Mentorship

To be honest, everything was going too smoothly—so smoothly that Jiang Li felt a bit dazed.

His original plan was to point out Xiao Yuehua’s flaws during the Freshman Competition to leave a lasting impression, then use that as a pretext to slowly approach her and overturn the negative image she had of him. After all, if he wanted to “conquer” her, he first needed contact.

The routine he had prepared was, at its core, the clichéd “commoner girl woos the rich heir” trope from old-fashioned romance dramas. It was old and hackneyed, but he had no choice. Jiang Li had no romantic experience across two lifetimes; he simply didn’t know how a real romance was supposed to begin.

He was just “treating a dead horse as if it were alive”—desperate enough to try anything.

Yet, to his surprise, Xiao Yuehua had practically delivered herself to his doorstep. In his shock, he could only cling to his persona and spout a bunch of nonsense at her, but remarkably, it worked.

What followed was smooth to an outrageous degree. He tentatively invited her to be his mentorship student, and for some reason, she actually agreed.

“A pleasant surprise indeed,” Jiang Li murmured to himself, letting out a sigh of relief in his grand yet lonely office.

Truthfully, maintaining this persona was far more exhausting than he had imagined. Every word, every gesture… everything had to be perfect. If not for the [Poker Face] skill he drew from the newbie gift pack—which happened to perfectly match Nangong Li’s stoic and emotionally detached character—he probably would have raised suspicions by now.

“But aside from that…”

Jiang Li stood up and attempted to channel the strange energy within his body.

Whir…

Suddenly, the cry of an eagle and the howl of wind filled the room. The silhouette of a massive silver eagle emerged, and clouds gradually materialized around it. Jiang Li’s attire shifted into a peculiar costume: half-clad in ferocious iron armor, half in a deep black cloak.

This was the image of “The Eagle Rider,” a character from this world’s films—a powerful wanderer with the ability to control beasts.

Jiang Li slowly clenched his right hand, which was encased in iron gauntlets, feeling the explosive power surging within.

“How interesting. The [Method] of this world is strange, but it can be called a perfect ‘jack-of-all-trades’ ability. Play a knight and you get combat power; play a priest and you get healing.”

“Only a pity…”

A moment later, Jiang Li shook his head, felt the energy draining from his body, and dispersed the illusions.

“Manifested power is restricted by the level of one’s [Method]. I can’t manifest images that exceed my own rank. Moreover, when not ‘performing,’ even the strongest Performer is no different from an ordinary person. They are vulnerable to sneak attacks, the energy consumption is high, and the duration is short.”

He summarized his findings as he walked to the window. Watching the students laughing and playing outside, he recalled his life just half a day ago, struggling to survive in a basement. He felt a sudden wave of emotion.

“Even so, such a powerful and versatile ability is incredibly precious. The [Method] rank for the identity of ‘Nangong Li’ is B-Class. Based on the power I just felt, that would be enough to be a high-ranking executive in the Superpower Association in my home world—plenty to give my sister a good life.”

“If only these skills weren’t ‘mission-limited’ and I could take them back to the main world with me.” Jiang Li sighed, feeling a deep sense of regret.

“What? You’re going to be his mentorship student?”

“Yes.”

“But isn’t that Nangong Li the guy who maliciously gave you a zero? First he targets you, then he gives you this suspicious invitation… Yuehua, are you sure he doesn’t have some sinister motive?”

“…”

“Yuehua, can’t you just refuse him? It’s too dangerous.”

“Don’t worry… I’m not a clueless little girl. If there’s danger, I’ll trigger my alarm immediately. Besides, this mentorship position is too important to me. I have to try, no matter what.”

Click-clack, click-clack…

On the way to the performance hall, Xiao Yuehua’s footsteps felt heavy. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t worried. Nangong Li’s “carrot and stick” routine was highly suspicious; she couldn’t fully trust him.

Even if he was a professor at the academy.

She squeezed the pocket-sized alarm in her hand, took a deep breath, and stepped into the room.

In the vast, empty performance hall, the lights were bright. Aside from a few props, there was only the figure of a man meticulously reading a script.

“You’re here?” Nangong Li put down the script and pointed to a corner. “Your script is over there.”

Xiao Yuehua silently picked it up. With one look, she realized it was the same “Witch” scene she had performed at the competition. She looked at Professor Nangong in confusion. “This is…?”

“Don’t get distracted while reading the script. Do you lack even basic professional etiquette?”

“…Yes.”

Though her intuition told her he was deliberately picking a fight, he was the teacher and she was the student. Xiao Yuehua could only lower her head and re-read the script she had practiced countless times, while mentally deducting another point from that arrogant face of his.

A moment later, she looked up.

“Finished?”

“Yes.”

“Then do you know what the primary emotion being expressed in this scene is?”

“Is it… anger?”

“Does a question like that require hesitation?”

“…”

“I’ll ask you again. When you perform this scene, what is the most important point to keep in mind?”

“Is it… emotional investment?” Xiao Yuehua answered, bracing herself.

But Professor Nangong only gave her an indifferent look. “Think again.”

“Is it… the control of energy?”

“Think again.”

“Is it the creation of the surrounding atmosphere?”

Professor Nangong was silent for a moment, then spoke as if Xiao Yuehua were a lost cause. “Are you asking me?”

“…No. I apologize.”

“Let me tell you. It is the expression of fury and resentment.”

“But that… that’s what I said at the start!”

“But you weren’t firm in your answer.”

Xiao Yuehua was stunned. She was now certain that Professor Nangong was intentionally humiliating her.

Yet, as if he didn’t notice her reaction, he continued, “You probably still don’t believe in the importance of emotional expression in the Method. But once you feel the difference between two types of performance, you will understand.”

“But you don’t understand it either, do you, Professor?” Xiao Yuehua finally couldn’t hold back. “You can’t even inject emotion into your own performances.”

“Correct.” Professor Nangong’s expression remained calm. “Not only that, but because my Method is already fully developed, I likely won’t even have the chance to fix that flaw in the future.”

“Then how can you possibly teach me?” Xiao Yuehua looked up, finally feeling like she had gained the upper hand in the conversation.

“It is difficult, but it can be done. I should be asking you…” Nangong Li walked slowly toward her. “Are you determined to continue down this path, even if it means facing pain and hardship?”

“Of course.”

“Good.”

SLAP!

The sound of a sharp slap echoed through the room.

“Did you feel it?”

Xiao Yuehua clutched her face in disbelief. The tiny shred of trust she had for him shattered instantly. As her fury surged, she reflexively swung her hand.

“FEEL WHAT?!”

SLAP!

She returned the blow with equal force across Nangong Li’s face.

But Nangong Li didn’t dodge. He didn’t explode in rage. Instead, he spoke with a flat, calm voice.

“Anger, of course. It seems you felt it. Now, go over there. Take that anger and perform again.”

“What?” Xiao Yuehua was dazed.

“Perform.”

“Are you insane?!”

“Perform.”

Absurd. It was utterly absurd. A sense of extreme ridiculousness washed over her. Xiao Yuehua stared intensely at Nangong Li’s indifferent, arrogant face.

“If you are dissatisfied, you are free to hit me back, report me, or even apply to the school to quit this mentorship. I won’t use my position to bully you. But right now, while this anger hasn’t dissipated—perform.”

Even after being slapped back, Nangong Li remained as calm as an emotionless puppet. This eerie situation shook Xiao Yuehua. Finally, she frowned and walked toward the center of the hall.

…

“In the moment I wake from my dream, what saves me is the wind, the fire, the lightning, and the dark clouds…”

The energy in her body began to circulate instinctively. In her fury, her blood flow accelerated. Every line she spoke was heavier than ever before, and though her pacing was a mess of rage—

[How could a performance like this be better? This is nothing but a twisted joke by some rich brat who wants to laugh at me!]

With this thought, Xiao Yuehua glared at Nangong Li with pure hatred.

However, in the next instant, she caught something out of the corner of her eye and froze.

Her clothes…

Her original outfit had transformed into a heavy, pitch-black gown. On her head, a comically large, twisted witch’s hat had appeared. Around her, besides the fire, a chaotic and terrified crowd of people began to manifest.

It was exactly like the original script—the scene where the witch is reborn from the fury of the stake!

“I… I succeeded?”

“You’re still far from it,” Professor Nangong’s arrogant voice rang out. “Look. The moment you lose the emotion, it all vanishes.”

Xiao Yuehua looked around. Sure enough, the gown, the fire, and the crowd were all slowly fading away. She stood in the empty room, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

[Was that… real? Did I actually…]

“You have talent.”

“Eh?” Xiao Yuehua looked at him blankly. This was the first time she had ever heard someone praise her talent for performance.

“At least, you have more talent than I do.”

Professor Nangong’s eyes looked like a pool of deep, still water. For a moment, she couldn’t tell what thoughts were hidden within.

“Make your choice. Whether to continue as my mentorship student… the choice is yours.”