Chapter 278: Father’s Request

Li Yan suddenly understood why Zheng Tian had sent his son and the bodyguards away. The Zheng Tian in front of him had no trace of a boss’s authority; he was clearly just an ordinary father reminiscing about the time spent with his children!

Teenagers begin to rebel during adolescence. No matter how well-behaved they are, they won’t be as close to their parents. They start needing their own space. Although Nian Yufei had significant psychological trauma at the time, her entry into adolescence was different from that of other girls. But when she played the piano, using music to reminisce and heal her wounds, it was undoubtedly the time when Zheng Tian felt helpless and unable to accompany her.

Even if he had learned to cherish the time spent with his child due to loss, it had only been a few years. Now, even if he wanted to be there, there’s already a distance between them!

"Don’t blame yourself. Actually, Nian Yufei feels your concern. Those doctors and experts are at a loss, not because she’s deliberately making it difficult. It’s just that they’ve never really experienced such a situation themselves. They can only rely on theoretical knowledge from books or similar experiences from other case studies to treat her. But this is a psychological trauma, not a common disease that can be cured with the right medication..."

Li Yan recalled the words Nian Yufei had once told him, "She told me... it’s not just back then, even now, or perhaps for her entire life, she’ll never forget that day, she’ll never forget her mother dying right in front of her..."

Zheng Tian felt a pang in his heart. For a girl not even ten years old to witness her mother being shot to death before her eyes was undoubtedly a tremendous shock and trauma. If he could have taken her place, he’d rather have been the one watching! No, he’d rather have died in her place!

"Later, when she played the piano, it actually wasn’t out of interest, let alone for music itself. It was just because when she played, she’d remember her mother teaching her to play, it would feel as if her mother was still by her side, deceiving herself, numbing herself. And then... then..."

Li Yan couldn’t continue past that point. Her outstanding piano skills and even winning first prize in the Chopin Piano Competition weren’t because she fell in love with the piano or music, but because of him, to see him again!

She knew he was an assassin, and over time, there were others who wanted to kill her. But she didn’t understand the grudges of the previous generation, she only felt that if she became more famous, there would be a greater chance for Li Yan to see her; if she earned more money, then the price for an assassination might also be higher, right? His chances of taking on a mission to kill her would increase.

In order to see her protector from those years, the angel who persisted in protecting her and killed one person after another for her, she was risking her life adventurously!

Of course, if it weren’t for the chance encounter at the Cloud Island restaurant seven years later, she might have regretted it for life. No matter how famous she became, Li Yan would neither see nor think of her, and after that, those who wanted her dead weren’t going to hire an assassin anymore.

"... Later it was like planting a willow tree by mistake; over time, the willow grew to provide shade. Although she initially lost interest in music and the piano, over the years, classical music unconsciously became a part of her life, making her calm and serene."

Zheng Tian agreed, "Yes, it seems letting her continue learning the piano was the right decision. Now, she certainly enjoys a kind of quiet happiness." Then he hinted, "Of course, most of the happiness is from you."

"..."

"I’m serious. She’s often calm and stoic, neither happy nor sad. I’d rather she act out against adults like girls her age. But there are exceptions. When talking about you, she immediately becomes lively, and her natural smile appears."

Li Yan gave a bitter smile, "You’re overthinking. Actually, after New Year’s, she invited me to dinner to express her gratitude. It was that time when she spoke more to me, and during that, she talked about her mother. I also guided her back then, using words that might not be the typical method used by psychologists, but they seemed to have an effect. That’s the real reason she’s a bit happier now."

"How did you guide her?" Zheng Tian asked excitedly. This was a challenge he and Old Mu yearned to overcome for years. "I really want to know. You should understand, such deep psychological trauma isn’t solved in one session. Knowing your method, I can guide her similarly at the right times, helping her gradually step out of the shadows. She’s only seventeen, with her whole life ahead; how can she live it in gloom?"

"Uh... I warned you, don’t scold me."

"Why would I?" Zheng Tian laughed, "Even if you exaggeratedly disparaged me, if it’s helpful, I’d still be very grateful."

"I wouldn’t go as far as to disparage you. I told her... that she shouldn’t be sad about her mother’s early death. Instead, she should feel happy!"

Zheng Tian’s expression changed. The woman he loved most being spoken of this way, even years after her death, naturally made his face cloud. "And then? Did you tell her to forget her mother?"

Seeing him hold his composure, Li Yan chuckled, "I explained that using the changes in Old Mu from her memory, to show her that life and death are natural cycles. People, from the moment they’re born, gradually age. Old Mu was like that, so was her mother. Then using the examples of Kennedy, Bruce Lee, and Leslie Cheung, I showed her that dying young often leaves the best memories eternally in people’s hearts."