SES Chapter 134 Part 2

“Nothing special. We live in the countryside. Farmers mostly. When there’s no fieldwork, they do some handicrafts—honest folks.”

A simple life. Nothing like Yan Hongsha’s greedy grandfather, or Mu Dai’s complicated mother, Xiang Silan.

“And lately? Nothing unusual happening?”

Cao Yanhua shook his head, then paused. “Well… there’s a happy event. My second cousin’s getting married.”

Luo Ren smiled. “That’s good news.”

“You’re not going back for the wedding?”

“I wrote home instead. Sent money with the letter.”

Hardly anyone still sends letters these days—let alone cash inside. What if it got lost? Still, in the countryside, family ties were everything…

Luo Ren repeated, “So you’re not going back?”

Cao Yanhua mumbled, “No.”

…

Around ten, Phoenix Tower closed for the night. Uncle Zheng and Cao Yanhua headed to the Fate & Chance bar next door. The two businesses had become so interlinked lately that it was routine—Zheng always stopped by to lend a hand, or to chat with Uncle Zhang over a game of chess.

Luo Ren hesitated about going too.

That split-second pause gave Cao Yanhua room to start imagining things. “Brother Luo, did you see my little master when you got back? You two didn’t argue, did you?”

Luo Ren didn’t even let him finish. “I’m going.”

The bar was as lively as ever, though Mu Dai wasn’t there—Uncle Zhang had sent her out to buy supplies.

Huo Zihong greeted Luo Ren and led him to a quiet corner. “I haven’t properly thanked you for the last time,” she said.

She sounded more familiar with him now, her tone softer. She nodded to Yiwansan, who brought over a flaming cocktail—a B-52 bomber. He flicked a lighter, warmed the glass, and ignited the drink.

Blue flames danced across the rim, tinged with red.

Yiwansan said proudly, “This one’s—”

Before he could finish, Luo Ren grabbed the glass and downed it in one go. His lips never touched the rim; the fire went out in his mouth.

Yiwansan stared. “You win.”

Even he’d never dared drink it that way.

Huo Zihong smiled, then said quietly, “Mu Dai’s been doing much better lately. She told me about what happened in Nantian.”

Her tone dropped. “Hard to believe that woman wasn’t even her mother.”

Luo Ren cut in, “Why did you decide to adopt Mu Dai in the first place? I mean—why a child at all?”

Huo Zihong lowered her eyes, silent for a long moment. “When I adopted her, it wasn’t long after my own family… fell apart. I guess I just didn’t want to be alone.”

There hadn’t been any noble reason. She’d just been a lonely young woman, looking for a piece of family to hold onto.

She smiled faintly at herself. “I could barely take care of my own life. Maybe if Mu Dai had been adopted by a normal couple, she would’ve been happier.”

“Maybe,” Luo Ren said. “But then, she wouldn’t have crossed paths with us.”

He rubbed his temples. A dull ache pressed behind his eyes. Maybe not from the alcohol—maybe just the noise, the restlessness.

Huo Zihong noticed. “Drunk? You shouldn’t have downed it like that—it hits fast. Go rest in Mu Dai’s room for a bit. I’ll tell her to check on you when she’s back.”

Mu Dai’s room wasn’t soundproof, but the floor above muted the bar’s chaos to a soft, distant hum. It felt unusually peaceful.

He lay on the couch for a while. Heard the front door open, Huo Zihong whisper something, and Mu Dai’s surprised voice—
“Luo Ren? Drunk?”

She pushed the door open gently. Her steps were light. When she came near, she looked down at him. “Luo Xiaodao?” she called softly.

She smelled faintly of cool night air. Her hair brushed against his face, tickling his skin.

She must’ve caught the scent of alcohol, because she said nothing more. After a moment, she left the room—then came back with the electric kettle filled with water, setting it carefully to boil.

The low hum spread through the quiet room. Steam rose. Luo Ren opened his eyes and saw her sitting beside him, head lowered, peeling an apple in long, even spirals that swayed in his vision.

He suddenly remembered that video—the dark, noisy room, Mu Dai’s shadowed figure, and He Ruihua’s calm, clipped voice.

“I’ve studied many cases of dissociative identity disorder,”
“There are successful examples—like Sybil, in the U.S. She had sixteen personalities that eventually merged into a seventeenth, integrated self. She went on to become a famous artist in New York.”

“Or Mrs. Sizemore, the inspiration for The Three Faces of Eve. She had twenty-two personalities. Around fifty, she finally found her ‘true self,’ and from then on, she lived normally.”

“Neither Xiaokoudai nor the so-called ‘Mu Dai No. 2’ can fully handle every part of your life. To survive without fear or judgment, you need to build a unified, resilient self. That’s why I advised you to leave your old environment and rebuild from there. But Luo Ren contacted me for a psychiatric note—he must’ve found you.”

Mu Dai smiled.

“Dr. He, I’ve thought a lot about it. Sudden personality shifts can scare people, yes—but as you said, a gradual transformation works better. I think I can manage that. Both Xiaokoudai and No. 2 can blend with my core personality, not fight it.”

“Then why come to me? Having problems again?”

She hesitated, biting her lip in frustration.

“With family or friends, I can adapt easily. But with Luo Ren… it’s different. It’s complicated. Because part of me already loves him, but a larger part… doesn’t.”

“If I can’t love Luo Ren,” she asked softly,
“How do I keep this relationship going?”

Dr. He had replied,

“I’ve met Luo Ren. Honestly, why not talk to him about it—be open with him?”

Mu Dai shook her head. Again and again.

“Why?” Dr. He had asked.

But she never answered.

And that was the same question Luo Ren wanted to ask her now.