Chapter 85

It took Ji Wei a long moment to realize what he was talking about. His face immediately turned red, a flush spreading from his ears all the way down to the base of his neck.

The young man unhesitatingly broke free from Lu Shenxing’s embrace, ran back to the corner of his bed, lowered his head, and sat there hugging his knees.

He was extremely shy.

Lu Shenxing stood up and walked to the terrace.

He closed the door and continued his call with Professor Song.

He unmuted his microphone. “Sorry, I had to pause the call just now.”

Professor Song spoke with understanding. “This is indeed a difficult situation for the family. I’ve carefully reviewed the email you sent yesterday. Ji Wei is very resistant to contact with people right now. Bringing him to the hospital for treatment might agitate him.”

“Yes,” Lu Shenxing said, his voice hoarse.

“But not bringing him in for treatment might delay the optimal treatment period,” Professor Song tactfully suggested. From a doctor’s perspective, he still hoped that Ji Wei could receive treatment as soon as possible.

“I’ll think about it some more,” Lu Shenxing said, lowering his eyes.

“If you make a decision, feel free to email me anytime,” Professor Song said.

After hanging up, Lu Shenxing paused for a moment before pushing open the door and returning to the bedroom.

Ji Wei was sitting quietly in the corner, drawing. He only had a black marker and a stack of blank sketch paper, but that didn’t stop him from concentrating on his art. He quickly filled an entire page.

They were all patterns that were difficult to comprehend.

At first glance, it looked like a deluge of vines crawling all over abandoned stone pillars, with faint human faces reflected in the sky. It was both decadent and magnificent, like the final moment of a civilization’s decline.

But upon closer inspection, they were just a jumble of meaningless lines.

Lu Shenxing didn’t disturb him, just stood quietly in front of the young man with a purely appreciative gaze.

He watched for a long time, so long that he thought Ji Wei had forgotten his presence.

The young man seemed to finally notice his arrival. He stood up and cautiously handed him a piece of paper, his head lifting for a moment before quickly lowering again.

Lu Shenxing took the paper. It was Ji Wei’s handwriting, in a free and easy Slender Gold style.

—I want to go to the hospital.

—I want to get better quickly.

—I don’t want brother to worry.

He hadn’t mentioned the word “hospital” during his call with Professor Song, yet Ji Wei had sensitively picked up on it. No matter how uneasy he felt, he was willing to go to the hospital, just because he didn’t want him to worry.

Lu Shenxing finally understood why the usually strict Ji’s Father would shed tears when talking about Ji Wei.

And with that realization—

He pulled Ji Wei into his arms.

Ji Wei didn’t know what was on Lu Shenxing’s mind. He just felt that his idol was holding him especially tight, as if trying to press him into his own body.

***

Lin Yiqiu received a call in the afternoon. The person on the other end sounded anxious. “Second Uncle, why did you take someone like Xu Sheng as a student?”

Lin Yiqiu was looking at a painting, his voice exceptionally calm. “Xu Sheng? He’s a very talented young man, just from a poor background. I didn’t want his talent to be wasted in some remote village like Ye Lang’s.”

The person on the other end sighed. “Have him go to the Lu family’s home to apologize immediately. The Lin family can’t afford to be dragged down…”

Although the Lin family was prestigious, it hadn’t produced a figure like Lu Ji. It had suffered heavy losses in the 2008 financial crisis, selling off many core assets and thus missing out on the real estate and internet booms.

Prestigious, prestigious—it was just a nice-sounding name.

The Lu family was less of an old-money dynasty and more of a fiercely rising new chaebol after Lu Ji’s drastic equity reforms. In fields where the Lu family was present, no one else was allowed to interfere, a testament to their style of operation.

This time, the Lu family had cut off all business dealings with the Lin family, causing their cash flow to dry up. It was a clear warning.

Lin Yiqiu looked at the painting in front of him, his thoughts unreadable. “He is my student, after all.”

“I know it will hurt you, but you are a Lin. Without the Lin family, you are nothing. Besides, it’s just asking him to go and apologize. Is it that difficult? You’re just too soft-hearted.”

A moment of silence.

Lin Yiqiu hung up the phone. Before he did, he said a single word: “Okay.”

What the Lu family wanted was not something as simple as an apology.

He shook his head and sighed at the painting. “What a pity.”

He left the art museum and had his driver take him to Xu Sheng’s home.

“Teacher, what are you doing here?” Xu Sheng greeted him at the door, pleasantly surprised.

Lin Yiqiu didn’t enter, but stood at the doorway and said, “Do you know why I brought you out of the fishing village?”

“Because you have a kind heart, Teacher,” Xu Sheng said without hesitation. If it weren’t for his teacher, he would have spent his entire life in that small, remote fishing village, becoming a fisherman or a worker.

—An utterly humble existence.

“No,” Lin Yiqiu shook his head. “It’s because your hands are well-suited for holding a brush. I didn’t want such talent to be wasted in a fishing village where no one would appreciate it. But you have disappointed me.”

Xu Sheng’s upright posture suddenly slumped. “I have disappointed you. You invested so much effort in me, yet I will spend the rest of my life in prison.”

“It’s only a ten-year sentence. It’s just a pity you chose the most unwise path.” Lin Yiqiu looked at Xu Sheng with a complicated expression. “What disappoints me is what you did to Ji Wei.”

“But I just couldn’t stand it!” Xu Sheng’s voice suddenly became agitated. “Why should Ye Lang ruin your future, while his grandson gets to be admired for his painting? Is that fair? It’s not fair.”

“There’s no such thing as fair or unfair,” Lin Yiqiu said slowly. “Ji Wei is a good child, and he paints very well. I like him, just as I liked Ye Lang.”

Xu Sheng hadn’t expected such an answer. He leaned against the wall, completely at a loss, and slowly slid down.

“Your hands are no longer clean. You are not fit to be my student, nor are you fit to pick up a brush again.” After saying his last words, Lin Yiqiu turned and walked out.

“Teacher!”

From behind him came Xu Sheng’s desperate cries, one after another, like an abandoned cub. He merely frowned.

Receiving no response, the moment Lin Yiqiu walked out, Xu Sheng raised a knife and chopped off his own left hand, blood gushing everywhere.

Walking down the hallway, Lin Yiqiu heard Xu Sheng’s agonized screams. He merely frowned.

***

Lu Shenxing prepared to go out with Ji Wei.

Not knowing how long the diagnosis would take, he packed many things in his backpack: small dried fish made by Huang Bo, freshly warmed milk, a cup of warm water, and a box of fruit.

But Ji Wei was hugging his drawing board, clearly uninterested in any of it.

After Huang Bo left, he became a bit bolder. He opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of ice-cold mineral water, and had just twisted open the cap when Lu Shenxing took it away. “It’s too cold. You can’t.”

Although it was late August and the weather was getting hotter, Ji Wei’s constitution wasn’t very good. Drinking things that were too cold could easily give him a cold.

The young man’s head drooped at once, looking a little listless.

“Just one sip,” Lu Shenxing said in a low voice. He held the bottle in his hands to warm it up a bit before handing it to Ji Wei.

Ji Wei nodded emphatically, then took the cup and gulped down… a large mouthful.

When he wanted to drink more, the man mercilessly took it away again.

Lu Shenxing finished packing and was about to walk into the elevator with Ji Wei when he noticed the young man was still staring at the bottle of ice water in his hand. He had no choice but to open it and drink until only a little was left.

Ji Wei suddenly said, “I want more.”

It was the first time he had heard Ji Wei speak today.

Lu Shenxing lowered his gaze, his eyelashes trembling ever so slightly. He thought for a few seconds.

He suddenly opened the bottle cap, took a mouthful of water, and wrapped his arm around the back of Ji Wei’s head to keep him from moving too much. He fed the water straight into Ji Wei’s mouth.

Ji Wei, holding his drawing board, froze. His eyes blinked in confusion. Before he could even process what was happening, he dazedly swallowed. He subconsciously gulped, and the warm water flowed down his throat.

A trace of still-warm water remained on his lips.

Lu Shenxing slightly lifted his chin and bent down to lick it clean.

Finally, the man asked slowly and deliberately, “Was it cold, or hot?”

If he hadn’t asked, it would have been fine. But as soon as he did, Ji Wei’s entire face felt like it was on fire. Just then, the elevator doors opened, hiding the young man’s very soft reply: “Hot.”

Ying Guanxiao’s car was parked at the entrance. Ji Wei followed behind Lu Shenxing and got into the car, his head lowered the entire time.

Ying Guanxiao looked at Ji Wei’s cautious movements through the rearview mirror, his eyes full of sympathy. But he said nothing and showed nothing, simply driving them to the hospital.

Professor Song was not only a famous psychology professor but also an outstanding psychologist. He had many patients scheduled every day. There were two or three people ahead of Ji Wei.

Ji Wei wore a mask and sat with his head down on a long bench outside the consultation room, drawing.

—Quietly.

Ying Guanxiao pulled Lu Shenxing aside and asked, “Are you really not going to Berlin? It’s fine if you miss the film exhibition, but you have to go to the awards ceremony, right?”

Lu Shenxing glanced at Ji Wei, who was within his line of sight, and gently shook his head. “I’m not going.”

“Some media outlets are accusing you of being a diva. I’ve temporarily suppressed it,” Ying Guanxiao said with a sigh.

“Thanks.”

Lu Shenxing said calmly.

Only then did Ying Guanxiao realize that Lu Shenxing had never changed. He had just hidden his sharp edges a little in front of outsiders.

He was still that same cold and arrogant young man who cared about nothing but acting. The closer you got, the more you would feel it.

And the only gentleness he possessed was all given to Ji Wei.

***

Wang Yuan hadn’t been sleeping well lately. He didn’t know if it was because of the frequent international flights and his inability to adjust to the time difference, or the pressure of developing a new game after The Age of Great Contention. Every night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

At his assistant’s daily urging, he made an appointment with Professor Song for psychological counseling.

When he walked out of the consultation room, he felt much more relaxed.

Just as Wang Yuan was about to leave with his assistant, he suddenly caught sight of a masked young man on a long bench, drawing. The drawing was very rough, one could even call it a doodle.

But amidst the chaotic lines, he saw a huge, fallen tree. Within the tree were the tall buildings of a city. The only thing missing was a human presence. The brushstrokes were extremely chaotic and cold.

He came from a gaming background and had seen many excellent original artworks, but rarely had a painting given him such a feeling. It felt as if that giant tree was really about to collapse from the inside out, exuding a strong sense of decay.

He suddenly wanted to make an apocalypse game, but he felt something was missing.

Wang Yuan found him somewhat familiar and couldn’t resist handing over his business card.

“Hello, I’m Wang Yuan from Ark Games. Your drawing has a lot of imagination. I was wondering if you’d be interested in establishing a long-term collaboration with our company. If you’re willing, you can bring your portfolio to our company for a discussion…”

He felt his offer was very tempting. Working at Ark Games, whether in terms of future career development or salary, would be an attractive prospect for any graduate from the Academy of Fine Arts.

But the young man continued to draw, ignoring him completely, giving him no reaction at all.

It was the first time Wang Yuan had encountered such a situation, and his assistant was also at a loss.

But he didn’t give up. The young man was not old, so he might not be interested in his previous words. He changed his tone and tried to persuade him gently.

“It’s true that boys don’t spend much money in college, but if you have a girlfriend, you’ll spend a lot more. Buying clothes, bags, lipstick… Otherwise, would you have the nerve to let your girlfriend spend her money?”

He didn’t know which of his words moved Ji Wei, but Ji Wei looked toward Lu Shenxing, who was talking with Ying Guanxiao not far away. After a moment’s hesitation, he accepted the business card.

Wang Yuan let out a sigh of relief, his face beaming with joy. “As long as you’re willing to come, our company will always welcome you.”

He watched as the young man carefully put away the business card before leaving with his assistant. The assistant whispered a reminder, “Didn’t you say before that there would be an interview?” Why was he now just opening the door for him?

Wang Yuan’s tone was matter-of-fact. “What if he finds the interview too troublesome and refuses to come? I spent so much effort persuading him.”

Assistant: “…The last sentence is the main point, isn’t it.”

As he walked out of the hospital, Wang Yuan suddenly remembered something and turned around. “Why do I feel like that’s Ji Wei? His eyes and brows are carved from the same mold.”

“It really is. I still have the poster of him endorsing The Age of Great Contention on my phone.” The assistant also belatedly realized. “No wonder he looks so young but draws so well. We’ve hit the jackpot by hiring him.”

Wang Yuan coughed.

The assistant immediately understood. “It’s a win-win.”

Their voices were a bit loud due to their excitement and were overheard by Gu Huaiyi, who was accompanying a friend to the doctor. The friend whispered, “Don’t they follow the gossip? Didn’t they say Ji Wei has psychological problems? Can he even work normally? They’re acting like they’ve found a treasure.”

“It’s probably some small studio,” Gu Huaiyi said softly.

***

After waiting for about an hour, it was finally Ji Wei’s turn.

He didn’t dare to enter the consultation room alone, so Lu Shenxing accompanied him. Professor Song stood up and shook hands with Lu Shenxing, then introduced himself to Ji Wei.

“Hello, Ji Wei. My family and the Lu family have been friends for generations. If you don’t mind, you can call me Uncle Song.”

Ji Wei lowered his head and said nothing.

Professor Song didn’t press him.

Normally, to better conduct psychotherapy, Lu Shenxing should not have been present. But Ji Wei’s situation was special, so he didn’t insist on Lu Shenxing leaving.

Ji Wei had undergone psychotherapy before. He had thought Professor Song would have him fill out a test form first and had braced himself to take the test.

But surprisingly, Professor Song just chatted with him. “I usually like fishing, playing chess, and collecting stamps. What do you like, Weiwei?”

“If you don’t want to say it, you can write it down.”

Professor Song’s voice was very affable.

Ji Wei turned to look at Lu Shenxing before taking out his pen and notebook to write on it.

Five minutes later.

While Ji Wei was writing, Professor Song was also evaluating him. He took the paper handed to him by Lu Shenxing and was surprised by the young man’s handwriting. It was elegant and free-spirited, exceptionally well-written.

And his thinking was clear.

He didn’t seem like an autistic patient.

He considered the possibility of high-functioning autism.

He looked at the contents of the paper. There was painting, calligraphy, and even the guqin. There was even beef jerky… The young man was answering his questions very seriously, actively cooperating with the treatment. He couldn’t help but glance up at Ji Wei.

It must be very hard.

To have to endure his own anxiety and discomfort.

He put away the paper and asked again, “Weiwei likes many things, but is there a favorite?”

Psychologists are different from other doctors. The first thing they need to establish is the patient’s trust and sense of closeness. If they cannot gain the patient’s sufficient trust and listen to them patiently, the therapeutic effect will be minimal.

He wasn’t against medication, but he felt that medication was only one aspect; psychological counseling was an aspect that could not be ignored.

He noticed the drawing board that Ji Wei was clutching tightly in his hands. It must be painting. Perhaps this could be used as a starting point in subsequent treatment.

Lu Shenxing’s gaze was fixed on Ji Wei. He quietly watched as the young man picked up his pen, the tip making a soft scratching sound as it touched the blank paper. Stroke by stroke, he wrote down—

Lu, Shen, Xing.