Chapter 56: A Nervous Zhu Zhuqing
"Judging by the time, they should have arrived by now."
Ye Cheng suddenly thought of something, connected to the spatial marker he had left in Soto City using his mind, and then activated spatial transfer, instantly teleporting across thousands of miles. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from where he stood.
On the other side
Zhu Zhuqing, led by Ning Rongrong, arrived outside a secluded courtyard.
Looking at the tranquil and serene surroundings, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. She had a strong premonition that the person living in this courtyard might be the one who could change her fate the one who, in the original future, became her teacher and helped her break free from her family's shackles.
Knock! Knock!
Unlike the anxious Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong seemed carefree. She stepped forward and knocked hard on the courtyard gate.
"Brother, are you there?"
"Look who I brought with me!"
She called out loudly, as if deliberately trying to startle the person inside.
"…"
After a brief silence, a clear and calm voice came from within the courtyard.
"…Come in."
As the words fell, the gate creaked open, seemingly pushed by an invisible force.
"Let's go, Zhuqing, we're going in."
Seeing the door open, Ning Rongrong immediately grabbed Zhu Zhuqing's hand and pulled her inside.
The reason "pulled" was the right word was that Zhu Zhuqing, about to meet the person she had long dreamed of, was so tense that her limbs had gone stiff. She was terrified of leaving a bad impression by showing up unprepared. Her entire body felt numb, and she could barely walk.
If it weren't for Ning Rongrong dragging her along, she probably would have stood frozen at the entrance.
The courtyard was simple yet elegant.
Various unknown flowers and young green saplings were planted neatly around the yard, arranged in an aesthetically pleasing manner. While not luxurious, the courtyard had a natural and harmonious beauty.
Ning Rongrong led Zhu Zhuqing along a cobblestone path. Though it was called a "small courtyard," the place was actually quite spacious. After walking through a few winding paths, the area ahead suddenly opened up.
Beneath a lush willow tree, there was a stone table and a few stone stools. A man dressed in white sat there leisurely, sipping tea. The breeze made the willow branches sway gently, and the soft aroma of tea drifted through the air.
As Zhu Zhuqing gazed at the tranquil figure, her nervous heart gradually calmed down, as if the entire scene had a natural soothing effect on her soul.
Ning Rongrong, however, didn't pay attention to any of that. She dragged Zhu Zhuqing straight to the willow tree and cheerfully announced, "Brother, look who I brought for you!"
Ye Cheng put down his teacup, his clear and gentle eyes falling upon Zhu Zhuqing. It was as if he had known her all along and wasn't surprised by her presence in the slightest not even pretending to be.
"…"
Zhu Zhuqing's entire body tensed up. His calm gaze seemed to see through everything, making her feel completely exposed, as if all her secrets were laid bare.
It was an incredibly unsettling feeling!
If it were anyone else, this little cat would have already scratched them.
"…Sit down."
After observing her for a moment, Ye Cheng withdrew his gaze and spoke in a soft tone.
Zhu Zhuqing let out a breath of relief, her tense body finally relaxing. She sat down beside Ning Rongrong on a stone stool.
"Rongrong, why did you bring this girl to me?" Ye Cheng turned to Ning Rongrong, pretending not to know the answer.
In reality, he had already anticipated this. After all, he had deliberately hinted before that he was planning to establish his own academy and train a group of students for the upcoming Continental Soul Master Tournament.
At the time, Ning Rongrong had found the idea interesting and immediately insisted she wanted to join his academy.
"Brother, didn't you say you wanted to establish a soul master academy?" Ning Rongrong blinked her big eyes and said matter of factly, "So, I brought you an excellent student!"
"Zhuqing is very talented and works really hard." She then leaned closer to him, hugging his arm and shaking it slightly. "Brother, just take her in~"
Ye Cheng remained silent for a moment before saying, "You brought her here, but I doubt it's just to make her a student."
"Hehe, nothing gets past you, Brother."
Ning Rongrong playfully tapped her head and stuck out her tongue before continuing, "In the future glimpses shown in the previous Q&A, wasn't Zhuqing supposed to become your disciple? So I thought, since she was destined to be your disciple in the future, there must be a reason for it. Why not make it happen earlier?"
"Brother, just take her in~" Ning Rongrong hugged his arm and swayed again.
"…"
Ye Cheng didn't respond immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze back to Zhu Zhuqing and calmly said, "You should already be aware of your own talent. I don't know why, in the original future, I would have taken you as my disciple. But from what I've observed so far, I don't see any particular reason for me to do so."
"…"
Hearing these words, Zhu Zhuqing's heart sank into despair. Her face turned pale, and it felt as if she had fallen from heaven straight into hell.
There was nothing more devastating than grasping onto hope, only to have it slip away.
Ning Rongrong, seeing Zhu Zhuqing's distress, immediately panicked. She had brought Zhu Zhuqing here with good intentions, hoping they could train together. How could she let this end in rejection?
"Brother, that's not fair!"
She let go of his arm, placed her hands on her hips, and argued, "If Zhuqing was destined to be your disciple in the original future, then that means she must have qualities that make her worthy! Just because you don't see them yet doesn't mean they don't exist. Rejecting her outright is way too rash!"
"You have a point."
Ye Cheng seemed to consider her argument, appearing deep in thought.
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes reignited with hope!
She unconsciously clenched her fists, staring at him with pitiful anticipation like a puppy waiting to see if it would be abandoned or accepted.
Time passed slowly.
Ye Cheng, while pretending to think, was actually stealing glances at Zhu Zhuqing's expressions, enjoying the rare sight of her looking this vulnerable.
Once he felt the timing was right, he finally spoke at an unhurried pace.
"Alright, you've convinced me."
As soon as he said this, Zhu Zhuqing's entire body slackened as if all her strength had been drained. She nearly collapsed backward, but thankfully, Ning Rongrong was there to support her.
"That's amazing, Zhuqing!" Ning Rongrong said happily.
"Thank you, Rongrong!" Zhu Zhuqing looked at her, not knowing how to express her overwhelming gratitude.
"Don't celebrate too soon."
Seeing the two girls so overjoyed, Ye Cheng quickly poured cold water on their enthusiasm. "I'll accept you as my disciple for now, but if your performance disappoints me in the future, I won't hesitate to expel you."
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's smile faded slightly, but the excitement in her heart remained unchanged.
After all, she had already secured a place as his disciple.
How many people would dream of such an opportunity?
(End of chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/cortez10