Yun Mengxi sat in the private reception room arranged by Yun Feng, her fingertips unconsciously twirling the drawstring ornament on her clothes.
Her brother Yun Feng said he had hired a very special psychological consultant for her—Master Fu Hua from the Taixu Martial Arts School.
According to her brother, this was a true martial arts grandmaster who had unique insights into regulating the body and mind and relieving stress.
Of course, she had heard of this name. Her brother had mentioned it during his brief study at the Taixu Martial Arts School. The impression was of a very powerful and also very... distant figure.
Because when her brother informed her, his words clearly carried a sense of disbelief, and Yun Mengxi seemed to have heard him mumbling, "Even I haven't seen her."
Letting such a person give her "psychological counseling"?
Yun Mengxi felt a little panicked, but mostly numbness brought by exhaustion.
She really hadn't slept well last night. Her dreams were bizarre, and she woke up feeling empty, with an indescribable sadness pressing on her heart, as if she had forgotten something extremely important.
Maybe it's good to meet her?
The door was knocked lightly, then pushed open. The person who walked in made Yun Mengxi slightly stunned.
She was quite different from the image of a sage-like, dignified "master" Yun Mengxi had imagined.
The visitor was very young, appearing only a few years older than herself, wearing plain and simple daily clothes. Her posture was straight as bamboo, her temperament calm, and her features clear and beautiful... one could say she was very good-looking.
She gave Yun Mengxi a very good first impression.
But there was no expression on her face. Under the lenses of what were likely plain glasses, her eyes revealed a... er... sharp gaze that didn't quite look like what a person specializing in psychological counseling would have, carrying a hint of scrutiny and observation.
Very clear.
Did a trace of extremely subtle panic flash through those eyes the moment they met Yun Mengxi's gaze? It quickly returned to calm.
That flash of panic was fleeting, and perhaps even Fu Hua herself didn't realize she had revealed such a flaw, but Yun Mengxi captured it precisely.
"Miss Yun Mengxi, hello. I am Fu Hua." Her voice was also pleasant to hear, steady, but the speed of speech seemed half a beat slower than normal people, as if she was choosing her words carefully.
Yun Mengxi's favorable impression increased by one point.
"Master Fu Hua, hello, please sit." Yun Mengxi quickly got up and greeted politely. The other party nodded and sat on the sofa opposite, sitting so straight it looked like she had been measured with a ruler.
The opening was a bit cold.
Fu Hua seemed unaccustomed to small talk, just quietly looking at Yun Mengxi. That focused gaze made Yun Mengxi a little uncomfortable.
Her attention gradually shifted to the thin-framed glasses perched on Fu Hua's nose bridge.
The style was very ordinary, but the lenses occasionally reflected extremely faint, rapidly passing tiny light spots. That didn't look like the reflection of indoor natural light on lenses...
"Mr. Yun Feng mentioned that you have been under great pressure recently, sleeping poorly, and feeling somewhat down." Fu Hua spoke, getting straight to the point, her tone hardcore like making a work report.
"From the perspective of traditional health preservation and mental regulation, I might be able to provide some advice.
"But before that, I want to understand your daily life status, especially... work aspects.
"For example, the recent concert preparations."
The topic shifted to a familiar field, and Yun Mengxi relaxed slightly.
"Mmh, just preparing for the 'Dreams of Star Ocean' series concert. This is the last one... rehearsals, dress rehearsals, makeup setting, interviews... lots of things."
"Makeup." Fu Hua suddenly took over the conversation, but after saying this word, she clearly paused, and light spots seemed to flash rapidly on her lenses.
Her expression stiffened for a moment, then she quickly added, "...I mean, stage makeup must be very complex. Wearing makeup for a long time is a burden on the skin, and may also affect... mood?"
She said the last half sentence with some hesitation, her eyes drifting to the side, seemingly unsure if this association was reasonable.
Yun Mengxi wanted to laugh a little. Was this "psychological counseling master" making conversation out of nothing?
However, her attitude was very serious, and one could even see a bit of clumsiness in trying hard to enter the topic.
"It's okay. The team uses very good products, and makeup removal is also very careful.
"But sometimes false eyelashes and sequins are indeed quite tiring." She complained casually, with the familiarity of chatting between girls.
Fu Hua immediately nodded, very solemnly.
"Mmh, false eyelashes, foreign body sensation, sequins, reflection... may interfere with vision, understandable." She finished, but seemed to feel this was too dry, so she continued trying to soften things up.
"But... your styling on stage is very... dazzling... the audience response is enthusiastic... I... I also like it very much..."
She said this sentence, especially the latter half, unusually slowly. Every word seemed to be squeezed out through her teeth. There was no expression on her face, but her ears seemed a bit red.
Yun Mengxi really almost laughed out loud this time, the corners of her mouth already showing an irrepressible arc.
This stiff praise that sounded like reciting lines, paired with the other party's cold face and slightly red ears, had a strangely cute contrast.
"Thank you."
She held back her laughter, feeling that this Master Fu Hua... seemed a bit... cute?
"Does Master Fu Hua also study stage styling?"
"Know a thing or two." Fu Hua pushed her glasses, and the lens light spots flashed again. "In order to... understand modern art forms."
This excuse was a bit stiff. She immediately changed the subject. "What about songs? Among the concert repertoire, are there any you poured special feelings into?"
This question hit Yun Mengxi's heart.
She talked about several songs she re-arranged for this concert, talking about her original intention and the emotions contained within.
Fu Hua listened very seriously, nodding from time to time, but rarely interrupting.
Until Yun Mengxi mentioned the chorus part of one song, where she used more intense vocals and arrangement to express a sense of tearing.
"Sense of tearing..." Fu Hua repeated, her eyes narrowing slightly, seemingly thinking about some profound martial arts problem.
"When emotions fluctuate violently, breath control is crucial. Excessive consumption hurts the throat and cardiopulmonary meridians... Do you feel discomfort when practicing?"
Yun Mengxi was stunned. This angle... was quite peculiar.
But since the other party was a martial arts master, caring from a physical perspective seemed normal. "Sometimes when I sing too much, my throat feels dry and my chest feels a bit stuffy."
Fu Hua immediately sat up straight, her expression becoming serious: "This is not a trivial matter. I can teach you a simple set of breathing techniques, combined with pressing specific acupoints, which can effectively relieve it. We can do it right now..."
"Huh?" Yun Mengxi didn't expect the other party to be such a... person of action. "...Right now?"
"Is it convenient?" Fu Hua asked, a trace of imperceptible expectation revealing in her eyes, and a little bit of... nervousness? As if afraid of being rejected.