Multiple Personalities

"Later, were there any other anomalies in Li Yuanshin's room?"

Xia Kang's expression suddenly changed.

"That room has already been sealed off."

"What was the reason?"

"That room is somewhat strange. Although we believe in science, when we encounter some inexplicable phenomena, we can only seal it off for now. Currently, only a few people know part of the situation, and the core issues haven't been leaked. We don't want to make a big fuss about it. Moreover, a lot of stuff in that room belongs to Professor Li Yuanshin, but we currently can't get in touch with him. So, just to be safe, we've sealed off the room."

Xia Kang's expression was clearly a bit tense.

"So, ever since the incident, the room has been sealed off, and you haven't gone back to check?"

"Yes, that's right. Most courses at the Biology College are conducted in the Biology building. To ensure the safety of the students attending classes, we have sealed off the entire floor of Professor Li's room to ensure the students' normal classes won't be affected. So far, everything is normal. The students adhere to materialism; very few have been scared by this incident. This cohort is in their fourth year, and everyone is preparing their graduation thesis; many hardly attend classes anymore. Due to the sealing off of the building, almost no other grade knows about it. The only person involved, Wang Zhichen, is considered mentally unstable by his classmates. According to their observations and understanding, Wang Zhichen usually doesn't interact with classmates, often mutters to himself, sometimes eloquently, sometimes eccentrically. A few days before the incident, while reporting on the progress of their graduation project, Wang Zhichen's thesis hadn't been progressing, and he was pressured by his advisor. They believe this pressure made him mentally collapse."

"My thesis is indeed delayed, but this is purely slander. They only say cynical things, standing high and mocking the humble. I once believed that identity and status would change, especially on that afternoon; I thought it was my opportunity for transformation, but it only brought me endless fear."

Wang Zhichen held the cup, no longer trembling.

Once spoken, fear is no longer fear.

"Wang Zhichen, you are very brave."

"Bravery, it doesn't count for much. Sometimes, courage is the least worth mentioning. I walked out from the town, carrying the expectations of the gifted. But at Shen University, I am nothing. I want to blend in, but my dialect receives silent ridicule. I report on English literature but need to ask others even for basic search engines. After much effort, I barely adapted to Mandarin, only to find others have already achieved something. The teachers have limited time and only talk to those who have ideas. I take days to muster the courage to email a teacher; finally sent one, but got no reply for a week. Even though this time, I was inspired like never before, I didn't have the courage to connect mentally with Professor Li; I was scared and didn't know what might happen. I backed down, defeated by my inner inferiority. When I fled to the top of the Biology building, I hoped for a giant mirror that would show me my fragility."

Wang Zhichen stared blankly at the cup, as if to see his own reflection within.

"When you were at the top of the Biology building, did anyone else see that girl?"

Shen Jingqi began to focus, inquiring about the core individual involved in the incident.

"No one saw her."

"So she vanished into thin air, no one else has seen her."

"Yes."

"Did anyone see her when you later saw her in the Biology building?"

"Not sure, I didn't communicate with anyone else."

"Okay. Wang Zhichen, can you see that girl in the boys' dormitory?"

Shen Jingqi continued to ask.

"No, you can't see her in the boys' dormitory."

Wang Zhichen took a sip of water from his cup, then looked directly at Shen Jingqi.

His gaze was peculiar, or rather, his social gaze was peculiar; people generally good at socializing wouldn't stare so directly at others. In such a manner, Wang Zhichen seemed somewhat silly. But, at Shen University, this wasn't considered strange.

"What does that girl look like?"

Shen Jingqi asked about the part he was most interested in.

He was a person of great patience; though it was what he most desired to know, he asked at a more appropriate time.

"She is very beautiful, very gentle. She has long hair, and her eyes are not very large but extremely captivating. Her eyes are slender, and one glance felt like she bewitched me. There is a mole on her brow, red as if painted with vermilion. But it's truly her natural mark; I know since I study biology, I can discern it. Her eyes and the mole on her brow absorbed all my attention and spirit. Now that I recall it, it was a symbol of exceptional beauty, and a weapon to awe me."

Wang Zhichen's lips trembled, his feet feebly flailing in the air.

Slanted eyes, a red mole on the brow!

This matches the description of Cong Nanxue by Li Baiyu.

Shen Jingqi's heart was set on edge.

He quietly said:

"Is the girl you mentioned about this tall?"

Shen Jingqi gestured to indicate her height.

"Yes, yes, she's quite tall; I'm also puzzled why she's so tall?"

Wang Zhichen suddenly realized.

Wang Zhichen is 1.73 meters, but the girl seemed slightly taller.

"Do you know her?"

A hint of hope flashed across Wang Zhichen's face.

If Shen Jingqi knew the girl, his fear would be significantly reduced.

"I think I have a chance to know her. Don't worry, I will do my best to figure this out."

If a psychiatrist is involved, the main tasks would be emotional soothing, reality testing, trauma intervention as necessary, etc.

However, this dealt with Li Baiyu's "Illusion" topic, requiring Shen Jingqi to continue exploring.

Meanwhile, Shen Jingqi's mind swiftly organized the key clues:

1. Wang Zhichen saw the girl in the sealed office at Shen University's Biology building; the girl can disappear into thin air.

2. The sealed office belongs to the biology professor Li Yuanshin, who resigned twenty years ago.

3. Wang Zhichen cannot see the girl in the boys' dormitory, but frequently sees her in the Biology building.

4. The girl said to Wang Zhichen, "The weather's clear, it's time to go and play on the slide."

5. The girl's facial features match those described by Li Baiyu.

Following intuition, Shen Jingqi realized the fourth point was a crucial piece of information.

And the fifth point puzzled him further.