Chapter 55: Collapsed

Jiang Banyue sat on the sofa, covering her face with both hands as she sobbed uncontrollably. Shen Yunhe stepped forward and held her tightly, his heart aching so much that he could barely breathe.

“Taking care of a child like this is exhausting, truly exhausting. I made up my mind to see a psychologist this time, and it took a lot of courage. I just want to cure his illness. I’m his mother—I’ve taken care of him for so many years. So why is it that the moment you come back, he ignores me? Why? Why!”

Shen Yunhe held her even tighter, letting her vent all her frustration and grievances. He felt that her mental state wasn’t quite right either. She used to be so gentle, always calm in the face of everything. But now, she was quick to anger and easily irritable. If she kept going like this, something was bound to happen sooner or later.

He hadn’t been by her side all these years. This delicate woman had raised three children on her own—he had no idea how she had managed to get through it. Especially when one of them suffered from a psychological illness.

“Let’s remarry, okay? Let me take care of you all. Given Jin’s current condition, someone has to watch over him at all times. I’ll be returning to the army soon, and I really can’t be at ease leaving you like this.”

Jiang Banyue pushed him away. “I don’t need you. I can take care of the children myself!”

“Why? What is it about me that makes you reject me so much? Tell me! When we divorced, you kept thinking there was something between me and another woman. I swear to you, there was nothing—absolutely nothing! Liu Juan has been arrested; she won’t be interfering with us anymore. Right now, I just want to take care of you and the children. Please, just give me a chance!”

Jiang Banyue remained silent. Thinking about what would eventually happen to the children, she didn’t dare take the risk.

Jiang Banyue froze, tears falling one by one, her gaze distant and unfocused.

“Being with you… the children will die, everyone will die!”

Shen Yunhe held her tighter. “Why would you think like that?”

Jiang Banyue seemed to remember something, her hands clutching her head in pain, her brows furrowed, cold sweat covering her forehead.

“Jin, Rou, Yu’er… my children, no!”

“Banyue, what’s wrong?” Shen Yunhe anxiously held her. Jiang Banyue suddenly shoved him away, standing up from the sofa. With red-rimmed eyes, she questioned him.

“Why didn’t you protect the children? Why! Shen Yunhe, I hate you! I hate you! Give me my children back! Ah…”

“What’s going on?” Shen Yunhe realized something was terribly wrong with her—she seemed like a completely different person.

After venting, Jiang Banyue fainted into Shen Yunhe’s arms. In the quiet, dark room, Shen Yunhe held her tightly, his bloodshot eyes shedding a tear.

“What happened to all of you? Why is this happening?”

**Fast forward**

The next day, Jiang Banyue went to the store as usual, and Shen Yunhe took the three children to school. Before getting out of the car, he called Jiang Huaijin.

“Jin!”

Jiang Huaijin turned around in confusion. “Is Dad calling me?” Normally, the family called him Huaijin.

“Yeah. Have fun at school,” Shen Yunhe said, patting his son’s head.

“Okay.”

Jiang Huaijin smiled brightly, waving at his dad.

“Bye, Dad! I’m going down now.”

“Okay.” Shen Yunhe took the three kids out of the car.

“After school, I’ll come pick you up!”

As soon as the children entered the school, Shen Yunhe drove straight to the hospital, heading to Lan Haizhou’s office.

“Yunhe, sit!” Lan Haizhou, who had been focused on writing a report, looked up upon seeing Shen Yunhe, putting down what he was working on.

“Yunhe, is there something you need from me?”

Shen Yunhe sat down, hesitated for a moment, sighed, and rubbed his face with both hands.

“I have a friend who has two very different personalities. One is obedient and understanding, while the other is a bit extreme, with very unstable emotions. What could this be?”

“Split personality disorder! He definitely has split personality disorder!”

Lan Haizhou stood up excitedly, placing both hands on the desk.

“Who is this friend? Bring him to me! I’ve only heard of this condition from teachers, but I’ve never seen it in person!”

“What is split personality disorder? What causes it?” Shen Yunhe asked, completely confused about this condition.

“Simply put, it’s when a person experiences severe abuse or trauma during childhood, sometimes due to family issues or environmental factors. This can cause a split in their personality. It’s a psychological disorder, and the development of split personality disorder is a very complex process.”

“Impossible!” Shen Yunhe stood up, pacing nervously.

“…My friend has never been abused. His parents love him very much, and everyone around him loves him too!”

“Is his family happy?” Lan Haizhou asked. “Some children raised in homes where their parents constantly fight or divorce may develop psychological issues.”

Shen Yunhe froze. Could this be why Jin had become like this—because of his divorce with Jiang Banyue? He thought of the children and Jiang Banyue, his heart aching, and a heavy, suffocating feeling in his chest.

“Yunhe, Yunhe, what’s wrong?”

Lan Haizhou called his name several times, and Shen Yunhe snapped back to reality, asking weakly.

“If this condition is left untreated, what will happen?”

Lan Haizhou’s expression became serious.

“If it’s not treated, it will get worse, possibly leading to multiple personalities, accompanied by depression, violent tendencies, increasing mental confusion, hallucinations, and in severe cases, suicide.”

He continued, “You should bring your friend here so I can check on him and see how bad his condition is!”

Shen Yunhe’s heart sank with each word. He wanted to say it was his son, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He didn’t want others to see his son through different eyes. At least, when he was with him, everything seemed normal, and no one would suspect anything.

Now he understood why Jiang Banyue had been so reluctant to take their son to a psychologist—Jin resisted the idea and had a strong reaction to it.

“What happens to the other personality after this disorder is cured?”

“It will definitely disappear, leaving the normal personality.”

As soon as Lan Haizhou finished speaking, Shen Yunhe’s face turned pale. Lan Haizhou looked at him, puzzled.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“Is there a way to keep both personalities without the condition worsening?”

“What? How is that possible?” Lan Haizhou looked at him strangely, as if sizing him up.

“Your friend must be someone close to you, right? Your family member, someone very dear to you?”

“Yes. Both personalities are good. They are both my loved ones. He sees himself as two people, so I respect him and treat them as two separate individuals!”

“Bring him to see me. I’ll take a look first. Don’t worry, I understand your concerns. The second personality will absolutely not be known to anyone else.”

Shen Yunhe thought for a moment, then made up his mind to speak.

“Actually, he’s my son, Jiang Huaijin.”

With a loud crash, the chair fell backward. Lan Haizhou stared at him in disbelief.

“Are you serious? But the last time I checked him, everything seemed normal!” Lan Haizhou waved his hands in agitation, pacing around.

“Wait. Last time, that might have been his dominant personality. Just relying on simple tests isn’t enough to make a conclusion. Bring him in, and I can perform hypnosis to bring out his second personality!”

Shen Yunhe looked at him, his face filled with hesitation. He suddenly regretted allowing such a medical fanatic to treat his son. Wouldn’t this make his son even crazier?

“I’ll think about it some more. I’ll go back for now!”

Shen Yunhe didn’t wait for him to stop him and left quickly, ignoring Lan Haizhou’s shouting behind him.

“You have to bring him here!”