Chapter 24: (part 1) Three-in-One – Everything He Wanted to Do to Shen Shuyi Was Also…

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“Third brother, what are you talking about?” Shen Shuyi was bewildered. “When did he PUA me?”

Shen Shuhan said, “Then why does he act as if he can’t be away from you even for a moment? What’s the purpose of him calling you?”

Shen Shuyi was even more confused. “He asked the driver to pick me up. What’s wrong with that?”

“He didn’t give you any choice at all!” Shen Shuhan’s eyebrows rose sharply. “If you don’t believe me, tell him that you won’t go back tonight, that you’ll stay at the hotel with me! And don’t let him pick you up tomorrow either, then see what he says!”

Shen Shuyi felt he might be a little too suspicious. “Third brother, I was just going to ask… what’s your purpose in doing this?”

He reiterated, “I really don’t think Mr. Xie is PUA-ing me. He’s just a little poor at expressing himself.”

“Only three years back at the Xie family, yet he used thunderous measures to seize the position of the Xie family’s head, expanded Xie Cheng to its current scale at such a young age, and you actually think he’s poor at expressing himself?” Shen Shuhan sneered. “I think you’re the one who’s been PUA-ed senselessly. Right now! Call him immediately, and don’t blame me for not warning you earlier. Another day, even if he sells you out, you’ll just be busy counting his money!”

Shen Shuyi had no choice but to call Xie Chenzhou back in front of him.

After a short while, it seemed that Xie Chenzhou was busy. The call rang almost to auto-disconnect before it was picked up. “Yes?”

Xie Chenzhou’s voice was low and deep; it was impossible to tell what he was doing.

“Sorry, Mr. Xie…” Shen Shuyi braced himself under Shen Shuhan’s threatening gaze and said, “Could you not send the driver to pick me up later?”

Xie Chenzhou paused for a moment. “Why?”

“I… I…” Shen Shuyi had to lie. “My third brother hasn’t seen me for a few days. He said he missed me and wants me to stay at the hotel tonight. You don’t need to have the driver come tomorrow… He will have someone take me back to school.”

Xie Chenzhou was silent for a while longer, then finally said, “Alright.”

Then Zhao Jian’s voice came from the line: “President Xie, Director Zhang has finished reporting. Do you have anything to add?”

He’s in a meeting?!

Shen Shuyi didn’t dare disturb him further, hurriedly said goodbye, and hung up.

Shen Shuhan watched the entire process, his expression even more complicated than before.

“He agreed?” Shen Shuhan asked.

Shen Shuyi shrugged. “Third brother, you’re not going to blame him again, right? He’s really been very good to me.”

“I think deep down he’s a very polite person,” Shen Shuyi thought, still wanting to speak well of Xie Chenzhou in front of his third brother. “He treats me this way purely out of marital obligation and courtesy. He really isn’t a bad person!”

Shen Shuhan really couldn’t understand now.

Could it be that Xie Chenzhou really married him because he liked this younger brother?

That night, Shen Shuyi accompanied Shen Shuhan to have dinner at the hotel and read the script for a while.

In the end, Shen Shuhan didn’t actually make Shen Shuyi stay with him and called the driver to take him back.

Just as Shen Shuhan sent Shen Shuyi to the hotel lobby, Shen Shuyi’s phone rang again.

[Chenzhou]

Seeing the caller ID on Shen Shuyi’s phone, Shen Shuhan’s unusual radar went off again.

He stared at Shen Shuyi, even leaning in to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“I worked late and passed by the hotel. I saw you. Do you need me to take you home?”

Shen Shuhan’s hairs stood on end again.

Could Xie Chenzhou’s level of control be too strong? Was it really just a coincidence?

Shen Shuhan felt this was far from coincidental. When a person’s behavior becomes unnervingly strange, it indicates a real problem.

But why did his silly younger brother not notice at all?

Shen Shuhan decided to test Xie Chenzhou further.

After Shen Shuyi hung up, he called him over. “Do you remember that your second sister’s birthday is in two weeks? The family decided to hold a birthday party for her. Many people from the Shen family will come. Don’t forget, and bring Xie Chenzhou along too.”

Shen Shuyi hesitated.

At such a party, his attendance usually didn’t matter. He didn’t know why his third brother insisted this time, perhaps because without him, there would be no excuse to invite Xie Chenzhou.

Although reluctant, he still agreed.

Summer gradually arrived.

Unknowingly, over a month had passed since Shen Shuyi and Xie Chenzhou’s wedding.

During this month, Shen Shuyi’s life seemed somewhat different from before, though he didn’t feel major changes. However, in the hospital and with the certified physician hired by Xie Cheng, Shen Shuyi learned a lot of clinical knowledge he hadn’t known before.

Indeed, there is a big difference between what’s in books and real practice, which strengthened Shen Shuyi’s determination to continue on this path.

He planned… once he obtained a decent degree and gained rich clinical experience, to open his own psychological clinic in the future.

Although many people held biases against this profession, Shen Shuyi still wanted to try.

He didn’t have grand ambitions, only needing a job that could sustain him and allow him to live independently. This job suited him and he liked it, nothing more.

Two weeks later, Shen Shuyi’s second sister’s birthday approached.

Two days before her birthday, Shen Shuyi received a call from Tan Yu’s cousin.

Her voice was soft, carrying the delicate tone characteristic of an Omega girl: “May I ask, is this Shen Shuyi… Dr. Shen?”

At first, Shen Shuyi thought it was a patient from Hua University’s affiliated Jingwei Hospital calling him and hurriedly said, “Yes, I am. May I ask who is calling?”

“My name is Liang Xiaxia… My cousin Tan Yu asked me to call you…”

Only then did Shen Shuyi realize, “You are Tan Yu’s cousin? He told me about your situation… Do you need me to recommend a doctor for you?”

Liang Xiaxia hesitated, her tone even somewhat flustered: “I… I’m sorry… I don’t know.”

Her voice sounded very young. Shen Shuyi, for some reason, felt a bit of pity, and said to her, “It’s okay. If you don’t want to see a doctor for now, you can bring a trusted friend with you to meet me. We can meet in a busy but quiet place. How about I pick a café? Or you can decide where to go.”

In the end, Liang Xiaxia chose a cartoon-themed beverage shop near the amusement park in H City.

Seeing her choice, Shen Shuyi felt even more that she might be very young, and he became somewhat nervous, worried that he might not be able to help her properly.

It was a weekend, and Xie Chenzhou didn’t have much work either. When he heard that Shen Shuyi was going out to see a patient, he suggested going with the driver to take him, since he also wanted to stop by the company to pick up an important document.

When the car arrived at the beverage shop, Shen Shuyi saw an Omega girl who looked somewhat like Tan Yu, seemingly sitting alone by the window inside. He said to Xie Chenzhou, “Mr. Xie, are you in a hurry?”

Xie Chenzhou, dressed in formal attire, looked at him and shook his head. “Not in a hurry, just going to get a document. It can wait a little.”

“Then why not accompany me inside?” Shen Shuyi explained. “She’s an Omega, after all. Being alone with just the two of us might make her feel unsafe. You don’t need to get close, just sit at the table next to us so she knows there’s a third person present.”

Xie Chenzhou nodded but added, “But my pheromones might make her uncomfortable.”

“Then…” Shen Shuyi looked at the driver.

“I’ll go,” Xie Chenzhou said. “I’ll try to control it.”

Shen Shuyi smiled slightly. “I also think it’s more appropriate for someone of your status to be with me, but since you said your pheromones might scare her, you’ll probably need to sit a little farther away.”

After speaking, Shen Shuyi winked at Xie Chenzhou.

Xie Chenzhou looked at him silently. After a moment, he said, “I’ll try not to hold you back.”

Shen Shuyi couldn’t help but laugh, then got out of the car with Xie Chenzhou.

The Omega girl had indeed come alone. She said she couldn’t find anyone willing to accompany her.

It was obvious that she was very introverted and didn’t usually go out because of her psychological condition. No wonder last time Tan Yu wanted to bring her to the class reunion, she didn’t want to come.

However, she was still quite smart. She chose a place with many people and a lively atmosphere, which was unlikely to be dangerous. And since she was willing to meet Shen Shuyi, it showed she still had a sense of self-rescue; her situation wasn’t completely dire.

Liang Xiaxia looked at most only a year or two older than Shen Xingyao. Indeed, when asked, she said she had just turned eighteen this year.

Only eighteen, and already suffering from pheromone dependency…

It seemed Liang Xiaxia’s situation was not simple.

Shen Shuyi briefly introduced Xie Chenzhou to Liang Xiaxia: “This is my partner.”

To avoid scaring her, Xie Chenzhou deliberately stood some distance away from them.

But Liang Xiaxia was still a little intimidated by Xie Chenzhou.

She even hid behind Shen Shuyi and asked, “Shuyi-gege, is your partner an Alpha?”

“Yes, you should be able to tell, right?” Shen Shuyi said as gently as possible.

“But I feel…” She glanced at Xie Chenzhou with fear, not daring to meet his gaze, and her voice trembled slightly. “I feel like he’s a bit like an Enigma…”

“He’s not an Alpha…” Liang Xiaxia hid behind Shen Shuyi, covering her face. “I’m scared. Can he step back a little? Please…”

Shen Shuyi was taken aback and looked at Xie Chenzhou standing behind him.

Xie Chenzhou is an Enigma? Not an Alpha?

No, the point now isn’t what Xie Chenzhou’s type is, but why Liang Xiaxia said that.

She must have had some related experiences or encountered certain events to “perceive” Xie Chenzhou as an Enigma.

Shen Shuyi had Xie Chenzhou move farther away so he could help Liang Xiaxia relax her guard and learn some basic information about her.

Xie Chenzhou simply moved outside the beverage shop.

From the position he stood, Shen Shuyi could see him, and he could see Shen Shuyi, but for Liang Xiaxia, he was out of sight.

It was hot outside, and Xie Chenzhou, dressed formally for appearances, might be uncomfortable standing out there.

Shen Shuyi wanted to have him sit in the car, but considering his purpose in accompanying him today was for this matter, having him farther away made sense. He had to forcibly refocus his attention on Liang Xiaxia.

Many people with psychological trauma are highly guarded. Liang Xiaxia already showed a strong will to improve and seek help.

Even so, it still took Shen Shuyi some time to gather fragments of information from Liang Xiaxia about why she developed pheromone dependency.

She had been assaulted by an Enigma.

And at that time, she was still underage.

That period was extremely painful for her, even if the Enigma only made a temporary mark on her.

But assault is assault. It objectively exists and leaves real, painful, and difficult-to-eradicate trauma for Liang Xiaxia.

“That Enigma initially said he liked me, used pretty gifts to lure me to be alone with him, and then he just…” Liang Xiaxia cried.

Shen Shuyi cautiously reached out and handed her a clean tissue. “That Enigma… where is he now? Has he been punished? Do you need me to help you report to the police?”

Assaulting a minor Omega, even a temporary mark, is enough to put that person behind bars.

“He’s already in prison…” Liang Xiaxia shook her head. “That’s the only thing I feel somewhat relieved about. But because of that incident, I developed pheromone dependency.”

Shen Shuyi fell into thought.

This is difficult.

He hadn’t expected a temporary mark from an Enigma could have nearly destructive effects on an Omega.

Generally speaking, pheromone dependency… requires the person who caused it to help resolve it. Many married Omegas develop pheromone dependency, but if their Alpha partner provides periodic temporary or lifelong marks, it doesn’t seriously affect them. But if their partner suddenly abandons them or dies, it becomes troublesome.

Pheromone dependency is a common but serious psychological condition.

Without the comfort and marks from an Alpha partner, mild cases lead to depression and lethargy, while severe cases can make someone lose the will to live, potentially leading to self-destruction.

Liang Xiaxia said that her family treated her very well and cared about her. They had been encouraging and supporting her, hoping she could recover as soon as possible.

It was precisely because of this that she wanted to seek help from a psychological counselor.

“Before coming to see you, I asked other doctors and researched information. They all told me that with my current condition, the only way to solve pheromone dependency is to encounter an Alpha with a very high pheromone level, then fall in love, so that the temporary mark left by the Enigma can be overwritten. And not to mention whether there exists an Alpha whose pheromone level can surpass that of an Enigma… Dr. Shen, don’t laugh at me, even though I’m already an adult, my thought is… I never want to go through that kind of thing again in my life. I never want to fall in love again, nor do I want to get married…”

Shen Shuyi adopted a professional attitude: “I’m not a doctor… you can just call me by my name. I understand your thoughts. If you don’t want to marry or find a suitable Alpha partner, the only option is to remove the glands. But in that case, the surgery will trigger many side effects, and may even shorten your lifespan.”

“Yes,” Liang Xiaxia’s eyes glimmered with tears. She looked at Shen Shuyi with numb hope. “Dr. Shen… Mr. Shen… My brother said psychological doctors can’t be trusted, but I can try to choose to believe you. Do you… have a method?”

Shen Shuyi felt an immense pressure.

He didn’t know why Tan Yu said that. Perhaps it was because Liang Xiaxia had already seen many doctors and tried many methods, all to no avail. So Tan Yu was taking a last resort approach, seeing if Shen Shuyi, a “honest” classmate, could help her.

As for other things, Shen Shuyi at least wouldn’t be like those highly-educated private psychologists who, even if their methods failed, would still exaggerate their treatments. He would be factual and realistic.

“Xiaxia,” Shen Shuyi said as gently as possible, “from the perspective of gender psychology, there is indeed a treatment method called ‘hypnosis.’ But it’s not what you might think… magical or miraculous. It’s just using therapeutic methods to repeatedly suggest to your mind, helping you forget the painful experiences of the past and gain confidence to embrace the future. Of course, combining this with medication can alleviate pheromone dependency to a certain extent, but it’s not absolute… it’s only something you can try.”

Because some unscrupulous practitioners exaggerate the effects of gender psychology treatments, the reputation of the industry has suffered. Ordinary people look down on psychologists and don’t believe they can truly cure someone. Wealthy people hire private gender psychologists often for appearances rather than actual need. This results in a mixed field where it’s hard to tell whether certified psychologists are genuinely skilled.

Just like that Dr. Xuan before…

Shen Shuyi thought for a moment, then pulled a napkin from his side and wrote a contact on it: “This is Dr. Zhong from the affiliated mental health hospital of Hua University. He has treated some patients with pheromone dependency and might have experience in this area. You can try to make an appointment when he’s at work.”

“Affiliated… mental health…” Liang Xiaxia’s fingers recoiled. She didn’t dare to take the paper. “Isn’t that a psychiatric hospital? I…”

“Are you afraid to go? Or you just don’t want to go?” Shen Shuyi asked. “Don’t worry too much about the place. It’s just a normal hospital, and you’re sick and need to see a doctor. That’s all. Since you chose to trust me, you should listen to my suggestion, right? Of course, the final decision is still yours. Or… do you want someone to accompany you? Should I tell your cousin?”

“No… it’s fine,” Liang Xiaxia’s eyes flickered, her gaze carrying the fatigue typical of someone with a psychological condition. She nervously fidgeted with her hands. After hesitating, she said to Shen Shuyi, “Dr. Shen… no, Shuyi-gege, because you are my cousin’s friend, I want to warn you… your partner, he doesn’t seem like an Alpha…”

She looked a little anxious and confused. “The Enigma’s pheromone level is very high…really high. They can mark any Alpha. Even a single temporary mark can cause an Omega to develop pheromone dependency. Shuyi-gege, don’t think that being a Beta means you’re safe. I heard that an Enigma’s pheromones can make a Beta grow glands, turning them into a non-O, non-B monster that can only be marked by them… I’m not exaggerating, and Enigmas are born as demons. they have a strong desire to control. They…”

Liang Xiaxia became increasingly agitated, likely because the compulsions from pheromone dependency were combined with panic. Shen Shuyi had no medications or sedatives on hand, and he didn’t have a medical license, so he couldn’t administer drugs. He could only speak to her in the gentlest tone: “Xiaxia, calm down. Look at me, into my eyes…”

Shen Shuyi’s forehead was sweating. His deep blue eyes fixed on her, emanating a sense of absolute reassurance. “Look at me. Those things are in the past. Some memories may linger and torment you for a while, but… trust me, no one will hurt you like that again. Your family is protecting you and doing their best to help. And I won’t hurt you… That person is already in prison, he has received the punishment he deserves. Here, there is no Enigma, only me. Can you trust me?”

Liang Xiaxia’s emotions gradually calmed.

“Did you bring your medicine? The medicine the doctor prescribed?” Shen Shuyi tried to ask.

Liang Xiaxia nodded weakly. “In my bag…”

“Take one now, I’ll ask the server to pour you a glass of water, okay?” Shen Shuyi said softly.

After confirming she had calmed down and was following his instructions, Shen Shuyi went to call the server.

The whole day, meeting this girl Liang Xiaxia was even more exhausting than running several kilometers on the sports field.

When Liang Xiaxia’s family-sent driver arrived to pick her up and Shen Shuyi responsibly helped her into the car and waved goodbye, he turned to face Xie Chenzhou standing not far away and exhaled.

It was really hot outside. Xie Chenzhou had not come inside nor left to avoid disturbing Shen Shuyi’s conversation with Liang Xiaxia.

“You know?” Shen Shuyi called Xie Chenzhou into the shop, smiling at him. “Just now, Xiaxia mistook you for an Enigma. I’m curious, how high is your pheromone level?”

Shen Shuyi was joking, but Xie Chenzhou looked at him seriously: “Very high, higher than you think.”

“Then are you an Enigma?” Shen Shuyi asked.

Xie Chenzhou’s pupils constricted, and he did not answer immediately.

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* Note: the chapter was soooooooooooo long, had to break it into two