Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 235 The Final Link

Nan Zhuren smiled at the security guard in front of him.

The sunlight shone on his face, and for a moment it was hard to say whether the sunlight warmed his smile or his smile warmed the sunlight.

Unfortunately, this sunny scene didn't serve its intended purpose, because the security guard in front of Nan Zhuren wasn't a female security guard.

Fortunately, although the person in front of me was a male security guard, he was already over forty years old, an age at which he wouldn't feel hostility towards a young man with an outstanding appearance.

As you get older and your strength begins to wane, your mindset gradually becomes more peaceful, and there's no need to compete fiercely in such places anymore.

Some middle-aged men even become more amiable because of this. Under the influence of some kind of cognitive distortion that science has failed to explore, they see a resemblance to their younger selves in Nan Zhuren's face, and thus become kind and gentle.

pity.

"Beep—beep, beep, beep, beep..."

The phone number used to contact the homeowner was hung up on for the third time after being answered, clearly indicating harassment. Even though the security guard trusted Nan Zhuren implicitly, he couldn't help but start looking Nan Zhuren up and down with suspicion.

"Young man, are you really here to visit a friend?"

Nan Zhuren didn't speak, but just smiled and nodded.

He is currently at the entrance of a residential complex.

Behind the security guard, a three-meter-high iron gate stood in front of the community. Through the gaps between the metal walls, one could vaguely see the tall apartment buildings inside, as well as the lush greenery between them.

From the outside, it's clearly a mid-to-high-end residential area. Therefore, if Nan Zhuren doesn't persuade the security guard, he definitely won't be able to meet his "friend" inside.

"Please call again," Nan Zhuren said with a smile, his voice deep, steady, and gentle. "Third time's the charm. You should be able to get through on the second try."

The security guard muttered to himself, and speculation began to form in his mind. With his age and work experience, he had seen many similar, or even more absurd, situations.

He wouldn't have been this patient normally. But perhaps he genuinely felt the young man in front of him didn't seem like a bad person, so he dialed the number he usually used to contact homeowners again.

"Beep-beep-"

"—Click." The call connected.

"Hello? Hello." The security guard was very careful not to reveal the homeowner's personal information on the phone, not even just his surname. "There's a young man named Nan Zhuren at the gate. He said he made an appointment to visit you in advance. I don't know if you know him."

The security guard was very polite, which indicated that the person on the other end of the phone was not just an ordinary wealthy homeowner, but a respectable person with a certain social standing.

Nan Zhuren maintained her smile.

After exchanging a few more words with the person on the other end of the phone, the security guard finally nodded, then breathed a sigh of relief and pressed the button for Nan Zhuren to open the automatic door.

Following the information he had received, Nan Zhuren went deep into the residential area, found the building, and then went up the elevator to find the address of his target.

"Knock knock knock—" Knock on the door.

This time, the other party responded quickly and did not make things difficult again. The combination lock was opened with a "beep".

Upon seeing Nan Zhuren, the person inside immediately asked, "How did you know my phone number and address?"

Nan Zhuren maintained his smile and answered the question first: "I contacted Chen Jie's classmates, and they hope I can help you."

Only then did he begin to offer a formal greeting: "Long time no see, Dr. Chen."

……

Chen Jie's father stood behind the door, scrutinizing Nan Zhuren with a wary look.

Although it really is "long time no see".

But their last meeting was far from pleasant. At least it wasn't the kind of meeting where they could look forward to seeing each other again.

However, perhaps because he felt a little guilty towards Nan Zhuren after his sudden attack last time, he actually accepted Nan Zhuren's invitation to meet when Nan Zhuren contacted him by phone beforehand.

Of course, the meeting was also tense.

As if oblivious to the atmosphere, Nan Zhuren looked around the room and asked, "Where is your spouse?"

Dr. Chen replied, "She went to stay at her parents' house and isn't here today."

Nan Zhuren smiled, easily understanding the intention behind Dr. Chen's action.

"You thought that my visit might lead to a conflict, so you sent your wife away out of a sense of duty to protect her?"

Without needing to analyze particularly subtle facial expressions, Nan Zhuren knew he was right.

"But under these circumstances, you still chose to meet with me—what was your mindset?"

Dr. Chen did not react much to Nan Zhuren's question.

Instead of directly answering Nan Zhuren's question, she changed the subject: "Are you still doing psychological counseling?"

Nan Zhuren raised an eyebrow, not minding that Dr. Chen had ignored his question, and instead answered it in a somewhat accommodating manner:

“My consulting firm is preparing to transform into a relationship counseling firm, and I’m preparing to resign—in a sense, I’m no longer a therapist.”

Nan Zhuren didn't mention her work at the Jiangda Consultation Center. After all, considering her upcoming conversation with Dr. Chen, it was best not to go into such detail about confrontational topics.

Dr. Chen seemed satisfied, and his whole body felt a moment of relaxation.

“You seem quite worried about me continuing to work as a psychotherapist,” Nan Zhuren said.

Dr. Chen sneered: "Didn't you see my reaction last time?"

Nan Zhuren said thoughtfully, "And your purpose in doing this is to prevent me from creating another victim like your daughter—in other words, to prevent the tragedy of Chen Jie from happening again."

This sentence contained too many keywords, which immediately made Dr. Chen's face turn cold.

“I didn’t want to talk to you much. But I was curious why you came today, so I let the security guard let you in.” Dr. Chen’s voice was stiff. “But after seeing you, I regretted it a little.”

Nan Zhuren nodded in understanding: "Thoughts and physiological reactions are not always in sync. I understand that I may cause you physical discomfort—in that case, I'll keep it short."

“Strictly speaking, what I am doing now has the same purpose as yours. I also hope to prevent the tragedy of Chen Jie from happening again.”

When his daughter's name was mentioned again, Dr. Chen frowned deeply.

He was about to say something when he saw Nan Zhuren make a move.

"What is this... um?"

For ease of reading, Nan Zhuren printed out the photos.

The words on it also firmly caught Dr. Chen's attention.

As a father, he saw his daughter's name immediately;

Then, as a doctor, he subconsciously examined the list of medication names and dosages written after his daughter's name.

It was visibly that Dr. Chen's breathing began to quicken.

　It's back-to-school season, so things are pretty hectic and chaotic... Today's second chapter will be a little late again...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)