Chapter 1277 - 1249: Came to Realization

Chapter 1277: Chapter 1249: Came to Realization

Chen Xiaoqian had a habit when reading. She would mark the words with different colors whenever she read, and after Yu Minglang finished reviewing her studies thoroughly, he felt an indescribable sense of suffocation in his chest.

Lying in bed, he watched Chen Xiaoqian already asleep, closed his eyes intending to sleep but felt increasingly agitated.

He was so exhausted at work that day, yet still had to take care of her at home. He treated her so well, and she still couldn’t be content, sneaking off to cry in the middle of the night. He felt utterly useless...

This thought flashed by, and Yu Minglang suddenly sat up. Something was wrong!

Why did reviewing that document have such a negative impact on his emotions? Yu Minglang was the kind of person who was least likely to be hypnotized or suggested to, yet even he experienced this fleeting guilt. What about someone like Chen Xiaoqian, who wasn’t as resilient?

Yu Minglang was deeply conflicted at the moment; he wasn’t sure if he was overthinking or if things were just that way.

The matters between Chen Xiaoqian and Qio Yu Xuan were extraordinarily complicated. Qio Yu Xuan carried numerous secrets, and even the Seven Mu Farm could concoct drugs that manipulate nerves. Who knew what else they could do? To deal with such people, one must not be careless. The more meticulous, the better!

With that thought, Yu Minglang got up again to back up Chen Xiaoqian’s documents, sending a copy to his email. He wanted to take practical action to protect his wife and daughter!

After finishing this, he returned to bed and embraced Chen Xiaoqian, lowered his head, and kissed her forehead.

No matter who tries to hurt her, they’ll have to get through him first.

At that moment, Chen Xiaoqian’s belly moved slightly, and Yu Minglang placed his hand over it, feeling the baby’s movements, with a resolute belief flashing in his eyes.

No matter if it’s a human or a ghost behind all this, regardless of where his wife comes from or her background, he just adheres to one truth.

She is Chen Xiaoqian, his wife, and Da Wei’s mother.

It’s that simple.

The next day, he went to work. Chen Xiaoqian, alone, stared dazedly at the bay window outside until it was almost dinner time. Mrs. Yu came over with the phone.

"Your brother called, says there’s something at the office that requires you."

"The office?" This late, what could they need her for?

"You can speak to him yourself." Mrs. Yu handed the phone to Chen Xiaoqian.

"Qian, there’s been an issue on our end; can you come over?" Yu Minglang said in a formal tone.

Chen Xiaoqian felt uncomfortable and wasn’t particularly eager to go out, but after his repeated requests, she went anyway.

Despite being a nominal outsider, she had nothing much to do in recent months. Unsure of why she was being summoned now.

Upon arriving at Yu Minglang’s workplace, Chen Xiaoqian saw the mental intervention group again. They were all waiting for her in the conference room.

Everyone knew Chen Xiaoqian was pregnant. Apiao was particularly curious about her protruding belly. If Mo Di hadn’t stopped him, he would have poked it; a living pregnant woman was such a research opportunity!

Chen Xiaoqian chatted with them for a bit before Yu Minglang came in.

With a nod from Yu Minglang, Apiao restrained his playful expression and walked to the podium with a stack of papers.

"We’ve conducted a secret experiment today and would like to share the results with everyone. Mr. Chen, you’re also here, so I think you’ll find this experiment interesting."

As Apiao spoke, he began to project a slideshow.

"This time, our group split into two teams, one going to the school and the other staying at the headquarters, randomly selecting 10 people for the experiment."

Chen Xiaoqian still didn’t quite understand. What kind of experiment?

"We translated a foreign document into Chinese and had these people read it, asking them to finish within a specified time. The results showed that both teams experienced varying degrees of psychological discomfort. The data from those selected at the headquarters was lower, while the data from those selected at the school was higher. This experiment demonstrates that negative reading material can impact people’s emotions. Although the document contained many seemingly motivational elements, it had the opposite effect, making many readers feel sad."

Chen Xiaoqian nodded, "This has been established for a long time; frequent reading of motivational articles can increase cortisol under stress, which affects people’s emotions."

So some people joke that those who often read motivational ’chicken soup’ articles tend to have a lower IQ. Chen Xiaoqian didn’t know if it was true, but she understood that reading too much of it could dampen one’s mood, which is why it’s known as ’poisonous chicken soup.’

For instance, seeing some public account articles urging women to be self-reliant, to use fragmented time, to achieve balance between family and work—reading them makes one passionate, but after the excitement subsides, one realizes it doesn’t help in real life, leading to feelings of frustration. An initial euphoria results in prolonged depression, illustrating how the choice of reading materials directly affects one’s emotions.

"While this conclusion has existed for a while, our experiment was more astounding; look, Mr. Chen."

Apiao continued the slideshow. In this experiment, the majority experienced varying degrees of discomfort, particularly a female student who had just lost her mother and burst into tears after reading, indicating that such material is more toxic to those with psychological wounds.

Simply put, it’s a catalyst.

The more Chen Xiaoqian watched, the more uneasy she felt, and she looked at Yu Minglang with a growing sense of foreboding.

Could it be that this toxic document is—

"Where did you get this set of documents? Truth be told, even though you warned us, we were also engrossed and emotionally affected while reading it. If this got out, it would be unbelievable. It feels like whoever made this knows all the weaknesses of the human psyche and has significant research value."

Upon hearing that Yu Minglang brought it, Chen Xiaoqian felt as though cold water had been doused on her heart, and she understood everything.

"The origin of this material is confidential, and no one is to speak of today’s events outside. That’s an order!" Yu Minglang commanded, and the mental intervention group collectively stood at attention and answered affirmatively.

The workplace had this advantage: an ironclad confidentiality rule, providing Yu Minglang a reliable environment for conducting experiments.

After everyone in the new intervention group had left, Chen Xiaoqian finally asked Yu Minglang.

"Could it be... this document is—"

Yu Minglang nodded.

"It’s what Nong Yao left for you. That’s why you’ve been so depressed lately, Qian."

After hearing it, Chen Xiaoqian felt a surge of anger flare up from her chest and ordered herself to remain calm, taking a deep breath.

Reflecting on the past few days’ anomalies, Chen Xiaoqian suddenly realized.

Indeed, Qio Yu Xuan’s departure worried her, but her depressive state was truly abnormal. If Yu Minglang hadn’t detected the problem in time, then—

The consequences would have been unthinkable.

After sorting through it all, Chen Xiaoqian opened her eyes and looked at Yu Minglang, filled with guilt.

"I’m sorry, this time I really fell into a trap in the area I was most skilled at. How ironic, to be sabotaged this way in my own field of expertise!"