Chapter 86

Shen Mingzhang was in his hotel room helping the screenwriter revise the script’s psychological aspects when there were sudden knocks on the door.

As soon as he opened it, he saw Jiang Chen standing there.

Jiang Chen’s face was dark with worry. Shen Mingzhang frowned and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Chen entered the room and waited for Shen Mingzhang to close the door. After making sure they were alone, he asked with difficulty, “Has Youyou ever had depression?”

Shen Mingzhang was surprised by the question.

He walked over to the table and slowly poured Jiang Chen a glass of water. “Who told you that?”

Jiang Chen didn’t answer, staring at Shen Mingzhang, waiting for confirmation.

Shen Mingzhang placed the water on the coffee table and said, “That’s her privacy. I have no right to reveal it to anyone.”

“I’m her husband!” Jiang Chen said heavily, his breath becoming uneven.

Shen Mingzhang’s silence confirmed Jiang Chen’s suspicion. If Shen Mingyou had never had depression, Shen Mingzhang would have denied it immediately. But he didn’t. This meant it was true, and as her husband of five years, Jiang Chen knew nothing about it.

Shen Mingzhang sighed. “It was Youyou’s decision. She didn’t want to tell anyone about her illness.”

“But her depression has been treated,” Shen Mingzhang added. “She’s living a positive, happy life now. As long as the depression doesn’t come back, she’ll be fine. Of course, her job in the entertainment industry means that every little thing is magnified. She’s passionate about acting, and sometimes, when she gets into a role, it’s hard for her to come out of it. We just need to be mindful of that, and there won’t be any big issues.”

Shen Mingzhang had initially disagreed with Shen Mingyou’s return to acting. Although her depression had been treated, the entertainment world was stressful and not good for her mental health. However, Shen Mingyou insisted on coming back, so he had no choice but to support her.

Luckily, after Shen Mingyou joined the show “Super Mom” with Nian Nian, they gained lots of fans. Both Shen Mingyou and Nian Nian became happier and more positive.

“Every time I went home, Youyou acted normal. She smiled, played with Nian Nian, and nothing seemed off at all!” Jiang Chen still found it hard to believe. She seemed perfectly fine whenever they spoke or met.

Shen Mingzhang shook his head. “Some people with depression can appear completely normal to others, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t suffering.”

“Why did she get depressed? Is she fully recovered? You mentioned a relapse—what’s the chance it could happen again?” Jiang Chen had so many questions. No wonder Shen Mingzhang had told him yesterday to pay more attention to Shen Mingyou’s mental health. At the time, Jiang Chen thought it was just common advice for actors, but now he understood the deeper meaning behind it.

Shen Mingzhang hesitated to answer.

Jiang Chen pressed him, “As a doctor, you don’t want to reveal a patient’s information, but right now, you’re her brother. I’m family too, and I need to understand. I’m going to find out eventually.”

“What’s the point of knowing?”

“It’s better than being in the dark.”

After a moment of silence, Shen Mingzhang finally said, “It started when Nian Nian was about two years old. She wasn’t speaking, and her behavior was different from other children her age. Mingyou thought Nian Nian might be autistic. She was under immense stress, taking Nian Nian to specialists and psychological clinics. But Nian Nian was too young for a clear diagnosis. It wasn’t until Mingyou brought Nian Nian to our hospital that I realized something was wrong with her. After an evaluation, we found out she had been dealing with depression for a while.”

Shen Mingzhang looked at Jiang Chen and said softly, “At that time, Nian Nian was everything to Mingyou. If something had happened to Nian Nian, it would have been too much for her.”

Jiang Chen felt his heart tighten, making it hard to breathe.

He recalled a phone call from Shen Mingyou when she told him that Nian Nian wasn’t speaking yet and she was worried. How had he responded?

Jiang Chen himself hadn’t spoken until he was three. He had arrogantly assumed Nian Nian was like him—special—and would be considered a genius later. He didn’t think it was a big deal that she wasn’t speaking at two. He had calmly told Shen Mingyou at the time, “It’s okay. She’ll start talking when she’s ready.”

He never imagined that such a casual statement could hurt Shen Mingyou, making her think he didn’t care about Nian Nian.

While she was anxious and desperate for support, he had dismissed her concerns with a single sentence. At that moment, she must have been so disappointed in him.

After Shen Mingzhang explained depression and the chances of relapse to Jiang Chen from a professional perspective, the room became very quiet, and no one spoke for a long time.

Shen Mingzhang knew that Jiang Chen needed time to process it, so after a while, he finally spoke: “Do you remember the wish Nian Nian made in the last episode of ‘Super Mom’?”

Jiang Chen’s thoughts drifted back to the final day of Nian Nian’s recording of the show. Nian Nian was taken by the director to a small interview room, where each child was asked what their wish was.

Nian Nian had said, “Nian Nian hopes that mom will always be happy.”

At the time, Nian Nian looked like a little angel, with bright, clear eyes expressing her simple and pure wish.

“Nian Nian said she hopes her mother will always be happy,” Shen Mingzhang sighed, his voice shifting. “Nian Nian’s wish wasn’t random. Even though she’s young, she’s a very sensitive child. She could feel that her mother wasn’t happy before, so her wish was for her mom to always be happy in the future.”

Even though Shen Mingyou tried hard to act normal in front of Nian Nian, Nian Nian was with her all the time. No matter how much Shen Mingyou tried to hide her feelings, her emotions would show. And Nian Nian, being sensitive, could tell when her mother was unhappy.

After sensing this, Shen Mingyou’s emotions would affect Nian Nian. Nian Nian used to be very quiet, sitting by herself and playing alone. Everyone thought she was just a quiet child, but it was likely influenced by Shen Mingyou’s own mood. Now that Nian Nian is getting love from both parents and feels her mother’s happiness, she has gradually become more cheerful.

After Shen Mingzhang finished speaking, Jiang Chen stood there, feeling down, not moving for a long time.

After leaving the hotel, Jiang Chen didn’t head straight to the airport. He drove back to the set where Shen Mingyou was filming, but he parked outside and sat there for a long time without getting out.

**

On the plane back to City A, Jiang Chen had a long dream.

He dreamed that Shen Mingyou returned to China and re-entered the entertainment industry. She took Nian Nian to a baby-raising variety show called “Super Mom.”

But in the show, Shen Mingyou’s depression, which had been cured, suddenly came back. Nian Nian didn’t talk much, and many people online said she looked like a child with autism. After Shen Mingyou read those comments, to prove that Nian Nian wasn’t autistic, she pressured the quiet Nian Nian to be more lively and talk more in front of the camera. But under her mother’s pressure, Nian Nian became even quieter, her behavior changed, and her reactions slowed. Seeing Nian Nian like this, Shen Mingyou became even more upset, falling into a vicious cycle…

The mother and daughter’s behavior on the show brought a lot of drama and attention to “Super Mom.” Everyone criticized Shen Mingyou, and many even targeted Nian Nian, as if they had done something terrible. Countless people online poured hate towards them. After seeing all those nasty comments, Shen Mingyou’s condition worsened. On the show, she completely lost control. She began yelling at her daughter and, at one point, even tried to hit Nian Nian.

Just when Shen Mingyou was about to act, Nian Nian, who had been silent throughout the show, refusing to look at anyone, finally looked up at her mother with fear, terror, and hurt in her eyes. At that moment, Shen Mingyou suddenly realized what she was doing.

After realizing what she had done, Shen Mingyou completely broke down. She loved Nian Nian so much, and Nian Nian was everything to her. She would never hurt Nian Nian, not even if it meant hurting herself.

But on that show, she had hurt her precious daughter. She couldn’t forgive herself, let alone face Nian Nian.

Soon after, Shen Mingyou withdrew from “Super Mom” with Nian Nian. She contacted Jiang Chen and formally filed for divorce.

At that time, Jiang Chen’s business merger abroad had just been a success. Those were his busiest days. Before that, Shen Mingyou had mentioned taking Nian Nian on a variety show. Jiang Chen had replied that as long as Nian Nian wanted to, he had no objection. After the call, he returned to work and didn’t follow up on the matter.

The next time he heard from Shen Mingyou, it was a notice about the divorce.