Chapter 281
Dad doesn't want to lose you so soon!
"it is good."
Ning Fengzhi's voice returned to its usual gentle tone, but beneath this gentleness lay the unquestionable authority of a sect leader.
He took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over Flander, who was limp and trembling like a leaf, and over the playground, which looked even more dilapidated and desolate under the moonlight.
"Since Rongrong has made this decision, then from this moment on, Shrek Academy will be an external institution of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Flander..."
Ning Fengzhi paused, and Flander looked up in horror, tears streaming down his face, his face a mixture of dirt and despair.
"You will remain in your position as Dean for the time being, assisting the supervising elder dispatched by the sect in handling the follow-up matters, and redeem yourself through meritorious service. As for the final decision on your fate, we will notify you after the sect's elders meeting."
These words were like a suspended sentence, allowing Flander to catch his breath slightly, but he was still hanging on the edge of the abyss.
Immediately, Ning Fengzhi's gaze swept over the dilapidated scene, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, his tone carrying the nonchalant and matter-of-fact air of a leader of a major sect looking down on a small business.
"As for the academy's environment... it is indeed too simple and shabby, an eyesore, and not a place for nurturing talents. I will arrange for manpower and funds to be allocated later to renovate and expand it as soon as possible. Academies under the rule of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School should have a matching grandeur."
After saying that, Ning Fengzhi stopped looking at Flander, as if the other party was now an insignificant speck of dust.
Ning Fengzhi's gentle yet penetrating gaze precisely passed over the crowd and landed on the relatively quiet, shadowy spot at the edge of the playground.
There, Lin Xia maintained his relaxed posture with his hands in his pockets, a playful smile on his lips, while Zhu Zhuqing clung to him like a wary cat.
Ning Fengzhi's face instantly lit up with an extremely sincere smile, even tinged with enthusiasm and emotion. That smile was completely different from the gentle and distant one he had shown when facing Flander earlier; it was the joy of seeing a truly important old friend.
He walked with a calm yet urgent pace, arriving in front of Lin Xia in just a few steps, completely ignoring the oppressive atmosphere in the room and Flander lying on the ground.
"Brother Lin Xia!"
Ning Fengzhi's voice, with its obvious warmth and cheerfulness, echoed clearly in the quiet night sky, even temporarily dispelling the humble aura brought by Flander.
"Haha, it really is you! It's been several years, and you're even more charming than before! If it weren't for the message from the secret guards, I really wouldn't have believed that you would appear in such a... well, unique place as Shrek Academy."
Ning Fengzhi's gaze lingered between Lin Xia's excessively youthful face and his unfathomable eyes, a knowing smile mixed with an indescribable sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection).
"A twelve-year-old Soul King...controlling a monstrous beast...tsk tsk, little brother, your growth rate is making me green with envy!"
Ning Fengzhi's words immediately reminded Ning Rongrong of Lin Xia's teahouse conversation in Soto City earlier that day, where Lin Xia had jokingly mentioned, "Your father always praises you for being incredibly intelligent and said he wanted to introduce you to me."
She immediately rushed to Ning Fengzhi's side like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, her little face puffed up as if it were filled with pine cones, her glassy eyes filled with shame, anger, and the grievance of being "deceived".
"father!"
Ning Rongrong's voice rose a few decibels, carrying the coquettishness and questioning unique to young girls.
"Why have you never taken me to Gengjin City before? Didn't you say to Brother Lin Xia that you would introduce me to him? Not even once! You only talk about me in front of him, but you never let me see him! Why?!" These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake!
The atmosphere, which had just eased slightly due to the change of ownership of Shrek Academy, instantly froze and heated up again, becoming even more bizarre and awkward.
Ning Fengzhi's smile froze instantly, and a rare look of surprise appeared on his gentle and refined face, which quickly turned into deep embarrassment.
He subconsciously looked at Lin Xia, only to meet the undisguised amusement and knowing smile in Lin Xia's deep eyes.
That all-knowing gaze seemed to see right through his secret, fatherly thoughts.
Ning Fengzhi felt his face flush. Even as the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, who had experienced many storms, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed under Lin Xia's teasing gaze.
He let out a long, helpless sigh, which sounded particularly clear in the quiet night, filled with the unspeakable turmoil of an old father and... a little bit of the magnanimity that "it's too late to hide it now."
"Rongrong..."
Ning Fengzhi's voice carried a rare hint of embarrassment and doting helplessness. Looking at his daughter's angry little face, he finally decided to confess his selfish thoughts. His voice was not loud, but it was enough for everyone present to hear clearly.
"Sigh... It's not that Dad doesn't want to take care of you... it's just... you're still too young..."
Ning Fengzhi paused, seemingly considering his words, but ultimately uttered those earth-shattering words in an almost self-destructive tone, leaving everyone present instantly petrified.
"Dad...I don't want to lose you so soon!"
boom--!!!
The power of these words was no less than the furious shout that Chen Xin had just uttered, which contained boundless rage!
Like an invisible mental shockwave, it instantly swept across the entire playground!
Even though Lin Xia was well-traveled and had a deep and unfathomable mind, the playful smile on his face froze completely, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably a few times.
Subconsciously, he raised his hand and rubbed his temples with his slender fingers, as if trying to shake off the sudden sense of absurdity and the overwhelming speechlessness.
understood!
He finally understood why Ning Fengzhi always inadvertently steered the conversation toward his beloved daughter whenever he came to Gengjin City to discuss business, whether it was about soul tool cooperation or the situation on the mainland. He would praise her to the skies and express his deep affection, but he could only hear her name and never see her in person!
The root of the relationship lies here!
This Sect Master Ning has been eyeing him for a long time, but he's afraid his daughter will actually be kidnapped?!
Lin Xia felt both annoyed and amused, and her gaze towards Ning Fengzhi was filled with a complex meaning of "Brother Ning, you're amazing, you really are amazing!"
At this moment, Ning Rongrong seemed to be frozen in place, completely stunned.
That exquisitely beautiful face, at a speed visible to the naked eye, went from being puffed up and rosy-cheeked to a ripe tomato in a flash!
A blush instantly spread from her cheeks to her ears, and then burned down to her neck!
Her glassy eyes widened in disbelief, filled with shame and immense shock!
She...she instantly understood the deeper meaning behind her father's words: "fear that his daughter would be kidnapped by Lin Xia!"
This... this is simply...
"Dad!!! What...what nonsense are you talking about!!!" (End of Chapter)