The smile vanished from **Ning Rongrong's** face.
All her life, people had gone out of their way to flatter her. Today, she'd made a rare effort to show kindness to someone—only to be **completely ignored**. It left her feeling furious.
Just as **Su Xiaoqi** and **Zhu Zhuqing** thought Ning Rongrong was about to reveal her true, arrogant nature, she suddenly **put the smile back on**.
At that moment, a burst of **cheering** came from the registration area. Soon, the crowd dispersed into scattered groups.
The middle-aged man from earlier walked up to Su Xiaoqi, grinning.
> "Kid, you should've seen the look on those Shrek Academy guys' faces just now. Absolutely priceless!"
Su Xiaoqi asked, "What happened, bro? Did they finally cough up all the fees they collected?"
> "Damn right they did!" the man cursed. "At first, they tried to **drive us away with force**, but we weren't having it. There were over a hundred of us—why would we be scared of a few of them?"
> "I straight up told them: either refund us or prepare to face the consequences. We'd report them and shut this phony academy down. Those cowards finally backed off. It felt so damn good!"
> "Respect, bro." Su Xiaoqi gave him a thumbs-up.
> "Nah, no need for that. We all have a duty to take down scammers." The man then glanced at Ning Rongrong standing beside Su Xiaoqi and gave him a knowing "man-to-man" smirk.
> "Alright, kid. I gotta take my son to register elsewhere. See you around."
> "Bye-bye, big brother!" the little boy waved.
> "Take care, bro," Su Xiaoqi waved them off.
Looking toward the now-empty registration area, where only **two kids and a blond man** remained, Su Xiaoqi said:
> "Zhuqing, let's go sign up."
Zhu Zhuqing tightened her grip around his arm and nodded, "Okay."
> "You two just wait!"
>
> Ning Rongrong stomped her foot in frustration and hurried after them.
When the three of them arrived at the registration area, the two kids in front of them had just passed the preliminary exam and were being led into the academy by the **blond-haired man**.
> "Hello, we're here to register," Su Xiaoqi said calmly to the older man handling the registrations—**Li Yusong**. Meanwhile, he discreetly glanced at **Tang San**, **Xiao Wu**, and **Dai Mubai** standing nearby.
Hearing Su Xiaoqi's voice, all three turned to look at him.
When **Dai Mubai** noticed **Zhu Zhuqing** holding onto Su Xiaoqi's arm, his pupils suddenly **contracted**. He was certain he had seen her somewhere before, but he couldn't quite recall where.
Li Yusong frowned slightly.
> "Kid, you saw what just happened, didn't you? Aren't you afraid your registration fee will be wasted?"
> "To be honest," Su Xiaoqi said solemnly, "my admiration for Shrek Academy is as vast as the flowing river—endless and mighty. The headmaster **Flender** is a legendary name I've heard even in distant lands."
> "I traveled thousands of miles just to witness Shrek Academy's glory for myself. So compared to that, a small registration fee is nothing at all."
Zhu Zhuqing nearly burst out laughing—**this guy could lie with such a straight face**, it was honestly impressive.
Ning Rongrong, on the other hand, **laughed out loud**. She thought, *this guy is hilarious!* She was growing more and more curious about Su Xiaoqi.
> "Brother, looks like this guy's here for the fame, just like you," **Xiao Wu** whispered to **Tang San**.
> "Seems so," Tang San nodded. "Too bad someone his age won't pass the entrance test."
Li Yusong, a bit more relaxed now, said:
> "Kid, since you admire us so much, I won't hide it—**you're too old** to pass the test. So don't waste your money."
Su Xiaoqi smiled. "I'm well aware of the age limit. I'm not here to enroll—I'm here to support my **girlfriend**."
> "She's beautiful, kind-hearted, and most importantly—**incredibly talented**."
> "I chased her for **ten years** before she agreed to be mine. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
> "I treat her like a precious treasure—too delicate to break, too sweet to melt. I swear—ow!"
Zhu Zhuqing had heard enough. She reached out and **pinched** Su Xiaoqi hard.
It had all sounded sweet at first, but now it was just nonsense. *Ten years of chasing? She had barely turned two ten years ago!*
Everyone else at the scene had deadpan expressions.
After a pause, Li Yusong chuckled and said:
> "Alright, if your girlfriend can pass my test, I'll waive both your registration fees."
> "Thanks, sir." Su Xiaoqi turned to Zhu Zhuqing. "Go ahead, don't worry about anything."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, stepped forward, and extended her hand.
Li Yusong gently squeezed her fingers, then nodded. "Age is within limits. Now, release your martial spirit."
Zhu Zhuqing turned to glance at Su Xiaoqi. Seeing him smiling and nodding at her, she activated her **soul power**.
> "This is…"
As her martial spirit materialized, **Li Yusong gasped**.
It was the **Netherworld Civet**—a spirit he recognized instantly. He instinctively turned toward **Dai Mubai**.
Dai Mubai stared at Zhu Zhuqing in disbelief. He now **had a strong hunch** about her identity.
But seeing her holding another man's arm made his expression turn **menacing**. Still, he decided not to act rashly—he needed to confirm some things first.
> "Did I pass?" Zhu Zhuqing asked coldly.
> "Yes. Mubai, take her inside," Li Yusong said as he sat back down. He had his suspicions but wasn't going to get involved—he was just the examiner.
> "Understood."
>
> Dai Mubai walked over and glared at Su Xiaoqi.
> "She passed and can enter. You can't."
Zhu Zhuqing immediately went back to Su Xiaoqi and wrapped her arm around his, saying coldly:
> "Wherever he is, I'll be there too."
Dai Mubai frowned and whispered angrily:
> "You'd better remember who you are. We'll settle this later."
Su Xiaoqi stepped forward and stood between Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai, staring him straight in the eyes:
> "Hey, classmate. I get that my girlfriend is stunning, but it's **broad daylight**—you really want to make a move on someone else's girl in public?"
> "You're going to disgrace **Shrek Academy** and ruin its reputation?"
> "You—!"
> "Enough, Mubai. This is Shrek Academy," Li Yusong interjected, cutting him off.
They'd just had a scene earlier. If Dai Mubai started another fight, it would **trash the academy's already damaged reputation**.
Li Yusong turned to Su Xiaoqi:
> "Kid, Dai Mubai wasn't wrong. Only those who pass the test can enter."
> "So either wait here for your girlfriend, or leave."
(End of Chapter)