The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 333 - 335. Psychological Disorder? (5 more updates)

Chapter 333: 335. Psychological Disorder? (5 more updates)

Ya Xi was startled, "No, I don’t dislike you." It was just that she also couldn’t say she liked him.

"I’ve always thought we were friends," Jiang Zhehan said gently, his voice sounding somewhat sad.

Ya Xi felt awkward and even lost her appetite for the delightful dishes in front of her, "Do you like me?"

His thoughts seen through, Jiang Zhehan wasn’t surprised. He knew Ya Xi was a smart girl and wouldn’t have avoided him if she hadn’t figured out his feelings. Now that she had broached the subject, he simply admitted, "Ya Xi, I do like you, and I want to pursue you."

Ya Xi put down her knife and fork and looked directly at Jiang Zhehan, "Classmate Jiang Zhehan, I currently have no plans to have a boyfriend, nor any intention to start a relationship." Her expression was very serious.

"Why? Is it because you already have someone you like?"

Ya Xi shook her head, "No, I am still young and I have more important things I want to do. I don’t have any intentions in that regard right now."

Hearing Ya Xi say she didn’t have someone she liked, Jiang Zhehan immediately felt relieved and gave a slight smile, "It’s okay, I can wait for you, Ya Xi. You might think I’m being frivolous, but I truly do like you. From the first moment I saw you, I felt very fond of you. It’s okay if you don’t want to pursue a romantic relationship, we can start as friends. Don’t be in a rush to reject me, and don’t avoid me. I promise I won’t cause you any trouble. Is that alright?"

Looking at his earnest eyes, Ya Xi didn’t feel moved but rather repulsed. Surely any other girl would be touched to tears by a handsome guy like Jiang Zhehan confessing and willing to wait for her.

"I’m sorry, but I just remembered I have something to do, I need to go." After saying that, Ya Xi picked up her bag and left.

Jiang Zhehan quickly caught up to her and grabbed Ya Xi’s arm, "Ya Xi."

Ya Xi’s gaze hardened, and she turned, slapping him, leaving both of them stunned on the spot.

Ya Xi stared blankly at her hand, seemingly surprised at why she had suddenly lashed out. She couldn’t find the words when seeing the bright red mark on Jiang Zhehan’s face.

Jiang Zhehan was stunned too and released Ya Xi’s hand, "I just wanted to walk you home," he explained.

Ya Xi’s face flushed crimson, "I’m sorry." She said that and then turned and ran. This time, Jiang Zhehan didn’t pursue her.

He returned to the house he rented with his roommate. Upon seeing the mark on his face, the roommate couldn’t help but tease him, "Wow, which little wildcat did you provoke and get scratched by?"

Jiang Zhehan ignored his teasing and asked, "What do you think it means when a girl slaps you for just grabbing her arm?"

The roommate’s eyes gleamed with amusement, "What did you do, or what were you planning to do that got you slapped?"

Jiang Zhehan sighed, "I wasn’t planning on doing anything. I just wanted to escort her home. Besides, there were people everywhere on the street, what could I possibly do?"

The roommate shrugged, "No idea, I’m a single dog myself. Asking me such a question is a bit too difficult, don’t you think?"

"Aren’t you studying psychology? Analyze it from a psychological perspective."

The roommate paused his game and thought before speaking, "There are two possibilities. First, she doesn’t like you, even detests you, so she’s exceedingly repulsed by your physical contact and reacted aggressively. Second, she might have a psychological disorder that causes her to be extremely averse to the opposite sex approaching her."

Jiang Zhehan seriously considered this. Since the first time he saw Ya Xi, she had never shown any hatred towards him, and even at dinner today, she had said she didn’t dislike him. Could it be the second reason then?

"If it’s a psychological issue, what could have caused it?"

The roommate, distracted by his phone game, casually replied, "There could be numerous reasons. Some are innate, others are due to certain stimuli they faced later in life. If it’s the latter, generally the person would have a quirky temper and not only be repelled by the opposite sex but perhaps also profoundly averse to physical contact with the same gender."

Jiang Zhehan recalled his few interactions with Ya Xi and noticed that her temperament didn’t seem quirky; on the contrary, she was very outgoing. So, was it something innate?

"So if it’s innate, is there anything that can be done?"

"That depends on her. This issue is complex. I can’t say much off the cuff."

Hearing this, Jiang Zhehan didn’t continue to question and returned to his room, looking thoughtful.

After leaving the restaurant, Ya Xi caught a cab but didn’t know where to go. When the driver asked for the third time, she suddenly pulled out a business card from her bag and handed it to him, "Please take me to this address."

Doug had not expected to see Ya Xi; it was her first time here.

"Ya Xi, what brings you here?" Doug asked in surprise.

"I had nowhere else to go, so I came here. I hope I’m not bothering you?" Ya Xi said, glancing briefly at a man sitting in front of Doug.

The man stood up, smiling at Ya Xi, "Doug, give some thought to what I mentioned, I’ll take my leave now."

Doug nodded, and after the man left, he looked at Ya Xi, "Take a seat."

Ya Xi sat down on the chair, her head lowered, silent.

Doug watched her quietly for a while without rushing her, stood up, and poured her a warm glass of water.

"Thank you." Ya Xi took it, sipped, and suddenly asked Doug, "May I hold your hand?"

Doug raised an eyebrow.

Realizing what she had just said, Ya Xi’s face flushed red, but as if she had made up her mind, she lifted her head and looked steadfastly at Doug, "I’d like to hold your hand, is that okay?"

Doug gazed into her eyes, slowly smiling, and stretched his hand out to Ya Xi.

His hand was long and slender, with well-defined knuckles, quite handsome. Ya Xi reached out slowly, grasped it, and closed her eyes to feel, but there was no sense of aversion within her, and a flicker of confusion crossed her expression.

She opened her eyes and said somewhat embarrassingly, "Doug, could you, um, pull on my arm?"

Doug did not understand, and it seemed Ya Xi did not know how to explain, "It’s like, say I was leaving and you didn’t want me to, so you pulled my arm."

Although Doug did not understand what Ya Xi was trying to prove, he did as she asked, and the confusion in her eyes deepened, "Why isn’t there any?" she murmured.

Doug hadn’t heard clearly and asked, "Ya Xi, what did you say wasn’t there?"

Ya Xi looked steadily into Doug’s eyes, "Doug, why is it that when other people hold my hand, I feel a strong sense of nausea, and may even react excessively, but with you, I feel normal?"

A glint flickered in Doug’s eyes as he sat down and spoke softly, "Ya Xi, did something happen to you today?"

At his question, Ya Xi fell silent, and Doug waited patiently. After a while, Ya Xi began to tell him in full detail what had happened that day, "Doug, do you think I’m ill? I really dislike proximity to the opposite sex."

Doug smiled faintly, "Do you dislike my proximity?"

Ya Xi shook her head, "Strangely enough, I felt no dislike at all when you were holding my hand." On the contrary, she felt very reassured.

"That’s right then. It’s actually a natural reaction. Based on your description, your symptoms are just more pronounced, which means you are someone who deeply lacks a sense of security. Ya Xi, don’t be afraid to touch, and don’t be afraid of contact with the opposite sex. You see, as long as you lower your guard, you can get along quite well with them."

"Is that so?" Ya Xi asked.

Doug nodded, "Do you think I’m a very unpleasant person?"

Ya Xi shook her head vigorously, "No, I think you’re very nice, and I enjoy talking with you."

"So you see, it’s not a psychological issue; it’s just that you have made the opposite sex out to be too frightening. Think about your father and brother, and then about me. Try to get along well with others, and with time, you’ll get used to it."

Ya Xi pondered, remaining silent as the room fell quiet.

Doug also stayed silent, quietly observing Ya Xi, but his mind was busy contemplating how to break down Ya Xi’s psychological barrier. At the moment, nothing seemed amiss, but as time passed, Ya Xi’s aversion to the opposite sex might become increasingly pronounced. Without understanding the cause, she might begin to doubt her own life, which would not be good for her.

He had only just pulled Ya Xi back from Hell and did not want to see her hurt again.

Suddenly, Ya Xi stood up and said, "Doug, could you hug me?"