Chapter 51 Depression

The once pure black bedding on that king-size bed that could accommodate several people has disappeared, replaced by top-quality off-white bedding that is as soft as clouds and exudes a clean, sunny scent.

Even the cold metal lamp on the bedside table has been replaced with a warm-looking ceramic lamp base.

"When did his tastes become so...dark?" Jiang Yining stroked the soft quilt, recalling the boy in her memory who wore a clean white shirt and had a bright smile, and the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily.

Shen Nian'an walked to her side, her voice soft but heavy: "Since you left, Ningning, he... has been on the verge of breaking down. Every second he lives is torture for him. This blackness is probably the cocoon he wrapped around himself, isolating him from the world."

She paused, looking into Jiang Yining's eyes, which had suddenly turned to her with shock and pain, and continued, "Don't leave him again, Ningning. Really... he'll die."

Jiang Yining felt as if her heart was being gripped tightly by an icy hand, the pain almost suffocating her. She struggled to speak, "Can...can you tell me? How...how did he get through these past eight years?"

Shen Nian'an's eyes instantly reddened, her voice choked with suppressed sobs: "On the day you were buried, he vomited a lot of blood in front of your grave. He fainted on the spot. Yan Ze and Jing Shen risked their lives to get him to the hospital for emergency treatment. But he had no will to live at all. The doctors issued several critical condition notices. Aunt Li and Uncle Xie used all their connections to transfer him to the best hospital abroad overnight. On the plane... his heart stopped beating three times."

Her voice was broken and shattered. "Aunt Li knelt outside the ICU for three days and three nights, crying until she could barely see, begging him, begging him to live for his parents' sake. He finally escaped death and opened his eyes, but his eyes... were empty."

Xiao Xiao also came over and tightly grasped Jiang Yining's cold hand, tears silently streaming down her face: "Ningning, afterwards... he was like an empty shell with his soul ripped out. He used his last year to finish his credits, and then... he frantically made money. He filled himself with work, and now, eight years later, he needs alcohol almost every night to barely close his eyes. In severe cases, he has to take strong sleeping pills and antidepressants. His office and drawers at home are full of medicine... He dares not stop for a moment. Because he knows that once he stops..."

Shen Nian'an's voice was so low it was almost inaudible, "Once he feels his parents are settled and the company is stable, he... will come to you."

“If Xie Shiyan is gone, Aunt Li… won’t be able to survive either. She’s risking her life to protect her son,” Xiao Xiao murmured to herself.

Xiao Xiao choked up and couldn't continue. But the unspoken meaning, like a poisoned dagger, pierced Jiang Yining's heart.

Severe depression? Relying on alcohol and drugs to fall asleep every night? The possibility of... ending it all at any moment?

These cold words, combined, form a bloody picture of Xie Shiyan's eight years of hell, laid bare before Jiang Yining. She covered her mouth, and scalding tears instantly burst forth.

Heartache and belated fear overwhelmed her like a tsunami. She never imagined that her departure would plunge him into such an abyss of no return.

The three women embraced tightly, their long-suppressed grief, heartache, and the complex emotions of loss and reunion finally erupting into uncontrollable sobs. The cries echoed through the newly renovated room, filled with heart-wrenching pain.

Only after seeing off the last group of installers did Shen Nian'an manage to calm down and settle the bill. Jiang Yining wiped away her tears, walked to the spacious terrace, and looked at the garden taking shape in the twilight, her eyes becoming incredibly determined:

"Don't worry, Nian'an, Xiao Xiao. Everything will be alright. I won't let him be alone... in the darkness again." Her words were a promise to her friend, and even more so, a vow to herself.

Looking at the rekindled flame in her eyes, Shen Nian'an gave a tearful, relieved smile. Ningning was back; she was Ayan's only cure.

The three of them worked together, using their newly bought kitchen utensils and ingredients, busily preparing in the bright, open kitchen. The sounds of pots and pans clattering, oil sizzling, and Jiang Yining's clear voice directing them—"Too little salt!" "Turn the heat down!"—filled the air.

There was also Xiao Xiao's exaggerated praise, "Wow, Ningning, your cooking skills have improved so much!"... All sorts of sounds intertwined, and the kitchen was filled with a long-lost, comforting aroma of cooking.

Around 8 PM, the sound of a car engine could be heard outside the villa. The gate opened, and Xie Shiyan, Zhou Yanzhe, and Lu Jingshen walked in.

A warm, fragrant breeze carrying the aroma of food wafted over, replacing the familiar, empty, and cold air of my memory.

Zhou Yanzhe was the first to exclaim in surprise: "Wow, this is... the wrong room?" He looked around and saw off-white sofa covers, warm lighting, decorative paintings on the walls, and greenery outside the window... The whole space was refreshed and full of the warmth and details of life.