Morning Tea in the Principal's Office: A Parental Tug-of-War

The sunshine on Monday morning was alright, not too hot, just lukewarm, like someone who hadn't woken up yet.

Zhou Yu strolled into the administration building carrying a food box. Inside were freshly baked crab roe pastries, the aroma of which could whet one's appetite from afar.

He didn't knock; he just pushed the door open and went in, as casually as if he were in his own home.

Lupa was holding a cup of red tea, her fingers resting on the rim, but she wasn't drinking. The way she looked at Zhou Yu was almost like she was reviewing a report full of bad debts.

Lupa: (ㅍ_ㅍ)

"Tell me, which department miscalculated the budget again this time, or are you planning to tear down the roof of the logistics warehouse and turn it into an open-air barbecue area?"

Zhou Yu didn't stand on ceremony at all. He pulled out a chair, sat down, placed the food box on the table, and opened the lid.

The golden crab roe pastries were neatly arranged, and steam rose up with their aroma.

"Principal, have a taste. It's made by the new pastry chef; the crust has a thousand layers."

He pushed the food box towards Lupa.

Lupa glanced at it but didn't move.

Offering unsolicited favors.

"How could that be?"

Zhou Yu smiled, took out several items from his pocket, and spread them all out on Lupa's expensive mahogany desk.

The brochures for the seaside resort featured couples' suites and seafood buffets. Meanwhile, the tourist guide for Huanglong's main city had its food map densely circled in red pen, with a note next to it saying, "This noodle shop needs double the chili."

Lupa's gaze shifted from the crab roe pastry to the pile of colorful papers, and her temples began to throb.

Zhou Yu picked up a piece of crab roe pastry from the food box, took a bite, and mumbled something.

"I'm here to ask for a leave of absence for Dania, and for myself too. You see, summer vacation is here, and final exams are over; we need to balance work and rest."

Lupa her teacup down on the table, spilling a few drops of black tea.

"No."

Decisive and straightforward, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Zhou Yu, don't pretend you don't know."

Lupa leaned forward and tapped her finger on the table.

"You know Dania's situation better than I do. Given her previous status, she's now a sitting duck. Those lunatics from the Fractsidus, and the hidden forces of correction, are all watching her. Letting her leave the Flamebearers' Academy's barrier is like throwing a newly raised lamb into a pack of wolves."

Lupa:(눈_눈)

"This responsibility is one that neither you nor I can bear."

For a moment, no one spoke in the office; the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

Zhou Yu slowly swallowed the crab roe pastry in his mouth, then took out a small handful of peanuts from his pocket, cracked one open on the corner of the table, and popped the peanut kernel into his mouth.

Zhou Yu:(￣▽￣)~*

"Principal, you're absolutely right."

He peeled peanuts, his tone calm.

"But can the barrier protect her forever? She's eighteen this year, not eight. She needs to see the sea with her own eyes, not just through a screen or a picture book. She should also try the beef noodles at Huanglong's restaurant where you have to wait in line for three hours, instead of just going back and forth between the cafeteria and the warehouse every day."

Zhou Yu raised his eyes and looked at Lupa. Those eyes, which were usually so lazy, held no hint of a joke this time.

"Keeping her in a safe cage, providing her with good food and water every day, what's the fundamental difference compared to when she was used as a 'Cradle'? The only difference might be that the cage is bigger and the feed is more refined."

Lupa was speechless. She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

She looked at the man in front of her. He was doing something as mundane as shelling peanuts, but his words were like hammer blows, striking her "safety first" logic again and again.

Two people, one insists on prioritizing safety, the other advocates experiencing life.

The scene resembled that of an ordinary family, where parents were arguing fiercely about whether their child should take the exam for a stable local government job or venture out to a big city.

Zhou Yu wrapped a small pile of shelled peanuts in paper and pushed it next to the travel guide on the table.

"This is what she ate on the way."

After doing this, he leaned back in his chair and looked at Lupa.

"I'm not discussing this with you, Principal. I'm informing you. You have to approve the leave request, whether you like it or not. I have ways to get her on 'official business trip.' The expense report and travel allowance application will be sent to your desk together, and the amount might even exceed the budget for this vacation."

Threaten.

A blatant, undisguised threat.

Lupa's chest heaved. She felt her blood pressure teetering on the edge of danger again.

She stared at Zhou Yu's resolute eyes for a long time.

There was something there that she couldn't refute: an undeniable force called "the everyday."

Yes. She wanted to protect Dania, to keep her safe, and to ensure her peace of mind.

But Zhou Yu wanted Dania to "live." To live like a real, flesh-and-blood eighteen-year-old girl, capable of crying and laughing, longing for a bowl of noodles and dreaming of the sea.

Lupa finally succumbed.

She picked up the now-cold cup of black tea and drank it all in one gulp, as if to bolster her courage.

Lupa:(-_-;)

"Madman."

She muttered a curse under her breath, unsure whether she was cursing Zhou Yu or herself for agreeing to it.

"Fake applications can be approved."

Lupa raised her head again, her eyes regaining their former headmistress-like authority.

But I need to add a block of ice to your hot pot to keep things in check.

After she finished speaking, she pressed the call button on the desktop communicator.

Come to my office.

Zhou Yu watched her actions without saying a word, then peeled another peanut and popped it into her mouth.

He wanted to see what kind of "soldiers" this principal, whom he had practically ripped off, could come up with to "hold things in check."

A moment later, the office door was pushed open from the outside.

The footsteps were very light, with a unique rhythm.

A woman walked in.

He was tall and slender, with neat, shoulder-length white hair. He wore clothes that allowed for easy movement and carried a long, sleek sword at his waist.

His eyes were chillingly cold, carrying the unique frigid air of the Northern Territory ice plains.

Zhou Yu paused in his peanut-peeling motion as he watched the white-haired woman with a knife push open the door and enter, his eyebrows involuntarily twitching.

Have to.

This is getting interesting.