CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57: NO REQUIREMENTS

Justin Holden opened his eyes again, the vertical lines between his brows deepening.

Laura Shaw has always been confident in her insight. She was in the same faculty as Simon Sterling, and her abilities were not inferior to his.

She just didn’t like the environment of big hospitals; she preferred a free and unrestrained life.

The man remained silent, neither denying nor admitting anything.

He simply directed his gaze to a lush green plant in the corner of the consultation room, as if the leaves could provide him answers.

"In our last hypnosis session, we touched on some clues about similarity, which seems to be a key trigger for your worsening insomnia."

Laura continued to guide, her tone neither hurried nor slow.

"In your email, you mentioned that you could only briefly fall asleep in a specific environment. Could you describe that environment in more detail?"

Justin Holden’s Adam’s apple bobbed briefly.

That small room, filled with many things, even somewhat cluttered.

The balcony had a faint scent of laundry detergent, and when the wind blew, the old clean curtains would make a creaking sound.

And the walls were not soundproof; he could clearly hear the breathing sounds from the person sleeping in the adjoining room.

"A small apartment living room."

He finally spoke, his voice low.

"Not big, a bit old, the lighting was very dim."

He omitted the most crucial part, which was that there was another person in that room, a living person.

Laura listened intently without inquiring whose apartment it specifically was.

"It sounds like a relatively enclosed and private space with a touch of everyday life?"

She captured the keywords.

"Very different from what you are used to."

Justin Holden tacitly agreed.

His apartment was located in a top area of downtown, a model of minimalism.

Spacious and cold, spotlessly clean, with maids scheduled to clean regularly.

"This contrast in environment might provide a sense of belonging that your subconscious craves."

Laura calmly analyzed.

"It might temporarily shield certain stimuli within you, allowing your nervous system to relax a bit."

"So...is it the effect of the environment itself?"

Justin Holden looked at Laura, a hint of hope in his eyes.

If so, perhaps he could replicate it?

Create a similar corner in his spacious apartment?

Add a dim lamp?

Make it a bit messier?

Laura shook her head, interrupting Justin Holden’s assumptions.

"Mr. Holden, human psychological feelings are an extremely complex composite; while the environment is important, often the feelings that an environment carries are the result of the combined action of specific people and specific relationships."

"That apartment living room could allow you to relax, possibly not just due to its physical state, but more because it represents a sense of security from having someone present, a feeling of not being alone."

"Even if that person is in another room."

Laura didn’t need to ask to know, the apartment he described surely had someone else living there.

Who it is doesn’t matter; what’s important is that this person seems to be the key to alleviating his insomnia.

"Not being alone..."

Justin Holden chewed on these words, his brow furrowing even tighter.

He hated interacting with people, used to solitude.

After Claire Caldwell left, he was even more solitary, hardly ever going home.

Going back home meant passing by the Caldwell family.

"Of course, this is just a direction of my conjecture."

Laura adjusted her approach, noticing Justin Holden’s visibly resistant expression.

"There’s also the possibility of simple scene desensitization. In an environment out of your habit, a brand-new environment temporarily cuts off those negative associative chains, giving your brain a break."

This explanation sounded more aligned with Justin Holden’s logic.

The deep furrow in his brow eased slightly.

"However,"

Laura’s speech shifted, her eyes carrying a hint of inquiry.

"Regardless of which situation it is, it indicates one thing."

"Your current habit of living alone may very well be one of the significant factors maintaining your insomnia; it is too clean, so clean that there’s nothing to disperse your intense anxiety and painful thoughts."

She paused, looking directly into Justin Holden’s eyes, clearly stating with her gentle professional tone.

"Therefore, Mr. Lawyer Holden, in my view, it’s not just a new environment that you need; it’s company."

"The small apartment living room you described likely had another person besides you, maybe you should let this person accompany you."

Laura was merely speculating; whether it would truly benefit his insomnia treatment would have to be experienced by him.

"Impossible."

Justin Holden rejected it without a second thought.

He thought he heard wrong, raised his eyes to look at Laura, a clear sense of absurdity in his deep-pool-like eyes.

"Dr. Shaw," Justin Holden’s face darkened, a clear displeasure in his voice, "your suggestion is extremely impractical."

How could he possibly live with Jean Ellison?

He stood up, his tall figure casting a domineering shadow under the gentle light, the calmness he barely maintained on the sofa just now completely vanished.

"Anyone else is fine, except her."

His tone was firm and uncompromising, with no room for negotiation.

Laura was not surprised by his intense reaction.

She remained seated calmly, her gaze accepting.

"I know this sounds very challenging to your boundaries; I’m not asking you to accept it immediately."

"Just providing a professional perspective, a possible way to break your current vicious cycle."

"Long-term extreme self-isolation sometimes forms a psychological sterile room, sealing off the pain while also sealing off any chance for change and healing."

"A bit of noise, a bit of human presence, a bit of forced interaction might instead become a buffer for your overly taut nerves, finding a resting balance between absolute silence and absolute uproar."

She observed Justin Holden’s tense jawline and the resistance surging in his eyes, knowing that tonight’s discussion had to end here.

She stood up, her stance courteous yet resolute in seeing him out.

"Of course, the choice is yours."

"I will continue to provide support for medication and previous relaxation techniques, but if you desire deeper improvement, maybe you could attempt to step out of that absolutely safe circle you’ve drawn for yourself, even if it’s just half a step."

"Offer another suggestion."

Justin Holden’s tone sounded less like offering her another chance, more like giving one to himself.

"Since you don’t like that person, change it; find a flatmate, anyone will do."

Laura said seriously, she was his doctor, and had no right to force him to do anything he didn’t want to do; she could only step back.

"Understood."

Justin Holden strode out of the consultation room.

He sat in his car, dialing a number.

"Find me a flatmate."

"I have no preferences."

He didn’t care who the person was, as he spent at least ten hours a day in the law office, sometimes even overnight.

Who lives in his home doesn’t matter; what matters is curing his insomnia."

Just like Laura said, his home was too clean, too clean as if no one lived there.