CHAPTER 397: CHAPTER 390 [MINDFULNESS-BASED EATING TRAINING]

Upon hearing Xu Pengcheng’s response.

Nan Zhubin smiled with satisfaction.

The state of Lin Junkai and Li Mingchen was like a trump card he had been keeping hidden today.

The order of playing this card was crucial.

He deliberately saved it for the end of the consultation to wait for the moment when Xu Pengcheng had already established a deep consulting relationship with him and was caught in cognitive conflict.

If this card had been played too early, it wouldn’t have had the current impact, and it might not have had any effect at all.

Now, this realistic factor can serve as a solid bridge, forcefully pressing down when Xu Pengcheng’s thoughts are in chaotic collision, guiding him toward the right direction forward.

It’s undeniable that many changes in visitors can’t be achieved within the consultation room.

The impact of reality on a visitor far exceeds the influence a consultant can exert on them within the consultation room.

Nan Zhubin had been laying down bricks and beams like an architect in building a road, but it ultimately depended on Lin Junkai and the realistic factor to promote Xu Pengcheng’s final growth.

Very effective.

However, in the eyes of professionals, it might appear unprofessional.

[Forget it, as long as it benefits the visitor within the ethical guidelines.]

Nan Zhubin thought to himself.

However, such situations are rare. The chances for Nan Zhubin to intervene in a visitor’s reality are few, as are those to utilize realistic factors to help them.

It might be difficult to have such opportunities in the future.

...

After Xu Pengcheng said "No."

He didn’t provide a simple closed answer but continued to explain and elaborate.

"At first, Junkai and the others also helped me with extra training—they genuinely wanted to train me to improve my stamina."

"But later, when others’ actions grew and Coach Wang became more aggressive, they stopped coming."

"Even when sometimes Coach Wang ordered them to... ’extra-train’ me, they kept their movements as small as possible."

Nan Zhubin nodded.

"In your memory, they are ’friendly’ to you, more aligned with the definition of ’friends’."

Xu Pengcheng nodded.

"At the same time, they also understand you better."

Xu Pengcheng nodded.

"So we can see—" Nan Zhubin spread his hands, displaying, "understanding ’friends’ doesn’t really require you to use ’excessive dieting’ and ’being bullied into extra training’ to build relationships."

"They were there from the start."

"As for the other ’teammates’, no matter how much you repeat those behaviors, it seems it hasn’t changed their behavior or view towards you."

Xu Pengcheng blinked.

First, a long ten-second contemplation.

During this period, Xu Pengcheng’s exhalation grew heavier.

Then.

He let out a long breath, but his body did not slump down.

This breath was not about the strength in his body; it felt as though he was expelling something that had been squeezing inside him all along.

As he released this breath, he first dropped his shoulders heavily, lowered his head. Then his body fell back forcefully, sinking entirely into the sofa.

Finally, one hand lay on his thigh, and the other rested on his belly, displaying a relaxed posture.

He looked directly into Nan Zhubin’s eyes.

"It seems that’s right." Xu Pengcheng said. As he spoke, he was also sighing.

His face showed a distressed, regretful expression, but his lips curled slightly, no longer the forced smile born out of tightly pressed lips.

This was also the most vivid expression he had shown since the start of today’s session.

...

Nan Zhubin also let out a long breath in his heart.

The intervention with a Humanism foundation ended here.

This method of continually "following" the visitor, supporting them step by step, is indeed exhausting.

"What you just recounted about the past also gives a crucial point. You know it was ’Coach Wang becoming more aggressive’ that led to all these changes."

Xu Pengcheng adjusted his mouth slightly.

Nan Zhubin smiled: "That cognition is correct. And now that your training environment has changed, with Coach Wang gone, I believe that your relationships with your teammates can also have a new development, a new beginning."

"However—"

Nan Zhubin looked directly into Xu Pengcheng’s eyes: "Pengcheng, ’making friends’ is a two-way behavior, and there’s no reason to demand ’you must be friends’.’

"If some teammates, whom you feel understand you, you can befriend them and seek their friendship, and feel guilty for troubling them—they probably equally hope you would understand them; they too would want your friendship and feel guilty for causing you trouble."

"But for others, whether it’s due to personality clashes or differing temperaments—perhaps you aren’t quite suitable to be friends."

"Then, keeping your relationship at ’teammate’, or even ’classmates training in the same team’, is sufficient."

Xu Pengcheng looked at Nan Zhubin’s eyes, nodded with some contemplation.

At this point.

Suddenly.

Grumble—

A sound echoed in the consultation room.

Nan Zhubin glanced at Xu Pengcheng’s stomach.

And the hand Xu Pengcheng placed on his stomach suddenly tightened.

"Hungry?" Nan Zhubin chuckled.

Xu Pengcheng pursed his lips, nodded.

"Would you like something to eat?"

Xu Pengcheng hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

[Frowning.]

[Eyes drifting.]

[No swallowing reactions like from the throat.]

...

The cognitive issue with Xu Pengcheng had been resolved.

Theoretically, his craving for "excessive dieting" should also have dissipated.

But just like the case with Li Minglu before. Even though his real-life problems and cognitive challenges have been addressed, psychological issues with bodily impacts won’t see the body instantly restored with the removal of mental complications.

Xu Pengcheng’s "excessive dieting" had already become a habit, even a bodily memory.

Even now, if Xu Pengcheng had thoughts of "not dieting," facing food could still require him to eat consciously, perhaps even forcing himself bit by bit.

To break away from this lifestyle inertia, further training is necessary.

Nan Zhubin looked at the clock on the wall.

Now, more than half an hour had passed, almost forty minutes.

It’s feasible to strike while the iron is hot and make some eating interventions for Xu Pengcheng.

This was also the initial intention Nan Zhubin had for today’s consultation.

"Just in time, there’s a bit more time today."

Nan Zhubin stood up: "Let’s do something a little interesting next."

Xu Pengcheng looked up curiously.

Nan Zhubin said: "I call it Mindfulness-Based Eating Training."