# 306
Chapter 306 – I Miss Her
“An unconventional method?”
“Using something like a Forbidden Ruin or a forbidden artifact to separate the two without harming the soul,” Doctor Li said, pushing up his glasses. “Of course, I don’t know the specifics. I’ve never encountered a patient like this—it’s all theory.”
“All right.” Lin Qiye sighed.
He had already thought of peeling the two souls from one body and turning them into independent individuals, but a method that could do so without damage wasn’t common. Only a handful of special Forbidden Ruins or forbidden artifacts could manage it, and forbidden artifacts couldn’t be brought into the Asylum of the Gods…
Curing Bragi and Idun was destined to be a long and difficult road.
“Still, since the two souls aren’t rejecting each other, leaving them together for the short term should be fine,” Doctor Li added. “But we have to watch their mental state. When two souls share one body for a long time, they exert subtle psychological pressure on each other. Timely relief is essential. Ideally, they learn to accept one another and prevent any mental rejection.”
Lin Qiye’s brows knit slightly; he nodded as if he half-understood.
Truthfully, he didn’t grasp much of what Doctor Li was saying, and he had no idea how to “relieve” the pressure. He was only a half-baked doctor; he couldn’t match Doctor Li’s professionalism.
Seeing Lin Qiye’s expression, Doctor Li’s mouth curved upward. “Your case is extremely rare and rather tricky. I don’t recommend diving too deep… But if you’re really interested in psychiatric research, I can give you my notes. They hold everything I’ve learned over the years—it should help.”
Lin Qiye’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Doctor Li.”
Who was Doctor Li? The finest psychiatrist in all of Great Xia. To a novice like Lin Qiye, those notes were priceless. If he could master them, handling the patients in the asylum would be much easier.
After chatting a while longer, Lin Qiye returned to his room. A quarter of an hour later, an orderly walked in carrying a stack of notebooks nearly as tall as a man.
“Doctor Li asked me to bring these.” The orderly set them down with a heavy thud.
Lin Qiye stared at the pile. “This many?”
“Many? This is only a tenth. He was afraid your room couldn’t hold the rest, so he sent this portion first.” The orderly looked at him as if he were hopelessly naive.
Lin Qiye: …
No wonder Doctor Li had become Great Xia’s top psychiatrist at such a young age—this level of diligence wasn’t ordinary. He wondered if that thick, dense hair was even real…
Lin Qiye pulled out a chair and sat, staring at the mountain of notebooks.
He couldn’t take them with him when he escaped, yet digesting them all would take forever, and they couldn’t be brought into the Asylum of the Gods…
After a moment’s thought, he had his answer.
Since he couldn’t take them, he’d simply copy them inside the Asylum. He was stuck in that little room all day anyway; it would help pass the time.
…
Asylum of the Gods.
Bragi poked his head out of his room, glanced around, then hugged his harp and slipped away.
He crossed the second-floor corridor, tiptoed down the stairs, peeked into the hallway, spun around, and darted into the first room he saw.
Click—door locked.
Shhh—curtains drawn.
In the dim room, Bragi exhaled in relief…
He cradled his harp, eyes shining. Head lowered, he plucked the first string.
Ting—!
The clear note rang out; he instantly muted it!
He lifted a corner of the curtain and peeked outside like a thief… Good, no one heard!
Excited, he returned to his seat, cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and began:
“Ah~ how wond—”
Bang—!
Bragi choked.
The door flew open. Lin Qiye, white coat flapping, froze at the sight of Bragi huddled in the corner.
Eyes locked.
“Ah… ah… atchoo!!” Bragi hid the harp behind his back and faked a sneeze.
Lin Qiye’s mouth twitched. “…What are you doing in my office?”
Bragi pondered. “Paying homage?”
“…”
Lin Qiye rolled his eyes and shoved the door wide. “I need to work. If you must sing, ask Merlin to sound-proof a room.”
Bragi’s eyes lit up!
He whipped out his harp and whisked away. “Thanks, Director!”
“Wait!” Lin Qiye called suddenly.
Bragi stopped, puzzled.
“Have you felt anything off lately? Unexplained fatigue? Anxiety?” Lin Qiye asked, then added, “Getting unusually handsome doesn’t count!”
Bragi blinked, thinking. “No. I’m energetic every day, bursting to pour passion into poetry… it’s just…”
“Just what?”
Bragi’s gaze dimmed. He looked at his harp, silent a long while, then murmured, “I… miss my wife…”
Lin Qiye stood frozen.
“…I understand.” After a moment he spoke softly. “Go on. I have work.”
Lin Qiye stepped inside and pulled the curtains open. Outside, Bragi clutched his harp like a forlorn boy, head lowered as he trudged away…
Lin Qiye sighed, sat at his desk, and wrote the first line on a blank sheet:
“A patient once asked me whether this world is real. If we can’t be sure of its reality, how can we be sure we exist?
It’s an interesting question. I believe the world’s truth matters less than whether, at some point, certain people or events make us feel that even if the world is false…
a false life can still be worth living.”