The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Chapter 124 Love and Freedom

Li Lingxuan looked at the group of energetic female students in front of her. Their faces were filled with confident smiles, which was completely different from those ladies who were trapped in their boudoirs all day. She couldn't help but feel touched and asked, "Can I go take a closer look?"

"Of course," Cen Jiexiao said, leading Li Lingxuan to the edge of the field. "Princess, please look, this Cuju not only tests individual skills, but also requires teamwork to achieve victory."

Li Lingxuan stopped to watch, and saw that the female students were very agile and coordinated with each other. They attacked and defended each other, and the performance was very exciting. She was dazzled by it, and she couldn't help but feel an urge to try it out.

"How is it? Princess, are you interested in experiencing it yourself?" Seeing Li Lingxuan watching intently, Sister Cen Xiao asked with a smile.

Li Lingxuan hesitated for a moment. From childhood, she had been instilled with the idea that "a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent" and "a woman's role is to take care of her husband and children." Now that she was asked to run and play football on the field like a man, she couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Don't worry, Princess! Cuju not only exercises the body, but also cultivates one's reaction ability and teamwork spirit. For women, it has a hundred benefits and no harm." Sister Cen Xiao saw Li Lingxuan's concerns and encouraged her. "Besides, we women can also fight in the battlefield and defend our country. This little Cuju is no problem for us!"

Li Lingxuan was touched by Cen Jiexiao's words, and a glint of eagerness flashed in her eyes: "Dean Cen is right, I am too old-fashioned. I want to try it too, is that okay?"

"Of course!" Cen Jiexiao said, then took Li Lingxuan's hand and enthusiastically led her to the center of the venue, "Come on, Princess, come and play with us!"

When the female students saw that Cen Jiexiao had brought Li Lingxuan with her, they stopped what they were doing and looked at the noble princess curiously.

"Hello, Princess!" A brave female student spoke first and bowed to Li Lingxuan.

The other female students also reacted and greeted Li Lingxuan in unison: "Hello, Princess!"

"Hello, hello." Although Li Lingxuan was a princess, she did not put on airs at all and responded to the greetings from the female students cordially.

"Princess, come and play football with us!" a female student invited enthusiastically.

"Yes, yes, it's more fun when there are more people!" other female students also echoed.

Li Lingxuan couldn't resist their enthusiasm and joined the Cuju team.

Xiaozhi followed Cen Jiexiao's instructions and carefully observed Li Lingxuan from the side. He found that she was in a playful mood and quickly immersed in the fun of the competition. Her face was filled with a bright smile. There was no trace of the sarcasm or the occasional depression that appeared on her face when they first met.

After one round of competition, Li Lingxuan was sweating profusely, but she did not feel tired at all. Instead, she felt refreshed and her mood became particularly comfortable.

Cen Jiexiao saw all this and smiled with relief. It had been a long time since this girl had relaxed so freely.

Sister Cen Xiao walked over and took out a clean handkerchief from her sleeve, handed it to Li Lingxuan, and said, "Princess, wipe the sweat off your face."

Li Lingxuan stopped, took the handkerchief, said thank you, and then carefully wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"How is it? Princess, this Cuju is quite interesting, right?" Cen Jiexiao asked with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"It's fun. I haven't had so much fun in a long time." Li Lingxuan said with a smile, her tone full of joy, obviously happiness from the heart.

"If the princess likes it, as long as you don't mind, my academy is small and you can come anytime you want. Many of the female students in our academy are fans of the princess." Sister Cen struck while the iron was hot. She could see that Li Lingxuan really liked Cuju and the atmosphere of the academy.

"Really?" Li Lingxuan asked with some surprise. She originally thought that because of her noble status, these female students would stay away from her, but she didn't expect that they would like her so much.

"Of course it's true. It seems that after the last incident with the Lolita skirt, the princess seems more approachable and down-to-earth. Now she's even playing Cuju with us. How could anyone not like the princess?" Cen Jiexiao said with a smile.

"That's good. I was worried that you would think I..." Li Lingxuan stopped talking halfway, seeming to find it difficult to continue.

"Are you worried about what we think of you?" Cen Jiexiao asked.

"I'm worried that you will think that I'm... spoiled, don't know the rules, and am not worthy of playing with you." Li Lingxuan said in a low voice, with a hint of uneasiness and inferiority in her tone.

Upon hearing this, Cen Jiexiao couldn't help but laugh: "The princess is worrying too much. How could we think that? The princess is of noble status, but she is not at all arrogant. She treats people kindly and warmly. We all admire the princess very much!"

When Li Lingxuan heard what Cen Jiexiao said, a big stone in her heart finally fell to the ground. She smiled and said, "That's good, that's good."

"So, Princess, when you have time in the future, please come to the academy often. We all welcome you very much." Cen Jiexiao invited again.

"Okay, then I'll obey your command." Li Lingxuan replied with a smile.

Li Lingxuan wiped the sweat from her forehead and gently tossed the Cuju ball to the maid beside her. Then she slowly walked to the edge of the court, picked up the teacup on the stone table and took a sip. The fragrance of the tea filled the air, refreshing her heart. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Good tea!"

Cen Jiexiao walked up to her and said with a smile, "This is this year's new tea. I saved it specially. If you like it, I will give you some when I go back."

"Thank you very much, Dean Cen." Li Lingxuan said with a smile, but her eyes fell on the female students running and playing on the field, and a hint of envy flashed in her eyes.

Cen Jiexiao followed her gaze and asked softly, "Does the princess envy their carefree lives?"

Li Lingxuan withdrew her gaze and sighed softly: "Yes, they are like flowers blooming in spring, carefree and free. Unlike me, I have no control over my own life..."

"The princess's status is noble, which is what many people dream of. How can you say that she has no choice?" Cen Jiexiao asked in a puzzled manner.

Li Lingxuan smiled bitterly: "President Cen, you're joking. What does it matter if you have a noble status? You're still just a chess piece..."

Upon hearing this, Cen Jiexiao was silent for a moment before she slowly said, "The princess is talking about the marriage, but didn't the princess tell me before that she was willing to marry the Prince of Xixiang?"

"Yes, I am so entangled and torn now. It is true that I love Prince Xixiang, but I don't want to leave the place where I was born and raised." Li Lingxuan murmured to herself, her tone full of helplessness and bitterness.

The two of them just sat there quietly, looking at the youthful female students on the field, and no one spoke.

"Maybe by this time next year, the princess will be playing Cuju in Xixiang, thousands of miles away?" Cen Jiexiao asked casually, with a hint of ridicule in her tone.

Upon hearing this, Li Lingxuan paused for a moment, her eyes flickering for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. She pretended to be relaxed and said, "Well... maybe!"

"Have you really made up your mind, Princess?" Cen Jiexiao put away the smile on her face and her tone became serious. "Or, is the Princess really willing?"

Li Lingxuan's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She lowered her head and remained silent for a moment before whispering, "Sister Cen Xiao, you're so annoying. I can't hide anything from you."

"Princess, you are joking. I just care more about you than others. Princess, although we have known each other for a short time, at least in my world, I am willing to treat you as a friend. In fact, I don't have many friends after I came to this world." Cen Jiexiao smiled faintly.

"Princess, actually, after this period of contact and mutual understanding, I feel that you are not the kind of person who is greedy for power. Do you... have any unspeakable secrets?" Sister Cen Xiao continued.

Li Lingxuan raised her head and looked at Cen Jiexiao. A trace of struggle flashed in her eyes. She bit her lip, as if hesitating whether to tell her secret...