Chapter 497 338: The Paper of the Future (Part 2)

During the half hour Xue Rui had been here, he had spent most of his time telling Lin Ruoxi's story. The doctor understood Lin Ruoxi's situation well but was powerless to correct it; the person who needed help now was someone else.

Lin Ruoxi hadn't understood what she meant, but the doctor had already left.

"Mr. Xue, what are you doing?" Dr. He called out.

Xue Rui now had his ear pressed against the office door, seemingly listening for any sound from within.

He had just called Gu Muxue, and he thought he'd heard a phone ringing from the other end of the hall—from this very office.

"It's nothing. I thought I heard a cat meowing inside," Xue Rui said.

He was certain Gu Muxue was in there. He just couldn't see a trace of the girl through the window, so he figured she must be doing the same thing he was—leaning against the other side of the door.

"Doctor, is there any hope for my condition?" Xue Rui asked in a sorrowful tone.

As he finished asking, Xue Rui saw the doorknob jiggle...

'Xue Rui is definitely trying to trick me again. I won't let him play me for a fool like he did Lin Ruoxi...' At that moment, Gu Muxue was gripping the doorknob tightly, her other hand clamped around her wrist.

Dr. He replied, "Wasn't I clear enough just now? While it's not easy to solve, there's no need to. It won't affect your daily life."

She could easily tell that Xue Rui was intentionally speaking for the person behind the door, so she raised her voice a notch as well.

"That's a relief," Xue Rui responded.

"Your consultation fee has already been paid." Dr. He was showing him the door, clearing a path for Xue Rui to leave.

Xue Rui chuckled awkwardly and took out his phone. "Dr. He, can I get your contact info? That way I can reach you if I have any more questions."

"We psychologists are a patient's temporary crutch. The goal is for the patient to walk on their own after recovery, not to become overly reliant on the crutch." Dr. He handed Xue Rui a business card.

"Alright, we'll be going then." Xue Rui nodded, then gave the office door a light knock before leaving.

'I need to go take a look around and see where Yang Xing parked his car. Don't tell me Gu Muxue snuck out here all by herself?'

"Classmate Gu Muxue..." Lin Ruoxi didn't know what Gu Muxue needed from her.

Dr. He's words kept echoing in her mind. 'What can I do to help Classmate Gu Muxue?'

...

The two of them walked out to the main street. Xue Rui scanned the entire area but still couldn't find any sign of Yang Xing.

Xue Rui gave Yang Xing a call.

Once the call connected, Xue Rui asked with a smile, "Uncle Yang, where's Muxue?"

"She has a full afternoon of classes today. She should be at school having dinner right now. Have you two been fighting recently?"

"Let me be clear, asking me for help is useless. You still owe me two bottles of red wine," Yang Xing said drily.

"How do I owe you wine? If anything, you owe me a body slam," Xue Rui joked.

After a bit more small talk with Yang Xing, Xue Rui hung up. He could now confirm that Gu Muxue had come out alone.

"Xixi, she came out by herself, and it's almost dark. Could you take her back to school later?" Xue Rui asked.

It was a last resort. The girl was so beautiful, he didn't feel comfortable with her taking a stranger's car.

'Lin Ruoxi is so much more independent than Gu Muxue. A sensible girl like her just makes you worry less...'

"What about you?" Lin Ruoxi blinked.

Xue Rui started walking toward the main road. "I'll grab a taxi back."

...

「Inside the psychology clinic's office.」

Dr. He picked up a stack of test forms, glanced at the distribution of answers, and set them on the desk.

"You can fool me, but can you fool yourself?" Dr. He patted Gu Muxue's shoulder. "When you're sick, you need to take medicine and rest, not pretend you're fine."

The moment Gu Muxue had come to her, she had seen at first glance that she was ill.

The eyes of a patient with depression are different from a healthy person's; they are somewhat listless and lost.

But the girl had insisted she was fine, so she'd had Gu Muxue fill out a questionnaire in her office.

However, Gu Muxue was very smart and had deliberately chosen the "correct" answers.

Gu Muxue averted her gaze. "I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping well lately."

"Do you feel like you have no energy for anything? Is even getting out of bed a struggle?" Dr. He pressed.

Gu Muxue didn't answer. Dr. He was right. 'I've been so tired lately, and not just mentally. It feels like I have no motivation for anything.'

'My roommate even said I've gotten a lot quieter, that I'm always zoning out...'

'Am I sick?'

'For two years in high school, her feelings for Xue Rui had grown and grown, and they made their relationship official after the college entrance exams.'

'She and Xue Rui had dreamed of their university life together for two years, but that dream shattered as soon as school started. What was the point of her staying in this city?'

'She had even considered studying abroad, but would running away actually help?'

'She didn't know. Her turmoil over this period felt like taking a piece of paper, crumpling it over and over, then trying to smooth it flat again...'

'After repeating this process again and again, the paper had finally torn...'

'And written on that paper was her future with Xue Rui.'

'Gu Muxue knew exactly where the problem lay. She had to either piece their future back together or throw that piece of paper away entirely.'

'But she couldn't bring herself to do either...'

...

"Tell me about it. I'll keep it confidential. And since we're not in a consultation room, it's off the clock," Dr. He said gently.

Gu Muxue bit her lip tightly as a tear escaped from the corner of her eye.

"Crying is a good thing. You'll feel much better if you let it out," Dr. He continued.

Gu Muxue quickly tilted her head back, blinking rapidly. "I'm fine. Thank you for your time today, Doctor."

'She knew she would feel much better if she talked about it, but she didn't want to anymore.'

'She had confirmed that Xue Rui didn't have any psychological problems and that he hadn't been lying to her. She had gotten everything she'd wanted today.'

Dr. He pressed Gu Muxue back down into the chair. "If you don't want to talk, you don't have to. How about I prescribe you some medication? You still have to take your medicine."

'She had no right to interfere with the secrets of another's heart, but she couldn't just watch a patient walk out of her door...'

"Actually, in my clinical experience, psychotherapy is more effective than medication for mild to moderate depression. All medicine has side effects; some people resist it, others become dependent..."

Gu Muxue shook her head. "Just the medicine, please."

"Some of these might make you dizzy, so avoid exercise for a while." Dr. He opened a cabinet and dispensed a pile of medications for Gu Muxue.

...

「Half an hour later, it was time for the clinic to close.」

Gu Muxue and the doctor stood at the clinic entrance. As Dr. He locked the door, she was still giving instructions, "For the first month, come back for a follow-up once a week. That way, we can switch your medication promptly if there are any issues."

Gu Muxue, holding a bag, gave Dr. He a slight bow. "Thank you, Doctor. Take care."

Gu Muxue walked with her head down toward the bright lights of the street, her figure looking increasingly desolate from behind.

She had asked Lin Ruoxi before coming out, and Lin Ruoxi had said Xue Rui already went back to school. That was the only reason she dared to stand on the street so openly.

'Knowing she was sick didn't come as much of a surprise to Gu Muxue; it just felt like such a hassle...'

'If her family were to find out, what would happen to Xue Rui?'

'She didn't even have to think about it. Immense pressure would undoubtedly come down on Xue Rui...'

'But she didn't want things to go that far...'

A wave of loneliness from seeing a doctor by herself washed over her. Gu Muxue felt so tired. She took a water bottle from her bag and then looked at the bag of medicine in her hand...

'If I take the medicine, will the pain finally go away?'

She took out her diagnostic report, glanced at it, then casually used it as a mat, sitting down on the curb without any regard for her appearance. She began tearing the outer packaging off the medicine boxes one by one.

'She couldn't use the doctor's note; she had to attend her classes at school like normal.'

'Gu Muxue didn't want anyone to know she was sick, so she had to throw away all the outer packaging.'

Lin Ruoxi got out of her car, which was parked just a short distance from the clinic. 'How did Gu Muxue not notice it when she came out?'

Lin Ruoxi walked over to a trash can and picked up the boxes Gu Muxue had thrown away. After studying them for a few moments, Lin Ruoxi's mind went blank.

She connected this with Dr. He's earlier words about Gu Muxue needing follow-up appointments, and what the doctor had said to her through the car window as she left: "Help her."

'Gu Muxue used to be so lively and cheerful. How could she have depression?'

'But she knew. She knew what the problem was. It was her fault.'

Gu Muxue stood up and was counting the pills in her palm, head bowed, when someone suddenly wrapped her in a tight hug. The pills scattered across the ground.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." Lin Ruoxi repeated into Gu Muxue's ear, tears streaming down her face like a bursting dam.

Gu Muxue looked at the scattered pills. Surprisingly, she didn't feel a single shred of anger. She said with a sense of resignation, "Why didn't you leave?"

She knew that voice all too well; she didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

"I'm not leaving. From now on, I'll stay with you and take care of you, until you get better." Lin Ruoxi didn't know what else she could do. Being there for her was the only thing she could offer.

Gu Muxue took a deep breath. She could feel Lin Ruoxi's guilt, but she didn't need pity.

But she didn't want to hurt Lin Ruoxi either, so she asked, "What if I never get better?"

"Then I'll stay with you forever..."