Two days earlier, the time rewinds.
Ji Nian was writing down the tasks she needed Bruce to complete when she received a message from Lu Zhi.
Although she had personally traveled to Country O, she had not met Lu Zhi.
It was impossible not to be curious about the 'son-in-law' chosen by Princess Feia.
As Ji Tingzhou mentioned, the Lu family had been considering relocating back to Country H for development. However, at a banquet, Lu Zhi, who was not yet the head of the family, fell deeply in love with Princess Feia, who was five years his senior, during a single encounter.
After they got together, Lu Zhi insisted on staying in Country O, enduring numerous hardships along the way.
Doesn't that sound quite romantic?
Lu Zhi arrived by helicopter.
The helicopter landed in the spacious courtyard of the Ji Family estate.
Stepping off the helicopter and seeing the familiar Chinese-style courtyard, Lu Zhi felt a sense of being back in Country H.
“Mr. Lu, this way please. The head of the house is waiting for you.”
After Ji Tingzhou took over as the head of the Ji Family, the estate had been renovated, looking vastly different from when Lu Zhi last visited.
With blue-tiled roofs and upturned eaves, the estate blended modernity with classical elements, built on a scale reminiscent of ancient imperial summer palaces.
It couldn’t be denied that Ji Tingzhou really knew how to indulge in luxury.
“Please board the boat, Mr. Lu.”
Lu Zhi was led to the lakeside. By afternoon, the oppressive heat of noon had subsided, and the lakeside was cool, with occasional breezes lifting the gauzy curtains of the boat.
It was quite a delightful setting.
Lu Zhi gracefully stepped onto the boat, where someone stood at the door, opening it for him.
“Was this prepared especially for me?”
He smiled cheerfully as he entered, his gaze meeting Ji Tingzhou’s emerald-green eyes, which were fixed on him as he lounged by the window, propping his head with one hand while enjoying the breeze.
“You’re thinking too much.”
Ji Tingzhou didn’t move an inch, indicating that Lu Zhi should take a seat himself.
The two were familiar with each other, and as Lu Zhi was about to sit across from him, his eyes suddenly stopped.
His gaze fell on a small, similarly-colored object that had been partially hidden behind Ji Tingzhou, almost going unnoticed.
Ji Nian was dressed in colors similar to Ji Tingzhou’s clothes today, and since she had been hiding behind him, scribbling away, it was understandable that she hadn’t been noticed.
She peeked out, her eyes meeting Lu Zhi’s, and she greeted him with a smile: “Hello, Uncle Lu.”
Her slightly curled hair was loosely bundled at the back of her head, wrapped with a ribbon dotted with pearls.
She wore a white lace sleeveless top and blue polka-dotted wide-legged pants, sitting demurely next to Ji Tingzhou. Her emerald-green eyes and her refined, aristocratic features were strikingly similar to the man beside her.
However, her warm smile effectively softened the aloofness her appearance otherwise conveyed, making her seem more approachable than her seemingly high-and-mighty father.
Although Lu Zhi had heard that Ji Nian resembled Ji Tingzhou, he hadn’t expected it to be to this extent. He paused for a moment before returning her smile: “Hello, Ji Nian.”
“As your father said, you’re indeed a beautiful child.”
Lu Zhi crouched down in front of Ji Nian.
“Thank you for traveling all the way to Country O to deliver the antidote to Huai. I was quite disappointed not to meet you then.”
“I’ve been wanting to thank you in person.”
“Fortunately, your father was generous enough to give me this opportunity to interact with you.”
He smiled warmly.
Observing his demeanor, Ji Tingzhou rolled his eyes.
Up close, Ji Nian couldn’t help but marvel at the charisma of the Lu family head, who had managed to captivate Princess Feia.
Although Lu Zhi had grown up in Country O, his looks were unmistakably Chinese, with a pair of captivating almond-shaped eyes that exuded charm. A faint mole was centered below his left eye, which seemed to invite one to lean in and kiss.
His voice was soothing, almost tingling in one’s ears after a while.
He had the kind of looks that could cause nations to fall.
Ji Nian’s smile became more genuine: “It’s okay, Uncle Lu. It’s never too late.”
System: [Didn’t you say you were going to work on not being swayed by attractiveness?]
Ji Nian: [Next time, I promise.]
Lu Zhi also gifted her a present.
An eco-resort island named after her in Country O, along with a gold mine.
Having grown accustomed to wealthy people’s extravagant gifts, Ji Nian’s initial thought was: [So, is the island called J.D. or with the full spelling?]
System: [………]
After greeting Ji Nian, Ji Tingzhou deemed it sufficient and pulled the child away.
“The person is here, everything is prepared. Let Zhil know to take you there.”
The person referred to here was ‘Bruce’.
At Ji Tingzhou’s hint, Ji Nian’s gaze immediately shifted away from Lu Zhi’s face.
However, before leaving, Lu Zhi stopped Ji Nian, asking with a smile if she could take a photo with him.
Ji Tingzhou’s eyes turned sinister.
Lu Zhi, unfazed, opened his phone's self-timer mode, positioning himself with Ji Nian and snapped a photo.
“Thank you, Ji Nian.”
Ji Nian was momentarily dazzled by his smile, nodded dumbly, and then turned to leave.
“Unbelievable. She’s your child. Aside from her looks, she’s nothing like you,” said Lu Zhi.
Ji Tingzhou scoffed at his comment: “Don’t act like you know her that well.”
“She’s so adorable. It’s much better to have a daughter, so fragrant and soft. Our Huai matured early, and by the age of five, he refused to playfully cling to his father.”
Lu Zhi sighed.
Ji Tingzhou thought he couldn’t empathize, as his child loved to be spoiled. It was quite… troublesome.
“Have one of your own if you want.”
Lu Zhi shook his head: “No, I don’t want to make my wife suffer.”
“Besides, raising a child is too much trouble. My wife says one like Huai is enough for us.”
His constant mentions of “my wife” made Ji Tingzhou feel a surge of toothache.
“What about Lide?”
When Ji Tingzhou brought up Lide, Lu Zhi’s smile remained, but his eyes turned cold.
“He’s still alive. My wife plans to keep him for now, waiting until Huai’s health improves, to deal with him and Tuka personally.”
The once-mentally-impaired Tuka, after being captured, was ultimately returned to Country O, ending up in the hands of the Lu family.
Ji Tingzhou refrained from commenting on their approach.
However, Lu Zhi, thinking of Ji Nian’s cheerful demeanor earlier, couldn’t help but wonder how Ji Tingzhou managed to raise such a child when he himself was like this.
He couldn’t help but ask: “What’s your secret to parenting?”
Hearing this, he let out a soft sigh.
It was rare to see Lu Zhi, usually smiling slyly with hidden intentions, express such a clear concern.
“Huai has gotten better, but we immediately arranged psychological counseling for him, which didn’t help. He still refuses to speak.”
“A few days ago, for some reason, he suddenly became interested in jade, filling his room with it.”
Thinking of his son’s condition, Lu Zhi rarely felt a rare headache.
He and his wife were usually busy, and by the time they became aware, Lu Jinghuai had already grown into a child different from normal ones, looking unlike what they expected due to his precocious nature.
Given his initial situation, Lu Jinghuai had become increasingly enigmatic.
Ji Tingzhou thought to himself that Lu Zhi had indeed asked the right person.
When it came to raising kids, he was the expert.
Although in his mind he was thinking this, his face showed an expression that seemed to say, “Isn’t it as simple as breathing? Do you really need to learn this?”
Lu Zhi smiled: “If you could tell me, then I—”
Ji Tingzhou raised an eyebrow.
“Would sincerely thank you.”
Ji Tingzhou disdainfully curled his lips.
Nevertheless, in the end, he still couldn’t resist the urge to brag. He toyed with the teacup in front of him, speaking calmly—
“Start by being concerned about his bowel movements.”
