Knock knock knock!
"Come in."
Lin Qiye pushed open the door and stepped into the consultation room.
Seated at the desk was a middle-aged man in a white coat, his thinning hair forming a Mediterranean halo that seemed to proclaim a kind of intellectual authority.
Lin Qiye sat down in the chair. The doctor looked at him slowly and asked,
"Well then, tell me—what seems to be the problem?"
"There's nothing wrong with me."
"No? Then what brings you here?"
"I'm fine. But... I have a friend. She's suffering from a severe mental illness."
The doctor raised an eyebrow and looked at Lin Qiye with a curious smile, brushing the few lonely strands on his head into place.
"This friend you speak of—are you sure it's not just you?"
Lin Qiye answered with a serious expression, "No. It truly is a friend."
"All right. Then tell me—what's wrong with... your friend? What symptoms is she showing?"
Lin Qiye hesitated for a moment. "It's a bit hard to explain..."
The doctor chuckled. "Then why don't you act it out for me? Pretend you are your friend, and show me."
Lin Qiye gave him a few odd looks, visibly struggling with the idea. But eventually, he sighed and nodded.
He rose from his seat,
And under the doctor's watchful gaze, walked slowly to stand before him.
Then he extended his arms,
And pulled the doctor's head gently into his chest.
With his other hand, he softly caressed the few remaining hairs on the man's scalp,
His gaze full of tenderness,
As he whispered:
"My dearest child... your father has finally found you."
Doctor: "..."
For the next ten minutes, Lin Qiye used every persuasive skill he had, arguing with the eloquence of a seasoned debater, to convince the doctor that he truly wasn't the one suffering from a mental disorder—thus narrowly escaping involuntary admission.
"So, your friend sees everyone as if they were her child?"
"Yes."
"And she cries often?"
"She cries all the time."
"She enjoys sitting in the yard, telling stories to flower vases and stools?"
"Exactly."
"How is her sleep?"
"She doesn't sleep at all."
"..."
The doctor frowned. "Your friend's condition is quite serious. I strongly recommend bringing her to our hospital for inpatient care."
"Her case is... rather unique. Hospitalization isn't an option," Lin Qiye replied helplessly.
Of course, he couldn't reveal the truth—that the so-called patient was the goddess of night, Nyx, residing in the mental asylum of his own mind. If he did, he'd be the one locked away.
The doctor mulled it over, fingers tapping on the keyboard. "If hospitalization is off the table, we'll have to rely on medication. I'll prescribe a few treatments. Have her take them. If there's no improvement, you must bring her in."
Lin Qiye looked troubled.
Can medicine from the real world even be brought into one's own mind?
He wasn't sure. But even if it could, what use would mortal medicine be to a divine being?
"Doctor, is there any other way to treat her besides medication?"
The doctor fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly:
"Your friend appears to be suffering from a severe delusional disorder. I've seen cases like this before. There was once a man who deeply loved his wife. She died in a car accident. Afterward, he would often speak to thin air, imagining she was still with him."
"This kind of illness often stems from profound emotional trauma. Subconsciously, the patient refuses to accept reality, crafting a comforting illusion in which their loved one still exists."
"If we can trace the root cause and offer psychological intervention, recovery is possible—but without pharmaceutical support, it's incredibly difficult."
"Medication and therapy go hand in hand. Do you understand what I mean?"
Lin Qiye nodded thoughtfully.
So, he'd need to start from the source of the illness... but he knew nothing about Nyx's past. He had no way in.
It seemed there was much more preparation to be done.
Taking the prescription from the doctor, Lin Qiye chose not to head to the pharmacy. Since the medicine likely wouldn't help a deity living in his mind, there was no reason to waste the money.
Besides... the medicine was outrageously expensive.
Leaving the psychiatric hospital, Lin Qiye boarded the bus home.
The visit had been worth it—it had given him a direction.
To reach Nyx's mind, he had to first understand her heart.
And to do that, he needed to know who she really was.
At the next stop, Lin Qiye stepped off the bus and walked into the Cangnan City Library.
—
Second High School, at the school gate.
"Hey, who's that guy?"
"No idea. Probably someone's dad."
"I saw him this morning, around seven."
"Me too. He was wearing sunglasses, leaning against the wall with a cup of coffee. I actually thought he looked kind of cool."
"Then how come he looks like a beggar now? His eyes are all red."
"You think... he's been waiting there all day?"
"No way. It's almost ten now."
"Who knows... Oh right! Did you guys hear? Two students were killed last night after school!"
"For real!?"
"Totally! I heard—"
"..."
On the curb across the street, a man sat alone in silence. Cigarette butts scattered around his feet. Under the streetlight, his slumped figure seemed steeped in sorrow.
Zhao Kongcheng flicked the ashes from his cigarette. No matter how he turned it over in his head, he couldn't figure out where he'd gone wrong.
He had been staking out the school since six in the morning—nearly cooked alive by the sun—and yet hadn't seen even a shadow of that kid.
He was sure he'd seen a Second High School uniform last night.
Could that brat have guessed he'd be lying in wait and simply skipped school?
Damn it... even his butt was going numb from sitting so long.
With a grunt, Zhao Kongcheng pushed himself up from the curb, casually brushing off the dust on his pants and stretching his legs.
Just then, from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a teenager walking slowly across the street—wearing plain clothes, a few books in hand.
The figure... seemed vaguely familiar...
Wait a second?
Zhao Kongcheng squinted and blinked hard.
Holy—!
Whoosh—!
Without another word, he launched himself like a missile toward the boy, eyes red, a wild fury etched across his face!
But just as he closed within twenty meters, the teenager seemed to sense something.
He flinched—and bolted.
The two of them tore down the street in a full-blown chase!
Lin Qiye, in that moment, truly wanted to slap himself. Of all the streets to walk down—why this one!?
Perfect. He'd ditched this guy just yesterday, and now he was coming back for round two!
Though Lin Qiye wasn't slow, he was no match for Zhao Kongcheng, who closed the gap in mere seconds.
Zhao Kongcheng grabbed him by the shoulder with a vice grip, a cold sneer playing on his lips.
"Well, well... we meet again, kid."
Lin Qiye turned his head stiffly, tilting it slightly.
"And you are...?"