3:47 a.m.
The rainstorm pounded relentlessly against the window.
“BANG—!”
Blinding headlights came straight at her.
“Yinghua! Don’t be afraid!”
Her mother’s frantic cry, the sharp screech of tires against the road, and the sound of shattering glass rushed into her ears all at once.
The next second, the world fell into darkness.
Yinghua Xu jerked awake.
She gasped for breath, her forehead covered in cold sweat. Her pajamas were already soaked through.
It was still raining outside.
The sound of raindrops striking the glass was exactly the same as in her dream.
She sat on the edge of the bed with her knees drawn to her chest, struggling to steady her breathing.
She’d dreamed about it again.
The car accident when she was seven had clung to her like a curse for twenty years.
She was afraid to close her eyes again.
Because she knew that the moment she fell asleep, she would return to that rainstorm.
By the time the sky began to lighten, Yinghua Xu still hadn’t slept.
She stared at her haggard reflection in the mirror. The dark circles beneath her eyes were almost impossible to hide.
Lately, it wasn’t just insomnia.
On rainy days, she had begun experiencing heart palpitations and ringing in her ears. Sometimes, she even lost track of what was real—what stood before her, or the nightmare that had trapped her for so many years.
She knew that if this continued, she would eventually break down.
So she picked up her phone and called the therapy clinic a friend had recommended.
The following afternoon.
Yinghua Xu stood outside the clinic and drew a deep breath before pushing open the door.
A faint woody scent filled the clinic. There was none of the harsh antiseptic smell of a hospital, and the quiet was enough to make her relax without realizing it.
The receptionist smiled and said,
“Ms. Xu, Dr. Shen is waiting for you.”
Yinghua Xu nodded gently.
When she pushed open the door to the therapy room, she couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.
A woman stood by the window.
She wore a crisp white shirt, her long hair falling casually behind her shoulders. Sunlight spilled across the side of her face, outlining features that were both gentle and cool.
When those calm eyes turned toward Yinghua, there was neither pity nor curiosity in them. They simply regarded her in silence.
“Hello.”
The woman smiled faintly, her voice low and gentle.
“I’m Tingmian Shen.”
“I’ll be responsible for your treatment from here on out.”