Chapter 154 - Awakening of Consciousness (11)

But part of the reason that he was not in a good shape this week was her. He had heard that she had a boyfriend but that was just words. However, when he saw with his own eyes, he felt a bit distressed. He had a bit of a crush on Lu Jia’er. That and the relapse of PTSD had caused some disturbance.

Besides, whether it was the man he met last week or the man he saw just now in the parking lot, they were no ordinary people. Xu Lei had always been accurate in evaluating people.

He did not have a sense of inferiority. That being said, he could not help but feel frustrated. Over the years, he had been yearning for love. He wanted, more than anyone else, that there would be a caring girl with him. But at the same time, he worried that he could not make her happy.

He had always had the conviction that the gunshot wound did not affect him because he had always been strong like iron, like steel. However, it was not the fact. It was as if some corrosive chemical had entered his mind and body and he was getting rusty. By the time he realized it, he had been covered in wounds.

He had thought that nobody could clean the rust off him until he met Lu Jia’er. The first time they met, she had left a deep impression on him. As a resolute and steadfast soldier, he could not compare her to the sun or the moon like a poet. But to him, she was a capable rust remover.

He liked her voice, her smile. He could not go so far as to call it love but the woman in front of him was sure special enough that he would share his past stories with her with no reserve.

Hearing out Xu Lei telling his experience as a soldier in the Special Forces, Lu Jia’er smiled. “I have a deeper understanding of the army after I heard your stories about your time in the service. Life in the army is harder than we pictured. But the friendship you forged with your fellow soldiers are touching. I now understand what comrade-in-arms is and what brothers are!”

“Actually, compared with the real experience, just understanding it is still not living it!” Xu Lei answered.

Lu Jia’er nodded to his words. “Yes. Only the ones that had those experience can understand what the meaning of unforgettable is.”

“Indeed, they are unforgettable!” Xu Lei exclaimed.

“If they are unforgettable, then don’t forget. Remember them to the end of your lives!” Lu Jia’er said.

Xu Lei smiled. “But remembering it has caused some problems for me!”

“Having problems is not terrible. What is bad is not to face the problems! Deputy Xu, you are a dauntless, unyielding man. So, no problem is unsolvable for you!” Lu Jia’er encouraged him.

Xu Lei felt a bit touched. “Thank you, Professor Lu, for listening to those boring stories!” He said, looking at her.

Lu Jia’er shook her head. “No, they are not boring at all. On the contrary, I found those experiences fascinating. Every person is so vivid and alive. You have shown me what youth, passion is and what steel-willed men are alike.”

“Professor Lu, what do you used to think of soldiers? Do you admire them?” Xu Lei asked.

Lu Jia’er smiled. “Truth be told, like many girls, I do have admiration for the men of iron in the military.”

“Unfortunately, many girls like soldiers just because of the uniform. It is entirely another matter if they were to date and marry a soldier!” Xu Lei commented.

“There is a gap between admiration and reality. That being said, it must not be a bad thing to be admired by someone. Deputy Xu, there must be a fair share of girls that adore you at the criminal police unit. Will you feel repulsed by that?” Lu Jia’er asked a question.

“Not really. But sometimes I do find it troublesome!” Xu Lei smiled.

“It sounded like you always want the better end of the deal!” Lu Jia’er joked.

Xu Lei burst into laughter. “Professor Lu, chatting with you like this makes me happy, and more relaxed!”

“I am honored.” Lu Jia’er replied.

Xu Lei looked at her. “Then, let us call it a day. I will not hog you on your weekend date time, Professor Lu!”

Xu Lei’s answer clearly revealed some underlying meaning. Lu Jia’er gave a natural response. “Deputy Xu, as a matter of fact, I encourage you to hang out with some friends during the weekend! Females would be better, if possible!”

“Females would be better! Then can I ask you out?” Xu Lei asked, half joking.

He expected a refusal from Lu Jia’er. Surprisingly, she accepted. “Sure!”

Xu Lei was startled. “Really? What if your boyfriend gets jealous?”

Lu Jia’er smiled. “He will not be jealous. Next weekend, if you are free, we can go somewhere together!”

Though he understood that Lu Jia’er made an appointment with him for treatment, Xu Lei nodded with a smile. “That would be nice!”

The session had come to an end. Xu Lei stood up and when he was about to leave, he suddenly stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot!” Then, he took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Lu Jia’er.

Lu Jia’er looked at it. “What is it?”

“A letter of apology and thank-you from Yu Fang!” Xu Lei said.

“Yu Fang, the bigger sister of those twins.” Lu Jia’er remembered.

Xu Lei continued, “She wanted to come and apologize and thank you in person. However, since her younger sister met you in private, Yu Fang was afraid that you would refuse to see her. Besides, she was ashamed to meet you. So, she asked me to give this to you!”

“How is she doing lately?” Lu Jia’er took over the letter and asked.

“She has dropped out of school. She mentioned that she planned to take up some work and make money so she could hire the best psychologist to treat her sister.” Xu Lei said.

Lu Jia’er sighed. “She is a good sister!”

Xu Lei nodded in agreement. “She also said that she was going to teach herself psychology and wanted to become someone like you, Professor Lu!”

Hearing this, Lu Jia’er looked at Xu Lei for a moment and then replied, “Actually, she has that potential!”

Xu Lei had the same idea. “She engineered single-handed the swap of their identity. She is clever and calm in face of emergencies. Since she has to run away from her foster father’s beating, she is a good runner with good endurance. She would make a good soldier!”

“If so, Deputy Xu, why don’t you introduce her to the service?” Lu Jia’er asked.

“I did have that idea. I am trying to convince her!” Xu Lei replied.

Lu Jia’er smiled. “Yu Fang may be sensitive but at the same time, she has strong psychological endurance! It may seem to be two contradictory points. However, it is in accordance with her mental profile. She was raped by her foster father but was afraid to disclose such information. For one thing, she was scared. For another, she thought that if their forester father had her, he would not target her young sister, Yu Fei. It was unfortunate that this was Yu Fang’s wishful thinking. Of course, she would be strong when it comes to anything that affects her sister. As a matter of fact, she had harbored the idea of murdering their foster father for a long time. It’s just that Yu Fei’s secondary personality swooped in first.”

“Professor Lu, you are right!” Xu Lei agreed.

“I do hope that, Deputy Xu, you can convince her and lead her down the right path.” Lu Jia’er said.

“I will try my best!” Xu Lei said. “But, Professor Lu, when you were sitting in on this case, there is something that I did not understand.”

“What is it?” Lu Jia’er asked.

“When you said that Yu Fei was actually Yu Fang, Yu Fang became quite agitated, dangerous. Why did you go to her at that time?” Xu Lei asked.

Lu Jia’er thought back. In the normal sense, she should not have gone closer to Yu Fang at that time. Back then, Lu Jia’er remembered… she seemed to have heard something.

What did she hear? Lu Jia’er could not remember.

“I was just trying to make the final confirmation that she was Yu Fang!” Lu Jia’er had to come up with the explanation.

“Were you really just making sure?” Xu Lei asked.

Lu Jia’er looked up at him. She chose her words with prudence. “Deputy Xu, are you having second opinion about my intention at that time?”

Xu Lei sensed that he had said the wrong thing. He hurried to deny it. “No!”

“Deputy Xu, you can come straight to the point!” Lu Jia’er said.

Xu Lei was forthright in character. He no longer withheld the information now that Lu Jia’er had said so. “I reviewed the video tape. I have a doubt. How did it occur to you to know that Yu Fei was playing Yu Fang?”

“Of course through professional psychological profiling!” Lu Jia’er said.

“No. I think there is something more to it!” Xu Lei insisted.

“Something more. What do you mean?” Lu Jia’er replied with a question.

“I feel like you can read their minds!” Xu Lei did not beat about the bush.

Lu Jia’er could not help but laugh. “Experts in psychology can read minds!”

“No. I mean that you can hear the inside voice of others.” Xu Lei tried another way.

“What?” Lu Jia’er sounded surprised.

“Of course, this was just my speculation then! When I started psychological counseling sessions here and to chat with you, I denied the idea! The only thing I can say is that you excel at your work!” Xu Lei said.

“Thank you!” Lu Jia’er said with a faint smile.

But Xu Lei’s words did give Lu Jia’er something to contemplate on her way back. She realized that there was some inconsistency in her memory. For example, she looked back on her encounter with Jin Xiangdong for the first time at the parking lot in B University. She fell in love with him at first sight and she pursued him. It seemed right. However, there is something missing.

What was missing exactly?

Mind reading? What a pack of nonsense.

Everything had to come back to this inconsistency in her memory: her memory was replaced!

Her memory was replaced! She thought of another possibility, if her memory was not disturbed by hypnosis.