Chapter 19

Dr. Zhao was a psychologist, a professional authority. Chi Zhihan knew that the long story he had just told her had been carefully worded, striving to remain as neutral as possible.

The Qi family had truly treated her well. Even at this critical juncture, they had given her ample room to make her own choice.

Such careful consideration was because she might genuinely be able to save their family member.

But what she would have to bear was the life and death of a stranger. No matter how pitiful he was, no matter how gentle and considerate he usually seemed, what she would have to shoulder was his life.

This wasn’t a multiple-choice question. Any normal person would know what they should choose. He was a stranger, and she really had no obligation to take on such a heavy responsibility.

Yet, Dr. Zhao had left the decision to her.

Did she seem strong enough to bear the weight of a stranger’s life? She could barely keep her own life together.

“What will happen to Qi Cheng if I refuse?” Chi Zhihan put down the cup that had long since gone cold and looked directly into Dr. Zhao’s eyes.

“Your appearance has given me a new direction for treatment. If you refuse, I’ll probably look for someone similar to you and try again,” Dr. Zhao said without hesitation. “But Qi Cheng has been resisting treatment lately. Finding someone new and rebuilding trust won’t be easy. In the meantime, I’d need you to continue working as his private chef across the hall, but this time, you’d have to be very careful not to cross any boundaries.”

“Don’t worry, Miss Chi. No one in this world is irreplaceable. You shouldn’t feel any guilt for refusing.”

Chi Zhihan smiled faintly.

“Would someone else really agree to do something like… this?” She swallowed the word “absurd,” unable to find a more fitting term, and let the sentence trail off.

“Where there’s a reward, there’s always someone willing to take the risk. I have full confidence in the Qi family’s financial capabilities,” Dr. Zhao said with a smile. “That’s also one of Qi Cheng’s greatest blessings.”

…

Her mood was strange.

She knew what the answer should be. She also knew that her fragile mental state couldn’t bear the guilt if the treatment failed.

But the words “I won’t participate” just wouldn’t come out.

Dr. Zhao had given her plenty of leeway. The Qi family wouldn’t blame her, and once she returned to her old life, with her own troubles to deal with, she would probably quickly forget about the shadowy figure who had lived across the hall.

No matter how tragic Qi Cheng’s story was, he had the entire Qi family behind him. Finding someone else wouldn’t be a problem.

Logically, none of this should be an issue. The biggest problem was that she couldn’t bring herself to say no.

She didn’t even know why she couldn’t say it.

“Can you give me some time to think it over?” After much internal struggle, she could only choose a compromise.

“Two weeks,” Dr. Zhao said, as if he had expected this, his expression unchanged. “During these two weeks, I hope your attitude toward Qi Cheng remains consistent.”

“Whether you agree to join or not, there are a few taboos you must always remember. First, Qi Cheng reacts strongly to lies. If he discovers you’ve lied to him, all trust between you will be lost. Second, you must avoid any physical contact with him. Even the slightest touch can cause him excruciating pain and hallucinations. Third, if possible, try not to let him know that you’re fully aware of his condition. The root of his social anxiety is a deep sense of inferiority. If he knows you understand everything, he’ll start to feel inferior to you and begin to resist.”

“Two weeks. I sincerely hope you’ll give this a serious thought.” Dr. Zhao adjusted his glasses and paused. “What I’ve told you so far has been as neutral as possible, but as a doctor, I’d like to leave you with this: saving lives always carries risks. As long as you do your best, you can have a clear conscience.”

…

A clear conscience… my foot!

After returning to the small Western-style house, Chi Zhihan thought back to that conversation and almost cursed out loud. After all that buildup, his final sentence had completely swayed her.

He really was a psychologist. His persuasive skills were as subtle as a gentle rain.

Because she had really taken those three taboos to heart, completely forgetting to ask why she needed to remember such things for just two weeks.

“It’s all a trap!” She couldn’t help but mutter angrily while cutting the beef brisket, then suddenly remembered the camera and guiltily shrunk her neck.

Damn, I forgot about the camera…

“I was just… venting,” she said, scratching her head and forcing a silly smile.

After a few seconds of silence, the camera slowly nodded twice.

…Okay, he was really startled by her.

“I asked the doctor, and you’re allowed to eat meat today,” Chi Zhihan said, pushing aside her chaotic thoughts and focusing on communicating with the camera. “How about braised beef for dinner?”

The camera didn’t move.

Chi Zhihan raised an eyebrow. Strange, he usually loved meat. “Not even braised beef without cinnamon or star anise, and not too much sugar? I specially picked the tenderest part of the sirloin. It’ll taste amazing braised.”

The camera still didn’t move.

Chi Zhihan put down the knife and frowned.

“No appetite?” That couldn’t be. Qi Cheng had been recovering for days now, and she had gone back to delivering meals through the small window. The two dishes and soup she sent at noon had been completely finished.

The camera swayed slightly from left to right, just once, then became motionless.

…

How could someone convey such intense grievance with just a slight movement of the camera?

“We’ll be guessing until next year at this rate,” Chi Zhihan said with a bitter smile.

…

The camera tilted slightly downward.

…

…………

Chi Zhihan finally gave in. “You want to know where I went this morning?”

This time, the camera didn’t move. Chi Zhihan waited patiently, and after a while, she saw it nod almost imperceptibly twice.

Her attempt to distract Qi Cheng with beef had failed…

She had regretted bringing it up the moment the words left her mouth. Of course, he would ask…

And he did…

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” Chi Zhihan said, lowering her head and picking up the knife again to continue cutting the brisket into neat, square pieces.

The camera remained still, patiently waiting.

“It’s not a particularly pleasant topic, so I’d rather not discuss it,” Chi Zhihan added, her tone firmer this time.

A minute later, the retractable camera retreated slightly.

…

…………

Damn!

Chi Zhihan, who rarely cursed, finally let out a mental expletive.

There was probably only one person in the world who could make a camera as expressive as the robot WALL-E.

Why did she, a normal, healthy, and attractive woman, feel something akin to soft-heartedness toward that black, ominous-looking thing with its eerie red light?

“Can I ask you a question?” Chi Zhihan hesitated, then looked up.

The camera extended to its normal position and nodded.

“If someone like me—you know my financial situation—encountered a very pitiful stray cat that followed me because of the cold weather, do you think I should take it in?” Chi Zhihan added with a smile.

The camera didn’t move, seemingly stumped by the sudden question.

Chi Zhihan’s lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. “Taking care of a cat is a lot of work. Someone like me, with an unstable income and irregular working hours, might end up harming it. Maybe it’s better to leave it where it is and wait for someone more suitable to come along.”

The camera still didn’t move.

“That’s the unpleasant thing I encountered today. I decided to give up on the cat and find it a better owner,” Chi Zhihan said, lowering her head again. “But I can’t stop thinking about how it looked.”

“Is that considered negative energy?” She looked up with an apologetic smile. “Qi Ning told me not to spread negative energy in front of the camera.”

The camera shook its head.

“Braised beef for dinner?” Chi Zhihan circled back to the original topic, holding up the clay pot filled with appetizing, well-marbled beef.

This time, the camera finally nodded.

Chi Zhihan beamed.

“Don’t eat too much, though. I’m worried your stomach might not handle the sudden change,” she said in her usual chatty tone. She knew a lot about food and could talk endlessly about ingredients.

She seemed completely fine now.

The burst of anger that had startled him earlier seemed, as she said, just a way to vent.

But that sudden, inexplicable story about the stray cat—her emotions had been genuinely sad when she told it.

Qi Cheng tilted his head in front of the monitor, hugging his knees.

Early that morning, he had heard a car outside.

Since Chi Zhihan discovered that the car was at her disposal, she had been using it every couple of days—sometimes to go home and fetch her homemade seasonings, other times to buy ingredients that only she could find.

So he hadn’t paid much attention. Morning was his best time for sleep, and he had simply rolled over and gone back to bed.

But Chi Zhihan had returned later than usual.

And her mood seemed off.

Was it really because of the stray cat? Or did the stray cat remind her of her own family issues?

But the look on her face when she talked about the cat had been one of longing.

Qi Cheng’s brows furrowed.

The woman on the monitor was chattering away as usual, but for some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she had been wronged.

…

When Chi Zhihan delivered dinner, she received the usual menu for the next day.

Because it was so routine, she didn’t rush to look at the note, instead focusing on feeding herself first.

After tidying up and putting the dessert for tonight’s snack in the oven, she finally unfolded the note.

And froze.

In addition to the menu, there was a phone number and a line of text: 「This is my phone number.」

…

…………

Wasn’t this the whole point of signing a one-year contract?

Now that she had decided to give up on the stray cat, the cat had brought its own bed to her doorstep. What was she supposed to do?

…