Chapter 1463: Sensitive as a Hedgehog

Jiang Chenghao looked up and heard Xu Xiaoxiao say, "Just let the past stay in your heart."

"But... shouldn't one forget the past in order to start over?"

Xu Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, "That is not absolute. For some people, memories of the past have already become a part of their life, like bone connected to flesh. If you try to excise them, it will stir up a peaceful life that was hard-won into a bloody storm."

These words from Xu Xiaoxiao truly struck a chord in Jiang Chenghao's heart.

Jiang Chenghao had known Liu Xin'ai for many years; the name "Liu Xin'ai" had long since integrated into every aspect of his life.

Want to completely erase the traces of Liu Xin'ai?

That was practically the same as erasing his own memories!

Because he could not do it, Jiang Chenghao felt very distressed.

But now, someone was telling him in a calm tone that he didn't have to forget...

Jiang Chenghao felt his tense nerves relax just a little.

Xu Xiaoxiao continued, "Let the memories of the past and your current life not disturb each other, and keep them in balance; then your heart will return to peace."

Jiang Chenghao tried hard to keep these words in his heart.

He savored them for a moment.

Then, he sighed and said, "That sounds like it would be very difficult."

To an outsider, this is not difficult at all.

It is just sealing away a piece of the past and letting it stay obediently in a corner of one's memory, not coming out to cause trouble.

But for the person involved... wanting to achieve this is no different from conquering Mount Everest.

As the person who offered the suggestion, Xu Xiaoxiao also wanted to provide Jiang Chenghao with practical methods.

So...

Xu Xiaoxiao thought of something, and she suggested, "Do something you like, oh, except

for work."

Jiang Chenghao asked in confusion, "Why exclude work?"

"Work can occupy most of your time, but you cannot find spiritual satisfaction in it, and your heart remains numb."

Jiang Chenghao deeply agreed with this statement.

Recently, Jiang Chenghao had been wearing himself out with work.

Yet there was no sense of relaxation in his heart; as soon as he thought of Liu Xin'ai, he would still feel a tightness in his chest.

If he didn't use work to numb himself...

Jiang Chenghao looked at Xu Xiaoxiao and asked with an earnest expression, "Then what should I do?"

"Hmm... find something you truly like and are willing to devote your energy and heart to doing."

After Xu Xiaoxiao finished speaking, she felt that saying it this way might still be a bit hollow, so she gave a few more concrete examples:

"For instance, you could do charity work—not the kind where you attend charity galas, but going to places in need and helping the local people with your own hands."

"Or, for example, cultivate a brand-new hobby and experience the joy within it through constant study."

"Oh, you could also keep a pet, any breed, as long as it allows you to experience a different side of life, that is enough."

Xu Xiaoxiao was a person with ideas.

These suggestions she gave were things Jiang Chenghao had never thought of.

Moreover, they were not difficult to achieve.

She believed these different experiences would help Jiang Chenghao broaden his perspective.

Once he had seen a brand-new, vast world, perhaps he would no longer be depressed over a hurdle he couldn't get past!

Thinking of this, Jiang Chenghao felt he saw hope again!

His mood also relaxed, and with this relaxation, he felt he should

thank Xu Xiaoxiao.

Raising his eyes to look at the woman in front of him, Jiang Chenghao said sincerely, "You really are an excellent psychology expert!"

Such affirmation made it hard for Xu Xiaoxiao not to be happy.

But to maintain her professional image, she tried hard to suppress her happy emotions and responded calmly, "It's alright."

"But I am curious, have you ever been in love?"

Jiang Chenghao's one sentence almost made Xu Xiaoxiao lose her composure!

Her eyes dodged away from Jiang Chenghao uncomfortably, and then she said, "No... never officially."

To save a bit of face, Xu Xiaoxiao added a little supplement.

But this supplement was truly an ineffective one...

Jiang Chenghao filtered it out entirely.

However, Jiang Chenghao still praised Xu Xiaoxiao: "Even without experience, you can still speak to the heart of others and make people resonate; it shows your skills are solid!"

Jiang Chenghao was praising Xu Xiaoxiao.

But in Xu Xiaoxiao's mind, one sentence was looping repeatedly: no experience, no experience, no experience...

No, so what if she has no experience!!!

Who did she offend!?

Xu Xiaoxiao completely lost her composure!

She asked hysterically, "Do those who study astronomy have to go to the sky? Do those who study geology have to go to the Earth's core? Do those who study prehistoric beasts have to have seen those monsters? It is sufficient to see that experience is not absolute! Whether you have it or not, it makes no difference!"

When Xu Xiaoxiao said this, her momentum was very strong.

It was as if she were using all her strength to break a prejudice.

But Jiang Chenghao was left stunned.

He blinked, then asked, "Those examples you just gave..."

"What about them? Is there a problem!?"

"Of course there's no problem, I just discovered a pat-"

"-tern."

A pattern!?

Xu Xiaoxiao frowned, then heard Jiang Chenghao say, "The examples you gave, they're either about ascending to the heavens or descending into the earth, or else they're about floods and wild beasts, it's as if you're saying..."

That love is as difficult as ascending to the heavens or descending into the earth, and as terrifying as a flood or a wild beast, making people want to keep their distance.

Jiang Chenghao thought silently in his heart, but did not say it out loud.

Seeing him fall silent, Xu Xiaoxiao could not help but press him, "As if what? Why didn't you finish your sentence?"

"It's nothing, just my own wild imagination, not worth mentioning."

Jiang Chenghao looked at Xu Xiaoxiao with gentle eyes, then changed the subject: "Xu Xiaoxiao, thank you."

Xu Xiaoxiao had originally wanted to keep asking.

But Jiang Chenghao's expression of gratitude caught her off guard.

She blinked and asked, "What are you thanking me for?"

"Because you helped me clear up my confusion, and chatting with you makes me feel much more relaxed."

Jiang Chenghao's life recently has been truly stifling.

He had even pessimistically thought that he might just continue on in this muddled way forever.

But today, he ran into Xu Xiaoxiao

and felt the hope that Xu Xiaoxiao brought him.

Xu Xiaoxiao could tell that Jiang Chenghao was relaxing.

She was very happy that she could help him.

But for some reason...

Xu Xiaoxiao suddenly became sensitive, like a hedgehog.

Just like now, what was clearly a normal expression of gratitude was interpreted by her as something else: "Are you treating me as a control group?"

Jiang Chenghao was stunned: "What control group?"

"At least you have someone you like, but I don't even have anyone I like; that's the contrast."

Realizing what she meant, Jiang Chenghao shook his head and said very earnestly, "The relationship between you and me

is not one of contrast, but of envy; I envy you very much."