299. Counselor【17/122】
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In the second semester of sophomore year, it was obvious that there were way fewer classes compared to last semester.
First off, the evening self-study sessions were gone, replaced by certification exams.
You had to pay for the certification registration, and then there’d be a class dedicated to prepping for the exams, which usually took place in the evenings. If you were diligent and had cash to spare, you could enroll in up to five exams and continue to have a fulfilling schedule like last semester.
But Lin Nan was clearly not that kind of person.
Mainly because she was broke.
After the first class ended on Tuesday morning, Lin Nan planned to follow the crowd heading to the next class when suddenly she was called over by the counselor.
Feeling a bit nervous, Lin Nan was still carrying a slight guilt about Zheng Qian, especially since she seemed to have used a charm spell to turn him into a gay guy.
Or maybe he was always that way, and she just stirred up his hidden feelings?
She handed her books to Chen Yao and peeked into the office.
“Come in,” Zheng Qian called out, spotting her little head.
Lin Nan tiptoed into the office, feeling anxious, worried that this guy would start pestering her again. But judging by their last meeting, Zheng Qian seemed to have lost interest in her.
She stood at the desk while Zheng Qian continued handling paperwork without looking up, adopting a very official attitude: “Your documents should be ready by tomorrow. Come get them around four in the afternoon, along with your new student ID. There’s a processing fee of ten bucks.”
“Things on campus will be resolved by tomorrow, but changing your student records will have to be reported. It’ll definitely be sorted out in about ten days to two weeks.”
“Uh-huh,” Lin Nan stood there, feeling timid.
“I called you in because I have a question,” Zheng Qian finally looked up at her, “Are you planning to keep attending this class, or transfer to the one next door?”
“If you stay in your current class, your classmates will inevitably find out about… your situation. But if you switch to another class, unless you want to tell someone, no one will know,” Zheng Qian continued. “Also, regarding your off-campus living, if you switch classes, you might need to stay in the girls’ dorm for a few days. I’ll need to communicate with your new counselor to allow you to live off-campus.”
Zheng Qian’s demeanor had changed drastically from his usual laid-back self. This sudden shift left Lin Nan feeling quite out of sorts.
She somewhat understood, nodded her head, but then confusedly asked, “Switch classes? Which one?”
“The same major, Class Two, obviously! What other class would it be?” Zheng Qian gave her a glance. “Or did you want to change majors on top of everything?”
Class Two…
Wasn’t that the same class as Li Na and Liu Xuefei?
Looking at her current class, having her classmates learn about her situation versus trying to integrate into a new class seemed equally daunting.
“I knew you wouldn’t get it. Just message me about it before tomorrow,” Zheng Qian shook his head.
The class bell rang, and Lin Nan, feeling out of place, cautiously inquired, “Uh, is there anything else? I need to go to class…”
“Hold on, sit down. There’s a psychological assessment for you to fill out,” Zheng Qian pulled out a few forms from his drawer and handed them over. “The school is worried about your mental health, so they want you to fill this out to assess things.”
“Uh, but this thing doesn’t really work, does it?”
“It can reflect your current mental state,” Zheng Qian added, jotting down a phone number on a slip of paper before passing it to her. “If you feel like you have any mental health issues, like discomfort, hallucinations, or suicidal thoughts, give her a call. She’s the school’s psychologist.”
Lin Nan blankly accepted the slip, glanced over it, then looked up and asked, “Zheng Qian, don’t you need to fill this out?”
“…”
Zheng Qian was momentarily speechless, then cleared his throat to mask his embarrassment, his expression turning serious: “I’m already a teacher. My psychological mediation skills are way better than yours.”
“But I feel like you might have some issues too, possibly needing more help than I do…” Lin Nan mumbled as she focused on filling out the assessment.
It’s not my fault! I just liked cross-dressing boys in anime!
Zheng Qian’s expression hardened slightly, and he shot her an annoyed look. But just then, Lin Nan finished the test, handed over the paper and pen, and turned away, feigning innocence: “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head to class now.”
“Go on, decide whether you want to stay in this class or switch, but you better let me know tonight,” Zheng Qian said.
“Got it.” Lin Nan turned to scurry out of the office.
“What a character.” Zheng Qian shook his head, put the assessment in the drawer, and suddenly his demeanor brightened, smiling as he grabbed his phone and began chatting with the “girl” he met at the bar.
Yep, I really do prefer pretty boys!
