CH 19

Stimulation and Divert

Yi Zhize was in his office working on paperwork when he received a call from Ou Tingyun: "Zhize, are you free tonight?"

He got up from his seat and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out, "What?"

"I want to arrange a deep hypnosis session for you."

"Last night's session worked well, I'm in good shape today, I can wait a while..."

"No, this time is different." Ou Tingyun's voice was not without excitement, "I may have found the cause of your illness. We can try tonight by entering your subconscious mind through hypnotism, it may help you recover."

"Recover what?"

"The memory of that day."

Yi Zhize pursed his lips.

"Zhize, don't you want to remember?"

Yi Zhize's breath quivered, and to be honest, he cringed a little.

"Are you listening? Zhize?"

Yi Zhize understood that in order to completely cure the anxiety and insomnia, he had to face his past head on. He understood his fear, but he would never allow it to become an excuse to escape.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, "What time tonight?"

"What time do you get off work, shall I pick you up?"

"Okay."

When he hung up the phone, he saw An Rong standing in front of his office with a smile on her face, "Mr. Yi, who are you talking to on the phone? You're so secretive."

Yi Zhize's face did not change: "The person in question."

"Oh, if I'm not mistaken, is it that person surnamed Ou?"

"So what if it is? So what if it's not?" Yi Zhize returned to the desk and sat down, "You're idle?"

"After so many years as an experienced partner, I'm tired from work, so can't I just drop by and have a chat with you?" An Rong walked up to him, "Yi Yi, let me tell you a shocking piece of news!"

"Say it."

"Victor is coming back to China!!!"

Hearing this name, a subtle ripple rose at the bottom of Yi Zhize's eyes, "Oh, got it."

An Rong was dissatisfied, "Yi Yi, why are you reacting like this? Aren't you curious when he'll be back?"

"Naturally he will come back when it's time."

"What if it's tomorrow?"

"Impossible."

"Why?"

"The case he's in charge of over there shouldn't be over so soon."

An Rong shrugged, "He's been in the British branch for almost two years now, and I thought he wasn't coming back."

"Even if he doesn't come back, it's only natural, he's half British himself."

"Yi Yi, you are too cold and heartless." An Rong sighed, "You were classmates at UCL Law School at the University of London, and you used to work together, I thought you were very close."

"You're overthinking it." Yi Zhize said, "I don't have much of a friendship with him."

Not having dug up any gossip about Yi Zhize, An Rong left the office disappointed.

Yi Zhize picked up his phone and opened his WeChat circle of friends, swiping to a photo Victor had posted half an hour ago: a group photo of his colleagues from the UK branch of Ruizheng Law Firm.

Victor was standing in his suit and leather shoes, smiling openly. The accompanying text was in his usual flamboyant style: "Miss China! Do you miss me?

Coincidentally, the next post in this circle of friends happened to be a link to an article posted by Ou Tingyun: a professional paper on psychology that he had signed and published in an international journal.

Yi Zhize gave Ou Tingyun a like.

———

After work, Yi Zhize went to Ou Tingyun's home.

It was a villa in the coastal area of City A.

As a psychiatrist, Ou Tingyun had a special treatment room in his home.

Now, Yi Zhize and he were stepping inside.

He switched on the warm yellow light, which gave off a soft, quiet glow.

The curtains were drawn and the room became even quieter.

Ou Tingyun asked, "Zhize, do you want to listen to music?"

"No."

"Would you like to take off your coat?"

"En."

"Do you want me to help you?"

"I can do it myself." Yi Zhize took off his suit jacket and set it aside on a chair.

Ou Tingyun stepped closer to him and whispered, "Let me help you untie your tie."

The two men were so close that they could hear each other's breath.

If he looked down a little, he could see the teardrop mole in the corner of his eye.

Patiently and gently, he helped the lawyer untie his tie, his voice pleasant: "There, now, you can lie down."

Ou Tingyun sat beside him and whispered, "Today, let's try retrospective hypnosis. Zhize, first, I need you to relax."

Yi Zhize closed his eyes.

Ou Tingyun whispered, "Now, imagine that you are in an elevator. Are you in the elevator, Zhize?"

"En."

"Very good. At this moment, the elevator is descending deeper and deeper into the earth. Zhize, I will slowly count from 1 to 10, and with each number you will feel the elevator descend a certain distance, are you ready?"

"En."

"1, the elevator is slowly going down and you feel yourself falling."

"2, you are not bound by gravity and we travel deeper and deeper."

"3, you feel more and more peaceful and the stresses all go away."

"4, you begin to access your subconscious."

"5, all bondage is gone."

"6, you enjoy this deep comfort."

"7, it's as if you've returned to the home of the soul."

"8, full of security and peace."

"9, about to reach a state of deep relaxation."

"10, the doors of the elevator are about to open for you… Zhize, together, let's ease out and into your deepest subconscious."

Yi Zhize's breathing gradually calmed down, his chest rising and falling slightly in a regular pattern.

"Leaving the elevator, you enter a tunnel of soft white light. You are serene, as if you have never been so light and happy before..."

"Travelling through the tunnel of time and space, your subconscious mind takes you back to, 2002."

Yi Zhize's brow furrowed.

Ou Tingyun whispered in his ear, "Zhize, your subconscious mind will automatically guide you to explore the memories that are most profound to you. Like a television broadcast, you will see many, many images. Tell me, Zhize, what do you see?"

Yi Zhize's eyes were closed and his breathing was a little ruffled, "Nineteenth High School."

"What's there?"

"People."

"Which people?"

"Can't see."

"What can you hear?"

"Reading poetry."

"What poem?"

"Red beans grow in the south, in the spring… several branches sprout." Yi Zhize's voice took on a raspy quality: "May you pick them more often, this thing… most.... miss"

"Very well, go on, what else can you see?"

"Lijing Road," Yi Zhize said, "it's raining."

"Do you have your umbrella?"

"No, Teacher, why?"

"What?"

"The rain is red."

"Subconscious images are allowed to be heavenly, and the colour doesn't matter."

"I get it, that's not rain." Yi Zhize paused for a moment and his voice began to tremble, "That is blood."

"Zhize, you..."

Yi Zhize interrupted him and continued, "So much, Teacher. On my face, on my body, all over. What should I do? What should I do? Someone's coming, Teacher."

"Who?"

"I don't know, she's pretty, but..." Yi Zhize's knuckles whitened and he clutched the sheet at his side, "She said, she said."

"What?"

"That I killed..... Mother." Cold sweat fell from Yi Zhize's forehead, "The one who should have died is me."