The Light Gap
Chapter 9: Traces of Light in Words
In her first month at the new job, Lin Xiao gradually found her rhythm. The company had an internal public account, and the editor-in-chief, impressed by her writing skills, invited her to contribute a column.
That night at home, she took out The Light-Sewing Collection—the notebook Su Yang had given her—and touched the new notebook on her bedside. On its cover, she had neatly written two characters: "Light Gap". After days of hesitation, she finally typed the first line in her document: "Have you ever felt like there's a thick layer of dust covering your heart, making it hard even for sunlight to break through..."
In the article, she didn't deliberately dramatize her pain, but calmly shared her experiences: the frustration of being laid off, the struggle of coping with illness alone, her reconciliation with Teacher Zhou, the warmth from family and friends, and the tiny green buds on the plane tree outside her window. She concluded: "Depression is not a beast to be feared, nor a character flaw. It is simply a cold that requires courage to face. When you are willing to gently sweep away the dust in your heart, you will find that sunlight has always been there."
After the article was published, many messages poured into the backend. Some said, "Finally, someone understands how I feel"; others asked, "How can I find the courage to see a doctor"; and some even shared their own recovery stories. Lin Xiao replied to each message carefully. For particularly anxious readers, she would recommend Dr. Chen or share photos of herself working at the farm.
When Su Yang saw the article, he sent her a voice message: "I knew you could pass this light on to more people! By the way, the support group is holding an event next week—want to come with me?"
Chapter 10: Promise in the Sunflower Field
The support group event was held at Grandma's farm. More than a dozen people gathered that day, sitting around the freshly tilled soil. Some brought guitars, others homemade snacks, and the atmosphere was relaxed and warm.
Holding a bag of sunflower seeds, Lin Xiao stood nervously in front of the group: "My name is Lin Xiao. I have moderate depression and am still in treatment..."
As soon as she finished speaking, someone started clapping, and soon more people joined in. A smile appeared on one person's face as they said, "Welcome! We're all the same, and we're all getting better little by little."
Everyone pitched in to plant the sunflowers—some dug holes, some sowed seeds, some watered the soil. Grandma sat nearby weaving a straw hat: "As long as you take good care of these seeds, they'll bloom into a sea of golden flowers in autumn. It's the same with people—when you have hope in your heart, you'll never fear the dark times."
Lin Xiao carefully buried the seeds she had brought into the soil. As her fingertips touched the soft earth, she thought back to her first visit to the farm. Back then, even looking up at the sun felt harsh on her eyes; now, she was here with like-minded people, planting seeds full of hope.
Before the event ended, everyone made a promise: when the sunflowers bloomed, they would hold a "Light Gap Sharing Session" here and invite more people to listen to their stories. Lin Xiao also suggested compiling everyone's experiences into a booklet, to be called The Light Gap Collection—sharing the same name as Su Yang's notebook, but holding the light of many more people.
On her way home, Lin Xiao saw that the plane tree had grown leaves as big as palm fronds. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, weaving patches of light on the ground. She touched the straw hat in her bag—Grandma had given it to her, and a small sunflower was embroidered on the brim.
(End of Season 1)