He paused, gazing at the familiar courtyard, his voice taking on a more wistful note:
"This place is wonderful, full of memories, but we can't make the children stay here with us and live on memories."
"The future is waiting up ahead. At Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, the children can develop their abilities, and only then can Shrek's name truly ring out."
Flender turned his head. Hearing the sincerity in his words, he could not help feeling his eyes redden slightly.
He sniffed, his voice carrying a barely perceptible catch:
"I know... I understand all that. It's just that leaving so suddenly feels like a piece of my heart has been hollowed out. It feels so empty. It just doesn't sit right."
Over more than twenty years, from black hair to frost at his temples, he had made this place his home.
Now he had to leave this "home." Even if it was for the "kids'" sake, the heart-gouging pain of parting weighed on him until he could barely breathe.
"Aw, it's no big deal."
Zhao Wuji grinned, revealing two neat rows of teeth as he tried to dispel the heavy atmosphere.
"Once the children make something of themselves, we'll move Shrek back here. We'll build it ten times grander than it is now and let the whole continent know that our Shrek is the best academy!"
At those words, the teachers beside them could not help laughing, though their eyes, too, grew hot.
Looking at them, Flender felt the knot in his heart gradually loosen.
He nodded firmly and raised a hand to wipe his face, brushing away that trace of moisture:
"That's right! Once the children make something of themselves, we'll come back! Come on, tell them to pack their things. We leave first thing tomorrow morning!"
That