You Owe Me, My Love novel Chapter 220

Bai Rong went to a place near the university.

That restaurant was located in an alley where cars weren’t allowed.

Therefore, they parked the car elsewhere and went there on foot. Along the way, they passed by Bai Rong’s alma mater.

There were students drifting in and out of the university.

She had graduated for almost seven years. Looking at her alma mater after so many years, she still felt a sense of familiarity for some inexplicable reason.

“Do you know what I thought about all the time when I was in university?” Bai Rong asked Gu Mingchen.

The latter gazed at her and made a guess. “Graduation?”

Hearing that, Bai Rong cast a smile as her eyes curled into a crescent shape. “You’re right. I wanted to get out of the university so badly,” she answered.

“Why? You got good grades, didn’t you?” Gu Mingchen asked in confusion.

“Actually, I think people’s beliefs and values are shaped by their university life. There are too many influencing factors—the disparity between the rich and the poor, emotional issues, relationship problems, difficulty in coping with university life, peer influence, endless temptations, and so on. A person’s beliefs and values usually change after encountering an unfortunate or traumatic event,” Bai Rong lamented.

“I remember that there was a counseling room in every school, and there were a few part-time counselors on duty.” Gu Mingchen went with the flow of her topic.

“Many of those who work in Mu Xiaosheng’s research institute are working as part-time counselors in various high schools. However, many people have insufficient knowledge and awareness about mental illnesses. Most of the time, people just deny having such illnesses because they think it’s an embarrassment. Some of them don’t even think they are mentally ill. As a result, the number of suicides due to depression grew significantly over the past decade,” Bai Rong chatted casually with Gu Mingchen.

“I’m no expert in psychology, but I can see that more and more people are suffering from mental illnesses. I once attended a lecture and learned that mental illnesses are prevalent nowadays. Almost everybody has shown symptoms of mental illnesses, more or less. According to the statistics, two out of ten people have depression. In fact, I’m curious. What made you decide to become a psychologist instead of a gynecologist?” asked Gu Mingchen.

Suddenly, a student riding a bicycle sped out of the university.

Reflexively, Gu Mingchen held Bai Rong’s waist and pulled her toward him.

She didn’t push him away and just allowed him to hold her in his arms.

The streetlamp glowed dimly, shrouding the pair in a cloak of warm light.

Bai Rong looked into Gu Mingchen’s eyes.

There were several reasons why she opted for psychology.

Other than the fact that she met Mu Xiaosheng by coincidence and her mother was a psychiatric patient, another reason was that she realized she had a psychological problem other than depression and wanted to treat herself.

However, she didn’t want to tell him about her psychological problem. “All kinds of reasons, I guess. After my mom recovers, I’ll bring you to meet her.”

“Alright,” Gu Mingchen replied before he fell silent.

Bai Rong didn’t say anything further as she was enjoying the pleasant ambience while they were together. The chilly wind was blowing, but it wasn’t as cold as she thought it would be.

Gu Mingchen took off his coat and wrapped it around her.

Pulling the coat tighter, Bai Rong smiled at him. “Thank you.”

He held her hand in his. “Is the place far from here?” asked Gu Mingchen.

“No. It should be just around here.” Bai Rong scanned the surroundings and frowned.

The area had undergone a lot of changes. Many high-rise buildings had been erected, and the small shops that she used to visit were all gone.

“I remember that there was a shop run by a married couple. They had a cute daughter who couldn’t differentiate words like ‘I’ and ‘you.’ If you told her, ‘you’re naughty,’ she would reply, ‘I’m naughty.’ The couple were really good cooks. The fish broth they made was exceptional, and it cost only ten a bowl. Usually, I would add on a bowl of white rice. Then I could enjoy a full meal that cost me only eleven. Another dish that I liked was the pork ribs soup. It was so delicious and only cost fifteen a bowl.”

Bai Rong’s eyes lit up as she recalled her favorite dishes.

“I can’t wait to try the dishes,” Gu Mingchen said with a soft smile on his face.

Bai Rong giggled. “Oh no… What a wasted trip! Well, it’s too bad that we’re getting nothing today.”

“Isn’t there a lot of restaurants here? Let’s just pick one.” Gu Mingchen took her to a small restaurant.

It was dinner time, and the restaurant was crowded with people. A group of enthusiastic male students was watching the live broadcast of the NBA finals.

Seeing that, Bai Rong instantly felt like she was back to university life.

They seated themselves at a table, which Bai Rong cleaned with a piece of tissue paper.

A waitress walked over. “May I take your order, please?”

Bai Rong was excited to see the waitress. “Lady boss, it’s you! Wow, you’re running a big restaurant now!”

“Hehe… We’re no longer renting the small store. We bought this restaurant a few years ago,” replied the lady boss.

“You deserve the best, lady boss. You’re a very good cook. Are the fish broth and pork ribs soup still available?” asked Bai Rong.

“Yes. They are our signature dishes. Anything else?” The lady boss handed the menu over.

“Do you have braised pork with preserved vegetables? What about pot-roast chicken?” asked Bai Rong.

“Yes, we have them all.”

“Then I would like all four of them. Could you please use fresh fish for the broth? I’d like to have a big bottle of Sprite too,” Bai Rong ordered.

“Sure.” The lady boss headed to the kitchen after taking their order.

Bai Rong turned to look at Gu Mingchen, who was staring at her with a smile.

“What are you smiling at?” Bai Rong was puzzled.

“You were very distant the first time I met you. Your face was always expressionless when dealing with matters, and you rarely smiled. Even when you did, you only did it out of courtesy. I was so curious about you. But as I got to know you better, I realized that you’re actually very bright and breezy,” replied Gu Mingchen.

“Well, let me tell you something. Actually, every person has multiple hidden personalities. They can be kind, grim, aloof, enthusiastic, and so on. Personalities often shift depending on one’s mood, goals, and environment. That’s why it’s said that a person behaves differently when dealing with different people in different situations.

“For example, there was an infamous case of dismemberment in Bera. The murderer was a gentle and knowledgeable lecturer who delivered lively and interesting lectures. Not only was he a good-looking man who was kind to everybody, but he was also a perfect husband and father to his family. Everyone thought he was a flawless man.

“The day when the incident happened, he was working in the university while his wife and son traveled abroad. He was surfing the pornographic website in the hostel. Right then, a female student seduced him, and he ended up sleeping with the girl. After that, the girl blackmailed him with their sex tape and forced him to marry her. The professor was so mad that he killed the girl. Everyone was clueless about the murderer as the method he used to commit murder was ruthless yet impeccable. The professor only turned himself in after twenty years.”

After Gu Mingchen patiently listened to her story, he kissed her on her forehead.

However, Bai Rong merely stared at him in a daze.

“We were looking into each other’s eyes, and I kissed you. How could you remain this calm?” Gu Mingchen couldn’t help but feel disappointed with her reaction.

Bai Rong propped her head with one hand and pointed at the table near the corner.

Gu Mingchen followed her gaze and turned around.

There was a young couple cuddling and kissing as if no one was watching.