STG 14
Chapter 14: I Have a Friend
Knock, knock, knock!
“Come in.”
Lin Qiye pushed open the door and entered the consultation room.
Sitting on the other side of the desk was a middle-aged male doctor, wearing a white coat and sporting a sparse comb-over—the unmistakable hallmark of wisdom.
Lin Qiye took a seat. The doctor leaned back and asked leisurely:
“So, what seems to be the problem?”
“I don’t have a problem.”
“No problem? Then why are you here?”
“I don’t have a problem, but I have a friend with a very serious mental illness.”
The doctor’s expression turned peculiar. He chuckled and smoothed the few remaining strands of hair on his head.
“This ‘friend’ of yours… wouldn’t happen to be you, would it?”
Lin Qiye answered solemnly, “No, it really is a friend.”
“Alright, then tell me about your—ahem—your friend. What’s the issue? Any specific symptoms?”
Lin Qiye pondered for a moment. “It’s a bit hard to describe…”
The doctor smiled. “Then why don’t you pretend to be this friend and demonstrate for me?”
Lin Qiye gave the doctor a strange look, hesitated, then reluctantly nodded.
Slowly, he rose from his seat.
Under the doctor’s watchful gaze, he walked straight up to him.
Then, he reached out—
Pulled the middle-aged doctor’s head into his chest—
And gently stroked the sparse strands of hair on the man’s scalp with his other hand.
His eyes brimmed with paternal warmth as he whispered tenderly:
“My dear child… Daddy has finally found you!”
Doctor: “…………”
For the next ten minutes, Lin Qiye used every rhetorical technique he’d ever learned to convince the doctor that he wasn’t the one with the problem—barely avoiding being forcibly admitted on the spot.
“So, your friend sees everything as if it were her child?”
“Exactly!”
“And she cried for a long time?”
“Nonstop.”
“Likes sitting in the yard telling stories to vases and chairs?”
“Yep.”
“How’s her sleep?”
“She doesn’t sleep.”
“……”
The doctor frowned. “Your friend is seriously ill! I strongly recommend bringing her here for inpatient treatment.”
“Her situation is… unique. Inpatient care isn’t an option.” Lin Qiye sighed.
Naturally, he couldn’t tell the truth. If he admitted that Nyx, the Goddess of Night, was the patient—and currently residing in a mental hospital inside his head—he’d be handed an admission slip on the spot.
The doctor stroked his chin, then began typing on his keyboard. “If she can’t be hospitalized, then medication is the only option. I’ll prescribe some pills. If her condition doesn’t improve, bring her in immediately.”
Lin Qiye hesitated.
Could real-world medication even reach his mindscape?
He doubted it. And even if it could, mortal medicine might not work on a goddess.
“Doctor, is there any other way besides medication?”
After a moment’s thought, the doctor spoke slowly. “Your friend’s symptoms align with severe delusional disorder. I’ve seen similar cases before—like a man who lost his wife in a car accident. He’d talk to thin air, convinced she was still with him.”
“Such illnesses often stem from trauma. The subconscious rejects reality, creating a false narrative to cope. If you can address the root cause and provide psychological therapy, improvement is possible. But without medication… it’s extremely difficult.”
“Drugs and therapy complement each other. Understand?”
Lin Qiye nodded thoughtfully.
Address the root cause… But he knew nothing about Nyx’s past. Where could he even start?
Looks like he’d need to do some homework.
He accepted the prescription but didn’t head to the pharmacy. If human medicine couldn’t affect a deity, there was no point wasting money.
Besides… those pills were way too expensive!
.
.
.
After leaving the hospital, Lin Qiye boarded the bus home.
The trip hadn’t been wasted—at least he’d found a starting point.
To guide Nyx psychologically, he needed to understand her.
So, he got off at a stop near the Cangnan City Library.
.
.
.
No. 2 High School, front gate.
“Hey, who’s that guy over there?”
“No idea. Probably someone’s parent?”
“I saw him when I got here at 7 AM.”
“Me too. He was wearing sunglasses and a shirt, leaning against the wall with coffee. Looked kinda cool.”
“So why does he look like a homeless man now? His eyes are bloodshot.”
“You think he’s been here all day?”
“No way. It’s almost 10 PM.”
“Who knows? Oh, by the way—did you hear two students were killed on their way home last night?”
“Seriously?!”
“Totally! I heard—”
“……”
On the curb across from the school gates, a lone, despondent figure sat surrounded by cigarette butts, his silhouette under the streetlamp radiating misery.
Zhao Kongcheng flicked ash off his cigarette, utterly baffled.
Where had he gone wrong?
He’d staked out the school since 6 AM. By now, the sun had baked his brain into mush—and he still hadn’t spotted that kid.
He’d sworn it was a No. 2 High uniform last night!
Had the brat anticipated this and skipped school?!
Damn it… His butt was numb.
Gritting his teeth, Zhao Kongcheng pushed himself up, discreetly dusting off his pants before stretching his stiff limbs.
Just then—
His peripheral vision caught a familiar figure strolling down the opposite sidewalk, carrying a stack of books.
That build… looked awfully similar…
Wait—
HOLY SHIT!
Whoosh—!
Without hesitation, Zhao Kongcheng sprinted toward the boy like a man possessed, eyes bloodshot and face twisted in fury!
But when he closed within 20 meters, the boy suddenly jolted—and bolted!
The two tore down the street in a frantic chase!
Lin Qiye wanted to slap himself. Of all the routes home, why had he picked this one?!
Now, after ghosting this guy yesterday, he was being hunted down!
Though fast, Lin Qiye was no match for Zhao Kongcheng. Within seconds, a hand clamped onto his shoulder like a vice.
Zhao Kongcheng smirked coldly.
“Well, well… Fancy meeting you here, kid.”
Lin Qiye turned stiffly, tilting his head in feigned confusion:
“Who… are you?”
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