A vein throbbed at Ji Tingzhou's temple as he seemed to want to throw the child in his arms away.
But in the next second, the child whimpered in discomfort and curled deeper into his embrace.
Ji Tingzhou instinctively followed the doctor's previous instructions and rubbed her back soothingly.
Though Ji Nian was light, she still had some weight to her. By the time Ji Tingzhou realized how long he had been comforting her, his elbow had grown numb.
After the child's breathing finally steadied completely, he surveyed his surroundings.
The Chinese-style room was filled with mismatched Western furniture - a cheap white dressing table, a sofa covered with gaudy cushions, and a bed with tacky red sheets.
Each item made Ji Tingzhou's veins throb, and he could almost see that fat woman Zhang Yulan sitting on the sofa, picking her feet and then her nose in her slovenly way.
Every second he stayed there felt suffocating.
So he decisively carried Ji Nian away from the small building where she had lived since birth.
"Master," said Zhiliao when she saw Ji Tingzhou emerge, glancing at Ji Nian who was covered with a men's coat with only her head visible.
She took a blanket from another servant's hands to drape over Ji Tingzhou, but he waved it away.
His reason for refusing was—
"The color doesn't match my clothes."
Zhiliao withdrew the blanket and nodded agreeably, "Very well, Master."
Next time she brought a blanket, she would carefully observe Ji Tingzhou's outfit first.
The car carried them majestically toward the main building.
The secluded small building surrounded by forest remained completely unaware it had lost its last occupant.
Back at the main building, just as Zhiliao was about to ask the master where he planned to place Ji Nian, she saw him stride quickly into the elevator, pressing the button for his private floor.
Seeing this, Zhiliao said nothing more.
Meanwhile, she felt a secret happiness in her heart.
Many years ago, before she was called Zhiliao, when she was just a little girl about to be sold by her father for drinking money, she had known Ji Tingzhou.
She had witnessed his entire journey - from a poor wild boy to his return to the Ji family where he was tortured almost beyond recognition, to his sudden rise to control of the entire Ji family in a single night.
With all his enemies dead and his hatred burned to ashes, the consequence was that he had become like a walking corpse.
Although Ji Tingzhou had clearly expressed that he didn't want descendants and wished for the Ji family bloodline to end with his generation.
But if he truly hated Ji Nian, why hadn't he actually strangled her when she was first born?
In Zhiliao's eyes, he was too lonely.
Having steeped himself in hatred alone for too long, when a child appeared who shared half his blood and his eyes and features, his first reaction was panic.
A person who has never experienced love naturally doesn't know how to love others.
This was a good opportunity for growth, and also hope for keeping him in this world.
This was also why Zhiliao genuinely cared for Ji Nian.
Not as Ji Tingzhou's servant, but as a sister who had watched him grow up.
Ji Nian was their hope.
...
Ji Tingzhou's expression was somewhat twisted at this moment.
"Master, I didn't do anything, but the young miss started crying."
The servant looked at Ji Tingzhou with a bitter expression. He still had soap bubbles on his head and wore a bathrobe, his body still wet underneath, clearly having had no chance to dry off.
Their form of address for Ji Nian had changed from 'that child' to 'young miss.'
Fortunately, this entire floor belonged to Ji Tingzhou, and without his permission, no one would come up.
Even if he appeared in such a disheveled state, he didn't need to worry about being seen.
Walking into the bedroom, Ji Tingzhou heard the child's cries as soon as he reached the door.
Ji Nian, who had been sleeping peacefully in his arms earlier, had started crying again, hiccupping and waving her arms in a very insecure manner.
The servant quickly said, "I found the young miss crying as soon as I came in."
Before she could finish speaking, the moment Ji Tingzhou bent down near the child, the crying suddenly stopped. She reached out to grab Ji Tingzhou's sleeve and leaned towards him.
Everyone hopes to be special, and when Ji Tingzhou realized Ji Nian was unconsciously dependent on him, he had already lifted the child onto his lap.
Although Ji Nian couldn't take a bath, Ji Tingzhou could. Upon returning, he had placed the child on the bed and started stripping his clothes off before even reaching the bath.
However, just as he started washing, the nervous servant called him out.
Ji Tingzhou stared at Ji Nian sleeping sweetly in her arms and suddenly felt playful.
He put the child aside.
Unable to sense the familiar presence, the child's lips trembled: "Wuu... wuu... wuuwuu..."
Ji Tingzhou's lips curved slightly as he picked her up again.
Then put her back down.
Ji Nian cried.
Picked her up again.
Put her back down.
Ji Nian cried.
Picked her up again.
This repeated several times.
Ji Nian: "..." What's wrong with him!
If she weren't so young, she would have surely given Ji Tingzhou one slap on his left buttock and two on his right.
[How dare you think about spanking your father]
[You were the one teasing her first]
Ji Nian felt no guilt: [You're being annoying]
Perhaps realizing his behavior was too childish, Ji Tingzhou stopped when the servant was ready to wash the soap bubbles from his head.
He lay down holding the tear-stained Ji Nian, closing his eyes to enjoy the technician's massage and the water washing over him.
Originally thinking that having a noisy child meant Ji Tingzhou wouldn't sleep all night.
Though this was usual for him, he was used to it.
But surprisingly, when he next became conscious and opened his eyes, it was already the next morning.
This time, he had slept until ten in the morning.
Seeing the time, Ji Tingzhou's eyes showed rare surprise at having finally gotten a full night's sleep.
He felt mentally refreshed, clear-headed, and even his usual chronic headaches had vanished thanks to the satisfying sleep.
Before Ji Tingzhou could ponder the reason, he turned his head and met a pair of exceptionally bright eyes, even in the dim environment.
The child had woken up at some unknown time, wearing the clean but slightly ill-fitting clothes the servant had changed her into yesterday, sitting next to Ji Tingzhou, hugging a pillow and staring intently at him.
Ji Tingzhou reached up to rub his temples.
He hadn't forgotten Ji Nian's unwelcoming reaction when she learned he was her father.
"Pink Red Turtle, open the curtains."
Ji Tingzhou commanded the AI butler.
"Yes, Master."
Receiving the command, the curtains slowly slid open, letting sunlight pour in.
Ji Nian could now clearly see Ji Tingzhou's face.
He had held her all night, staying vigilant for fear of her fever returning, only falling into a drowsy sleep in the early hours, hoping their relationship might improve somewhat.
But Ji Nian's first words made Ji Tingzhou, who had been in a good mood from his restful sleep, absolutely furious.
"Master..."
Master - such a distant and heartbreaking form of address from a child to their father.
