Chapter 58: I Like Him a Little
The atmosphere was eerily quiet for a moment.
Wen Yan didn’t even dare to look up at the other person’s eyes.
Dr. Ping: “Stockholm Syndrome refers to a psychological phenomenon where the victim develops an emotional dependence on the perpetrator, or even assists them.”
“It’s quite common in movies and TV shows; you young people should know about it.” She explained simply, then asked, “What’s wrong? Is someone bullying you, and you’ve fallen for him?”
The beautiful young man lowered his eyes, his expression unreadable.
Pei Zhouye gave him rings; he didn’t treat him badly.
There were so many things he couldn’t say out loud.
Wen Yan said faintly, “I don’t know, maybe a little. I know it’s shameful, and I don’t want to…”
The bell in the consultation room rang.
Dr. Ping wanted to say something more, but Wen Yan seemed to snap back to reality.
He stood up to say goodbye. “Thank you, Dr. Ping. Let’s talk next time.”
Dr. Ping watched Wen Yan leave in a hurried and wretched manner; the door was closed very gently.
Usually so calm, today he left before she could finish speaking.
She sighed, organized today’s treatment records, and put Wen Yan’s file back into the cabinet.
The next appointment was in half an hour. She briefly relayed today’s records to Pei Zhouye.
[What are you doing?] Pei Zhouye messaged Wen Yan from the plane.
On the tablet screen, a small dot moved slowly on the map.
[Wife: Preparing to go to school.]
Pei Zhouye: “And just now?”
The other side typed for a while before replying.
[Wife: Class.]
Lying. Pei Zhouye unconsciously pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, his eyes cold.
He didn’t expose Wen Yan’s lie.
[Send me more messages, I miss you very much. I’ll come back next week and go to XX Mountain with you to see the stars.]
The other side was quiet again for a while.
Pei Zhouye guessed what Wen Yan was doing. Waiting for a car? Or stopping to look at roadside shops?
[Wife: Received.]
Those two words again.
Pei Zhouye always thought of Wen Yan when seeing his special assistant reply to messages, all thanks to these two words.
A message suddenly popped up in the secretary office’s work group chat.
[Special Assistant Liu: President Pei said that when replying to his messages, no one is allowed to say “Received.”]
Special Assistant Liu looked at the stream of [Received] below and the [?] typed by several people in private chats, and sucked in a breath of cold air.
He didn’t know how to explain it either.
Dr. Ping’s message popped up.
Pei Zhouye finished reading it, his gaze lingering on the last few lines of the dialogue.
Someone who hurt Wen Yan.
Only Gu Yulan.
Pei Zhouye was silent for a long time, his brows covered with a layer of faint shadow.
November in A City was late autumn, the wind carrying a chill.
The trees on the path near the library always dropped many withered leaves; sanitation workers had to sweep them once every day.
Wen Yan collected the IELTS-related materials from the library. Holding those thick books, he walked on this road full of fallen leaves.
Pei Zhouye didn’t return within a week as promised.
He had been in the US for half a month, sending him messages every day.
There was a thirteen-hour time difference between the US and A City. Pei Zhouye called Wen Yan three times a day without missing a single day. Sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for ten minutes.
It was very busy over there.
Wen Yan didn’t ask what Pei Zhouye was busy with, but Pei Zhouye would proactively pick some things to tell him.
During this time, Wen Yan had a lot more free time.
His IELTS results were out; it was a very high score. Almost half a year of hard work hadn’t been in vain.
Wen Yan’s code of conduct was that if you’re going to do something, do it with all your might and strive to be the best.
He suddenly thought of two months ago, when he walked on this road on a summer night, talking to Gu Yulan on the phone.
He used to think that to love someone meant trying hard to love and tolerate, and you would get the same return. He hadn’t expected so many other things to be mixed in.
Wen Yan was finally willing to believe that Pei Zhouye liked him, but he was also certain that he couldn’t completely fall in love with Pei Zhouye under these circumstances.
The gap between the two was too big, and there were too many things standing between them.
Professor Ming was going to Beijing to attend a lecture on the weekend and brought Wen Yan along.
In the car
“Just treat it as a publicly funded trip; it’s not my money, don’t feel pressured.” Professor Ming looked at Wen Yan, who sat opposite him with an embarrassed face.
Originally, due to a schedule conflict, he hadn’t planned to attend this lecture. But the two sides adjusted the time at the last minute, so he took a few graduate students along. Hearing that Wen Yan had just passed the IELTS, he brought Wen Yan too.
The organizers arranged two cars. Considering Wen Yan didn’t know the graduate seniors in the other car, Professor Ming called Wen Yan into the same car as himself.
Wen Yan: “Thank you, Teacher.”
Professor Ming looked at Wen Yan with appreciation. Neither humble nor arrogant, serious in his work, and excellent in his studies—he was one of his favorite students in years.
“Don’t thank me. You’ll apply for my graduate program in two years, right? Several teachers in the department are fighting over you.”
Wen Yan became even more embarrassed, his ears turning red. “There’s still a year and a half. I will work hard to become Teacher Ming’s student.”
Professor Ming laughed.
“You really know how to speak. After the lecture, your seniors are staying to exchange with other schools. I’m stopping by to visit an old friend; come with me.”
“Of course, if you want to walk around Beijing by yourself, then stick to your original plan.”
Wen Yan shook his head. “I’ll go with you; I don’t have any plans.”
He had come to Beijing specifically to listen to this lecture with Professor Ming; he didn’t have any other arrangements.
Professor Ming agreed.
The lecture ended.
Wen Yan listened very carefully, taking notes the whole time, and still thought about many questions afterward.
He thanked Professor Ming again. Otherwise, with his current status, he wouldn’t have had a slot to enter this kind of lecture at all.
The two went together to the home of the old friend Professor Ming mentioned.
Wen Yan chatted with Professor Ming the whole way.
The friend was a top-tier opera master in the country with deep family roots. Two people who originally had nothing to do with each other became friends by chance when they were young and had maintained it until now.
They arrived at a courtyard house (Siheyuan).
After knocking, a servant opened the door.
Seeing Professor Ming’s face, he opened the door wide and welcomed Professor Ming and Wen Yan inside.
The corridor had green tiles, very classical in style. Viewing it in this season gave it a unique charm.
After walking a short distance, they heard the sound of opera singing coming from a radio—the singing voice was rich and deep, the enunciation clear.
“Wen Yan?”
Cheng Shangshi found the back figure familiar and called out tentatively.
The person turned at the sound, revealing his face.
The person beside him also turned. Cheng Shangshi was stunned for a moment, then greeted, “Uncle Ming.”
Professor Ming was pleasantly surprised. “Willing to come home now? I’ve been here a few times over the years and haven’t seen you.”
The three walked together to a plum blossom tree in the courtyard and found Father Cheng.
Professor Ming chatted idly, “I forgot to ask just now, you two know each other?”
Seeing Father Cheng, Professor Ming sat familiarly on another chair, smiling as he said:
“Old Cheng, look at this fate. We were about this age when we met back then. I didn’t expect my favorite student to know Shangshi too.”
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