Scumbag God, I can see the entry of desire.

Chapter 1313: Brother Lang Brainwashes Zhou Shiyao

Liu Rusi hung up the phone to Azhu's family, the coolness of the phone case still lingering on her fingertips.

She raised her hand to press her slightly tight temples, suppressing the surging fear and unease in her heart, before slowly turning around and walking towards the restaurant.

The warm yellow light in the restaurant, carrying the delicious aroma of the food, contrasted sharply with Liu Rusi's icy mood at that moment.

Zhou Shiyao was enjoying her meal, chatting with Lin Lang with an admiring look on her face as she ate.

Lin Lang listened intently, nodding occasionally in agreement, a gentle smile in his eyes.

"Mom! You're back!" Zhou Shiyao spotted Liu Rusi first.

Seeing Liu Rusi's pale face and unnatural expression, Zhou Shiyao asked with concern, "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Why do you look so pale?"

"Did they say something unpleasant on the phone?"

Liu Rusi's heart clenched suddenly. She quickly avoided her daughter's probing gaze, pulled over a dining chair next to her, and sat down. Her fingertips traced the cold surface of the chair before she managed to steady her voice and wave her hand in a deliberately casual tone.

"N-nothing, what could be wrong? Let's eat, let's eat!"

As she spoke, her hand, which had picked up the chopsticks, trembled slightly uncontrollably, and the tips of the chopsticks tapped lightly against the rim of the bowl, making a soft sound.

Lin Lang saw all of this, and the smile in his eyes faded slightly, but he didn't ask any questions. He simply used serving chopsticks to pick up some food and gently placed it into Liu Rusi's bowl.

"Eat it while it's hot, or it'll get cold." Lin Lang's voice was as gentle as ever, carrying a comforting power, subtly changing the subject.

Liu Rusi gazed at the crystal shrimp in her bowl, her nose seemingly still able to smell the rich aroma of the dishes on the table, but the words of Officer Li from the phone call just now kept echoing in her ears.

The memories of the five years spent with the nanny, Ah Zhu, intertwined with the news of her tragic death, weighed heavily on my heart like a stone.

She forced a very faint smile at Lin Lang and said in a low voice, "Okay."

Liu Rusi slowly raised her chopsticks, picked up a crystal shrimp and put it in her mouth. The delicate texture and delicious taste were indeed top-notch, but at this moment it became tasteless and even a little difficult to swallow.

She chewed mechanically, her gaze fixed on the exquisite dishes on the table, but she could no longer muster any appetite. She felt a tightness in her chest, and even her breathing felt labored.

Zhou Shiyao was still chattering away on the side.

Lin Lang occasionally chimed in with his own words.

The atmosphere in the restaurant was still lively, but Liu Rusi felt like an outsider, enveloped by an invisible chill, out of place with all this warmth.

While eating, Zhou Shiyao asked, "Mom, where did the nanny, Azhu, go?"

Liu Rusi's heart skipped a beat when she heard this. She really wanted to tell her daughter that it was the nanny, Azhu, who had colluded with her to reveal the kidnapper Zhou Shiyao's whereabouts, which led to her being kidnapped.

However, Liu Rusi was afraid that if her daughter found out about Azhu's tragic death in the car accident, it would leave her with even deeper psychological trauma from her kidnapping experience.

Therefore, Liu Rusi could only lie and say, "Azhu's parents are old and in poor health and need someone to take care of them, so they resigned and returned to China."

After hearing this, Zhou Shiyao said with great reluctance, "Why so suddenly? Why did Azhu leave without even saying goodbye?"

“Uh…” Liu Rusi was speechless for a moment and couldn’t answer.

Lin Lang quickly smoothed things over, saying, "All good things must come to an end, and some people are destined to be just passersby in your life."

Liu Rusi chimed in, "That's right. You feel that you have a lot of affection for Azhu, who has worked as our nanny for five years, but Azhu may not have the same feelings for you or our family. She may just see it as a job of serving people."

Zhou Shiyao immediately lost her appetite and said, seemingly understanding but not quite, "But Ah Zhu has been so good to me all these years!"

Lin Lang said, "Silly child, life is like a play, it all depends on acting skills. Don't completely believe someone just because they're nice to you, otherwise you'll be sold out and still be counting the money for them!"

Zhou Shiyao was emotionally struggling to accept it. She put down her chopsticks and said, "But I've long considered Azhu as family. How could she just leave like that? She should at least have said goodbye to me in person!"

Lin Lang chuckled softly: "In this world, there aren't so many 'shoulds' and 'shouldn'ts,' are there? Stop worrying about it and keep eating."

Zhou Shiyao pouted and said, "I don't have an appetite and I can't eat anymore. You guys eat."

Seeing her daughter's drooping head, feeling down because of the nanny Azhu's departure, Liu Rusi said softly, "Go back to your room and sleep after you've eaten. You have school tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shiyao's shoulders shrugged slightly, she raised her hand and bit her fingernails, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

"Mom... I'm afraid to sleep alone. Every time I close my eyes, I can't stop thinking about being kidnapped. I'm scared."

Upon hearing this, Liu Rusi suddenly realized that her daughter's kidnapping was something she couldn't let go of so quickly; it must have left her with psychological trauma.

"Don't be afraid, daughter, Mommy will sleep with you!"

Liu Rusi immediately put down her chopsticks, put her arm around her daughter's shoulder with heartache, but did not know how to comfort her. She could only look to Lin Lang for help, her eyes full of anxiety and expectation.

Lin Lang and Liu Rusi exchanged a glance, thinking: You sleep with your daughter?

Who will sleep with me tonight?

This is not possible!

After reading it, Lin Lang stood up from his chair, walked to Zhou Shiyao's side, leaned down to look at her, his eyes as gentle as the warm sun in spring, and his tone carrying a reassuring power.

"Don't be afraid, Shiyao. Uncle Lin will give you some psychological counseling to drive away all your fears, okay?"

Zhou Shiyao looked up at the pure tenderness in Lin Lang's eyes, as if she had found her pillar of support, and nodded heavily: "Okay, how about psychological counseling, Uncle Lin?"

"Come on, give me your hand." Lin Lang stretched out his hand, palm up, warm to the touch.

Zhou Shiyao obediently raised her little hand and gently placed it in Lin Lang's palm; her little hand was icy cold.

Lin Lang placed his other large hand over hers, and the warmth of his palms instantly enveloped Zhou Shiyao's small hand, a strange sense of security spreading from her fingertips.

Lin Lang secretly activated the [Hypnotic Memory Modification Technique], and a faint golden halo, imperceptible to ordinary people, appeared at his fingertips, quietly seeping into Zhou Shiyao's palm.

"Shiyao, now close your eyes, take a deep breath, relax your whole body, put all your distracting thoughts aside, and just listen to Uncle Lin's voice."

Lin Lang's voice grew softer, like a gentle evening breeze brushing past your ear.

Zhou Shiyao obediently closed her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyelids, trembling gently with her breath.

Lin Lang's thoughts, like fine threads, slowly probed into the depths of her memory, wandering along the veins of her thoughts, and soon found the memory of being kidnapped.

The dimly lit warehouse, the unfamiliar kidnappers, the cold ground, and the endless fear—these images were etched into her mind like a brand, exuding a chilling and terrifying aura.

Lin Lang's thoughts gently yet firmly enveloped this memory, not forcibly erasing it, but like spring rain nourishing the fields, gradually dissolving the fear within it.

Then gently smooth and fade the outline of this kidnapped memory, like ink spreading on rice paper, gradually becoming blurred and eventually merging into the trivial memories of daily life, leaving no clear trace.

"Shiyao, imagine that you are lying on a soft bed right now, with gentle moonlight outside the window, the scent of your mother beside you, and the peace that Uncle Lin is protecting for you."

Lin Lang's voice continued to reach Zhou Shiyao's ears, carrying a soothing magic.

“Those kidnapping experiences that scared you never happened. You have always been that happy, carefree little girl who eats and drinks well every day, studies hard, and spends happy times with your mother.”

"Do you remember today when Mom took you to the aquarium? You had a lot of fun, interacting with the penguins and watching the dolphin show. When we got home, Uncle Lin cooked a delicious meal for you. These warm and wonderful moments are what you experienced today."

"You showed no reluctance whatsoever regarding the nanny Azhu's resignation. She was just an insignificant nanny; her departure was no big deal..."

Liu Rusi sat to the side, watching all of this with bated breath.

She saw Lin Lang's focused and gentle expression, and saw her daughter's brows gradually relax, her tense body slowly unwind, her breathing become even and long, and the fear and unease on her face fade away, replaced by a calm and peaceful demeanor.

Lin Lang said some more fabricated memories and comforting words until Zhou Shiyao's memories of being kidnapped were completely replaced. Only then did he slowly withdraw his thoughts, and the halo in his palm quietly dissipated.

He gently patted Zhou Shiyao's small hand and said in a gentle voice, "Alright, Shiyao, you can open your eyes now."

Zhou Shiyao slowly opened her eyes. The fear and unease in her clear eyes were gone, replaced by a clear and bright look, like a sky washed clean by rain, without a trace of gloom.

She blinked, looked at Lin Lang and Liu Rusi in front of her, and a naive smile gradually appeared on her face. Her tone was as light as a little bird: "Uncle Lin, I went to the aquarium with my mom today and even touched the baby penguins!"

"The little penguin is so soft and cute to hold in your arms!"

Lin Lang smiled slightly after hearing this, "I'm glad you're having fun!"

Liu Rusi was stunned. She never expected that Lin Lang had actually succeeded in hypnotizing her and implanting the memory of her taking her daughter to the aquarium into Zhou Shiyao's mind.

Zhou Shiyao stretched, her eyes sparkling with joy. She felt incredibly relaxed, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart.

"Mom, I'm sleepy. I'm going to go to my room to sleep now. I have school tomorrow!"

Seeing the renewed light in her daughter's eyes, Liu Rusi felt a huge weight lifted from her heart. Her eyes reddened slightly, and she quickly stepped forward to take her daughter's hand: "Okay, Mom will take you back to your room."

"No need, I'm all grown up now, not a child anymore. Mom, you can continue having dinner with Uncle Lin."

After hearing this, Liu Rusi smiled with relief and said, "Okay, okay, then you can go back to your room and sleep by yourself. If you can't sleep and are scared, just call for your mother, and your mother will come over and hug you to sleep."

Zhou Shiyao smiled and said, "Mom, why are you being so clingy today? That's strange."

“Uh…” Liu Rusi scratched her head and laughed awkwardly.

"Uncle Lin, I'm going back to my room to sleep. Goodnight."

Lin Lang smiled and replied, "Good night and sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Mom," Zhou Shiyao said, then skipped and hopped away from the restaurant.

"Goodnight, my dear daughter." Liu Rusi watched her daughter's light and cheerful figure as she breathed a sigh of relief.

She turned to look at Lin Lang and said gratefully, "Thank you, my dear! Thanks to you today, Shi Yao was able to escape danger. I will owe you a huge favor for the rest of my life."

"Silly girl, we don't need to thank each other." Lin Lang gently pulled Liu Rusi, who was sitting in the dining chair, into his arms.

Liu Rusi hugged Lin Lang's waist, her voice choked with sobs, and said, "I was so scared today, sob sob..."

As soon as her tense nerves relaxed, a wave of fear washed over her, and tears welled up uncontrollably.

All her strength crumbled in that instant. She huddled in Lin Lang's arms like a wounded little animal, so fragile and helpless.