Ji Youyou finished her portion but wanted more.
Li Xu shook his head. "That's enough for today. Your digestive system is extrely fragile from long-term laxative use. Eating a large amount suddenly would be too much for it."
Seeing her disappointed expression, he added, "When you get ho, you must rember: for the first three days, only eat one small bowl per day. You can slowly increase the amount after your body has adjusted. Co back for a follow-up in one week."
"Okay."
Ji Youyou quickly composed herself.
Li Xu sold her a kilogram of the special rice.
It cost 100,000 yuan.
It was enough to last her a week.
Ji Youyou slowly stood up, her movents a little lighter than when she had arrived.
She put her mask and sunglasses back on. Before leaving, she turned and asked, "Dr. Li, this rice... why is it so special?"
Li Xu smiled. "You can think of it as a type of miraculous Chinese dicine."
Ji Youyou nodded, a long-absent glimr of light flashing in her eyes.
Song Sisi was leaning against the window. It wasn't until Ji Youyou's figure disappeared around the street corner that she realized, "Oh no! Shoot, I forgot to ask for her autograph."
Li Xu said, "You can ask her when she cos back for her follow-up."
Song Sisi nodded. "Boss, you have to rember for then."
...
Ji Youyou took a flight back to the Capital City that sa day.
As she walked into her villa, she paused for a mont, suddenly realizing that she hadn't collapsed onto the sofa the mont she got ho like she usually did.
Her legs no longer felt as heavy as lead, and a long-forgotten warmth spread through her stomach instead of the usual searing pain.
She gently touched her abdon. She could feel the outline of her ribs through her sweater, but the emptiness brought on by hunger seed to have lessened slightly.
Walking to the mirror, Ji Youyou took off her mask and hat. Her reflection was still haggard.
But there seed to be a spark of light in her eyes—sothing she hadn't seen in a very long ti.
She poured herself a glass of water, sat on the sofa, and took out her phone. She unlocked the screen and opened Weibo—an account she hadn't updated in over a year.
The red notification dots for her private ssages and comnts made her finger pause: 999 .
The latest comnt was from a fan nad "Youyou My Heart":
[Sister Youyou, today is the 398th day since you disappeared. We all miss you so much. We hope you're safe and healthy.]
Ji Youyou's fingertip hovered over the screen for a long ti before she finally continued scrolling down. There were countless similar ssages:
[When are you coming back, Youyou?]
[Are you still releasing a new album?]
[I heard you were sick, is that true?]... A comnt posted three hours ago caught her attention: [I think I saw Youyou at the airport today! She was wearing a mask, but there's no way I'd mistake those eyes!]
There were already hundreds of replies under this comnt, with fans excitedly discussing all the possibilities.
Ji Youyou took a deep breath, tapped the reply box, and typed on the virtual keyboard:
[Thank you all for your concern. I'm currently recuperating, and I'll be back to singing once I'm in better shape. Love you all.]
The mont she hit send, her heart raced as if she had just made a monuntal decision.
In less than five minutes, her phone began to vibrate wildly, the notification bar flooded with likes and comnts.
[Oh my god! It's really her!]
[Youyou replied to !]
[You're finally back!]
[You have to take care of yourself!]... The fans' enthusiasm flooded in like a tidal wave.
Ji Youyou sat on the sofa, clutching her phone as tears stread down her face.
She never imagined that after being gone for so long, so many people still rembered and cared about her.
Two hours later, the hashtag #JiYouyouToMakeCobackAfterOneYearDisappearance# had already shot up to ninth place on the trending list.
...
"Director Shi, quick, look at the trending list!"
In the Capital City, an intern from the "Appointnt Today" production team nad Xiao Lin burst into the conference room, holding up his phone.
The director, Shi Zhuo, was discussing next week's guest list with the host, Lu Yu. He looked up at the commotion. "What is it? Did another celebrity get divorced?"
"No! It's Ji Youyou! She just replied to a fan on Weibo and said she's making a coback!"
Xiao Lin excitedly handed him the phone. "Haven't we always been trying to get her on the show?"
Shi Zhuo's eyes lit up. He took the phone and quickly scanned the trending topic.
He was a middle-aged man in his early forties with slightly thinning hair, but his eyes glinted with a shrewd light.
"Lu Yu, what do you think?"
Lu Yu, dressed in a sharp suit with her mocha-colored bob parted to the side, nodded and said, "Ji Youyou is an excellent choice. She's been gone for over a year and is suddenly announcing a coback. The audience will definitely be curious about what happened to her during this ti."
"And her anorexia," Shi Zhuo said, tapping his temple, "is a hot topic. Our show needs guests who are famous and have a story to tell."
Lu Yu sounded concerned. "But will she accept the invitation? Even when she was healthy, she rarely appeared on variety shows..."
"How will we know if we don't try?" Shi Zhuo had already picked up his office phone. "Xiao Lin, contact Ji Youyou's agent for . Tell them 'Appointnt Today' wants to invite her for an exclusive interview."
After hanging up, Shi Zhuo turned to Lu Yu. "If she agrees, you'll be in charge of this episode. We're going to do sothing different—not just Ji Youyou on stage, but the real Ji Youyou in her daily life."
Lu Yu had interviewed many celebrities and was a seasoned pro. "Leave it to . I can definitely get her to open up emotionally..."
"The ratings will be through the roof!" Shi Zhuo exclaid, slapping the table. "It's settled then!"
...
Ji Youyou stared at the email on her computer screen. It was an invitation from the production team of "Appointnt Today."
"Appointnt Today" was an in-depth talk show that featured interviews with celebrities, showcasing their work and daily lives.
Their invitation was sincere and professional, promising to respect her privacy and health condition, and to only show what she wanted to share.
'Maybe... this is an opportunity for my coback.'
Ji Youyou was tempted.
The doorbell suddenly rang, interrupting her thoughts.
Through the peephole, she saw the familiar face of her older brother, Ji Feng—his brow was furrowed and the corners of his mouth were turned down, a clear sign he was in a bad mood.
"Youyou, open the door!" Ji Feng's voice ca through the door, carrying a commanding tone that brooked no refusal.
Ji Youyou took a deep breath and opened the door.
Ji Feng strode in, impeccably dressed in a suit and emanating the scent of expensive cologne.
He was half a head taller than Ji Youyou, with broad shoulders that made him look like a wall.
"Are you insane?" Ji Feng demanded, shoving his phone screen in her face. "Suddenly posting on Weibo about a coback? Why didn't you discuss it with first?"
Ji Youyou took a step back, wringing her hands. "I... I just replied to a fan..."
"Do you have any idea what a commotion this one post has caused?" Ji Feng paced back and forth in the living room. "The company's phones have been ringing off the hook! The dia is speculating whether you're releasing a new album or holding a concert—do you even have the stamina for that?"
Ji Youyou lowered her head, staring at her own bony fingers. "I went to see a traditional Chinese dicine doctor. I feel much better..."
"A traditional Chinese dicine doctor?" Ji Feng scoffed. "You still believe in those quacks? Proper hospitals couldn't cure your anorexia, and you think a few doses of Chinese dicine will solve it?"
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