ASSHKHME Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Occupational Hazard

Amidst the light and soothing piano music, Xu Qingyou set down his coffee cup, creating a faint “click” on the table.

He leaned back slightly in his chair, calmly looking at Ling Xu.

He showed none of the reaction one would expect from someone being confessed to, more like he was repeatedly weighing and scrutinizing the situation on a negotiation table.

“Doctor Ling, if I haven’t misunderstood, are you saying you like me?”

Ling Xu met his gaze frankly, picking up his coffee and taking a sip, “Yes.”

Xu Qingyou chuckled, as if mocking himself, “What do you like about me? Do you like the misery of my loving someone I can never have? Do you like my struggling pathetically in a fruitless relationship? Or do you like my cowardice and weakness?”

His tone gradually turned cold, “If today’s conversation isn’t one of your therapy techniques, does Doctor Ling perhaps have some unsavory proclivities? Physician, heal thyself. Doctor Ling should make some time to see a psychologist too.”

Xu Qingyou’s reaction was within Ling Xu’s expectations.

Through their weekly conversations over the past four months, he had discovered that while Xu Qingyou was accomplished in his work and handled interpersonal relationships with grace and ease, he was as clumsy as a child when it came to matters of the heart.

Ling Xu wasn’t offended or annoyed, smiling lightly, “As an observer, falling for someone who is deeply in love with another, thank you for not directly calling me a pervert. However, I don’t agree with your assessment of yourself in this unrequited love.”

Xu Qingyou didn’t reply, quietly waiting for Ling Xu to continue.

Ling Xu opened his hand to catch the dancing specks of light falling on the table.

He lowered his eyes, looking at the sunlight in his palm, his voice gentle, “You see, even though the sun isn’t directly shining on me, its light still brings beauty to me.”

“It’s like Mr. Xu’s feelings for him. Even if you don’t receive the same reciprocation, as the listener, I am still moved by it.”

“In my eyes, you are not miserable, pathetic, or cowardly. Instead, you are like a gently flowing stream, restrained and tender.”

Xu Qingyou lightly tapped the table with his fingertip. He enjoyed listening to Ling Xu speak; Ling Xu could always find the beauty on the other side by exploring from a different angle.

But he still reminded him without mercy, “Doctor Ling, to be blunt, the emotions you’re moved by are all emotions I give to Xiaozhuo. What you call falling in love with me is falling in love with me, who deeply loves Xiaozhuo.”

Ling Xu didn’t even think, nodding his head, “Yes.”

Xu Qingyou once again broke through his understanding of humanity, sincerely asking, “Do you psychologists have scrambled brains because you face too many patients? You told me to try to start a new life, right? I did listen to your advice and tried to let go of my feelings for Xiaozhuo. Your so-called love can disappear too.”

“Hearing too many stories does indeed affect one’s state of mind, but my mental health is very sound.”

Ling Xu smiled, lightly raising his eyebrows, “Congratulations on trying to move on. However, I still have to remind you of one thing: your feelings for him are just the medium that sparked my interest in you. The final focus is still on you as a person.”

Xu Qingyou really couldn’t understand the “new human” in front of him, directly rejecting, “Doctor Ling, I don’t have any plans to start a new relationship. Don’t waste your time on me.”

A smile appeared in Ling Xu’s eyes, “I’m sorry, Mr. Xu, did I put you under pressure? I’m merely informing you of the reason for ending the psychological counseling. There’s no other meaning.”

Xu Qingyou wasn’t sure if all psychologists were so “obsessed,” talking to him like they were doing Tai Chi, ultimately leading him along their train of thought, “…Okay, since you have no other meaning, that’s good. Goodbye.”

He picked up his coat and stood up. Ling Xu also stood up, extending his hand towards him, “Mr. Xu, I hope we can be friends.”

Xu Qingyou lowered his eyes, looking at his hand, “Our employment relationship has ended. You are no longer my psychologist. It’s better if we forget each other in the world.”

Ling Xu withdrew his hand knowingly, thoughtfully saying, “Resisting forming new interpersonal relationships with others, avoiding things related to emotions, stubbornly guarding oneself in one’s own world, isn’t really wanting to move on from that relationship, but a form of self-deception…”

Xu Qingyou took two steps forward, then retreated, finally unable to bear it anymore, “Doctor Ling, don’t use your profession to define my behavior anymore. You are no longer my psychologist.”

Ling Xu smiled gently, “Sorry, occupational hazard. Do you have time this weekend?”

Xu Qingyou subconsciously wanted to refuse, but when the words reached his lips, he remembered Ling Xu’s words just now, so he said, “…Yes.”

Ling Xu nodded, then said, “Good, I’ll make an appointment with you then.”

Xu Qingyou’s brow furrowed slightly. He felt like he had been tricked, but it wasn’t good to continue refuting him to his face, so he said softly, “I still have work to do. I’ll be leaving first.”

Ling Xu stepped aside slightly, “Okay, goodbye, Mr. Xu.”

Xu Qingyou strode away.

Ling Xu sat down again, taking out a tissue to wipe the sweat from his palm caused by nervousness, and drank the cooled coffee in one gulp.

He looked at Xu Qingyou’s back through the glass, sighing.

To resort to any means to pursue someone, Ling Xu, you’ve come to this today.

At thirty-one years old, not a young man in his twenties anymore, this is really too undignified.

Ling Xu rubbed his brow, picked up his phone to pay at the front desk, but was told that the gentleman who was with him had already paid.

The phone made a “ding” sound, Xu Qingyou picked up his phone and looked at it.

Ling Xu (Psychologist): [Thank you for the coffee. I’ll treat you to dinner this weekend.]

—

Inside a detention center somewhere in Jiangbei.

Sun Yaozong, wearing handcuffs, was brought to the visiting room by a police officer. His lawyer was waiting.

Sun Yaozong sat down casually, completely without the sense of crisis of impending disaster, impatiently looking at the lawyer, annoyed, “What’s the situation? I’ve been here for days? Hurry up and get me out! My dad hired you to eat dry rice? I’m almost suffocated, can you handle things faster!”

The lawyer pushed up his glasses, crossing his hands on the table, and said, “Second Young Master, Sun Dong wants you to be quiet and reflect on yourself inside.”

Sun Yaozong’s expression suddenly changed, his emotions out of control, “What did you say? What does my dad mean? Is he senile? Does he want me to sit in jail?!”

The lawyer’s expression remained unchanged, “Our group’s recent market is sluggish, and you have offended both the Xu family and the Xie family at the same time. Under pressure from both sides, Sun Dong has no choice.”

Sun Yaozong “ah”ed in confusion, “What? How is the Xu family involved? Wait, ah? That Taifeng? What does it have to do with them??”

The lawyer said, “The student you threatened and took away is Xu Zong’s younger brother.”

“Fuck? Isn’t that guy surnamed Chen?” Sun Yaozong realized that something was terribly wrong, anxiously saying, “My dad can’t abandon his own son for the sake of the company, right? What do the Xie family and the Xu family matter?! Find my uncle to help! My uncle can handle it! He…”

The lawyer interrupted him, continuing, “Sun Dong also said that if you dare to mention Vice Director Sun’s name everywhere again, the Sun family will kick you out of the house.”

After speaking, he raised his hand to signal to the police officer that the meeting was over.

Sun Yaozong was stunned, not expecting to really be abandoned.

The police officer pulled Sun Yaozong up, who wailed, “Lawyer Zhang! I know I was wrong! You tell my dad, I really know I was wrong! I will definitely reflect properly at home! Get me out of here! Lawyer Zhang! I was wrong, ah ah ah ah ah ah…”