Under Jack Young's scrutiny, Ethan Zhuo didn’t seem to possess any supernatural powers. His energy and physique weren’t particularly remarkable. Jack could sense his heartbeat, blood flow, and muscle movements—nothing hidden there. So after watching for a moment, Jack was sure this guy wasn’t some martial arts master. Clearly, his talents lay elsewhere.
This thirty-something man had a natural charm and an air of mystery. "Haha, my name’s been roasted countless times. When I was born, the White-Haired Witch—a famous character from Chinese wuxia novels—wasn’t famous yet. Now everyone gives me nicknames—like 'Brother-in-law Lian' (a playful reference to an old romance legend), 'Senior Zhuo,' and Young Master Huang here just loves calling me 'Big Bro.'"
So that 'Big Bro' was him.
"Big Bro is seriously impressive, definitely a scholar! When it comes to psychology, I’ve never seen anyone better." Harry Huang shot Jack a meaningful look, then turned to the four girls with a flourish: "A real man should be learned, just like Big Bro—not some empty-headed fool. Thanks to his influence, I’ve picked up all sorts of trivia. For example, did you know rabbits don’t actually eat carrots…"
Jack could only sigh—was Stew Pot trying to out-geek him with weird trivia now?
Talk of scholarship got Glasses Girl interested. She piped up, "Brother-in-law Lian (练姐夫, a teasing nickname based on his name and a classic romance), where’d you study psychology?"
"Honestly, I’m self-taught." Ethan Zhuo chuckled, a bit embarrassed. "I originally majored in German. After college, I lucked into a great mentor and only then started studying psychology. I guess I had some good fortune and managed to get certified as a hypnotherapist. These days, I’m just a bit of a quack, really."
Seeing Ethan Zhuo being so modest, Harry Huang quickly started bragging: "Big Bro may be a late bloomer, but he graduated from Tongji University!" He couldn’t wait to hype up Big Bro as some kind of legend, just to show off that "Hey, look, I’m friends with a genius!"
"Tongji?" Glasses Girl adjusted her specs and snorted, "Not bad, I guess." She had a grudge against schools like that, so she wasn’t about to act impressed.
Harry Huang looked awkward, about to say something, when Miss Cool Eyes lit up: "So Master Zhuo is a hypnotist! That means you can see right through people’s thoughts, huh? Must be unbeatable when chasing girls!"
Ethan Zhuo gave a wry smile and rubbed his nose. "I may be a certified hypnotherapist, but I can’t read minds. Actually, Mr. Yang here—just now, I felt like his gaze was so deep, it was as if he could see right through me."
"Really?" Loli Girl mumbled in confusion. "I never noticed anything special about him."
"Definitely." Ethan Zhuo nodded firmly. "Mr. Yang is definitely hiding some serious skills—I’d never mistake that." As soon as he said this, everyone except Sophie Soo stared at Jack Young in surprise, as if meeting him for the first time.
Jack Young just smiled lightly. "You flatter me. I only know a couple of tricks. By the way, Mr. Zhuo, you seem to emphasize the title 'hypnotherapist,' especially stressing the 'therapist' part."
"Haha, it’s a habit I inherited from my mentor." Ethan Zhuo looked at Jack Young and sighed softly, then said meaningfully, "Even now, hypnosis is mysterious and hard for most people to understand. And mysterious, unknown powers always make people anxious and resistant. That’s why you have to add 'therapist'—to make it clear: I’m a doctor, here to help and heal. It’s a kind of psychological suggestion, really."
Mysterious, unknown powers always make people anxious and resistant… Is that true? Well, it’s not wrong. When faced with the incomprehensible, people tend to go to extremes—either worship or outright rejection. Martial arts have been around in China for ages, so folks subconsciously accept them. That’s why even if Jack Young shows off a few moves, it doesn’t cause much fuss. Unless he goes way overboard, at most people will just say, "Wow! There really are hidden masters among us!"
But if Jack Young had picked up magic or something in his dreams, he’d have to keep it under wraps. In that sense, he’s pretty lucky.
Thinking about his own inner demon, Jack Young suddenly found himself interested in psychology. Buddhism is basically all about the mind, and the Insight Technique is pretty much focused on spirit and mental stuff too. Maybe psychology could help with the Insight Technique. So, Jack perked up and said, "Mr. Zhuo, I’m actually really interested in psychology. Could you give me a quick intro?"
Ethan Zhuo didn’t hold back. Hearing Jack Young’s request, he got interested himself. The two of them started chatting about psychology and really hit it off. One was a hands-on Insight Technique practitioner, the other a legit hypnotherapy theorist, and as they talked, both felt like their minds were opening up.
Stew Pot, on the other hand, was feeling pretty bummed. Aren’t rich kids supposed to be airheads? How come these two seem so sharp? He tried to show off some trivia he’d crammed in the last couple days, but Glasses Girl hit him with a couple questions and he was stumped—so he just shut up, sulking.
Just then, the waiter came in to take their order. The dishes were ready, but the hotpot base still needed a final confirmation. "The extra spicy base here packs a punch—how about we go for the super spicy?" Stew Pot piped up, maybe he'd heard that 'whoever can handle spice runs the house.' He was all for the heat.
"No way," Sophie Soo immediately shook her head. "I can't handle spicy food. No chili, please."
"Ha, you’ve got to be kidding—everyone knows you love spicy food. Not eating spicy today?" Harry Huang glanced at Jack Young with a sneer. "Don’t tell me someone here can’t handle the heat? That’d be embarrassing."
"What nonsense!" Sophie Soo snapped, her brows raised. "I’m not feeling well today, got a problem with that? If you’re so desperate for spice, fine—waiter, bring this fatty a special bowl of chili." When the chili arrived, Sophie slammed the bowl of red-hot chili oil down in front of Stew Pot. "You were shouting for it, now if you don’t finish every last bite, you’re the real embarrassment."
Loli Girl and the other two girls exchanged glances, stifling their giggles. Sophie Soo might be mischievous and a bit dark when teasing her own, but when facing outsiders, she never held back. That’s exactly why people liked her so much and felt such a sense of belonging—no wonder she became Student Council President, admired by all the younger students.
Jack Young just smiled at Sophie Soo, saying nothing. For this kind of cousinly protectiveness, I’m honestly a little embarrassed.
After that, except for Stew Pot, everyone had a great meal. Jack Young and Ethan Zhuo hit it off, and soon Glasses Girl joined their chat. Sophie Soo, Loli Girl, and Miss Cool Eyes took turns cracking jokes—the vibe was super chill. Only Harry Huang was sulking, having totally failed at being a coward or an airhead—the first two of his three annoying strategies.
All that’s left is the third strategy.
Harry Huang glanced at Jack Young and gave a sly, creepy grin. Good thing this young master came prepared—today, I’ll expose your true colors!
"Whoa, Stew Pot’s grin is seriously gross!" Loli Girl chimed in with her signature cute voice, making Harry Huang instantly freeze in embarrassment.