Zhao Tuo woke up with a face full of vigilance, his muscles tense all over. Qin Yuanxi’s hand was squeezed painfully by him, and his breath was slightly erratic. Meng Xuan sighed, put away her necklace, and gave Qin Yuanxi a meaningful look.
“Let’s stop here for today.”
Qin Yuanxi nodded slightly and then helped up Zhao Tuo. “How are you? Are you okay? Any discomfort? Do you need water?”
Zhao Tuo shook his head, silent. The weariness on his face was evident, making Qin Yuanxi feel a bit reluctant.
In the recent hypnosis session, Meng Xuan did not delve into deeper questions. It was only when it touched on Lu Bohuan that Zhao Tuo seemed resistant, causing the hypnosis to come to a halt.
For Zhao Tuo, a deep hypnosis session was mentally draining. Qin Yuanxi comforted him and took this opportunity to discreetly go and find Meng Xuan.
“Sister is waiting for you in the bamboo grove. Go quickly.” Meng Yu, the little girl, sat on the steps, waving to Qin Yuanxi. “Don’t worry, I’m here watching. If the big ice block wakes up, I’ll call you. Nothing will happen.”
“Alright, thank you.”
Meng Yu smiled cheerfully. “It’s nothing. Take someone’s money, help them avert disaster. That’s what my sister taught me.”
Perhaps the little girl truly admired her sister. When she spoke about her sister, there was a sparkle in her eyes, shining brightly.
In the bamboo grove, Meng Xuan still wore her white attire. The first time Qin Yuanxi saw her, he felt she was a stunning beauty, giving off a dazzling vibe. Now, the unadorned Meng Xuan seemed like a transcendent being, and this mundane world was just a burden to her.
“Here you are.” Meng Xuan reached out and plucked a falling bamboo leaf, nodding to Qin Yuanxi. “Shall we chat?”
“How is he doing?”
Meng Xuan didn’t answer Qin Yuanxi’s question; instead, she brought up something else.
“You should know I’ve been to the Prince’s Manor, and this isn’t my first time hypnotizing him.” Meng Xuan looked at Qin Yuanxi and smiled. “But back then, he didn’t have so many attachments, nor was he so guarded. He wouldn’t even be wary of himself. You should understand what I mean.”
“You’re talking about Lu Bohuan?”
“Exactly.” Meng Xuan continued, “When I hypnotized him before, he was still Prince Lu, of course, different from his current state. Back then, the Regent Prince was wise, martial, and decisive—a true pride of the heavens. However, he had his own confusions; it seemed like another person dwelled within him, causing him to do things even he didn’t know about.”
“That’s not the first time I’ve encountered such a situation, nor is it the first time I’ve hypnotized someone. At that time, I was confident in curing him.”
“And then?” Qin Yuanxi was curious about what happened next.
If Meng Xuan had confidence in curing Lu Bohuan at that time, why didn’t it happen? What happened in between?
“Nothing happened afterward; he rejected me.” Meng Xuan shrugged. With this casual gesture, the ethereal being seemed to return to the earthly realm. She continued, a hint of resentment in her voice, “I compromised and offered to help him for free, yet he still refused. It’s truly infuriating!”
Seeing Qin Yuanxi’s expression change slightly, Meng Xuan quickly explained, “Back then, I didn’t know about you. People like Prince Lu, do you know how hard it is for them to sleep well? And here I was, letting him sleep in peace for free, but he not only stayed awake but also rejected my treatment. I really, I’ve never encountered such a thing!”
Qin Yuanxi’s expression turned a bit sour.
He knew that this witch definitely had ideas about Lu Bohuan before. However, that was all in the past, and Qin Yuanxi decided to take the high road and not dwell on it.
“What’s different between that hypnosis and this one?”
“Very different.” Meng Xuan sighed. “Back then, although Lu Bohuan had some resistance to my hypnosis, he wasn’t outright against it. Through hypnosis, I helped him recognize the person inside him, the one you brought, Zhao Tuo. During the hypnosis, they got along well. Lu Bohuan acknowledged Zhao Tuo’s identity and could treat him as another version of himself.”
“It was actually a good start. As long as they acknowledged each other, things would have progressed smoothly, and given time, complete recovery wouldn’t be a problem.” Meng Xuan sounded a bit regretful. “But it only got that far; he refused my subsequent treatment.”
Qin Yuanxi understood.
Lu Bohuan refused to return to normal; he chose to coexist with Zhao Tuo. From that moment on, he arranged Zhao Tuo’s identity, prepared everything. If nothing unexpected occurred, they would coexist peacefully. For whatever reason, Lu Bohuan chose to preserve that part of himself.
“But it’s different with Zhao Tuo. You should feel it—he resists and is unwilling to acknowledge Lu Bohuan.” Meng Xuan fixed her gaze on Qin Yuanxi. “He didn’t resist Lu Bohuan like this at the beginning. The reason he resists Lu Bohuan is related to you. You should know this.”
“What should I do?”
Qin Yuanxi also felt somewhat innocent. Why did it seem like he had instigated a rift between these two? Wait, what two people? It was essentially one person, and yet, one person could cause so much trouble. Truly deserving of being called mentally ill.
“You can’t do anything about it; this is his own business.” Meng Xuan then asked, “Can I know what happened before? What led to his current state? Knowing the cause is essential for targeted treatment. There must be some clues, right?”
At this point, Qin Yuanxi hesitated. This matter was quite complicated. He came from another time, and Zhao Tuo’s confusion about his identity led to chaos in his world. There were various entanglements between him and the original Emperor Qin Yuanxi. Eventually, due to the inability to untangle these relationships, Zhao Tuo lost himself and even attempted rebellion. In the end, he was defeated by Lu Bohuan, and the news of him having a child also shook him. All these factors combined, and finally, because of a single question from Qin Yuanxi, became the last straw that broke Zhao Tuo’s resolve. Where should Qin Yuanxi even begin to explain this?
“Withholding the truth won’t help.” Meng Xuan, sensing there was more to the story, casually dropped, “Although I’m not a formal physician, for his current condition, besides me, I doubt anyone else would dare to take it on. If you genuinely care for him and want to give it a try, it’s best to explain the whole situation to me.”
Avoiding it was certainly impossible. Qin Yuanxi skipped over his origin and briefly explained the conflicts between him and Zhao Tuo and the inner struggles Zhao Tuo was facing.
“Understood.” Meng Xuan, a clever woman, quickly grasped the situation. “His original world collapsed. Now, to solve the problem, he needs to rebuild a new world for himself. This process might be a bit challenging, so be mentally prepared.”
As they were talking, the little girl Meng Yu came running, shouting, “Ice block woke up! Hurry, I can’t beat him.”
She fled all the way until she hid behind the two, then unceremoniously pushed Qin Yuanxi out, saying, “My sister has no martial arts skills. Mister Qin, go quickly and restrain him.”
Zhao Tuo followed behind, his face indeed not looking good. As soon as he saw Qin Yuanxi, he immediately pulled him to his side, adopting a protective stance that was too obvious.
Meng Xuan held her sister’s hand, calmly walking past the two, and reminded them, “Rest well tonight and continue tomorrow.”
Then she left.
Meng Xuan left, but Qin Yuanxi couldn’t. With Zhao Tuo holding his wrist, the grip was telling enough that he was upset.
“Why aren’t you resting? What are you doing out here? I’ll go back in a while.” Qin Yuanxi returned the grip on Zhao Tuo’s hand, leading him back.
Though reluctant, Zhao Tuo followed Qin Yuanxi.
Behind them, bamboo leaves fluttered in the wind. After walking a few steps, Qin Yuanxi heard Zhao Tuo’s muffled voice.
“She’s pretty.”
“Hmm?”
“You, stay away from her. She’s a bad woman.”
“Isn’t this going a bit too far?” Qin Yuanxi poked Zhao Tuo’s face directly. “Puffing up like a pufferfish. It’s fine to be jealous; I’m not stopping you. Why badmouth the girl? Just because she’s pretty means she’s a bad woman? If that’s the case, I’m pretty good-looking too. Does that make me a bad man? What kind of values are these? She’s helping you, taking care of your illness, putting so much effort and concern into it. Busy inside and out, not even a thank you, and you slander her. What are you hiding from? I’m not going to hit you.”
Zhao Tuo moved back again, holding Qin Yuanxi’s hand once more. “Don’t get close to her.”
Perhaps some lingering memories made him aware that Meng Xuan’s previous behavior was a bit too open, so he was particularly uneasy. His words weren’t very polite, especially fearing that Meng Xuan might have ill intentions towards Qin Yuanxi. Qin Yuanxi, looking at his unhappy expression, suppressed a smile, cupped Zhao Tuo’s face, and gave him a deep kiss.
In the depths of the bamboo grove, the two quickly became intimate.
“She’s not interested in me; she’s more interested in you.” Resting on Zhao Tuo’s shoulder, Qin Yuanxi breathed slightly. He hugged him even tighter. “You’re overthinking it. She’s just easygoing. It’s a mutual thing. If she had intentions towards you and you weren’t interested, wouldn’t she just let it go? I’m not jealous anymore. Why are you still jealous? Do we make vinegar at home?”
“She has no interest in me,” Zhao Tuo affirmed. “I don’t know her.”
“Alright, alright, if you don’t know her, you don’t know her. Let’s go back; it’s chilly outside.”
Zhao Tuo’s possessiveness was unusually strong, making Qin Yuanxi think of Meng Xuan’s words. Could it be that his presence caused the deterioration of Zhao Tuo’s relationship with Lu Bohuan? Perhaps there really was vinegar brewing at home.
In the following days of hypnosis, Qin Yuanxi continued to accompany Zhao Tuo. From the initial stiffness to gradually relaxing, it quickly became a daily routine. Zhao Tuo no longer resisted, and the long sword that had been consistently placed in Qin Yuanxi’s embrace finally stayed sheathed. Meng Xuan’s questions delved deeper, and sometimes Zhao Tuo responded, making the Q&A process relatively smooth. Most of Meng Xuan’s questions were aimed at helping Zhao Tuo gain a clearer understanding of himself. However, when it came to more sensitive topics, Zhao Tuo chose to avoid them, mostly related to Lu Bohuan.
From the initial resistance and reluctance to mentioning the issue, to the gradual acceptance later, the results were visibly positive.
“Alright, let’s stop here for today. Take a day off tomorrow, and we’ll continue the day after.” Meng Xuan extinguished the incense, glanced at Zhao Tuo, and casually said, “The upcoming hypnosis may involve more private matters. I want to consult your opinion first, whether you think it’s necessary for Mister Qin to continue being present. Take some time to consider.”
“No need to consider; I want him here.”
“Take some time to think about it,” Meng Xuan smiled. “We’re old acquaintances; I know where your concerns lie. Are you sure you want him here? What if he gets scared? Wouldn’t you feel sorry for him? Give it some thought, no rush. You still have a day.”
Zhao Tuo still wanted to insist, but Qin Yuanxi held his hand. Qin Yuanxi gave him a comforting smile, then thanked Meng Xuan. “We’ll consider it. Thank you, miss. Tomorrow, I plan to take him out of the valley for some relaxation. Is that alright?”
“Of course, you’re not from my valley, so you’re not bound by my rules. Just make sure to come back before the agreed time.”
Periodic treatment was proving effective, and Qin Yuanxi planned to reward Zhao Tuo a bit. After all, Zhao Tuo was cooperating well, progressing much faster than Qin Yuanxi initially anticipated.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
