“Telepathy” and the Heartless Assistant

For the entire week following that incident, Chu Nian did not contact Lu Jinnian once.

He looked down at his call logs from a week ago. Just then, the overhead broadcast suddenly crackled to life: “Patient number 25, Chu Nian, please proceed to Consultation Room 3.”

His thumb, hovering over the screen, pulled away. Chu Nian slid his phone back into his pocket, stood up from the plastic chair, and walked toward the third consultation room.

This was a psychological clinic Xu Chi had helped him contact. He was supposed to come last week, but a thorny project had eaten up all his time. Only now that the project was finished could Chu Nian finally manage a visit.

As he pushed open the door, the previous patient was just leaving—a young girl who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen, her hair tied in a high ponytail. Chu Nian recalled her walking in looking like a dark cloud; now, as she exited, her lips were actually curved upward.

The skip in her step caught Chu Nian’s attention. He thought to himself that this psychiatrist must be truly skilled.

The girl’s ponytail swung as she brushed past him. At that exact moment, Chu Nian heard a thought:

[Aww, the session went by so fast. What kind of illness should I fake next time to come see Dr. Lin?]

Chu Nian’s footsteps faltered.

…You can even do that?

He walked inside and closed the door behind him. The consultation room was spacious but simply laid out. A few small leather sofas lined the wall, surrounding a central glass coffee table. On the table sat two paper cups that hadn’t been cleared yet, clearly left by the previous patient.

Not far from the sofa was an office desk. Behind a computer sat a doctor in a white coat. Hearing Chu Nian’s footsteps, the doctor stood up and offered a proactive greeting: “Mr. Chu, correct? Please, have a seat.”

Chu Nian nodded and pulled a chair up to the desk. His gaze swept over the name tag on the doctor’s chest.

Lin Yuzhe.

“Drink some water first.”

Slender fingers held out a paper cup toward Chu Nian. Chu Nian shifted his gaze and took the cup from Lin Yuzhe: “Thank you.”

He took a light sip, the warm liquid wetting his dry lips.

“I’m truly sorry, Dr. Lin. I was supposed to come last week, but work…” Chu Nian lowered his gaze, apologizing with a touch of guilt.

Lin Yuzhe sat back in his seat, interlacing his fingers on the desk. “Mr. Chu, this is the fifth time you’ve apologized to me. As I’ve told you, therapy isn’t an exam. Just think of me as your friend.”

“I heard from Xu Chi that you’ve been experiencing auditory hallucinations lately?” Lin Yuzhe asked. “May I ask what kind of sounds you’re hearing?”

Chu Nian blinked. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on the palms of his hands resting on his thighs. He frowned, unsure of how to answer.

“Is it too abstract? Let’s try a different way. Are the voices discussing you, criticizing you, or giving you commands?”

Lin Yuzhe’s voice was gentle. Coupled with the faint, pleasant fragrance in the room, Chu Nian’s tension began to dissipate. His lips trembled as he answered: “It’s… their inner thoughts.”

As the words fell, he looked up at Lin Yuzhe. The man froze for a few seconds before repeating: “Inner thoughts?”

“Mhm.” Chu Nian nodded. “You might not believe me if I say it, but…”

“A psychiatrist has no reason not to believe his patient.”

Lin Yuzhe cut him off. He raised a hand to prop up his chin, his dark eyes fixated on Chu Nian. His index finger tapped twice against his jawline. The glasses perched on the bridge of his nose made him look a bit more mysterious.

Chu Nian watched him for a long time before continuing: “At first, I thought I was just too tired. But as time passed, I realized something was wrong.”

He let out a sigh.

Lin Yuzhe remained silent, maintaining his pose with his chin in his hand and a slight smile on his face. He listened until Chu Nian finished recounting his experiences. Only then did he speak in a low voice: “Mr. Chu, I wonder if you’ve ever heard of an ability…”

“Called Mind Reading.”

Mind Reading?

Chu Nian was momentarily stunned.

“What you’re hearing might not be a hallucination,” Lin Yuzhe said. “But the true, inner thoughts of another person.”

************************************

Chu Nian massaged his temples irritably.

Two days had passed since he left the clinic. Lin Yuzhe’s words had been haunting him, especially at night, swirling in his mind like a curse. Consequently, he had successfully suffered through two days of insomnia.

Chu Nian had looked up information on telepathy; the symptoms were exactly like his own. He still couldn’t understand how a simple fall could result in developing a superpower.

To be honest, if he had a choice, he didn’t want this ability at all.

Chu Nian let out a long sigh. The office air conditioning blew directly at him, crawling up his spine and making his fingertips turn cold.

“Chu Nian?”

Someone tapped twice on his desk. Chu Nian turned to see a colleague from the next desk. She was holding a cup of coffee, which she pushed toward him. “Haven’t you been sleeping well lately? You look pretty drained.”

Chu Nian offered a small smile. “A bit of insomnia.”

“Are you okay?” the colleague asked worriedly. “Maybe you should ask the boss for leave and go home for some rest.”

She picked up a small mirror from her desk and held it up to him. Chu Nian looked; the person in the mirror was pale, with faint dark circles under his eyes and bloodless lips. He looked like someone on the verge of sudden death.

Chu Nian shook his head. He picked up the cup and took a sip of coffee. The bitter liquid slid down his throat, clearing his foggy brain slightly. “It’s fine. The proposal just needs a few more tweaks. I just messaged President Shen, and he agreed to let me off early.”

“Rejected by President Shen again? Honestly, we all thought your proposal was great. I don’t know what his problem is.” The female colleague leaned against his desk, grumbling on his behalf.

“Working life is just a misery. If it weren’t for Nian-Nian on that last project, our team would have been finished,” another colleague sitting opposite Chu Nian chimed in.

“Yeah, and now there’s some mandatory gathering tonight.” The female colleague sighed. “I have to go home and pick up my kid; my whole family is waiting for me for dinner…”

As the two of them went back and forth in a classic “unlucky wage-s*ave” vent session, Chu Nian listened silently.

“How about I go in your place?” Chu Nian suddenly said. The two colleagues stopped their heated discussion and turned to look at him in unison.

The female colleague’s eyes widened. “Really? Won’t that be too much trouble? You were supposed to go home and rest.”

“It’s fine,” Chu Nian said. “A bit of alcohol might help me sleep. You go pick up your child.”

The female colleague grabbed his hand gratefully. “Thank you so much!”

Chu Nian lowered his lashes, pursing his lips.

The truth was, he just didn’t want to see Lu Jinnian.

Outside the window, the trees swayed in the wind. Suddenly, the phone on his desk began to vibrate. Chu Nian checked the ID; it was Lu Jinnian’s little assistant.

He froze for a second, then stood up and walked out of the office. With a swipe of his finger, he brought the phone to his ear and spoke softly: “Hello?”

The person on the other end didn’t answer immediately. Instead, there was a jumble of chaotic noises. Chu Nian frowned and double-checked the number before asking again: “Hello?”

“Mr. Ch-Ch-Chu!” After a long while, the assistant’s panicked voice came through.

Chu Nian acknowledged: “I’m here.”

“Th-that…” Xiao Shu gripped her phone tightly, turning to look at Lu Jinnian, who was frantically mouthing words at her. “Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet.” Chu Nian checked his watch. “I’m almost off work. Is there something you need?”

“Oh! Right! It’s… it’s about…” Xiao Shu continued to stutter while Lu Jinnian made exaggerated gestures nearby, nearly using his fractured leg to help communicate.

After more noise on the other end, there was a stretch of silence. Chu Nian knit his brows in confusion. “If there’s nothing else, I’m going to hang up—”

“President Lu, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say!”

Xiao Shu’s voice accidentally leaked into his ear.

Chu Nian went quiet. Her tone was cautious, as if she were secretly asking Lu Jinnian what he meant. He didn’t know the purpose of the call, but it was clear Lu Jinnian had made her dial it.

Chu Nian waited patiently for them to finish their discussion. When Xiao Shu was about to speak again, he forestalled her: “Xiao Shu, give the phone to Lu Jinnian.”

“Oh… ah… HUH??” Xiao Shu’s expression shifted. She immediately covered the mouthpiece and turned to Lu Jinnian. “President Lu, Mr. Chu wants to talk to you.”

Lu Jinnian frowned and waved his hands dismissively.

Xiao Shu nodded. “Mr. Chu, President Lu says he won’t take your call.”

Lu Jinnian’s eyes bugged out. He made muffled “wuh wuh” noises, waving his hands even more vigorously.

Xiao Shu: “No, no, no! He means it’s not convenient for him right now!”

She gave Lu Jinnian a wink.

President Lu, I get what you mean!

Lu Jinnian gave her a satisfied thumbs-up.

Chu Nian took a deep breath.

“Then ask him what on earth he wants.”

Xiao Shu relayed the words to Lu Jinnian exactly as they were said.

Lu Jinnian thought for a moment, then pointed a finger at himself.

[Me.]

Then he pressed both hands against his chest in the shape of a heart.

[I’m very hurt.]

He pointed at the phone again.

[You.]

Lu Jinnian pressed his palms together and rested them against his ear.

[Need to coax me.]

After squinting at the gestures for a long time, Xiao Shu had an epiphany. She gave Lu Jinnian a reassuring look and cleared her throat.

“President Lu says—”

“He misses you so much he can’t sleep.”

Chu Nian: “?”

Lu Jinnian: “…”

Half a minute later, Xiao Shu ran to Lu Jinnian’s side, clutching the phone with a look of despair. “President Lu, Mr. Chu hung up.”

Lu Jinnian stared at her.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

On the other end, Chu Nian hung up with a complex expression. He spent a long time clutching his chest to calm his startled heart.

The impact of what the assistant had said was immense. Chu Nian couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Lu Jinnian would miss him so much he couldn’t sleep?

Chu Nian closed his eyes.

…The world has gone mad.