In a secluded corner of Shrek Academy, Ning Rongrong sat alone beneath a covered walkway.
She sat on a mahogany bench, leaning against a vermilion pillar, her slender legs together and her blue-green skirt spread across the seat.
Ning Rongrong pouted, idly tugging at a jade pendant hanging from her waist.
"Ah-this is so annoying!" The more Ning Rongrong thought about it, the angrier she grew.
She was angry at Dai Mubai, angry at that black-hearted Zhu Zhuqing, and angry at Xiao Wu for clapping and cheering from the sidelines.
But the person Ning Rongrong was angriest at was Li Hanqiu.
That was right-Li Hanqiu!
Back at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she, Ning Rongrong, had only to ask for wind or rain, and it would be hers.
If Sword Grandpa saw even a slight crease in her brow, he would practically turn half the sect upside down just to make her smile. Bone Grandpa went without saying; he found new ways to amuse her every day.
Yet now she had come to this lousy academy, this lousy Shrek Academy.
Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing-it made no difference.
Every one of them dared to humiliate her in front of so many people. What she found even more unbearable was that Li Hanqiu had not come to coax her.
"I hate this..."
She muttered a curse, shaking the jade pendant until it jingled.
"If you'd just come over and say a few nice words to me, it's not as though I couldn't forgive that tigress...
"But no, you turned around and went to put medicine on someone else's wounds. You must adore them!"
The more she spoke, the more wronged she felt, until the rims of her eyes reddened.
Just then, soft footsteps suddenly sounded behind Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong hurriedly wiped away her tears and arranged her expression into one of dignified composure.
But when she turned and saw who had come, that reserved expression instantly crumbled, and her face darkened.
"Why is it you? Where's Li Hanqiu?" Ning Rongrong frowned, the corners of her mouth instinctively drooping with undisguised disgust.
The newcomer was none other than Yu Xiaogang, hunched over and huffing, with a sleazy look on his face.
"Rongrong."
Yu Xiaogang had appeared from who knew where, carrying a pot of tea and wearing an oily, obsequious grin.
"Why are you sitting here all alone? Who upset Shrek's most precious little princess?"
Ning Rongrong looked up. The moment she heard Yu Xiaogang call her "Rongrong," her delicate, pretty face turned cold.
"What are you doing here? And don't call me 'Rongrong'!"
"Oh, your Grandmaster saw how terribly wronged you were in class earlier." Yu Xiaogang set the teapot beside her and sat down near the pillar.
He wanted to move closer to Ning Rongrong, but before he could shift his backside, his gaze met her warning stare.
Yu Xiaogang gave an awkward smile and had no choice but to retreat to the far end, leaving some distance between them.
"Ning Rongrong, you have no idea. Even your Grandmaster felt indignant on your behalf after what happened earlier.
"Who are you? The little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the apple of His Eminence Sword Douluo's eye.
"Yet here at Shrek, you were actually reprimanded by Dai Mubai, a boy from a fallen royal family. Tsk, tsk..."
He clicked his tongue, stealing a glance at Ning Rongrong's expression.
"Even your Grandmaster felt chilled to the heart watching it."
Ning Rongrong's expression grew uglier, shadows gathering over her delicate face.
Seeing that he was getting somewhere, Yu Xiaogang leaned forward again.
"Tell me, what was Li Hanqiu thinking? He knows perfectly well that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is the finest support tool in the world.
"Yet he deliberately paired you with that unruly Dai Mubai. Wasn't he clearly trying to humiliate you?"
"Li Hanqiu... did he really mean to do that?" Ning Rongrong asked softly, a trace of melancholy crossing her face.
"Of course he did!" Yu Xiaogang slapped his thigh. "Li Hanqiu is a shrewd one! He's only after the support your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda can provide.
"But when you're actually working as a team and a dispute arises, he'll always protect those personal disciples of his.
"To him, you've been an outsider from beginning to end!"
Ning Rongrong's little face paled further. She clenched the edge of her skirt and gritted her teeth.
"Now you see it, don't you? He did it deliberately, letting Dai Mubai trample over you in front of the entire academy.
"Then, once you can't stomach it anymore and are nursing your hurt alone, he'll come out with a few kind words and offer you some benefits, all to bring you completely under his control!"
Yu Xiaogang's words flowed ever more smoothly, and flecks of his spit even landed on the teapot lid.
"Li Hanqiu, he..."
Yu Xiaogang was about to keep brainwashing Ning Rongrong.
"Nonsense!" Ning Rongrong abruptly sprang to her feet.
Yu Xiaogang recoiled in fright.
Fortunately, Yu Xiaogang was not the target of Ning Rongrong's anger.
She clutched her skirt, trembling all over.
"When has someone of my standing, Ning Rongrong, ever suffered this kind of indignity!"
She took a step forward, her pink hair lifting in the evening breeze, stubbornness lurking in her eyes.
"Back home, Sword Grandpa found new ways to entertain me every day, and Bone Grandpa followed me around offering me sweet cakes.
"A measly Shrek Academy, a measly bit of pocket money, and now every one of them thinks they can climb onto my head!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes darted about. He hurried over to pour oil on the fire.
"Exactly! Our Ning Rongrong is the pearl in a Titled Douluo's palm.
"Li Hanqiu is only a Soul King, yet he thinks having a little ability gives him the right to mistreat you like this.
"If His Eminence Sword Douluo and His Eminence Bone Douluo found out, they could crush him with a single finger!"
Ning Rongrong's chest heaved. The more she thought about it, the more she felt he was right.
Yes.
Why should I be the one to suffer?
She rummaged in her sleeve and took out the communication jade token at her waist. Among the markings on its surface were sword-energy patterns Sword Grandpa had carved himself.
"Once I call Sword Grandpa and Bone Grandpa here..."
Biting her lip, she said softly:
"We'll see who in this lousy place still dares to give me dirty looks. I'll make Li Hanqiu kneel on one knee beneath me and lick my feet! Then I'll have everyone else killed!"
At that, Yu Xiaogang's heart quaked.
Everyone else... wouldn't that include me?
If she really summoned those two Titled Douluos, wouldn't they tear a hole in the heavens?
When that happened, not only Yu Xiaogang but Flender and the others would all be left with more trouble than they could bear.
He hurried to stop her. "No, no, no, Rongrong, there's no need for that. Someone of your standing hardly needs to call in her elders, does she?
"Think about it. His Eminence Sword Douluo has countless matters to attend to every day. How could we bother him with such a small affair?"
His eyes darted about. He edged closer, lowering his voice until it was soft and cloying.
"In your Grandmaster's opinion, why not confront Li Hanqiu publicly tomorrow?"
"Ask him why he treated you like this. Ask why, when you were clearly the one who was wronged, he didn't say a single fair word on your behalf, but went to apply medicine to Dai Mubai instead."
"Let the whole academy see that Li Hanqiu is nothing but a biased wretch. Let those disciples of his see his true colors!"
"Then we'll see whether Li Hanqiu still has the face to remain at Shrek."
The night breeze swept through the walkway, and beneath the lamplight, Yu Xiaogang's shadow stretched into a crooked, distorted shape.
It resembled a venomous serpent tempting Eve to steal a bite of the apple.
Ning Rongrong slowly turned her head.
The hurt in her eyes had already hardened into determination.
"All right."
She tightened her grip on the communication jade token, then slowly loosened it.
"Tomorrow, I'll question Li Hanqiu in front of everyone and leave him nowhere to hide."
Yu Xiaogang grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
"Clever girl, Rongrong. Tomorrow, your Grandmaster will be right beside you to back you up."
With that, he hurriedly grabbed the teapot and disappeared into the night, his back hunched.
Ning Rongrong stood where she was.
Moonlight shone on her, falling over her pink hair as though coating it with a layer of cold silver.
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