Chapter 51: Yixun (1)

Gu Yao knocked on the door for a long time before Yi Xun finally opened it. Seeing her, Yi Xun looked somewhat surprised, asking, "Yaoyao, why are you here?"

"I just came back yesterday and didn't have time to tell you." Gu Yao was holding several bags. After entering, she placed them all on the table, opened them one by one, and pointed to them: "I brought you some local specialties—yak jerky, saffron, and a small blanket."

Yi Xun walked over, looked at them with a smile, and reached out to hug her friend's shoulder. "Thank you. I can't believe you still remembered to bring me gifts."

Gu Yao turned her head and gave her a sideways glance. "What kind of talk is that? When have I ever forgotten you?"

The two of them chatted with smiles for a while before Yi Xun went into the kitchen to brew some tea. Sitting on the sofa, Gu Yao caught a glimpse of her back and felt that she had become much thinner than before. Her body in a long dress looked so weightless, as if a gust of wind could blow her down.

Although Yi Xun had always been thin, she had never been this emaciated. Frowning, Gu Yao followed her into the kitchen and asked, "Haven't you been eating properly lately? How did you lose so much weight? Come with me to the hospital for a check-up this afternoon."

Yi Xun was standing with her back turned, putting tea leaves into the cups. Hearing this, she turned back, smiled, and said, "It's nothing, just a poor appetite. You know me—my digestion is delicate. Sometimes when the seasons change and the weather suddenly turns cold, I get like this."

"That's all the more reason to go to the hospital for a check-up," Gu Yao said firmly.

Ever since they were little, the only person Gu Yao could truly call a friend was Yi Xun. The two of them had been through many difficult moments together, knowing each other's pasts and sorrows. For so many years, they had constantly encouraged and helped one another, so she could not bear to watch anything happen to Yi Xun.

As a doctor, Gu Yao naturally knew that many patients avoided medical treatment. Because they were terrified of hospitals, they simply chose not to go. Yi Xun was in this exact situation, so as her friend, she felt all the more compelled to actively urge her to seek medical attention.

Hearing this, however, Yi Xun still showed some reluctance. Lowering her head, she picked up the tea tray, bypassed Gu Yao, walked over to the living room, and clumsily changed the subject. "What do you want to eat for lunch? I'll make it for you."

Without a word, Gu Yao walked over and pulled open the refrigerator door. Just as she had suspected, it was completely empty except for two shriveled apples that looked like they had been left there for a long time and were on the verge of rotting.

She glanced at them and then opened the freezer compartment. It was the same story inside, looking utterly pitiful.

She turned around and gave Yi Xun a helpless look. "With just these things, how can you cook anything for me?"

Yi Xun rubbed her hands together, looking even more embarrassed. "How about... I order takeout?"

"No need, I'll order," Gu Yao said, pulling her down to sit beside her. She took out her phone, ordered some porridge and side dishes that were good for digestion, and then put her phone aside, looking at her friend with worry.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable under her gaze, Yi Xun instinctively lowered her head. "What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Gu Yao sighed, deciding to stop beating around the bush. She asked directly, "Tell me the truth. How long has it been since you've eaten a proper meal?"

Yi Xun fell silent, offering no response. The disguise she had carefully put up earlier was gradually failing to hold. Biting her lips and looking pale, she whispered, "Two or three days, I guess. But I've been trying hard to control myself, making sure to eat at least a little bit every day. I just can't stomach any more than that."

Seeing her friend with her thin shoulders perpetually caved in and enduring such suffering, Gu Yao could not bear to ask any further. When the delivery arrived, she opened the door to retrieve the food, took out the porridge, arranged it on the coffee table, and ate some alongside Yi Xun.

Probably because of her presence this time, Yi Xun managed to eat a good half-bowl of porridge. Her complexion finally gained a bit of color, and fine beads of sweat formed on the tip of her nose.

Seeing that she was finally doing a bit better, Gu Yao felt slightly relieved, though she also blamed herself. She should have noticed the abnormalities earlier and returned sooner to keep Yi Xun company. With Yi Xun's parents living elsewhere, she was all alone here with hardly any friends; she must have felt terribly lonely, especially during times of such emotional instability.

After the meal, the two of them cleaned up the table together. Wanting Yi Xun to rest a bit longer, Gu Yao snatched up the food containers to throw them away. However, upon opening the trash can, her sharp eyes caught sight of a few blood-stained gauze pads.

"Where did you get hurt?" she asked casually.

"It's nothing..." Yi Xun's expression instantly grew even more tense.

At first, Gu Yao hadn't thought much of it, but seeing this reaction, her vigilance spiked. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Yi Xun pulling her sleeve back to conceal her wrist, so she reached out and grabbed her arm.

Yi Xun let out a low gasp, a look of pain crossing her face.

Gu Yao froze, instantly realizing something. Carefully, she pushed her friend's sleeve upward, and that red scar was suddenly exposed before her eyes. Although the surface had scabbed over, it still looked deeply shocking.

"You..." She was almost at a loss for words.

She could never have imagined that her own friend would attempt suicide. Clearly, she had persevered through so many hardships before—why...

She opened her mouth, but still managed to ask softly, "Tell me, what happened?"

Yi Xun stared blankly at the wound on her wrist, appearing somewhat entranced. Having forgotten the pain, she actually readied her other hand to press heavily down upon it.

Fortunately, sensing that something was wrong with her demeanor, Gu Yao had remained on guard and grabbed her hand in advance to stop her from doing anything reckless. The two of them engaged in a brief struggle of strength, but since Yi Xun was physically weaker, she gradually gave way. Once she let go, however, tears streamed down her face.

Without a word, Gu Yao leaned forward and pulled her tightly into a warm embrace.

When Yi Xun's emotions had stabilized a little, Gu Yao picked up a few tissues from the table, gently wiped her friend's tears, and asked with a serious expression, "Is this related to Xiao Mingsheng? Did you see him again?"

That final sentence was not a question, but stated with absolute certainty.

Because she was intimately familiar with Yi Xun's past, Gu Yao was entirely certain that if Yi Xun harbored any deep-seated trauma, it had to be connected to Xiao Mingsheng. That man was an absolute scoundrel, yet he held a lofty position in the music industry with extensive connections that could not be easily shaken—which was precisely why Yi Xun had suffered and had no recourse back then.

Yi Xun's lifelong dream had been to become a singer, and her uniquely gifted voice made that dream well within reach. At eighteen, she participated in a record company's audition, stood out among the competitors, and smoothly became a signed singer.

Originally destined for a promising career as a vocalist, her journey came to an abrupt halt one day right before she was due to achieve fame.

Gu Yao still remembered how Yi Xun had stumbled to her school by train, looking utterly disheveled and traumatized, her mind entirely blank and battered by a devastating blow.

At that time, Gu Yao was in the middle of class. Rushing out the moment it ended, she took Yi Xun to book a room at an inn, sat her down, and questioned her in detail. Only then did she find out that nineteen-year-old Yi Xun had almost fallen victim to sexual assault by Xiao Mingsheng, the head of the record company and a renowned composer. Under the pretext of discussing work, the man had lured Yi Xun to his apartment and attempted to throw her onto the bed by force. It was only thanks to Yi Xun grabbing a vase and hurling it at his head at the very last moment that she managed to escape.

Gu