve never been in a car accident.”

From childhood to adulthood, she had never experienced one, not even a slight fender bender.

“Are the scenes you dream about like those in movies?” Wu Qingyi asked with a smile. “If you haven’t experienced it firsthand, it must be from imagination.”

“I think so…”

Song Xiangwan frowned, considering carefully, and slowly said, “It is.”

Like in a movie: cars flipped over, violent and exaggerated collisions, deafening sounds that could rupture eardrums, and pools of thick blood.

“They are all things of the past. Why can’t you let them go?” Wu Qingyi asked.

Ripples spread across the tea water. Wu Qingyi said slowly, “Because of regret that you didn’t experience it.”

“Because of worry that such a thing will happen again.”

Song Xiangwan’s lips moved slightly. She was silent, the terror flashing across her eyes, but she didn’t speak.

Wu Qingyi could tell that Song Xiangwan was burdened by many things. Just now, in front of Ming Jin, she had completely avoided them.

This might be a good time to pry open a crack.

But she wasn’t in a hurry. Psychologists were always patient. Slowly but surely, she would find the right moment.

She had handled many cases, especially those who completely broke down after the death of a loved one. There were many, many such cases.

But Song Xiangwan was different from them. She was a dangerously dilapidated building, on the verge of collapse, yet held upright by a single breath, maintaining her original appearance.

“Do you think you can accept…” Wu Qingyi said softly, “all outcomes?”

“No…” Song Xiangwan instinctively spoke out, unable to control herself, tears instantly rolling down her cheeks.

She was crying. Wu Qingyi didn’t try to stop her, simply handed her a tissue and watched her quietly.

“I’m sorry…” Song Xiangwan wiped her tears with the tissue, took a deep breath, and suppressed her emotions. “I’m sorry, I lost control.”

“Why don’t you allow yourself to lose control?” Wu Qingyi said slowly.

“You always seem to forbid yourself from losing control, from expressing your breakdown. You are constantly suppressing yourself.”

“Clearly, you could vent, you could show your breakdown.”

“I…” Song Xiangwan fell silent. She didn’t know if she could, if she should, or if she wanted to. Her mind was a mess.

“I feel you are very lonely.” Wu Qingyi’s eyes gazed at Song Xiangwan, gentle and firm.

“You seem to have many people around you, but you’ve never tried to completely give yourself away. Your heart is very lonely.”

Song Xiangwan couldn’t speak, tears relentlessly streaming down her face, unstoppable even with wiping.

She didn’t know. Her heart was in utter chaos.

But these were things she had indeed never discussed with anyone.

Her friends or family didn’t know her story. She habitually hid things and forced herself to appear bright and confident.

“Can’t you, or do you not want to?” Wu Qingyi wasn’t aggressive, but gently asked.

“I don’t want to, I guess…” Song Xiangwan sighed, giving her answer.

“But I feel like I also can’t,” Song Xiangwan whispered.

“Who can I tell? Mom doesn’t understand anything. Sister Cao and Cheng Cheng… they are just my professional partners, aren’t they?”

“What about CEO Ming?” Wu Qingyi asked. “Isn’t she your strongest support?”

“I…” Song Xiangwan said softly, “I’m afraid I’ll hurt her, that I’ll dredge up her pain.”

The mere thought was excruciatingly painful. How much pain Ming Jin must have endured then, she didn’t dare to imagine.

She was afraid of loss. Wasn’t Ming Jin afraid of death? She couldn’t, she couldn’t let her emotions affect Ming Jin.

“Do you really think it would hurt her? Perhaps she is braver than you imagine.” Wu Qingyi said slowly.

“…” Song Xiangwan’s silence lasted for a long time. She finally whispered, “I don’t know.”

“It’s alright. At least, we are friends now,” Wu Qingyi said lightly, breaking the strained tension. “In the future, you can talk to me more.”

“Okay.” Song Xiangwan didn’t hesitate this time, nodding directly.

Trust had been established.

Wu Qingyi had a rough judgment: high pressure and imagined post-traumatic stress had plunged Song Xiangwan into an intense state of anxiety.

She couldn’t resolve her inner emotions, yet she didn’t allow herself to express them. This internal conflict was leading to an ultimate emotional collapse.

In a way, it wasn’t difficult to treat.

Cry a few times, let it out, and then gradually strengthen her inner resilience.

The two hours seemed to pass in an instant. Song Xiangwan felt a sense of emptiness, as if she had figured something out, yet hadn’t.

Wu Qingyi hadn’t forced her into any choice, but she had instantly dissected the deepest contradiction within her heart.

She said, Don’t rush. I’ll be your friend. We’ll talk, slowly.

Slowly. There is still time… Song Xiangwan took a deep breath, feeling an endless fatigue washing over her…

Xu Zhiyan personally saw Wu Qingyi out. They walked side-by-side along the stone path. The summer heat beat down in the midday sun.

A breeze lifted Wu Qingyi’s emerald-green skirt. The lace brushed lightly against Xu Zhiyan’s leg, floating gently by, carrying the faint scent of sandalwood on her.

“I’ll see you off here,” Wu Qingyi stopped walking.

Xu Zhiyan seemed unsettled, glancing back. There was no one at the front door on the first floor, and no one at the windows on the second floor.

Just as she was about to speak, she heard Wu Qingyi say, “Don’t worry too much. Although CEO Ming has self-destructive tendencies, she hasn’t acted on them.”

“If you were to let her directly face me for treatment, she likely wouldn’t accept it.”

“You…” Xu Zhiyan was stunned. “How did you know what I was going to say?”

“Do psychologists really have the ability to read minds?” Xu Zhiyan felt captivated by the gentle gaze, which held a mysterious abyss that swirled and devoured.

Wu Qingyi didn’t look away. Instead, she took a step closer, simply gazing at Xu Zhiyan, a slight curve on her lips.

The midday sun rested on her long eyelashes, casting small shadows beneath her eyelids. Her smile was confident, elegant, and inscrutably mysterious.

Xu Zhiyan felt her breath hold. Then she heard a light laugh: “No, are you taking me for a witch?”

“The human heart is very complex,” Wu Qingyi gently pressed her fingertips against the bracelet on her wrist, rubbing it. “It’s not that simple to see through.”

“But if CEO Xu is interested, I could privately teach you a few things…” Wu Qingyi said slowly.

“What are you two doing?” A slightly heavy voice instantly broke the atmosphere of their staring match.

Lin Rong walked in from outside, her stiletto heels clicking softly on the stone path. A veiled storm raged in her deep eyes.

She walked closer, stopped, grabbed Xu Zhiyan’s arm, pulled her backward, and stared at Wu Qingyi with a chilly expression.

“Lin Rong…” Xu Zhiyan protested, annoyed. How could she be so rude to a guest?

“Shut up.” Lin Rong’s voice immediately cut off Xu Zhiyan.

Xu Zhiyan was startled by the sudden oppressive feeling. Her breath caught. She wanted to step back, but Lin Rong’s grip on her arm was tight.

“Nothing at all, just a chat between friends.” Wu Qingyi raised her hand, giving an elegant wave, and walked past them. “Goodbye, I’ll see myself out.”

“Thank you, Dr. Wu…” Before Xu Zhiyan could finish her sentence, she was yanked inside.

Wu Qingyi, who had already walked a few steps away, suddenly called out: “Dr. Lin, remember to take your medication on time.”

“Medication? What medication?” Xu Zhiyan was being dragged forward and asked, “Mental illness medication? Lin Rong, you’re not actually mentally ill, are you—”

“Oof…” She was abruptly flung, her back hitting the iron gate. She was pinned against the wall in the entryway, trapped in the small, triangular space, unable to move.

Wearing high heels, this woman was a head taller than her. She looked down at Xu Zhiyan like a fierce tiger staring at its prey.

“What did you say to her?”

“Why were you so close to her? What were you trying to do?”

“Do you like her?”

“Did you schedule a private meeting next time?”

Lin Rong’s voice was aggressive. Her fingers pressed into Xu Zhiyan’s forearm, slowly tightening. The distance between them instantly closed.

Xu Zhiyan smelled the strong floral perfume on her, which enveloped her, making her feel breathless.

“Are you crazy…?” Xu Zhiyan struggled hard, but couldn’t break free. This woman’s strength was startling.

“I am.” Lin Rong said in a deep voice, her predatory eyes staring intently. “I am. What are you going to do about it? Stay away from me? Is that it, Xu Zhiyan?”

“You…” Xu Zhiyan wanted to refute, but she met the turbulent undercurrent in those eyes.

Her brow was tightly furrowed. Her breathing became rapid and shallow. Slowly, faint traces of bloodshot veins crawled into her dark eyes, and a blue vein stood out on her forehead.

Something’s wrong. This person isn’t right.

She could feel Lin Rong’s entire body trembling slightly.

It was an aggressive posture, yet she was uncontrollably shaking, as if suppressing something, enduring something.

The craziness in her eyes struggled and roared, then heavily subsided, and she let go.

Xu Zhiyan stumbled, regained her balance, and the door was pushed open from inside.

Sister Qiu looked surprised: “Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you two were…”

Lin Rong pulled the door open with one hand, strode quickly past the two of them, not even bothering to change her shoes. Her steps were urgent and fast as she returned to her own room.

Inside the door, Lin Rong leaned against it, hearing the knock from outside and feeling her own heartbeat.

Her throat felt completely constricted, the feeling of near-death from lack of air, like a fish tossed onto a desert.

Breathing heavily, she staggered to the desk, pulled out her medical kit, and opened the bottom compartment.

A syringe, a sedative… Her hand was shaking. She finally managed to draw the medicine into the syringe, then injected it into a vein in her forearm.

Slumping onto the floor, she felt the near-death sensation slowly subside. She looked down at her hand, which was shaking violently and uncontrollably.

After a moment of thought, she dashed out to find Sister Qiu for a spare key.

Finally getting it, she rushed back upstairs. She aligned the key multiple times before finally inserting it. Before she could turn it, she heard a click, and the door opened from the inside.

Due to inertia, Xu Zhiyan took a step forward, nearly plunging headfirst into Lin Rong’s arms.

There was un-dried sweat on her neck and forehead, but her arched eyebrows looked lazy and casual. She leaned one hand against the doorframe and said lightly, “What do you want with me? Throwing yourself into my arms?”

“Crazy woman,” Xu Zhiyan scoffed, looking her up and down. “You didn’t die, did you?”

“I’m perfectly fine, no need for your concern.” Lin Rong reached out to close the door, but Xu Zhiyan blocked it with her hand. “Are you really okay?”

“I’m fine.” Lin Rong used some force and closed the door.

Feeling something was off, Xu Zhiyan kicked the door: “Hey, dinner time.”

“Not hungry, won’t eat. I want to sleep.” Lin Rong’s voice came from inside.

Doesn’t appreciate kindness. Just starve then.

Xu Zhiyan angrily returned the spare key to Sister Qiu, adding, “Have the kitchen prepare some food for her this afternoon, just in case. Don’t let her starve.”

Her forearm was still burning. The area where Lin Rong had gripped her still felt warm, with circles of red marks.

What a terrible woman, she’s so strong.

Xu Zhiyan returned to her bedroom, chose a long-sleeved shirt, and changed.

After lunch, Xu Zhiyan rushed off to the company. Song Xiangwan, feeling a little listless, lay down next to Ming Jin and quickly fell asleep.

Ming Jin’s eyes slowly opened. She got out of bed, quietly opened the door, and wheeled herself out.

Upstairs in the study, she turned on the computer, entered the administrator password, and accessed the villa’s security and surveillance system.

Her fingers hesitated for a moment, then clicked. The footage rewound until the moment Song Xiangwan and Wu Qingyi appeared.

If Wu Qingyi wouldn’t talk, she would watch for herself.

The villa’s surveillance was almost complete, and it had a recording system.

She was uneasy, wanting to know what exactly was tormenting Song Xiangwan.

Song Xiangwan’s nap wasn’t long. Semi-conscious, she felt Ming Jin still lying beside her. In her drowsy state, she instinctively snuggled closer to Ming Jin.

She rested obediently on Ming Jin’s shoulder, leaning her head close, affectionately and naturally dependent.

Coming to her senses, she looked up at Ming Jin: “You’ve been awake for a while, haven’t you?”

“Mhm.” A cool finger reached out, straightening the hair by Song Xiangwan’s temple, gently stroking her cheek. “You can sleep a little longer if you’re tired.”

“I’m not tired,” Song Xiangwan mumbled, looking up to kiss Ming Jin’s jaw, sniffing gently like a cat.

Ming Jin looked down and slightly inclined her head, kissing Song Xiangwan’s lips.

Lips met. The kitten slightly parted her mouth, gently pressing her teeth against Ming Jin’s cool lips, licking with her tongue like a cat drinking water.

Ming Jin lifted a hand to cradle Song Xiangwan’s waist. Her lips were parted by Song Xiangwan, who suddenly sucked, and her palm stroked Song Xiangwan’s waist.

“Mmm…” Song Xiangwan let out a faint, contented sigh from the kiss, like the purring of a satisfied kitten. “Mmm… mhm…”

It was intoxicating. The hand on her waist slipped downward, sliding onto her soft buttocks, lightly patting her.

“Ooh…” The kitten gave a disgruntled moan, but still offered her tongue, continuing the lingering kiss.

Her exquisite curves were almost entirely exposed, pressing fully against Ming Jin’s body, yet not putting her weight down, simply brushing against her like silk, smooth and comforting.

Fully awake now, Song Xiangwan leaned on Ming Jin’s shoulder and took a deep breath: “You smell so good.”

For some reason, she just found Ming Jin incredibly fragrant.

She desperately wanted to burrow into her arms and sniff her, wanted to bite her gently, wanted to kiss her all over.

A cat’s physiological affection for a human.

“Do you want to practice dancing this afternoon?” Ming Jin’s fingers ran over her head, stroking her repeatedly, as if smoothing the fur of a cooperative cat.

“No practice,” Song Xiangwan draped her hand over Ming Jin’s abdomen, unknowingly lifting the shirt and reaching inside.

She was discovered. Her wandering paw was caught and pushed down: “Don’t mess around.”

“Why not?” The kitten protested, her eyes shining as she stared at Ming Jin. “Aren’t you mine?”

“Tell me, are you mine?” She pretended to be fierce, leaning closer, pressing her nose against Ming Jin’s.

The soft, fluffy kitten let out a gentle growl, completely lacking in menace or aggression.

A cool hand slipped down from her waist, landing on the small of her back, gripping and pulling the cat into her embrace.

What if she landed hard, right on my back? How would I cope? That force… I can’t take it.

A heavy pressure bore down. Ming Jin’s brows furrowed slightly, but she didn’t say anything, only pressing her fingers and whispering: “Just lie down for a while… just like this…”

Her tone was a little profound. Her fingertips lingered on Song Xiangwan’s waist, sliding under the fabric, their skin touching.

But she didn’t go further, only staying there, gently feeling the softness in her palm.

“Are you…” Song Xiangwan’s voice was filled with worry.

“I’m fine.” Ming Jin lightly rubbed her chin on Song Xiangwan’s head. “Don’t move. Just like this.”

Just like this, holding her cat close. Although she felt a slight, dull ache, she cherished the feeling of having Song Xiangwan completely pressed against her.

The kitten nestled against her, drawing warmth.

The afternoon sun was hot but didn’t penetrate the curtains. The room was dim. Song Xiangwan gently closed her eyes, listening to Ming Jin’s heartbeat.

A feeling of peace.

It’s beating, that’s good.