Multiple Personalities

Shen Jingqi looked at a pile of documents, which contained information about Cong Nanxue that Yang Haotian had just sent over. The materials were detailed and complex, but Shen Jingqi's gaze lingered on a specific detail for a long time.

"Cong Nanxue... is she really Li Baiyu's illusion?" Shen Jingqi murmured to himself.

His thoughts drifted back to his first deep conversation with Li Baiyu.

Shen Jingqi's fingers lightly tapped on the keyboard, and an astonishing thought suddenly flashed in his mind. "Could it be... that trace of consciousness, is it related to Cong Nanxue?"

This idea, like a bolt of lightning, pierced through the fog in Shen Jingqi's heart. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes flickering with a mix of excitement and confusion. If Cong Nanxue is Li Baiyu's illusion, and Lin Xiaocan is a sub-personality of Li Baiyu, could it be that Cong Nanxue's consciousness might, under some special circumstances, form a linkage with Lin Xiaocan?

Shen Jingqi's heart raced as he felt himself standing before a vast mystery, the key to which might lie in the subtle connection between Lin Xiaocan and Cong Nanxue.

"I must talk to Lin Xiaocan!" Shen Jingqi suddenly stood up, grabbed his phone, and knocked on the door of Lin Xiaocan's room next to him.

Lin Xiaocan was sitting in front of the easel, focused on painting something. Hearing the knock, she looked up with a surprised expression.

"Brother Jing? It's so late, why are you here?" Lin Xiaocan said as she got up to open the door.

Shen Jingqi entered the room, his gaze falling on Lin Xiaocan's canvas. It was an unfinished work, with the figure of a woman blurred in the painting, yet her eyes were exceptionally bright, as if they could see through people's hearts.

"Xiaoxiao, I have something to ask you," Shen Jingqi said straightforwardly.

Lin Xiaocan paused for a moment, then smiled and gestured for Shen Jingqi to sit down. "Sure, what do you want to ask?"

Shen Jingqi took a deep breath and slowly revealed his hypothesis. "It's about Cong Nanxue. I've looked into her information and found some interesting things. You know Li Baiyu says Cong Nanxue is her illusion, right?"

Lin Xiaocan nodded.

"I'm aware of her issues."

"And you are a sub-personality derived from her. I'm wondering if that trace of consciousness could be related to Cong Nanxue?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaocan's smile gradually disappeared. She stared at Shen Jingqi, her eyes revealing complex emotions. "Cong Nanxue is Li Baiyu's illusion, what does it have to do with me?"

Shen Jingqi shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of urgency. "No, Xiaoxiao, you might not realize it. There might be some subtle connection between you and Cong Nanxue. That connection might be the flickering light in your consciousness."

Lin Xiaocan was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke. "Brother Jing, I know you are very interested in these mysterious matters. But Cong Nanxue is just an illusion of Li Baiyu, she doesn't exist in reality. And I am only a part of Li Baiyu's personality. How could we possibly have a connection?"

Shen Jingqi looked at Lin Xiaocan, his gaze firm and persistent. "Xiaocan, I know this sounds absurd. But in many cases, truth is often found in absurdity. We cannot deny its existence just because it seems impossible. That trace of consciousness, it indeed existed, we've all seen it with our own eyes. Now, what we need to do is to find the reason and way it exists."

"Alright, Brother Jing." Lin Xiaocan took a deep breath, "I am willing to explore this mystery with you. But where do we start?"

Shen Jingqi smiled slightly, having already devised a plan. "First, we need to review Li Baiyu's situation. Understand the reasons and background for her creating this illusion of Cong Nanxue. Then, we shall combine it with your own experiences and see if there are any common points or clues."

Lin Xiaocan nodded, feeling her heartbeat accelerate.

"Brother Jing, look at this data." Lin Xiaocan pointed to the waveform on the screen and said, "When I think of Cong Nanxue, this waveform shows obvious fluctuations."

Shen Jingqi carefully examined the waveform, showing a surprised expression. "This... is it truly Cong Nanxue's consciousness influencing you?"

Lin Xiaocan shook her head, her tone carrying a hint of uncertainty. "I don't know. But this feeling is really wondrous. It's like... like there is truly some kind of connection between me and Cong Nanxue."

Shen Jingqi was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke. "Xiaoxiao, perhaps we have truly found a clue that Cong Nanxue's consciousness may indeed have linked with you to some extent. And this linkage might be the source of the trace of consciousness we've been searching for."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaocan felt an ineffable excitement surge within her. She knew she and Shen Jingqi were standing at a historic moment; their discovery could change humanity's understanding of consciousness. But at the same time, she felt an unprecedented fear and unease. What does this linkage really mean? What impact will it have on them?

"In my understanding, Cong Nanxue's consciousness is not just an illusion existence. It is more like an independent consciousness entity, possessing its own thoughts and emotions. And this consciousness entity could link with your consciousness and appear in your image."

Shen Jingqi hypothesized.

"This... this is too incredible." Lin Xiaocan looked at the data on the screen, showing an expression of disbelief.

"Cong Nanxue... does she really exist? Where is she? Who is she?"

Shen Jingqi shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty. "I don't know. But one thing is certain, her consciousness has indeed linked with you."

Lin Xiaocan was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke. "Brother Jing, do you think... Cong Nanxue might be another me in another time-space? Or... or another self deep within me?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingqi's eyes glimmered with contemplative light. "There is such a possibility. But we need more evidence to support this hypothesis. Plus, we still need to figure out what impact this linkage has on us."

"By the way, is Cong Nanxue still seeing you for psychological consultation?"

Lin Xiaocan asked.

"So far, there's no news of Cong Nanxue scheduling an appointment. If there is an appointment, Haotian will inform me." Shen Jingqi looked at the data on the screen, his brow furrowed, "Xiaoxiao, I feel like Cong Nanxue's consciousness seems to be avoiding us."

Lin Xiaocan also felt a bit puzzled. "Why? Why would she avoid us? Could it be... could it be that she's afraid of us?"

Shen Jingqi shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of speculation. "I don't think so. On the contrary, I feel she might be protecting herself."