That night, Lu Yanbei was well-behaved when he went to sleep.
He held Su He from behind, unusually not pulling her into any strenuous activity.
This made Su He, who was accustomed to being taken advantage of, suddenly feel unaccustomed to it.
"Pah, pah, I'm not a masochist!" Su He thought to herself as she turned onto her side, slowly sinking into sleep.
If it were just once or twice, Su He might not have paid it much mind. But for a long time afterward, Lu Yanbei simply held her while they slept, which was a bit abnormal.
Su He couldn't help but reflect, could it be the seven-year itch?
Or, was her charm fading?
Or, had Lu Yanbei's soul been ensnared by some vixen outside?
Su He shook her head, discarding these hypotheses.
Whether Lu Yanbei loved her or not, she knew it in her heart. Because even without intimacy, his care for her hadn't diminished, and had even become more considerate and attentive than before.
He was also the type to never cheat.
Su He was very sure of this.
But why had he suddenly become so unenthusiastic? Su He couldn't figure it out.
Su He picked up her paintbrush, and since she couldn't understand it, she decided not to dwell on it.
Just then, Lu Yanbei's call came in, informing her that he had a business engagement that evening.
Su He lazily responded, "Then I won't wait for you for dinner."
"Mm, get some rest early if you're tired," Lu Yanbei replied.
"Okay," Su He didn't ask further questions, just as she normally would, only reminding him to drink less alcohol.
After hanging up, Su He sat in front of the canvas and spaced out for a while, suddenly losing her enthusiasm. She walked out of the studio, paced around the living room for a bit, and then, on a whim, grabbed her phone and left.
Lu Yanbei had been acting strangely lately, and she was a little worried. She wanted to confirm if Lu Yanbei had been lying to her.
Su He didn't drive, but called for a ride-sharing service. After giving the address, she began to contact Lu Yanbei's secretary, Cheng Jue. Cheng Jue replied quickly.
"Mr. Lu is still in a meeting."
"Are you having a business engagement tonight?" Su He asked again.
Cheng Jue replied, "Yes."
"Do you know which hotel?"
Cheng Jue clearly hesitated. "This... Mr. Lu didn't say... it should be a private gathering."
For ordinary business engagements, Lu Yanbei would usually bring him along.
Su He had some idea now. "Thank you for your trouble."
After that, Su He didn't bother him further. Upon arriving at the company entrance, after paying the taxi fare, Su He didn't go in. Instead, she sat down in a milk tea shop across the street.
"Miss, your green tea milkshake is ready," the salesperson said, handing her the packed milk tea.
Su He inserted the straw and took small sips, her eyes fixed on the opposite building, not daring to slack off for even a moment.
Ten minutes later, a familiar car caught her eye.
Su He immediately pulled open the glass door and walked out, hailing a taxi by the roadside. "Driver, follow that Bentley ahead."
The taxi driver gave her a suspicious look. "What's this about?"
Su He directly threw him two bills, gesturing for him to keep quiet.
The driver nodded, a look of understanding on his face.
Half an hour later, Lu Yanbei's Bentley turned into a private clinic.
Su He paid the taxi fare and quietly followed.
"A clinic? Is he feeling unwell?" Su He muttered to herself, and hurriedly followed into the building.
The clinic wasn't large, nor did it look particularly upscale. It was even a bit dilapidated. There was no elevator, and the corridors were worn down, filled with clutter. Su He could hardly imagine a big boss like Lu Yanbei coming to such a dingy place.
Su He didn't notice a cardboard box in the corridor and almost tripped.
On the third floor, a strange male voice emanated from a room. "Your condition, I'm truly powerless to help. From all the data, you appear no different from a normal person."
"But my condition lately has been very bad, as if I've returned to that year. Insomnia, anxiety, nervousness... and even a faint tendency towards violence."
The second voice was very familiar to Su He; it was Lu Yanbei's.
He really was sick!
Su He squatted in the corridor outside, eavesdropping.
"Are you taking the medicine I prescribed?"
"Occasionally."
"Why did you stop?"
"My condition was good before, with almost no symptoms, so I stopped for a while."
Lu Yanbei's voice sounded a bit tired.
The other person was silent for a moment and then said, "A new medication has come out recently, which should be much more effective. However, taking too much medicine isn't good either. Psychological counseling is still the primary approach."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "Is it work pressure that's too much?"
"No," Lu Yanbei's answer was firm. "I can handle work matters."
"Then it must be... emotional? Right, I heard you got married, is that true? You... aren't you waiting for that girl anymore?"
Hearing this, Su He immediately pricked up her ears and held her breath.
Mentioning his beloved, Lu Yanbei's tense emotions involuntarily relaxed. "My wife is my first love."
"Really? Congratulations!" the other person said with a smile.
"Thank you."
"Now that the root cause has been found, your condition should have improved, so why is it getting worse?" Returning to the topic, they began discussing his illness again.
Lu Yanbei clutched his head in pain. "If I knew the reason, I wouldn't be here seeing you."
"How is your wife... towards you?"
"Very good."
"Then what more could you be unsatisfied with?"
"Perhaps because I lost her and then found her again, I've been so careful, afraid of losing her again..."
"Every time I learn she's in danger, my emotions spiral out of control..."
"When I see her smiling at another man, I want to beat them up..."
Lu Yanbei had never told Su He these words.
Su He was overcome with mixed emotions.
He kept everything to himself, silently bearing everything.
Su He covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound, but tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
How could she be so careless!
He was sick, and she hadn't even noticed!
She was truly an incompetent wife!
From inside the room, a hearty laugh suddenly erupted. "Lu Yanbei, this is what you consider uncontrollable? Hahahaha... that's too funny!"
"Oh, my stomach!"
Lu Yanbei looked up, confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, how can someone as smart as you be so obtuse about these things! Truly, heaven is fair! It gave you a brilliant mind but made you so dull in matters of the heart!"
"The reason you have such extreme emotional swings is because you care about her! This is only natural! Anyone else would get angry in such a situation!"
"You're jealous!"
"Isn't it natural for you to worry about your wife and fear her getting hurt?"
"Don't attribute everything to illness! I think you're perfectly fine!"
"I... I'm really not sick?" Lu Yanbei asked uncertainly.
"Go on, go on, don't waste my precious time here! My daughter is waiting for me to go back and celebrate her birthday!" The other person seemed to impatiently usher him out.
Lu Yanbei: ...