Then let the witch offer her loyalty

Unfortunately, human emotions have a threshold; it's difficult to be moved twice by the exact same thing.

This time we need to think about it from other perspectives.

As she looked around, Chen Moxin noticed Zhou Yan's birthday section.

"September 6th, isn't that next week...?"

Birthdays can be an opportunity, and if used well, they can quickly bring people closer together.

Soon, Chen Moxin had an idea in mind.

He made a phone call to Gu Qiaoqiao.

"Hey, Xiao Chen, long time no see."

"Qiaoqiao, have you been busy with work lately?"

"It's alright, there haven't been many patients at the clinic lately. What's wrong?"

"I have a favor to ask you. If you're free, go back to the Administration Bureau now. I'll be waiting for you in the General Administration Area."

"Okay, I'll save the file and come right away."

Gu Qiaoqiao is a free agent. Apart from the monthly reporting requirement and the need to report in advance when leaving Twin Cities, she is no different from an ordinary person.

She has now founded a psychological counseling center called "Evening Primrose" to provide psychological treatment services and is now a certified psychologist.

Gu Qiaoqiao is naturally beautiful, with a delicate and gentle personality. Coupled with her professional knowledge, her career is thriving, and she now earns fifty to sixty thousand yuan a month.

Her workplace is not far from the management bureau; it only takes half an hour to get there.

Gu Qiaoqiao and Chen Moxin met in the common lounge of the Puguan District, and Liu Lan was also present.

"Sister Lan."

Since their "life-or-death" experience together, Gu Qiaoqiao and Liu Lan have developed a very good relationship and have kept in touch. At this moment, she greeted Liu Lan with a sweet smile.

"Little Qiaoqiao, you've become even more beautiful in just a few days!"

"No, I forgot to wear sunscreen when I went out these past few days, so I got a bit tanned."

Gu Qiaoqiao sat down in the chair, took out two food storage containers from her bag, and handed them to Chen Moxin and Liu Lan respectively: "These are desserts I made myself, you can try them."

"Xiao Chen, what brings you here today?"

Chapter 169 Psychologist

Chen Moxin took out a cookie from the food container, ate one, and said, "It's like this, in order to make up for some deficiencies in my power, I have recently been contacting a third witch."

"Qiaoqiao doesn't live in the Puguan District, so she might not know, but Liu Lan should have heard of that person's name. Her name is Zhou Yan."

Liu Lan was immediately surprised: "You mean, that kid in the strictly controlled area with pink hair who gets into trouble every other day?"

"My God, I heard that kid is really fierce, always causing trouble, and he even broke a supervisor's nose a while ago."

Chen Moxin coughed lightly: "Zhou Yan's situation is like this..."

He spent some time introducing Zhou Yan's background and family situation to the two of them.

"Liu Lan may not understand, but Qiao Qiao is a psychologist and should be more familiar with this situation."

Gu Qiaoqiao quickly nodded: "Severe childhood trauma led to personality disorders during the development of your personality. Judging from the things you've said, it should be a combination of borderline and avoidant personality disorder."

Liu Lan was furious: "Although I've had disagreements with my family before, my dad would only scold me at most. No matter how fierce the argument was, he never laid a hand on me. Is Zhou Haiwei even human? How can he treat his daughter like this?!"

Chen Moxin waved her hand: "Let's not talk about Zhou Haiwei for now; there will be a time to deal with him."

"I called you all here today because Zhou Yan's birthday is coming up soon, and I'm planning to celebrate it for her."

“She grew up in that kind of family. From childhood to adulthood, let alone celebrating her birthday, she was lucky if she didn’t get beaten up on her birthday.”

"I want to give her an unforgettable birthday to get closer to her, and I need your help with that."

Gu Qiaoqiao and Liu Lan both nodded in understanding.

How exactly can we help?

"Qiao Qiao goes without saying, she's a professional psychologist, she can definitely guide Zhou Yan's emotions well and give her some psychological treatment along the way."

At this point, Chen Moxin looked at Liu Lan, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"As for Liu Lan, I'd like you to play Zhou Yan's mother."

"What?!" Liu Lan was utterly shocked, on the verge of tears, she said, "I am a bit older than you, but I don't look old enough to be the mother of a 14-year-old! Do I look that old...?"

Chen Moxin clapped her hands: "I have to say, you're the most suitable one."

“I checked the records. Zhou Yan’s mother was 22 years old when she gave birth to her, and she passed away when Zhou Yan was 4 or 5 years old.”

"In other words, Zhou Yan's impression of her mother is that she was 26 or 7 years old, which is exactly your current age."

"Don't wear your usual cheongsam. I'll find you some outfits that give off a motherly vibe. Just stand in front of Zhou Yan and I'll tell you, it'll be a killer!"

Although it sounded a bit awkward, Liu Lan thought about it carefully and realized that it actually made sense.

Chen Moxin continued, "In addition to having a motherly appearance, one must also have a motherly demeanor, otherwise it will feel very incongruous."

"Liu Lan doesn't have any experience in this area, but that's okay, Qiao Qiao can guide you."

They both nodded: "I'll do my best."

...

Time passed day by day, and soon it was Zhou Yan's birthday.

That noon, Chen Moxin went to the strictly controlled area to have lunch with her as usual.

Zhou Yan remained silent in front of Chen Moxin, but after spending so many days together, and considering her previous experience accompanying family members to a meeting, she was no longer averse to contacting Chen Moxin.

Chen Moxin placed a can of fresh milk in front of Zhou Yan and said, "I've made an application for you with the regulator. Come with me to the Puguan District tonight, we're going to someone's house for dinner."

Zhou Yan gulped down the milk, licking the milk stains off her lips, and asked with some confusion, "I'm not familiar with the people over there, why are you taking me?"

Chen Moxin said directly, "To be honest, the two people eating with me are my witches. I'd like to introduce you to them."

Zhou Yan lowered her eyes and muttered softly, "I already told you I don't make spirit contracts with people. I'm not going..."

Chen Moxin said in a forceful tone, "Whether or not to sign a spirit contract is another matter. This meal is not up to you. I've already told them I'll take you there. Do you want to embarrass me?"

Zhou Yan pouted, "Don't make decisions on your own! You didn't even discuss it with me, why did you agree to it for me without my consent? I'm not going..."

Without saying a word, Chen Moxin tried to snatch the baby bottle: "Then don't drink it, give it back to me."

Zhou Yan tilted her head back and gulped down the milk, then scurried away in a corner like a little mouse that had stolen cheese: "I'm done drinking. Anyway, I'm not going... You can't expect me to spit it out and give it back to you, can you?"

"Why not?" Chen Moxin waved to the supervisor not far away, "Come and lend a hand, carry her to the infirmary and make her vomit. Make her throw up everything she drank."

Zhou Yan was utterly shocked: "Are you really insane?!"

Seeing that Chen Moxin was really going to come and grab her, and it didn't seem like she was joking, she hurriedly stood up: "Go, I'll go, okay?! Really... how can there be such a person..."

Chen Moxin finally stopped, picked up the plastic bag at his feet and handed it to him: "I bought you these clothes, here you go. You're going to help me make a good impression this time, so dress nicely."

Zhou Yan looked at the clothes being handed to her, her little hand rising several times, then clenching up and pulling back each time, as if she was hesitating about whether to accept the gift.

In the end, she carefully accepted it.

She seemed to want to say something more, but swallowed her words back. Instead of saying thank you, she said in a deep voice, "You provide the clothes, I provide the manpower. We made a deal, and neither of us owes the other anything."

Chen Moxin shrugged, indicating his agreement.

In the evening, Chen Moxin got off work on time to pick up Zhou Yan.

After completing the necessary procedures, the two quickly arrived at the adjacent general detention area.

Along the way, Zhou Yan attracted the attention of many witches.

She was frequently used as a typical example for public criticism, and was quite famous among the witches in the Puju District.

Everyone knows about a pink-haired bully who is less than 1.5 meters tall. He steals things, damages public property, and insults the supervisors in the strictly controlled area. He is notorious.

Now, when the pink-haired bully comes to the general area, the witches all hide far away, and don't even dare to look Zhou Yan in the eye, for fear that they will be beaten up if they look at her.

"I'm telling you," Chen Moxin glanced at Zhou Yan walking behind, "you're being disliked wherever you go. Have you ever considered changing this situation?"

Zhou Yan calmly said, "No need, this is fine. It would be best if everyone disliked me, otherwise my name would be meaningless."

Zhou Yan said this, but through careful observation, Chen Moxin noticed that when she looked at the other witches participating in the group activities, there was still a hint of envy in her eyes.

But after years of suppression, she quickly suppressed her envy and returned to her indifferent expression.

"We're here, this is it." Chen Moxin stopped in front of the dormitory building in the Puguan District.

The dormitories built by the management bureau for the general area are very luxurious. The single room is nearly 60 square meters with a living room and a separate kitchen and bathroom, as well as a balcony. If one person gets bored living there, they could even keep a dog without feeling cramped.

Chen Moxin knocked on the door in front of Liu Lan's dormitory, and the door opened quickly.

Although Zhou Yan agreed to Chen Moxin's request at noon, it was entirely out of coercion.

She has always been reluctant to interact with others, and she feels distant even from acquaintances, let alone strangers.

She had planned to become a wooden doll tonight, focusing solely on her meal and ignoring everything else, refusing to respond to anyone who spoke to her.

But the moment the door opened, Zhou Yan caught a glimpse of the woman standing in the doorway out of the corner of his eye and froze on the spot.

Liu Lan stood at her doorstep, wearing a light yellow apron over a simple loungewear dress. Her hair was loosely tied in a bun, with a few strands falling beside her face and gently swaying in the evening breeze.

The room lights bathed her in a warm, soft glow. Her eyes were gentle and serene, with a natural tenderness in the corners of her eyes and brows. Without saying a word, just standing there made people feel safe and relaxed.

"You've arrived! You must be Zhou Yan? Oh, this child is so cute, come in and sit down."

The moment Zhou Yan saw Liu Lan, for a fleeting instant, she felt as if some long-dormant memories had been activated, and a strange yet familiar figure echoed in her mind.

It was that gentle figure, carrying the aroma of food, who made her feel like she had found a safe haven.

While Zhou Yan was still in a daze, Chen Moxin introduced them: "Zhou Yan, this is Liu Lan, and the young lady behind her is Gu Qiaoqiao. They are both my witches."

Gu Qiaoqiao smiled sweetly and waved to Zhou Yan: "Hello, come in and sit down. I bought some snacks. Come and see what you like to eat. Help yourself."

Liu Lan went to the kitchen to continue cooking, while Gu Qiaoqiao led Zhou Yan and Chen Moxin to the living room.

The ceiling light in the living room casts a soft glow, illuminating the surroundings just right. Several colorful throw pillows are casually placed on the off-white sofa.

The coffee table was spotless and piled high with all sorts of snacks, including preserved plums, almond chips, potato chips, and jelly, creating a relaxed and carefree atmosphere.

Ordinary people would feel awkward visiting a stranger's home, let alone someone like Zhou Yan.

She was a little restless on the sofa, not sure if it was because the sofa was too good. She used to sit on the floor or on a cold bench, and had never sat on something so soft before.

Those big eyes seemed to be watching TV, but in reality, they kept glancing at the abundant snacks on the table, and their mouths would occasionally move slightly.

Gu Qiaoqiao is not only a top student in psychology, but also a proper psychologist. She has encountered some girls like Zhou Yan in her work and knows very well how to get along with them.

Gu Qiaoqiao picked up a bag of cookies, opened it herself, and ate one before handing it to Zhou Yan, smiling amicably, "Sister Lan is still cooking, it'll be a while, you should eat something to tide you over."

Delicious food is hard for Zhou Yan to resist. Although it was just a bag of ordinary biscuits, in a place like the strictly controlled area where the canteen was bland and watery, biscuits had to be bought with real money.

With her meager monthly labor allowance, she had to contribute most of it to Zhou Haiwei. She could only afford to eat this pack of biscuits once a week.

With food placed in front of him, Zhou Yan couldn't resist. He stuffed the biscuits into his mouth in big bites, chewed them a couple of times, and swallowed them immediately.

This is a habit she has developed since childhood.

Since she was old enough to understand, Zhou Haiwei has never spent a penny on her, and he even only orders single-serving portions when he eats takeout.

She could only wait anxiously for Zhou Haiwei to finish eating, and then she would rummage through the trash can to see if there were any leftovers.

Even so, Zhou Haiwei would kick him twice while he was eating.

As she grew older and her body developed, her appetite increased, and leftovers were no longer enough for her. So she had to go out and do all sorts of illegal jobs to support herself.

The problem is that Zhou Haiwei takes most of the money he earns from illegal work, leaving him with so little that he can't even afford decent food, often forcing him to resort to theft.

If she doesn't get caught, that's fine, but if the owner catches her, she'll squat in a corner and devour the food.

Even the most ill-tempered person wouldn't let someone vomit up what they've eaten.

As for how much you can eat before you get beaten up, that depends on your own abilities.

Only what you eat is truly yours.

That's how she developed her eating speed.

Gu Qiaoqiao is a psychologist. Just from Zhou Yan's eating movements and expressions, she could roughly guess what kind of childhood this child had.

Gu Qiaoqiao felt a lump in her throat and her eyes were a little red, but her professionalism allowed her to control her emotions and show a gentle smile.