Zi Xi suddenly reached out and cupped his face, her fingertips sinking into his cool skin.

She forced him to look directly into her eyes, and those eyes, which always held a smile, were now filled with an unprecedented seriousness.

"Listen carefully, the person I like has never been the flawless Xue Xunzhi."

Her voice was soft, yet each word pierced his heart like a nail.

The shadows of the trees outside the window swayed between the two of them, and dappled sunlight danced on his pale face.

"I like Xue Xunzhi, who would stay up with me in the library until 3 a.m. and secretly make me honey water. He was really considerate."

"But I also like this one now. Even though you're terrified of cats, you still helped me catch stray cats to get them vaccinated. It's really adorable."

Her thumb traced the dark circles under his eyes.

A drop of sweat slid down his temple and was caught by her fingertips.

"You may feel incomplete..."

"But to me, the two Xue Xunzhis combined make up the complete you."

Zi Xi's voice was soft, yet every word was clear.

The cardiac monitor by the bedside suddenly beeped twice, as if pressing the confirmation button for this confession that wasn't really a confession.

"You have no idea what you're talking about..."

The alternate personality's breathing became erratic, and he suddenly grabbed Zi Xi's wrist, his voice urgent.

“I know, and I am more clear-headed than ever.”

"And have you forgotten? It was I who recognized you..."

"So even if it's just for my sake... please don't hurt your bodies anymore, okay?"

Zi Xi grasped his hand in return, their fingers intertwined, and she leaned close to his ear and whispered.

"...You're an idiot."

The alternate personality's chest heaved violently. After a long while, he suddenly rested his forehead on Zi Xi's shoulder and let out a sigh that was almost a sob.

Zi Xi felt the weight on her shoulders gradually decrease. Looking down, she saw that her alternate personality had closed its eyes and was breathing evenly and deeply.

The IV medication finally took effect, and his furrowed brows relaxed, revealing a rare moment of calm.

She carefully helped him lie down and tucked the blanket around him.

At that moment, I caught a glimpse of the phone screen on the table, where the call timer was still lit and had been running for almost an hour.

"Professor Lin? Are you still listening?"

Zi Xi's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly picked up her phone.

"Of course, I listened the whole time."

"Zhou, I have to admit, your performance has far exceeded my expectations! Have you ever considered changing your major? The Psychology Department would welcome a student like you."

A soft chuckle came from the other end of the phone; Professor Lin's voice carried obvious appreciation.

"I...I was just speaking my mind..."

Zi Xi's ears burned, and she unconsciously curled the ends of her hair with her fingers in embarrassment.

If she hadn't wanted Professor Lin to analyze Xue Xunzhi's condition, how could she have let outsiders overhear their conversation?!

"That's precisely what makes it so precious."

“Many professional therapists cannot achieve your kind of empathy that gets straight to the point. What you just said may be more effective than a year of my therapy.”

Professor Lin's tone became serious.

Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the hospital bed.

"So... will he start to get better now?"

Zi Xi looked at Xue Xunzhi, who was fast asleep, and said softly.

"This is a good start. He's starting to soften and shouldn't provoke the main personality again in the short term."

"The problem now is with the primary personality."

"However, the fusion and coexistence of two personalities is a very long process. If you'd like, you can come to my office next week with the primary personality so we can develop a more detailed plan..."