Chapter 1: A New Face in the Consulting Room
In Dr. Chen's consulting room sat a special patient – Aze, a 20-year-old college student. Clutching the hem of his clothes tightly, he avoided eye contact and mumbled, "Dr. Chen, I… I haven't slept well in half a year. I always feel life is meaningless, but I dare not tell my family…"
Lin Xiao, who had come for her regular follow-up, paused in the waiting area when she heard this. Memories of herself sitting in that very consulting room years ago welled up, bringing a pang of sadness to her heart.
After evaluating Aze, Dr. Chen diagnosed moderate depression and recommended medication combined with psychological counseling, as well as joining the Light Gap support group. But Aze shook his head gently: "I don't want others to know I'm sick – they'll think I'm weird…"
Lin Xiao walked into the room, sat beside Aze voluntarily, and handed him a card with a warm smile: "Hi, I'm Lin Xiao, and I'm also a person in recovery from depression. I used to feel just like you – afraid of being judged. But later I realized that what's truly frightening isn't the illness itself, but shutting yourself away from the world."
She shared her own story with him and pulled out a new edition of The Light Gap Collection: "Look, there are many people like you in here. We've all been lost in darkness, but now we're striving to walk toward the light. Would you like to come with me to the farm? The sunflowers will be blooming soon."
Chapter 2: The Secret Hidden in Headphones
When Aze followed Lin Xiao to the farm, vast fields of sunflowers blazed brightly under the sun. Yet Aze kept his headphones on, isolating himself from the world with music. Instead of pushing him, Lin Xiao handed him a small hoe: "Come on, try planting some seeds. Tell them what's on your mind – they'll keep your secrets safe."
Hesitantly taking the hoe, Aze squatted down and slowly dug into the soil. Lin Xiao sat beside him and said softly: "I used to love wearing headphones too, so I wouldn't have to listen to others or face things that upset me. But Su Yang once told me – headphones can block out sound, but they can't ease the weight in your heart."
The words seemed to strike a chord. Aze paused his movements, and one headphone bud slipped down, revealing faint sounds of arguing from inside. Lin Xiao didn't press further, just patted his shoulder gently: "Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be here. Or you can write to the Light Gap Mailbox."
That night, Lin Xiao received an email from Aze. He wrote about growing up under his parents' high expectations, only to find himself struggling academically in college. His grades plummeted, he was ostracized by roommates, and gradually he withdrew from everyone – stopping conversations, staying indoors, and even starting to self-harm…
Tears pricked at Lin Xiao's eyes as she read. Thinking back to her own days of being laid off and feeling worthless, she replied immediately: "You're not to blame – you just haven't found your pace yet. We're holding a support group activity next week. Come talk to us there; you'll see you're not alone."
Chapter 3: Sunshine in the Headphones
Aze showed up to the activity as promised, still wearing headphones but with the volume turned down low. One by one, participants shared their stories – a young professional struggling with workplace pressure, a retiree trapped in loneliness, a girl feeling insecure about her physical differences…
When it was Aze's turn, he sat in silence for a long while, clutching his clothes before finally speaking up: "I always feel so useless… like I've let my parents down, and let myself down too…" As tears streamed down his face, he pulled off his headphones and set them on the table.
Just then, a familiar melody began playing from the headphones – the theme song Sunflower, from the documentary Year by Year Toward the Sun. Xia Xia smiled and said: "I secretly saved this song on your phone. It helps me get through tough days every time."
Aze froze, then put the headphones back on. Along with the music, he heard voices from the group: "You're amazing, Aze!" "Take it slow – we're with you!" "Let's keep going together!"
Looking up at everyone, he wept harder but slowly broke into a small smile. Lin Xiao handed him a straw hat embroidered with a sunflower – a gift from Grandma: "Whenever you feel weighed down, come see the sunflowers at the farm, or wear this hat. It'll feel like carrying sunshine on your head."
As they left, Aze tucked his headphones into his bag voluntarily. Gazing at the sunflower fields, he said: "Sister Lin, I want to join the support group… and volunteer too. Can I?"
"Of course you can!" Lin Xiao nodded with a smile. "Welcome to Light Gap. From now on, let's pass this warmth on together."