Chapter 334 Confronting Yourself
Confronting Yourself
With just a glance at Su Tao's subtle expressions, Dongfang Wen was certain that the girl was deeply troubled.
Her habitual micro-movements and tone of voice revealed her anxiety and unease.
She was trying her best to conceal it, unaware that her efforts were clumsy, at least to Dongfang Wen.
While he was still observing Su Tao, Dongfang Wen heard his grand-nephew introducing him to the young woman, "This is my seventh great-uncle, Su Tao. You can call him Professor Dongfang or Grandpa Dongfang, he doesn't mind."
Then, he introduced Su Tao to Dongfang Wen, "This is Su Tao, the sister of Chi Xiaocheng I told you about. She's not the one you're treating."
"Professor Dongfang, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Su Tao, but you can call me Xiaotao or Taozi," Su Tao said, bowing politely. "I'm sorry to trouble you. Shall we go inside so I can explain my sister's situation?"
"Of course."
Dongfang Wen nodded kindly.
He noticed Su Tao glance at Dongfang Yang before discreetly putting her hand in her pocket and fumbling around. Immediately after, she wore an expression of annoyance.
He turned to Dongfang Yang, "Oh, right, I just remembered I left a hypnosis prop at the hotel, on the desk with the lamp. Could you go back and get it for me?"
Dongfang Yang stared at Dongfang Wen, dumbfounded. "What... I just brought you here. Are you sure you don't have dementia?"
"Just go. I wouldn't trust anyone else to handle it without breaking it. Hurry up and bring it to me."
Dongfang Yang's shoulders slumped as he reluctantly turned around. "I can't believe you. Remember to wait for me before you start the hypnosis."
"You can't even assist me. What good will you be when you get back? Just go!"
With a shove, Dongfang Wen sent his grand-nephew on his way. Then, with his hands clasped behind his back, he smiled at Su Tao. "Xiaotao, now you can tell me in peace. This is a matter just for you and me, you see."
Su Tao snapped back to attention, realizing that the master hypnotist had deliberately sent Dongfang Yang away.
She understood his intentions.
Was it because she had glanced at Dongfang Yang?
His small display of perception calmed Su Tao considerably. She agreed and led Dongfang Wen into the hospital.
"There are some things you need to know before we begin treatment," she said. "One is the things that happened between Xiaocheng and me, and the other is Xiaocheng's personality."
Su Tao walked ahead, her face thoughtful as she organized her thoughts, deciding where to begin.
However, professional psychologists preferred to take the initiative, and Dongfang Wen was no exception.
He spoke first. "I have a general idea of Xiaocheng's amnesia. Dongfang Yang said you were the main cause. Would you mind telling me about your relationship with her?"
Su Tao took a breath and nodded. "My relationship with Xiaocheng is... complicated. She's been in love with me since we were little, in a romantic way. But I've always only thought of her as a younger sister. I didn't know she liked me, and I used to say things like I'd never leave her and we'd always be together."
"That made her misunderstand me and deepened her feelings. We argued in August, and that's when I found out she liked me, not as a sister."
"At first, I didn't understand my own feelings and tried to avoid it, but she almost died twice because of me."
"When I finally came to terms with my own feelings and realized I liked her too, she lost her memory."
Su Tao scratched her cheek, embarrassed. "Professor Dongfang, doesn't that sound strange? That we, who were originally sisters, would end up liking each other like this."
Guilt, confusion, and struggle were evident in Su Tao's tone, along with a lack of confidence and self-doubt, all of which Dongfang Wen easily detected.
She was seeking validation.
An affirmation to ease her sense of guilt.
Dongfang Wen's voice was gentle, even tinged with amusement. "Not at all. She pursued you, you realized you liked her too late, and then an accident happened that kept you apart. I may be old, but I can understand what you're saying. Don't worry."
"No, no," Su Tao said, shaking her head. "That's not what I meant by strange."
"Then what do you mean?"
He guided Su Tao to reveal her thoughts.
Su Tao said, "I mean... Xiaocheng and I are both girls. The fact that our relationship turned into something like this, wouldn't you think that's strange?"
Dongfang Wen tilted his head. "Not at all. My own granddaughter is the same way. She's brought several partners home."
"Oh... oh?"
The sudden shift in topic caught Su Tao off guard.
Dongfang Wen shrugged. "As long as there's love, anything goes. I'm an old man, and I spoil my granddaughter. She can do whatever she wants. If you truly love this Xiaocheng and aren't just playing around, then there's no problem at all."
"Really? You don't find it strange? I thought someone your age would be against it."
"Not all old people are narrow-minded. Or are you saying you find it strange, so you don't like her?"
"Of course not! I really like Xiaocheng!"
Su Tao's voice was urgent and resolute, and she felt a sense of relief.
The shackles that bound her were gradually being unlocked.
And the person unlocking them was herself.
Dongfang Wen understood Su Tao's thoughts perfectly.
Asking such questions meant that she had probably hurt someone else because of gender, so she needed reassurance to alleviate her guilt.
But this kind of conversation was also a form of therapy.
A professional psychologist should befriend their patients to make them lower their guard.
Well, that didn't sound quite right.
Dongfang Wen stroked his chin, realizing he had fallen into his old habits. Su Tao wasn't the actual patient.
He continued to guide the conversation, saying to Su Tao, "So the memories you want Xiaocheng to recover through hypnosis are the ones she lost?"
Su Tao nodded vigorously, then shook her head. "Xiaocheng's situation is complicated. She lost her memory because of the pain of my rejection. Her dislike for me remains in her subconscious, while the good memories are buried deeper."
"I want Xiaocheng to recover all her memories, including the ones where she liked me and the painful ones. That's why I had Dongfang Yang invite you to hypnotize her."
Dongfang Wen nodded gently, but he wanted to know something else. "I understand what you're saying, but what I mean is, which part of her lost memories do you want her to remember?"
Su Tao was stunned. "Professor Dongfang, is that... is that something you can choose?"
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