From afar, Chen Mo spotted the child standing by the veranda, looking in this direction.
Just after school and still in her uniform, her hair was loose and kept slipping in front of her face, which she skillfully brushed back behind her ears.
When she saw him, she took a few steps forward, her eyes constantly glancing at the wheelchair he was sitting in.
The anxiety Chen Mo felt on his way here dissipated somewhat upon seeing her.
Before coming, he had thought about many things.
He wondered if the child would no longer treat him as she did before, if her view of him had changed, and what he should do to continue getting along well with Ji Nian.
Ji Nian quickened her steps and eventually broke into a run.
"Why didn't you rest for a few more days?"
Up close, Chen Mo's pale face seemed to dispel some of the summer heat.
With his naturally refined and handsome features, his sharp chin now made him look even thinner.
【Ah, the once plump "big fat rabbit" has now become so thin】
The memory of complaining to Algernon that the spicy rabbit meat hardly amounted to anything, making the rabbit so angry that it turned its back on her, was still fresh in her mind.
Chen Mo's voice was still weak, but seeing that the child still wanted to talk to him, he smiled faintly: "Lying in bed is boring."
Yesterday was too chaotic, and Chen Mo only woke up at noon today. The feeling of his body gradually shutting down had become so habitual that the sudden tangible reality made him feel as if he were dreaming.
When he opened his eyes, he saw two fools tearfully peering at him from the bedside.
Only then did he feel the reality sink in.
Immediately thereafter, doubts arose.
How did Ji Nian know that he wasn't just sick but had been poisoned, and that the antidote was made by the Ji family's pharmacist?
Did Ji Nian ask Ji Tingzhou for help, or did she go directly to the alchemist?
Either way, the result was the same.
On top of owing this family, Chen Mo now owed them a life-saving debt.
"It's hot outside; you didn't have to come out to meet me."
Chen Mo reached for his handkerchief, intending to wipe the sweat off the child's face.
Understanding his intention, Ji Nian waved her hand: "I'll just wash my face after going in."
After all, even if he wiped it, her dad would probably make her wash it again.
Knowing that the child had come out to meet him, Wei Yang, who had originally wanted to play aloof, couldn't hold back and followed Ji Nian out.
Before leaving, he glanced at his brother, who was sitting leisurely in a swivel chair, playing with a twig while teasing a dog named Da Dan, who was intermittently pawing at the twig.
Not far away, he met them on the garden veranda.
The bodyguard who had nearly bowed to him yesterday was pushing Chen Mo in a wheelchair, slowly moving along, with a child by the side, turning her head to talk to him.
Seeing Wei Yang's figure, Chen Mo immediately stopped the conversation.
"I heard that Number One and Number Two injured you yesterday. I apologize; they didn't understand the situation at the time."
As if.
He knew the situation well. He knew that Number One and Number Two hadn't actually laid a hand on him and that Wei Yang's silence was just to see them flustered, allowing himself to vent some anger.
Wei Yang turned his head and snorted. His physique was strong, and the punch aimed at his face last night had already subsided, leaving only some bruising.
Chen Mo, without wasting any more time, switched to another topic.
"Two years ago, I used someone else's invitation to enter the Ji family and took advantage of Shen Qingtang to send you a box containing a poison under the name of Shen Rushan."
"I am deeply sorry."
"It was hatred that blinded me, causing me to harm you."
While speaking, Chen Mo stood up from the wheelchair, still needing support from Number One, so weak that he couldn't stand on his own.
Hearing the name Shen Qingtang, Ji Nian vaguely recalled the events of two years ago.
It turned out that the person in the wheelchair, whose identity was blurred by surveillance, was Chen Mo. He had personally delivered the poison.
No wonder Shen Qingtang felt fear at the sight of him.
Wei Yang snorted with indignation: "You even exploited a child; are you still human?"
Saying sorry and apologizing is enough, why say so much that it gives people goosebumps?
Wei Yang, who had never received such a serious apology before, couldn't help but rub his arms.
Chen Mo lowered his eyes: "I'm sorry."
Hatred is like a devil; once driven by it, one does many things without a bottom line.
"This is also the purpose of my visit."
"Two years ago, while negotiating a cooperation with a southern company, I inadvertently learned that the company had lost a child over twenty years ago."
That family's surname is Shen.
Upon hearing this, Wei Yang's expression froze, and he subconsciously looked at Ji Nian.
Ji Nian's face was equally astonished.
【System, did the original book mention that Shen Qingtang had grandparents?】
The system remained silent for a while, apparently searching through data, then denied: 【No, not even hints or foreshadowing】
"Are you saying... Shen Rushan's parents?"
Wei Yang, now too preoccupied to argue with Chen Mo, blurted out.
They had grown up together, so they naturally knew Shen Rushan's background.
Shen Rushan wasn't from their district but was bought by an old bachelor in his fifties.
Perhaps due to the drugs, he had forgotten much of his past, remembering only his name. Since he didn't want to change it and was beaten by the old man, he ran away and happened to meet Ji Tingzhou returning to his metal shed after walking the dog.
As he grew older, Shen Rushan also tried to find his family but never got any news.
Thinking of this, Wei Yang couldn't help but be suspicious: "You're not lying to us, are you? All these years, our family head never gave up, and we never found anything."
You just do a deal and find it.
Chen Mo explained: "They were overseas for the past few years and only recently returned to the country."
Seeing his complexion worsening, Ji Nian glanced at Wei Yang.
Realizing what the child meant, Wei Yang paused, motioning for Chen Mo to sit back down.
"If people knew I was bullying an invalid, they'd think I'm spineless."
This wasn't the place to talk, so Wei Yang took the lead and walked back, turning his head and growling: "Don't forget to compensate me for my mental damages; I lost several days' salary."
"And I haven't forgiven you; this is just out of consideration for Ji Nian."
Chen Mo nodded readily: "Five times the compensation."
Hearing "five times," Wei Yang whistled: "Now that's more like it."
Ji Nian: "………"
Don't think she didn't know that two years ago, when this guy first woke up, he went to Ji Tingzhou and pleaded for a huge sum of pocket money, claiming it was for his "work-related injury."
After entering, Chen Mo followed the same procedure to apologize to Ji Tingzhou, who was also a victim, and prepared a gift.
Probably having heard Ji Tingzhou's complaints about drinking too much from Ji Nian, he had specifically sought out a bottle of wine.
Chen Mo had put some thought into it, choosing just the right bottle that was missing from Ji Tingzhou's wine cabinet.
It wasn't expensive, but the production was extremely limited, especially for a specific vintage, making it hard to find.
However, could Ji Tingzhou be bought with just a bottle of wine?
"Is Mr. Chen's compensation just this bottle of wine?"
He lifted his eyelids and glanced at him coldly.
Two years ago, he had spent a long time recuperating in bed, unable even to take a bath. This grudge couldn't be settled with just a bottle of wine.
Chen Mo knew very well that such a thing would never satisfy Ji Tingzhou.
"Before discussing other compensations, I believe Mr. Ji would be interested in another matter."
