Psychological Counseling

The weekend passed, and life returned to its usual rhythm.

Ye Shuang woke up early, stretching his stiff limbs as his joints emitted faint cracks. After sitting at the bedside for a while, his gaze settled on the sleeping girl beside him.

In the hazy morning light, Bai Yuyou’s sleeping posture was a mess. Her silk nightgown had ridden up to her chest, revealing pale, almost luminous skin.

"Exposing your stomach will make you catch a cold," Ye Shuang murmured, resting his chin on his hand. Beneath his messy bangs, his deep eyes held a hint of helplessness.

No matter how hot the weather was, the belly button had to stay covered.

He reached out to tug her nightgown down, but it was pinned under her back, refusing to budge. His attempt only made things worse—the girl lifted her thigh and draped it over his wrist.

Staring at the pair of "puddings," Ye Shuang had no choice but to pick up the blanket that had slipped to the floor and drape it over her again.

After washing up, he tied on an apron and pulled ingredients from the fridge.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

A knock sounded at the door—Tang Keke had arrived, earlier than usual today. When Ye Shuang opened the door, she greeted him with a bright smile. "Morning, Brother!"

"Morning, Keke. Come in, breakfast isn’t ready yet."

Ye Shuang let Tang Keke inside before returning to the kitchen. Noticing Bai Yuyou was still asleep, Tang Keke set down her bag and followed him in.

"Brother, let me help."

"Thanks."

With Tang Keke’s assistance, breakfast was prepared quickly.

"Brother, what did you and Yuyou do over the weekend?"

"Went to a friend’s birthday party… then had a nice meal."

"Ohh… smells amazing."

"Eat plenty later."

"Hehe."

They chatted idly until Bai Yuyou finally woke up. Sleepy-eyed, with a stubborn cowlick sticking up, she swayed her way to the bathroom to wash up.

By the time she finished, breakfast was ready. Tang Keke grinned. "Morning, Yuyou."

"Morning…"

Even after washing her face, Bai Yuyou still looked half-asleep. Expressionless, she plopped straight into Ye Shuang’s lap the moment he sat down, refusing to move.

"Guess she didn’t get enough sleep," Ye Shuang said, gently patting her back.

Tang Keke tilted her head. "Did she stay up late?"

"Sort of. We watched some anime last night." Ye Shuang coughed lightly. He had planned to show Bai Yuyou just two episodes, but she ended up insisting they finish the entire season.

"What anime?"

"Flammable Oolong Tea," Ye Shuang replied. It was a hilarious comedy series—he had hoped it might help Bai Yuyou develop a sense of humor. After all, she always wore such a serious expression. Maybe a good laugh would loosen her up.

But in reality, Bai Yuyou hadn’t laughed at all. Instead, she had reacted with strange, jerky tremors, as if her system was struggling to process the humor. Clearly, this would take more time.

Once Bai Yuyou got up, she mechanically ate her breakfast before wobbling off like a drowsy little penguin, led away by Tang Keke.

"Brother, we’re heading out."

"Be careful on the road… and hold Yuyou’s hand when crossing the street."

"Got it, got it!"

After seeing the girls off to school, Ye Shuang cleaned up breakfast and settled into his daily writing routine.

His novel’s performance had been improving lately, even climbing to #2 on the new releases chart in its category. Checking the ratings, he noticed they had risen from 6.9 to 8.5. Seeing readers grow fond of his characters warmed his heart. He quietly typed out a request for kind readers to recommend his book and send free gifts before shutting his laptop.

"Made a few hundred bucks—not bad, a good start." His recent royalties had come in. He almost joked about it being enough for cigarettes, but caught himself and said instead,

"Got this month’s gum money covered."

With his writing done, Ye Shuang left for school. His work hours were different from the teachers’, starting at 10 a.m.

"Young man." As soon as he opened his door, he ran into the elderly man who lived upstairs, seemingly on his way to buy groceries. The old man smiled warmly. "Morning."

"Morning. Off to the market, sir?"

"Yes, ran out of food at home."

"With your legs giving you trouble, maybe you should order groceries online?" Ye Shuang suggested, but the old man shook his head. "It’s fine. I need to get some fresh air anyway."

"I’m old. If I don’t go out now, I might never get the chance."

Then, his face brightened. "My son and granddaughter are visiting soon. If I don’t stay active, how will I carry my precious girl?"

Just mentioning his family brought an unconscious smile to the old man’s face.

Ye Shuang chuckled and didn’t press further.

Arriving at Yinshan Academy, Ye Shuang slipped into his white coat. With nothing urgent to do, he resumed studying medical books.

"Knock, knock." About half an hour later, a female student walked in. Ye Shuang recognized her.

[Character: Xu Xiaoman

Year 4, Environmental Art Class 1, Yinshan Academy. Recently had an abortion.]

"Doctor, I got the abortion… Thanks to you spotting it early, my body’s fine now." The girl sat down, expressing her gratitude.

"Don’t mention it. Young women should take good care of themselves," Ye Shuang said. "You’re in Year 4—outside, you’d just be a college freshman. These are the best years of your life."

"I know," the girl replied with a smile. "I’ve broken up with him. A guy like that, who doesn’t take responsibility, isn’t worth staying with."

Ye Shuang nodded seriously. "First, you have to take responsibility for yourself."

The girl agreed. "I’ve got a new boyfriend now. He loves me and is way more reliable."

Ye Shuang: "…"

Was switching partners this casual for young people these days?

But Ye Shuang was just a school doctor—he had no business meddling in others’ lives. His earlier advice had been purely out of goodwill.

After Xu Xiaoman left, another girl soon arrived.

"So there really is a clinic here," she remarked as she stepped inside.

Once seated, Ye Shuang glanced at her. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Doctor, you’re really handsome," she blurted out.

Ye Shuang blinked but managed a polite "Thank you."

[Character: Li Wenjun

Year 5, Foreign Languages Class 3, Yinshan Academy. A fangirl.]

A quick scan of her info didn’t reveal anything unusual.

"I’m feeling down. I need counseling," the girl sighed. "It’s eating me up."

Counseling?

Ye Shuang’s lips twitched. Was he expanding his services now?