Chapter 23: Downcast

However, the more Rong Shen tried to reassure her, the more uneasy An Tong became. This wasn’t just a matter of delaying her treatment.

An Tong furrowed her brows, her expression especially serious. “May I ask the specific reason?”

The man gazed at her, a subtle smile touching his thin lips. “There are other work arrangements. Starting next month, I may have to leave Xiangjiang for some time.”

Hearing his answer, An Tong didn’t doubt him, but her demeanor didn’t relax in the slightest. “You’re going to work in another city?”

It made sense; after all, today’s meeting had been moved up because he would be away next week.

Rong Shen nodded in his deep, gentle voice. “That’s one way to put it.”

An Tong fell silent.

Or rather, she didn’t know how to express the knot of emotions tangled inside her.

Dr. Rong was leaving, just when she had finally begun to trust him emotionally. Now, because of work, he would have to leave Xiangjiang.

An Tong’s feelings were a complicated muddle. She lowered her head, brooding in silence.

She wanted to ask, wasn’t it a doctor’s duty to see his patients through to the end?

But then again, he was a doctor—he had to obey work assignments. It would be unreasonable to expect him to give up his career for her.

No matter how she looked at it, this sudden news was difficult for An Tong to accept.

“Your situation is special. The Health Center has arranged a new therapist for you—Han Qi. You should be familiar with him.”

With just a few words, the man seemed to settle the matter.

An Tong picked up her coffee and took a sip. The black coffee, without milk, was bitter. In silence, she dropped three sugar cubes into the cup.

After a long pause, she finally asked, “About how long will you be gone?”

“Six months at the shortest, a year or two at most.”

Because An Tong kept her head down, lost in thought, she didn’t see the enigmatic depth in the man’s eyes.

She turned to look away, her mood indescribably heavy. “Where are you going?”

Rong Shen’s low, calm voice gave a two-word reply. “Zhan Zhou.”

When An Tong didn’t respond, the man picked up the milk jug and poured some into her coffee. “Have you ever been to Zhan Zhou?”

She shook her head, her spirits remaining low.

Perhaps it made her seem narrow-minded, but for someone with psychological issues, once a bond is formed with a particular therapist, it’s hard to accept another in a short time.

An Tong lost all interest. In her uncertainty, she once again felt an intense aversion to this unpredictable world.

At that moment, the man stirred her coffee with a spoon. Before her dark mood could fester further, his calm, magnetic voice sounded again. “Don’t force yourself. If you really don’t want to see another therapist, when conditions allow, I’ll make time to return each week.”

An Tong took a sip of the now milky coffee. It didn’t taste quite so bitter.

She looked at the man’s handsome, gentle features and said earnestly, “I don’t want to switch. If it can’t be you, then let’s pause the treatment until you return.”

Perhaps wanting to make her position clear, An Tong even dispensed with formalities.

Rong Shen gave a brief, amused laugh. “That’s not necessary. You’ve only just started to improve. It wouldn’t be wise to stop now.”

“But your superiors don’t think that way.”

If the Health Center truly considered the patients’ needs, they wouldn’t have reassigned her therapist to another city.

Even though An Tong spoke softly, the man heard her.

“We can discuss it later,” he said, brushing a bit of lint from his trousers and rising to his feet. “Come, let me show you around the garden.”

An Tong was in no mood, but she didn’t want to reject Dr. Rong’s kindness. She followed at a leisurely pace, her small face still tense.

They walked together. When they entered the osmanthus grove, the man glanced at her gloomy expression, his tone gentle and comforting. “Don’t overthink it. Whether you change therapists or not is entirely up to you.”

“Dr. Rong…” An Tong stopped beneath an osmanthus tree, quiet for a moment before speaking softly. “I’ve never been to Zhan Zhou. If you’re too busy to come back, I can go there anytime. Think of it as… a change of scenery.”

It was the best compromise she could think of.

Not a perfect solution, but she only trusted Rong Jiu now.

An Tong’s voice was crisp, her direct and resolute gaze filled with inexpressible trust.

A breeze passed, and a single osmanthus blossom landed on her hair.

The man looked at her, a strangely tender pang stirring his long-cold heart.

He reached out, plucked the blossom from her hair, and his smile grew warmer. “I’m not leaving just yet. When the time comes, we’ll discuss it again.”

An Tong forced a smile and said no more.

Clearly, Rong Shen’s words had not eased her anxiety.

…

In the orchard, An Tong wandered absentmindedly with a small basket, while the man sat on a nearby bench, watching her.

Cheng Feng approached, bending down to speak in a low voice. “Master Jiu, the farm manager just called. Miss Wen is here—she wants to pick some fruit to take home.”

Rong Shen’s gaze remained fixed on An Tong. His tone was calm. “Tell her to come back tomorrow.”

Cheng Feng looked troubled. “It’s just… from what she said, it seems the old madam arranged this. She probably knew you’d be here today.”

The man made no reply to this explanation.

Cheng Feng waited a few seconds, then nodded knowingly. “I’ll ask Miss Wen to leave, then.”

Rong Shen stood up, strolling toward An Tong. “Mm.”

At that moment, a black minivan was parked outside the farm gate.

As Cheng Feng arrived, a young woman in a denim jumpsuit stepped out of the car. She looked twenty-three or twenty-four, strikingly beautiful, her bearing poised and elegant. Even in casual clothes, she exuded the gentle grace of a lady from a prominent family.

“Miss Wen, sorry to keep you waiting.”

Cheng Feng greeted her politely, his manner respectful.

Wen Wan smiled faintly, her voice soft as a tune. “Not at all, I just arrived. May I go in now?”

“I’m sorry, Miss Wen. Master Jiu has a guest today and is in the middle of a meeting, so…”

Though Cheng Feng didn’t say it outright, Wen Wan caught the implication. “No problem, I won’t intrude. I’ll come another day.”

“My apologies, Miss Wen. Today really isn’t convenient.”

Wen Wan smiled, saying it was fine. As she returned to the car, she left a remark with subtle meaning. “At least I came today, so it wasn’t a wasted trip.”

Before Cheng Feng could puzzle out her words, the minivan turned around and left the farm.

He scratched his head and was about to head back when a message popped up on his phone.

It was from the old madam’s bodyguard, Archie.

Archie: I just saw Miss Wen’s car. Did she go to the farm?

Cheng Feng stared at the message for a long time. Recalling Wen Wan’s words, he suddenly understood.

He replied: Yes, she came.

Meanwhile, at the Rong family mansion, Archie handed his phone to the old madam, speaking loudly. “Madam, don’t worry. Miss Wen went to the farm just as you asked.”