Chapter 292: Left And Ready To Leave

"Oh, alright. I'll try my best," Li Xiaofei responded casually.

In truth, he was just humoring this office lady. He didn't have the time or interest to handle such trivial matters. He stared absentmindedly out the window. It had only been one night since they parted, yet he couldn't stop himself from thinking of the young lady. They say women could slow a man's blade. Now that he had tasted forbidden fruit, he was left craving more.

For some reason, snow began to fall from the sky again. There had been an unusually high number of snowy days this winter. It had also been especially cold.

Fortunately, the beast tide had not launched another assault in recent days. Liuhe Base City was maintaining a fragile peace.

Over the following days, Li Xiaofei tried calling Tan Qingying several times, but the calls never connected. He knew that the young lady must be busy with something important. So, he refrained from visiting her. Most of his time was spent on cultivation.

Thanks to the Yin-Yang Resonance of Great Sorrow, Li Xiaofei had been breaking through his limits exceptionally quickly in recent times even without Starforce Reagents.

Li Xiaofei had broken through to the sixth shackle in just three days. His hands, feet, eyes, and ears were now enhanced. The most immediate benefit was his improved dynamic visual ability, allowing him to better track and predict fast-moving objects. His hearing also became more sensitive, which was a significant advantage for a close-combat fighter.

He continued to attend classes at Red Flag High School every day. In the mornings, he attended cultural and theory classes, while in the afternoons, he participated in combat training, exchanging techniques and insights with his teammates.

Since the principal and the split-personality dean placed so much importance on the Skyward Staff Technique, the Pity Flower Treasure Manual, and the Medicine King Divine Manual, the curriculum at Red Flag High School had completely changed.

The school’s combat team’s recent cultivation and studies were centered around these new teaching materials. This gave Li Xiaofei more opportunities to interact with his teammates. As martial arts students, they all had different interpretations of ancient martial techniques and skills, and they could learn from one another.

This was particularly true of Yan Chiyu, whose comprehension was remarkable. Her foundation in martial arts theory was far more solid than Li Xiaofei's. Some of her insights had greatly benefited Li Xiaofei, the so-called clumsy bird flying ahead. However, for some unknown reason, Yan Chiyu had recently become distant toward Li Xiaofei again and kept him at arm's length. However, Li Xiaofei didn’t bother to dwell on it.

Before he knew it, Friday had arrived. A new round of the High School War God League was beginning.

Their opponent this time was Jinling High School, a mid-tier team in the league. Li Xiaofei and Yan Chiyu were both placed on the substitute bench while Fang Buyi and Zhuge Long were selected to compete as the main fighters.

Red Flag High School had now become the most popular team in the league, earning the title of first place. The Red Flag Stadium, which could accommodate over 11,000 spectators, had long been overwhelmed by the crowd's enthusiasm and was completely packed.

"Our current main contradiction," The principal with peach-blossom eyes sighed, "is the growing enthusiasm of the public for watching the matches versus the limited number of seats in the stadium."

There were no plans to rebuild the event stadium in the near future. All available funds were being funneled into purchasing cultivation resources to ensure that the current students had access to top-tier supplies within the city. When the rewards from the Education Department, earned through continuous victories in the league, also came through, Red Flag High School's students were flourishing like crops fertilized with rich nutrients.

The students were growing stronger at a rapid pace. The principal, who had been working on his academic paper for nearly ten years, was also nearing its completion.

Three hours later, as expected, Red Flag High School, even with the substitutes, won all the matches in this round of the War God League.

Li Xiaofei sat in the preparation area, applauding for his teammates. But when he turned, he caught Yan Chiyu staring at him. When their eyes met, Captain Yan calmly looked away, her gaze shifting back to the arena. A huge question mark popped up in Li Xiaofei's mind.

Peeking at me? Did Captain Yan find something about me unpleasant again?

The post-match press conference was a big event, as expected. Unsurprisingly, Li Xiaofei was also called to attend. He went through the motions like a disinterested mascot, his mind clearly elsewhere.

That evening, he received a phone call from Tan Zhenwei.

"Come over for a simple dinner at home."

The voice of his future father-in-law sounded a bit tired.

"Okay."

Li Xiaofei suddenly felt like he’d been given new life and eagerly agreed. Half an hour later, he arrived at the government housing complex. To his surprise, Tan Zhenwei was already waiting downstairs with a blank expression.

"Huh? Where's Little Ying?" Li Xiaofei looked around but couldn’t see any sign of the young lady.

Tan Zhenwei turned and started walking upstairs, saying, "She left for Xiajing two days ago."

Gone?

Li Xiaofei froze.

"Why didn’t she tell me?" he asked, clearly disappointed. "I could have gone to see her off."

Tan Zhenwei opened the door when he reached the third floor and said, "It was a last-minute plan. She left in a hurry, so she didn’t inform her friends... not telling you was for your own good."

Li Xiaofei remained silent.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Does Tan Zhenwei know that I slept with his daughter, or does he have no clue? Could it be that the door will close, and he'll start breaking my legs?

The city leader’s home wasn’t large. In fact, the entire government housing complex had a simple, serene architectural style. Most of the buildings were older but had been renovated multiple times, giving the environment a decent charm. The interiors had their own unique designs.

For instance, the Tan household was a three-bedroom apartment with minimalist decor. The aroma of food wafted out from the kitchen.

“Dinner will be ready soon,” came the voice of the young secretary from the kitchen.

Li Xiaofei was somewhat surprised.

The secretary can cook?

Tan Zhenwei pointed to the sofa in the living room, his expression blank. “Sit.”

Li Xiaofei obediently sat down. Tan Zhenwei sat across from him, saying nothing. The silence between them was thick and the atmosphere remained awkward.

At that moment, the secretary came out of the kitchen and placed the dishes on the table. After removing his apron, he smiled and said, "Sir, dinner is ready."

Tan Zhenwei nodded. "Thank you. You can go now."

The secretary hesitated for a brief moment, but then turned and left.

"Let's eat," Tan Zhenwei said as he took his seat at the dining table.

Li Xiaofei sat down as well, feeling slightly uneasy, but keeping his composure.

Li Xiaofei glanced at the four dishes and one soup in front of him. Although they were simple home-cooked meals, they looked and smelled delicious. It seemed like the secretary was no stranger to cooking at the Tan household.

He picked up his chopsticks and started eating. The two men silently ate their meal without much conversation, both keeping their heads down as they focused on their food.

After they finished, Tan Zhenwei put down his bowl and suddenly said, "Tomorrow morning, I will officially step down from my position as city leader and head to Xiajing for my new post. Little Ying asked me to invite you for a meal before I leave."

What?

Li Xiaofei was stunned. There had been rumors circulating that Tan Zhenwei might step down as city leader, but few had taken them seriously.

Tan Zhenwei had even mentioned not long ago that he didn’t want to leave Liuhe Base City, nor did he want to see the city fall into the hands of the heartless noble families. Yet, here he was, announcing his imminent departure, making it all seem final after less than two weeks.