Her Entire Court Reborn with Her in the Modern World

Chapter 36: Chapter 35: This Zither of Xie Qingshi’s Was Bestowed by Her

Before Xu Shuyu could answer, Meng Shuyan muttered to himself, "He must have some serious background. The last time Dad came to school, he said he saw Principal Ning treating him with the utmost deference. What kind of background warrants that kind of treatment?"

Hearing this, Xu Shuyu paused. "I’m not sure, but his strength is terrifying."

"It seems we still need to avoid him." Meng Shuyan let out a breath and suddenly asked, "Sister, do you think Shi Changying knew beforehand that the President was in Class 17, and that’s why she transferred here?"

Xu Shuyu shook her head, still uninterested. "I don’t know."

"I’m definitely right. I’ve said it before—she’s deeply scheming. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have established her dominance over Mom right after being brought back." Meng Shuyan took a few quick steps to catch up with her. "It’s just a pity that her tricks are destined to fail. To think she actually harbors unrealistic fantasies about the President."

Shaoyuan treated everyone equally. He was like the lone moon in the sky, high above, shining down on all living beings. He possessed infinite compassion, yet also infinite coldness.

The class bell rang, and Xu Shuyu quickened her pace.

"Sister, even if she made this matter public today, what of it?" Meng Shuyan’s expression was contemptuous. "In terms of studies, she can’t compare to you or me. In terms of connections, she has even less. It’s not that easy to enter the Jianghuai circle."

Before entering the classroom, Xu Shuyu finally spoke up. "There’s an exam next week."

"Got it," Meng Shuyan replied perfunctorily as he also returned to the classroom.

After evening classes ended today, Ming Chengli came to pick up Shi Changying, holding ten skewers of grilled sausages. He glanced into the classroom and asked, "Where’s Little Shao?"

Shi Changying packed her workbook into her schoolbag and replied casually, "He left before the evening class."

Ming Chengli didn’t ask further. He took her schoolbag and walked out of the school gates with her.

After finishing a sausage, Shi Changying suddenly said, "I held court today."

"Ah?"

"I told the entire school that you were maliciously swapped, not accidentally switched at birth."

Ming Chengli froze slightly. "Why did you think to announce this in front of the whole school?"

Shi Changying took out her second sausage. "I said it because I wanted to. Does there really need to be a reason?"

Ming Chengli sighed. "It’s just that I already agreed with your grandfather and grandmother back then that we would publicly claim it was an accidental swap."

Shi Changying stopped eating. She looked up, her dark eyes as deep as the night.

"Changying, Dad isn’t blaming you." Ming Chengli rubbed her head. "I’m just afraid you’ll..."

"Dad, ask yourself honestly—do you really not feel wronged?" Shi Changying looked at him. "When you were abandoned at the orphanage, didn’t you ever wish you could grow up surrounded by your parents’ love like other children?"

Ming Chengli’s body jerked abruptly. After a long moment, he said in a hoarse voice, "I did."

How could he not have? For a child, things were so simple. Just being able to go out and play with one’s parents was already enough to make them happy. It was precisely because he had never experienced it that he was determined to give his daughter the best.

"Yes, the old sayings always tell us to take a step back and compromise, to endure what ordinary people cannot," Shi Changying said lightly. "But why should we? Do I have to swallow my grievances and let them rot in my stomach? I’m not that magnanimous."

Ming Chengli fell silent, not saying a word.

"Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you—" Shi Changying paused when she saw his teary eyes. "Are you crying again?"

Ming Chengli turned his head away, rubbed his eyes, and muttered, "No, I just got some sand in my eye."

Shi Changying looked at the cloudless sky above. It was a beautiful, windless day without a single speck of sand in the air. She said unhurriedly, "In ancient times, deceiving the sovereign was a crime punishable by beheading."

"Changying, even though my life has been full of ups and downs and I haven’t achieved anything great," Ming Chengli said with a smile as he wiped away his tears, "the thing I’m most proud of is having you."

Shi Changying’s heart trembled. A warm current seemed to flow through her veins, igniting her freezing blood.

After a long silence, Shi Changying spat out a single word. "Cheesy."

"I’m just being affectionate with my daughter. How is that cheesy?" Ming Chengli glared at her. "I’m your dad."

Shi Changying pondered for a moment before asking, "So a father wouldn’t treat his daughter as a tool, right?"

Hearing her question, Ming Chengli’s expression changed in shock. "What kind of book have you been reading again? How could you have such thoughts? I’ve told you so many times—you can read cheap pulp fiction, but don’t read things with such warped values!"

Shi Changying didn’t answer. Instead, she asked, "A father also wouldn’t trick his daughter into coming home when he actually wanted to kill her to pave the way for his son?"

"Stop right there." Ming Chengli had to interrupt her questioning. "Changying, maybe there really are parents in this world who don’t love their children, but Dad isn’t one of them."

Shi Changying lowered her eyelashes. "Got it."

Ming Chengli was about to say something else when his phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello? An ancient zither was unearthed?"

"That’s right. It’s a seven-stringed ancient zither," the person on the other end said slowly. "Preliminary estimates suggest it was an instrument once used by the Music Immortal, Xie Qingshi."

Ming Chengli was astonished. "Is it really Xie Qingshi’s? Are you sure you didn’t estimate wrong?"

"We’re not one hundred percent certain, but there’s a solid eighty percent chance," the person chuckled. "Because the ancient zither was unearthed in Xuan’an—which is hundreds of kilometers away from Linsu—it still needs careful appraisal."

Ming Chengli’s expression brightened. "I’ll head over right now!"

"Chengli, you know the history of that period best, so we still need you to come take a look," the person said. "Sorry for the hard work. It looks like you won’t be getting any sleep tonight either."

"It’s no hardship," Ming Chengli smiled. "I’m very happy to be of help."

After ending the call, he rubbed Shi Changying’s head and said, "Changying, Dad has to go on a business trip again. If anything happens, go find Old Ning—your principal. You have to be good at home, you hear me?"

"A business trip? Where to?" Shi Changying frowned. "It’s already past ten. Can’t you just rest for the night and leave tomorrow morning? Are your bosses really exploiting people this much?"

"It’s not a boss. Dad started working for himself a long time ago. It’s a friend I used to know," Ming Chengli said. "The sooner I get there, the better. I’ve gotten used to it over the years."

Shi Changying asked, "What kind of job requires you specifically?"

Ming Chengli didn’t hide it from her, giving her a brief rundown of the situation. "They need me to confirm if it’s the ancient zither that Xie Qingshi once used."

Shi Changying recalled for a moment. Fortunately, she had an excellent memory and remembered the origin of that zither. She said, "Then you don’t need to go."

"Be a good girl, Changying. Dad will be back soon." Ming Chengli just assumed she didn’t want him to leave. "When I get back, I’ll bring you some delicious food."

Shi Changying crossed her arms. "It is his zither."

And she was the one who had bestowed it upon him.