Chapter 54: Depression

“Do you want to try some local clothes first? They’re very pretty,” Ye Moran whispered softly into the little fellow’s ear after he finished his bath.

Su Ling shook his head, which was a rare occurrence.

This left Ye Moran feeling a bit confused. In the past, the little fellow was always curious about new things and wanted to try everything. Since he had seen other people’s clothes, he should have been interested. Why would he shake his head?

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

Su Ling shook his head. He really didn’t know why; it was just that everything had suddenly become dull and uninteresting. He could not bring himself to care about anything. He did not want to do anything, and his mind was a complete blank.

“Are you unhappy?”

“Is it my fault?”

“No, it’s not your fault. It’s my own problem. I want to sleep. Let’s go to sleep together, okay?”

Su Ling suddenly turned around and hugged her, pressing his small face tightly against her waist.

Ye Moran’s brow furrowed. She could clearly feel that the little fellow was in a very bad mood, but why? She could not figure it out, but she quickly thought of a solution. She truly was not good at psychological matters, but wasn’t there someone right here who was?

Lin Qingyu had just finished her bath and was preparing for bed when she was pulled back into service once again. She felt like a total workhorse, and the kind that did not even get paid! However, facing the little fellow, she still forced a smile.

“Can you tell me how you’re feeling right now?”

Su Ling did not respond immediately. Instead, he looked back at Ye Moran, who was sitting behind him.

“It’s okay. I’m here with you. Just say whatever is on your mind.”

Hearing this, Su Ling felt slightly better. After thinking for a moment, he described his feelings.

“I don’t know why. Ever since we were on the road, I’ve felt a bit listless. I don’t want to do anything, and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do…”

Su Ling spoke very earnestly, frowning occasionally. He felt that his explanation was a bit unclear, but he could not describe the state of his heart in detail. He could only give a general idea.

As Lin Qingyu listened, her expression shifted from casual to grave. She looked at Ye Moran.

Ye Moran understood instantly. She cast a worried glance at the little fellow and then leaned in to whisper in his ear, “Since you’re feeling unwell, you should go rest. Get some good sleep, and maybe you’ll feel better!”

Su Ling nodded and allowed her to lead him into the bedroom.

Lin Qingyu waited silently in the living room. After a short while, Ye Moran came back out.

“Is it serious?”

“Yeah, it’s very serious!”

Seeing the grave expression on her face, Lin Qingyu suddenly started to laugh. “But, I don’t really want to tell you!”

Ye Moran’s brow tightened. She knew the other woman was taking revenge and was angry with her. She took a deep breath, suppressing her impatience. “I don’t have time to joke with you. Tell me exactly what is wrong with him!”

Lin Qingyu could not help but roll her eyes. ‘Honestly, she allows herself to bully me, but I’m not allowed to strike back? How typical!’ Fine, she would be the bigger person and not hold a grudge.

“Depression. Have you heard of it?”

“Hah, see? It’s just like I said back then. If you keep him confined like this, something will go wrong sooner or later. And now, here we are.”

“His low mood, despondency, lack of interest in anything, and even his inability to feel joy are all symptoms of depression!”

“I remember Ye Jin used to be an optimistic person. But since he was confined by you, is he still as optimistic as he was before?”

Lin Qingyu looked at her mockingly. Although she had decided not to hold a grudge, she still had to get her jabs in.

Ye Moran fell silent. She had not expected the little fellow to end up like this. She only wanted him to love her, to be unable to leave her, and for his mind to be filled with nothing but her.

“How can it be cured?”

Ye Moran let out a heavy breath. No matter how difficult it was to treat, she would do everything in her power to make him well again.

“What do you think?”

Lin Qingyu let out a light laugh, suddenly finding it somewhat ridiculous. She looked at the woman in front of her and felt an urge to punch her!

“The point isn’t how to treat the little fellow’s depression; it’s you!”

“You’re the one who needs treatment!”

“Only when you learn to let go of Ye Jin can he live like a normal person, and only then will he get better. But can you do that?”

Ye Moran looked up and stared straight at her, her eyes filled with an oppressive intensity as if she were trying to find a hidden motive. But in the end, she was disappointed. She did not find any sign of calculation in the other woman’s eyes.

She had thought Lin Qingyu was trying to use this as a way to get her to give up the little fellow so that she could swoop in herself. But unfortunately, that was not the case. In those eyes, besides mockery, there was a tinge of heartache. Though Ye Moran did not understand the source of that heartache, it did not matter. What mattered was that the other woman was telling the truth.

It seemed she really did need to let the little fellow go for him to regain his health.

“Aside from that, is there any other way?”

“No. That is the only way to solve the problem at the root.”

“My suggestion is to treat yourself first. I can arrange an effective treatment plan for you. If you go through with it, it will have some effect.”

“As for this period, I can prescribe some medicine for Ye Jin first, but medicine doesn’t treat the root cause. Moreover, psychiatric drugs have major side effects, the most notable being drowsiness.”

“As for the rest, it depends on your own choice.”

Ye Moran closed her eyes. After a long silence, she slowly opened them.

“You should go. I want to be alone.”

Lin Qingyu knew she was in a bad mood and did not disturb her further, turning to leave.

Ye Moran sat alone in a daze for a long time. She had many plans for this place. She wanted the little fellow to wear the local ethnic clothing, take him to participate in their cultural activities, and finally climb the highest mountain to watch the most beautiful sunrise together.

But now, all of it seemed meaningless.

She stood up and walked into the bedroom. Watching the little fellow sleeping peacefully, she could not resist reaching out to touch him.

His skin was very soft, and his little face was chubby; her hand felt like it would sink right into it. For such a beautiful little fellow, she did not want him to be miserable every day; at the very least, he should have a smile on his face.

She would ask for his opinion tomorrow. If he did not want to stay here, she would take him back. And then she would find another way…

That was as much as she could manage. As for letting him go or allowing him to leave her—she could not do it. She really could not.

That would be more painful than death. It had been so difficult to finally get him into her hands; how could she possibly let go?

As she thought this, her grip on the little fellow tightened slightly.

“Mm…”

In his sleep, Su Ling felt the pain and let out a soft moan.

“Sleep now. It’s okay. Everything will be fine. Sister will always be by your side, and I won’t leave you for even a second.”

As if sensing something, Su Ling reached out and put his arms around her as well.