Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 29 Skin Hunger

Miss Hua raised her eyebrows and came on stage: "Are you serious?"

"It's absolutely true." Lin Zhiqing was very sure.

But Miss Hua frowned: "You sound so young, how could you be exposed to such a strange disease?"

"Could it be that some bastard wants to steal my marriage and is deliberately trying to scare me?"

There was a lot of temptation in her words.

"Miss Hua, what you said is a bit harsh. It's not like all the women in the world revolve around your fiancé." Lu Nanyue couldn't help rolling her eyes.

"Hmph, all the women in Shengjing City are the same." Miss Hua said arrogantly, "I've only been at my grandparents' house for a month, and I don't know how many pretentious women I've met."

Lu Nanyue didn't hear the hidden meaning in Miss Hua's words, but Lin Zhiqing did.

Miss Hua is worried about herself.

So she raised her hand and took off her veil, revealing her beautiful face to everyone.

Miss Hua hadn't expected such a delicate face to be hidden under the veil. She was a little dazed for a moment: "Miss Lin, how do you maintain your beauty?"

She tried to think for a long time but could only come up with this sentence.

Lin Zhiqing smiled lightly: "No matter how much I take care of myself, I can never compare to Miss Hua's natural beauty."

She is well aware of the saying that no matter what age a woman is, it is always right to praise her.

As expected, Miss Hua touched her face and smiled brightly: "Miss Lin's little mouth is so sweet."

Seeing that his "customer" was coaxed into a good mood, Lin Zhiqing got to the point: "Miss Hua, do you usually need someone to accompany you anytime and anywhere?"

The smile on Miss Hua's face gradually disappeared: "That's right, not only do I have to stay by my side, but I can't help holding the maid's hand on weekdays."

"Even..." She seemed to find it difficult to speak, but after seeing Lin Zhiqing's encouraging eyes, she slowly opened her mouth: "Even after dark, I need a maid to accompany me to sleep."

"As long as there is no one around me, I can't control my emotions." She looked sad when she said these words, and was obviously very troubled.

Lin Zhiqing patted her hand at the right moment: "You are indeed sick. This is not your problem. Didn't you also live in Bianliang when you were a child?"

Miss Hua took over and held Lin Zhiqing's hand tightly, finally feeling a little relieved. "I grew up in Bianliang, but my parents were away doing business. I was the only one living in such a huge mansion, and it was really boring."

Lin Zhiqing nodded thoughtfully. "Bianliang has beautiful scenery. Do you know of any fun places nearby?"

Lu Nanyue, who was standing by, crossed her arms, a little confused about Lin Zhiqing's approach. Can chatting cure the disease?
Miss Hua had already been drawn into the topic by Lin Zhiqing: "Although I am from Bianliang, I have been locked up at home since I was a child. My father was afraid that I would be kidnapped by a beggar."

"It's fine if I'm not allowed to go out, but the mansion is full of old maids, and there's no sister like Miss Lin to play with me. It's really boring."

As she spoke, she touched Lin Zhiqing's hand twice.

Lin Zhiqing nodded: "Miss Hua, you not only want to touch the people around you, but you even want to hug them, right?"

"You...how do you know?" Miss Hua's hands froze when her thoughts were revealed.

Lin Zhiqing placed her hand between his and gently rubbed it: "Perhaps, have you heard of skin hunger?"

"Skin hunger?" Miss Hua and Lu Nanyue spoke at the same time, with confusion between their brows.

Lin Zhiqing nodded.

That's right, skin hunger.

It's also known as "tactile deprivation." Don't get me wrong, this condition doesn't mean your skin is dehydrated or dry.

Skin hunger is a typical disease in psychology.

Simply put, skin hunger occurs when there's a gap between the amount of touch people desire—like holding hands or hugging—and the amount of touch they actually receive.

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and has hundreds of nerve endings. When the nerve endings are stimulated, signals are sent to the brain.

Because this disease is so special, many people associate it with "sex", but the two are not related at all.

Just like a hungry stomach growling, skin hunger is the body's way of telling the brain that it's not getting enough touch.

The habit of clamping the quilt or hugging a doll when sleeping, and liking to walk arm in arm with friends are all basic manifestations of "skin hunger syndrome".

Of course, if it is severe skin hunger, the symptoms are much more serious than this basic manifestation.

For example, Miss Hua in front of us suffers from "skin hunger syndrome".

After Lin Zhiqing patiently explained it, Miss Hua and Lu Nanyue nodded, seemingly understanding.

As a doctor, Lu Nanyue was even more sensitive to this aspect: "Zhiqing, why did Miss Hua suffer from skin hunger?"

"Miss Hua's parents have been away from home for many years, leaving her to live and grow up alone. As time went by, she couldn't receive enough affection."

"This kind of emotion is not just positive, it's not negative either. Over time, she will feel her own emotions through touch and satisfy the emotional needs of her brain."

Lin Zhiqing explained the matter clearly in just two sentences.

"You're talking nonsense. I've never heard of anyone getting sick due to lack of companionship since childhood." Miss Hua's eyes were red, but she still expressed some doubt about this statement.

It’s no wonder she reacted like this. After all, the world’s understanding of “being sick” only stays on the physical level.

"Mental illness" is a completely unfamiliar concept to the people here. Some people don't even know they are sick even if they have this disease.

If Lin Zhiqing wants to make money, he must make everyone realize that in addition to physical illness, psychological problems can also occur.

Thinking of this, she said seriously, "Do you think only the body can get sick?"

Miss Hua and Lu Nanyue looked at each other. Although they didn't say anything, their eyes already revealed the meaning of "Isn't it?"

"No." Lin Zhiqing shook his head. "A person's environment and emotions will affect their mental state. Over time, the brain will be overwhelmed."

"For example, some children are born without a love for socializing, and some people often experience drastic changes in their temperament. These are all common mental illnesses."

Hearing this, Lu Nanyue clapped her hands and said, "I remember one thing. Princess Huainan had a little prince a few years ago, but he has never liked to talk since he was a child. He often yells and shouts, which is quite strange."

Autism. Lin Zhiqing quickly reacted: "This child has shut himself off in his own world and doesn't like to communicate with others. This is also a form of mental illness."

"Then how should this disease be treated? It sounds like it can't be treated with medicine." Lu Nanyue pinched her chin and thought seriously.

You can also use medicine, but there is no such medicine in this world.

Lin Zhiqing didn't say what was in his heart. Instead, he thought about it and changed his words to something that everyone could accept: "This disease cannot be cured. If there is someone to accompany and guide you, it can be alleviated."

Lu Nanyue nodded thoughtfully.

But Miss Hua, who was standing by, got anxious when she heard the words "can't be cured." She grabbed Lin Zhiqing's wrist and said, "What about skin thirst? Can't that be cured?"

Lin Zhiqing patted her hand gently: "Don't worry, it can be cured."

(End of this chapter)