If the Mountain Won't Come to Me, I'll Go to the Mountain!

Tap, tap!

Ji Bai stood at the door, leaning against the frame as he quietly watched the lonely figure inside the dormitory.

Hearing the footsteps, Ning Rongrong slowly straightened up and looked at Ji Bai, her nose twitching as she asked through sobs, "Did you come to comfort me, or to laugh at me?"

Only after Ning Rongrong spoke first did Ji Bai take over the conversation.

"Neither. I'm not in the habit of comforting people, nor do I mean to kick someone when they're down. I just came to see... whether you might do something foolish. If you did, I could at least stop you. You're still young, with the best years of your life and a beautiful future ahead of you."

Ning Rongrong wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, stared at Ji Bai, and muttered softly, "Has anyone ever told you... that you have a really sharp tongue?"

"I'm not the kind of person who'd casually seek death! Just like you said, I have a beautiful future ahead of me. I value my life greatly. I wouldn't throw it away so easily!"

"Sorry, no one's ever said that to me." Ji Bai chuckled. "Still, I have to say, you hid it well. If it were anyone else, they would have had to witness what happened just now to know what you were really like."

Ning Rongrong's expression dimmed. "You mean... my personality is terrible. Just like Flender said, I'll never have friends, never have comrades, never have anyone I can trust with my back. Is that it?"

Ji Bai smiled dismissively. "As the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, you were spoiled from childhood. Developing this sort of personality is perfectly normal. I've seen noble children who were far worse than you. But people like that... arrogant and overbearing, never meet a good end."

"Still, you may very well become the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in the future. But if you can't change your current terrible personality and way of doing things, I'm afraid your father won't hand the position of Sect Master... to someone who would lead the sect into an endless abyss."

"You!"

Ning Rongrong lost control of her tears again and burst into loud sobs.

"I don't want to see you!"

"Get out!"

Ji Bai's words were even more vicious than Flender's. She had even felt a little fondness for Ji Bai, and that was precisely why his words hurt her even more.

Ji Bai folded his arms, his expression unchanged. "I already told you that you still have a future. What are you panicking for? If you're wrong, change. Isn't that enough?"

"You were spoiled rotten by your family. Now that you're here, just treat it as experiencing life in a poor place and tempering your personality."

"Of course, don't expect to learn any principles of being a decent person here. This academy's motto is, 'Those who dare not cause trouble are mediocre.' An academy with that kind of motto can't teach anyone normal values."

Ning Rongrong stopped crying, suddenly raised her head, and stared at Ji Bai. "You're badmouthing this place. I'm going to report you to Flender."

"Uh..." Ji Bai froze instantly.

"I'm kidding!" Ning Rongrong smiled through her tears. "I didn't expect your way of comforting people to be so unusual, but it's quite effective."

"I got used to doing whatever I pleased in the sect because of my family's favor. Even an imperial prince meant nothing to me. Within the sect, I was even called the 'Little Witch.'"

"Someone like me really can't manage the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I really do need to change, at least learn from my father and become someone like him."

Hearing that, Ji Bai smiled. "People who are too perfect seem a little fake. I don't like people like that. Being around them is tiring. People with a few flaws, on the other hand, seem more real. I'd rather get along with them."

His expression suddenly turned cold. "But that doesn't mean you don't need to change your flaws. On the contrary, the first thing you need to change is this habit of lying."

"You actually dared to deceive me before. What I hate most is being lied to. As for people who deceive me, I generally don't trust them again."

"Uh..." Ning Rongrong froze, at a complete loss. "Isn't that a bit too serious... It wasn't even a big deal..."

Ji Bai said calmly, "Everything often begins with a small matter. If you dare to lie to me over something this minor today, then in the future, you might use my trust in you and send me into an endless abyss."

"No, no! Believe me, there won't be a next time!" Ning Rongrong said anxiously.

Seeing this, Ji Bai smiled faintly. "I'm kidding."

"I'm leaving."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and walked away.

"Where are you going!?"

Ning Rongrong hurriedly chased after him.

"Back to the hotel to rest, of course. I'm not a student here."

Ji Bai explained without looking back.

"Uh..."

Ning Rongrong had no response. But when she thought about Ji Bai leaving and being left here all alone, it would be far too... boring. She hurriedly called out, "Can you stay with me until everyone comes back before you leave? I'm a little scared here by myself!"

"No time."

Ji Bai's figure gradually vanished into the night.

No time?

Ning Rongrong's mind went blank.

Since childhood, no one had ever rejected her, especially not boys.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

Ning Rongrong stomped her foot and immediately chased in the direction Ji Bai had left.

If the mountain would not come to her, then she would go to the mountain.

Suotuo City, Great Soul Arena.

With his Phoenix Martial Soul Possession activated, Ji Bai flew all the way from Shrek Academy with Ning Rongrong.

Looking at the Soto Great Soul Fighting Arena before her, Ning Rongrong asked, "Brother Ji, what are we doing here?"

Ji Bai glanced at Ning Rongrong and explained, "I'm short on money. I came to earn some."

With that, he strode inside.

Hearing this, Ning Rongrong quickly followed and said, "If you need money, you can just tell me! I'll give you some! Money is what I have the most of!"

"Is that your money? That's your father's money, your sect's money! Besides, I have no interest in becoming some pretty boy kept by a woman!"

Ji Bai quickly arrived at the registration desk and took out his Silver Soul Badge along with all his savings, roughly a thousand Gold Soul Coins.

Ning Rongrong furrowed her delicate brows. "I didn't mean anything else by it. Is it wrong for me to give you money to spend?"

Ignoring Ning Rongrong, Ji Bai instructed the attendant, "Arrange a Gambling Fight for me as soon as possible."

"I'll match you with an opponent right away."

The attendant accepted the Silver Soul Badge and over a thousand Gold Soul Coins, treating him noticeably better than the others.

Just then, a group arrived behind him. It was several Shrek Academy students led by Dai Mubai. Flender was not with them.

"Brother Ji? Why are you here too?" Xiao Wu was the first to greet Ji Bai, appearing extremely enthusiastic.

But after seeing Ning Rongrong, that enthusiasm faded somewhat, and something else appeared in its place.

Ning Rongrong's earlier argument with Flender had truly startled all of them.