Cliff City, two days later, afternoon.

Lihua District, the popular dessert café Haitian House.

Under the bright sun, a steady stream of customers came to the outdoor beach area to take photos. Beneath the parasols, many visitors enjoyed signature desserts and afternoon tea sets amid the lively bustle.

However, inside the meticulously prepared private room of the café, the atmosphere gradually grew stagnant amidst the endless pleasantries.

Or rather, it became awkward.

"The weather's really nice."

"Yeah, it really is."

"Did you hit any traffic on the way here?"

"No, not at all."

"You seem to have lost some weight recently."

"Just a little bit."

"Your skin looks great too!"

"...Tong Hua."

The woman sitting across the table in a tube dress and blouse sighed.

Her hair was neatly pinned up at the back of her head, her makeup light, and her expression forever gentle and warm, inviting one to spill all of one's worries without hesitation.

Ye Zhi pushed her coffee to the side and said seriously, "I actually skipped a major plumbing appointment to meet with you today. You said you had something important you wanted to consult with me about face to face, so out with it."

"Alright... um..."

Tong Hua hemmed and hawed, while Ye Zhi's gaze casually fell on her fidgeting hands, her fingers twisting, crossing and pressing against each other in anxiety and confusion.

She was still hesitant, considering whether to share her concern.

She said, "I have a friend..."

"Okay, you have a friend."

Ye Zhi immediately understood, pushed up her glasses, crossed her legs, sat up straight, and subtly shifted the spoon in her hand as if she had picked up a pen.

Behind the glasses, her eyes took on a meaningful look.

Tong Hua was immediately startled and accused, "What's with that look? Why are you profiling me now?"

Tsk...

Ether perception from the Taiyi System was really annoying.

Ye Zhi smiled warmly, "Sorry, occupational hazard. Go on, go on, your friend..."

"I really do have a friend!"

Tong Hua's fists clenched. "A male! He has nothing to do with me whatsoever!"

Ye Zhi's expression changed slightly, leaning in a bit, with the familiar glint of Taiyi System's gossip seeker in her eyes, "Is he..."

Tong Hua annoyed, "No!!!"

"Okay then, look at you getting all worked up. I haven't even said anything yet."

Ye Zhi waved her hand, and finally relaxed her professional counseling posture under Tong Hua's scrutinizing gaze, heaving a resigned sigh, "Just give me a brief overview of the situation."

That's the downside of being a Heart Core Chosen One.

Always having to keep a low profile, as being discovered surely leads to dread and resistance. It's hard enough to have a few good friends, let alone always help them solve "does he/she love me" kind of annoying problems, and you're the first they turn to after a breakup...

Ye Zhi sighed.

She was used to it.

Who told her to have so few friends.

Her right fingernail idly scratched on a post-it, half-listening to Tong Hua's description: "In his twenties... Tianmen University... bright academic future... craftsman... weird... always clicking his tongue at me like you do..."

After ignoring the specifics and occasionally responding to a few of Ye Zhi's detailed questions, Tong Hua spoke at length before finally lifting her tea cup and exhaling deeply:

"That's about the size of it."

"I have one more question."

Ye Zhi looked up curiously, "Has the Tong family's requirement for a son-in-law gotten that high?"

"I told you, no!"

"Alright, alright, I think I get it." Ye Zhi sighed, "So what exactly do you want to ask?"

"I want to know if my friend... cough cough..." Tong Hua unconsciously lowered her voice, asking with some worry, "If he keeps going like this, could it lead to any mental issues?"

Ye Zhi paused, not quite catching on, "I'm more curious as to why you're thinking this way."

Tong Hua instantly felt awkward and hurriedly waved her hand to explain, "I know it's not good to speculate, it's purely out of... concern, you know? After all, we are friends."

"No, what I mean is, why are you only now thinking of seeing a doctor?"

Ye Zhi asked uncomprehendingly, "What's wrong with him? You should be asking where your friend doesn't have a problem!"

As she spoke, she picked up the post-it note, showing the scratches of her fingernail: "Severe OCD, paranoia, hypochondria, germophobia, PTSD.

Although some details need a direct diagnosis, if I had to guess, there would also be moderate to severe anxiety, sensitivity to social interactions... and a tendency toward self-destruction."

After listing them all off, even Ye Zhi had to take a breath, letting out a long sigh, "Truth is, not many with such a rich array of symptoms have managed to avoid the hospital, I tell you."

How to put it...

It's like the red-dressed maiden in a haunted house, the friendly stranger in a desolate place inviting you to dine, or the good-hearted young man wearing a mask helping an old person cross the road after coming out of a bank.

Everything seems quite okay on the surface, but actually, it's all wrong!

There's a kind of beauty in conversations that could make everything go south with a single wrong choice.

But what of it?

There are plenty of issues, but if a person seems fine, that usually indicates there's no problem. And every programmer knows if the code runs, don't mess with it.

Ye Zhi saw no need for her involvement.

The first lesson any Heart Core Chosen One has to learn is not to meddle unnecessarily. Stay out of trouble or it will come for you, and only get worse.

He's fine, isn't he?

Not crazy is okay, and even if crazy, it's still okay.

Many people appear to be living fine lives, but in fact, they may have been crazy for years.

Out of friendship, she earnestly advised, "Give it up, he won't like you... No, if it weren't for being connected to you, he would definitely choose to stay as far away from you as possible."

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