"Grandma! We can't eat with our hands, we have to use chopsticks!"
"I won't..."
"Hey, didn't I just teach you yesterday? Look, this is how you hold chopsticks with your fingers... Yes, just like that!"
"Eating like this is such a hassle."
"Sigh, you'll have to learn slowly!"
"Okay...we've started eating. When is your dad and aunt coming home?"
"..."
"That siblings, Thanatos and Hemera, how long has it been since they came home? Have they gotten into trouble again...?"
"Uh... don't worry, my dad's just busy with a lot of things to do outside. Maybe my aunt too!"
"All right..."
In the activity room, Li Yifei, wearing an apron, sat helplessly at the table. Opposite him was Nyx, looking dejected, wearing a black gauze dress and with her head down, seemingly lost in thought.
Outside the door, Lin Qiye, wearing a white coat, raised an eyebrow, opened the door, and walked in. Then there was Lin Xi Chen, who rushed toward Nyx with the excitement of a child, making Lin Qiye smile helplessly. "Mother!"
"Thanatos!? Hemera!?" Nyx's eyes lit up when she saw Lin Qiye and Lin Xi Chen. Nyx immediately embraced Lin Xi Chen and checked to see if she was hurt, before playfully kneading her cheeks in an affectionate manner. "You guys are back for dinner?"
Lin Qiye looked at her expectant eyes, smiled, and nodded. "I'm back, Mother."
"Sit down, sit down!" Nyx looked around, pulled out two small stool from the side, and placed it next to them.
Li Yifei looked at Lin Qiye with resentment, "You still know how to come back..."
"How dare you talk to your father like that!" Nyx glared at Li Yifei.
Li Yifei:...
"I've been so tired from training these past two days, I just fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow at night, I don't have the energy to come here." Lin Qiye sighed helplessly and sat down at the table.
He was slightly taken aback when he saw the sumptuous meal on the table.
"Did you do this?"
"Yes."
"Where did the ingredients come from?"
"I saw a lot of vegetables planted in the open space behind the yard, so I dug some up."
"The vegetables in the yard?" Lin Qiye pondered for a moment, then pointed to the enormous braised fish head. "And the fish?"
"The one in the little pond next to the ward, isn't that your pet?"
"...And the rice? Where does the rice come from?"
"Oh, I found it in the closet in the dean's office." Li Yifei tilted his head. "What's wrong? Was it expired?"
Lin Qiye opened his mouth, looked at Nyx who had already eaten most of a bowl of rice and Lin Xi Chen was also happily eating rice and fish while chatting with Nyx, he silently shook his head.
"I don't think so, right?"
"I don't think so either. After all, I've been eating it for several days and haven't had diarrhea." Li Yifei shrugged.
"...Li Yifei, you're not human, you're a snake demon. Snake demons don't get diarrhea."
"..."
Lin Qiye picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of fish, and chewed it. The meat was exceptionally tender and didn't taste like a species from Earth.
However, since these two have been eating here for several days, there shouldn't be any problems.
Lin Qiye glanced at Nyx, raised his eyebrows slightly, and leaned closer to Li Yifei.
"What have you been up to lately?"
Li Yifei was taken aback. "Nothing much. I just chatted with her, taught her how to play chess and cards, let her soak up the sun, and acted like a grandson to her... What's wrong?"
"No, you took very good care of her."
Li Yifei couldn't see the progress bar above Nyx's head, but Lin Qiye could. He remembered that just over ten days ago, Nyx's treatment progress bar was only around 20%, but now it had jumped to 48% after talking to Lin Xi Chen!
Even without the progress bar, Lin Qiye could sense that Nyx had become much healthier.
He still remembered when Nyx was first released from the ward, she was dazed and confused, treating everything she saw as a child, and she was very reluctant to speak, at most chatting with the vase.
Now, Nyx not only no longer recognizes strange things as children, but she has also become much more lively. She can chat and communicate normally with Li Yifei, and her eyes have become noticeably more lively.
It seems that having someone accompany her is very beneficial to her illness... Lin Qiye thought to himself.
Reviving Li Yifei as a hospital caregiver was definitely the right choice!
Nyx's treatment progress has now reached 48%. Just a little more and we can extract her abilities a second time.How about... we try it today?
Lin Qiye hesitated for a moment, then picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and handed it to Nyx's bowl.
"Mother, eat more."
Nyx was taken aback, then turned to look into Lin Qiye's eyes, where a few tears welled up.
"Thanatos, you've grown up..."
Plop.
Under Lin Qiye's watchful eye, the treatment progress jumped from 48% to 49%.
Lin Qiye: (⸝⸝•‧̫•⸝⸝)!
"Mother, eat more vegetables..."
"Mother, I think this fish tastes really good, please try some..."
"Mother, let me get you some rice!"
"Mother..."
Lin Qiye started frantically piling food and rice onto Nyx's plate, while Nyx happily ate her meal while silently shedding tears, leaving Li Yifei across from her completely stunned.
"Qiye, what's wrong with you...?
""Li Yifei." Lin Qiye turned to look at Li Yifei, "Quickly show Grandma a talent."
Li Yifei: ( ･᷅ὢ･᷄ ) Huh?
"Talent! Go show it to me!"
"Oh..." Li Yifei scratched his head, stood up from his seat, thought for a moment, and said, "Grandma, I don't have any special talents, so I'll perform a handstand while eating for you!"
Lin Qiye:...
The two of them struggled around Nyx for a long time, but the progress bar remained unchanged. Lin Qiye sighed helplessly.
It seems that these things really can't be forced.
I am a doctor who treats patients, even though whether I can actually treat patients is still a question, but I can't just mess around like this.
However, it is undeniable that this is the liveliest time in the Gods Mental Hospital, and also the time when it is most human.
Li Yifei carried the plate and diligently went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, while Lin Qiye took out today's dose of medicine from the cabinet, carefully separated it, and prepared to feed it to Nyx.
Nyx remained quietly seated on the small stool beside the table, staring blankly at Lin Qiye, who was engrossed in his work. As if she had thought of something, a faint smile appeared on her lips while she was braiding Lin Xi Chen's hair.
"Thanatos."
"What's wrong?"
"How long has it been since our house has been this lively?"
Lin Qiye hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know."
"You children, as you grow up, you all go further and further away. I had so many children, but in the end... I'm all alone."
Nyx's gaze dimmed slightly.
Lin Qiye looked at Nyx, remained silent for a long time, and then carried the hot water and medicine to her.
"At least, now you have us, don't you?" Lin Qiye said softly, handing her the water.
"We...won't leave." Lin Xi Chen cheerfully chimed in.
Nyx's body trembled slightly. She looked into Lin Qiye's eyes, and her eyes shone with an unprecedented light!
At the same time, the treatment progress bar above her head moved forward a little more.
"Nyx's treatment progress: 51%
The conditions for obtaining the reward have been met, and you can randomly draw Nyx's divine power again.
Nyx's treatment is more than 50% complete, and she is able to leave the Gods' Mental Hospital for a short period of time..."