The Psychologist Episode 12 Recap
> The Psychologist Recap
He Dun accompanied Ye Jiahui to visit Mrs. Yun at the nursing home. Ye Jiahui explained to He Dun that although Mrs. Yun was not his biological grandmother, she had raised him since he was seven, and they were closer than relatives. Mrs. Yun warmly welcomed He Dun and insisted she join them for dinner, even playfully chiding Ye Jiahui for being jealous when she doted on He Dun.
During the meal, Mrs. Yun recounted how Ye Jiahui was a naughty but helpful child who would "test" new toys and snacks at her wholesale shop. She became emotional, reminiscing about the difficult times when he was small, going hungry but refusing to eat her cooking. Ye Jiahui comforted her, reassuring her that those hard days were behind them.
He Dun learned from Ye Jiahui that his parents were very busy when he was young, which is why he often preferred to stay at Mrs. Yun's shop rather than going home. Meanwhile, Lili visited the radio station to thank Qian Kaiyi's colleagues for their help in having the defamatory video against her removed. She brought gifts and acknowledged that the idea originated from Qian Kaiyi.
Her colleagues were impressed when Lili shared some insider information about the Xianghai Group, a leading transportation company, which was experiencing internal conflicts and financial issues due to a broken capital chain after purchasing large freighters. She predicted this would cause a price hike for Mandheling coffee, as the main distributor relied on Xianghai Group's shipping. After dinner, Ye Jiahui and He Dun went to a mall.
When a speeding motorcycle almost hit He Dun, Ye Jiahui quickly pulled her to safety. He then theorized that the couple on the motorcycle was in an "ambiguous relationship" based on the "Drawbridge Effect," where external stimuli can be misinterpreted as feelings of love. He asserted that love is fundamentally a chemical reaction involving various neurochemicals.
Skeptical, He Dun was challenged by Ye Jiahui to an "experiment"—watching a horror movie to see if the heightened emotions would create a sense of connection. He Dun agreed. Unexpectedly, she remained calm, having researched death symbols in horror films during college, while Ye Jiahui was visibly frightened throughout the movie. For the third stop of their date, Ye Jiahui had booked a Japanese restaurant.
During their walk, He Dun kept receiving calls from Qian Kaiyi, which she quickly cut short, but Ye Jiahui noticed. Eventually, she answered, telling Qian Kaiyi she was on a "romantic dinner" with Ye Jiahui. Qian Kaiyi insisted on joining them, stating he wouldn't try to break them up, but He Dun firmly rejected him. Earlier, Qian Kaiyi had consulted a female colleague about ideal dating spots, and she suggested a popular, quiet restaurant in a mall with low-calorie options.
Armed with flowers and dressed smartly, Qian Kaiyi arrived at the mall, only to see a large poster of He Dun with long hair, an image he knew would distress her due to a past trauma. He immediately called the mall's manager to have it removed but was told it was too late in the evening and would have to wait until the next day.
Determined, Qian Kaiyi took matters into his own hands, donning different clothes, securing himself with a rope, and climbing up to cut down the poster himself. Later, as He Dun was leaving the mall, she saw the mangled poster and a small smile involuntarily crept onto her face, recognizing Qian Kaiyi's act. Returning home, He Dun found Qian Kaiyi waiting at her door.
He confronted her about her differential treatment of him versus Ye Jiahui, arguing he could do everything Ye Jiahui could. He then apologized for an incident in high school, stating he now realized the pain it had caused her.
This brought back a painful memory for He Dun: in high school, Qian Kaiyi, in a misguided attempt at matchmaking, had publicly announced that their classmate Yuan had received a gift from a girl and then accidentally broke it—the gift being from He Dun. Back in the present, Qian Kaiyi, still misunderstanding, warned her that Yuan was now married.
Enraged and exasperated, He Dun told him to read her diary to see that she never liked Yuan and demanded he open her door. After letting her in, Qian Kaiyi waited outside, promising to wait until her anger subsided. Inside, He Dun looked at her diary, reminiscing.
She realized her crush had actually been on Qian Kaiyi, who had once blocked a basketball for her, but because he was wearing Yuan's jersey at the time, she had mistakenly written Yuan's name in her diary. Qian Kaiyi's public reveal of her supposed crush on Yuan had humiliated her. The next morning, He Dun found Qian Kaiyi still waiting by her door. She offered him a glass of water.
Qian Kaiyi prepared to read a formal apology from his phone, but He Dun told him not to bother if it wasn't sincere. He then delivered an impromptu apology for his past childishness, admitting he was envious of Yuan and had spoken "sour grapes" about her gift. He apologized for his ignorant actions but still didn't grasp that he himself was her first love.
He even offered to "compensate" her with himself, which He Dun rejected, telling him to move aside as she had a nine o'clock appointment. Later, Lili explained to Qian Kaiyi that he was now on the "painful path of winning back one's wife," implying a long and arduous journey. Qian Kaiyi, still in denial, insisted his actions were purely for their radio program. Meanwhile, Jing Jing attended another therapy session with He Dun.
She confessed she knew she had Bulimia nervosa and felt dismissed by previous doctors who only offered pills without listening. He Dun reassured her that they would address issues beyond medication. Jing Jing expressed a desire to "bid farewell" to her mother, though not wanting to hurt her. He Dun introduced the concept of "high-risk situations" and explained they would focus on Jing Jing's thoughts and feelings in those moments to understand the root of her binge eating and vomiting.
Jing Jing recounted a recent episode during a dinner with friends where their conversation triggered overwhelming nausea, leading her to vomit. A flashback revealed a childhood memory of her mother relentlessly forcing her to practice piano, constantly berating and humiliating her for mistakes, demanding "repeat" over and over again. He Dun connected this to Jing Jing's feelings of anger and humiliation.
He Dun also noted from Jing Jing's self-monitoring log that she had binged on three pizzas and five pairs of chicken wings on the way to a competition, and another time after a competition where she felt like a "loser" because she couldn't continue playing, echoing her mother's perfectionist view. He Dun labeled this as "biased" and "dysfunctional thinking" within cognitive behavioral therapy.
To illustrate how automatic thoughts can operate unconsciously, He Dun offered Jing Jing what appeared to be hot water from a kettle, but was actually cold, demonstrating how ingrained perceptions can be misleading. She explained that just as Jing Jing resisted her mother's teaching style, she simultaneously sought her mother's often subjective and inaccurate approval. In a separate development, Ye Jiahui, disguised as a repairman, infiltrated an office building, entering a crowded elevator.
