Gu Jianing brought Amber all the way home.
Along the way, they ran into a few acquaintances. Everyone was surprised to see Gu Jianing leading a military dog. After asking, they learned that this dog named Amber had already retired, and Gu Jianing had adopted her.
Zhang Shuwan lived next door and came out to take a look as soon as she heard the commotion.
Staring at Amber, Zhang Shuwan’s eyes lit up—clearly, she was also a dog lover. “I never expected you to adopt a retired military dog. But this is good. When Deputy Regiment Commander Sheng is away on missions, you’ll have company. And if you need to go out, having Amber with you will make things safer.”
Although she could often come over to keep Gu Jianing company, it wasn’t quite the same.
Besides, she was also a woman. Even if she could accompany Gu Jianing outside, if something happened, she wouldn’t be as capable as Jianing—just like last time when they encountered human traffickers, it was Jianing who took them down.
But a military dog was different. Even though Amber was retired, she still had skills. And this Amber was a decorated retired military dog, after all.
“Yes, that’s what Brother Xi meant too,” Gu Jianing replied.
Actually, Zhang Shuwan also loved dogs and felt a strong urge to adopt one. But as soon as the thought arose, she dismissed it.
She couldn’t afford it. Even though it was just a dog, it still needed food and care.
Her family was about to welcome two children, and with only Lin Xing’s salary supporting the entire household, they might not even have enough to eat.
Zhang Shuwan also wanted to work—it was too hard for Lin Xing to be the sole breadwinner.
But she felt it was unlikely.
Now, as her pregnancy progressed, and with Guoguo to take care of, finding a job at this stage was unrealistic.
After the baby was born, there would be two little ones to look after, making it even harder to leave the house.
As for her mother-in-law helping out? That was out of the question.
At this moment, Zhang Shuwan couldn’t help but think of her parents. If only they were still here…
A trace of sorrow flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it.
After Zhang Shuwan left, Gu Jianing used the scanner in her eyes to examine Amber.
But the scan results made her frown slightly.
It showed Amber’s pregnancy status but displayed nothing else.
Based on the scanner’s previous behavior, no display meant there were no issues in other areas.
But according to what Xiao Duo had said, Gu Jianing believed Amber must be suffering from PTSD.
Gu Jianing immediately used her mind to activate the binding connection with Amber and quickly saw that it indeed showed Amber was suffering from PTSD.
Gu Jianing was stunned. Previously, she had always assumed that the scan results from the scanner in her eyes were the same as those from the Divine Doctor Space after binding a patient.
But now, it seemed they were different.
The scanner in her eyes wasn’t comprehensive—it could only detect physical ailments but couldn’t display psychological conditions.
The Divine Doctor Space, however, could.
Gu Jianing stroked Amber’s fur as she looked at the course on treating PTSD in the space. As someone who had lived a second life, she knew exactly what this was.
She felt it was necessary to learn this course.
Not just to treat the psychological issues in Amber, but also because, in this era, very few—if any—doctors were aware of PTSD as a psychological condition.
Yet, in the military district where she was stationed, soldiers were the most likely to suffer from PTSD.
Even if someone exhibited symptoms, most would simply assume the person had gone mad or something else, not realizing it was a psychological disorder that could be intervened and treated.
Just like earlier—Xiao Duo hadn’t known the reason behind Amber’s abnormal reactions either.
And this condition, if not severe, might be manageable. But once it worsened, a person could lose their mind, suffer mental breakdowns, or even engage in self-harm or suicide.
Gu Jianing felt she needed to learn this course—not just to help treat Amber, but also in hopes of aiding soldiers suffering from PTSD.
They defended their country, they were heroes. They shouldn’t meet such a tragic end.
At noon, when Sheng Zexi returned home, he saw Amber in the house.
Gu Jianing told him about adopting Amber and also mentioned the dog’s PTSD.
After listening, Sheng Zexi froze for a moment before urgently confirming with her, “Are you serious? This is just a psychological disorder called post-traumatic stress, and it can be treated?”
“Of course it can!”
“Then, Ningning… can you treat it?”
Gu Jianing hesitated slightly. “I should be able to.”
As long as she studied in the Divine Doctor Space, she would definitely be able to treat it eventually.
Given the nature of the Divine Doctor Space, once she started learning, she would have to master the entire PTSD treatment course and pass the assessment before she could leave.
“Why? Do you have a comrade who suffers from this condition?” Gu Jianing asked.
Sheng Zexi nodded, his gaze growing distant as he began to recount the story to Gu Jianing.
Back then, as a teenager, Sheng Zexi had clashed with his father after he married a hypocritical stepmother. Determined to leave the capital, he decided to enlist in the military, choosing a faraway posting.
However, because others had been influenced by Sheng Xinhào’s connections, no one was willing to help him.
“…In the end, it was Zhenrong who helped me.”
Zhenrong—Hua Zhenrong—was Sheng Zexi’s childhood friend. Even later, when Sheng Zexi’s relationship with his family soured due to his stepmother, and rumors spread about him, making everyone avoid him like the plague, Hua Zhenrong still believed in him.
So, when Hua Zhenrong learned of Sheng Zexi’s plan to enlist, he went to plead with his father.
“Zhenrong’s family had three brothers. The eldest became a doctor, the second a journalist.”
“As for Zhenrong, Uncle Hua hoped he would join the military—he wanted at least one of his three sons to carry on his legacy. But Zhenrong wasn’t very interested. He said he had no grand ambitions. Since his family was well-off, he just wanted to live a leisurely life—writing articles occasionally, reading newspapers, tending to flowers. That was the life he dreamed of.”
Gu Jianing: Wow, this guy was already planning to be a carefree slacker in his youth, living like a retiree.
To be honest, she kind of envied that too.
If she could live a relaxed life, who’d want to be an overworked wage slave?
But if Hua Zhenrong’s aspirations were so simple, how did he end up with PTSD?
Gu Jianing had a vague suspicion.
Soon, Sheng Zexi continued, “For my sake, Zhenrong went to beg Uncle Hua…”
“In the end, Uncle Hua set a condition—either he wouldn’t agree at all, or Zhenrong had to go with me.”
So that was it.
What happened next was almost predictable.
For the sake of his sworn brother and close friend, Hua Zhenrong—despite his lack of interest in military life—ultimately agreed.
And so, the two of them enlisted and were stationed in the Northwest Military District.
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