Responsibility

“Long time no see? Wasn’t it the Professor himself who refused to contact me?”

Xiao Yuehua cast a frigid gaze toward him, closing the distance step by step.

Jiang Li fell silent for a moment, then shrugged.

“We had a bet, didn’t we? And besides…” He stood up, looking down at Xiao Yuehua, whose presence felt inexplicably powerful. He tried to use his height advantage to reclaim a modicum of authority. “And besides, this bet is for your own good, Yuehua. I am deeply sorry for the way I unilaterally led your development astray before. You can only find the right path by moving away from me.”

Xiao Yuehua stopped in her tracks, her face twisting into a complex, indescribable expression.

Thinking his “verbal therapy” was working, Jiang Li felt a surge of confidence and continued:

“You have your own dreams on the path of Interpretation, right? You are more talented than I am, and you have an excellent friend like Ning Rou. I believe that sooner or later, you will achieve the success you desire.”

“Professor…”

Xiao Yuehua suddenly cut him off. Her voice was low, sounding as though she were sinking into a deep depression.

“For the Professor to say something like that… isn’t it a bit too irresponsible?”

“What?” Jiang Li blinked, stunned for a second.

“All that talk about having high expectations for me, about doing it for my own good…” Xiao Yuehua abruptly snapped her head up. Her pace quickened as she closed in, her small leather shoes echoing sharply against the floor of the empty Interpretation Room. “It’s all a lie, isn’t it, Professor?”

“What… Yuehua, have you misunderstood something?” Jiang Li felt his skin crawl under her piercing stare. The little momentum he had built up vanished instantly.

“Am I some kind of burdensome object? What right does the Professor have to just throw me away whenever he pleases?”

“You talk about talent and potential, but does the Professor really think I have talent? Even if you thought so before, would you still think that after seeing Ning Rou’s Interpretation?”

“Isn’t it simply that the Professor thinks I’m a waste, so he found an excuse to dump me?”

Xiao Yuehua pressed herself aggressively against Jiang Li’s chest, pushing him backward like a combative fighting fish. She didn’t seem to care that her soft curves were being squeezed and deformed against him; her eyes held nothing but raw dominance.

Jiang Li instinctively took two steps back, but Xiao Yuehua immediately cornered him again. At this moment, he had no room for stray romantic thoughts; his mind was filled with nothing but guilt and confusion.

Didn’t I settle things with her using the bet earlier? Why did this girl suddenly turn into this? Who provoked this little ancestor now?

“Yue… Yuehua, why bring up Ning Rou all of a sudden? Yes, I admit Student Ning Rou has incredible talent, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t capable…” Jiang Li forced himself to remain calm, attempting to soothe the bristling girl. “In fact, my belief in you is no lie, and I’ve never seen you as a burden. It’s just that in the competition, Ning Rou already proved—”

“Ning Rou, Ning Rou, Ning Rou! Every single word is about Ning Rou!” Xiao Yuehua let out a low growl. “I am the one talking to the Professor, so why do you keep mentioning someone else?”

She lunged at him roughly, grabbing his arms tightly as if afraid he might bolt.

“How can the Professor be so arrogant? To get close to me and then cast me aside? Just because you think more highly of her?”

Jiang Li’s heart skipped a beat at her words, fearing she had seen through his long-term “conquest” plan. But he quickly realized he was being overly sensitive; the girl was likely just plain jealous. However, that cold sweat served to clear his head, allowing him to break free from the overwhelming pressure of her aura.

Knowing he couldn’t let this drag on, he put on a stern face and forced a display of authority.

“Aren’t you straying too far from the point, Yuehua? I’ve never thought that way. I am simply choosing a path better suited for your development from the perspective of a professor.”

But his sternness had no effect on her. She tilted her head back, meeting his gaze without flinching.

“A path far away from the Professor?”

“It is better for you.”

“I don’t think it’s better for me!” Xiao Yuehua stared directly into Jiang Li’s eyes, as if searching for a trace of a lie. But in that staring match, it was her own eyes that began to well up with tears. “The path I want is the one where the Professor is by my side.”

I’ve played this too far.

Jiang Li felt his heart stop for a heartbeat. The immense guilt of deceiving such a girl suddenly drowned him. Having spent so much time together, it would be a flat-out lie to say he hadn’t felt a spark for her. But the problem was, there could never be a result between them.

Courting Xiao Yuehua was a mission requirement; he didn’t belong to this world. His younger sister, whom he had depended on for years, was still suffering in the main world. He couldn’t abandon everything to stay here and spend a lifetime with Xiao Yuehua.

Betraying this girl was inevitable. All Jiang Li could do was complete the mission as cleanly as possible and compensate her before leaving this world. He shouldn’t let her fall too deep.

Steeling his heart, Jiang Li forced his arms free from her grasp and spoke coldly.

“That is the wrong path.”

After packing his books and laptop, Jiang Li prepared to leave, but a heartbroken whisper came from behind him.

“Professor… can I really not come back?”

Jiang Li’s footsteps paused, but he shook his head.

“It’s for your own good, Yuehua.”

“Liar.”

As Jiang Li departed, only Xiao Yuehua remained in the Interpretation Room, her head bowed in silence. Under the fading light of the setting sun, her face—once full of grievance and sorrow—gradually twisted into something dark and sullen.

“The Professor is lying again.”

“He dumped me and went straight to Ning Rou…”

“For my own good, is it? Fine, Professor. I’ll let you know exactly what kind of ending is ‘for my own good’…”

Amidst her ghostly murmurs, an ancient, tattered parchment booklet appeared in her palm, curling and deforming under the increasing pressure of her knuckles.

“I will take the Professor back.”

The next morning.

When Jiang Li arrived at the Interpretation Room and began arranging the materials for today’s lesson, the sound of rhythmic footsteps came from the doorway. Even without turning around, he knew who it was. He let out a sigh and turned.

“Yuehua, was I not clear enough yesterday?”

“Yes, you weren’t clear enough.”

Xiao Yuehua stood before him, staring coldly. For some reason, Jiang Li detected a hint of absolute certainty in her eyes—a “victory is mine” look. A familiar sense of unease washed over him, and he frowned.

“Then I’ll say it one more time. Yuehua, for your own good—”

“Shouldn’t the Professor take responsibility for me?”

Jiang Li was cut off mid-sentence. The thoughts he had prepared vanished in an instant. At this moment, Xiao Yuehua’s voice seemed to carry a strange magic; a bizarre sensation of dizziness and confusion rapidly enveloped him.

He blinked with effort.

“Responsibility?”