Chapter 53
“Will you do it with me under the shower, like in the video…?”
Lu Yin’s hand clamped over Lin Qianqian’s mouth, stopping the rest of the sentence. Lin Qianqian retaliated by playfully biting Lu Yin’s fingers.
“Let go,” Lu Yin said calmly.
“No,” Lin Qianqian said, determined to make up for being locked out of the bathroom.
Lu Yin’s fingers moved, teasing the tip of Lin Qianqian’s tongue.
Lin Qianqian’s mouth flooded with saliva, and she instinctively released Lu Yin’s hand.
She rubbed her face against Lu Yin’s towel, taking the opportunity to press her body closer.
Lu Yin stepped back, her back against the wall.
Lin Qianqian grinned, placing her hand on the wall beside Lu Yin’s head, trapping her in a perfect kabedon.
Lu Yin reached out and turned on the shower, the cold water spraying Lin Qianqian.
Lin Qianqian spluttered, shielding her eyes with her hand, then grabbing a towel to dry her face.
“Get undressed and wash yourself,” Lu Yin said, leaving the bathroom before Lin Qianqian could respond.
Lin Qianqian couldn’t understand Lu Yin’s reluctance.
Wasn’t it more fun to be spontaneous?
She quickly finished her shower and ran to Lu Yin’s bedroom, hoping to surprise her, but the room was empty.
She found Lu Yin in the living room, sitting at the counter, making tea.
She wrapped her arms around Lu Yin’s waist, resting her chin on her shoulder, her hands exploring the soft skin beneath Lu Yin’s pajamas.
There had to be a hidden switch somewhere on Lu Yin’s body! A secret trigger!
Why wasn’t she responding?
It had to be Lu Yin’s fault!
“Have some chrysanthemum tea,” Lu Yin said calmly, removing Lin Qianqian’s hand from her pajamas. “It’ll cool you down.”
Lin Qianqian’s phone rang, interrupting her exploration. It was Ming Yao, inviting her out the next day.
The living room was quiet, and Lu Yin overheard the conversation.
Lin Qianqian sat down, wincing as she took a sip of the hot tea. “She’s giving you another day off already?”
“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Ming Yao said.
“Okay,” Lin Qianqian hung up, a sense of unease lingering. Something was wrong with Ming Yao, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“Tomorrow’s Saturday, right?” Lu Yin asked casually, turning on the electric kettle.
“Yes, I’m off,” Lin Qianqian said, blowing on her tea. “This is good.”
“I added a rock sugar,” Lu Yin said. “I was planning on taking you out, but it seems you have other plans.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!” Lin Qianqian exclaimed, frustrated. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”
“It’s fine. You have plenty of friends. It’s normal to want to see them,” Lu Yin said, a playful smile on her face. “Right?”
Right? Wrong!
But she had already agreed to meet Ming Yao, and seeing Ming Yao these days was a rare occurrence, so she had to go.
Zhong Shiwu received Lu Yin’s message during lunch.
She expertly sliced the steak, rang the small bell beside her plate, and placed the plate on the floor.
Ming Yao sat on the floor, her gaze fixed on Zhong Shiwu’s movements.
Hearing the bell, she crawled towards the plate, her movements mechanical, her mind blank.
Zhong Shiwu, after reading Lu Yin’s message, tossed a fork onto the floor.
Ming Yao flinched, looking up at Zhong Shiwu with a questioning gaze.
“Learn how to use it,” Zhong Shiwu said, flipping through her calendar. “Ming Yi will be back soon.”
Ming Yao picked up the fork and ate a piece of steak. “When is my sister coming back?” she asked, her voice flat.
She didn’t seem as excited about Ming Yi’s return as she had been before.
Her mind was focused on her schedule, her present a series of prescribed actions, her past a blank slate, her future irrelevant.
She frowned, a soft whimper escaping her lips.
“Don’t look so pathetic. Do you think I’m starving you?” Zhong Shiwu said, tilting Ming Yao’s chin up. “I don’t want your sister thinking I’m mistreating you.”
Ming Yao’s head remained tilted upwards, her hand reaching for the plate, picking up another piece of steak and eating it under Zhong Shiwu’s watchful gaze.
“Is it good?” Zhong Shiwu asked.
Ming Yao nodded.
“Use your words.”
“It’s good…delicious…”
“Good girl,” Zhong Shiwu smiled, patting her head, then stood up and left.
Once she was gone, Ming Yao spat out the steak.
She tossed the fork aside, leaned down, and sniffed the remaining pieces of meat, then ate them with her hands, licking the plate clean.
Zhong Shiwu stood on the balcony, looking at the sun hidden behind the clouds, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders.
Ming Yi had returned a few days ago. They were meeting today.
She glanced at her watch. Time to go.
As she was leaving, she saw Ming Yao lying on the floor, curled up in a ball.
She knelt down and patted her gently. “Go upstairs and take a nap.”
Ming Yao’s eyes fluttered open, then closed again.
She knew it was her scheduled nap time, but she was too tired to move.
It was just a nap. She hadn’t been told where to sleep.
Zhong Shiwu had collected enough data from her experiment. She no longer needed Ming Yao.
Once Ming Yi returned, she would find a new “home” for Ming Yao, but after several conversations, she realized Ming Yi wasn’t interested in taking her younger sister in.
Which meant Ming Yao might have to stay with her.
Zhong Shiwu didn’t want a child clinging to her, disrupting her life. She didn’t have the time or energy.
A sudden disruption to Ming Yao’s routine might be counterproductive, so she decided to gradually relax the restrictions, starting with more flexible weekends.
She led Ming Yao upstairs, watching her lie down on the bed before leaving for her appointment.
She met Ming Yi at a cafe.
“Dr. Zhong, it’s been a while,” Ming Yi said, sitting down opposite her. “I know you enjoy coffee, so I had them clear the cafe for us.”
“Such a thoughtful gesture, Ming Zong. But I believe I’ve earned a bit of special treatment, haven’t I?”
Ming Yi chuckled. “Of course. I’ll try my best to accommodate your requests.”
Zhong Shiwu was never one for false modesty, her personality direct and unapologetic. People either liked her or they didn’t.
And she admired Ming Yi.
The Zhong family, generations of doctors, had always prioritized healing, but they lacked power and influence, their good intentions easily exploited.
The scandal surrounding her mother’s death had taught her a valuable lesson: money wasn’t enough. She needed power. She couldn’t afford to be kind.
Lu Sui had helped her clear her mother’s name, but the Lu family’s influence was limited.
Ming Yi had approached her, offering her resources, helping her silence the media, even investing in her clinic, but always maintaining control.
Zhong Shiwu knew she had ulterior motives, but she had seized the opportunity, a chance to climb the social ladder.
“I have a younger sister named Ming Yao,” Ming Yi had said, providing her with a detailed profile. “She’s somewhat favored in the family, but she’s naive, sheltered, sent abroad to keep her out of the power struggles, content with her comfortable life, oblivious to the dangers lurking beneath the surface.”
Ming Yi, cunning and ambitious, knew the true power lay in China, within the intricate network of family connections. She had built her own empire abroad, preparing to return and dismantle the Ming family business, absorbing its resources, its power.
“Why are you telling me this?” Zhong Shiwu had asked, unable to decipher Ming Yi’s intentions.
“She’s too foolish. I don’t need a sister like that. I’ll take the reins of the Ming family myself,” Ming Yi had said, her voice cold and decisive. “I want you to use her as a shield, to spread rumors about me, to make the family believe I’m a threat.”
“Will that work?” Zhong Shiwu had asked, skeptical. “The Ming family is powerful…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of the older generation. And as for my siblings, they’re even more foolish than Ming Yao. They’re useless.”
And so, just days after Zhong Shiwu’s wedding, her new husband, whom she had barely met, had been admitted to the ICU.
Zhong Shiwu’s trust in Ming Yi had solidified.
Now, sitting in a cafe in China, their conversation light and casual, she felt a sense of relief.
Ming Yi had successfully taken control of the Ming family business, her own clinic thriving, her wealth and influence growing.
They would announce their partnership after the Spring Festival, sending shockwaves through the business world.
Who said you couldn’t have it all?
“How is Ming Yao?” Ming Yi asked casually, after a while.
“Not well,” Zhong Shiwu said, her expression serious. “I don’t think she’ll ever be the same again.”
“It doesn’t matter. Our contract is clear. Ming Yao is your daughter. You can take care of her however you see fit,” Ming Yi said, glancing at the ring on her finger. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with my plans.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her,” Zhong Shiwu said, meeting Ming Yi’s gaze, a subtle smile playing on her lips. “But Ming Zong, we have to maintain appearances. When you take over the family business, you’ll have to find a place for Ming Yao. She’s still expecting you to take her in.”
“Mm,” Ming Yi said dismissively. “Do whatever you think is best.”
She handed Zhong Shiwu a beautifully wrapped box. “I know you like watches. I acquired this from a private collector. Consider it a gift.”
“Thank you,” Zhong Shiwu said, accepting the gift without opening it.
“I have to go. Contact me if you need anything.”
Zhong Shiwu nodded, smiling as she watched Ming Yi leave, then sipped her coffee, her gaze sweeping over the empty cafe.
It felt lifeless without the usual chatter and bustle.
Since her “daughter” had become a burden, she would have to find a suitable solution, a new “home” for her.
She opened Lu Yin’s message and replied, scheduling a follow-up appointment for the weekend. Lu Yin’s frequent visits were clearly a pretext for discussing something else.
The next day, she went to the hospital.
“Teacher Lu, your commitment to recovery is admirable. Your appointments are becoming increasingly punctual, even half an hour early this time,” Zhong Shiwu said, staring at her freshly brewed coffee. “I hope you don’t mind if I use those thirty minutes to enjoy my coffee. Let’s postpone the diagnostic discussion for a bit.”
“I just came straight from class,” Lu Yin said, handing her a box of pastries. “I bought you your favorite peach blossom cakes.”
“You’re the only one who remembers my preferences,” Zhong Shiwu said, accepting the gift. “I thought you would have gone home to see your sister, since it’s the weekend.”
“She’s out with a friend,” Lu Yin said, her face impassive, her gaze meeting Zhong Shiwu’s. “Someone you know, actually. Quite well, in fact.”
Zhong Shiwu’s smile faltered. She set down her coffee cup and looked at Lu Yin. “Ming Yao?”
Lu Yin didn’t confirm or deny it. “Is she…in any condition to be going out?”
“Who are you talking about?” Zhong Shiwu asked, flipping through Lu Yin’s file, the diagnostic reports all normal, indicating a stable mental state.
Another waste of paperwork.
Lu Yin was hiding her true feelings again.
Zhong Shiwu thought back to her recent interactions with Lu Yin, her subtle probes and provocations.
First, Lin Qianqian’s classmate. Then, deliberately allowing Ming Yao to meet with Lin Qianqian.
Her suspicions had been correct.
Lu Yin was still possessive of Lin Qianqian, her outward calm demeanor masking a deeper obsession. She had rejected Xu Si’s niece’s application, eliminating the possibility of future encounters, and now, she was using Ming Yao’s situation to manipulate Zhong Shiwu into taking care of Ming Yao, removing her from Lin Qianqian’s life.
“Ming Yao,” Zhong Shiwu said, answering her own question. “They’ve known each other for years. They’re adults. They can take care of each other.”
“You must have diagnosed her,” Lu Yin said, her voice firm. “What did you say before? That you had a diagnosis of delusional disorder ready for me?”
“As a doctor, I have to be concerned about my daughter’s mental health,” Zhong Shiwu said, wanting to end this conversation. They were both stubborn, their wills clashing, neither willing to yield.
“Is that the only relationship we have? Doctor and patient?” Lu Yin pressed. “Didn’t you say I was a difficult patient? Then why haven’t you given up on me yet? Why not let me self-destruct?”
Zhong Shiwu’s expression shifted.
So, even Lu Yin resorted to emotional manipulation, using their shared connection to Lu Sui as leverage.
“The reports are normal, aren’t they?” Lu Yin said, her smile cold, her gaze fixed on the diagnostic reports in Zhong Shiwu’s hand. “If someone is mentally unstable, they should be hospitalized, not running around unsupervised.”
“Fine, fine. It’s just a girl,” Zhong Shiwu said dismissively, taking a sip of her cold coffee. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Anything involving Ming Yao has to be handled carefully. It could affect the Ming family.”
“Didn’t I just say that?” Lu Yin smiled, repeating her earlier words. “Patients should be hospitalized, not running around unsupervised.”
Zhong Shiwu considered the possibilities, a slow smile spreading across her face. “As a doctor, I wholeheartedly agree.”
Lu Yin’s eyes finally crinkled with amusement. “I visited my mother’s grave recently. I told her you’ve been taking good care of me. I’m very grateful.”
Zhong Shiwu sighed, placing a new questionnaire in front of Lu Yin. “Let’s start over.”
Lu Yin was no longer suicidal, but she seemed to have gone to the other extreme.
Zhong Shiwu couldn’t determine the impact on her emotional state, her relationship with Lin Qianqian. She would have to reassess.
If it weren’t for Lu Sui, she would have cut ties with Lu Yin long ago.
“A difficult patient can be very traumatizing for a psychiatrist,” she muttered.
Lu Yin, unfazed, said calmly, “I’ll follow your instructions, Doctor Zhong.”
Zhong Shiwu sighed. Such a formal tone, such a dismissive response.
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