Chapter 5

I passed the interview, but now I am locked in here and cannot get out. With a crisp and gritted tone, I said, "In a month's time, I will call Qi Qing to help me pack some clothes and daily necessities. You can bring them over in the evening and leave them at the door; the security will help you take them in."

He has never spoken to Dr. Zhao about the voice associated with Dr. Zhao's work state, which he finds very repulsive

Qi Cheng shrank his neck under the glare, turning his gaze away and daring not to further examine her expression when she looked at the menu

Even if there are no surveillance cameras in the kitchen, she does not have the courage to take out the leftover ingredients from today and present them in the same way the next day. It is certain that Qi Jia's invitation does not include serving leftover food to the Qi family.

However, he immediately made an effort to persuade himself that the person opposite him was someone he had hired at great expense, and cooking was her job

The battle between heaven and man had just begun to unfold in my mind when the monitor suddenly echoed with the voice of Chi Zhihan

The content of Chi Zhihan's phone call was very casual. Suddenly leaving home for a month, she chattered on about needing to bring a few pieces of clothing and several sets of underwear, even giving each set of underwear some inexplicable names. The two girls understood each other instantly, and with just a casual name, they could laugh heartily for half a day.

He has been a doctor for many years and has made significant contributions in the field of psychology. He naturally understands the reasons behind Qi Cheng's rejection of him. However, since Qi Cheng does not speak up, his主动开口 would be of no use and would instead make Qi Cheng feel that this is another form of intentionality

A mountain of debt, my father has already passed away, and my mother is nowhere to be found

Dr. Zhao was quite surprised by this phone call

As a private chef, she occasionally encounters employers who require monitoring of the cooking process. She has also experienced being monitored by cameras throughout the entire process. However, most of the monitoring does not include audio equipment, so she naturally assumes that cameras are usually without audio.

Lin Jingwu, who was preparing to celebrate with a bottle of Moutai, hung up the phone and Chi Zihan began to call Qi Qing again

Lively and vivid, it accentuates the increasing dullness on his side

When Qi Ning was about to leave, he handed her a note, a very ordinary A4 sheet of paper, cut in half, and surprisingly, it was indeed handwritten.

The other party

Qi Cheng was not aware that he was staring at the screen with near desperation, across the glass, through two doors and a corridor, at the person on the opposite side, who was smiling carefreely just because their monthly salary had been raised a little bit.

Qi Cheng has seen Dr. Zhao's private demeanor; he has a high-pitched voice, enjoys drinking, and after a few rounds of drinks, he will pound the table and sing Peking opera

"Let me do it." Qi Cheng looked at his hand, which he could not help but want to reach for the speaker, frowned, seemingly unable to understand why he suddenly said such a thing

Remember. After the call was made, Qi Cheng felt a bit regretful

This is the first time Qi Cheng has actively requested communication

After speaking, quickly move the phone away

It is indeed very good to calm down and think

Happiness

After saying this sentence, Chi Zhihan in the surveillance footage moved the phone far away, displaying a look of disdain

He appears somewhat dazed

... ...

Happiness is actually quite easy; just face the sunlight and lift the corners of your mouth.

Qi Qing is her university classmate, her close friend, and the only person whose attitude towards her has not changed at all after the upheaval in her family

Do you remember that I once suggested to you that it would be best to keep the television on at home year-round, playing comedy programs? Dr. Zhao's voice was low and, once in work mode, he would try to use a non-aggressive tone as much as possible

Chi Zhihan had no idea that her phone was being tapped

Those who have truly experienced the depths of life, once they have persevered, will find that each subsequent day of their lives is better than before

And Qi Qing's idol is Qi Ning, who has always looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze, making her feel completely uncomfortable, much like Wu Zetian of the Qi family

Although the one paying is the boss, the employee Chi Zhi Han still harbored a lengthy internal monologue filled with inappropriate profanity, and instinctively shot a glare at the camera

Qicheng was at a loss in the midst of such commotion; he began to drink water frequently and sweat, yet he did not turn off the sound.

... ...

Gritting his teeth, he stood up and picked up the phone on the table. He dialed Dr. Zhao's number, marking the first time in over half a year that he actively wanted to reach out to Dr. Zhao

The spontaneous improvement of such patients due to changes in their environment is not entirely a good thing; it may also lead to a backlash that causes them to retreat further into deeper darkness.

He cannot constantly concern himself with everyone else's opinions of him, especially those who are actually irrelevant.

Even Dr. Zhao was unexpectedly at a loss for words on how to respond

His current symptoms are somewhat strange, unrelated to social anxiety disorder, and not connected to inexplicable hallucinations; rather, he has an uncontrollable desire to spy on the life of his female private chef

Why does she have so many things that are worth laughing about, even when talking about the cactus at home that she is about to kill, she can still laugh with a sound like a pig's squeal

Qi Cheng suddenly felt a sense of shame from voyeurism; he was now intruding into the life of a completely unrelated person, which had nothing to do with the comic material he needed, but was entirely private life.

At this moment, she is being infected by Lin Jingwu's joy, and the slight discomfort she previously felt due to Qi Ning has been completely cast aside.

In Qicheng's house, there is only sound when the Qijia family calls to inquire about the situation, which happens twenty-four hours a day. Previously, the hired male chefs spoke very little, and even when they needed to make a phone call, they would avoid the camera and retreat to the bedroom or bathroom.

He is cautiously verifying whether he has already become abnormal

Moreover, it is essential to remind her not to display negative emotions in areas where there are cameras

Then, maintaining this posture for a while, I finally put the phone back to my ear: "Just now, when I was signing the contract with Qi Ning, I awkwardly fell silent for a moment; the monthly salary has been increased by 15 percent."

I just need to add one more line to the menu, no need to trouble Qi Ning. It seemed like an explanation to Dr. Zhao as well as to himself, and Qi Cheng's tone was somewhat urgent

Quite beautiful penmanship, with a force that penetrates the paper, strong and robust—one can immediately tell it is the handwriting of a man, and judging by the stability of the characters, this person is likely not young.

In one month, her worth could double, as her father is ill and the debts from the business can be repaid sooner, thus allowing her more energy and time to search for her mother

There is some apprehension, worrying whether such disturbances might provoke dissatisfaction from the new chef

A smile radiates joy across her face, with deep dimples that convey happiness even through the screen

Isn't she supposed to be very pitiful

Therefore, after she finishes dinner tomorrow, she will spend another four hours making a bowl of Yangchun noodles

I truly did not expect that it was because of a chef

Squinting his eyes, he unexpectedly felt an uncontrollable urge to turn up the volume again

Chinese cuisine is quite ordinary, with garlic-encrusted enoki mushrooms and pan-fried shrimp cakes paired with clam and mushroom soup. Chi Zhihan estimated that there was only one hour of work involved. Dinner was also not difficult, consisting of pig liver and vegetable soup, fish-flavored tofu, and teriyaki chicken thighs. What nearly drove her to the brink was the late-night snack, which prominently featured the words, "Yangchun noodles that do not taste like Yangchun noodles"

At this moment, Chi Zhihan's feelings are difficult to express in words

Thus, the sudden unfamiliar voice almost caused Qi Cheng to fall back into his thoughts of social anxiety, but it was abruptly interrupted

Chi Zhihan forced herself to ignore the fact that she might have to live across from a strange middle-aged man for a month, focusing her attention on the menu, and then her lips began to twitch

So the middle-aged man lives across the door

Qi Cheng is not a very good patient; he is uncooperative, resistant to psychological counseling, and will unilaterally stop taking medication as soon as any side effects occur

Could it be that being alone at home for too long has already led to other symptoms

After Dr. Zhao hung up the phone, he quickly contacted Qi Ning, believing it necessary to include Qi Cheng's new chef in the treatment plan

However, after a moment of contemplation, Dr. Zhao finally spoke, "Qi Cheng, you must ensure that the other party agrees to this method"

However, there is always hope

It is completely different from the current approach, using a trustworthy voice, gently guiding the patient to share their story.

He has a personal relationship with Qi Jia, and strictly speaking, he is not suitable to be Qi Cheng's attending physician. However, this child, Qi Cheng, refuses to accept any other doctors except for him

The new girl with a complicated name seems to be unaware that the camera has audio recording capabilities

Your current state of mind is exactly what I hope to achieve for you through comedy films Doctor Zhao maintained this tone You live alone and your family is mostly cautious about your condition rarely hearing such relaxed laughter and this method of stress relief is actually beneficial for your treatment

Wiping away the cold sweat that had reappeared on my forehead, I recalled Chi Zhihan's earlier glare, her eyes starkly contrasting in black and white, her lips slightly pursed, looking utterly aggrieved

Why can one smile like this, bringing such joy that it makes others envious

Moreover, the content of the consultation is astonishing

Qi Cheng's emotional entanglement, under his own deliberate concealment, has become so obscure that even he cannot see it clearly.

Thus, it was only natural that she was fortunate enough to become the private chef for the Qi family for a month, which made the screams of Qi Qing on the other end of the phone clearly audible even through the surveillance monitor

Today's phone call may be the only breakthrough in the past few years

It is very appropriate for Qi Ning to say this. He did not expect that a chef could bring about such therapeutic effects. If possible, it would also be beneficial to increase her salary a bit more.

Over the years, whenever he fell ill, he would never take the initiative to seek him out; this is the first time.

A pathological desire for such liveliness, yet a fear of such noise

He inexplicably understood again; this is a complaint about him not eating the noodles he made today, insisting on making her do it all over again in the middle of the night tomorrow

Simply ... ...

If you find it inconvenient to speak, I can inform Qi Ning. Doctor Zhao discerned the meaning behind Qi Cheng's silence, and it is no wonder that he would feel a sense of guilt for eavesdropping

Finally turned off the speaker, allowing the room to return to silence, squinting my eyes as I watched the woman on the screen laugh so hard that she pounded the table

No wonder such a retro mode of communication is adopted

The expression will also become lewd, and then Chi Zhi Han will cast a guilty glance at the camera, striving to return to normal.

He has always known that he has a mental illness, but this is the first time he has realized that he has become perverse