Chapter 106: Not Leaving

"Grandma! We can't eat with our hands, you have to use chopsticks!"

"I can't..."

"I taught you yesterday! Look, you grab the chopsticks like this... yes, like that!"

"Eating like this is such a hassle."

"Ah, you'll get used to it eventually!"

Sitting at the table in the activity room, Li Yifei, dressed in an apron, helplessly faced the downcast Nikes, who wore a black gauze dress and was lost in her thoughts.

Outside the door, Lin QiYe raised an eyebrow as he stepped in wearing a white lab coat.

"DanaDosi!?" Nikes' eyes instantly lit up when she saw Lin QiYe, "You're back for dinner?"

Lin QiYe smiled at her hopeful gaze and nodded. "I'm back, mother."

"Come sit down, come sit down!" Nikes looked around and quickly pulled a small stool to place beside her.

Li Yifei shot a resentful glance at Lin QiYe. "You actually remembered to come back..."

"How can you talk to your father like that!" Nikes scolded Li Yifei.

Li Yifei: ...

"The training's been too tiring these past couple of days, and I've been collapsing into bed as soon as I get back. How would I have the energy to come here?" Lin QiYe sighed and sat at the table.

Looking at the sumptuous meal, Lin QiYe was slightly taken aback.

"You made this?"

"Yeah."

"Where did you get the ingredients?"

"I saw some vegetables growing in the yard, so I dug a bit up."

"The yard's vegetables?" Lin QiYe thought for a moment before pointing at the large braised fish head. "What about the fish?"

"The small pond by the infirmary, wasn't it you who raised them?"

"...That fish?"

"Yeah, that one."

"...And the rice?"

"Oh, I found some in the cabinet in the dean's office." Li Yifei tilted his head. "What's wrong? Was it expired?"

Lin QiYe opened his mouth, then looked at Nikes, who had already eaten most of her bowl, and silently shook his head.

"Shouldn't be..."

"I don't think so, I've eaten it for several days without any issues," Li Yifei shrugged.

"...Li Yifei, you're not human, you're a snake demon. Snake demons don't get upset stomachs."

"..."

Lin QiYe picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of fish, chewing it slowly. The meat was incredibly tender, and it tasted unlike anything on Earth.

But since they had both been eating it for several days, there shouldn't be any problem.

Lin QiYe glanced at Nikes and raised an eyebrow, leaning toward Li Yifei.

"What have you been doing these past few days?"

Li Yifei froze. "Nothing much, just chatting with her, teaching her chess, playing cards, getting some sun, and spoiling her... What's up?"

"Nothing, you've been taking good care of her."

Li Yifei couldn't see the progress bar over Nikes' head, but Lin QiYe could. He remembered that just a few days ago, the progress bar was only at about 20%, but now it was at 48%!

Even without the progress bar, Lin QiYe could tell that Nikes was much healthier now.

He remembered when she had first been released from the infirmary, she was dazed, thinking random things were children, and was reluctant to speak. At most, she would chat with a flower vase.

But now, Nikes not only stopped mistaking strange things for children, but she was also much livelier, able to converse normally with Li Yifei. There was a new spark in her eyes.

It seemed that having someone by her side was really helping her condition... Lin QiYe thought to himself.

Having revived Li Yifei as the caregiver in the hospital was definitely the right choice!

Now, Nikes' treatment progress had reached 48%, just a little more, and they could extract her abilities for the second time.

Maybe... should they try it today?

Lin QiYe hesitated for a moment before picking up a piece of fish and placing it in Nikes' bowl.

"Mother, eat a little more."

Nikes froze, then turned to look at Lin QiYe. Her eyes even shimmered with tears.

"DanaDosi, you've grown up..."

Clink!

Under Lin QiYe's watchful gaze, the treatment progress jumped from 48% to 49%.

Lin QiYe: (?????)!

"Mother, have some more vegetables..."

"Mother, I think this fish tastes really good. You should try more..."

"Mother, let me get you some more rice!"

"Mother..."

Lin QiYe frantically kept serving Nikes, and she happily ate, silently shedding tears as she did so. Li Yifei, sitting across from them, was left in a daze.

"QiYe, what are you..."

"Li Yifei." Lin QiYe turned to him. "Quick, show grandma a talent!"

Li Yifei: (?????) What?

"Talent! Hurry up!"

"Oh..." Li Yifei scratched his head, stood up, thought for a moment, and then said, "Grandma, I don't have any special skills, but I'll show you a handstand while eating!"

Lin QiYe: ...

The two of them continued to fuss around Nikes, but the progress bar still didn't move. Lin QiYe sighed helplessly.

It seemed that this kind of thing couldn't be forced.

Even though he was a doctor in charge of treating people—well, whether he actually knew how to treat them was another matter—he couldn't just blindly fidget with things.

But it was undeniable that this was the most lively and human atmosphere in the hospital in a long time.

Li Yifei, diligently washing the dishes, and Lin QiYe, preparing today's medicine, were both focused.

Nikes sat quietly on her small stool, staring at Lin QiYe as he worked, seemingly lost in thought, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

"DanaDosi."

"What's wrong?"

"Our home... has it been this lively in a long time?"

Lin QiYe hesitated before shaking his head. "I don't know."

"You children, once you grow up, you all drift further and further away. I have so many children, yet in the end... it's only me left."

Nikes' gaze dimmed slightly.

Lin QiYe looked at her in silence for a long time, then walked over with hot water and medicine in hand.

"At least, now you have us, don't you?" Lin QiYe said softly, handing her the water.

"We... won't leave."

Nikes' body trembled slightly as she gazed into Lin QiYe's eyes. A new light sparkled in them.

Meanwhile, her treatment progress bar moved forward a little more.

Nikes Treatment Progress: 51%

Condition Met for Ability Reward. Can Extract Nikes' Divine Power Again.

Nikes' treatment progress has exceeded 50%, allowing short-term leave from the Gods' Psychiatric Hospital...