My aunt is a magical girl, and so am I.

Chapter 24 Oedipus Complex

Xie Yunyi closed the notebook: "Alright, little one, that's enough for today."

Chu Sheng was still sitting on the sofa, looking at her warily: "Is it really over?"

"What?" Xie Yunyi raised an eyebrow. "You can't bear to part with me?"

"No, no," Chu Sheng immediately shook his head. "I was mainly afraid that you were still testing me."

Xie Yunyi smiled and leaned back casually: "Alright, go out now and call your Aunt Gu in."

Chu Sheng stood up, took two steps, then turned back: "Thank you, Dr. Xie."

"Um?"

"You're not going to tell Aunt Gu everything I just said, are you?"

Xie Yunyi's black stiletto heels swayed slightly: "No. You're an adult, I know these rules."

Chu Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, opened the door, and went out.

It was quiet outside. Gu Yan sat on the sofa, her back ramrod straight. The waist of her dark green shirt was neatly cinched, and her black skirt hugged her full hips and legs. She held a brochure about the psychology center in her hand, flipping through it with her head down, but Chu Sheng could tell at a glance that she wasn't really paying attention.

Because that page is about children's separation anxiety.

"Xiao Chu." Gu Yanru stood up immediately when she saw him come out. "Finished talking?"

"Yes." Chu Sheng nodded. "Dr. Xie wants you to come in."

Gu Yanru glanced at his face, seemingly wanting to touch his forehead, but then restrained herself and withdrew her hand: "Did she give you a hard time?"

Chu Sheng thought for a moment, and it seemed that Xie Yunyi was teasing him more than making things difficult: "No."

Seeing that his complexion was relatively normal, Gu Yanru was slightly relieved: "Just stand here and don't move. I'll be right back."

"understood."

Gu Yanru walked into the office and gently closed the door.

Chu Sheng looked at the tightly closed door and suddenly had a bad feeling, but he could only obediently sit back on the sofa.

……

Inside the office.

Gu Yanru sat on the sofa where Chu Sheng had just been sitting, her hands resting on her knees, her expression calm.

Xie Yunyi didn't rush to speak. She slowly poured herself a glass of water, leaned against the desk, and casually left her white lab coat open. She was already tall, and standing made her waist look even slimmer and her legs longer.

Gu Yanru frowned: "Yunyi, can you be serious for once?"

Xie Yunyi almost burst out laughing: "Professor Gu, what business is it of yours how I stand?"

Gu Yanru pursed her lips, not responding to her question: "How is Xiao Chu?"

"What an interesting kid."

"I'm asking about the situation."

"The situation is quite interesting."

Xie Yunyi put down her water glass, picked up her notebook, but didn't open it: "Let me make this clear first, I won't tell you the specifics of what he told me. He's an adult, and I need to protect his privacy regarding consultations."

"I understand." Gu Yanru nodded. "I just want to know if he's under too much pressure, or if there's anything wrong with him."

Xie Yunyi looked at her and suddenly laughed again: "Yanru, the way you asked that question is exactly the same as some of the parents I've seen before."

Gu Yanru was taken aback.

"When a child doesn't eat, parents ask if they have anorexia. When a child stays up late, parents ask if they're addicted to the internet. When a child locks the door, parents ask if they're going astray," Xie Yunyi said slowly. "But often, the child's problems aren't that complicated; it's the pressure from parents that's overwhelming them."

Gu Yanru's expression changed slightly: "You mean, I put pressure on him?"

"Do you want to hear something pleasant, or something useful?"

"Useful."

"That's it," Xie Yunyi said bluntly. "You put a lot of pressure on him."

Gu Yanru lowered her eyes, looking somewhat at a loss.

She is very good at teaching and nurturing students, but raising a child is a first for her since birth.

Seeing her like this, Xie Yunyi softened her tone slightly: "But it's not entirely your fault. This is just your personality; you're serious and have clear rules, which isn't a bad thing. It might not be a bad thing for other children, but Chu Sheng is different."

Gu Yanru looked up: "How is it different?"

"He's very good at reading people's expressions," Xie Yunyi continued. "When he came in, his first reaction wasn't to observe the surroundings, but to observe the relationship between you and me. He was afraid you'd be angry, afraid you'd think he was a disgrace."

Gu Yanru recalled the day Chu Sheng first arrived. He was standing by the roadside carrying two jars of pickled vegetables, sweating profusely, but he first asked her if it was convenient to put things in her car.

At that time, she only thought the child was sensible.

Xie Yunyi looked at her expression and knew that the woman had taken it to heart.

"He has low self-esteem but a strong desire to express himself. He craves to be seen and recognized. However, he is afraid to directly ask important people for attention, so he turns to things like the internet."

Gu Yanru said softly, "So, his recent obsession with those videos is because of the pressure I put on him?"

Xie Yunyi remained silent for a while. She actually knew in her heart whether what Chu Sheng had seen last night was the kind of thing Gu Yanru thought.

The kid's eyes light up like light bulbs whenever virtual streamers are mentioned, but there's no need to tell Gu Yanru about that now.

"That's one way to understand it," Xie Yunyi said. "He needed an outlet. For him, online content was not only a source of stimulation but also a form of self-comfort."

Gu Yanru frowned slightly: "But those things can harm the body and make people addicted."

"That's why I say, guide, don't judge." Xie Yunyi looked at her and tapped on her notebook. "The more you treat it like a monster, the more it will hide. The longer it hides, the bigger the problem will become."

Gu Yanru seemed to be thinking silently, and after a moment asked in a low voice, "Anything else?"

Xie Yunyi rested her chin on her hand, a mischievous smile playing on her lips: "Don't hit me after you hear this next judgment."

Gu Yanru's heart sank: "Is it serious?"

"It's not serious," Xie Yunyi said slowly, "but it's very embarrassing."

"Go ahead and say it," Gu Yanru said, having prepared herself mentally, and sat up straight.

Xie Yunyi spoke clearly, enunciating each word distinctly: "Chu Sheng has a clear maternal attachment to you and projects an authoritative female image onto you. To put it simply, he has a bit of a 'manipulation' tendency towards you. To put it even more simply, it's what you would normally call 'manipulation fetish'."

The office fell silent. Gu Yanru's face gradually turned red, starting from her earlobes and spreading to her face, eventually even her neck turned red.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" she whispered, both anxious and angry. "Xiao Chu is only eighteen!"

"Eighteen is just right." Xie Yunyi innocently spread her hands. "Emotions, astrological awareness, attachment needs, self-esteem. He lives in your house, you are beautiful, mature, strong, taking care of him and controlling him. It's easy for him to put you in a complicated position."

"How complicated is it?"

"She's like a mother, a teacher, a guardian, and a mature woman who would make him feel good about her."

Gu Yanru's face flushed a seductive red: "Xie Yunyi, watch your words."

"I was very careful," Xie Yunyi laughed. "I didn't say he wanted to do anything to you, so don't overthink it."

"I don't!"

"You're getting impatient."