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墨書 Inktalez
A rumble of thunder accompanied by a bright flash of lightning echoed across the sky of Binhai City.
The heavens and earth seemed to merge as rain poured down like a waterfall, flooding many streets in the city, leaving vehicles sparse and pedestrians nonexistent.
Mu Qingchen pouted, his expression reflecting his worry about the weather. He rolled down the car window and tossed out his cigarette butt. In an instant, rainwater splashed into the car, soaking one of his sleeves. He hurriedly rolled up the window and glanced at his watch again.
It was almost nine o'clock in the morning, the agreed time for their meeting, yet the weather resembled that of dusk—dark and gloomy. His mood plummeted as he checked the time repeatedly; even the ticking second hand seemed to amplify his anxiety, making him restless. When he reached for the cigarette box in the car's storage compartment, he fumbled around for a while only to find it empty.
Just then, his phone rang. He quickly answered it, a smile spreading across his face. He got out of the car, opened his umbrella, and hurried toward the entrance of the office building, oblivious to the rainwater that soaked his shoes.
Due to the rainy weather, there were few people inside the building. He left his umbrella at the entrance and headed straight for the elevator, muttering obsessively about his destination: Building B, 21st floor, Room 2121.
His heart raced as he approached his goal. Mu Qingchen felt a strange sense of déjà vu, reminiscent of when he received calls from his son's homeroom teacher or notifications from the Academic Affairs Office years ago—each time leaving him feeling humiliated. Over a decade had passed in a flash; everything had changed except for him as a father, still harboring that same anxious feeling. As he exited the elevator, he instinctively halted, overwhelmed by a familiar sense of shame at having to knock on a teacher's office door. It took him considerable courage to finally knock on Room 2121.
The golden nameplate read: Feng Changxiang Psychological Counseling Room.
Behind the door stood Feng Changxiang, a renowned psychologist in the city.
The door swung open to reveal a middle-aged man with glasses and a pale beard standing at the entrance. Mu Qingchen was surprised by how young he looked; momentarily taken aback, he was greeted with a warm smile and an outstretched hand as Feng invited him into the room and gestured for him to sit down. "Boss Mu," he said with a chuckle, "surely you don't think psychologists should have white hair and an ethereal presence?"
As Feng Changxiang settled into his seat behind a row of bookshelves, he appeared exceptionally refined and confident. Mu Qingchen felt embarrassed and quickly shook his head. "No, no, Dr. Feng, you've misunderstood... I just find it strange that you still came out in such heavy rain."
"That means I'm not yet at a point where I can be reckless," Feng replied with a smile, leaning forward on the table and looking directly at Mu Qingchen. Boss Mu lowered his head as if overwhelmed by shame.
Seeing a psychologist certainly indicated some inner turmoil, and it seemed that Boss Mu's issues ran deep.
Dr. Feng held a delicate tablet in his hands, flipping through it while occasionally glancing at Mu Qingchen's expression. The screen displayed a handsome, vibrant, and sunny boy, resembling the lead character from a romantic drama.
This was the root of the problem: Old Mu's son, Xiao Mu, Mulin Shen.
As he turned page after page, it was evident that this father had been very dedicated. Since childhood, he had preserved a wealth of photos, report cards, and school records. Dozens of pages chronicled his son Mulin Shen's growth journey—attending elementary school in the city, high school in Singapore, studying art in the Netherlands, and finally pursuing economics in the United States. The last page revealed that he had obtained a master's degree from an American university. In the photo, the sunny boy had grown into a handsome young man, with thick eyebrows and a strong nose that rivaled those of leading men in dramas, embodying a combination of various charming qualities.
Of course, ideals and reality often diverge; beneath all those admirable traits lay the reason for his father's distress.
“Boss Mu… our conversation should be candid. What do you think?” Feng Changxiang asked cautiously.
Mu Qingchen felt a bit nervous but nodded. “Of course, there’s no need to hide family troubles from you.”
“On the surface, he seems like an excellent son. However, the outcome appears to be quite the opposite? I only see the surface but not the underlying reasons. Without understanding the reasons, I can't find the root cause of the problem. Would you mind if I asked you some personal questions?” Dr. Feng inquired.
“There’s nothing personal about it; I just raised a wayward son,” Mu Qingchen replied.
Once he started talking about his family matters, this billionaire boss sounded no different from an ordinary person. His expression was sorrowful as he rambled on:
“…His mother passed away early. I've always thought that was where the problem lies. I've been in this city for nearly thirty years now, starting from running a small shop to building this empire… When he was little, he was quite well-behaved. My wife and I were busy with work while he did his homework at the restaurant; his grades were excellent… But when he entered middle school, his mother fell seriously ill. That illness nearly broke both of us… I owe her so much; after working hard for over ten years together, she left without enjoying any of it… You wouldn’t know; when she passed away, she couldn’t even close her eyes—just staring at our son… I understood her thoughts; she was afraid I would remarry and find him a stepmother, which would make things difficult for him…”
“Wait a moment… please keep it brief,” Dr. Feng interrupted Old Mu's emotional recounting. A wayward son is still dear to one's heart; hearing him speak so passionately almost brought tears to his eyes. He directly asked, “So… Mu Zong… when did you remarry after your first wife passed away?”
“More than three years later… by then, my son had already gone abroad,” Mu Qingchen replied.
Three years of waiting was already surprising to Feng Changxiang. He pressed further: “When your son was still in the country, did anything happen—like being caught with another woman? Such experiences can significantly impact minors, especially during their time of losing a loved one.”
“This…” Mu Qingchen hesitated again, took out a tissue to wipe his nose before falling silent.
The psychologist made a living by peering into the secrets of others' hearts, and there was no need to ask; the awkwardness in the air was already the best answer.
"There must be," Feng Changxiang thought. Losing a loved one was something even adults found hard to bear, let alone a minor. No one could replace a mother's place in a child's heart.
This was the source of the problem, aligning with Feng Changxiang's deductions, but it left him stumped; this was the hardest kind of issue to resolve.
Mu Qingchen couldn't wait any longer and said, "Dr. Feng, I'm here to solve my son's problems... I'm an adult now, and I have no issues of my own. As for the First Wife, I've done my best over these past ten years; my heart has nearly been consumed by his needs. I don't care how much money I've spent, but the problem is that I'm not at a level where I can provide him with endless financial support."
"Well then, let's talk about your son," Feng Changxiang shifted the topic.
"Where should I start... this..." Mu Qingchen's sadness quickly turned into resentment.
"Let's begin with his time abroad. Can you tell me why he transferred schools multiple times and had to go overseas?" Feng Changxiang asked.
"I didn't want to either; no school would accept him. He was initially sent to the best Ninth Middle School, but his grades kept dropping, and he started drinking and smoking. Eventually, the school said they didn't want him anymore and advised us to withdraw him... Later, he transferred to Forty Middle School, and somehow he learned to steal things, specifically from girls. It was so embarrassing for me; do we look like a family that lacks money? He switched schools three times in total, staying at most three months each time. In desperation, I paid a high price to send him to an elite school, but this time it was even worse; they expelled him outright regardless of how much money I offered," Mu Qingchen gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"What was the reason? Stealing?" Feng Changxiang asked curiously.
"No, he harassed a female teacher—starting with love letters and escalating to lifting her skirt," Mu Qingchen confessed with evident shame.
Now it was Feng Changxiang's turn to be taken aback. A child's drastic change in behavior must have its reasons, but this seemed too outrageous.
He looked at Mu Qingchen and hastily asked to ease the tension, "What happened next? According to his resume, he barely finished studying in Singapore. Why didn't he pursue higher education there?"
"He got caught driving under the influence and received corporal punishment... That environment left a stain on his record, unlike here where you can just pay to wipe it clean," Mu Qingchen replied, his expression extremely pained, revealing just how bad his son's behavior had become.
At this moment, Feng Changxiang began to empathize with this father’s struggles. He offered some comfort: "That should have made him reflect on his actions... I think he has artistic talent; some of his paintings in the photos are quite good—did he learn that in the Netherlands?"
"You don't know... the reason he went to the Netherlands wasn't to study art, I found that out later," Mu Qingchen said angrily.
"What was the reason then?" Feng Changxiang asked, puzzled.
"Visiting the red-light district is legal there. That little brat would send me a few paintings every month asking for money. When I went there, I found out he didn't even have a paintbrush at his place. He wasn't studying art at all; he just went there without any skills," Mu Qingchen replied, feeling frustrated and exhausted.
"What happened next?"
"I told him to come back, but he refused to return. He wanted to go to America to study. I thought coming back would only add to my troubles, so I figured he might as well go learn something..."
"And so he did."
"Ah, what else could I do? Studying abroad is just wasting the little money we have."
Feng Changxiang almost laughed but held it in. He struggled to recall any redeeming qualities about this peculiar son but found none. Cautiously, he said, "The diploma you provided seems to have some... issues... Abraham Lincoln University, is it..."
Abraham... Feng Changxiang carefully looked at the line of English on the photo but didn't finish his thought. At that moment, this wealthy father felt more embarrassed than if he had lost his entire fortune as he said, "Don't mention it. I consulted industry insiders recently and learned that they said this diploma can be obtained as long as you pay; it doesn't matter if you're a person or a dog."
Old Mu lowered his head in despair, feeling utterly defeated. The journey from hope to disappointment and then to despair had reached its conclusion.
At this point, Feng Changxiang couldn't laugh at all. The look in his eyes when he glanced at Mu Qingchen was filled with deep sympathy and pity. He couldn't bear to look directly at him, fearing it would cause him embarrassment or sadness...
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