The next morning, I arrived at Luo Cheng's clinic according to the address on the business card.

Located within an office building in a bustling downtown area, the entire floor, spanning thousands of square feet, had been rented by him. Surprisingly, aside from one receptionist, two cleaning ladies, and Luo Cheng, there were no other staff members at the entire consulting center.

There were quite a few people with appointments. I could only fill out my information, take a number, and patiently wait in line while observing those undergoing treatment.

The majority of those seeking treatment were middle-aged people. Most of them bore visible signs of disappointment with life, and a rare few even emanated a palpable sense of despair.

After treatment, their moods showed significant improvement, which made me question whether Luo Cheng was really just an amateur.

“Number thirty-six.”

The receptionist called my number, and I quickly stood up and entered the treatment room.

The room was simply furnished but felt very comfortable.

The moment I saw Luo Cheng, I suddenly felt completely relaxed.

He was not very old and his appearance was quite ordinary, but he gave off an aura that made one feel they could let down their guard and trust him completely.

He was born to be a psychologist.

“Hello, please have a seat.”

I responded politely and sat down opposite Luo Cheng.

He lifted the file in his hand, looked at me, and smiled, “Pardon my bluntness, but you don’t seem to need psychological intervention.”

“From the moment you walked in, you’ve been observing—observing the room, observing me. Your file indicates that you've experienced emotional neglect and marital issues, yet I see no signs of marital unhappiness on you.”

“Oh? Then what do you see?” I asked, intrigued.

“Your attire is very professional, your makeup is not very meticulous, and the way you walk and carry yourself shows that you are a career-oriented woman. The deep impression left by your engagement ring means you haven’t taken it off for a long time. Your marriage is very happy, to the point where household chores are handled by your husband who quietly supports your career.”

I touched my wedding ring and smiled, “Maybe I’m just too lazy to take it off?”

“The damage oil and grime cause to diamonds is irreversible, the most direct reflection being its luster. But let's get back to your purpose, what do you want to gain from me?”

“Talking to a smart person is indeed easy. Sorry, please forgive my intrusion.” I reached out, took my filled-out documents, tore them up, and threw them in the trash, then took Wang Leng’s file out of my bag.

“As far as I know, he is your client. After receiving your treatment, he developed cognitive disorders which led to criminal acts.”

Luo Cheng glanced at Wang Leng’s photo and nodded, “I admit he was my patient, but I deny any causal relationship between his treatment and his crimes. Everything was his choice.”

“Really? Then why did he have strange dreams after the treatment and subsequently killed people, even denying the existence of his wife and daughter?”

“Dreams stem from reality. Perhaps it's a choice he made after seeing the reality clearly.”

I didn’t know how to refute him and also couldn’t allow him to lead me by the nose, so I asked, “What was the cause of Wang Leng’s illness?”

“Sorry, that’s the patient's privacy.”

“As far as I know, you perform hypnosis therapy. Did you intentionally guide him during the hypnosis process?”

“Hypnosis isn’t as mysterious or powerful as you think. At most, I can have them speak out thoughts hidden deep in their consciousness or see those thoughts clearly. I cannot guide them to harm themselves or others.”

“For example?”

“For instance, something you are doing right now or someone you see that feels familiar.”

“Déjà vu?”

“It seems you’re not completely ignorant of psychology. Hypnosis can confirm that for you.”

“Really?”

I sneered, “Then I want to give it a try.”