translated_Chapter 107

107: Learned Helplessness

The northern temperature was low. Jing Yueming, wearing clothes suitable for the south, slept for over ten hours and was ice-cold. Qiu Ci took off his own coat and draped it over him.

“I know, it’s okay. After you get out, go to the hospital first, call Tsukimi Rin…”

“I heard what you said! I don’t want you to stay, and I don’t want anyone’s life for anyone else’s. In short, if you don’t leave, I won’t either!”

Qiu Ci remained patient: “You leave first. What’s with this life-or-death talk? I’ll handle things and then come find you.”

“Then you’ll still go to the Netherlands? Qiu Ci, you can’t lie to me.” Jing Yueming stubbornly refused to cooperate at this moment, making Qiu Ci’s head practically explode.

“This has nothing to do with this matter. This is an accident. Let’s resolve it quickly, okay? Go quickly, be good.”

“No.” Jing Yueming cried: “Will you go to the Netherlands? If you still go, then I won’t leave. Anyway, you’re seeking death. It’s the same wherever we die.”

Qiu Ci frowned: “You have to push me like this in this situation?”

“I just want to push you! Qiu Ci, I don’t want you to go.” Jing Yueming cried like an immature child: “Qiu Ci, don’t leave me…”

“You probably don’t even know what’s going on right now. You leave first, and I’ll find you later. Be good.”

“I don’t believe you. You’re a liar. You said you liked me five years ago, but you still left in the end. You’re going to lie to me again.” Jing Yueming was determined to go against Qiu Ci at this moment. If he left, what if Qiu Ci lied to him again? Qiu Ci wanted someone else to protect him for the rest of his life. Why couldn’t he do it himself?

Learned helplessness is an important concept in psychology, referring to a state of hopelessness and giving up after experiencing repeated failures or setbacks.

A child will cry for an umbrella in the rain because crying can bring the desired result – obtaining a new umbrella that they like.

That is to say, they have succeeded in many similar situations in the past, calling it “learned optimism.”

Love can cultivate people with “psychological resilience.”

When Jing Yueming wanted to join the art class in elementary school, he was sternly rejected. His mother rejected Jing Yueming countless times in times of hardship, making Jing Yueming gradually understand that he could just ask for what he should get, and he would also be sensible and not ask for what he shouldn’t get.

For example, he could choose whether lunch was rice or noodles.

His mother would happily cook for him.

When his mother asked if Uncle Li should be his new dad, Jing Yueming said, “Whatever…”

His mother’s divorce and remarriage were not something he could decide.

But now, Jing Yueming felt that he could keep Qiu Ci: “It’s me forcing you to stay with me, forcing you to live, okay, Qiu Ci? Okay?”

Qiu Ci felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He seemed to realize that something was wrong with Jing Yueming and coaxed him as if he were a child: “Be good, go to the hospital first, call Tsukimi Rin. I’ll get out as soon as possible.”

Jing Yueming still wouldn’t let go: “I don’t want to go alone.”

“One of us has to stay. They won’t let me go with you. I’ll come soon.” Qiu Ci’s tone was gentle, seemingly reassuring the frightened Jing Yueming.

Unexpectedly, Jing Yueming’s expression turned cold again, as if he had thought of something: “You didn’t contact Tsukimi Rin for so long on the way, and you want me to go out and find her now? You want to get rid of me.”

Jing Yueming now possessed the unreasonable behavior of a child combined with the logical thinking of an adult. It seemed that he couldn’t be fooled at all.

“Jing Yueming! To know that you didn’t want to leave at all, then I didn’t need to come.”

“You would come. Qiu Ci, you just can’t bear to part with me. Then I’m forcing you to stay. It’s not that you want to live on, it’s me forcing you. So, Qiu Ci, don’t go…”

The Third Miss rushed over: “Is it done yet? Damn it, quickly throw him out. My eldest sister discovered me. Quickly sign.”

“I have to take him to the hospital. You can find someone to follow us.” Qiu Ci said to the Third Miss.

The Third Miss was already exploding: “Are you kidding me? Both of them are looking for me all over the world, and now you want me to go to the hospital with you?”

“Don’t take on porcelain work without a diamond drill. Everything is equivalent. If anything happens to Jing Yueming, I won’t sign.”

“Have you forgotten what situation you’re in? You still want to negotiate terms with me?”

“You’re the one negotiating terms with me. Go to the hospital now, and I can protect you in front of your sister.”

The two were at loggerheads, neither willing to give in.

A bodyguard rushed over: “Third Miss, the eldest sister is at the door.”

“You motherfucker, Qiu Ci!” The Third Miss was exasperated, pulling a dark weapon from her pocket.

Everyone present was shocked.

Qiu Ci reacted first, shouting angrily: “Are you crazy?”

The bodyguard, who was closest, couldn’t help but raise his hands.

“I’m not crazy, Qiu Ci. Sign now.” She threw the documents at Qiu Ci’s feet: “If I dare to do it, I must have enough ability. Sign the papers, and don’t worry about anything else.”

Jing Yueming stood in front of Qiu Ci. It was the first time he had seen such a scene. He thought it was just extortion, but it turned out to be so big.

Qiu Ci picked up the contract and glanced at it. They were all overbearing terms. If he signed, Qiu Ci would be penniless.

The details about his asset allocation were very detailed: “If I sign, you will leave with your people.”

“Don’t delay. Even if you die, I’ll use your corpse to make a handprint.”

Under everyone’s gaze, Qiu Ci didn’t hesitate, writing a few strokes. But he stopped at the last few: “Throw Jing Yueming out, or I’ll eat my own fingers rather than give it to you.”

Jing Yueming didn’t expect that Qiu Ci would want him to leave in the end: “Qiu Ci!”

The Third Miss shouted to the bodyguards: “Do it now!”

The bodyguards stepped forward. With the lingering effects of the anesthetic, Jing Yueming’s muscles were all weak.

“Qiu Ci!”

He was taken to the elevator and went all the way up, constantly calling Qiu Ci’s name, shouting so much that the bodyguards wanted to cut his throat.

“Stop shouting. Shout when you get out. If you find a chance, bring the police in.” The bodyguard didn’t forget to remind him.

When they reached the first floor, they discovered that they had been in the basement of an abandoned shopping mall. Outside the mall were countless criminal police officers.

“Quickly go in and save people. There are people with guns inside!”

Tsukimi Rin was among them, with two people beside her who looked similar to the Third Miss inside, one of whom was sitting in a wheelchair.

“Qiu Ci is inside, on the second basement level, in the south area.” Jing Yueming recalled the route he had taken.

The middle-aged police officer spoke into the walkie-talkie: “Go to the south area.”

People were already searching inside, but hadn’t found them yet.

Jing Yueming was helped to sit down: “That person wants Qiu Ci to give her all the company’s shares.”

The woman pushing the wheelchair sneered: “Fool, if it were that simple, I wouldn’t have let Qiu Ci jump around for so many years.”

Tsukimi Rin, however, had a serious expression: “Neither of you are injured, right?”

“I don’t know… Qiu Ci is now, Qiu Ci…”

In the basement, Qiu Ci finished signing and threw the contract back to the Third Miss.

She looked at the few flimsy printed pages and laughed: “Wonderful.”