Chapter 127: Loss of Voice

Stepping out of the café, Jiang Yao silently pulled out the voice recorder she had been keeping in her pocket.

Ye Yiyi grinned. "That’s great! As long as we release this, the truth will come to light. Ah Yao, what are you waiting for? Send it out!"

"No," Jiang Yao said after a moment of thought, refusing.

"Why?" Ye Yiyi asked, puzzled. "Oh, are you worried that your post won't have enough reach? Then give it to He Yunqing's manager. That way, He Yunqing's reputation can be completely cleared."

Jiang Yao’s grip on the recorder tightened. "Have you thought about what might happen to Feng Xiao if we release this recording?"

Ye Yiyi shook her head; she hadn't considered that.

"Let’s wait until we’ve brought down Luo Yixian before we decide to release the recording."

"But, He Yunqing..."

"That’s why we need to move quickly—not just for He Yunqing, but for you, and for all the girls he has deceived and controlled." Jiang Yao gently squeezed Ye Yiyi's hand.

Ye Yiyi nodded, then suddenly began to retch.

"What’s wrong?"

Ye Yiyi shook her head and pointed to her stomach. "It’s probably because of this."

Jiang Yao said solemnly, "Yiyi, at this point, I have to remind you that you must think carefully: do you really want to keep the baby?"

Ye Yiyi fell silent. She looked down at her still-flat abdomen. "Let’s... let’s go to the hospital and ask the doctor first, shall we?"

The two went to the hospital together. Jiang Yao accompanied Ye Yiyi through the examinations, and in the end, Ye Yiyi decided not to keep the baby and scheduled an appointment for the procedure.

As they walked out of the OB-GYN department, they ran into He Yunqing and his manager, Sister Cai. He Yunqing looked at Jiang Yao, then at the department sign, and nodded at them with a look of realization.

Jiang Yao panicked. Ye Yiyi’s pregnancy was a secret. If news of the actress Ye Yiyi being pregnant out of wedlock hit the press, it would be front-page news by tomorrow morning. Even though the only people who knew were He Yunqing and Sister Cai, Jiang Yao couldn't afford to be careless.

Jiang Yao’s panic was misinterpreted by He Yunqing. He thought she was pregnant, but didn’t want him to know.

Jiang Yao looked at the other three and pulled He Yunqing aside. "Our visit to the OB-GYN is a secret. Please, don't tell anyone, okay?"

He Yunqing’s gaze rested faintly on Jiang Yao’s abdomen. A hint of bitterness touched his lips. He had so much he wanted to ask her, but in the end, he said nothing, only looking at her with those deep eyes.

Sister Cai, who had sharp ears, stood by and shook her head helplessly. "Even if he wanted to tell anyone, he couldn't."

"Why?" Jiang Yao asked, confused. Then, she realized: they were at the hospital—why were He Yunqing and Sister Cai here? "Are you not feeling well?" she asked with concern.

Sister Cai stepped forward and gestured toward He Yunqing’s mouth. "He’s lost his voice."

"What? Lost his virginity?!" Jiang Yao and Ye Yiyi exclaimed in unison, eyes wide.

Sister Cai glared at them and made a shushing gesture. "Hush... was I not speaking clearly? He lost his *voice*, not his virginity." She pointed to He Yunqing. "He hasn't been able to speak since this afternoon. We just saw the doctor and had a full check-up, but they couldn't find any physical cause. The doctor suspects it’s psychogenic aphonia caused by excessive mental stress. All his performances and business activities have to be suspended."

"However," Sister Cai added after a thought, "even if he were perfectly fine, all his activities would have been suspended anyway." After all, the news about He Yunqing sexually harassing an actress was still trending. All of his work had already been completely halted.

"Then... how should he be treated?" Jiang Yao looked at He Yunqing, full of concern.

"The doctor said the voice could return as suddenly as it was lost; it's hard to say. Domestic treatment options for this are limited, so they’ve recommended a specialist abroad. I’m currently making arrangements to take him overseas for a period of recovery."

Jiang Yao nodded. "A rest might be for the best." At this critical juncture, leaving the country to avoid the storm might not be a bad thing. She hoped that by the time He Yunqing’s voice fully recovered, she would have managed to resolve the matters at home.

Just then, Sister Cai’s phone rang, and she walked away to take the call. Ye Yiyi went to the pharmacy to pick up her medication. Jiang Yao and He Yunqing were left sitting side-by-side on a bench in the hallway.

He Yunqing looked down, pulled out his phone, and his fingers danced rapidly across the screen, typing a line. Jiang Yao leaned in to look.

"Are you okay?"

Mentioning her health made Jiang Yao think of her own brain condition. She pulled the corners of her mouth into a smile. "I'm fine, really fine. You, on the other hand, need to cooperate with the doctors, get well, and come back soon. Don't make me wait too long, I'm afraid..."

She was afraid that her illness would take her life too quickly. She was afraid she would never see him again.

"Afraid of what?" He Yunqing typed.

Jiang Yao pursed her lips and changed the subject. "Afraid that I won't be able to hear you sing anymore, of course! Your voice is so beautiful. When you come back, you’ll have to continue holding concerts. This time, I’ll definitely go to listen—as a friend."

He Yunqing’s dark eyes dimmed. His gaze fell once more on Jiang Yao’s abdomen.

"I will be back before the baby is born."

"Huh?" Jiang Yao was stunned for a moment, then shook her head. "You absolutely cannot tell anyone about the baby. And... I’m not keeping it."

He Yunqing’s expression tightened. "You aren't planning on letting Cheng Yanchi know, either?"

"Cheng Yanchi..." Jiang Yao tilted her head, thinking. Although she, Cheng Yanchi, and Ye Yiyi had been close friends for years, was it really necessary to tell him something like this? "Better not tell him. Even if I did, it would only make him unhappy."

To He Yunqing, these words carried a different meaning. The man’s face turned icy—colder than when he realized he couldn't speak.

"What’s wrong with you?" Jiang Yao was baffled as she watched his expression darken. They were having a perfectly normal conversation; why was he suddenly angry?

"I'll go find him for you!"

He Yunqing, whose tone was usually calm, had added an exclamation mark to the end of his sentence. It was clear he was truly angry.

Jiang Yao immediately grabbed his arm. "Why would you find him? You can't find him—he’s abroad right now!"