"So that's how it is."
Mary looked at the young girl with pity and said, "No wonder I thought she seed out of it, like sothing was wrong with her head. Turns out, she was scared silly by that Black Dragon."
Indeed. In Mary's eyes, the girl was just like a child with a ntal handicap. Otherwise, why would she act childishly, spout nonsense, and take off her clothes at the drop of a hat?
"I think it's you who's been scared silly."
Ning Fan muttered under his breath, feeling it was a good idea. He followed Mary's words and said, "That's the situation, so if she says so odd things, don't take them to heart."
Mary nodded in understanding, "I know. I did social work in a community hospital when I was in high school. I understand that ntal patients can't be aggravated. I'll be patient with her."
"That would be wonderful."
Ning Fan continued, "After she was scared silly, she started having intellectual issues, and she forgot a lot of things."
"I could tell. Even a child wouldn't do sothing like taking off their clothes just to prove a point."
"As long as you understand. So I hope you can teach her about daily life. After all, she's a young girl. If she causes a scene, it wouldn't be good."
Mary readily agreed, "No problem. I'll take care of this."
Caring for soone with ntal illness requires patience, and Mary had plenty of patience, having spent over a decade in solitude, with her adolescent restlessness long since worn down.
"I'll leave her to you then."
"I'll take good care of her."
After speaking, Mary surveyed the ruins of Ryan Town and couldn't help but ask, "Are there any clues here?"
"Well..."
Ning Fan's expression darkened slightly, and he replied softly, "There's a hint, but it's not certain yet."
Mary gently reassured him, "Don't worry too much. Miss Alice's identity isn't ordinary; nothing too serious should happen."
"Let's hope so."
Ning Fan forced a smile, "Let's not talk about that now. Introduce her to the outside world. Once you feel it's enough, we'll leave here."
"No problem."
Having agreed, Mary walked over to the girl with a gentle expression and warmly greeted, "Young lady, what's your na?"
The girl proudly replied, "My na is..."
Upon hearing that prefix, Ning Fan panicked and quickly interjected, "Mary, help her pick a na."
"So she's even forgotten her own na. That's so unfortunate."
Looking at the girl, Mary beca even more gentle, radiating a maternal glow.
"This girl looks about seventeen or eighteen. If I hadn't beco a ghost, my daughter would probably be her age."
Thinking of her own sorrowful past, Mary's eyes were filled with compassion, and a thought grew in her mind to take in the girl as her own daughter and care for her.
"I have a na, no need for this gho..."
The girl, who was about to lose her temper, suddenly began to convulse as if electrocuted, then breathed heavily as if she'd just escaped from death.
Seeing this, Mary anxiously asked, "What's happening?"
"Here's the situation."
Ignoring the girl's resentful gaze, Ning Fan stepped forward to explain, "The traumatic experience left an indelible psychological shadow on her, causing these reflex spasms as a symptom."
Ning Fan had to praise himself for his quick thinking. With this reason, if any triggers occurred in the future, he could easily explain them away.
"Oh dear! How could this happen?"
Mary exclaid, covering her mouth with her hands, then gave Ning Fan a reproachful look, as if blaming him for discussing such matters in front of the girl.
Ning Fan continued, "If sothing like this happens, don't be too shocked."
"Isn't there any way to treat it? Perhaps we should see a psychiatrist."
Mary quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
No normal person would see a psychiatrist.
This isn't about being ashad of seeking treatnt; it's because discussing it openly is considered impolite.
"It's okay. The symptoms are brief, and they'll pass after a while."
After finishing, Ning Fan lowered his voice and said, "If you hear her talk about dragons, Divine Spirits, or ghosts, just play along so as not to provoke her."
"Of course I know that."
As they spoke, Mary's eyes darkened slightly, and she whispered guiltily, "Does she know I'm a ghost?"
Sotis, Mary had the illusion that she was truly alive in this world,
not a ghost, but a vibrant and beautiful urban girl.
She could touch objects, possessing an apparent physical presence, and could even walk in sunlight, drink water, and eat like a normal person.
Yet, this body had no temperature, sll, taste, or sense of pain.
These things constantly reminded Mary that no matter how humanlike she was, she couldn't change the fact she was a ghost.
This beca Mary's source of insecurity. In the presence of non-humans like Alice and Ning Fan, she felt a kinship and didn't dwell on it.
But whenever she was with others, Mary would beco anxious, constantly worried that her disguise as a human would be exposed.
In her nervousness, Mary forgot Ning Fan's earlier introduction, that the girl was part of the Alien Clan living in Ryan Town.
When Ning Fan reiterated this, Mary didn't feel ashad about her identity. "Since the child knows my identity, it'll make it easier to care for her."
Listening to the murmurs between the two, the girl secretly felt dissatisfied. Though she appeared fragile, her hearing was as sharp as a rabbit's.
"I am not so bored as to flaunt my identity among a bunch of bugs. Is that sothing to be proud of... Hmph!"
Though the girl wanted to say sothing, recalling the recent punishnt, she could only scrunch her nose and exhale sharply.
Originally, it was an expression of dissatisfaction, but in Mary's eyes, it was a different scene entirely.
"Such a pitiful child. rciful Holy Lord, how should we handle such a beautiful child whose mind is broken?"
If a ghost could cry, Mary would surely be wiping away tears of sorrow at this mont.
Ning Fan waved his hand, "Alright. Go ahead and talk."
"What a poor child!"
Mary sighed once again, quickly masking her sorrow with a gentle smile, "Young lady, let's go over there and talk."
While walking, Mary tried using gentle words to guide the girl.
Seeing that Ning Fan was not around, the girl quietly lowered her voice, "Your na is Mary, right? I'll tell you a secret, I am that Black Dragon."
"I know."
The girl's eyes lit up, "You really believe ?"
"Of course, I believe you."
Mary looked at the girl tenderly, her eyes still filled with the kind light ant for a child with a ntal handicap.
"I hope this problematic child behaves."
Hearing the girl starting to court trouble, Ning Fan sighed. If possible, he didn't wish to resort to punitive asures.
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