Chapter 236: Chapter 236

In front of the laptop, Rong Zhi was video calling with Yang Feifan and the others. Hearing Rong Xian’an’s words, she turned down the volume, her delicate and charming eyes revealing a trace of cool indifference.

"No, I don’t have time."

She had no interest in listening to Rong Xian’an’s nonsense and straightforwardly hung up the call. Then, she turned to the two people who had paused on the other side of the screen and softly said, "Continue."

The national math competition was scheduled for the eighth, and Rong Zhi returned to school to get some materials.

Old Li was still holding his thermos cup, and during the breaks in drinking tea, he looked at the teenager busy checking materials with a somewhat sentimental gaze. Clearing his throat, he sighed, "From the time you entered the school, in the blink of an eye, it’s almost time for the final exams."

He still remembered the mess that Rong Zhi’s background and appearance had caused when she first entered the school.

At that time, his impression of Rong Zhi was not good. When Yao Xiaoshan came to suggest that Rong Zhi participate in the math competition, he struggled with the decision for quite a while.

Later, seeing the teenager sitting by the window, the vast sunlight outside casting over her, as if cloaking her in light, her beautiful eyebrows and eyes strikingly vivid. For more chapters visit novel_fіre.net

He thought, why not take a gamble?

We can’t just kill off a student’s hope of advancing.

Old Li took another sip of tea, suppressing the complex emotions within.

Luckily, his gamble paid off, though he felt a bit regretful.

"You really don’t plan on participating in the world competition? With your grades, winning a place isn’t a problem. Standing on the winner’s podium, receiving the world’s attention, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Aren’t you tempted to try it?"

Old Li earnestly persuaded her.

Rong Zhi’s decision to withdraw from the competition after the national finals had him upset for quite a while.

It’s hard to come by a promising student who could lead the team to win medals at the world competition, yet the student wasn’t interested, which made him rather exasperated.

But since the student had a good relationship with him, he couldn’t scold or be harsh, and Old Li almost felt internally frustrated.

Rong Zhi finished organizing the materials and handed a piece of paper to Old Li with her cold, white, jade-like hand. The paper was filled with dense writing.

Old Li recognized the characters; it was a prescription.

In fact, Rong Zhi had already experienced standing on the world stage numerous times, but facing Old Li’s sincere advice for her own good, she felt quite embarrassed, after all, she had let him down.

"I’m sorry," her eyes like a fox’s narrowed slightly, a faint smile on her lips, her tone earnest with a hint of respect, "If there’s a chance, perhaps we’ll meet at the world competition, where I’ll cheer for you from the audience."

Upon finishing her words, she stepped back two steps, and respectfully bowed to Old Li.

Old Li was startled and hurriedly put down his thermos cup to help her up, protesting twice, speaking with mixed reproof and emotion: "What are you apologizing for? It’s not like I don’t know you’re busy. Life’s road ahead is long; it doesn’t have to hinge on a single math world competition."

"I just hope you can go a bit further, longer, to a broader place, where your real stage lies."

Old Li patted the thin shoulder of the teenager, feeling the leanness beneath his palm, he withheld the bittersweet feeling in his heart and encouraged, "Director Yao, Teacher Yu, and I all have high hopes for you, Rong Zhi, you must persevere."

Rong Zhi curled her lips, nodded, "I will."

Near noon, the snow accumulated on the streets gradually melted into water.

Rong Zhi turned the steering wheel, deciding out of consideration for the weather, to drive cautiously for a change.

The white sedan intentionally or unintentionally maintained a suitable distance tailing her behind. Glancing sideways absentmindedly into the rearview mirror, catching the license plate number of the sedan within, she arched her eyebrows with a laid-back attitude.

To have someone tailing her to this extent was truly a hardship for him.

Rong Zhi’s eyes flashed with a tinge of disdain as she pressed the gas pedal and changed her route.

Seeing the SUV in front suddenly accelerate, Rong Xian’an’s expression tightened, hastily increasing speed to follow.

After driving for quite a while, the surrounding scenery became increasingly familiar, until following the SUV into the garage, Rong Xian’an only belatedly realized, isn’t this his own family’s villa?

What was Rong Zhi doing here?

Getting off the car with a belly full of questions, and entering the villa, the teenager was casually seated on the sofa directly opposite the main door. Hearing the sound, she looked up, her gaze toward him was indifferent, even cold.

It was almost like looking at a stranger.

Rong Xian’an felt a tight block in his chest.

Although aware that their relationship couldn’t return to how it was, thinking of all the recent disturbances, he felt exhausted, mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible sense of regret.

Pretending not to notice the teenager’s gaze, he instructed the butler to serve tea, then took off his coat and sat opposite Rong Zhi.

A long silence ensued.

The butler served the tea, and for once, Rong Xian’an pushed a cup towards Rong Zhi first, then picked up his own and took a sip, the dry itch in his throat relieved by the tea.

"You came to the villa, are you here to have a serious talk with me?" he asked Rong Zhi.

The brown tea swirled lightly in the white porcelain cup, Rong Zhi lowered her gaze slightly, not accepting his goodwill.

Her whole demeanor relaxed and leisurely, crossing her legs, she propped her chin, a small smile at her lips, "Following a private car without cause, I could call the police."

She didn’t report because she didn’t want to be further harassed by Rong Xian’an.

Rong Xian’an’s hand hesitated slightly on the teacup, pursed his lips, and said, "Can’t you speak with me in a different manner?"

"It’s you who are begging me now," Rong Zhi replied with a faint, careless smile.

On Jiang Gujun’s side, a fund company was established, and already acquired many shares from shareholders of Rong Family who, seeing the situation as unfavorable, withdrew.

Time stopped yesterday, and the fund company under Rong Zhi’s name reached a 20% holding in Rong Family, launching a full acquisition offer for Rong Family.

Rong Xian’an was currently most in need of money and busiest.

The words ’Rong Family is finished’ threatened to crush him.

He had no choice but to seek help from Rong Zhi.

Only by knowing the connections in Rong Zhi’s hands did Rong Family have a chance of salvation.

But unfortunately, Rong Zhi didn’t intend to give him this chance.

"Are you very curious?" she leisurely switched her position, even more at ease.

Rong Xian’an’s brows instantly tightened, "What on earth do you want for you to let go of Rong Family and the Rong household?"

Rong Zhi let out a meaningless soft laugh, her tone cool and slightly mocking, "Ask yourself, it was your people who handed Rong Family over to me."

"Do you have to make me beg you?"

Yesterday afternoon, the person in charge of Huarong Fund suddenly placed an acquisition proposal in front of him, leaving him stunned for quite a while.

But he had no time to deal with it, the news of Rong Meng’s car accident followed immediately.

All the news caught him completely off guard.

"Meng Meng’s legs are crippled, the doctor says amputation is necessary," even though Rong Xian’an’s feelings for his daughter weren’t deep, he still felt miserable, "Her hands are ruined too, all the tendons severed, her future confined to a hospital bed, a cripple."

Rong Meng’s pride and joy, the cello, could no longer be played.

Upon hearing this, Rong Zhi raised her beautiful brows, seemingly agreeing earnestly, "The term ’cripple’, quite fitting."

Rong Xian’an couldn’t help but raise his voice: "Rong Zhi!"

His eyes filled with disbelief, his heart growing colder inch by inch, "Do you have any conscience? The person who crashed into Meng Meng, the one who wanted to blow her up, was Yang Yuli, who previously framed you!"