PPS Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Psychological Counseling

“Mr. Gu, you can go to the inner room to rest for a while.”

Mason, sitting on the sofa opposite Chu Zhaoyi, issued an order to Gu Yusen to leave.

Their psychological counseling process should avoid the presence of a third party as much as possible.

Gu Yusen understood this principle and waved to Chu Zhaoyi, “You chat with him for a bit, I’ll be inside.”

Chu Zhaoyi’s gaze lingered on Gu Yusen, and he obediently nodded. Only after Gu Yusen disappeared from his sight did he slowly turn his head.

Mason, witnessing this scene, realized that Gu Yusen seemed to be a rather special presence for his patient.

He didn’t show it on his face, maintaining a gentle smile.

This kind of friendliness seemed to be a special attribute inherent to psychologists, making people around them unconsciously lower their guard.

Even the arrangement of various objects in the yard had a specific purpose.

But all of this wasn’t very effective on Chu Zhaoyi.

After Gu Yusen left, the light of any emotion didn’t flicker in Chu Zhaoyi’s eyes. They were just purely and profoundly dark, as if able to swallow all surrounding light and emotion.

Mason raised an eyebrow.

He knew that today’s treatment wouldn’t have any good results.

As expected, after chatting for ten minutes, Mason couldn’t hold on anymore.

Chu Zhaoyi refused to say a word, and no matter what Mason did, he never opened his mouth. However, Gu Yusen had told him in advance about Chu Zhaoyi’s hearing impairment and that he could understand lip reading.

Indeed, providing psychological counseling to a deaf person was still very abstract.

Mason rubbed his forehead in frustration, thinking of a solution.

“What is your relationship with that Mr. Gu just now?”

Chu Zhaoyi barely reacted upon seeing the shape of Mason’s lips, and a trace of fluctuation flashed in his dark eyes.

However, he still didn’t speak.

Mason waited quietly.

After an unknown amount of time, he finally heard the young man speak softly.

“Brother.”

“He is my brother.”

*

Gu Yusen was a little worried inside. Although he knew worrying was useless, he simply observed the living room.

This place seemed to be Mason’s private residence, looking like someone lived here year-round.

As he checked the time for the tenth time, a slight movement finally came from the yard.

A full hour.

It was the time he had agreed upon with Chu Zhaoyi. In the morning, he threw a tantrum and refused to come out, nor did he want to see the doctor. He had to coax him for a long time before he managed to get him out.

He also said it would only be an hour, and it would be over in an hour.

So punctual.

Upon exiting, Gu Yusen saw the scene in the yard. Chu Zhaoyi was sitting securely on the sofa, his peach blossom eyes sparkling like a puppy waiting for its owner.

Mason’s face was a little dark, with a half-finished House-Tree-Person drawing in front of him.

In the previous second, Chu Zhaoyi had precisely timed it to one hour. He refused to finish the drawing and directly threw the pen aside, staring blankly at himself.

Mason initially didn’t understand, until Chu Zhaoyi impatiently pointed to the clock on the side.

Mason forcefully read his meaning from Chu Zhaoyi’s expression: Time’s up, hurry up, immediately, bring my Sanmu brother over here.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Yusen walked over and touched the young man’s head, seeing the unfinished half-drawing on their table.

What is this thing?

“This is a House-Tree-Person test. It involves having someone draw a scene including a house, trees, and a person, in order to glimpse the expression of the test-taker’s subconscious.”

Mason explained.

“It’s just that Mr. Chu ran out of time before he finished drawing.”

“Chu Zhaoyi, why didn’t you finish?” Gu Yusen looked at his own rebellious child.

“Sanmu brother can’t lie to me, it’s been an hour, oh.” Chu Zhaoyi shook the watch on his hand, and unconcealable smugness was between his eyebrows.

He’s very clever.

Gu Yusen angrily tapped his head. “Then you also have to finish what Mr. Mason asked you to do.”

“No!” Chu Zhaoyi unhappily waved away Gu Yusen’s hand, sulkingly lowering his head, refusing to communicate.

Mason watched Chu Zhaoyi, who had been stingy with words for an hour, saying so much in just three minutes.

Indeed.

Autistic patients have their own knots, and Chu Zhaoyi’s condition has persisted for more than ten years, meaning his mental state has been maintained for nearly ten years.

Even experiencing the deaths of his parents didn’t worsen or even trigger it.

Then, for him, there must be something more important.

More important than parents, even more important than himself.

Mason’s gaze slowly shifted to Gu Yusen.

At this moment, Gu Yusen was leaning his head, trying to get the Chu Zhaoyi who refused to communicate to pay attention to him.

If it was just to help his teacher at the beginning,

Now he was really a little curious.