After many years, Qin Jia once again experienced what it felt like to be a child.
She clung to her mother's embrace, lying in Shen Yushu's arms like a little animal, holding her tightly around the waist and refusing to let go, as if the woman in front of her really was her mother.
"Mom, I promise I'll be a good girl and behave from now on. Please, Dad, don't leave me. Don't abandon me. I'm scared..."
Qin Jia's thoughts drifted back to the years when she was separated from her parents, when she struggled to survive in the jaws of tigers, being bitten and bleeding profusely several times, the pain keeping her awake at night.
At that time, she longed for her parents to come find her and take her home.
However, reality left her utterly desperate.
She endured the most difficult years in fear and pain, but gradually she developed courage, learned to protect herself, and eventually survived in the forest.
Now, sitting in a brightly lit room, Qin Jia still trembles with fear when she recalls those darkest moments, just like when she was a child.
Shen Yushu looked at her daughter, who was crying and trembling, and her heart clenched tightly, feeling as if she were being pricked by needles all over her body.
She didn't know why Qin Jia had such thoughts. At this moment, Qin Jia was like a newborn cub, lacking a sense of security and craving her mother's protection.
Shen Yushu hugged her, sighed deeply, and said earnestly, "Jiajia, what nonsense are you talking about? How could your mother abandon you or not want you?"
"Don't worry, no matter what, your mom and dad would never abandon you..."
The woman's gentle words gradually brought Qin Jia back to reality. She slowly sat up, her eyes filled with tears, her curled eyelashes adorned with glistening beads, making her look incredibly endearing.
Qin Jia stared blankly at Shen Yushu, then asked her with unusual seriousness, "No matter what happens, you won't abandon me? Are you sure?"
If what she said is true, then why was the original owner kicked out of the house in the previous world?
Staring intently into those amber eyes, Shen Yushu's heart skipped a beat, and she felt inexplicably guilty: "Jiajia, why would you ask that? Are you doubting your parents' love for you?"
"Of course we love you."
Qin Jia didn't speak, but looked at her silently for a long time before asking softly, "Can I hug you?"
Shen Yushu paused for a moment, then nodded.
"sure."
Qin Jia held Shen Yushu in his arms, resting his face on her shoulder, quietly enjoying the intimacy of the moment.
Shen Yushu gently patted Qin Jia's back and said softly, "Jiajia, Mom knows you are a hardworking and good child. Your father and I have seen your performance at Zhenyuan, and we are happy for you."
"My dear child, you are only 35 years old. You have a long life ahead of you and many more opportunities to succeed in the future. There's no need to rush. If you put yourself under pressure, your mother will be sad."
The woman's voice was soft, like a gentle breeze whispering in Qin Jia's ear. She listened half-heartedly, and her troubled heart gradually calmed down.
So this is what it feels like to be taken care of by your mother.
This feels so good.
She thought to herself.
-
When Qin Mo arrived at Yucheng Central Hospital, it was already 2:30 a.m.
Shen Yushu came out of the VVIP ward and gestured for him to be quiet, "Your sister is asleep."
"Don't wake her."
Qin Mo glanced into the ward, then looked away indifferently and followed his mother to the rest room next door.
"Mom, what did the doctor say?"
Shen Yushu rubbed her numb arm and sighed, "The doctor said that she was under too much mental stress, and the medication may have damaged her brain."
"The specific situation can only be determined after a full physical examination tomorrow."
Qin Mo suddenly froze. "Who drugged me? Have they caught the person?"
"An Jun did it," Shen Yushu said in a deep voice. "I've already sent someone to deal with it."
"An Jun?" Qin Mo frowned. "The new godson that Second Master Lu has taken in?"
"That good-for-nothing dared to lay a hand on my sister? Does he have a death wish?!"
Shen Yushu blamed herself, saying, "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have kept a low profile back then. I thought that would protect her, but now any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to mess with me..."
As she spoke, she recalled the look Qin Jia had given her earlier, and her heart ached as if it were being torn apart.
Seeing this, Qin Mo gently put his hand on her shoulder, silently comforting her.
After a moment of silence, Qin Mo suddenly thought of something and spoke up: "Mom, should we tell Dad about this?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yushu calmed down and hurriedly said, "No, don't tell him. He has always been prejudiced against Jiajia. Telling him will only make Jiajia's condition worse and will not be conducive to her recovery."
"What about the Lu family..." Qin Mo hesitated, "If you want to deal with Second Master Lu's people, will he be willing to do it? As the saying goes, even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner."
Shen Yushu snorted coldly, saying dismissively, "Back then, I already gave him a huge favor by shoving people into Zhenyuan. Now that his worthless godson has caused Jiajia to lose her mind, I haven't even settled accounts with him yet!"
She paused, poured herself a cup of warm tea, and moistened her throat. "There's a high-profile charity gala in a few days. I heard that the Lu family members will be there. Bring your sister along, and we'll go together to demand an explanation."
Qin Mo hummed in response, then noticed Shen Yushu still rubbing her arm. He asked curiously, "Mom, what's wrong with your arm? Is it uncomfortable?"
Shen Yushu gave a helpless smile. "Your sister was scared and clung to me for hours. I kept comforting her, and now my arm is numb."
Qin Mo seemed thoughtful. "Shall I give you a massage? I recently learned a few techniques from a massage therapist, they're quite useful, would you like to try them?"
Shen Yushu laughed, "You're learning this?"
Qin Mo said half-jokingly, "There's nothing I can do. The company is having trouble collecting funds for its projects lately, and I'm so broke that I can't even afford physical therapy, so I have to do it myself."
"Pah, pah, pah, stop talking such discouraging things." Shen Yushu shot her a glare. "Say something auspicious."
Qin Mo stood up and helped Shen Yushu move her arms. "Okay, say something auspicious."
"Hopefully, my sister will be back to normal by tomorrow morning, and everything will be back on track."
"That's more like it."
-
Qin Jia stayed in the hospital for two more days, undergoing a full-body examination.
The test results showed that the toxins in her body had completely disappeared, and all indicators were normal.
The last item is a mental health examination.
The doctor who examined Qin Jia was a man. He gave her several forms and asked her to fill them out herself.
Qin Jia felt dizzy looking at the dense text and refused to fill out the form.
So the doctor asked directly, "Ms. Qin, are you satisfied with your life lately?"
The information in Qin Jia's mind told her that a psychiatric examination of the brain was necessary, and only by answering truthfully could she prove that she was a normal person; otherwise, she would be locked up as a mental patient.
Not wanting to be locked up, she had no choice but to answer truthfully, "Not very satisfied."
What specific aspects are you dissatisfied with?
Qin Jia pointed to the ceiling, "The environment here isn't very good. I prefer nature."
"What would you like to do in nature?"
Speaking of this, Qin Jia suddenly became excited, counting on her fingers as if reciting a familiar story, "There are so many things I want to do, like climbing trees, sleeping in trees, eating fresh leaves from trees, and drinking the morning dew..."
"When the weather is nice, I can lie on the grass and sunbathe with my belly exposed; when the weather is bad, I can hide in Grandma Locust Tree's hole and play games with Little Squirrel. And also, I can..."
The doctor listened attentively, taking notes as he spoke, and asked thoughtfully, "Ms. Qin, deep down, what do you think your true self is like?"
Can you draw it?
Draw it?
Wouldn't drawing it out reveal the truth?
She looks like a human now, but she is actually a koala.
You cannot draw it.
Qin Jia belatedly realized that everything she had just said was wrong.
In the doctor's eyes, she was a human being, but what she said was not the way of life inherent to humans.
Qin Jia composed himself and quickly tried to salvage the situation with a smile, "I was just joking about what I was saying earlier."
"Just kidding, don't take it seriously."
The male doctor stopped writing, capped his pen, smiled at her, and said, "Ms. Qin, you're very humorous. The examination is over, you can leave now. Thank you for your cooperation."
"You're welcome."
After saying that, Qin Jia obediently got up and went out to wait for the result.
She watched the people coming and going in the corridor and silently sighed in her heart how difficult it is to be a person.
In the consultation room, Shen Yushu sat down hurriedly and asked the doctor, "How is it?"
"Is my daughter alright?"
The doctor frowned, his brows so furrowed they could trap a mosquito. "Your daughter's condition is not good."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yushu gripped the bag strap tightly, holding her breath as she waited for the doctor to continue.
The doctor showed her the computer screen and slowly said, pointing with a pen, "Your daughter's condition matches the phenomenon of animalism, which is a type of delusional disorder in schizophrenia."
"Simply put, she thought she was some kind of animal and would live according to its habits."
Shen Yushu frowned. "For example?"
"For example, climbing trees, eating leaves, sleeping for long periods of time, sitting in a tree and spacing out, etc."
"What kind of animal are you talking about?"
The doctor searched for a picture and showed it to Shen Yushu, "A koala."
"A koala?" Shen Yushu asked incredulously. "Of all the animals, why does it have to be a koala?"
The doctor choked, "It's probably because of too much life pressure, or maybe she was stimulated in some way, which made her very envious of the koala's life and therefore want to become a koala."
As Shen Yushu listened, she suddenly remembered that her daughter had hugged her for half the night the day before yesterday, and she vaguely understood why her daughter had imagined herself as a koala.
"Doctor, is her condition temporary or permanent?"
"Can it be cured?"
The doctor paused for a moment, then asked, "Has she recently engaged in any self-harming behavior?"
Shen Yushu shook her head. "No."
"Aside from being a heavy sleeper, he has no other problems."
The doctor thought for a moment and replied, "Let's observe for a while. If it's just a stress reaction, it may return to normal once the environmental stress decreases."
"But if she can't get over it for a long time, then treatment will have to be taken."
After the doctor finished speaking, the consultation room fell silent, with only the sound of typing on a keyboard and the soft breathing of the two people.
Shen Yushu kept her head down and didn't speak. Countless strange images flashed through her mind. She glanced at the door and made a decision in her heart.
Since her daughter is so heartbroken that she doesn't want to be human anymore, she'll go crazy with her this once in a while.
Shen Yushu turned around, took a deep breath, took out her phone, opened WeChat, and sent Qin Mo a few shopping requests.
Qin Mo: ?
Qin Mo: Tree frame, swing, slide? What do you want to buy these things for?
Shen Yushu: To make it easier for your sister to exercise.
Qin Mo: ? ? ?