Chapter 9: Psychological Suggestion

Tan Yanlu felt strange. Why did she feel a sense of joy when she saw this unfamiliar man? Moreover, the stubbornness in her heart seemed to find its home the moment she laid eyes on him.

But Tan Yanlu didn’t know this man at all. Why did she suddenly have this strange thought of wanting to dedicate everything to him?

Gao Shaolin also felt a surge of ecstasy in his heart. He knew his intuition wasn’t wrong. Staying here, he would obtain something very important.

When he saw the beautiful girl in front of him, he was certain that she was the reason he had refused to leave.

The two of them silently gazed at each other, making Jiang Pan Yu, who was standing beside them, feel utterly superfluous. Jiang Pan Yu touched her nose. How could she let these two have a chance to talk?

Jiang Pan Yu repeated her old trick, pulling a handful of rock sugar from her pocket. Under the cover of the Gossip System, she scattered the sugar on the ground and then exclaimed, “Oh dear, who bought this rock sugar? How did it end up all over the floor?”

The people around immediately looked down and, sure enough, saw pieces of rock sugar. They quickly crouched down to pick them up. Whoever bought it, whoever picked it up could keep it.

Tan Yanlu and Gao Shaolin’s gaze was interrupted by Jiang Pan Yu’s exclamation. Tan Yanlu lowered her head, feeling a bit embarrassed. Why had she been staring at a stranger like that?

Gao Shaolin, on the other hand, smiled and was about to find a way to introduce himself to Tan Yanlu, but he was pushed aside by an auntie who was busy picking up the rock sugar. “Don’t stand there blocking the way!”

Jiang Pan Yu seized the opportunity to talk to Tan Yanlu and divert her attention. “Sister Tan, did you buy this yarn to knit a sweater or a scarf?”

“I’m planning to make a red woolen sweater. It’ll look really nice when worn.”

“I think so too. You could even add some patterns, like diamonds or flowers,” Jiang Pan Yu quickly chimed in, discussing what patterns would look good on a sweater.

The two girls chatted as they left the department store. Gao Shaolin wanted to follow, but he was carrying a large luggage bag and was in a hurry to report to the hospital for his training.

He didn’t have much time to waste outside. Watching Tan Yanlu’s figure grow further away and glancing at the little time he had left, he had no choice but to head to the hospital first.

Jiang Pan Yu and Tan Yanlu talked all the way. Tan Yanlu was captivated by the patterns Jiang Pan Yu mentioned—tree of life, zigzag, checkered, basket, and honeycomb patterns.

Although the flutter she felt for Gao Shaolin hadn’t completely faded, her love for beauty clearly took precedence. Tan Yanlu pushed Gao Shaolin to the back of her mind and agreed to visit Jiang Pan Yu’s home the next day to learn new knitting patterns.

Jiang Pan Yu naturally agreed. She was grateful that she had learned these skills from her grandmother in her past life, and now they were coming in handy.

Jiang Pan Yu could only use the patterns of these sweaters to captivate Tan Yanlu’s attention, leaving no time or space for Gao Shaolin to pursue her. If she succeeded in doing so, Jiang Pan Yu’s goal would be achieved.

Jiang Pan Yu returned to the welfare institute. Her belongings were mostly packed because her situation was somewhat special, and her departure to the countryside was scheduled for half a month later, giving her ample time to prepare.

Most of Jiang Pan Yu’s other items were for daily use and didn’t require much packing—just a bedroll and two bundles, and she was essentially ready to go.

However, there were still a few things she needed to ask the Director for, specifically the swaddling clothes she was wrapped in when she was abandoned as a child.

To be precise, Jiang Pan Yu wasn’t the one who had been abandoned. It was a baby girl who had been left behind and, without food or water, had passed away under a bridge. Jiang Pan Yu, who had crossed over into this world, took over the tiny body, reviving it and giving it a chance to grow into adulthood. But in truth, she wasn’t the original occupant of that body.

In this world, no one but Jiang Pan Yu knew that the baby girl under the bridge had long since died. As someone who had taken over her body, Jiang Pan Yu felt it was her duty to remember the original owner.

So she approached the Director of the welfare institute to ask for the swaddling clothes from her childhood. Although Jiang Pan Yu had been adopted by foster parents, they hadn’t taken the swaddling clothes with them, so the Director had kept them safely stored.

The Director handed Jiang Pan Yu a small bag. When she opened it, she found a tiny piece of clothing and a tattered swaddling blanket. Due to the passage of time, the fabric had turned gray and black, and the fibers had become so fragile that they would tear at the slightest touch.

Jiang Pan Yu carefully wrapped the items. She planned to find a auspicious burial site in the future to create a symbolic grave for the original owner. Whether it would make a difference or not, she hoped it would bless her with a peaceful, prosperous, and fortunate life in her next reincarnation.

The next day, Jiang Pan Yu followed the address Tan Yanlu had given her and arrived at the Tan household. Tan Yanlu was already waiting for her at home.

The elders of the Tan family were all at work, so they weren’t home. Tan Yanlu pulled Jiang Pan Yu into her room, and the two of them began to chatter while knitting sweaters—or rather, Jiang Pan Yu was knitting while Tan Yanlu watched.

Because Tan Yanlu didn’t know how to knit. Yes, she had bought the yarn, but she had no idea how to turn it into a sweater.

It seemed that Tan Yanlu hadn’t been blessed with the talent for handicrafts. Every manual task was a struggle for her. Jiang Pan Yu explained patiently and even guided her hands, but as Tan Yanlu knitted, the yarn either got tangled or she went in the wrong direction.

The yarn was unraveled and re-knitted, knitted and unraveled again. Yet, Jiang Pan Yu remained endlessly patient. As long as Tan Yanlu didn’t think about stepping out of the door, what did it matter if her hands were clumsy?

So, in the following days, Jiang Pan Yu visited Tan Yanlu’s home daily to teach her how to knit. Tan Yanlu stumbled her way through, barely managing to learn the basics of knitting. But turning that into a sweater was still a significant challenge for her.

Through this time spent together, Jiang Pan Yu gained a more direct understanding of the kind of girl Tan Yanlu was.

Although Tan Yanlu didn’t show it explicitly, she had always been taking care of Jiang Pan Yu in subtle ways. Jiang Pan Yu had consumed quite a bit of brown sugar water, rock sugar, candies, and malted milk.

Before regaining her memories, Jiang Pan Yu had only heard of these things and rarely had the chance to taste them. However, during her visits to Tan Yanlu’s home, she was often given these treats in a discreet manner by Tan Yanlu, who would subtly place them in her hands to enjoy.

It’s important to note that in this era, pastries and candies were considered precious items, and even well-off families couldn’t afford to have them every day.

Yet, Tan Yanlu was willing to share these with Jiang Pan Yu, which deeply touched her.

Without the burden of painful memories, Tan Yanlu now presented herself to Jiang Pan Yu as a well-mannered city girl, gentle and kind-hearted, with a strong sense of empathy for the vulnerable.

Tan Yanlu came from a wealthy family, yet she lacked the arrogance and sense of superiority that some city dwellers often exhibited. This was a testament to the considerable effort her parents had put into her upbringing.

Through their conversations over the past couple of days, Jiang Pan Yu also discovered that Tan Yanlu was quite knowledgeable. No matter the topic, she could always contribute a few insightful comments.

If there was something she didn’t understand, she would humbly seek guidance rather than pretending to know.

Initially, Jiang Pan Yu had wanted to help Tan Yanlu for the sake of the mission rewards.

But now, she couldn’t bear the thought of such a wonderful girl falling into a dire situation due to so-called psychological manipulation.

The two of them had stayed indoors all this time. Although staying at home meant Tan Yanlu wouldn’t have the chance to meet Gao Shaolin, Jiang Pan Yu still felt uneasy about him.