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墨書 Inktalez
The door stood open, and Zheng Mengni lightly knocked twice before stepping inside. Zheng Yicheng stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, silent, his back turned to her in a heavy stillness.
“Dad,” Zheng Mengni called softly, but received no response; he remained fixated on the scenery outside.
Feeling restless, she hesitated for a moment before moving closer to stand beside him, following his gaze out the window.
The crimson clouds faded into the horizon, leaving behind an empty tranquility. Yet such beauty barely registered in Zheng Mengni's eyes; she discreetly observed Zheng Yicheng's reaction through the fading light.
The more silent he was, the more it felt like a storm was brewing.
“Xiao Ni.”
Just as Zheng Mengni began to drift off in thought, Zheng Yicheng finally called her name in a subdued tone.
She turned her face towards him, instantly lighting up with a joyful smile.
Zheng Yicheng did not look at her. “I’ve seen your exam results.”
Zheng Mengni fell silent; she knew this tone was far from a compliment.
Zheng Yicheng spoke slowly, “I remember when you first started university, your scores were already like this. After all this time, you haven’t made any progress—doesn’t that count as a step backward?”
Lowering her head, she replied quietly, “Yes.”
The college entrance examination isn’t an end; it’s a new beginning. Don’t think that just because you’re at Mingya University you can slack off. Your brother never fell out of the top three in his exams at your age. My expectations for you aren’t that high; I just hope you can improve a little each time. Is that too much to ask?
Zheng Mengni stared at Zheng Yicheng’s calm face; the deep-set wrinkles and somber eyes turned somewhat menacing.
She wanted to say that she had truly tried this time, but how could she express that?
With results similar to before, how could she ask for praise or plead with her father not to be angry? No one knew how hard she had worked except for herself.
She was just a bit slower than others; that didn’t mean she hadn’t studied diligently. Choosing to cheat before had brought her false glory, and she should bear the consequences of that choice.
“Dad,” Zheng Mengni said softly, “give me a little more time. I will show you my progress.”
Zheng Yicheng’s previously steady demeanor now hinted at irritation. “What you know doesn’t matter; all anyone cares about is the result. I asked you before if you needed a tutor, and you said you could manage on your own. After all this time spent in isolation, is this the result you want to show me?”
Zheng Mengni remained silent, maintaining her gentle and polite demeanor, obedient and willing to learn. It was my own arrogance that had let down my father's good intentions. She took a deep breath and softly said, "I need a mentor."
"You know well that the annulment with the Wei Family was for Tan Yan's sake. Our families are too different, and the gap between you and Tan Yan is even greater. If you keep standing still, he will drift further away from you!"
Tan Yan had never caused anyone worry since he was a child. I remembered that his grades had always been at the top since middle school. I don’t expect you to be as outstanding as him; I just hope you won’t continue to disappoint me. Otherwise, I truly wouldn’t know what to do with you.
Hearing his name, Zheng Mengni slowly lifted her head, which she had kept bowed. She smiled as if nothing was wrong, concealing any hint of despair in her eyes.
"Father, perhaps you only care about the results and believe that the process doesn’t matter. But I want to say that even if effort doesn’t earn recognition, it shouldn’t be met with cold water."
Zheng Yicheng looked at her in disappointment. "This isn’t an excuse for your stubbornness. The effort should not lead to this outcome. Since you’ve placed this result before me, I have the right to question what your so-called effort really looks like."
Zheng Mengni suppressed her frustration and remained polite and gentle. "Then I just want to ask one thing: Do you want me to become excellent because you genuinely wish for me to improve, or is it because you want a daughter who can match your expectations for a good son-in-law?"
Zheng Yicheng’s calm demeanor vanished completely; he hadn’t expected his usually obedient daughter to speak to him this way. He hated being contradicted and despised it when someone talked back while he was lecturing, especially when that person was his carefully nurtured daughter.
"I see you've been too self-satisfied lately. I haven’t mentioned the decline in your last two paintings at the exhibition, but that doesn’t mean I can tolerate your complacency! You keep regressing; when will you finally satisfy me?"
Zheng Mengni's defiance left Zheng Yicheng immensely disappointed. He canceled her dinner plans and told her to reflect on herself properly before coming back to talk with him.
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