"No," Mu Qi denied, yet he still didn't look at Yun Shuniàn. He feared he might scare her.
Yun Shuniàn parted her lips lightly but ultimately said nothing, worried that being too aggressive might displease Mu Qi.
Soon, the two returned home.
While Mu Qi and Yun Shuniàn were still on their way, Aunt Ning had received a message from Yun Shuniàn, so as soon as they arrived home, a large table laden with dishes was already set.
Yun Shuniàn and Mu Qi washed their hands first in the bathroom and then proceeded to the table together with Mu Qi.
During the meal, Yun Shuniàn was exceptionally attentive, constantly placing dishes into Mu Qi's bowl.
Mu Qi's mind, however, was replaying the uncontrolled state he had been in at the office and Yun Shuniàn's unusual behavior.
By the time Mu Qi came back to his senses, his bowl was already piled high with food.
Mu Qi did not refuse, continuing to eat in silence.
As Mu Qi remained quiet, Yun Shuniàn dared not continue adding food to his bowl.
At this point, Yun Shuniàn felt that everything she did seemed wrong.
After they finished lunch, Yun Shuniàn followed Mu Qi to the study.
Yun Shuniàn sat on the sofa, at a loss, while Mu Qi remained silent.
Just as Yun Shuniàn was about to abandon all pretense and question Mu Qi, the study door was suddenly knocked.
"Come in," Mu Qi immediately put down the pen in his hand and looked towards the door.
"Mr. Mu, is it..." Zhou Rong had intended to ask if there were any problems with the medication, but upon seeing Yun Shuniàn in the study, he quickly changed his words.
"Let's talk outside." Mu Qi stood up, taking Zhou Rong with him out of the study. Even after closing the door and going to the guest room, Zhou Rong was still filled with questions.
He felt that Mu Qi was not someone so careless, and if Mu Qi had any issues, he would never reveal even a sliver of it in front of Yun Shuniàn.
Yet, this was clearly a half-hearted attempt to conceal, how could Yun Shuniàn not notice?
"It's not me, it's Niànniàn."
Before Zhou Rong could figure out the reason, Mu Qi spoke first.
"Mrs. Mu?" Zhou Rong repeated, not understanding.
Zhou Rong: "What's wrong with Mrs. Mu?"
Mu Qi pursed his lips slightly and briefly recounted to Zhou Rong what had happened in the office.
Upon hearing Mu Qi utter the word "suicide," Zhou Rong couldn't help but frown deeply.
However, hearing Yun Shuniàn's subsequent reaction, Zhou Rong was even more stunned.
Zhou Rong repeatedly replayed the details Mu Qi had spoken in his mind, his throat bobbed several times, and finally, he reached a conclusion.
"I cannot make a definitive judgment about Miss Yun Shuniàn's condition yet. However, based on my many years of understanding you, I believe you may be showing symptoms of depression."
"Depression?" Mu Qi murmured, his mind filled with images of Yun Shuniàn.
Smiling, crying, playful...
All of it made Mu Qi feel a deep sense of attachment.
The mere thought that he might hurt her made Mu Qi feel that life was worse than death.
Zhou Rong did not interrupt Mu Qi, quietly waiting for Mu Qi to figure things out himself.
"I'll talk about my issues later, let's talk about Niànniàn first."
Zhou Rong's voice was slightly hoarse. It was rare for a patient with depression to prioritize someone else's problems over their own.
However, considering Mu Qi's peculiar situation, Zhou Rong immediately understood.
Mu Qi's depression itself stemmed from Yun Shuniàn; Yun Shuniàn was the root of all of Mu Qi's ailments, so why was this difficult to comprehend?
"It's like this, Mr. Mu. I don't have much contact with your wife, so I don't know her very well. If it's convenient, I'd like to have a private conversation with her," Zhou Rong explained sincerely.
Mu Qi paused for a moment, then lightly said, "Did I scare her?"
Zhou Rong also paused, clearly not expecting Mu Qi to say that.
Zhou Rong had intended to say no, but to be more rigorous, he still requested to speak with Yun Shuniàn first before making a judgment.
"Of course, it would be even better if Mrs. Mu could voluntarily talk with me." If not, Zhou Rong would have to resort to indirect methods to explore Yun Shuniàn's psychological state.
Mu Qi knitted his brows, then finally agreed.
After receiving Mu Qi's response, Zhou Rong walked to the door of the guest room, but Mu Qi's voice then came through again.
"Don't upset her."
Zhou Rong: "..."
"Mu Qi, open the door!" Inside the study, Yun Shuniàn impatiently banged on the study door.
"Young Madam, the young master likely has his reasons. Please be understanding. The young master will surely open the door for you soon."
Aunt Ning stood outside the door, gently comforting Yun Shuniàn. However, her constant pacing still revealed her anxiety.
She wanted to help Yun Shuniàn open the door, but Mu Qi had personally locked it. She really didn't dare to act on her own to open it.
It was at this moment that Zhou Rong emerged. As soon as Zhou Rong appeared, Aunt Ning hurried forward, asking what was wrong with Mu Qi and why he had locked Yun Shuniàn inside.
Hearing Yun Shuniàn's cries, Zhou Rong rubbed his head and, steeling himself, went to open the door.
Yun Shuniàn glanced at Zhou Rong. Not seeing Mu Qi, she immediately turned to leave.
"Mrs. Mu, the young master is a little worried about you and asked me to have a chat." Zhou Rong tried to stop Yun Shuniàn, and she paused.
Zhou Rong looked at Yun Shuniàn's retreating back with surprise, not expecting her to be so agreeable.
However, he didn't know that Yun Shuniàn stopped not because she was agreeable, but simply because the phrase "young master" was used in Zhou Rong's sentence.
Yun Shuniàn quickly returned to the study: "Talk about what?"
Yun Shuniàn felt extremely impatient when Mu Qi was not there to see her.
Zhou Rong's patients usually initiated the narration of their problems. Now, being suddenly questioned by Yun Shuniàn, Zhou Rong was momentarily caught off guard.
"What exactly is Mu Qi worried about?" Yun Shuniàn, eager to see Mu Qi, became increasingly agitated.
"Or is it that Mu Qi is simply tired of me and doesn't want to see me anymore?" As Zhou Rong remained silent, Yun Shuniàn's thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.
Zhou Rong looked at Yun Shuniàn in front of him and was startled.
This paranoid and gloomy demeanor was exactly like Mr. Mu's!