Chapter 609: Yang Na

In the reception hall of Kangding Hospital, both visiting relatives and staff couldn't help but gaze towards the southeast corner of the hall, drawn by a young woman with a delicate appearance and slender figure sitting there quietly.

It was uncommon to see someone so striking in such a setting.

Yang Na was still wearing her pure white sweater under her red down jacket. With a small sling bag, she sat sideways on the stool, her hands clasped tightly on her lap, seemingly restless as she waited for something.

Yang Na had clearly made an effort with her appearance today, even applying light makeup, perhaps to conceal her fatigue.

An exquisite, classical jade earring, nestled among the strands of hair draped over her left shoulder, gently swayed as she looked around.

Yang Na checked the time on her plush-cased phone, then pulled out a light-colored lipstick and a mirror from her bag.

After reapplying her lipstick, she gently pressed her lips together.

When someone called her name from the front, Yang Na quickly picked up the white bag at her feet with both hands and hurried over.

As she joyfully entered a room, the delight and excitement on her face instantly vanished when she saw Li Huowang behind an iron railing.

"Why is he locked up for family visitation? Other psychiatric hospitals aren't like this! This isn't a prison!" Her voice rose in anger, seeing Li Huowang seemingly wronged.

"Na Na, it's okay."

Yang Na ignored the caregiver's explanation, went to the iron railing, and tightly gripped Li Huowang's hands extended from within.

When she saw the silvery iron handcuffs on Li Huowang's wrists, Yang Na's eyelashes immediately glistened with tears.

Li Huowang quickly comforted the girl before him: "Don't cry, don't be sad, Na Na. I'm really doing well now; there's no need to feel sorry for me."

"This hospital is very good. The doctors are responsible, the food is decent, and the other patients are kind. I've even made quite a few friends here."

"And my illness is really getting better. I'll be discharged after a short while longer! Then we can meet freely outside."

Under Li Huowang's comfort, Yang Na's tears ultimately did not fall.

"Na Na, why are you here? Who told you I was at this hospital?"

Li Huowang was extremely surprised that Yang Na had come to find him; he had thought their next meeting wouldn't be in a psychiatric hospital.

Yang Na lowered her head and gently pressed her cheek against the back of his hand. "Auntie told me you were at this hospital," she said. "She said your illness was cured, that you wouldn't go mad again, and that you could recognize people clearly now."

"Do you know? After I got the call, I was so happy I couldn't sleep for two days and two nights, knowing your illness was truly cured."

Li Huowang felt a little helpless. Although his mother cared about him, she sometimes inadvertently made things worse. He had originally planned to contact Yang Na after his discharge, but she was even more eager than he was.

"Na Na, I heard you were sick? Have you been feeling better lately?" Li Huowang asked Yang Na with concern.

"My illness is very minor; it's stabilized with medication," Yang Na said, chuckling softly.

"Do you know? When the doctor told me I was sick, I was actually happy. I thought then, maybe I could be confined in the same hospital as you."

Yang Na was lying; the experienced Li Huowang immediately recognized that an illness requiring medication to stabilize could not be considered minor.

A mild condition can only be called depression, not depressive disorder, and doesn't require medication. The difference between the two is wider than an oceanic trench.

Depression is merely an emotion, like a dark cloud overhead that dissipates on its own after some time.

However, someone suffering from depressive disorder is as if they've adopted a "black dog" that causes them to lose the ability to experience joy, and casts a pall of oppressive color over everything.

This "black dog" follows them like a shadow, never leaving their side. The more attention you give it, the larger it becomes.

Sometimes it grows, sometimes it inexplicably shrinks, but whether it grows or shrinks, it simply doesn't disappear.

If left untreated, this "black dog" will stay with a person for life.

It can also make a person unable to accept even a tiny bit of happiness for their entire life.

If a person's life is destined to be one of endless despair, with nothing but darkness in sight, then the emergence of self-destructive emotions is not surprising.

Furthermore, once contracted, this illness can recur if the person experiences any significant setbacks, even if they have recovered and stopped medication in the future.

"Na Na," Li Huowang said, looking intently into her eyes. "Don't worry. Once I'm out, no matter what you face, I'll be there to face it with you."

Yang Na gently bit her lip and nodded forcefully. Then, suddenly remembering something, she quickly released Li Huowang's hands and picked up the semi-transparent plastic bag from the floor.

"Huowang, look! These are all your favorite snacks. I bought a lot: chocolate liqueurs, rock biscuits, tomato-flavored potato chips. Remember to hide them well so no one steals them."

"Oh, and I also bought you some useful things." As Yang Na explained each item, the atmosphere gradually became much more relaxed, and a smile slowly appeared on their faces.

This meeting was unlike any they had had before. Because Li Huowang's illness was cured, he no longer had to suffer from the torment of hallucinations, and they could at least hope for a future.

Yang Na held Li Huowang's hands and never let go. She spoke softly to him, telling him about the plans she had made for him after his discharge.

Once he was out, she would take him to fun places and delicious restaurants, making up for everything they had missed over the years.

Time passed quickly; the family visiting hour was almost over.

"Did you get a scar on your chest?" Li Huowang asked, looking intently at the white sweater under Yang Na's down jacket.

The smile on Yang Na's face slowly faded. "It took six stitches, and there's a small mark."

"Na Na, I'm sorry. I was..." A strong struggle appeared on Li Huowang's face.

Yang Na, a smile returning to her face, interrupted him. "It's fine. Besides, in the future, no one but you will see it anyway, as long as you don't mind."

"Huowang, look! I still have the birthday gift you gave me!" Yang Na gently brushed aside her hair, revealing the jade earring below her round earlobe.

"By the way, Huowang, where did you buy this earring? My friend told me it's very valuable. You didn't spend too much, did you?" Yang Na asked casually, as if making small talk.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she paused slightly, looking at Li Huowang behind the iron railing. "Haven't you been in the hospital? How did you go out and buy something? Oh, and that jade pendant too."

Li Huowang's pupils contracted slightly. "Did I?"

"Yes, the jade pendant worth 400,000."