Chapter 106: The Depressed Daughter 6

Because Xie Hui had mentioned to Liu Hui that it was best not to bring up Xie Zhaodi’s condition in front of her to avoid upsetting her, Liu Hui had been holding back.

Before completely losing consciousness in the surgery room, Liu Hui thought that no matter what, she had to pull through. Her daughter had suffered too much in the first half of her life and cared deeply for her as a mother. If anything happened to her, she feared Zhaodi might not be able to cope.

She hadn’t yet seen her daughter get married. Zhaodi had already lost her father, and if her mother wasn’t there at the wedding, Liu Hui feared her daughter would have no support and might be bullied after marriage.

After Liu Hui was discharged from the hospital, her health gradually improved. The more strenuous household chores were done by a part-time worker, and Xie Hui sent her five thousand yuan every month, encouraging her to buy whatever she wanted.

The consumables at home were purchased by the part-time worker at Xie Hui’s request. The money given to his mother was purely a son’s filial respect.

One day, the part-time worker knocked on the door of their rented apartment with a large bouquet of flowers. She said her niece’s flower shop wasn’t doing well, and Mr. Xie had asked her to buy these flowers cheaply so that the mother and daughter could try flower arranging to pass the time.

Most girls love flowers, so Xie Zhaodi immediately put down the cat she was holding, stood up, and took out a vase she had bought with her mother during a shopping trip.

The part-time worker, already wearing an apron, began cleaning the kitchen and living room. Seeing the mother and daughter seriously trimming the flower stems, she couldn’t help but smile and say:

“Madam, having such an excellent son like Mr. Xie must be a blessing.”

He was handsome, successful, and most importantly, filial and good-natured.

Liu Hui nodded with a smile, agreeing with the part-time worker. Now that she had recovered, she couldn’t help but think back to the past. If Xie Hui hadn’t appeared, their family might have fallen apart long ago.

If it hadn’t been for Xie Hui’s reminder, Liu Hui wouldn’t have realized her daughter had issues. Since she brought her daughter to live with her, her daughter had always been introverted.

Due to her busy work schedule and the exhaustion of real life draining all her energy, Liu Hui had no time to notice the differences in her daughter.

Looking back now, it was likely that when she brought her daughter to live with her, her daughter already had psychological issues.

While Liu Hui was lost in thought about the past, Xie Zhaodi, who was arranging flowers, suddenly realized she hadn’t worked for a long time, relying on her brother for daily expenses.

Previously, she couldn’t manage a job because her mother was hospitalized. But now that her mother had been discharged and didn’t need constant care, she felt it was time to find work.

Even though her brother had mentioned several times that it was okay to support her, Xie Zhaodi couldn’t comfortably accept his gifts and care.

She was a capable adult and couldn’t accept staying at home all day, like a leech living off her brother.

“Mom, I’m thinking of finding a job. Brother’s work is quite tiring, and if I work, I can at least help him a bit.”

Now, when she called him “brother,” it was sincere. She couldn’t forget how he bullied her when they were young. But thinking about how, without him, her mother wouldn’t be in such good health now, she could let go of all her childhood grudges.

She had stayed outside the surgery room all night, afraid of hearing bad news. The hallway was eerily quiet at night, and in such an environment, Xie Hui, as her brother, gave her a shoulder to lean on, providing a sense of security that made Xie Zhaodi very satisfied.

When Liu Hui heard Xie Zhaodi’s words, she was momentarily stunned, forcing a stiff smile.

“Now, there’s no rush. It’s not easy to find a job in a place where you don’t know anyone. Take your time.”

That day, Liu Hui, feeling overwhelmed, went out to buy groceries with the part-time worker. Just then, Xie Hui returned, carrying some snacks he had bought on the way.

Hearing footsteps, Xie Zhaodi, who was watering flowers on the balcony, quickly came out.

“Brother, why are you back so early today?”

“The company isn’t busy. The boss wanted to travel abroad, so he let our studio staff go home early. I happened to see some osmanthus cakes on sale on the way. Try them.”

Xie Zhaodi walked over, took the osmanthus cake, and tried a piece. It tasted pretty good.

“Brother, I’m planning to find a job. Your work is quite tiring, and now that mom is better, I can help share the burden. What do you think?”

Faced with Xie Zhaodi’s plan, Xie Hui didn’t immediately respond. He was somewhat opposed to it.

After spending so much time together, he understood that Xie Zhaodi was introverted and sensitive. Once she entered the workforce, the company wouldn’t be like home, and not everyone would be careful with her feelings.

Words that might mean nothing to a normal person could easily hurt Xie Zhaodi.

Coincidentally, Xie Hui had received a message from the psychologist on his way back, saying he had just returned to the country and had time to see Xie Zhaodi.

He also clarified that he was just a psychological consultant, some referred to him as a psychologist, but he couldn’t replace a doctor.

If Xie Zhaodi’s condition was indeed severe, his suggestion was for her to see a professional at a regular hospital.

“Before you decide to work, I think you should consider seeing a psychologist.”

“Psychologist?”

The word made Xie Zhaodi, who was eating the osmanthus cake, pause. She had heard it from colleagues when she was working.

Back then, a few colleagues were complaining, saying they needed to see a psychologist. But when they found out it cost two hundred yuan an hour, they suddenly felt cured.

“Why see a psychologist?”

“Don’t you think you might have some psychological issues?”

Xie Zhaodi frowned slightly, thought carefully, then looked up at her brother and shook her head seriously.

“I don’t think I have any issues. I’ve been like this since I was a child.”

Xie Hui took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable bitterness in his heart, and smiled at her.

“That only means you’ve had issues since childhood, not that you don’t have any.”

Considering the expensive consultation fees of a psychological consultant, Xie Zhaodi firmly shook her head. She already felt guilty relying on her brother for everything, let alone for something she deemed unimportant.

“You know mom’s condition. The doctor said she can’t be upset.”

Xie Zhaodi didn’t quite understand why Xie Hui suddenly brought this up but nodded. She had memorized this, having read it many times, and could recite the doctor’s instructions backward.

“You know how much mom cares about you. If something happens to you, do you think mom’s health can handle it? Besides, since you call me brother, isn’t it my duty to do this?”

Her mother had always been Xie Zhaodi’s weak spot, and that hadn’t changed.

Anything related to her mother made her compromise quickly.

After Xie Hui finished speaking, she showed some hesitation.

“Then, Brother, once I start working in the future, I’ll definitely pay all this money back to you.”

“Mm, alright.”

Xie Hui didn’t refuse Xie Zhaodi’s plan.

After all, they weren’t siblings who grew up together. Even with blood ties, the years apart had created a lot of distance between them. Not to mention, their relationship in childhood hadn’t been good at all.

Plus, Xie Zhaodi was the kind of person who didn’t like owing anyone. If Xie Hui didn’t agree, she would never feel at ease going to see a psychologist.

The next day, Xie Hui used the excuse of taking Xie Zhaodi out for a walk to bring her out of the house. Liu Hui didn’t think much of it. She saw them off at the door and reminded them to stay safe.

The psychological counseling center was in a slightly remote area, but it was nicely decorated. The floors were spotless upon entering.

It was Xie Zhaodi’s first time in such a place, and her heart was beating a little fast for no reason. But when she turned and saw her brother standing beside her, she somehow felt a lot braver.

The psychological consultant wore a white coat over a shirt. As soon as Xie Zhaodi entered, her first impression was: this psychologist must have OCD—everything in the room was meticulously arranged.

“Family members, please wait outside.”

After Xie Zhaodi sat down, Jiang Yuze glanced at Xie Hui behind her and gently reminded him.

Xie Hui nodded and turned to leave the room, planning to wait out in the hallway.

After her brother left, Xie Zhaodi instinctively tightened her grip on her clothes. In her panic, her gaze unknowingly settled on the psychologist in front of her.

Jiang Yuze held the file provided by the family. When he saw the name, he frowned slightly.

He’d had quite a few patients with similar names—Zhaodi, Pandie—names that clearly came from certain kinds of families. These girls, once grown and capable, would eventually realize something was wrong and come alone to see a psychologist.

“No need to be nervous. You can think of me as a friend, just interact with me like you would with any ordinary friend.”

The moment Jiang Yuze said that, Xie Zhaodi grew even more nervous. She’d never had any friends and didn’t know what it meant to interact with one.

“Or maybe you can temporarily imagine me as someone you trust the most. Relax a little. Maybe all I want today is to have a chat. Don’t you think the weather’s nice today? Before long, we’ll probably see grandpas selling candied hawthorn on the streets.”

With just a few simple words, Jiang Yuze guided her thoughts along his lead.

A grandpa selling candied hawthorn from a bicycle cart, autumn leaves covering the ground—just imagining it brought a sense of peace.

Outside the room, Xie Hui sat on a chair, glanced at some messages in his work group chat, replied to a few, and then looked up news about President Wang.

At first, it was only that brand’s consumers rejecting the new product. But as the news spread, the entire company started suffering.

Most buyers stated they couldn’t accept buying anything from someone like her.

This scandal hit President Wang hard. Without solid evidence, the company might’ve spun it as baseless rumors. But Xie Hui had released photos, videos, and other evidence. Many online sleuths had confirmed those images weren’t edited or faked.

Now, even employees from President Wang’s company had come forward online, saying the business was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Even with major discounts, sales remained dismal.

It was like a restaurant being exposed for having a dead rat in its food—no matter how cheap it became, few people would want to risk eating there.

Originally, Xie Hui had planned to add fuel to the fire, but now he hadn’t even lifted a finger and the company was already in shambles. President Wang had divorced the original host’s father and was burdened with debt. Xie Hui decided not to push further.

He always left a margin when dealing with things—his revenge was never absolute.

Xie Hui had once witnessed someone driven to madness. In an apocalyptic dimension, a man had killed his wife and subordinates, locked him in a dead city, and vanished.

That man eventually went insane, survived by consuming the energy crystal cores of his wife and subordinates, and nearly destroyed the entire dimension as a mortal.

For someone like President Wang, falling from heaven to hell was the best punishment. If she were pushed too far and did something irreversible…

Xie Hui didn’t want them to escape so easily. He preferred watching them struggle in pain.

After an hour and a half, the counseling session ended. Jiang Yuze personally walked Xie Zhaodi to the door.

“If you have time, feel free to come talk with me again.”

“Okay, thank you, Doctor.”

Xie Zhaodi gave him a small smile and, after saying goodbye, left the center with her brother.

As they walked along the sidewalk, she suddenly felt very relaxed. Everything she saw in the world seemed beautiful.

At that moment, Xie Hui also received a message from Jiang Yuze—a long one. The gist of it was that Xie Zhaodi’s psychological issues weren’t severe and didn’t require medication.

Family members should talk to her more, take her out, and avoid putting too much pressure on her.

After replying with a simple “Thank you,” Xie Hui turned off his phone. Looking at Xie Zhaodi in her beige trench coat walking beside him, he curved his lips into a faint smile.

It was good that nothing was wrong. According to the entruster’s memories, it was the long-term stress from work and the news of the entruster’s death that had weighed her down.

Even so, before anything else, Xie Hui still had one more thing to take care of.