Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
******
Seeing Ning Rongrong's tear-streaked face, Ye Lan couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. With a sigh, he pulled a pack of tissues and a skewer of candied hawthorns from his backpack.
"Wipe your face before eating."
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up when she saw what he handed her — wasn't this her favorite treat?
She took the tissue and candied hawthorn, wiping her face as she began to eat.
She'd first tasted candied hawthorn by chance when she was a child.
Unfortunately, she later learned that the snack wasn't made by the clan's chefs but was purchased from outside. Due to limited supply, she'd only eaten it a few times.
The one Ye Lan gave her was freshly made.
He had originally intended to bring it to the Great Spirit Arena Hotel to give to the manager to send to Lili.
Unexpectedly, he had just witnessed Oscar rejecting Ning Rongrong with that now-classic "forest" analogy.
Seeing how pitifully she had been treated, Ye Lan gave her the candied hawthorn to comfort her.
Conveniently, he also wanted to sow discord within Shrek. Once the Shrek Seven Devils were torn apart, Tang San would become insignificant.
In the original story, Tang San was already killed by Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue, having lost the divine war.
But the Asura God had forcefully intervened in the mortal realm, contacting the Nine-Colored Goddess and the God of Food.
Through a joint Martial Soul Fusion Skill performed by their successors, Tang San was forcefully resurrected. This ultimately led to Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue's defeat and Tang San's reversal of fate.
And Ning Rongrong was a crucial link in Tang San's resurrection.
If Ye Lan could just change that one link, then even if he did nothing from now on, Tang San — without being resurrected — would still die at the hands of Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue.
"Thank you!" Ning Rongrong said, munching on the candied hawthorn.
"No problem. I just saw you getting scolded by some creepy uncle. Who is he to you?" Ye Lan asked.
"Him? Someone who doesn't even know who he is." Ning Rongrong couldn't understand why Oscar, who had always tried so hard to please her, had suddenly adopted such a narcissistic attitude.
Did he really think changing his approach could erase his sleazy image?
Although she hadn't fully denied herself, Ning Rongrong quickly used her clever mind to figure out what Oscar was trying to do.
"Then what about you? You're the one crying over that creepy uncle. Isn't that even weirder?" Ye Lan said with a curious look in his eyes.
Recalling how she had cried over all this, Ning Rongrong felt a bit embarrassed. After all, back in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, she feared nothing — not even her two Douluo grandpas, whose beards she dared to tug.
"I... I wasn't crying because of him," Ning Rongrong denied.
Ye Lan didn't press the matter and simply popped another skewer of candied hawthorn into his mouth.
Lili, sorry! I'll make some more for you next time.
Ning Rongrong was shocked to see Ye Lan take out another skewer. "How do you have so many? I used to have to wait forever just to get one!"
"Ah? I made them myself. Of course I have a lot," Ye Lan replied casually.
"You made them?! Why don't you make more and sell them? I haven't eaten candied hawthorn in forever!" Ning Rongrong, having finished the first skewer, was already craving more. "I want another!"
Realizing how forward she sounded, her ears turned red.
Ye Lan didn't mind and handed her another skewer.
He wasn't surprised that she rarely got to eat them.
Candied hawthorns were only sold in Nuoding City and not elsewhere.
Heaven Dou City was far from Nuoding, and transporting them required refrigeration, which made things troublesome.
Being accepted this time, Ning Rongrong happily licked her candied hawthorn with her little tongue.
"I wasn't sad because of other people," she said, "I was sad because of myself."
"Yourself?" Ye Lan repeated.
"Mhm... Back in the clan, it always felt like the world revolved around me. But after coming here, I realized it was just because of my status," Ning Rongrong said with a hint of sorrow.
"Hahaha, you're such a dummy," Ye Lan laughed heartily.
"You're the dummy! How am I a dummy?!" Ning Rongrong snapped, angrily biting into her hawthorn like she was biting Ye Lan himself.
"Everyone has a status — even a beggar on the street has their own identity," Ye Lan replied.
"??? That's true! Why didn't I think of that? I'm me! I'm Ning Rongrong!" she suddenly saw through the fog. Am I really going to deny everything about myself just because of a few words from people I've only known for a few days?
I'm the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan!
Father always called me the clan's greatest hope for reaching the peak. I've always hoped I could lead the clan forward.
I am Ning Rongrong — one of a kind!
Ye Lan looked at the confident smile on her face and knew his plan had succeeded.
With her confidence restored, there was no way Ning Rongrong would stay at Shrek Academy for long. Nor would she feel isolated or develop dependency on Oscar's concern.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. See you if fate allows," Ye Lan said, turning to wave goodbye.
"Hey! What's your name? I already told you mine!" Ning Rongrong called out, a bit flustered by his sudden departure.
"Ye Lan," he replied, continuing to walk away.
Hearing his name, Ning Rongrong jumped up and grabbed his arm.
"You're Qingdi Ye Lan?!" she asked, stunned. She couldn't believe the one who had helped her was the same Qingdi who defeated Tang San and Xiao Wu.
"? How do you know my title is Qingdi?" Ye Lan stopped, puzzled.
"You know Xiao Wu, right?" Ning Rongrong vaguely remembered her mentioning she shared a dorm with Qingdi.
"We've met, but we're not close," Ye Lan replied casually, glancing at Ning Rongrong's hand still holding his arm.
She quickly pulled her hand back, looked up at the much taller Ye Lan, and blinked. "Since you're Qingdi, you must know how to become a powerful Soul Master, right?!"
"When I first heard you beat Tang San and Xiao Wu, I was so curious what kind of person Qingdi was."
"I didn't expect Qingdi to be my favorite dessert chef — and also a super-strong Soul Master!"
"Since fate brought us together, won't you teach me how to become an excellent Soul Master, Qingdi~?"
Ning Rongrong clung to Ye Lan's arm, pleading sweetly.
Her cuteness while begging was undeniable. Looking at her playful expression, Ye Lan felt a slight ripple in his heart.
"I have a lot going on. I'll be leaving Nuoding soon. Sorry," Ye Lan politely declined. He really was busy — between refining Martial Soul theory and earning money at the Great Spirit Arena, his days were packed.
Seeing that her charm didn't work, Ning Rongrong pouted unhappily.
(End of Chapter)