Chapter 45: Paranoia  

After lunch, it was time for a midday nap.  

Shen Linghao originally intended to rest in the guest room. Although Zhao Jiaying was only a four-year-old child, there was still a difference between boys and girls, and sleeping together didn’t seem appropriate.  

However, Zhao Jiaying clung to his hand, looking at him with wide, pleading eyes. She said pitifully: “Brother Linghao, Yingbao is scared alone and doesn’t dare to sleep!”  

Her words clearly hinted that she wanted him to stay with her.  

After experiencing the kidnapping, even the strongest person would have lingering fears, let alone a four-year-old child.  

On the surface, she seemed completely normal, as if nothing had happened, but now, she was afraid to be alone—especially when sleeping.  

Seeing her delicate and pitiful expression, Shen Linghao couldn’t bear to refuse.  

He convinced himself with a strong and reasonable excuse: this was a special situation, so special treatment was acceptable.  

“Alright, then Brother will sleep with you!”  

The moment Zhao Jiaying heard that Shen Linghao agreed, she immediately beamed at him, revealing two deep dimples.  

At this point, Shen Linghao had no resistance against her smile at all. My goodness—does she have to be this cute?  

After Zhao Jiaying fell asleep, trouble arose again. The nightmare from the previous night returned to haunt her.  

In the end, just like Ou Zichen had done the night before, Shen Linghao had to hold her while she slept. Only when she was in his arms did she sleep peacefully.  

However, Shen Linghao suffered for it. Even though she was just a four-year-old, he was only eleven himself, and his strength was limited.  

Holding Zhao Jiaying without moving for over two hours left his arms completely numb by the time she woke up.  

In the afternoon, when Ou Zichen returned, Shen Linghao told him about Zhao Jiaying’s situation. Ou Zichen explained that she had been like this the night before as well. He had held her all night, but in doing so, he hadn’t gotten any sleep himself.  

That was why he looked like what Zhao Jiaying called a “national treasure” today!  

“Uncle Ou, Yingbao’s condition is probably post-traumatic fear. It would be best to have a psychologist take a look at her!”  

Despite being just an elementary school student, Shen Linghao was far more knowledgeable than an average child.  

The little prodigy had an exceptional brain and enjoyed reading. Once he read something, he could remember it permanently.  

Having spent the entire day at the Ou residence, now that Ou Zichen and the others were back, he felt reassured enough to go home.  

“Yingbao, Brother is heading home now!”  

Hearing that Shen Linghao was leaving, Zhao Jiaying held onto his hand, reluctant. “Brother Linghao, aren’t you staying for dinner?”  

She still wanted to have dinner with Brother Linghao!  

“No, Brother’s dad and mom are waiting for me at home to have dinner, so I’ll eat there and come over again tomorrow morning.”  

“Alright then, goodbye, Brother!” Though Zhao Jiaying was unwilling to part, she remembered that Brother Linghao had parents who also wanted to have dinner with him. She couldn’t selfishly keep him all to herself.

After dinner, Ou Zichen made a call to Qi Musen, asking him to come over. Shen Linghao was right—Zhao Jiaying most likely had developed a fear disorder. It wasn’t that he minded holding her at night, but he was worried that if this continued, her condition would worsen over time.  

Qi Musen was a well-known psychologist and also a close friend of Ou Zichen. The moment he received the call, he rushed over without hesitation.  

Over the phone, Ou Zichen had simply said he needed him to check on his daughter. Qi Musen was stunned when he heard this—he had assumed she was a child Ou Zichen had adopted. But when he saw Zhao Jiaying in person, he immediately dismissed that thought. There was no way she was adopted. She looked exactly like Ou Zichen—she had to be his biological daughter.  

But when had Ou Zichen gotten married and had a child? How had he not known anything about it?  

“Zichen, that’s not fair! When did you get married? And you didn’t even tell me?”  

“You don’t know whether I got married or not? If I were getting married, wouldn’t I have invited you, the great Doctor Qi? Are you stupid?”  

Qi Musen thought for a moment—he had a point. Given their friendship, there was no way Ou Zichen would have gotten married without telling him.  

“If you’re not married, then where did this daughter of yours come from?”  

“I’ll explain later. Right now, check on her first. She keeps having nightmares every time she falls asleep!”  

Ou Zichen then explained everything in detail—the kidnapping, the near-burial alive—nothing was left out.  

After listening, Qi Musen had a chat with Zhao Jiaying and conducted a psychological test. His diagnosis: mild paranoia.  

This mild paranoia was similar to a fear disorder. Because the patient had experienced harm in the past, they would develop a fear of being alone, especially when sleeping, and would often have nightmares.  

There was a saying: What one thinks about during the day appears in dreams at night. Even though Zhao Jiaying behaved normally when surrounded by others, her subconscious was still fixated on the kidnapping. That was why the same scene kept appearing in her dreams, causing her to have nightmares every time she slept.  

Hearing the diagnosis, Ou Zichen became worried. He asked: “Is it serious? Is there a cure?”  

He did not want his daughter to live in nightmares forever.  

“It’s not serious. As for a complete cure, it’s hard to say. The best we can do is improve her current condition. But I think Yingbao is a very optimistic child—she should be able to overcome the trauma.”  

If it couldn’t be fully cured, that meant there was a possibility it could happen again in the future. Ou Zichen’s concern deepened.  

Noticing the worry on his friend’s face, Qi Musen patted him on the shoulder reassuringly.  

“Don’t worry, it’s really not that bad. As long as she doesn’t experience another severe shock, she’ll be fine. Trust me!”  

“So what should we do now? Does she need medication?”  

Ou Zichen thought for a moment—right now, the priority was to address the immediate issue. The future could be dealt with when the time came—after all, no one could predict what lay ahead.  

He believed that Zhao Jiaying, being such a cheerful and lively child, would eventually overcome the shadow of this trauma.

“No need for medication. I’ll get you a bottle of aromatherapy oil that helps with sleep. Just light it when she goes to bed. You can also let her listen to some soothing music that lifts the mood. At first, she might still have nightmares at night, but you can hold her hand while she sleeps—it’ll give her a sense of security. Also, try to keep her happy every day. After some time, the nightmares will gradually disappear!”  

“Alright, I understand. Thank you for making the trip today! I won’t see you out.”  

After speaking, he took the aromatherapy oil that Qi Mosen had given him and returned to the bedroom, as he still needed to give Zhao Jiaying a bath.  

Qi Mosen shook his head helplessly. This was a clear case of being used and then cast aside. But knowing that the other party was going through a special period, he chose to forgive him.  

Ou Zichen followed Qi Mosen’s advice—he lit the aromatherapy oil, played some calming music, and even told Zhao Jiaying an interesting story before bed. Zhao Jiaying laughed heartily as she listened.  

After the story, Zhao Jiaying quickly fell asleep. At first, her sleep was restless, and she kicked and struggled. Ou Zichen held her hand and gently patted her back. Gradually, she calmed down and slept peacefully.  

Having stayed up the entire night before, Ou Zichen finally allowed himself to sleep once he saw that Zhao Jiaying had settled down. He was exhausted. Fortunately, Zhao Jiaying slept soundly that night without causing a fuss.  

Ou Zichen finally got a good night’s sleep; otherwise, he would wake up the next day only to be teased by Zhao Jiaying for looking like a panda again.  

For several consecutive days, he followed Qi Mosen’s instructions. Zhao Jiaying slept soundly and no longer had nightmares. At last, the heavy weight on Ou Zichen’s heart as a “father figure” was lifted.  

…  

That evening, while eating at home, Shen Changfeng noticed that as Shen Linghao ate, he would unconsciously smile to himself.  

Shen Changfeng had observed that for some time now, Shen Linghao came home in a particularly good mood every day. He had also become more cheerful, often smiling to himself while lost in thought. Shen Changfeng found it rather strange.  

“Dad, Mom, I’m full. You two take your time eating!”  

“Alright!”  

After Shen Linghao left the dining table, Shen Changfeng leaned in close to Liu Lanzhi and spoke in a low voice.  

“Wife, don’t you think Linghao has been much happier lately? He smiles a lot more too.”  

Hearing Shen Changfeng’s words, Liu Lanzhi showed no surprise. She continued eating calmly, responding to his question in a gentle tone.  

“You’re only noticing now? I saw it a long time ago.”  

“Then why didn’t you tell me?” Shen Changfeng’s tone carried a hint of urgency, with a touch of reproach.  

Liu Lanzhi was displeased. She immediately put down her chopsticks, glared at Shen Changfeng, and said angrily: “You never asked me. How was I supposed to know that you didn’t know?”  

Seeing Liu Lanzhi upset, Shen Changfeng immediately wilted. He quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulders and softened his tone in surrender.

“Yes, yes, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have spoken to you in that tone. My dear wife, don’t be angry…”  

With that, he picked up Liu Lanzhi’s bowl and chopsticks, placed them in her hands, and served her favorite dish.  

“Wife, don’t be mad anymore. Come on, come on… eat up!”  

Liu Lanzhi took the bowl and chopsticks, smiling knowingly. “That’s more like it!”  

She then continued eating at her usual leisurely pace.  

Shen Changfeng was extremely curious about the drastic change in their son, Shen Linghao, over the past few days. So, he softened his tone and asked Liu Lanzhi,  

“Wife, do you know what caused our son to change like this?”  

“Take a guess!” Liu Lanzhi didn’t tell him directly, leaving him in suspense.  

“Did he place first in the recent exams?”  

Liu Lanzhi rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that a given?”  

The nickname “Top Student Shen” wasn’t for nothing. Ever since he entered St. Petersburg Primary School, he had consistently held first place, never slipping and never being surpassed.