"So that's how it was all along. Well, in that case, it's not your fault this time."
Jing Hongchen coughed twice, his tone taking a 180-degree turn, becoming much softer. He thought to himself, How could Su Yu be the kind of irresponsible person? Su Yu was such a bright, steady, and humble young man. What a good kid!
"However, you still need to be more mindful in the future. Disappearing for months without any news—it doesn't reflect well on you," Jing Hongchen said, a touch of concern in his voice.
"The academy was worried something might have happened to you."
"Understood, Hall Master," Su Yu nodded quickly, indicating he understood.
"Mhm, it's good that you know. Just don't do it again. Even if something urgent happens in the future, at least send word."
"I understand," Su Yu agreed.
"Good. You've traveled a long way to get here; it must have been tiring. Go back to your dormitory and rest."
Jing Hongchen added, "In the meantime, I stopped your monthly stipend of 100,000 gold soul coins because I thought you deliberately skipped class. But now that I know it wasn't your fault, I'll give you what you missed, and the stipend will continue as usual."
Now that Jing Hongchen knew it wasn't Su Yu's fault, he certainly wasn't going to be stingy. It was just a bit of money—of course, he would return it. He'd only stopped the stipend to teach Su Yu a lesson, but now that none of this was his fault, there was no reason to punish him. Jing Hongchen felt a little guilty, even considering some extra compensation for Su Yu.
"Thank you, Hall Master. I'll take my leave now."
Su Yu stood up, clasped his hands in respect, and prepared to leave.
"Wait, Su Yu..."
Jing Hongchen suddenly called out.
"Is there something else, Hall Master?"
Su Yu turned back.
"If you have some free time, go see Meng. Over the past few months, she's been so worried about you that she's barely eaten or slept. She's lost a lot of weight."
"You youngsters... I, as an elder, don't want to interfere in your affairs. But as Meng's grandfather, it pains me to see her like this. You're still young, but you're more mature than others your age. I'm not forcing anything on you; I just hope you won't let Meng get hurt."
At this moment, Jing Hongchen no longer had the imposing presence of the Hall Master of Illustrious Virtue Hall. Instead, he looked like a concerned grandfather.
Hearing this, Su Yu paused briefly before nodding. He said nothing further and quietly left the office.
After Su Yu disappeared, the concern on Jing Hongchen's face faded, replaced by a flash of wisdom in his eyes.
"I wonder if this will work. Hopefully, it will."
He muttered to himself, "These days, through my investigations, I've found that the Ice God Palace is even more mysterious than I had imagined. According to the information, every generation of the Ice God Palace has an Ultimate Douluo as its protector, known as the Priest, passed down through generations."
"An Ultimate Douluo, huh… An Ultimate Douluo!"
He chuckled.
"How could I let such a perfect grandson-in-law candidate slip away?"
"Su Yu, just come into the fold already."
Jing Hongchen tapped his fingers lightly on the table, occasionally letting out soft chuckles.
...
Meanwhile, Su Yu had left the office and was on his way to his dormitory. As he walked quietly, he reflected on the events that had just transpired.
As expected of the master of Illustrious Virtue Hall—not one to be underestimated. Su Yu's eyes flickered as he sighed inwardly. How much of what Jing Hongchen said was sincere, and how much was just for show? It was hard to tell.
To say he didn't care about Meng Hongchen? Impossible! Not only was Meng Hongchen extraordinarily talented, but she was also Jing Hongchen's granddaughter. There was no way he didn't cherish her. But Jing Hongchen was far from simple, no matter how he acted. As the Hall Master of Illustrious Virtue Hall, his every word and action were calculated, far from being as straightforward as they seemed.
What a cunning old fox—how troublesome, Su Yu sighed. He much preferred dealing with people like Meng Hongchen and Wang Dong'er—simple, straightforward, without any hidden agenda. Su Yu admitted he wasn't exactly virtuous, but he still preferred honest people.
But no matter how sly you are, Jing Hongchen, you're still going to drink from my palm! Su Yu smirked. My persuasion skills are something. He had managed to convince even the skeptical Jing Hongchen. This ability was truly remarkable.
Life is like a play, and it's all about the acting, Su Yu thought to himself, chuckling at his thoughts. And this is just persuasion. If I ever get an acting skill to go along with it, wouldn't I be unstoppable? I could trick anyone I want!
As he walked, his thoughts wandered, and before long, he found himself outside the dormitory building. Since the semester hadn't started yet, the large dormitory was empty.
Su Yu habitually walked up to the second floor and headed toward his room, 212. The door was closed, so he prepared to take out his key to unlock it.
Suddenly, footsteps came from inside the room, and to Su Yu's surprise, the door was opened from the inside.
A familiar face appeared from behind the door. Seeing this face, Su Yu froze.
The person inside the room was also stunned for a moment, then their face lit up with joy.
"Su Yu!!!"
"Wang Dong?"
Su Yu was about to ask something when a fragrant breeze hit him, and Wang Dong'er threw herself into Su Yu's arms.
Instinctively, Su Yu held her. Wang Dong'er's body felt much softer than his own, like holding a bundle of cotton.
Su Yu was just about to speak when he noticed Wang Dong'er trembling slightly as she clung to him. A moment later, Su Yu felt a wet sensation on his chest—Wang Dong'er was crying, her face buried in Su Yu's chest and sobbing softly.
The words Su Yu had been about to say were swallowed back down. He held Wang Dong'er with one arm and gently stroked her soft hair with the other.
Wang Dong'er cried for a full fifteen minutes before she finally lifted her head, her eyes red and tears still falling like golden beads.
"Su Yu, where have you been these past few months? I thought something happened to you," Wang Dong'er said, her voice a mix of grievance and fear. She had been genuinely worried, so much so that she hadn't been able to sleep at night.
The only way she could suppress her anxiety was by immersing herself in cultivation. That was why her soul power had advanced so rapidly—she had been cultivating for at least sixteen hours a day!
Seeing Wang Dong'er's tear-streaked face, Su Yu felt as if a small hammer were gently tapping at his heart. His gaze softened.
Was he moved? Of course.
To have someone worry about you so much, to the point of tears—who wouldn't be moved?
Su Yu admitted he wasn't a good person, nor did he pretend to be one. But he did have a heart, and he did have feelings. Before, even though he and Wang Dong'er had a good relationship, Wang Dong'er had never really gotten into his heart.
The only people who had ever truly entered Su Yu's heart were Zhang Lexuan, Di Mingli, Di Tian, and Bi Ji—those who had been with him since he was very young, his family.
But now, seeing Wang Dong'er cry like this, Su Yu felt something different. No matter how much he disliked Wang Dong'er's father, Wang Dong'er herself was genuinely wonderful—and she was so good to him.
Feeling a stir in his heart, Su Yu gently wiped away Wang Dong'er's tears.
"All right, stop crying. If someone didn't know better, they'd think you were some little girl who cries at the drop of a hat."
Su Yu teased with a smile.
"You're the little girl! Your whole family are little girls! You idiot, you're such a fool!"
Seeing Su Yu tease her at a time like this, Wang Dong'er couldn't help but snap back.
"You don't understand anything," Wang Dong'er thought.
"Yes, yes, I'm the fool, and you're the smart one. Now be good—how can such a smart person cry?"
Su Yu chuckled as he coaxed her.
Wang Dong'er wiped away her tears and glared at Su Yu, but her glare had no edge, making her look more charming than threatening.
Su Yu couldn't help but feel a bit of dissonance. He knew Wang Dong'er's true identity and her attempts to hide it were weak at best. What kind of boy would so easily cry in someone's arms? It wasn't as if she'd been heartbroken or swindled out of money.
"Men shouldn't cry so easily!"
Su Yu thought to himself. But Wang Dong'er seemed to be made of water—her tears were endless.
"Now, tell me where you've been all these months without a word. Don't even think about getting away with it!"
Wang Dong'er demanded as she moved closer to him.
Su Yu cooperated, slowly retreating until he was backed up against the bed. Wang Dong'er continued advancing until Su Yu had no choice but to sit down. Eventually, he found himself lying on the bed, with Wang Dong'er straddling him, looking down with a threatening expression.
"Tell me, where did you go and what did you do?"
Wang Dong'er's voice was full of mock severity, and though she tried to look fierce, Su Yu found her more adorable than intimidating.
"And what if I don't tell you?"
Su Yu, now fully in character, pretended to be stubborn.
"Oh, you won't tell me?"
"Then I'll have to torture you!"
Wang Dong'er's eyes sparkled mischievously as she began tickling Su Yu.
Reuniting with Su Yu and knowing he was safe finally allowed Wang Dong'er to relax. Now, she was simply letting off steam by playfully teasing him.
Su Yu played along, and soon the two of them were rolling around, tickling each other and causing a mess.
"Am I interrupting something? Did I come at a bad time?"
A voice suddenly came from the doorway. Neither Su Yu nor Wang Dong'er had noticed Meng Hongchen's arrival. She stood there, pursing her lips, her expression complicated. As soon as she had heard Su Yu was back, she had rushed over, eager to see him. But she hadn't expected to find him here, playing around with Wang Dong'er.
Were they really in such good spirits?
"No, you're just in time," Su Yu said with a smile, holding Wang Dong'er in place.
Meng Hongchen: (°△°|||)︴ Wang Dong: (▼ヘ▼#)
Do you even realize what you're saying?
With that one sentence, Su Yu managed to shock both of them.
...
Since Meng Hongchen had arrived, Su Yu couldn't continue goofing around with Wang Dong'er. His earlier comment about her arriving at the perfect time was just a joke.
Meng Hongchen was a reserved and traditional girl—nothing like the carefree Wang Dong'er. Su Yu would never tease her like that; Meng Hongchen would take it seriously.
Despite their different personalities, both Wang Dong'er and Meng Hongchen were wonderful girls, at least in Su Yu's eyes.
Su Yu invited Meng Hongchen inside and offered her a seat, but she didn't sit down. She simply stood there, gazing at him.
For nearly four months, Meng Hongchen's concern for Su Yu had been no less than Wang Dong'er's. Su Yu could even tell she had lost weight since the last time he'd seen her.
For a moment, Su Yu felt a pang of guilt. He had let two girls worry about him like this.
"My grandfather told me you were back, so I came to check on you. Now that I see you're safe and sound, I can finally be at ease. I'm glad you're alright," Meng Hongchen said softly, her voice filled with genuine emotion.
Though her voice was quiet, the sincerity behind it made Su Yu's heart tremble.
Meng Hongchen was the complete opposite of Wang Dong'er. Wang Dong'er would cry, get upset, and demand answers. But Meng Hongchen would keep all her worries and fears inside, simply saying, "I'm glad you're okay."
She's so good to me. What did I do to deserve this?
In the face of such pure affection, Su Yu—even with all his persuasion skills—found himself speechless.
"I..."
Su Yu opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. In the end, all he could do was nod and utter a soft "Mhm."
Wang Dong'er, who had been watching from the side, was surprised. What's up with him? Isn't he usually quite talkative?
Why isn't he saying anything now?
Wang Dong'er glanced at Meng Hongchen, then at Su Yu. The way they were looking at each other—it almost seemed like they were exchanging affectionate glances.
Feeling a sudden sense of unease, Wang Dong'er cleared her throat loudly, snapping both Su Yu and Meng Hongchen out of their moment.
"Su Yu, you still haven't told us where you disappeared these past few months. Now that Meng is here too, don't think you can get away without explaining."
Wang Dong'er brought up the topic again, both out of curiosity and a slight sense of competition.
Su Yu glanced at Meng Hongchen and saw that, while she remained silent, her eyes betrayed a hint of curiosity as well.
With a helpless smile, Su Yu repeated the same story he had told Jing Hongchen earlier. One good story works everywhere, he thought.
No matter how far-fetched it might seem, as long as he backed it up with his cultivation, it would sound reasonable. After all, no one knew what he'd been doing in the far north.
Of course, Su Yu was overthinking it. Neither Wang Dong'er nor Meng Hongchen would doubt his words, no matter how outrageous they sounded.
"Wow, you encountered such a fortuitous opportunity?"
Wang Dong'er exclaimed, her face full of envy.