"What's wrong with you, still smiling? What happened to make it hurt so suddenly?" Lu Heng, usually a rough and tumble guy, seemed at a loss.

Jian Ming looked at him, a bitter smile on his face, and shook his head. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Spit it out." There's a kind of smile uglier than crying, and that's what Jian Ming's face looked like. Lu Heng felt a pang of discomfort, inexplicable, just wanting to do something to alleviate the strange feeling.

"Find a nearby pharmacy, buy a box of painkillers, atropine..." Before he could finish, Lu Heng turned to rush off, but Jian Ming grabbed him. "And... buy a bottle of water. I'll give you the money." He took out his wallet, still in the process of getting money, when he looked up, the person in front of him had vanished.

A moment later, Lu Heng came running back with the medicine and water, turning around three times, but Jian Ming was nowhere in sight. He peered around, his face anxious. Just as he pulled out his phone to call, Jian Ming called him.

"Where the hell are you? You're in so much pain, why can't you just stay put?" Lu Heng yelled into the phone as soon as he answered.

"...Officer Lu, twenty meters back, at the bus stop."

He turned and saw Jian Ming sitting on the bus stop bench, clutching his waist, head down, phone still pressed to his ear.

Lu Heng stood frozen for a while before gritting his teeth and jogging over. "Here, take it quickly." He shoved the medicine and water into Jian Ming's hand, watching him take a pill and swallow it with water.

It was also a bus stop, also sitting on a long bench, also waiting for himself. The entire scene, from the moment he started running towards Jian Ming, kept replaying in Lu Heng's mind, repeatedly imprinting a certain memory. Faded memories suddenly rushed back – unexpected, without warning.

Lu Heng suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and a throbbing in his head. Even the amber in his eyes dimmed, and his gaze became distant, filled with intense sorrow and loss...

A few minutes later, Jian Ming, next to him, seemed to feel some relief from the pain. He let out a long sigh and stood up. "Thanks, Officer Lu."

Lu Heng said nothing, staring blankly to the side. Jian Ming turned to look at him â the dazed expression, the vacant eyes, so familiar to him as a psychologist. A wave of unease washed over him.

He knew that this kind of sudden daze and disassociation typically only occurred in three situations: psychological fatigue or guilt, a self-regulation of the nervous system without conscious awareness; or a realization about a life event without a clear resolution, leading to unconscious tracking and searching for answers; and finally, the most likely to lead to a psychological trap, the impact of a sudden event that transcends one's self-awareness, an instinctive evasion and search for a more suitable coping mechanism, like building a defense mechanism for oneself. In academia, these are also called psychological stress responses.

His sister's symptoms included the last one, but Lu Heng's situation... was still unclear. Usually, besides being easily irritable and prone to outbursts, he was no different from a normal person. However, normal people self-regulate and react appropriately within a short time. Lu Heng's state was not right; he wasn't completely unconscious, but he also didn't react rationally. It was like... like being trapped in a daydream.

Jian Ming didn't know what had happened to Lu Heng in those few short minutes, only that he had to get him out of his dazed state quickly. He walked closer to Lu Heng, placed a hand on his shoulder, and called his name, "Lu Heng."

Lu Heng clearly reacted to the sound, even shifting his body, but remained unresponsive. Jian Ming shook his shoulder, about to call out a second time, when the other man pushed him away forcefully and suddenly squatted on the ground, burying his head deeply into his knees, his shoulders trembling erratically.

It was too strange; he wasn't simply dazed and unconscious; there was an active emotional response. All these contradictory behaviors made Jian Ming even more determined to find answers from Lu Heng.

"Lu Heng, let's go get something to eat." Jian Ming was sure he could hear him. "I have chronic gastritis. If I don't get something in me, I'll have to take more painkillers."

Lu Heng slowly lifted his head, still squatting. Jian Ming was surprised to find his cheeks were completely soaked with tears. Could the trembling just now have been... crying?

He saw curious glances from all around and, pulling Lu Heng up, hailed a taxi without looking back, ushering him inside. Throughout the whole process, Lu Heng passively cooperated, very obediently.

"Here, wipe your face." Jian Ming handed him a packet of tissues, then told the driver, "Changfu Road, 'Taoyuan' Tea Restaurant."

"Wipe what?" Lu Heng hadn't fully recovered, only responding passively.

"Feel for yourself," Jian Ming took his hand and pressed it to Lu Heng's face.

"Damn, what the hell is this?" This time, Lu Heng was completely wide awake. His incredulous expression clearly told Jian Ming that he hadn't known he'd been crying.

So his stress response included unconscious behavior, Jian Ming silently analyzed and categorized.

"Lu Heng, it seems we can't wait until tomorrow. Let's start today." Though Jian Ming's words were abrupt, Lu Heng was used to it and wasn't surprised. The taxi driver, however, was probably startled, stealing glances at them in the rearview mirror, surely lamenting for all the girls in the world—are handsome guys self-producing and self-marketing these days?

Lu Heng, still bewildered, finally realized that his earlier lapse wasn't just a simple distraction...

The rest of the ride was quiet.

Jian Ming chose 'Taoyuan' Tea Restaurant not only because he was familiar with it, but also because of its style. Most restaurants are open with tables connected and easily visible, but here, between each adjacent dining area, various plants and flowers were cultivated, thoughtfully placed as dividers, genuinely respecting guests' privacy.

And in the innermost part, there was a raised platform, specially designed as a glass room. Inside the glass walls, dense, neatly arranged purple bamboo cleverly isolated the outside world. Jian Ming chose this spot.

After sitting down, he first ordered simply: beef with kale, shrimp and egg soup, plus a bowl of rice. Then he looked up at the silent Lu Heng opposite him. "Do you want anything to eat?"

He shook his head, looking listless.

Jian Ming said no more, only adding a pot of fruit tea before the waitress left.

He took off his suit jacket and draped it over the rattan chair back, then suddenly asked Lu Heng with extreme seriousness, "Do you trust me?"

Lu Heng looked at him, hesitated for a few seconds, and sighed softly. "I have no choice, I have to, don't I?" He said, pulling out a cigarette and lighter from his pocket, putting a cigarette in his mouth. Just as he was about to light it, a voice from across the table stopped him.

"No smoking indoors." Jian Ming tilted his chin towards the warning sign hanging behind the door.

"Damn it," Lu Heng threw the cigarette onto the table and clenched his fist tightly.

After a long silence, the room became quiet again after the waitress delivered their food and left.

"Eat first." Lu Heng felt inexplicably uncomfortable whenever he thought of Jian Ming's stomach pain.

Jian Ming lowered his head and took a sip of soup. "I'll eat, you talk."

"Talk about what?"

"Everything you saw, heard, and felt at the bus stop."

Lu Heng knew immediately it was the same old routine: recall, narrate... He felt annoyed, instinctively wanting to reject it. Jian Ming heard no movement for a long time, then looked up to see Lu Heng sitting slumped, eyes closed, brows furrowed, hand propped on his forehead.

Many times, helplessness comes suddenly, because people are good at disguising and know how to avoid, but it will eventually pour out. Even the strongest person, when pressure breaks their bottom line and they are powerless, still needs to go through the indispensable process of facing, confiding, and seeking help to relieve their emotions. But apparently, Lu Heng was an exception.

Jian Ming was confident in his professional abilities. He really wanted to tell Lu Heng that his problem wasn't as serious as he imagined, and that just being willing to trust and accept was already half the battle. But Lu Heng's problem wasn't inherent; it was precisely that he hadn't even taken the first step.

He believed Jiang Luchuan had also been stuck here for the past three years. The man in front of him had an extremely strong defense mechanism, a formidable wall hidden beneath a seemingly tough and cheerful exterior. Weakness, helplessness, and all negative emotions were concealed within this wall, marked with "no entry." Anyone who approached or touched it would be met with crude violence.

Yes, this kind of Lu Heng was very annoying, but Jian Ming felt a pang of sympathy for him at this moment. How much effort had he used to suppress his vulnerability and helplessness, to the point of shedding so many tears unconsciously without even knowing it?

He looked at Lu Heng and made a silent decision, impulsive and risky, but... perhaps effective.

"My younger sister has suffered from trauma-induced autism since she was six years old and has lived in Jingxin Sanatorium for fifteen years." Jian Ming put down his chopsticks, his seemingly calm tone tinged with sadness.

Lu Heng stiffened, slowly lowered his hand from his forehead, and sat upright. He was puzzled as to why Jian Ming was suddenly telling him this, and even more so by the content of his words.

"Old Jiang has another daughter?" This wasn't what he wanted to ask, but it seemed like the most appropriate thing to blurt out, just as he disliked others digging into his wounds, he also wasn't used to prying into others' pasts.

Jian Ming was a little surprised he knew Jiang Luchuan was his father, but after a few seconds of thought, he decided to put that question aside for now. "Yes, Teacher Jiang is our adoptive father. It happened sixteen years ago." He picked up the teapot and poured two cups, sliding one over to Lu Heng. "Although my sister and I went through a catastrophe, we were very lucky to meet Teacher Jiang and become his children." Jian Ming smiled, speaking casually.

Those simple words, however, had an extraordinarily profound impact on Lu Heng. What kind of past did the person in front of him have? Catastrophe? Those two words felt so heavy, like an unavoidable, fated disaster. Jian Ming, what exactly have you been through? Why do you look nothing like someone with such a past? Lu Heng had at least a hundred thousand questions he wanted answered.

"Lu Heng, I know you definitely have a knot in your heart. You can't untie it, and you don't want anyone else to help you untie it. I've experienced it, so I understand how you feel. I'm telling you my past because I want you to understand one thing: no matter how heavy or unbearable the past is, it's just the past. You don't have to forget it, but you have to move past it."

This time, Jian Ming saw a flicker of emotion in Lu Heng's eyes.

"Today you asked me what to do, didn't you? I can tell you now." Jian Ming took off his glasses and placed them on the table, his deep eyes looking at him intently.

Lu Heng's gaze flickered. He lowered his head and took a sip of fruit tea. "Damn, why is it so sweet?" He licked his lips with a frown.

"Do you want to know now or not? I respect your wishes; it doesn't affect what I'm going to do." Jian Ming, of course, saw Lu Heng's hesitation and evasiveness, but no matter what Lu Heng said, he continued to guide the conversation at his own pace, not missing a beat.

"No," Lu Heng answered decisively, his sharp, firm eyes fixed on Jian Ming. "You said if I just listen to you, you can make me normal, right?"

"Yes," Jian Ming replied, almost cutting him off, without a hint of uncertainty.

"I trust you."