Smile Code (Lost Laughter) 失笑 - Zhu Le 祖乐

14

When you cannot get a clear answer to what you want, you leave an "undecided" open-ended conclusion.

Gu Yi didn't expect such a thing to happen around her. The last time something like this shocked her was when the leader of a Korean idol group committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning in a hotel. She often played the music of this group, and she even bought their albums as a casual fan. It was hard for her to accept that the idol, who always conveyed a smile, suddenly decided to end his life. A year later, she still couldn't believe it. Later, she specifically went through his variety shows and researched about "smiling depression" to understand that some people may seem to smile on the outside but are already falling apart on the inside. Just like the letter left by the Korean star to his sister: "I'm in too much pain, let me go."

When she received this phone call, her first reaction was to quickly search for the hotel name and check-in information. The fact that Gu Yi could get through to Liang Daiwen meant that she still needed someone to step in at a critical moment. Or perhaps, if she could ask for help, it meant that the determination to die wasn't as strong.

The words "carbon monoxide poisoning" were still too heartbreaking.

Liang Daiwen was the only one informed about the hotel address. On the way, Gu Yi felt uneasy, praying that nothing would happen and that they wouldn't be too late. Meanwhile, Liang Daiwen remained calm, like a statue, even urging the driver with a cold, frightening demeanor, making the driver speed up in a panic. In moments like these, his lack of emotions proved beneficial. In a crisis, he remained calm and even seemed accustomed to it.

Gu Yi couldn't help but ask, "Has she done this before?"

"No, this is the first time."

"Then how can you stay so calm..."

"Why are you asking this? Did you just meet me?"

Even in such a dire moment, Liang Daiwen could still throw sarcastic remarks. Gu Yi didn't want to ask about his earlier act of kindness in the elevator anymore; perhaps his sadness in that moment was just due to the crowded elevator.

How could there be such a person?

Suddenly, Yu Dule sent a WeChat message: "Is this Guan Xingxin?"

The message contained screenshots of chat records and a video. The words "destroying families" and "seduction" and "mistress" on the screen were eye-catching. The screenshots contained WeChat messages, with the terms "baby" and flirtatious emoji typical of love-struck conversations. Guan Xingxin's Weibo posts revealed her pain, torn between love and distance. The final image was the most shocking: the wife of the man had sent Guan Xingxin a message with a photo of her husband's phone: "Your panties are with me."

It was downright scandalous. Gu Yi instinctively became cautious of such one-sided accusations; the media often spins narratives with dramatic reversals, and the first one to seize public attention is not necessarily the victim. She had a rough understanding of the situation: Guan Xingxin had a boyfriend, a music blogger in his thirties. His wife exposed her information, even found her workplace, and caused her public humiliation. Yu Dule continued, "I really didn't expect this girl's story to unfold this way."

Liang Daiwen explained the situation to the hotel front desk. The manager hurriedly took them upstairs. When the room door opened, smoke poured out. Liang Daiwen stopped Gu Yi at the door, covering his nose and mouth as he entered to carry Guan Xingxin out. Calmly, he told the hotel manager, "Sorry, I'll take my friend to the hospital. I'll compensate for the damages later."

Turning to Gu Yi, he said, "I have a business card in my pocket. Could you pass it on for me?"

The manager sighed as he took the card, quickly calling security. Smoke continued to pour out of the room, and Gu Yi, following Liang Daiwen down the corridor, accidentally stepped on her pants and fell flat. Liang Daiwen had already taken the elevator down, and as she turned around, the long, dark red carpet of the corridor seemed like a mute throat.