Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 200 What is the scariest thing about graduate school?
"When a client's family member is ignored or even blamed by you, it's best to reconnect with the previous counseling clinic and offer support, active attention, and even unconditional care without any principles."

Huang Xin slowly said, "In this situation, what do you think the visitor's family members would do?"

"The family member will experience a huge psychological gap, which will affect their life with the client. She may become more dissatisfied with your counseling, which will interfere with the counseling effect; she may give up continuing counseling with you and return to the teacher's clinic, or simply find a counseling institution that can provide her with emotional value."

"What I fear most is that she will vent this dissatisfaction on her life or on the clients, adding more pressure to the already precarious clients."

Huang Xin looked at Nan Zhuren and said, "You need to be more careful."

Nan Zhuren nodded solemnly, seemingly lost in thought.

He immediately took out his phone and started typing and sending messages.

……

Watching Nan Zhuren's actions.

Huang Xin thought to himself that the other party was probably contacting their assistant.

Having said everything he wanted to say to Nan Zhuren, Huang Xin turned his gaze away: "That's all I wanted to say. Now that you know..."

He stood up, stamped his feet because of the cold, and turned to leave.

However, he stopped abruptly the next moment.

"I'm curious." It was Nan Zhuren's voice that stopped him. "Why did you come all this way to tell me this?"

Because he had just started walking, Huang Xin had already gone out of the range of the streetlights; although the light did not provide heat, the synesthesia caused by vision still aggravated the chill of the night, making Huang Xin feel uncomfortable all over.

He had his back to Nan Zhuren, and perhaps because he was cold, he put his hands back into his pockets.

“You helped me, so I’ll help you out in return,” Huang Xin replied.

Nan Zhuren shook his head: "But you said that I also achieved my goal through you, so we were already even when it came to the 'first thing'; and the information you gave me about Li Minglu is the 'second thing,' which is beyond the scope of reward."

Why are you taking this so seriously?
Huang Xin was probably still a bit cold, so he shrank back and tucked his neck into the collar of his down jacket.

"Then you owe me one, so I can be more at ease that you won't cause me trouble in the future."

"Trust me so much?"

"Correct."

Nan Zhuren patted the spot next to him: "If you trust me so much, why don't you turn around?"

……

These words sounded rather strange, and so did his actions.

With Huang Xin turning to leave and Nan Zhuren extending a grand invitation, the atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.

Huang Xin opened his mouth as if to speak.

But Nan Zhuren spoke first: "I think you have another reason."

"I think--"

"You're sympathizing with Li Minglu."

Nan Zhuren nodded first, then shook his head: "No, calling it 'sympathy' is too unprofessional. You should say that you are acting as a psychologist, taking moral responsibility towards the group of 'clients'."

……

Huang Xin suddenly shuddered, and all the muscles in his body tensed up involuntarily.

He actually felt uncomfortable because of Nan Zhuren's words.

Even though there was no one in front of him, he had the feeling that he was meeting a sharp gaze, and subconsciously turned his head to hide himself.

Then--

He turned his head and was met with the face of Nan Zhuren, who had appeared beside him at some point.

【…?】 Wasn't I just sitting here? How did I teleport here?!
Did this person sneak over from the bench right after asking that question, just waiting for me to turn around?
This guy is usually so serious, why does he always do things that feel so thuggish? Does he think he's DIO, repeatedly stopping and moving people on the Egyptian stairs?
...Oh, that's a cheesy joke. Nobody watches JoJo these days.

Nan Zhuren was unaware of, or rather, indifferent to, the turmoil Huang Xin was experiencing at that moment.

He squinted.

His gaze swept across Huang Xin's face, then he nodded in satisfaction: "I was right."

Huang Xin's eyes widened instantly: "You bastard...!"

Nan Zhuren, however, did not stop and continued to rattle off: "When you saw me hit Liu Pan in the lab this morning, you were actually quite pleased and wanted to laugh, right?"

"—Yes, I was right."

Huang Xin suddenly took a step back: "Nan Zhuren! You give me..."

"What are you unhappy about him for? Is it because of his background, or because he can so easily obtain the opportunities you crave? — Partly, but there's a deeper reason. Is it because you're unhappy with the contemptuous, even disdainful, attitude he shows towards visitors?"

"—Very good, I was right again."

Huang Xin took another step back: "That's enough, you..."

"So, you actually do retain some moral principles. Not just Liu Pan, you even disagree with many of Lin Lilin's propositions and actions, right?"

"Yes, that's great!"

Huang Xin took another step back. He wanted to say something, but he felt a resistance coming from behind his knees, which tripped him as he struggled to stand.

Unbeknownst to him, he had retreated back onto the bench, been hooked, and thus sat down again.

Nan Zhuren wrapped his coat around himself, slid down to Huang Xin's side in a flash, and slowly said at a distance where their faces were almost touching:
"Since that's your idea, why don't you reconsider my previous suggestion and help me find Lin Lilin's account books and clinic files?"

……

Huang Xin remained silent.

His expression changed rapidly.

Although he was forced to retreat repeatedly by Nan Zhuren, he almost fell.

But once his back was supported by the chair back, the qualities of a qualified psychology master's degree holder returned.

Huang Xin lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought. After ten breaths, he finally let out a long sigh.

"Don't read my expression... I did help you tonight, how can you repay kindness with enmity..."

Nan Zhuren, who had been staring at Huang Xin, nodded upon hearing this: "Okay, senior brother, I won't study anymore."

Huang Xin paused, revealing a conflicted expression that seemed to be both crying and laughing.

Half a day later, he sighed again: "Nan Zhuren, junior brother, I am not the same as you."

Nan Zhuren blinked but didn't say anything.

"You know what? Before I took the postgraduate entrance exam, I heard a saying." It sounded like a real conversation between fellow students.

Huang Xin's tone became melancholy as he spoke of the past.

“They said, ‘To pursue a master’s degree, you either need connections to bring your own projects into the research group and become the group’s mascot; or you need ability to become the mentor’s disciple and a true successor; otherwise, you can only be a graduate student, producing academic garbage, and after graduation, you will continue to be a beast of burden. It’s better to get a job directly after graduating with a bachelor’s degree.’”

Nan Zhuren listened quietly, knowing that this conversation would lead things into a crucial phase.

"But, junior, do you know what the scariest thing about graduate school is?"

The person in front of me sounded melancholy, asking and answering himself: "Being a beast of burden? No, I was mentally prepared for this long ago. I went to graduate school just to be a better beast of burden. I accepted my fate long ago."

“The most terrifying thing during graduate studies is—” Huang Xin looked into Nan Zhuren’s eyes and said, word by word, “the supervisor system.”

Mentorship system.

(End of this chapter)