Ji Tingzhou was in a bad mood.
Firstly, because he knew the reactions of that little idiot when she got a fever.
Secondly...
The child was named Ji Nian.
A perfectly ordinary name.
He had no idea who had given her that name.
Ji Tingzhou, the biological father, only found out about the child's name from Zhiliao.
Unaware of Ji Tingzhou's strange possessiveness, Zhiliao calmly contacted the female doctor who had previously treated Ji Nian's injuries, following his orders.
"How did you find out?"
As they boarded the golf cart in the manor, Ji Tingzhou glanced at Zhiliao beside him.
The latter did not hide anything.
"The child doesn't eat well usually. I took the liberty of asking someone to send her some food."
"The person couldn't find Ji Nian and only discovered her lying in bed, burning with fever and unconscious, after entering the room."
After saying this, Zhiliao smoothly added, "Please punish me, Master."
Ji Tingzhou merely hummed in response.
Zhiliao: ?
What did "hum" mean?
...
Ji Nian regretted it.
[I never expected that at the height of my fever in this life, I would be stuck in a body that is utterly powerless.]
System: [………]
Pun intended, big time!
[What if no one comes? Are you sure you're not going to do anything?]
Ji Nian frowned in pain and, upon hearing this, turned over: [Don't worry.]
Just as she was about to drift into a feverish, helpless dream, she suddenly heard footsteps.
There were more than one.
She curled her lips and let herself close her eyes again.
After taking power, Ji Tingzhou had renovated the entire manor, transforming the original luxurious Western style into a restrained yet opulent Chinese one.
Through Zhang Yulan and the scars all over Ji Nian's body, he knew she hadn't been living well.
The small building where Ji Nian lived, from the outside, looked no different from the others, and the courtyard was relatively clean.
But as soon as they stepped inside, the hidden wall lamps were all broken, making the lighting dim.
There were barely any pieces of furniture, and the air smelled musty.
The wooden stairs hadn't been maintained in a long time, creaking with every step.
Ji Tingzhou even spotted cobwebs in the corner.
He was on high alert, his muscles tense, and a vein on his temple twitched.
Zhiliao, with his keen sense, immediately notified the servants to arrive and start cleaning.
As Ji Tingzhou's patience reached its limit, the group finally reached Ji Nian's room.
Zhang Yulan had been quite good to her, and the room was fully furnished, but anyone could tell that these items clearly didn't belong to a child.
Ji Nian more resembled a child who had sneaked into an adult's bedroom.
The doctor quickly approached to measure Ji Nian's temperature and check her condition.
Ji Tingzhou only glanced at her.
The small child was curled up in a large red blanket, barely visible, with only her head peeking out. Her face was flushed from the fever, her eyebrows tightly knitted, looking extremely uncomfortable, and tears occasionally fell.
"Her whole body is burning; she can't be wrapped up like this."
The doctor decisively pulled the blanket away and prepared to lift Ji Nian up.
But as soon as she was in the doctor's arms, Ji Nian, who had been quiet before, suddenly started sobbing, tears streaming down her face. She whimpered and occasionally struggled, resisting the doctor's embrace.
Seeing this, several assistants suggested they take over.
But Ji Nian only cried harder.
Zhiliao stepped forward: "Let me hold her."
Ji Tingzhou stood in the corner, feeling annoyed as he listened to Ji Nian's painful sobs.
He wasn't sure what he was annoyed about.
She was already a silly little thing; if she burned herself into a fool, how would she survive in the future?
Zhiliao took Ji Nian and patted the child's back.
But the crying didn't stop, making people feel heartbroken.
Suddenly, Zhiliao turned and looked at Ji Tingzhou.
The latter, upon receiving Zhiliao's gaze, seemed to understand what he was thinking and narrowed his eyes.
"Impossible."
He wasn't going to hold her.
This wasn't a TV drama; just because everyone else couldn't calm her down didn't mean he would succeed.
The child's crying grew more and more distressing, gasping for breath, and her eyes were starting to swell.
Even when given medicine, she wouldn't open her mouth, only crying in pain.
The doctor took Ji Nian and walked toward Ji Tingzhou.
"Master, why don't you try?"
"It's not good to keep her like this."
Even the needle was hard to administer.
Seeing that Ji Tingzhou showed no reaction, the doctor continued to persuade: "You are her biological father, after all."
His fingers twitched slightly.
Finally, under the expectant gazes of everyone, Ji Tingzhou slowly extended his arms.
In his heart, he mocked himself.
What good was being a biological father? He had no affection for his own father, who he had skinned alive and left to die in a gruesome manner. His half-siblings, sharing the same blood, had also met their end at his hands.
Ji Tingzhou didn't believe in blood ties.
Especially not within the Ji family.
But in the instant Ji Nian was awkwardly held by Ji Tingzhou, something miraculous happened.
The previously incessant crying suddenly stopped.
Ji Nian even moved closer to Ji Tingzhou, clutching the front of his shirt with her small hands, and rubbed her fuzzy little head against him.
Everyone present showed expressions of surprise, and the doctor quickly stepped forward to disinfect Ji Nian's hand and prepare to insert the needle.
No one noticed that Ji Tingzhou's back had tensed up in an instant.
The child in his arms was soft and light, as if she had no weight, curling up in his embrace, her fingers tightly gripping his clothes, like a lost monkey finding its home. Her previously furrowed brows had relaxed, and her face showed a sense of peace.
"She hasn't bathed."
His fingertips tingled, and an unfamiliar emotion surged in his chest. To alleviate this feeling, Ji Tingzhou moved his lips.
The doctor quickly said, "She can't bathe, she can't bathe."
Afraid that this man with no experience in raising a daughter would actually take Ji Nian to the bathroom.
"Master, you're holding her too tightly. Relax your arms a bit, and use your free hand to pat her back and soothe her."
Ji Tingzhou's face clearly said, "Are you teaching me how to do things?" but his actions were honest and followed the advice.
The doctor immediately praised, "It's still the father's touch that works. No one else could calm her down, but as soon as she's in Master's arms, she stops crying and becomes quiet."
"The child subconsciously feels close to you."
Everyone else chimed in agreement.
Hearing the voices around him, Ji Tingzhou frowned.
"Troublesome."
But his hand patting Ji Nian's back never stopped.
It was at this moment that the previously quiet child's eyes suddenly overflowed with tears, and she pouted her little mouth, unconsciously calling out: "……Dad……"
Ji Tingzhou froze.
Seeing this, Zhiliao quietly led the others away, leaving the space for this newly formed father-daughter pair, while he carefully listened to the doctor's instructions.
The child in his arms only called out once and then fell silent.
As if that "Dad" had been an illusion.
Ji Tingzhou, dissatisfied, poked the child's red cheek.
"Call me again."
Not "brother," but "Dad."
Ji Nian, with her cheeks being poked, drowsily opened her eyes a slit.
"Dad……"
"Don't eat……poop……it's smelly……"
Ji Tingzhou: "………"
