On the Ark.

Chapter 394 The Origin of the Mask (3K)

Lin Ye felt the topic suddenly become heavy.

He was eager to see what kind of expression Guigu Xuehui had on her face after making the request, because a person's expression often conveys a lot of information that cannot be conveyed by words, and this information basically comes from the deepest part of the heart and is difficult to hide. From a psychologist's perspective, this is also an important method.

However, Guigu Xuehui was wearing a mask. Although the mask wasn't large, it completely concealed her face, obscuring even her eyes, leaving only a bright red and alluring fox-like face. But Lin Ye knew she was smiling. When she said, "Just kill me," her tone was very relaxed, as if she had long since accepted death and decided to die in this way.

At this moment, Lin Ye thought of many things, but the first thing that came to mind was depression. Most people with depression take their lives lightly, believing that life is full of difficulties and wanting to be free as soon as possible. But their tone when they want to die shouldn't be as light as Gui Gu Xuehui's. But no matter what, Lin Ye already knew that Gui Gu Xuehui was not an ordinary person, but a patient who... wanted to die.

Fortunately, he didn't choose to leave earlier. If he had left, how would he have felt the next morning when he learned that the other person had committed suicide in some corner of this street? He didn't know, but he didn't want such a "what if" to happen.

"You've finished asking your questions, Doctor." Gui Gu Xuehui gently swirled the juice in her glass, watching it slosh slightly, and said with a smile, "Now it's my turn, isn't it?"

Lin Ye nodded, his expression no longer as relaxed as before. He knew the conversation was no longer casual chatter; a discussion fraught with life and death was bound to be tense. Gui Gu Xue Hui noticed this and teased, "Doctor, aren't you being a little too tense? You're the doctor, after all. Why don't you just forget it? Talking to me won't end well anyway."

Having come this far, how could we possibly give up? Lin Ye shook his head and said, "Now it's your turn to ask a question."

"Shall we continue? Okay then, but I hope you don't put too much pressure on yourself." Guigu Xuehui put down her cup. "I can tell you're a very responsible person, but you don't need to take these things to heart. Just treat it as a chat, like before."

Gui Gu Xuehui's words brought a bitter smile to Lin Ye's face. As a psychologist, he had actually been comforted by a patient—it was incredibly embarrassing. Embarrassing as it was, he wasn't a professional psychologist; he'd only read a few psychology books since joining Rhodes Island, and even then, he hadn't finished them due to time constraints. But so what? He couldn't just watch this girl attempt suicide, could he? A normal person wouldn't just stand by and watch, so he had to do something.

"Go ahead and say it," Lin Ye said.

Guigu Xuehui nodded: "Alright then, let's go back to the question. Do you think I'm sick?"

Of course he's sick. Why would he want to die if he wasn't sick?

Lin Ye thought to himself, but didn't say it aloud. Anyone with a brain wouldn't say such a thing to a patient, so he used a more tactful approach: "You might indeed have some problems, but you might not have anything at all. I can't see any more clearly right now, so I suggest... you take off your mask, how about that?"

"Huh? I feel like you've only said half the nonsense and taken a roundabout route," Guigu Xuehui said with a smile. "Do you think I can't tell? You just think I'm sick, but you're too embarrassed to say it directly. Do all you psychologists like to use this kind of mysterious talk to fool people?"

Gui Gu Xuehui's words made Lin Ye even more embarrassed, because upon reflection, he realized he had indeed uttered some meaningless nonsense, which hadn't even hit the mark, and Gui Gu Xuehui had pointed it out. This made Lin Ye increasingly aware that Gui Gu Xuehui was not an easy patient to deal with, after all, she had seen far too many psychologists.

Regardless of their profession, any psychologist who wants to treat a patient must take the lead in the conversation. However, in the conversation between Lin Ye and Gui Gu Xuehui, Gui Gu Xuehui clearly held the dominant position. Continuing like this would only be a waste of time, so Lin Ye quickly thought of his next move. Then he heard Gui Gu Xuehui say something.

“I understand that you want me to take off the mask,” said Yukiko Onigu. “You psychiatrists do like to observe people through facial expressions. But I have to say, this method doesn’t work for me. Many doctors have tried it, but their conclusions often leave me scratching my head… And if nothing unexpected happens, tonight will be my last Halloween, and I want to spend it wearing this mask.”

So, you don't want to pick them?

Lin Ye sighed inwardly. Knowing that he was only half-baked, Guigu Xuehui still gave him a high level of difficulty. What kind of mentality was that?

However, this also reveals that Guigu Xuehui held no hope for Lin Ye's treatment; she didn't believe he could cure her. She was likely only willing to give Lin Ye this opportunity because she wanted someone to talk to in her final days, rather than facing the end alone. Therefore, she enjoyed the process of talking with Lin Ye, not the outcome, because she had no expectations about the result.

But Lin Ye is different; Lin Ye is determined to change this outcome.

Since it's impossible to glean important information from facial expressions through a mask, let's skip that. What Lin Ye needs now is something that can reach the other person's heart.

"I've finished asking my questions," Guigu Xuehui said casually. "Now it's your turn."

Lin Ye didn't speak immediately, but instead pondered the entry point for the next conversation. This was crucial; continuing the previous pointless exchanges was meaningless. When a patient is unwilling to fully cooperate with the doctor, further treatment becomes difficult... Yes, Lin Ye was already treating this conversation as therapy, and therapy needs a trigger. He needed to find that trigger, that shadow that could penetrate the soul.

He stared at Guigu Xuehui for a long time, and then he remembered what Guigu Xuehui had said to him when they first met last night, and he immediately had his answer.

“Since that’s the case,” Lin Ye said slowly, “then my next question… tell me the story of this mask. I remember you said you didn’t like it, but you still bought it because it was a very important memory. So could you tell me? What kind of important memory?”

While asking the question, Lin Ye was observing Gui Gu Xuehui's body movements. Although he couldn't see her expression, he could see a slight stiffness in Gui Gu Xuehui's body for a moment, and he knew that he had found the right approach.

Guigu Xuehui fell silent. This was the first time she had remained silent in response to Lin Ye's question.

After a long silence, she asked softly, "May I refuse to answer?"

"There's no point in refusing to answer, is there?" Lin Ye said. "At this point, do you think there's anything that can't be said?"

Guigu Xuehui fell silent again, but this time the silence didn't last long. She quickly chuckled and said, "I didn't expect you to remember what I told you yesterday. Well, I underestimated you a bit. Since I said before that I could say anything, there's no point in going back on my word now. Actually, this mask doesn't have any special meaning for me, nor is it a precious memory... Don't think I'm lying to you. I really don't need to lie at a time like this. I'm just afraid you won't believe me."

Lin Ye said, "I believe every word you say from now on."

“Really? Thank you.” Guigu Xuehui nodded. “Then I’ll be frank. Yesterday was the first time I saw this mask in real life.”

"In reality?" Lin Ye raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

“The literal meaning,” Guigu Xuehui said calmly. “I’ve seen it many times before, but never in reality, only in dreams.”

Lin Ye was somewhat surprised: "In a dream?"

“Yes, I’ve seen it many times in my dreams, but never in reality… Oh, last night was the first time.” Gui Gu Xue Hui gently poked the mask with her finger. “From childhood to adulthood, I’ve been plagued by a nightmare, and this mask is just a small prop in that nightmare.”

"...Such a thing actually happened?"

"Yes." Guigu Xuehui nodded. "You don't believe me?"

"No, why wouldn't I believe you?" Lin Ye smiled. "I've already said it, haven't I? I'll believe everything you say from now on. So, can you tell me now what your nightmare is?"

Guigu Xuehui laughed as well: "No, Doctor, now it's my turn to ask you questions."

Lin Ye almost forgot about this. He was quite happy when he learned that Guigu Xuehui had nightmares... not because he was gloating, but because he happened to have the ability to fight nightmares.

“As for me… there’s nothing to ask.” Guigu Xuehui thought for a moment and said, “Then why do you like this mask? I don’t think it’s very good-looking.”

"It's not very good-looking, but it's an important memory for me." Lin Ye shrugged. "I'm just nostalgic."

Guigu Xuehui nodded without giving it much thought: "It's your turn."

"I have another request," Lin Ye said. "Could we continue somewhere else? Like, perhaps get a hotel room?"

Chapter 395 Booking a Room

Lin Ye's thoughts were actually very simple.

Since Guigu Xuehui's "illness" resides in nightmares, everything becomes quite simple; he's an expert in combating nightmares. Since Guigu Xuehui is unwilling to open up, he can simply enter her dream world, just as he did with Nightingale. He only needs to repeat what he did to Nightingale on Guigu Xuehui, right? Although he doesn't know if he'll succeed on the first try, he should at least give it a shot. And judging from Guigu Xuehui's reaction, her nightmares shouldn't be as extreme as Nightingale's.

However, no normal person would believe in entering a dream. He couldn't very well grab Guigu Xuehui's hand in a place like this and say, "Don't be afraid, let me go into your dream and take a look." That would make him not a psychologist, but a seasoned psychopath, and Lin Ye didn't want to become one. So even if he wanted to enter a dream, he had to proceed gradually, just like when he first entered the dream and dealt with Chen.

Hmm, thinking about it carefully, he's actually quite experienced in this area.

To proceed gradually, it's impossible to do so in such a noisy street. A quiet place is definitely needed so he can slowly persuade... no, slowly gain Guigu Xuehui's trust. Moreover, after successfully entering her dream, both his and Guigu Xuehui's bodies will be in a sleeping state, and this kind of place is far too unsafe.

Therefore, Lin Ye made a request to Gui Gu Xue Hui to "go to an inn and get a room".

At that time, he didn't think much of it; his only thought was to save Guigu Xuehui. He was almost moved by his own actions. It wasn't until the two of them stood in front of the hotel counter and the hotel owner asked him if he wanted a double room or a king-size bed that he realized something was wrong.

This... doesn't seem quite right.

Thinking about it carefully, he and Guigu Xuehui had only known each other for less than an hour, barely breaking the ice of strangers. How could they suddenly be checking into a hotel room? Something's definitely wrong with that. And why did Guigu Xuehui actually follow him? Isn't she suspicious too? Isn't she afraid of him?

Lin Ye really didn't know what to say. He was now seriously doubting whether his head was filled with mush.

“Um…” Lin Ye said to Gui Gu Xue Hui, “I just want a quieter place so that our conversation can go more smoothly.”

Guigu Xuehui nodded: "I understand, you've already explained it. If it's for my health, I can't refuse this request."

Seeing that Guigu Xuehui didn't think much of it, Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that you know. Anyway, I definitely didn't have any ulterior motives."

"Wrong idea?" Guigu Xuehui thought for a moment, then laughed. "If you mean that kind of thing, don't worry, even if you have such thoughts, it won't do you any good. Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm quite confident in my combat skills."

Lin Ye glanced at the black scythe that Guigu Xuehui carried on her back and nodded in deep agreement.

Anyway, there wasn't a single woman he couldn't beat up. Even Nightingale could be beaten up by "Call the Flash," although he knew Nightingale wouldn't actually do that.

Ah, I've gotten carried away again.

Lin Ye shook his head, clearing his mind of those inexplicable thoughts, and then turned to the owner and said, "Just a single room will do, it doesn't need to be too big."

The shopkeeper glanced at Lin Ye, then at Gui Gu Xue Hui standing behind Lin Ye, and nodded in deep agreement: "I understand, a short-stay room, right?"

"Oh, you have hourly rooms? That's even better." Lin Ye nodded repeatedly, thinking that it would save money. "Then let's book an hourly room."

"understand."

Lin Ye thought for a moment and realized that he couldn't just save money; it also needed to be quieter. Too much noise would make it difficult to fall asleep, so he added, "It needs to be quiet."

The boss immediately gave Lin Ye a knowing look and made an OK sign: "Don't worry, the soundproofing here is excellent. No matter how loud you are, the people outside won't hear you."

Lin Ye nodded in satisfaction, then felt something was off, but couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Then the owner gave him a pink key and said with a smile, "This is our special room. It has everything you could need. Don't be shy. Have a wonderful Halloween."

It was only at this moment that Lin Ye sensed something was wrong, and this sense of unease was confirmed when he and Guigu Xuehui entered the room together.

What the hell is this room?!

Lin Ye stared wide-eyed at the equipment in the room that he had only seen in the movies of his previous life, and he was completely dumbfounded.

Standing next to him, Onigu Yukie said with interest, "So this is the kind of room you wanted. That's quite interesting."

"I..." Lin Ye really didn't know how to explain, and said with a flushed face, "I'll go back and exchange it with him right away!"

"There's no need for that," Guigu Xuehui shrugged. "It's just a place to talk. Your only requirement for the room is quiet, right? In that case, this room is fine. Or do you really want to try out those devices?"

Lin Ye: "..."

Is this guy trying to commit suicide? Why is he still in the mood to argue with him at a time like this?

Lin Ye felt emotionally exhausted. He really wanted to change rooms, but even Gui Gu Xuehui didn't seem to care, so he, a grown man, had even less reason to care. He forced himself to go into the room and then closed the door.

Guigu Xuehui walked to the bedside, put down the scythe behind her, and then sat on the bed.

Once Guigu Xuehui sat on the bed, Lin Ye had no way to sit down. He looked around but couldn't find a normal chair in the room. With no other option, he pulled out the pink "little chair" from the corner, placed it opposite Guigu Xuehui, and sat down.

At that moment, he felt like a complete idiot.

Fortunately, he was wearing makeup now, so Guigu Xuehui couldn't see the embarrassment on his face, which made him feel a little better.

Until Guigu Xuehui said, "You're quite suited to this chair."

At that moment, he felt he was just a hair's breadth away from having a mental breakdown.

"Ahem, it's just a place to sit." Lin Ye coughed twice, then suddenly noticed something strange about Guigu Xuehui's hair. "Wait, your hair..."

"Huh? You mean this? This is a wig." Guigu Xuehui raised her hand and took off the grayish-white wig, revealing long black hair underneath. "This is my real hair."

Lin Ye was a little curious, because there weren't many people in the world who liked wearing wigs, so he asked, "Do you like white hair?"

"No, I don't like it." Guigu Xuehui shook her head. "I even find it somewhat repulsive."

Lin Ye was even more puzzled: "Then why did you..."

“Because someone wants me to be like this,” Guigu Xuehui said calmly. “Even if I have black hair, that person still wants me to be as pure white as snow, and even named me after ‘snow’.”

"...Is it your elder?"

"No."

"Oh." Lin Ye nodded and casually said, "Then this person is sick."

……