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

Chapter 306 Unexpected
Xu Pengcheng reacted instinctively, as if he had rehearsed it: "It was me..."

But his answer was immediately cut short as he began to gasp for breath.

After a long while, Xu Pengcheng said to Nan Zhuren as if begging for mercy, "Teacher, you don't understand... it has to be this way."

"I 'must' pass the physical fitness test, and I 'must' improve!"

……

The topic was changed.

This shift in topic, coupled with Xu Pengcheng's current posture, is a very clear signal of defense or even resistance.

Faced with this situation.

Nan Zhuren chose to take a step back.

"Indeed, I don't know much about physical fitness tests, and I may not be familiar with your current situation, Pengcheng."

Nan Zhuren said, "Let's continue talking about things related to this emotion experiment."

These two sentences calmed Xu Pengcheng down a little.

However, Nan Zhuren then turned on the computer, and the screen displayed the last paragraph of text that had elicited the strongest reaction from Xu Pengcheng during the "emotional induction" experiment.

— [While you're in the restroom, you overhear classmates whispering behind your back, seemingly talking about you behind your back.]

Nan Zhuren observed Xu Pengcheng's reaction.

Unlike when he first saw this text, Nan Zhuren's conversation with Xu Pengcheng, while putting Xu Pengcheng into a defensive state, also infused him with sufficient energy.

When Xu Pengcheng faced this question again, he no longer resisted as if in a stressful situation, nor did he immediately want to stop the experiment.

Nan Zhuren's actions were also a strategic retreat. He bypassed the issue from another direction and returned to the original question from a different angle.

"How did you feel when you saw this text?" Nan Zhuren asked softly.

He gently, yet firmly, tried to peel back Xu Pengcheng's defensive shell.

This was Nan Zhuren's last attempt at dialogue today. Regardless of Xu Pengcheng's response, both sides had already gained a great deal.

Even if Xu Pengcheng "did not react," it would still be a unique kind of growth and gain for both of them.

As Nan Zhuren silently watched, Xu Pengcheng silently gazed at the line of text.

A full half minute passed.

"I feel...uncomfortable."

“Some…” Xu Pengcheng paused for a moment, “…feeling unwell.”

"Feeling unwell" is a very general description of one's feelings and doesn't even belong to the category of "emotions".

But it is enough.

Nan Zhuren smiled.

Why do I feel uncomfortable?

"My teammates and friends, we used to have a great relationship. But after I failed the physical test several times, forcing everyone to train with me every day, things gradually changed. They started giving me nicknames..."

"Everyone shouted together. At first, there were only a few people, but later everyone shouted."

"Minchao, Ajia, Junkai, Mingchen..."

Nan Zhuren listened with a smile, then suddenly paused.

etc--

Mingchen?

The young counselor's breathing became erratic.

He couldn't help but give himself a "mood readjustment".
-
"Judging from your expression, did you have a fruitful day?"

Chonghui's voice pulled Nan Zhuren out of his thoughts.

Nan Zhuren looked at his senior brother, a tall man who was carrying a huge takeout bag and walking towards him.

The workday is over.

After the official end time of evening self-study—21:30 PM—Nan Zhuren and his team could no longer chat with the students, even if they wanted to work overtime voluntarily. After packing up the equipment, they returned to their accommodation and began organizing the data they had collected during the day.

"Ah, the results are quite good," Nan Zhuren replied after hearing Chonghui's question. "My students here have provided a lot of interesting data, although they are definitely a bit slower than you, senior brother..."

Chonghui waved his hand to interrupt Nan Zhuren: "I'm asking how your chat with those sports students went—did you learn anything?"

Nan Zhuren unflinchingly opened the takeout bag: "You guessed it?"

"Do we even need to guess?"

Chonghui walked into the kitchen and started taking out bowls and chopsticks.

Nan Zhuren saw his actions and tried to stop him: "Senior brother... why bother using bowls and chopsticks when you've already ordered takeout? It'll just mean washing more dishes..."

"Never mind that, this is what makes eating feel like!" Chonghui waved his hand and then brought the topic back, "A student talked to you for almost an hour this afternoon, right? I don't need to guess to know that you've definitely turned your experiment into a consulting direction."

Chonghui arranged the bowls, plates, chopsticks, and so on. To be honest, it actually looked quite presentable after all that.

It's a pity that Lu Jia is still helping Weng Pingting outside, otherwise she would definitely enjoy the atmosphere of "eating at home with Teacher Nan".

"And ah..."

Chonghui glanced at Nan Zhuren: "Who wasn't like this when they first started a project?"

"When we first started studying this major, everyone liked to do 'unnecessary' things."

Nan Zhuren blinked.

Chonghui looked at the table and felt something was missing. Then he slapped his forehead, went back to the kitchen, and grabbed two more glasses filled with ice.

"As for this time..."

“At first, I thought I would keep an eye on you and guide you to work on the project properly. But then I thought – rather than you secretly chatting with those students and causing unexpected trouble for me, it’s better to let you chat while you’re working on the project, so that I can be mentally prepared if something goes wrong.”

“And your talent… is very strong.” Chonghui’s shoulders twitched as if he had thought of something. “So I believe you won’t ruin things because of your abilities.”

"If you don't manage to reach an agreement in the end, you'll learn from this experience and be more standardized when working on projects in the future; if you do manage to reach an agreement... that's a good thing too."

Nan Zhuren listened to Chonghui's words without changing his hand movements: "What if in the end I neither manage to get anything out of them, and the project fails because I did something unnecessary?"

"Then it'll be a flop." Chonghui shrugged.

Surprisingly, he acted with remarkable ease.

"These kinds of projects are 'rare,' but not 'that rare'—after all, they can all be used to train newcomers."

"If it ultimately fails, as long as we can learn from this project and do a good job on truly important projects in the future, that's fine too."

Seeing Nan Zhuren finally show a surprised expression, Chonghui grinned and patted his muscular chest muscles loudly: "Don't worry, if anything happens, your senior brother will cover for you!"

Nan Zhuren curled the corners of his lips, about to say something.

"Of course, if your senior sister scolds you, you'll have to bear it yourself," Chonghui added.

Nan Zhuren blinked and closed her mouth again.

Chonghui quickly poured the vegetables into a plate, poured the drinks, and then scooped the rice from the disposable lunchbox into a small porcelain bowl.

Four dishes and one soup. Beef with scrambled eggs, poached chicken, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried romaine lettuce, and a vegetable, tofu and dried shrimp soup.

Two extra glasses of chilled lemonade were also provided.

It actually looks quite decent.

"It's really hard to find a restaurant in the middle of the night," Chonghui sighed.

Then, changing the subject, he asked, "So, what did you learn from that student?"

Since things have come to this, let's eat first... no, let's talk while we eat.

Nan Zhuren nodded and sat down.

He and Chonghui were both participants in the project and were jointly responsible for data collection. They were relatively flexible on confidentiality rules and could adopt the same standards they used when dealing with Weng Pingting.

“This student is named Xu Pengcheng. His problem is very similar to that of Li Mingchen, but there are also key differences…”

(End of this chapter)