"So, no information regarding the owner?" Ru iqi asked as she flipped through the book in her hands. Sitting crossed leg on the floor, she was surrounded by tons of books and reports that spread ssily. If Jin Renguang was here, he would surely be unable to endure being in the room for more than ten minutes.
"Yes." The man's voice ca from the other side of the phone, raspy and fatigued. "It seems like the only alternative is to wait for Si Yusheng to wake up."
"Oh? How is he now?"
"Still unconscious. We are planning to transfer him to another hospital tomorrow." He fell silent for a mont. "I lied to Director Fen, saying that his condition doesn't look good."
Ru iqi paused, her eyes floated around the heading 'ntal Disorders and Symptoms' yet nothing could register in her mind.
"Tell ," He murmured quietly. "Can people really change that much in a short period of ti?"
Ru iqi put the books away and leaned against the wall, sighing. "How much ti is considered short? How can you be certain that they aren't that kind of person from the start?"
The man didn't reply for a while whereas Ru iqi returned to browse her collection of research reports. "Stop brooding. It's pathetic. Haven't you already noticed that people always change in the face of money and power? There's tons of such cases everywhere. Shall I spell it out for you one by one?"
Sighing, he groaned. "I know, but—"
"No buts." She chid in firmly. "All we can do is to move forward and let go of the past. Why do you care so much about the reason behind Director Fen's act? What if you know? Will you sympathize with him? Will you understand and accept his reason? No. It's sothing you can't control so why do you keep on moping about it?"
Jin Renguang let out a fit of throaty chuckles that made Ru iqi lose focus for a split second. "Seriously, how can you be so strong, woman? Do you have any idea how sexy it sounds?"
Ru iqi scoffed. "Quit talking nonsense."
"Oh?" Even without eting face to face, Ru iqi could imagine his expression right now. Slightly raised brows, smirking lips, eyes twinkled with mischief. He was the epito of annoying yet still hot as hell. "How are you so sure that I am talking nonsense?"
Ru iqi grabbed the phone near her feet and talked angrily into it. "If you have nothing better to talk about, then I will hang up."
"No, wait please." He laughed. "Don't hang up on . What are you doing right now? I heard the sound of paper flipping."
"Yes. Rember my ntor's research I told you about? The one about ntal disorders? I am trying to find it now."
Slight rustle sounded from the other side. "I will help you. Where are you right now? The apartnt?"
"Don't." As much as Ru iqi hated to admit it, she couldn't focus whenever they were left alone. "I am serious. You don't need to co."
However, when had Jin Renguang ever listened to her? The rustle was replaced with the sound of car closing and engine humming. He was already on his way to her. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing." Ru iqi pressed on her temple. "Call after you have arrived." After that, she hung up on the phone and returned her attention to the book report in front of her.
Ru iqi's ntor back in university was a famous psychologist that focused on researching ntal disorders linked with brain activity such as autism or depression. There had been one case that intrigued her ntor very much and he had brought it up in front of Ru iqi once. It made a vague impression in her mind and sohow, she was sure that it was related to the strangeness she sensed from Si Zhening.
The apartnt was only filled with the sound of page flipping until the doorbell rang around half an hour later. Ru iqi's phone rang at the sa ti, revealing Jin Renguang's na on the screen. "I have arrived." He said.
"I'm too busy to open the door." Ru iqi replied offhandedly.
"Okay." A few seconds later, the door opened with a click and Jin Renguang appeared in the doorway, smirking. "I will open it myself, no need to bother you."
Ru iqi rolled her eyes. "This is illegal intrusion, Officer Jin."
"No if the owner gives permission herself." Jin Renguang sat in front of her and started to sort the books. "What are you searching for? Let's split the task, it's faster that way."
"A research by my ntor who goes by the na Ronny Wright. He has published research about soone who tends to fake all of their emotions. However in the end, there's no further developnt because the treatnt for that hasn't been found up to this day."
"Fake emotions? Is it sociopath?"
"Nah, Si Zhening looks too 'normal' to be a sociopath, if you know what I an. He's just…fake. I can't even sense his true feelings." Ru iqi flung the book on her lap and ssed up her hair in frustration. "Arrgh, where the hell is it?! Why can't I find it?!"
"Calm down." Jin Renguang chuckled and gathered the ssy books in front of him. "Don't panic. We will search for it slowly."
Ru iqi humd and gave him a sideway glance. "What about you?"
"What about ?" He asked without looking up.
"Being in this ssy environnt, aren't you uncomfortable?"
"I can still bear it." He pretended to look hurt. "I'm not that freakish, okay?"
Ru iqi shrugged and got up to the kitchen, leaving all of the ss for Jin Renguang. She slowly brewed two cups of coffee and brought it to him. "Drink first."
Jin Renguang accepted it and took a sip. He gave her a smiley glance. "One spoon of milk and no sugar, just like how I like it."
Ru iqi put the cup onto her lips and leaned on the wall, pretending to be oblivious. "What are you talking about? I also have my coffee that way. It's just a coincidence." How could she ever admit that her little habits ca from Jin Renguang himself? That was the sa as agreeing that the man had beco an indispensable part of her life, too embarrassing.
"Sureee…" He dragged out the words teasingly, tempting Ru iqi to pour the coffee all over his head. Fortunately, he changed the topic in the nick of ti. "Speaking of it, I suddenly recall sothing."
"What is it?"
Jin Renguang lifted his face and tapped on his lips. "Co here and give a kiss. Then, I will tell you."
Ru iqi gnashed her teeth exasperatedly. "Can you be serious for a second?"
"Hmph!" He harrumphed and turned his head away. "Then I will not tell you."
What? Ru iqi looked at him in disbelief. How could this 190 cm man be so childish?! Was he a three year old child or what?! "Renguang!" If this was a cartoon, then Ru iqi's breath would be spurting fire right now.
"What?"
Look, look at that sulking face of his! "You're so annoying!" She stomped her feet angrily.
"Thank you, I know you love it." The man said shalessly.
Ru iqi's face reddened. Of course from anger. She put the cup down harshly and strode toward Jin Renguang in large strides, her posture like one seeking a fight. Jin Renguang was ready to surrender and say that he was joking when Ru iqi suddenly pulled on his collar. The woman's face lood closer and in the next mont, a loud smacking kiss landed on Jin Renguang's lips. So violent that their teeth knocked against each other.
"Ouch…" Jin Renguang said smilingly. "That kinda hurts."
Ru iqi let him go with a huff. "Are you telling or not?!"
"Of course I am." He seized the opportunity to pull her down so that the woman sat between his legs.
"You—!" Ru iqi struggled in reflex, but within Jin Renguang's bear hug, she was almost smothered and utterly overwheld.
"Look here." The man's breath brushed against her ear. It was ticklish and hot. Ru iqi shrunk her neck but her eyes automatically followed the man's fingers as he pointed toward one of the sections in the book he was reading. "...The symptoms appear as if individuals have difficulty recognizing and expressing feelings, and it often coincides with another underlying neurological condition or ntal health disorder."
Ru iqi snatched the book from his hands and ran her eyes through the text seriously, the matter of her being in Jin Renguang's embrace was thrown to the back of her mind. "Yes…" Her eyes gradually brightened up. "Yes, this is what I am searching for! How can you find it so easily?"
Jin Renguang put his arms around the woman's waist and his chin on her shoulder, smiling. "Luck, I guess."
Ru iqi's face turned serious as her fingers moved across the page. "Inability to express feelings, an affected person might co across as being out of touch or apathetic…" The gears in her head started to turn and all of her interaction with Si Zhening flashed through her mind like a fast forwarded movie. "Lack of emotions, inability to express…"
Her fingers stopped on one word.
Alexithymia.
.
.
.
A/N: Alexithymia is a broad term to describe problems with feeling emotions. In short, the affected with have trouble identifying what they feel such as happiness so they might co out as socially inept. In this case, Si Zhening doesn't really fit with the real case of alexithymia but this is the most accurate disorder to describe it :)
In conclusion, all these while, Si Zhening is soone who doesn't know how it feels to be happy, sad or angry. Welp, I will not spoil it so soon there will be a backstory later on hehehe
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