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Mr. Xiang occasionally enjoys a few drinks, but because his alcohol tolerance is average, he generally exercises restraint, usually stopping after half a glass. However, he seemed particularly cheerful tonight. Coupled with the fact that he found the dishes prepared by Xiang Kun to his liking, he drank a little more than usual. Now, he was squinting, his face red, clearly a bit tipsy.

Even when intoxicated, Mr. Xiang was quite composed – most of the time, he’d just go to sleep.

But tonight he wasn’t ready to sleep yet – he was much more talkative. He chatted with Xiang Kun about many things from the past, with most of his stories punctuated with phrases like “back then,” “in those days,” “I remember.” From there the conversation shifted to international relations and economic policies, then house prices and the stock market, culminating in Xiang Kun’s job.

“You know, if you’re not happy in the big city, if you’re feeling too much pressure, not seeing any good opportunities; honestly, there’s no need to stay there. Come back home. Your mom and I may not have many resources, but we still have some influence here. And we both have retirement pensions and health insurance, so we won’t be a burden to you. Our Tong Shi is developing quite quickly too. Just look at all the shopping malls and big buildings being constructed one after another. The roads are widening, houses are becoming more sophisticated. With improved education, medical care and public security, living here isn’t a bad choice, with significantly less pressure…” Mr. Xiang said wistfully.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Xiang softly added, “And Xiao Xia is also working in Tong Shi.”

Xiang Kun touched his nose. His mom couldn’t go three sentences without mentioning Xiao Xia? This misunderstanding ran deep now…

But Mr. Xiang didn’t let the conversation derail, he continued, “Of course, the choice ultimately depends on your own judgment. I heard from Xiao Li at our company that in your line of work… programming, opportunities are better in a few of the first-tier cities. Our hometown doesn’t really have that kind of environment, so your future growth might be limited.”

Mrs Xiang couldn’t help but whisper a reminder, “It’s getting late, shouldn’t you prepare some supper for Xiao Xia? She must be hungry by now….”

Mr. Xiang gave Mrs. Xiang a stern look, opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t find the words. He just crossed his arms over his chest and hummed while watching TV.

Xiang Kun laughed, “Don’t worry, dad. After the Spring Festival, I’ll be making some adjustments to my work. I’ll be partnering with people on some new projects, and I might even leave the city I’m currently living in. Of course, rest assured, I still remember what you taught me, dad. I won’t blindly rush towards success without considering the possibility of failure. I’ll evaluate my abilities and not put all my eggs in one basket.” He didn’t mention to his parents that he had been “unemployed” and wouldn’t reveal anything until the infrastructure project in Tongshi Town had been completed so that his parents wouldn’t worry unnecessarily. For now, his main goal was to reassure them, but he also needed to start sowing some seeds for future developments.

Mr. Xiang nodded, “Anyway, just do what you’ve planned and remember, no matter what, your mother and I will always be there to support you. Whatever decision you make, we will stand by you.”

Xiang Kun nodded earnestly.

Mrs. Xiang couldn’t resist but to murmur to herself, seemingly to no one in particular, “What on earth is Xiao Xia eating tonight? The hospital canteen must be closed by now, and I imagine there won’t be places to eat outside. Is she hungry because she didn’t eat dinner? Or did she just eat some simple bread or instant noodles? On the eve of the Lunar New Year, it truly breaks my heart…”

Xiang Kun chuckled wryly, “Alright, mom, I’m heading to kitchen now. I’ll prepare something and then send it over to Xiao Xia.” He glanced at the time and saw that it was indeed getting late.

Mrs. Xiang immediately smiled, “Do you need any help in the kitchen?”

“There’s no need for that,” Xiang Kun replied, as he got up to head for the kitchen. “The ingredients are all ready. It won’t take long.”

As he began heating the pot, he overheard his mother grumbling at his father in the living room, “Old Xiang, don’t distract our son with irrelevant topics.”

“What do you mean irrelevant? I’m talking about important matters with our son…”

“What important matters? His whole life, from selecting a high school, to choosing science or humanities, to selecting a university, to finding a job, to buying a house – didn’t he make all these decisions by himself? You’re just needlessly worrying. Now, what’s the most important thing? Can’t you see?”

After a moment of silence, Mr. Xiang reluctantly agreed, “You have a point. First comes marriage, then the career – he’s turning thirty, he needs to start settling down.”

“Exactly! Right now, we need to give a hard push for him to proceed. I always felt that he was pouring all his energy into his work, thinking of getting ‘wealthy and successful’ before finding a wife. But what if he never gets rich and renowned? When will I ever get to see my grandchild then? I always arranged blind dates for him, but now that we have Xiao Xia… Our son fairly makes good decisions. He just needs to take that next step. You must not distract him by bringing other topics!” Mrs. Xiang cautioned very seriously, speaking in a lowered voice.

Lowering his voice as well, Mr. Xiang replied, “Agreed, let’s sell lamps to coconut farmers!”

“Sell your head, don’t speak English if you can’t! Speak human language!”

In the kitchen, Xiang Kun could only smile bitterly, handling and cooking the ingredients efficiently. By just past ten o’clock, he was almost done.

“Mom, Dad, I’m heading out.” Xiang Kun took the two large thermos food boxes specially prepared by his mother for the day, and bid farewell to his parents.

“Get going, be careful on the road, don’t spill the food.” Mrs. Xiang waved her hand.

Mr. Xiang, his face slightly red from drinking, smiled broadly and nodded slowly, “Go on, good luck and take care.”

At this time, there were naturally no buses available, and taxis were hard to come by. Of course, if Xiang Kun were to sprint at full speed and take the shortest path, it wouldn’t take long to reach the third hospital where Old Xia worked, but that would be a bit too exaggerated and likely to be picked up by surveillance cameras for abnormal behavior.

So he rode his mother’s electric scooter to the hospital, but the scooter was obviously not built to handle such a heavy load, and it creaked all the way, seeming to struggle considerably.

Upon arriving at the third hospital, he told the security guard at the gate he was looking for Xia Libing. After the guard confirmed it on call, Xiang Kun gave him a pack of cigarettes he had brought in advance, wished him “Happy New Year,” and then parked the scooter and entered the hospital with the food boxes.

Old Xia had told Xiang Kun in advance that the hospital had several closed wards that outsiders were not allowed to enter, even if they were relatives visiting patients, there were very strict rules. Especially the intensive care unit, which was very strictly managed.

So, after receiving Xiang Kun’s call, Old Xia had come to lead him directly to the reception room in the main office building.

Although it was New Year’s Eve, there were still quite a few doctors and nurses on duty in the hospital. However, the hospital was indeed too big. Walking into the main hall, it indeed looked a bit gloomy before the sensor lights came on.

Regardless of it was bald Xiang Kun carrying two food boxes, or Xia Libing in her lab coat with a ponytail, neither of them felt the slightest fear. The two were discussing the food that Xiang Kun had brought.

“My mom got some seafood this afternoon, including some big lobsters. I made it for Christmas last time but you weren’t there to try it. Now you can see how it tastes. I added some garlic vermicelli and a bit of fish as well, it should be quite good. The fish is a quality one, an East Star Grouper.”

“Did you make pork knuckle?” Xia Libing asked.

“You just had it this afternoon… Crispy Pig’s Elbow should be eaten soon after cooking. If you keep it in a thermos box, it won’t taste as good, will be less perfect. I did stew some pork hock for the evening, but I don’t think it goes well with seafood and vermicelli. By the way, did you have dinner? Are you hungry?”

“Fried noodles, yes, I’m hungry.”

Upon entering the reception room, Xiang Kun started setting the dishes one by one on the table. He was about to fetch the chopsticks and soup spoon he had brought from home, only to find that after hanging her lab coat on the clothes rack, Xia Libing had turned around, taking out a long box from the pocket of her lab coat, the very same box in which he packed the chopsticks for Old Xia.

Xia Libing glanced at Xiang Kun and seeing he wasn’t serving any bowls for himself, she asked, “Aren’t you eating?”

“I ate at home already, a lot for dinner, so full. Everything I brought is for you,” Xiang Kun replied.

But Xia Libing shook her head, “I’m sure you didn’t eat much.” She paused slightly, then added, “Is it because you can’t eat much that you’ve started to like cooking?”

Xiang Kun was taken aback, her question was… quite cryptic.

But over the past period, he had gotten used to Old Xia’s straight-shooting, so he remained very calm.

Sure enough, after Old Xia asked, she showed no expectation of receiving an answer from Xiang Kun, and started eating using the pair of chopsticks he’d given her.

Watching Old Xia blissfully enjoying her steaming hot seafood noodles, Xiang Kun could feel her intense appetite through the chopsticks, as well as a hint of impatience and urgency this sparked.

Quite evidently, this pair of chopsticks, infused with Little Fatty Girl’s emotions when she eats, had successfully connected to Old Xia’s emotional wavelength.

Even though through his previous observations, he was sure that Old Xia would have bigger emotional fluctuations when eating her favorite foods, no other items infused with emotions allowed him to directly sense Old Xia’s feelings in the past.

But now, through these chopsticks, not only can he feel her emotions when she eats, but also at any other time, as long as Old Xia is within the reach of the chopsticks, Xiang Kun could sense something like an emotion but not quite – a severe indifference and rationale. This is Old Xia’s norm.

This intense sense of rationality, of being clear-headed, feels like a reset button. It can help him clear away all other emotions when he senses it.

Xiang Kun believes, even if he entered the blood-drinking Period but couldn’t find a blood source momentarily, by sensing this pair of chopsticks and relying on the extreme feeling of rationale, he could suppress his agitated emotions, avoid reckless behaviors, and also use this sense of rationale to clear the backlash from using abilities like “mental deterrence” at night.

Of course, the premise is that Old Xia keeps these chopsticks by her side, and she is not having a meal when he senses it.

Otherwise… If Xiang Kun sensed that Old Xia was eating while he is in his blood-drinking hunger period, tsk tsk.

Seeing that Old Xia had almost finished the seafood noodles, Xiang Kun hurriedly drew the lunch box back a little: “Hey, eat slowly, there are other dishes. Try some of the other dishes too.”

Xia Libing pulled the lunch box back towards her and reached out her chopsticks towards the other dishes. In fact, Xiang Kun’s original plan for the night was not these dishes, but due to his mother bringing these ingredients over unexpectedly, he put all his energy into the seafood noodles. From the looks of it, his efforts were not in vain, Old Xia genuinely enjoyed her meal.

“So how is it, do you prefer this or the pig’s elbow?” Xiang Kun asked.

“Pig’s elbow.” Xia Libing responded without any hesitation.

Xiang Kun nodded with a smile: “Next time when I treat you to a meal… oh no, next time when you treat me to a meal, I’ll make it for you. I remember before the first time I treated you, Nana and Zhen’er to a meal, I asked you guys over WeChat about your preferences, your top three dishes, and you replied: Crispy Pig’s Elbow, Smoked Goose, and Napoleon Cake. Did you have a strong impression because you’ve had them somewhere before?”

“Yes.” While chewing on the fried spring roll in her mouth, Xia Libing simply replied.

Alright then, she obviously doesn’t want to elaborate on this so Xiang Kun switched angles: “Was there any particular reason for you to come to Citong and this hospital?”

Before Old Xia came to Citong, when they hung out, Yang Zhen’er and Nana asked something similar and she did not give any reasons. Yang Zhen’er and Nana could only speculate that it was because the vice dean was her aunt. However, with Old Xia’s qualifications, grades in school, and track record, there should not be any major problems getting into a big hospital’s relative department or even a better mental hospital in her original city. Normally speaking, she wouldn’t travel so far for her own career development.

If it were before, Xiang Kun wouldn’t bother asking this, knowing it wouldn’t amount to anything, but since Old Xia had been throwing ‘curveballs’ recently, he felt that her attitude towards him and her observation strategy must be different from before. Maybe he could get a different answer now.

Old Xia put a chunk of lobster meat into her mouth, chewed a few times with her eyes half-closed, took a sip of the mushroom soup on the side, and only after exhaling agreed, “Because my aunt is the vice dean and there are many special cases here.”

Xiang Kun immediately understood that because her aunt knew her capabilities well and was the vice dean here, she probably enjoyed more privileges here than at any other hospital.

“So…what sort of special cases are we talking about? Uh, if it’s inconvenient, you don’t have to say,” Xiang Kun followed up.

Xia Libing looked at him for a moment and gave a brief description of some of the special cases without revealing any details that could reveal the patient’s identity, such as their gender, occupation, or name.

There are some patients suffering from delusions who believe they are cultivating their spiritual selves; they refuse to eat, believing that they can sustain themselves through the essence of the heavens and earth. Even if their bodies are emaciated from starvation, they refuse to eat. However, if you tell them that a bun is an elixir of life, they’ll eagerly consume it.

There are patients who think they have superpowers and can hear others’ thoughts. No matter how much you tell them they’re mistaken, they only believe others are trying to deceive them.

There are patients who believe they are protectors of flame. They are drawn to fire, even if their bodies have suffered extensive burns. They staunchly believe that the fire can heal them and take away their pain.

Then there are those who believe they are some kind of wild beast, always stripping off their clothes to run into the mountains.

Other patients believe they are noble vampires, only drinking blood and fearing the sun. If you give them red beverages, or mix a lot of tomato sauce into their food, however, they’ll eat it.

Some see monsters in everyone, their worldviews completely misaligned from the average person’s. They live in constant fear.

There are also those who believe they’re geniuses with photographic memories, capable of answering a multitude of questions. However, their recollections are often divergent from the original information, and their problem-solving is random at best. Still, they adamantly believe that they’re always correct and that others are altering reality to deceive and stifle them.

Some of these patients arrive for treatment at their own request or that of their families, while others are sent for mandatory treatment after committing severe criminal offenses.

At the mention of the ‘vampire’ case, Xiang Kun instinctively glanced towards the window of the reception room. From there, he could see the hospital’s critical care unit. However, due to the number of buildings in the way, he couldn’t fully utilize his “Infrared Thermographic Vision Mode” to see if any ‘vampires’ or ‘mutants’ were indeed present in the unit.

Of course, according to Old Xia’s description, that case was likely just a typical psychiatric patient, not a ‘vampire’.

Still, he thought, he should double-check later.

Xiang Kun withdrew his gaze and noticed that Old Xia was looking at him. He knew that Old Xia had been watching his reaction to the mentioned cases, although he didn’t mind.

“Why did you choose to specialize in psychology and psychiatry?” Xiang Kun asked again.

“To treat myself,” Old Xia replied.

“You’re sick?” Xiang Kun quickly countered.

Old Xia retorted, “So are you.”

Xiang Kun paused for a moment before smiling and saying, “We’re all patients.” It was a phrase Old Xia had said when he had dinner at Old Xia’s house on Mid-Autumn Festival.

Old Xia nodded, “Exactly, we’re all patients. The only differences are in the nature and extent of our conditions.” Then he belched.

His words had seemed quite profound until he belched, which immediately spoiled the solemnity.

Seeing Old Xia ready to continue eating, Xiang Kun rushed to say, “Take a break, take a break. I’ll leave the thermos here. You can continue eating when you’re hungry later. Don’t eat all at once. You’re eating too fast.”

After considering for a moment, Xia Libing picked up the last piece of lobster meat and ate it. He then picked up the box, finished off the remaining vermicelli with a slurp, wiped his mouth, and began cleaning up the takeout boxes. He separated the uneaten food into one box to be taken home by Xiang Kun and put the eaten scraps into another.