Beauty Scheme? It Was All a Scheme of the Heart!

"Of course! But if you, you bastard, dare to reject me again, then from today onward, we're through! And I'll—I'll—I'll take my revenge on you!"

Ning Tian cried tears of joy. He had agreed! He had agreed to her!

Standing where he was, Ning Wuque felt the punch Ning Tian had just given him. Although he was highly resistant to blows, the fist of a Three-Ringed Soul Grandmaster still hurt a little.

More than pain, he had felt Ning Tian's purest anger in that punch—her anger at his refusal to fight for himself!

You're already so talented, so why don't you have even a shred of pride or confidence of your own? Why are you scared of this and that? What kind of genius cowers like a turtle?

Only after things had reached this point did Ning Wuque relent. He felt that if someone still believed his daughter's life should remain flawless even now, then perhaps he and Ning Tian simply were not meant to be.

Isn't that right, Sect Master?

"I'm sorry, Ning Tian. If I could, I wouldn't want to disappoint you at all..."

He apologized first, because Ning Wuque understood all too well how much psychological hurt his two refusals had caused Ning Tian. But he had no choice.

If he had Innate Full Soul Power, if he did not have to worry about his own soul skills devouring his life, then why would he make one of his only two friends sad over such concerns?

A pretty, wealthy young lady had already gone this far for you, so why were you still refusing her?

He knew better than anyone what Ning Tian had done for him these past days. He was not some truly cowardly buzz-cut fool; he simply had to do this.

If Ning Tian's father had been trash like Qian Xunji, Ning Wuque would have agreed without a second word and taken her with him to Shrek. But the problem was that he was not. He was Ning Tian's biological father, a wise and open-minded Sect Master.

As long as he could let the man see Ning Tian's resolve, many things could actually be compromised on.

It was not as though he had no pride of his own!

His way of thinking was simply different from that of children. He considered things more thoroughly and more cautiously. He did not only care about his own feelings.

"It's okay. I understand you. I can understand you. Didn't you... didn't you stop disappointing me now?"

Ning Tian lay against Ning Wuque's shoulder, raising a hand to wipe away the sorrowful tears on her face. After being rejected by Ning Wuque twice, she had truly been heartbroken.

But she knew Ning Wuque was smarter and more mature than she was. He had not truly wanted to reject her.

That did not mean she would not get revenge in the future, though! You dared to break my heart today, so tomorrow I'll act like a spoiled young lady right in front of you, and you won't be allowed to refuse me!

She was already making plans. Once they went to Shrek, she would throw her young lady tantrums at Ning Wuque's side and fiercely repay him for everything he had done today!

"Thank you, but... could you let go now? Your tears are about to soak my clothes."

"No! I won't!"

Throwing a little tantrum, she hugged Ning Wuque even tighter.

In the distance, Wu Feng clenched her hands as she watched everything unfold, but she said nothing. She had always supported every one of Ning Tian's actions.

Compared to Ning Wuque, she was the one who would never let Ning Tian feel any disappointment, whether in the past or the future, regardless of time, place, or circumstance.

"Bone Grandfather, if I told them directly how I felt about them, would they not have gone this far?"

"They would not, but you cannot."

"Yes. Nothing leaves a deeper impression than bonds forged amid the unknown. Beauty scheme, beauty scheme... they call it a beauty scheme, but it's all a scheme of the heart."

Shaking his head, Ning Fengxiao, who stood hidden in the shadows with an elderly man in black robes, sighed helplessly.

He watched the two embracing beneath the lingering glow of the setting sun. His heart held both pity for his daughter and a measure of guilt.

How could he possibly fail to see through Ning Tian's thoughts? He was the Sect Master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan! This vast sect revolved in his hands.

But precisely because he knew, he had continued acting as though he did not in front of his daughter, never revealing his own stance toward her feelings.

Whether he supported her, opposed her, or simply did not care, he merely followed the way his own father had taught him: letting her mother tell her of the responsibilities and duties she needed to fulfill.

The reason was simple. Since he had already decided to gamble on Ning Wuque, he had to bind this boy tightly! Lock him down completely!

Whether it was love or guilt, it did not matter!

If today's confession failed, Ning Wuque would feel guilty. If it succeeded, he would feel even guiltier. Until the day he died, a thorn named "letting her down" would remain lodged in his heart!

Unless he was truly the sort of bastard who could take everything and feel not the slightest emotion afterward. In that case, it would only prove that Ning Fengxiao had bet on the wrong person.

Of course, success would be best. As a father, Ning Fengxiao did not want his daughter to be left with regrets or sorrow.

At the same time, this love would be far more sincere and pure than an ordinary romance, and Ning Wuque's feelings for Ning Tian would be difficult for any other woman to shake.

A harem? If the boy truly had thoughts in that direction, then he could only watch Ning Tian's expression.

Though judging by the little fellow's usual routine, whether he even had the energy for that was questionable.

If Ning Tian had not taken the initiative to pursue him again and again, he might not even have bothered making friends.

"When do you plan to make your attitude clear to Tian'er? You cannot keep this up forever."

"Wait a little longer. I'll tell them after they graduate from the outer academy, once this relationship has grown deeper. I plan to purchase a piece of ten-thousand-year Island Devouring Whale Rubber for that boy."

"Fengxiao, you..."

"Don't say it, Bone Grandfather. Ning Wuque is worth it. I also plan to send people to gather some heavenly treasures for strengthening the body and healing. I cannot let this boy die too soon."

"Fine. Tell me if you encounter any difficulties. The world is vast; though this old man is not at the Limit, I can still travel through heaven and earth."

"Mm, thank you, Bone Grandfather!"

"I really owe your Ning family... sigh..."

Ning Fengxiao and the old man were watching the show.

Where they stood, Ning Wuque's hands also rose unconsciously to wrap around Ning Tian's waist. Yet his awkward movements exposed the fact that, in both this life and his previous one, this was still his first time doing such a thing.

Only after a long while did the two finally separate. The evening glow had completely faded, and night began to blanket the earth.

Ning Tian stood before Ning Wuque, her cheeks flushed as she gazed at him. She kept staring at him without saying a word, looking as though she expected him to compose a few sweet words for her.

Say something sweet to please me!

Under her gaze, Ning Wuque scratched his head. His thoughts were a complete mess right now, and he could not think of anything good to say.

But...

Looking at Ning Tian, he flipped his hand and took something out.

The cover featured Ning Tian's reference image for this book. I also made a post and uploaded a picture that had been shot dead.