Chapter 16: Enemies Cross Paths

Her uncle knew quite a lot about what happened back then. Although Lin Xi had cut off contact with everyone in Jing City over the years, he understood well that the person she most wanted to avoid was Qin Yu.

Lin Xi carefully examined her uncle’s medical report, speaking with little concern, “He was just passing by. It’s hardly a reconciliation. We’re in the same circle, and the place is so small you run into each other whether you like it or not. It’s impossible to keep things tense forever.”

Years ago, when she was studying in Lin City, he hadn’t paid much attention to her emotional well-being. Now, at the slightest sign of trouble, her uncle grew highly alert. Lin Xi had grown used to it.

“I see,” her uncle quickly grasped her meaning. “So you plan to keep things like this with him?”

Lin Xi’s hand paused as she turned the page. “Isn’t this good enough? What else should I do?”

Her uncle clearly had something to say, but in the end he simply shook his head, saying nothing.

Lin Xi was puzzled, sensing her uncle was hiding something from her.

Because a minor incident had occurred on the plane yesterday, Lin Xi went to the hospital for a follow-up the next day, just to be safe.

Everything was still normal. After listening to her description, the doctor pondered for a moment and suggested she talk to her psychologist again.

Leaving the hospital, Lin Xi hesitated, then decided to visit her former psychologist.

Her psychologist was a middle-aged Chinese man, a renowned counselor in the area.

It had been years since they last met. When he saw her walk in, he was momentarily dazed before reacting, “Lin Xi?”

“Dr. Xu, it’s been a long time.”

“Come in, come in!” Dr. Xu stood and welcomed her inside. “Still tea?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Dr. Xu placed the teacup on the table before her, then walked around to sit on the opposite sofa.

After some small talk, Dr. Xu tentatively asked, “How have you been lately?”

Lin Xi showing up so suddenly probably meant something was wrong.

He recalled that the last time he met Lin Xi was when she was a senior in college. During that time, her insomnia was severe; nearly every day she would come by for a cup of tea before leaving.

“I’ve returned home, but I still can’t sleep well. Yesterday, on the flight back, thinking about the past triggered my old problems again.”

“Your heart still races?”

“Mm. Because of the tinnitus, I instinctively felt like I’d gone back to years ago.”

“How long did the symptoms last this time? Was it the same as before?”

Lin Xi hesitated, not answering.

Dr. Xu instantly grew nervous. “Is it worse?”

Across from him, the girl’s expression became peculiar; her hand tightened around the teacup, her lips twitched, and after a long pause, she stammered, “It didn’t last long. Someone grabbed my hand, and then I came back to myself.”

While she was lost in her nightmare, trying to cover her ears, someone had seized her hand.

“In the dream?” Dr. Xu assumed it was like before.

When Lin Xi was trapped in nightmares, she would subconsciously struggle to break free, leading her to imagine scenes and people that weren’t real, or muddled memories, as a way to shatter the dream.

She had a sense of self-rescue, but Dr. Xu never saw this as something to be happy about.

Just when Dr. Xu thought she had returned to the state she was in seven years ago, Lin Xi suddenly said, “No.” She emphasized again, “This time, it wasn’t. He was right beside me.”

Dr. Xu’s hand, poised to take notes, paused, leaving a dot of ink on the paper.

Lin Xi’s gaze was resolute.

After a few seconds of eye contact, Dr. Xu put down his fountain pen with a smile, folding his hands on the table. “Is it the person who always appears in your dreams?”

“The one who, in every way, causes you so much ‘distress.’”

“…”

Hearing this, Lin Xi felt uncomfortable.

Dr. Xu took in all her subtle gestures, understanding fully. “Perhaps, between you two, there was indeed a period that brought you much anguish.”

“But I believe you still care about him.”

“Your subconscious doesn’t lie. Obviously, the help he brings you outweighs the harm. In your heart, only he can pull you out of the depths.”

“From the time you came to see me seven years ago until now, it’s always been this way. I think you’ve already realized it, though you’re unwilling to admit it.”

How could someone as clever as her not notice?

Perhaps, from the very beginning, she had known.

—

Leaving Dr. Xu’s office, Lin Xi wandered aimlessly down the street.

For the past seven years, she had passed this road almost every day. A bit further ahead was her school.

At the intersection, she stood alone at the curb, waiting for the green light.

Noticing the cars on both sides had stopped, Lin Xi glanced at the signal, then slowly walked forward.

Dr. Xu’s words still echoed in her ears, yet strangely, her mind was blank.

Just as she exhaled, she looked up by chance and her gaze fixed on the figure across the street.

He stood at the other end of the crosswalk—though the light was green, he remained quietly in place, his eyes resting directly on her.

Lin Xi halted, staring dazedly at the figure not far away.

If he hadn’t noticed her, she would have turned and taken another route. But he didn’t give her that chance.

The saying “enemies always meet on narrow roads” could not describe them better.

The red light came on, honking from both sides urged her on, and Lin Xi hurriedly ran across the road.

“Third Brother,” she called to him, unwillingly.

Qin Yu lowered his gaze, his eyes roaming across her face. “Where have you been?”

Lin Xi didn’t want to answer that question.

She recalled the words Dr. Xu had just said—

“Lin Xi, my suggestion is you try spending time with him. Perhaps it’s not as difficult as you imagine.”

So she raised her head and asked Qin Yu, “Third Brother, shouldn’t you know exactly where I’ve been? You actually know everywhere I go, don’t you?”

“The servants at your uncle’s house said you went to see a doctor.”

Qin Yu replied indirectly.

Lin Xi nodded, but that was not the answer she wanted. “But I wasn’t asking about today.”

She took a deep breath and, as she exhaled, her shoulders slumped; she flashed him a radiant smile.

“I mean, back when I lived here. You knew which hospital I went to, which doctor I saw, and even my progress, didn’t you?”

She had wanted to ask him this since yesterday on the plane. The timing just hadn’t been right.

Qin Yu stayed silent, as if pondering how to answer.

At that moment, Lin Xi seemed to see through all his thoughts, her eyes crinkling with a smile. “I’m not in a hurry. Why don’t we find somewhere to sit, and Third Brother can take his time making up a story?”

For anyone else, who would dare tease Qin Yu? Even if others knew he was stalling or lying, they wouldn’t dare expose him.

But Lin Xi alone had nothing to fear.