From childhood until now, this was the first time Roni had seen a solemn, oppressive gaze in her father's eyes.
Previously, this was a scene Fu Hua Ai Er Dun reserved for others.
No matter how troubling internal family matters were, no matter how much anger he displayed towards clan elders, guest elders, or stewards just moments before.
When facing her, he was always as gentle as a spring breeze.
Suddenly—
Roni Ai Er Dun seemed to realize a possibility.
"Dad."
A cautious murmur escaped Roni's lips. Fu Hua Ai Er Dun's eyes in the projection moved. Perhaps he didn't want to treat his beloved daughter this way.
"Speak!"
Clenching her fists, Roni Ai Er Dun remained silent for a long time.
The wind in the cavern blew gently.
The flickering light of the campfire made the shadows of the people gathered around it sway incessantly, as if reflecting Roni's heart.
No one urged her. Both Chen Yu and Fu Hua Ai Er Dun understood clearly.
Roni's upcoming decision was crucial.
"I want to go back."
After a long silence, Roni suddenly looked up, her gaze firm.
"I want to return to the Royal City!"
Her resolute answer made Fu Hua Ai Er Dun in the projection appear to have aged considerably in an instant. He smiled faintly and raised his hand as if to touch Roni's head in the projection.
He stroked the projection and chuckled.
"Alright, then come back."
No one could comprehend the emotions Fu Hua Ai Er Dun harbored when he uttered these words.
Looking at her father, who seemed to have aged instantly,
Roni pursed her lips, a hint of worry in her eyes.
"Dad, did I do something wrong?"
"How could that be? Whatever decision our little princess makes, it is always the right one." Fu Hua Ai Er Dun maintained his doting smile. "No matter what you do, the Ai Er Dun family will support your decision."
"Dad, I..."
This scene vividly portrayed Fu Hua Ai Er Dun's love for Roni. Unaware of the clan's situation, Roni gazed into her father's eyes, listening to his words that sounded like a farewell, and the thought in her heart grew stronger.
"Don't overthink it."
Fu Hua Ai Er Dun said, shaking his head with a smile.
"Father is here for everything."
These simple words instantly dispelled Roni's worries.
Yes!
She still had her father.
In her eyes, her father was omnipotent.
"Mmm~" Roni's smile returned to her face, and she kissed Fu Hua Ai Er Dun's face in the projection. "Thank you, Dad. You're the best to me."
"Of course!"
Fu Hua Ai Er Dun raised his eyebrows.
"If I don't treat you well, who else will? Roni, take off your wristband and give it to Mr. Chen. I have some things I want to say to him alone."
"Alone again!" Roni's eyes widened.
Last time Fu Hua Ai Er Dun had a long private talk with Chen Yu in a private room, leaving her in such a desolate place. Now, talking alone again...
"Don't worry, just some instructions."
Fu Hua Ai Er Dun said with a smile. Roni frowned and looked at him for a while.
"Really?"
"When has your father ever lied to you?" Fu Hua Ai Er Dun replied earnestly. Roni pondered for a moment, then took off her wristband and handed it to Chen Yu. "Here, you two go plot some mischief."
Receiving the wristband, Chen Yu stood up and walked away without Fu Hua Ai Er Dun needing to say a word.
While he was leaving,
The little devil also got up and followed him from a distance, alertly scanning their surroundings to prevent Chen Yu from encountering any unexpected dangers.
"Patriarch Fu Hua, I believe we can talk here now."
"I apologize, Mr. Chen. You may have to take care of my daughter." Fu Hua Ai Er Dun's eyes were full of apology. "I am truly sorry for the trouble I've caused you."
"It's nothing."
Chen Yu shook his head slightly and glanced at Roni.
"We are partners, so these polite words are not important. I am just wondering, is it really okay to send her back to the Royal City now?"
The relationship between the Royal Family and the Ai Er Dun family was becoming increasingly tense.
The more core members they were,
The more they became targets for the Royal Family's close observation.
If Fu Hua Ai Er Dun was the pillar of the Ai Er Dun family, the shield that led the entire clan through hardships and weathered storms,
Then Roni Ai Er Dun was the flame cherished by countless people within the Ai Er Dun family.
She was hope!
If Fu Hua Ai Er Dun were to be eliminated, the Ai Er Dun family would collapse, but if Roni were eliminated, the Ai Er Dun family would be utterly ruined.
"I have also been hesitant."
In the projection, Fu Hua Ai Er Dun's eyes were filled with exhaustion.
"Just now, I was constantly thinking, or rather, since Roni stayed in your city-state, I have been considering this question: is it truly good for her not to know anything?"
"I am very uncertain."
"The last time I felt this way was when I was young, before the clan leader election. That was also the biggest turning point in my entire life."
"Now, Roni is the second."
"I don't know if Mr. Chen can understand, but as parents, we naturally want to give our descendants the best of everything."
"We make the best choices for our descendants, allowing them to take the fewest detours."
"But..."
"These are actually just illusions of us parents."
"Is this truly what the children want?"
"I, Fu Hua Ai Er Dun, have achieved my current status through my own hard work, not through the so-called well-paved paths my parents laid out for me. I used to detest my parents' ways of trying to be good to me, but why am I now treating Roni in the way I once most disliked?"
"She is free!"
Fu Hua Ai Er Dun poured out his heart in the projection, and Chen Yu listened quietly without interrupting.
"I have been wavering between these two paths, whether I am right or allowing Roni freedom is right. I have been unable to make a clear decision."
"Since that's the case, then let's leave it to fate!"
"Let Roni choose!"
"If she wants to return to the Royal City, I will agree to her returning; if she backs down, then I will continue to proceed with my plan step by step."
"I believe fate will not let us Ai Er Dun down."
"I believe fate will favor my daughter."
"Just now, seeing her make her decision with unwavering determination, I was actually quite gratified. That look in her eyes was like mine when I was young, with firm conviction and strong resolve."
"I am very satisfied."
"So, you are willing to use the entire Ai Er Dun family as a stepping stone for Roni's independence?" Chen Yu, facing the projection, suddenly questioned with a stern voice.
Abruptly, Fu Hua Ai Er Dun's expression in the projection shifted slightly.
"Mr. Chen, you..."
Fu Hua Ai Er Dun did not finish his words, his eyes filled only with endless admiration and praise.
"To break and then to build. If it can truly ensure the family's continuation, what does it matter if the entire clan is sacrificed!" Fu Hua Ai Er Dun chuckled. "I am willing to try for my daughter, and I am also willing... to gamble for the future of the family!"