Chapter 634: 507

The Capital City Library often invites scholars from all walks of life to hold public-welfare events in the library.

Some time ago, Ning Youguang received an invitation from the city library saying they wanted her to give a public psychology lecture for the citizens.

Right now it was summer vacation, so the part of Ning Youguang’s work that involved teaching students had lightened up a lot. After receiving the invitation, she agreed right away.

She looked at the audience below the stage who were clapping hard, the seats packed full, and paused for a moment.

"We always need to go a bit further than we did yesterday. If you never let go of the objects around you, it means you’ll stay where you are forever. Not letting go also means you’re mourning the incompleteness of life, and that leads people into depression, locking them into fixed life patterns." When the applause died down for a moment, she continued, "In Freud’s ’Mourning and Melancholia,’ one of the theories he mentions in that paper is: why do human beings become depressed? It’s because a lot of people always feel that those terrible things that have already happened never really happened."

—"Like the death of family members or pets, like breaking up in a romantic relationship. We always feel like they don’t seem to be dead, we always feel like the other person still has feelings for me, still loves me. But in fact, it’s not that they’re not dead, and it’s not that the other person still loves us—it’s that we haven’t given up yet. That way we end up falling into depression. But if we confirm that this thing is real, confirm that it has already happened, then we won’t be depressed, or at least we can walk out of depression. Just like how after someone dies we hold a memorial service, or after a breakup we enter a new relationship—these can all help us confirm that those things we don’t want to admit really did happen. So, every time we arrive at a new place, it means we’re letting go of the previous object."

...

An hour and a half of lecture, plus half an hour of on-site interaction.

Just like that, a weekend afternoon of the summer vacation passed.

After the session, President Wan of the Municipal Psychological Association invited Ning Youguang to have dinner together, but she politely declined: "I’m sorry, President Wan, my friend is waiting for me over there. I promised her we’d run some errands together after the event, so I really can’t join you for dinner today."

The president of the Municipal Psychological Association was a middle-aged woman with dignified looks and an intellectual temperament. As soon as she heard this, she immediately said, "If it’s not urgent, ask your friend to come have dinner with us too. I’ve invited a few leaders over today; tonight we’ll all eat together, and I can introduce them to you."

"Thank you, President Wan, I really feel bad about this." A look of apology appeared on Ning Youguang’s face. "What I’m going to do now is very urgent and can’t be delayed. Otherwise, how could I possibly refuse your invitation?"

President Wan was holding a black handbag with no visible logo. She looked at her with a slightly suspicious gaze for a while. "...Then next time. We’ll get together again when you’re free."

President Wan had known Ning Youguang for a few years. The two of them couldn’t be called close, but they had dealt with each other quite a few times.

If it was just the two of them grabbing a meal, they could usually make it happen.

But if it was a group dinner where she invited Ning along, then ten invitations out of ten would fall through.

You could tell at a glance she wasn’t into socializing, so every time President Wan wanted to introduce some people to her, it was a headache.

"Alright then, I’ll get going." Ning Youguang smiled and said goodbye, "Enjoy your dinner tonight."

"I’ll walk you out," President Wan suggested.

"No need." Ning Youguang said with a smile, "Aren’t there still a few leaders waiting for you? My friend is right outside, I can go over myself."

"Then be careful on your way back." President Wan didn’t walk any further with her.

...

"Having dinner with leaders is really such a pain. Not only do you have to be stiff and formal, you can’t even eat properly—you just sit there wasting time." Gu Xi walked toward the library parking lot with her arm linked through Ning Youguang’s as she spoke. "It’s a total waste of life."

"That’s why I turned it down." When they reached the car, Ning Youguang fished the car keys out of her bag.

"Let me drive." Gu Xi, standing behind her, said, "You were standing for so long during the lecture, you must be tired."

"I’m alright." Ning Youguang smiled. "I’m used to it."

But she still casually handed the car keys over to Gu Xi. "But if you’re willing to do the work, that’s even better."

"Of course, of course." Gu Xi took the keys. "How could I not want to work for a fairy?"

After joking around for a bit, the two of them got in the car.

"Let’s go grab something to eat." After pulling the car out of the library’s parking lot, Gu Xi suggested.

"Sure." Ning Youguang said, "What do you feel like eating?"

"Let’s have malatang." Expectation showed on Gu Xi’s face. "I found a malatang place online that tons of people recommended. Everyone says their malatang is insanely delicious. And I’m about to get my period, I really want something spicy."

"Sounds good." Ning Youguang smiled. "What’s the name of the place? I’ll set the navigation."

"Chongqing Yaomei Malatang, the one on Shihua East Road." Seeing that Ning Youguang agreed to go eat malatang with her, Gu Xi was over the moon. "Is it near Shengguang Square?" Ning Youguang asked after looking down to search.

"Yeah." Gu Xi turned the steering wheel, pressed the gas, and headed for their destination.

...

After parking the car in the underground lot at Shengguang Square, the two of them walked a few hundred meters before they found the place.

This malatang shop, said to rank in the top three on the Capital’s gourmet list, had an interior that looked quite simple and unpretentious. The signboard above the entrance flashed with red lights, clearly having been there for years.

Judging by the area, it was only a little over thirty square meters.

But the space outside the entrance was very wide, a flat stretch of ground, and right in the middle there was a huge banyan tree with incredibly lush branches and leaves.

At this moment, under the banyan tree there were a lot of folding tables and chairs just like the ones inside the shop, and many people were sitting there.

Besides people, there were also four or five cats either lying down, walking around, or crouching on the ground nearby.

The honking of cars, the chatter of citizens—various sounds wove together into a boiling, lively street-scene atmosphere.

"It’s this crowded already, so their malatang must be really good." After taking in the surroundings, Gu Xi’s anticipation for the malatang grew even more.

When she and Ning Youguang appeared at the entrance of the malatang shop, the people around them all lifted their heads and looked over.

In everyone’s eyes there was a flash of amazement, a kind of disbelief.

Gu Xi had known Ning Youguang for many years, but she still couldn’t completely ignore that kind of gaze.

So she suggested, "How about we just buy it and go eat in the mall?"

"I think this banyan tree looks great." As the one who was the focus of all those gazes, Ning Youguang was even calmer than her. "Let’s go order our food, and after we order we’ll come back and sit here. There are so many cats here, I want to pet them!"

"But there are so many people..." Gu Xi found it kind of embarrassing.

Just now she’d only been thinking about eating and hadn’t considered that the environment here wasn’t exactly private.

"So many people means this malatang is really delicious." Smiling, Ning Youguang slipped an arm around Gu Xi’s shoulders and led her toward the shop.1314