Qin Lan had never seen Nan Chen like that before.
He sat on the chair with his eyes closed while his lips were clammed shut.
He laid there like, all cold and pale like he was one of those handsome vampires.
Qin Lan checked her watch and noted that 30 minutes had passed.
For someone like Nan Chen, every second was precious let alone 30 minutes. Yet, Nan Chen had not spoken a word since he stepped into the office.
As an old friend and a psychologist, Qin Lan knew Nan Chen quite well.
Even though Nan Chen was quiet, Qin Lan could still tell, from Nan Chen’s micro-expressions and actions, that Nan Chen was lost.
She had never seen Nan Chen being lost before. Nan Chen was a business tycoon who had never admitted or accepted defeat, and had always had everything under his control so why was he lost?
Qin Lan didn’t dare to ask him what was going on, and she wasn’t sure how to ask him either.
Whatever happened must’ve been crucial to have made Nan Chen that lost, and a psychologist like her wouldn’t be able to help him.
Qin Lan got out of her office and asked her assistant to pour her a cup of tea.
When she returned, Nan Chen’s leg finally moved as if he had come back to life.
He didn’t seem as upset as he was when he came in, almost as if he had gotten his emotions under control after meditating.
Every powerful man had the ability to control their emotions. That was why they were able to stand on their ground when things went wrong, and would not easily collapse under pressure.
Resilience… that is the mark of an emotionally strong man, and Nan Chen was undoubtedly strong.
Qin Lan sighed a breath of relief because she was finally allowed to talk. “Feeling better?” she asked.
“Yes,” murmured Nan Chen.
“Is there anything else you’d like me to help you with?” asked Qin Lan.
“No,” replied Nan Chen as he stood up to leave.
“Hey, wait,” said Qin Lan who stopped the tall man in front of her.
Nan Chen turned to Qin Lan and, with his eyes, he inquired what was the matter.
“I am a psychologist. You came here to consult me, or rather, for a therapy session. If you leave like that, how am I supposed to charge you the fees?”
“Just send me the bill,” said Nan Chen.
“That’s not the point. You didn’t say a word, and I didn’t do a thing. If I accepted your money, then I’m practically a con woman,” said Qin Lan, “Come on, take a seat. Let’s talk.”
Qin Lan was curious about what was it that got this strong man so lost.
Typically, this level of sadness would only occur if a family member died or if a pair of lovers got separated, but there hadn’t been any news like that from the Nan Family so in this case, the latter must’ve happened. But that would be even weirder because this man was practically ‘asexual’ and didn’t love anyone so how could he have lost a lover?
Nan Chen sat down as instructed.
Qin Lan was one of the people he trusted and was one of the people he could talk to.
Influential and powerful individuals may look like they lead a glorious life, but the truth was, they were under a lot of pressure.
Every decision they make could build up or destroy the whole company so they are constantly stressed out.
It was possible to run away from the pressure someone else forced on you, but if the source of pressure came from your responsibility, then there was no escape. That was why Nan Chen needed therapy and why talking to a good psychologist like Qin Lan was good for Nan Chen’s mental health.
That was also why he came all the way here.
“Okay then,” said Qin Lan who was trying to understand the issue, “What happened?”
“Nothing,” Nan Chen said simply.
“Mr. Chen, I have been your psychologist for years. Do you really think you can lie to me? Or are you trying to insult my professional skill?” asked Qin Lan.
Nan Chen didn’t respond.
Qin Lan became even more curious. What could have happened to get Nan Chen to act so strangely?
“Did something happen at work?”
“No.”
“At home?”
“N… no.”
Nan Chen was a little hesitant when answering the second question.
Qin Lan was certain that whatever happened was personal but she knew that Nan Chen would not tell her if she pressed on nor would he let her trick an answer or hint out of him.
No one could get Nan Chen to open up about things he didn’t want to talk about.
“Is that so? You’re a man of power and every move you make affects the Flower City. Moreover, your corporation has employees all over the world, and their job and income depend on your ability to carry out your task. If anything were to happen to the company, the stakeholders, be it the shareholders or the employees, would suffer. They need you to be at your best to ensure their financial stability,” said Qin Lan as she observed Nan Chen’s reaction.
In the end, after her long speech, Nan Chen gave her a two-worded reply, “well, duh!”
“You think I’m bullsh*****?” Qin Lan was so angry that she jumped up, “Do you question my skills as a psychologist?”
Nan Chen remained emotionless and faced Qin Lan’s fury calmly.
“Fine, I won’t guess. You go ahead and tell me whatever it is you want to say,” said Qin Lan, annoyed.
“That scent…” said Nan Chen before he paused.
“What?” asked Qin Lan. She couldn’t make heads or tails of what was going on.
“Can humans fall in love with a scent?” asked Nan Chen who clarified what he meant.
Qin Lan understood his question then, but it still didn’t make sense.
“Fall in love with a scent?” asked Qin Lan.
Nan Chen nodded.
“You’re saying that you fell in love with a scent?” asked Qin Lan while grinning just a tad too much.
Nan Chen’s face turned sour the moment he saw Qin Lan’s grin.
Qin Lan realized her mistake instantly. She shouldn’t have smiled at her client’s question, no matter how funny it was.
She quickly straightened her posture.
“Psychologically speaking, liking a particular scent is an animal’s instinct. There’s a theory that when a female detects a scent from a male with genes that are completely different from hers, she would be attracted to that scent. That may be what’s happening here, but you’re a male so something like this shouldn’t happen to you…”
Qin Lan wanted to laugh aloud but she kept it in when she saw Nan Chen’s grim face.
She could not afford to piss off this man because he could have her office destroyed if he wanted to.
Nan Chen remained silent.
“It is also possible that this is a case of loving something that belonged to someone you love. That is not an instinct, but an entirely different case. You see, you may have fallen for that scent because the person you love exudes that scent. No one else would remember it or even be aware of it, but you remember it because you are in love. This is most likely what happened to you, but it doesn’t make sense either. Aren’t you asexual? If you can’t fall in love with anyone, how do you fall in love with their scent?”
Even Qin Lan was stumped by her own analysis.
