Nancheng City Red Leaf Psychiatric Hospital.

This was a private specialized hospital.

Reportedly the best place for psychiatric treatment in Nancheng City.

Although the fees were relatively high here, Jiang Ran felt that going to a cheaper, low-quality hospital would be worse than staying home counting stars.

Since he had already made an online appointment, after checking in at Red Leaf Psychiatric Hospital, he began waiting for his turn with the doctor.

Jiang Ran checked the time—exactly 10:00 AM.

With several people ahead of him, he wandered around the patient waiting area.

During his stroll, he happened upon a poster.

The poster featured a doctor and his credentials—the very doctor Jiang Ran had booked an appointment with.

Named Bai Xiaoliang.

A rather handsome man.

30 years old, PhD.

Had been studying in America since graduate school.

Continued through his doctorate before returning home.

Below was a long list of honors this Dr. Bai Xiaoliang had received.

All sorts of impressive achievements that dazzled the eyes.

The overall impression was simply: damn impressive!

Just then, the electronic announcement system sounded:

[Patient Jiang Ran, number 20, please proceed to examination room 1!]

[Patient Jiang Ran, number 20, please proceed to examination room 1!]

The announcement repeated three times.

Hearing it was his turn, Jiang Ran walked unhurriedly to examination room 1.

Inside, he saw the very Bai Xiaoliang from the poster—even more handsome in person.

There was a second person in the room too.

A female nurse in white sitting at a computer.

This nurse had delicate features and wore strikingly alluring red contact lenses.

"Hello, what seems to be the problem you need help with?"

Bai Xiaoliang asked across the examination desk with a smile.

So far, Jiang Ran thought Bai Xiaoliang seemed decent.

At least he could smile when facing patients.

After all, many doctors treated patients as if they owed them a million bucks, wearing gloomy expressions.

Of course, Jiang Ran understood—doctors seeing different patients all day must be exhausting.

"I have dissociative identity disorder."

Jiang Ran replied calmly.

Hearing this, Bai Xiaoliang immediately dropped his smile and turned serious.

"Dissociative identity disorder? Was this diagnosed at another hospital? Or is this self-diagnosed?"

Jiang Ran nodded: "Already diagnosed. At another hospital."

Bai Xiaoliang: "How long have you had it?"

Jiang Ran: "A long time."

Bai Xiaoliang: "Specifically?"

Jiang Ran thought for a moment: "Probably since I became self-aware."

Bai Xiaoliang had the red-contact-lens nurse record this on the computer while he continued questioning:

"So since childhood then? Any family history of mental illness—parents or relatives?"

Jiang Ran shook his head: "Don't know. I'm an orphan."

Jiang Ran had been an orphan on Earth before transmigrating here—only to be an orphan again.

Bai Xiaoliang nodded: "Understood. Since this is your first visit here, we'll need to run some tests to confirm the dissociative identity disorder diagnosis. Other hospitals' diagnoses can only serve as reference."

"There's a payment machine outside. Go pay first, then come back."

Jiang Ran had no objections—starting fresh with tests at a new hospital was standard procedure.

At the payment machine outside, Jiang Ran saw the itemized fees totaling over 400 yuan.

His wallet ached in protest.

After paying, he returned to the examination room.

The red-contact-lens nurse clipped a small device to Jiang Ran's left index finger—a heart rate monitor.

Then she pulled out several printed forms filled with text from a drawer.

Jiang Ran knew exactly what these were.

Assessment scales and questionnaires.

Specifically designed for testing mental disorders.

And these were specialized for dissociative identity disorder.

Jiang Ran first picked up the dissociative identity disorder assessment scale.

It contained numerous questions requiring responses.

For example, the first item:

I enjoy reading sports magazines.

Followed by options: [Yes] and [No].

If he liked reading them, he'd check "Yes";

if not, "No".

If uncertain, he could leave it blank—though leaving too many blanks was discouraged.

Bai Xiaoliang said: "You're probably familiar with these, having been to other hospitals. But I must remind you—"

"There are no right answers. Answer completely truthfully based on your situation. Everyone's different, so don't feel pressured."

"Also, don't overthink each question—just go with your first instinct and actual circumstances."

Jiang Ran nodded and began answering under the monitoring of the finger-clipped heart rate device.

The following questions were diverse.

Like: [My mother is a good person.]

Jiang Ran left this blank—being an orphan, he'd never met his mother.

Another question: [I want to be a singer.]

Jiang Ran checked "No".

[Sometimes I really want to swear.]

"No".

[I cough frequently.]

"No".

[It would be perfect if all laws disappeared.]

"No".

[Sometimes I feel ghosts around me.]

"No".

Jiang Ran kept swiftly answering.

These assessment tools weren't all yes/no types.

There were multiple-choice questions too.

For example:

[What do you hate/dislike most?]

[A: Having girlfriend stolen by best friend]

[B: Getting fired]

[C: Seeing boss harass female employees]

Jiang Ran chose A.

With many question types and numerous items, Jiang Ran spent nearly an hour completing everything.

Bai Xiaoliang collected the completed forms and said:

"Go pay at the door again, then get an EEG and MRI."

Jiang Ran nodded.

He'd done both tests at other hospitals before.

EEGs monitored brain activity while MRIs examined brain structure—both assisted in confirming mental disorders like dissociative identity disorder.

Before leaving for the tests, Jiang Ran glimpsed Bai Xiaoliang scoring the assessments with a pen.

The two tests took an hour.

When Jiang Ran returned, Bai Xiaoliang was waiting—the EEG and MRI results had automatically transmitted to his computer without physical copies.

Assuming the examinations were over, Jiang Ran was surprised when Bai Xiaoliang announced one final test unlike any at previous hospitals.

"Jiang Ran, we'll conduct one last test now. Are you ready?"

Bai Xiaoliang stood up calmly.

Jiang Ran was puzzled: "Another test? What kind?"

Bai Xiaoliang said: "Just follow my instructions—you'll see soon enough."

He had Jiang Ran lie on a couch in the corner.

Then Bai Xiaoliang pulled out an old-fashioned pocket watch from his coat.

"So it's hypnosis!"

Jiang Ran suddenly understood—the pocket watch instantly made him think of hypnosis, thanks to TV and movie stereotypes.

Bai Xiaoliang nodded: "Done this before?"

Jiang Ran shook his head: "No."

Though he'd seen psychiatrists and psychologists in his past life, perhaps because they were ordinary-level practitioners, he'd never undergone hypnosis therapy.

Bai Xiaoliang reassured: "Don't worry—hypnosis is quite pleasant."

"Just keep your eyes on this pocket watch and follow my instructions."