“Xiao Ran, let’s begin today’s Psychological Consultation.”
Gu Ge pressed one hand against Jiang Ran’s wrist, hardly giving her any time to think or refuse.
Feeling the warmth radiating from her skin, Gu Ge’s tone became significantly softer.
Jiang Ran stared dazed at the clock on the water dispenser, her eyes a bit unfocused.
Only then did she remember they were there for a Psychological Consultation.
“Okay…”
“Then, for the first question, Xiao Ran, how is your social life? Have you been dating any boys lately?”
Gu Ge asked the same question from last time.
Jiang Ran shook her head dully.
“No, I just want to be alone.”
“Why do you insist on being alone? It’s okay to make more friends of the same gender. I’m here to help you, and you can tell me about any difficulties you’re facing. Besides… we’re not exactly strangers.”
Jiang Ran shook her head.
“I don’t have any problems. I just like what I like. It’s not that I don’t want to make friends; I just simply enjoy living alone and not being disturbed.”
Gu Ge held her pen tightly as she scribbled on the Problem Report.
There were many key issues specified by the School, so she checked off a few appropriate ones and continued.
“Then, Jiang Ran, do you have any hobbies? For example, have you joined any School Clubs?”
“Yes, but it’s an unpopular Club with very few people. I’m only responsible for some basic work.”
“What made you suddenly think of joining a Club?”
“Because I heard it gives Academic Credit, so I went.”
Jiang Ran’s tone was sincere.
She made sure her words didn’t deviate too much from what she had said last time in the restroom.
Perhaps infected by Gu Ge’s oppressive atmosphere, Jiang Ran also felt a bit unhappy staying here.
There was an indescribable sense of suffocation.
“Then, if I had the chance to let you quit the Club without affecting your graduation, would you actively withdraw? Of course, I’m not implying anything. I’m actually very happy that you’re willing to bravely integrate into the collective.”
Gu Ge narrowed her eyes with interest.
Her probing was blatant, like a poisonous snake crawling onto a branch, staring fixedly at a foraging fledgling, waiting for a moment of carelessness to deliver a fatal blow.
Jiang Ran bit her lip, the loneliness in her eyes surfacing.
“I probably would.”
“Which means you still have some lingering attachments. Has your President helped you a lot?”
Jiang Ran shook her head.
“No, the Counselor has always told me to learn to integrate into the collective, so I wanted to give it a try.”
“Xiao Ran is truly working hard. Now, let’s move on to the next question…”
Gu Ge didn’t dwell on that point.
She held her pen and wrote on the paper, letting out a scratching sound that resembled the noisy cicadas of summer.
This time, Jiang Ran didn’t look at what she was writing.
She lay obediently on the sofa, even wanting to close her eyes and take a nap.
She was truly too exhausted.
In a few days, it would be time to go to the Hospital to have her dressings changed.
She rubbed her numb thighs and leaned against the backrest, squeezing her body a bit further onto the sofa.
Gu Ge stopped writing and turned to look at Jiang Ran.
“Xiao Ran, is there a particular city you like? Or rather, which city do you want to live in in the future?”
“A city I like… maybe just here.”
“But didn’t you say last time that you liked warmer cities?”
Jiang Ran froze, searching through her memories, and then discovered with surprise that Gu Ge was lying to her.
‘I never said that, did I?’
Awkwardly biting her tongue, Jiang Ran asked in confusion, “Did I say that?”
Gu Ge’s dark brown eyes blinked.
The golden sunlight filtered through the gaps in her fluffy hair, falling on her pale face.
A breeze brushed past her cheek, bringing a sweet scent with it.
Jiang Ran swallowed her saliva as she saw Gu Ge open her crimson lips, letting out a low, apologetic murmur.
“Perhaps I remembered it wrong. I didn’t expect Xiao Ran to like our current city; it’s obviously a bit on the colder side.”
“But isn’t the sunlight outside the window very nice?”
Half of Jiang Ran’s face was illuminated by the warm sun, the points of light spreading evenly over her.
Her snow-white skin looked translucent, like the thick, fine snow covering a roof.
Gu Ge showed a rare expression of relaxation as she turned to look out the window.
The leaves kept tapping against the metal security mesh outside the glass, and a few sparrows landed on the branches, chasing and playing.
The weighed-down branches let out a dull rustle.
“That’s true. Xiao Ran, let me ask you one last question, and then today’s interview will be over.”
Gu Ge pressed her temples, the turbulence in her eyes surging once more as a strong mental wave surged toward Jiang Ran’s body.
Jiang Ran’s eyes became a bit dazed, but she held her ground.
Guessing that Gu Ge was probably reaching her limit, she deliberately dragged out her voice.
“Is it really the last question? There won’t be any other questions, will there? I’ve filled out questionnaires before, and every time it’s the ‘last question,’ there are still many other questions afterward.”
“It really is just the last question.”
Gu Ge’s tone became more urgent, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.
Why did Jiang Ran suddenly become so talkative the moment the last question was mentioned?
“Okay, you can ask. But before you do, I still want to ask — Sister Gu Ge, why did you come to the School to teach psychology?”
Gu Ge: …
‘Why was this child, Jiang Ran, suddenly so excited?’
“Because your School was hiring, and I happened to see the notice. I thought I’d come for an interview. Since you’re usually at the School anyway, you can come directly to me if you encounter any problems, so you won’t get bullied.”
Jiang Ran forced up the corners of her mouth, which had slumped down.
It was truly ironic that the culprit who bullied her was sitting grandly on the sofa talking big, acting as if she were the one catching the thief.
“Then I have no more questions. You can ask your last question.”
Calculating the time, Jiang Ran estimated that she wouldn’t be able to get any more useful information.
“I really don’t know how to evaluate you anymore. Then, I’ll ask the last question for today. Xiao Ran, if you were allowed to change families, would that solve your current psychological problems? I know you’re resentful of your parents’ indifference, which is why you’ve become so self-destructive. What I mean is, if one day you joined a new family, would there be hope of changing your attitude toward life? I’m not asking this with any ulterior motives; I just hope you can successfully integrate into life and actively seek treatment.”
Gu Ge twirled the pen in her hand, a graceful smile always hanging on her lips.
Jiang Ran straightened her back as if facing a great enemy.
She completely hadn’t expected the last question to be so difficult.
Moreover…
She… she had already been sold.
She was already someone else’s daughter, so why was Gu Ge now digging into the deepest wound in her heart?
Gu Ge straightened up, her hair brushing past the bridge of Jiang Ran’s nose.
The fresh scent of Ylang-Ylang wafted from deep within her chestnut hair, and the watery shimmer in her eyes looked like gems just salvaged from the seabed.
“There’s no need to rush to give me an answer. I actually want to hear your most honest thoughts, Xiao Ran. If you want to change your environment, you can come home and stay with Sister for a few days. Once you’ve recovered, I’ll still send you back. Besides, if you don’t get sick easily, you’ll be able to study better. Haven’t you always fantasized about being like other children — having a healthy body and no longer having to endure the torment of illness?”
“I…”
Jiang Ran lifted her head, her teeth biting hard on the dead skin of her lip.
She clenched her small hands, her thumb pressing hard into the pad of her index finger.
The pale pad quickly turned red.
She took half a step back, terror appearing in her eyes as she shook her head.
“I… I’m not willing.”