Chapter 47: “Because the puppy wants to be hugged.”
The veins on the back of Lu Ciheng’s hand bulged as his arm supported Xie Shibai from behind. His body leaned forward, following the pull on his collar. In the darkness, his pair of black eyes shone faintly, like a hunter excitedly locking onto his prey after discovering a secret.
“Hasn’t it already been five minutes?” His tone held a deliberate probe, like a bad dog wagging its tail while preparing to cause trouble.
Xie Shibai was very unhappy. In the dark, he could see the other’s expression clearly. The five minutes his subconscious had anticipated had unexpectedly shrunk to four.
He pinched Lu Ciheng’s face, turning his head to face the decorative clock on the wall, his tone dissatisfied. “Never learned how to read time?”
Lu Ciheng’s breath hitched slightly as he felt Xie Shibai’s cool fingertips. He glanced at the time on the clock and chuckled low, his eyes flashing with a dark, amused light. “Looks like I read it wrong. Shall we continue?”
Xie Shibai released his hand. His cold eyes stared at Lu Ciheng as he tilted his chin slightly—he didn’t speak, but his attitude was one of indulgence and silent permission.
Lu Ciheng let out a muffled laugh, feeling that Xie Shibai was as cute as a cat. His chest felt warm as he wrapped his arms around Xie Shibai’s waist. His slender hand grasped Xie Shibai’s wrist, rubbing the protruding wrist bone a few times. His low voice was unhurried. “Let’s make up the minute.”
Xie Shibai’s fingers curled unconsciously. When his body was embraced by the burning warmth, the irritability in his emotions was alleviated instantly. Although he felt terrible about this change in his heart, his behavior was hard to control; the comfort of being hugged seemed to spread from the depths of his body.
Lu Ciheng’s palm clasped Xie Shibai’s waist, staring at the countdown on the clock, and said wickedly, “20 seconds left.”
Xie Shibai’s eyelashes trembled. His heart beat along with Lu Ciheng’s countdown a few times, and his fingers couldn’t help but tighten.
Lu Ciheng rested his chin on Xie Shibai’s shoulder. “15 seconds.”
Xie Shibai pursed his lips. As the countdown progressed, a faint reluctance rose in his heart. He grasped Lu Ciheng’s clothes, his fingertips stained with the other’s body temperature. He lowered his eyes, feeling that time was moving a bit too fast.
After Lu Ciheng finished speaking, he looked down to observe Xie Shibai for a while, then quietly retreated a distance. “Alright, the minute is made up.”
Xie Shibai’s fingers were still clutching Lu Ciheng’s clothes. Hearing that the time was up, his fingers subconsciously tightened and didn’t let go. His expression held a slight confusion, as if he hadn’t yet recovered from the sensation of physical contact.
Lu Ciheng’s movement paused, and he looked down at Xie Shibai’s hand.
Xie Shibai suddenly came back to his senses and thought, not good.
The next second, Lu Ciheng looked at Xie Shibai with shining eyes. “Teacher Xie, don’t want to let go?”
Xie Shibai gritted his teeth, coldly denying it. “No.”
He felt that if Lu Ciheng knew he was currently somewhat addicted to physical contact, something very terrible would happen.
Lu Ciheng didn’t believe him. His eyes curved, waiting for Xie Shibai to reveal a flaw himself so he could catch it. His fingers gently hooked Xie Shibai’s finger, his tone unhurriedly guiding him. “Teacher Xie, be a little more honest. If you don’t want to stop, we can continue.”
“As long as you say it.”
The word “continue” hooked the craving in his heart that hadn’t completely disappeared.
Xie Shibai withdrew his hand and looked away. “No.”
Lu Ciheng’s eyes were very bright in the darkness. Once an idea appeared, he wouldn’t give up easily. He could take as many steps forward as needed, as long as Xie Shibai stood there.
He leaned forward slightly. “Why don’t we proceed to the next stage of treatment? Seventy percent.”
Xie Shibai raised his eyes to look at him, unsure of what Lu Ciheng wanted to do. “Did you eat the sixty percent?”
Lu Ciheng chuckled lightly. “Teacher Xie already achieved sixty percent long ago.”
Sixty percent was actually making contact with people in a crowded space, which had already been done. Although this rule shouldn’t be limited to contact with just one person, privately, Lu Ciheng wanted Xie Shibai to only touch him.
Seventy percent was initiating holding hands with someone.
Lu Ciheng released his hold and spread his palm in front of Xie Shibai, the corners of his lips hooked up and his eyes full of expectation. “Teacher Xie, please hold my hand.”
Holding hands wasn’t hard.
What was hard was the word initiating, especially initiating it after he had developed symptoms of craving contact.
It was like a conditioned reflex; subconsciously, he felt that the outstretched hand would be met with pain and verbal abuse, even though he knew Lu Ciheng wouldn’t do that.
Xie Shibai looked at Lu Ciheng’s hand and fell into a rare silence for a few seconds.
Lu Ciheng guided him patiently, his black eyes fixed on Xie Shibai. His tone was relaxed, using “puppy” to refer to himself without any burden. “Teacher Xie, the puppy wants his hand held.”
It was he who wanted it.
A simple sentence seemed to add a safer definition to the initiative.
Xie Shibai’s eyelashes trembled, and his fingers tightened slightly. Two emotions mixed together, and he could no longer distinguish what he truly wanted. Finally, under Lu Ciheng’s guidance, he reached out and actively held Lu Ciheng’s hand.
His breathing was a bit tight, and the strength of his slender fingers tightened uncontrollably. Like a conditioned reflex, his body tensed the moment he held the hand, ready to face everything.
The air was quiet for a few seconds. The things his subconscious feared did not happen.
Although the hand-holding action was heavy, Lu Ciheng’s expression remained unchanged. He didn’t even frown. His tone was light and praising. “Teacher Xie is amazing. Now let’s proceed to eighty percent.”
Xie Shibai’s eyes widened slightly, surprised at this speed of desensitization. “So fast?”
Lu Ciheng nodded, acting magnanimous as he opened his arms, waiting for Xie Shibai to actively hug him. “Because the puppy wants to be hugged.”
Xie Shibai bit his lip. The craving for contact in his heart was pushing him to take the initiative. After struggling for a moment, treating it as therapy, he actively wrapped his arms around Lu Ciheng. As their skin pressed close, the physical discomfort caused by the lack of contact was relieved by more than half.
Cheek pressed against Lu Ciheng’s shoulder, feeling the burning embrace, he closed his eyes, feeling somewhat resigned to self-abandonment.
Lu Ciheng’s palm covered Xie Shibai’s back, his mood exceptionally pleasant and excited. He leaned close to Xie Shibai’s ear and whispered, “Teacher Xie, did you take the medicine because you wanted physical contact?”
Xie Shibai suddenly tightened the strength of his grip.
There was no answer, but the reaction explained everything.
The lights in the Xie household burned bright into the night.
Xu Ruixin was nearly going mad, looking at Xie Lingxi in disbelief. “What did you say?”
Xie Lingxi lowered his head, looking somewhat vexed. “It was just a small accident this time. There was a problem with the IPO listing. I can win back the shares very soon. Mom, just lend me some money first.”
Accident. Failed IPO. Xie family shares.
These things combined were like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
Xu Ruixin’s face twisted slightly. “The scant Xie family shares you hold were what your father begged from your grandfather with great difficulty on your birthday! And you turned around and used those shares to sign a VAM agreement with someone?!”
Xie Lingxi looked away, acting somewhat self-righteous. “So what? Shares are meant to be used. I didn’t lose them; I used them in the right place!”
Xu Ruixin never expected that after a lifetime of careful calculation, she would give birth to such a son!
After instilling it in him countless times since childhood, how could Xie Lingxi still be stupid to this degree? Giving away such important things… although the Xie family shares weren’t many, every bit was crucial.
Xu Ruixin lost her composure uncontrollably. Her exquisite, expensive noblewoman attire looked a few degrees more ferocious in that moment. “Do you know what those shares are for?! If your grandfather suddenly has a stroke or passes away from something, only with what you hold plus what your dad and Uncle Zhang hold do we have a chance to take over the Xie family. Do you understand the stakes?!”
“Your dad knelt outside your grandfather’s study for a whole day just to beg for that little bit!”
Xie Lingxi hadn’t expected Xu Ruixin to be so furious. He shrank his neck. “Mom, don’t worry. I have a way to get the shares back. The shares are only lost for now; I can definitely get them back later. Don’t lose your temper like this.”
Xu Ruixin gritted her teeth, calmed her breathing, and asked, “What way?”
Xie Lingxi’s tone was relaxed. “I spoke with President Chen from the VC firm. He said it’s just a formality. Just rest assured, I can definitely get them back.”
Although the shares were lost, Xie Lingxi wasn’t worried at all. He believed that fulfilling the gambling agreement would give him a chance to retrieve the shares. One failed IPO didn’t represent anything. He had the entire Xie family behind him; there was always a chance to start over.
He didn’t realize at all that his arrogance would be the final straw that broke the camel’s back.
Xu Ruixin twisted her fingers together, feeling a panic rise from nowhere. She suddenly remembered Xie Shibai’s previous warning.
She broke out in a cold sweat. Xie Shibai must have just found out by coincidence, right?
The more Xu Ruixin thought, the more panicked she became. Her hands trembled as she picked up her phone to order an immediate investigation into who Chen Qisheng from the VC firm really was, and if there was a mastermind behind him.
This kind of accident might truly cause her to lose the Xie family forever.
Xie Lingxi frowned, feeling that Xu Ruixin was guarding against him.
“Why investigate that? I checked before cooperating. There’s no problem.”
Xu Ruixin gritted her teeth, staring at Xie Lingxi with hatred for his failure to meet expectations. Suppressing the matter of the investigation, she asked, “How much do you owe?”
Xie Lingxi held up one finger.
Xu Ruixin’s vision went black. She pointed at Xie Lingxi, unable to speak for a long time.
Xie Lingxi defended himself, “It was just a small problem with the listing. If we succeed, we can definitely turn it around.”
Xu Ruixin gritted her teeth. “Your grandfather absolutely must not know about this!”
Xie Shibai finished reading the message from Chen Qisheng and simultaneously learned of Xu Ruixin’s movements. The Xie family would never guess that a mole had been placed right beside them.
Turning off his phone, he sat on the soft sofa in Chen Yi’s consulting room. Chen Yi handed him a glass of water.
After this period of desensitization therapy, Xie Shibai could already accept items from others’ hands. He took the water glass.
Chen Yi looked surprised for a moment, as if she had discovered a new continent. She then pulled out a tissue and handed it to Xie Shibai.
Xie Shibai: “…”
He helplessly took the tissue from Chen Yi’s hand.
All of this was thanks to Lu Ciheng. It was his persistence in consolidation and desensitization that allowed Xie Shibai to adapt so quickly.
Chen Yi glanced at the desensitization plan she had formulated earlier, somewhat surprised. “To think you could complete it to this extent.”
She could see many notes on the plan; it looked like it had been taken very seriously.
“Why did you come this time?” Chen Yi asked. The desensitization therapy seemed to be going smoothly, so Xie Shibai obviously wasn’t here for that.
Xie Shibai was silent for a few seconds, his lips parting slightly as he spoke. “My illness seems to have changed.”
Chen Yi glanced at the medical record. Judging from all the examinations, Xie Shibai’s condition was indeed touch aversion (haphephobia), and it didn’t look like it had developed into other pathologies in the short term.
Xie Shibai calmly recounted the situation of the past few days to Chen Yi.
Including the desire to have physical contact with Lu Ciheng.
Chen Yi thought for a few seconds. “Does contact with him cause somatic symptoms?”
Xie Shibai shook his head.
Chen Yi: “Then there’s no need to suppress this emotion too much. If it doesn’t cause negative effects on the body, you can accept it appropriately. We can’t rule out that it’s produced after years of suppressed touch aversion. Suppressing it too much might cause problems instead. If you like touching someone, just go touch them.”
Xie Shibai lowered his eyelashes.
Should I initiate more physical contact with Lu Ciheng?
Chen Yi’s words acted like a step down, giving a reasonable explanation for Xie Shibai’s craving for contact.
If the treatment requires it, then there’s no other way.
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