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

Chapter 25 You're raising a son?

Gu Yanru closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down.

"Is the term 'practice of farming' accurate?" Gu Yanru asked.

"Strictly speaking, it can't be seen as a business card stuck on his forehead," Xie Yunyi said. "It's more like a lingering manifestation of the Oedipus complex, mixed with attachment anxiety, adolescent starification reaction, power imbalance in the foster relationship, as well as his inferiority and repression."

Gu Yanru frowned more and more as she listened: "Explain it in simpler terms."

Xie Yunyi laughed: "To put it simply, he lacks stable attention and space to make mistakes. When you suddenly appeared in his life, he was afraid of you yet dependent on you; he wanted to avoid you but also wanted you to pay more attention to him."

Xie Yunyi continued to add insult to injury: "Plus your face and figure, Professor Gu, don't pretend you don't know anything about this."

Gu Yanru's beautiful eyes widened: "What does this have to do with my figure?"

"It's a big deal." Xie Yunyi smiled and looked her up and down. "If you're dressed like this and wandering around the house, he's just a hot-blooded young boy and he might not be able to tell the difference."

Gu Yanru's face turned as red as if it were steaming, but she still stubbornly said, "I didn't do anything out of line."

"So I didn't say you were wrong," Xie Yunyi said. "But you have to understand that his reaction wasn't lustful, nor was it morally corrupt. He wanted to be cared for, to be recognized, to be allowed to grow up, and to be treated as an adult with secrets, desires, and choices."

Gu Yanru suddenly remembered Chu Sheng sitting across from her at the dining table that morning, obediently drinking his porridge while trying to escape; she also remembered the panicked voice behind the door last night.

Was I too hasty back then?

"Then what should I do?" Gu Yanru asked sincerely.

"First, don't treat him like a criminal." Xie Yunyi held up one finger.

Gu Yanru nodded.

"Secondly, give him some space." Xie Yunyi raised a second finger. "Don't arrange everything for him. You can manage his studies and his schedule to a certain extent, but leave the rest alone. He needs to learn through trial and error."

Gu Yanru hesitated for a moment: "He just came to the big city and doesn't know anything. The outside world is also complicated."

"You can offer reminders, but don't put him in shackles," Xie Yunyi shook her head.

Gu Yanru lowered her head in deep thought.

"Third, when you pay attention to him, don't just focus on what he did wrong." Xie Yunyi raised her third finger. "You can praise him, but don't just say 'not bad' or 'barely so.' This kid actually responds very well to that."

When Gu Yanru recalled praising him for the brilliance of the last line of Anna Karenina, Chu Sheng's eyes did indeed light up.

She didn't pay much attention at the time. Looking back now, the child seemed very happy.

Xie Yunyi continued, "Fourth, provide appropriate reassurance. This doesn't mean you should spoil him or give him special treatment. For example, when he's nervous, you can pat him on the shoulder or touch his head to let him know you're not there to arrest him."

Gu Yanru's face flushed again: "He's eighteen years old already, wouldn't touching his head...?"

Xie Yunyi looked at her calmly and said nothing.

Gu Yanru looked away first and asked softly, "Will he be alright like this?"

"He wasn't all that bad to begin with," Xie Yunyi said earnestly. "Don't treat him like a patient, treat him like your new cat! It wants to rub against you but is afraid you'll complain about its shedding, so the more you chase it, the more it runs away. But as long as you put your hand there, it will come over on its own."

Gu Yanru's heart softened upon hearing this. That child really was like a cat, and quite adept at feigning innocence.

She stood up and straightened her skirt. "I understand. Thank you for your help today."

"Don't rush off," Xie Yunyi said with a smile. "Professor Gu, did you forget to pay?"

Gu Yanru paused, her gaze sweeping over them indifferently: "Don't I own any shares in this hospital?"

"There's one more thing," Xie Yunyi quickly changed the subject. She hadn't given Gu Yanru any dividends in the past few years. "Next time you bring him, you can make an appointment in advance. I can give him a few short consultations, but not too often, or he'll think you think he's sick."

Gu Yanru nodded: "Okay."

Xie Yunyi suddenly leaned closer to her and lowered her voice: "Yanru."

Gu Yanru looked at her.

"Don't raise him like a son, then blame him for not treating you like a normal aunt."

Gu Yanru blushed: "Xie Yunyi!"

"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore." Xie Yunyi raised her hand, her laughter shaking the mountains. "You look quite handsome when you're embarrassed and angry."

Gu Yanru ignored her and turned to leave. The moment the door closed, Xie Yunyi's smile slowly faded.

She sat back down at the desk, opened the drawer, and took out the notebook she had just used.

Turning to Chu Sheng's page, there were a few lines of text written on it.

[Core target: Gu Yanru.]

[Strong need for attention, abnormal reaction to issues of identity continuity, obvious avoidance of questions related to physical condition, multiple concealments]

"Chu Sheng, oh Chu Sheng." Xie Yunyi leaned back in her chair, took off her glasses, and rubbed her temples. "How many more secrets do you have?"

……

In the waiting area, Chu Sheng sat on the sofa, pretending to drink water while actually listening intently to what was happening in the office.

Unfortunately, the soundproofing at the psychological center was too good, and he couldn't hear anything.

As soon as the door opened, he looked up and saw Gu Yanru walking out.

Chu Sheng immediately observed her expression, but Gu Yanru simply looked at him with a gentler gaze than before.

His heart skipped a beat.

Gu Yanru walked up to him and gently patted his head.

"Aunt Gu?"

Gu Yanru's fingers were gentle: "Xiao Chu, what would you like to eat for lunch today?"

Chu Sheng cautiously replied, "Either is fine."

Gu Yanru looked into his eyes: "Don't always say 'anything is fine,' just tell me what you want to eat."

Chu Sheng tentatively asked, "Then... a hamburger?"

Gu Yanru raised an eyebrow, as if about to refuse, but ultimately held back: "Okay. But you can only eat it once, and have something light to eat when you get home tonight."

Chu Sheng's eyes widened. Gu Yanru actually agreed to let him eat junk food!

He subconsciously looked towards the office, where Xie Yunyi was standing at the door, waving at him with a smile and a subtle look in her eyes.

Chu Sheng felt a chill run down his spine and quickly followed Gu Yanru towards the elevator. As they entered the elevator, Gu Yanru pressed the button for the first floor and then looked down at him, saying, "Little Chu."

"exist."

"If you feel stressed in the future, you can talk to Auntie. Auntie... will try her best to help you."

Chu Sheng, puzzled, nodded guiltily, "Mm."

Gu Yanru paused, her tone slightly unfocused: "Also, the last sentence of your reading notes from the day before yesterday was indeed very well written."

Chu Sheng was stunned. He looked up at Gu Yanru, wondering why she brought this up.

Gu Yanru looked away somewhat awkwardly, her earlobes turning slightly red: "Auntie didn't praise you properly before, but I'll praise you more often in the future."