Those who understood the situation fell silent, men and women alike, some even shedding tears.
Chen Mo closed the box and remained silent for a while before finally putting on his most composed smile. "Thank you, Ji Nian," he said.
"I will... cherish it."
He couldn't bring himself to say the word "use."
Fortunately, Ji Nian hadn't given him just one item.
The box had two layers. After removing the oddly scented lotus-flavored hemorrhoid ointment, there was a small bottle at the bottom containing a dark brown liquid, resembling coffee. The little girl had casually tucked it into the box without even placing it on the velvet lining, unlike the hemorrhoid ointment.
[Of course, because the hemorrhoid ointment was bought with my allowance.]
Don’t underestimate that tube of hemorrhoid ointment—it took her days to snag the limited-edition lotus flavor!
The time cost outweighed the money!
"What’s this?" Chen Mo picked up the small bottle and examined it closely.
Ji Nian explained, "It’s a replica of the poison my maternal uncle was infected with before."
Chen Mo’s hand, which had been casually holding the bottle, trembled. He looked up sharply at Ji Nian, who was sitting on a chair, munching on snacks fed to her by a servant.
Over at the side, the person pretending to work while eavesdropping nearly strained their neck from listening too intently.
"...A replica?"
Ji Nian nodded, pointing at the bottle in his hand. "I had a pharmacist replicate it."
"While it tormented my uncle for a long time, from another perspective, it’s a badge of victory."
"It’s proof of my uncle’s rebirth."
The child spoke with such conviction.
This was an angle Chen Mo had never considered.
He had thought Ji Nian wanted him to use it for revenge.
"Of course, since it’s a replica, we can make more. My uncle can keep this one as a memento, use it for research, or whatever else he wants."
In reality, Ji Nian did intend for him to use it for revenge.
She couldn’t help much with the investigation, but creating poison was within her capabilities.
Especially since, a few days ago, Chen Mo had injected himself with half a dose of the poison originally used on Wei Yang, experiencing firsthand the sensation of slowly losing his mind over two days.
When Ji Nian heard the news, she almost choked on her fork.
Even Wei Yang was shocked.
He had thought a simple apology would suffice, but this guy, who looked so frail, turned out to be a real man—he actually went through with it.
Fortunately, the antidote worked quickly, and Chen Mo was saved. Still, his time in a wheelchair, which he had almost escaped, was extended.
Otherwise, Ji Nian wouldn’t have been worried about him getting hemorrhoids.
"Thank you, Ji Nian. This means a lot to me. I’ll cherish it and use it well."
This time, his gratitude sounded far more sincere than when he thanked her for the hemorrhoid ointment.
Chen Mo understood the underlying message in Ji Nian’s words and her subtle hints.
And Ji Nian, hearing him mention "use," knew he would indeed use it.
"Have you found anything about the person who... killed Mom?"
A few days ago, while borrowing the printer in Ji Tingzhou’s study, Ji Nian overheard him discussing the matter with someone and realized he was also investigating it.
While Chen Mo seemed to be the primary victim, the true target had always been Ji Tingzhou.
Chen Mo gestured to the item in his hand.
Then, remembering that the child might not recognize all the words, he occasionally explained things to her.
When Ji Nian learned that someone had sneaked in while Chen Mo was weakened from the poisoning, she frowned.
[This wasn’t just reconnaissance—it was a provocation.]
"We found the person’s information through DNA in the blood sample."
"But..."
Chen Mo shook his head.
"There’s no record of her in the database."
This wasn’t surprising.
After all, someone sent on a suicide mission wouldn’t leave behind evidence.
"So the trail has gone cold."
Chen Mo nodded.
But there was nothing he could do.
It only highlighted how suspicious the previous investigation into Ji Tingzhou had been, as it hadn’t been nearly as difficult as this one.
"It’s fine."
Chen Mo ended up comforting Ji Nian instead.
He had long prepared for the worst, and he firmly believed that as long as the person existed, they would leave traces in the world. It was only a matter of time before they were found.
But no one expected that the first person to encounter the suspect wouldn’t be through painstaking investigation—
It would be Ji Nian.
After chatting with Chen Mo for a while, Ji Nian returned to the Ji family before dinner.
Sitting on the couch, Ji Tingzhou pretended to be engrossed in a fashion magazine but glanced over when he heard the commotion.
The house came alive as soon as Ji Nian returned.
Servants swarmed around her, wiping her face, offering water, and asking if she was hungry.
One even disinfected her thoroughly.
After all that, Ji Nian scanned the room and, as expected, spotted her father in his usual spot.
Ji Tingzhou had already shifted his gaze back to the magazine before she could look his way, flipping a page casually.
"I’m back, Dad."
Ji Tingzhou, who had expected her to sulk for a while, raised an eyebrow. "Not mad anymore?"
Ji Nian put her hands on her hips. "My maternal uncle said you were just trying to scare me."
Ji Tingzhou: Not really.
If the child had been bored, he genuinely would have let her try out that toilet.
The winery’s brochure had highlighted it twice, emphasizing how comfortable it was.
Word of Ji Tingzhou’s new winery had even reached Lu Zhi, who was currently in Country O.
As a long-time business partner, he knew just how much Ji Tingzhou loved his wine.
Maybe I should visit too?
He thought to himself.
Suddenly, Jessica rushed in. "Boss, Her Highness is back!"
The only person referred to as "Her Highness" here was naturally one individual.
Lu Zhi, who had been listlessly eating dinner, immediately stood up, his napkin falling to the floor unnoticed.
"Why so sudden?"
Then, realizing it was meant to be a surprise, his face lit up.
As he approached the door, he saw Princess Feia striding toward him.
Her pale golden hair cascaded down, shimmering like scattered gold.
Her usually indifferent silver-gray eyes immediately locked onto Lu Zhi, warming as they met his gaze.
"Lu Zhi."
"I’m back."
She opened her arms, and Lu Zhi rushed into them.
They held each other for a while before finally pulling apart slightly.
Princess Feia cupped Lu Zhi’s chin, examining his face.
"The butler said you haven’t been eating much lately. Was it because you missed me?"
Lu Zhi rested his chin on her shoulder and nodded, murmuring, "Yes."
"If you hadn’t come back soon, I would’ve stormed the palace."
A soft laugh escaped her, and Lu Zhi’s ears turned red.
"Good boy, I’ll reward you tonight."
She gently stroked his back, her voice warm.
Lu Zhi let out a dissatisfied hum, tightening his arms around her in a possessive gesture. "No need. I’ll take what I want."
After being apart for a while, they were as clingy as newlyweds.
Fortunately, Princess Feia hadn’t forgotten the main issue.
"How’s Huai?"
At the mention of Lu Jinghuai, Lu Zhi perked up a little.
He wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist as they walked inside.
"Aside from the wound, he’s willing to see a psychologist now, and the doctor says he’s fine."
"If it weren’t for how he refused to speak a few days ago, I’d have thought I was imagining things."
Hearing that he seemed to be back to normal, Princess Feia felt relieved. But then, catching sight of something, she stopped abruptly.
Her chin lifted, and her silver-gray eyes landed on the painting hanging on the wall directly opposite the entrance—
"The Portrait of Ji Nian with Hands on Hips."
Princess Feia: "...Darling, what is this?"
Where had the original painting of the Valkyrie from Valhalla gone?
Lu Zhi, rarely seeing his wife make such a... strained expression, thought she looked adorable. He felt like he could watch her like this for eternity.
But he didn’t pause in his explanation. "There’s one more thing I forgot to mention."
"Huai... carries a photo of little Ji Nian with him. He can stare at it for up to three hours without blinking."
