Chapter Thirty-Five: A Villainous Father Ahead, a Poisonous Husband Behind

Shen Qingzhi's eyes widened, her jaw clenched tightly, and her chin tensed. "Impossible! I came here to deal with her." Shen Lihan neither confirmed nor denied it; he was here to carry out the task entrusted to him by his brother and sister-in-law. If his nephew could handle it, he had no desire to interfere. But if this half-baked effort turned into a mess, he would have to step in himself.

Yu Hanyi hurried out, gesturing with his right hand. "Please, come in quickly." Shen Lihan nodded coolly. "No need to rush, Principal Yu. I’m here for two reasons: first, to quell the online rumors, and second, to review the qualifications of the students admitted to this school."

"Let’s dispense with the pleasantries. Just bring me the documents, and I’ll review them one by one." This was merely a formality; Jiang Wangshu’s admission qualifications had already been tampered with by them. By rights, no school should have accepted her, but something had clearly changed behind the scenes.

He had only two objectives in coming here: to make Jiang Wangshu withdraw from school and take her back to City F. And to see, by the way, who was secretly helping her.

Yu Hanyi nodded repeatedly. "Alright, Mingliang, bring all the student admission documents to my office immediately." The four of them entered the school.

Shen Qingzhi broke away from the group, casually grabbed a student, and asked where Jiang Wangshu was.

Meanwhile, in the training grounds, Jiang Wangshu was demonstrating sword intent for her classmates to experience. The green spirit sword stood upright at the center, its aura slicing through the air like a blade, leaving a sting on everyone’s skin. Yet their expressions were feverish, intoxicated by the experience.

Those who couldn’t endure it sat at the edge, meditating to resist the sword’s intent. Those who could pressed closer in small steps toward the spirit sword at the center.

Jiang Wangshu sat off to the side, frantically flipping through a book. She had no idea what she was supposed to teach in the next class.

Jiang Mingqian arrived to find her idly leafing through her book, looking so relaxed amid the others’ diligent training. Suddenly, he felt a wave of relief and reassurance—this calm, aloof Jiang Wangshu was the one he was most familiar with, and the easiest to control.

He stood there and called out sternly, "Jiang Wangshu."

She looked up at the sound and saw her so-called father standing at a distance, his gaze heavy. She immediately closed her book and walked over, grinning. "Coming all this way just to give me money—what a hassle! You could have just transferred it to me online."

Jiang Mingqian was momentarily taken aback, then recalled that her initial message had been asking for living expenses. He smiled. "As long as you come home with me, I’ll give you as much allowance as you want. Come on, let’s go withdraw from school."

She met his gaze, an unreadable depth flickering in her eyes, but her smile remained. "Dad, don’t you want your daughter to attend a good university?"

What kind of decent parent wouldn’t want their child to have a bright future? If she were in danger at home, that would be one thing, but the moment she sent word, he had rushed over to persuade her to quit school. It was less like a father and more like a keeper.

Jiang Mingqian stood frozen as if struck by lightning, memories surging in his mind. When Shu Ti was still alive, the little girl would always cling to his neck, calling him "daddy" with a mischievous smile and begging for candy. Those distant memories, still warm with summer sunlight, brought a fleeting warmth to his otherwise cold heart.

He closed his eyes, suppressing the bitterness in his chest. At this point, there was no turning back. From the moment he deliberately approached Shu Ti, led her to her death, and stole the key, everything was set in stone.

His voice was calm and low. "You know, this isn’t a discussion. It’s just a notification."

She only smiled more brilliantly. "Alright, then show me just how powerful your notification is."

In that moment of rebellion, he felt none of the anger he’d expected. Instead, a strange pride welled up inside him. For a fleeting instant, his eyes revealed a genuine smile. "A fine declaration. I hope you can hold your ground."

"Jiang Wangshu!" an angry voice called out.

Both of them looked up to see Shen Qingzhi striding over. The sword cultivators, still training nearby, instantly formed a protective wall in front of Jiang Wangshu, shielding her.

"Who are you?"

"If you want to hurt her, you’ll have to go through me first."

Shen Qingzhi paused, catching sight of Jiang Wangshu through the crowd. With a haughty air and impatience, she snapped, "Jiang Wangshu, tell them to move aside right now."

Jiang Wangshu was about to speak when a force suddenly sealed her lips. While she was still stunned, Jiang Mingqian smiled amiably. "Everyone, he’s Wangshu’s fiancé. Thank you for your concern. Could you let these quarreling lovebirds have a private chat?"

The sword cultivators, having seen Jiang Wangshu and Jiang Mingqian smiling at each other from afar and overheard something about "dad," had assumed their relationship was good. Now, seeing Jiang Wangshu say nothing, they awkwardly dispersed.

"Sorry, uncle, we’ll go back to training."

"Wangshu, if you need anything, just call. We won’t let anyone bully you." One of them glared at Shen Qingzhi. This guy had the nerve to argue with someone like Wangshu—truly clueless.

As the sword cultivators scattered, Shen Qingzhi found herself facing Jiang Mingqian, whose kindly smile made her somewhat embarrassed. She looked down and greeted him, "Hello, Uncle Jiang."

Jiang Mingqian’s eyes curved, adopting the genial air of a shrewd merchant. "Ah, Qingzhi! Missing Wangshu, are you? Don’t worry, I’ll take her home soon to arrange your engagement."

Jiang Wangshu, sensitive to the nuances of Jiang Mingqian’s two different smiles, felt a flicker of suspicion in her heart.

At his words, Shen Qingzhi’s eyes widened and she hurriedly shook her head. "No, Uncle Jiang, the engagement can wait."

She spoke anxiously, "Where’s Wanwan? I can’t reach her!"

Jiang Wangshu rolled her eyes and turned away. Let these two fools play their games together.

Jiang Mingqian continued his act as the doting father, revealing nothing of Jiang Wanwan’s whereabouts, though his words implied that her disappearance had something to do with Jiang Wangshu.

Hearing this, Shen Qingzhi hated Jiang Wangshu even more, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles cracked, her teeth grinding audibly.

Jiang Mingqian pretended not to notice. "Girls grow up and don’t listen to their fathers! Qingzhi, would you please help persuade Wangshu to withdraw and come home? What’s the point of studying? She could marry you and live a comfortable life as a wealthy wife—wouldn’t that be better?"

"I’m counting on you, Qingzhi." Jiang Mingqian’s tone suggested he was placing all his hopes on Shen Qingzhi, making her look down on Jiang Wangshu even more. Only a woman as malicious as Jiang Wangshu could end up unloved by her own father.

Outwardly, Shen Qingzhi agreed, "I’ll talk to her, Uncle Jiang. You go home and get some rest."

Jiang Mingqian turned to leave, the smile never leaving his face, but his eyes grew cold and stern. It seemed Meng Nanxing was also starting to make a move.

He needed to quicken his pace and make even more thorough preparations.