Knock, knock, knock!
"Come in."
Lin Qiye opened the door and walked into the consultation room.
Sitting across the desk was a middle-aged doctor in a white coat, with a sparse ring of hair around his bald crown—a clear symbol of wisdom.
Lin Qiye sat down, and the doctor spoke slowly:
"So, tell me, what seems to be the problem?"
"There's nothing wrong with me."
"If there's nothing wrong with you, why are you here?"
"There's nothing wrong with me, but I have a friend who has severe mental health issues."
Hearing this, the doctor gave Lin Qiye an odd look, brushing back the few hairs on his head with a knowing smile.
"You're not talking about yourself, are you?"
Lin Qiye answered seriously, "No, it's truly a friend."
"Alright, then tell me… I mean, tell me about your friend. What symptoms does he have?"
Lin Qiye hesitated, "This might be a little difficult to describe…"
The doctor chuckled, "Then just imagine you're your friend, and show me exactly what he does."
Lin Qiye looked at the doctor strangely, then nodded reluctantly after a moment of hesitation.
So, Lin Qiye slowly stood up from his chair.
Under the doctor's watchful gaze, he walked right up to him.
He reached out his hand, pulled the middle-aged doctor's head gently into his embrace, and, with his other hand, patted the few remaining hairs on the doctor's head, his eyes full of tenderness as he murmured:
"My dear child, Daddy has finally found you!"
Doctor: "…"
Over the next ten minutes, Lin Qiye passionately explained to the doctor that he wasn't the one with issues, saving himself from an immediate admission to the psychiatric ward.
"So, your friend sees everything as if it were his child?"
"Yes!"
"And he's cried for a long time?"
"He cries all the time."
"He enjoys sitting in the yard, telling stories to vases and chairs?"
"That's right."
"How's his sleep?"
"She doesn't sleep."
"…."
The doctor frowned, "Your friend is in a pretty severe condition! I strongly recommend that you bring her here for inpatient treatment."
"She's in a unique situation and can't be admitted," Lin Qiye replied helplessly.
There was no way he could tell the truth; if he actually said that the Goddess of Night, Nyx, was the patient and she lived in his mind, he'd probably get an admission slip for himself too.
After a moment of consideration, the doctor's hands began typing on his keyboard. "If she can't be admitted, we'll have to rely on medication for now. I'll prescribe some drugs for you to give her, and if her condition doesn't improve, bring her to the hospital."
Lin Qiye felt a bit troubled.
Could real-world medicine even make it into his mind?
And even if it did, he doubted medicine meant for humans would work on a god.
"Doctor, is there any treatment other than medication?"
The doctor pondered for a moment and said, "Your friend's symptoms suggest a severe delusional disorder. I've seen patients like this before—one man deeply loved his wife, who passed away in a car accident. After that, he'd talk to the air as if she was still there."
"This disorder usually stems from severe mental trauma, a subconscious denial of reality that creates the illusion she's still with them."
"If you can address the root cause, some psychological intervention might help, but without medication, it's very, very difficult."
"Medication and therapy work hand-in-hand, understand?"
Lin Qiye nodded thoughtfully.
So he needed to address the root cause… but he knew nothing about Nyx's past, making it hard to start.
It looked like he'd have to do more homework.
Taking the prescription, Lin Qiye decided not to fill it. Medicine meant for his world likely wouldn't affect the deity in his mind.
And… the medicine was way too expensive!
Leaving the psychiatric hospital, Lin Qiye boarded a bus back home.
The trip had been worth it, giving him a potential breakthrough.
If he wanted to help Nyx through psychological intervention, he'd need to learn more about her.
So, Lin Qiye got off at a certain stop and walked into Cangnan City Library.
…
Outside the gates of No. 2 High School.
"Hey, who's that guy?"
"No idea, probably someone's parent."
"I saw him at the gate this morning around seven."
"Me too. He had on sunglasses, a shirt, and was holding a coffee, leaning against the wall. He looked kind of cool then."
"So why does he look like a mess now? His eyes are all red."
"You think he's been here since morning?"
"No way, it's almost ten o'clock now."
"Who knows? Oh, did you hear? Two students got attacked last night on their way home!"
"Real?"
"Of course, it's true. I heard…"
…
Across the street from the school gate, a forlorn figure sat alone on the curb, surrounded by a scattering of cigarette butts. Under the dim streetlight, his silhouette radiated a deep, silent sadness.
Zhao Kongcheng flicked his cigarette, sighing. He couldn't fathom what had gone wrong.
He'd been staking out this spot since six in the morning, enduring the relentless sun until ten at night, but hadn't caught a single glimpse of that kid.
He could've sworn he'd seen him in the No. 2 High School uniform last night!
Could the kid have guessed he'd be waiting for him here and decided not to come?
Damn… He'd been sitting so long, even his backside hurt.
Propping his hands against the ground, Zhao Kongcheng slowly stood up from the curb, nonchalantly dusting off his pants before stretching his stiff limbs.
Just then, something caught his eye—a boy in casual clothes on the other side of the street, leisurely strolling along with a few books in hand…
That figure... looked oddly similar to that kid's.
A bit too similar…
Wait a second!
Zhao Kongcheng blinked hard, his eyes widening.
Damn it!
Whoosh!
Without a second thought, Zhao Kongcheng dashed toward the boy like a gust of wind, his eyes bloodshot and his face twisted in a fierce determination!
But as he got within twenty meters of the boy, the kid seemed to sense something, jolting in surprise before breaking into a run!
And so the two began a wild chase down the street!
Lin Qiye cursed himself inwardly. Of all the roads to take, why did he pick this one!?
Now look what he'd done! He'd skipped their meeting yesterday, and here the guy was, chasing him down!
Lin Qiye was fast, but Zhao Kongcheng was much quicker. Within seconds, Zhao had caught up, grabbing Lin Qiye by the shoulder with a cold, triumphant smirk.
"Well, kid, looks like we meet again!"
Lin Qiye turned his head stiffly, tilting it with a feigned look of confusion.
"Who... are you?"