Shen Qingtang suddenly didn’t want to go in.
But the nanny, who had appeared behind her at some point, gave her a gentle push.
“Come on, young lady, why are you hesitating? Hurry up and go in.”
Seeing Ji Nian casually lying next to Ji Tingzhou, the nanny’s eyes flickered with a hint of confusion.
The moment Ji Nian saw the female lead, she sat up.
She grabbed the picture book she had been reading and was about to leave, but Ji Tingzhou stopped her.
“Why are you running away?”
Ji Tingzhou hadn’t forgotten how Ji Nian had referred to Shen Qingtang as “Miss” before she even arrived.
Acting like a mouse seeing a cat—how ridiculous.
Ji Nian hesitated for a moment, and by then, Shen Qingtang had already walked in with her entourage, so she had no choice but to sit back down.
“Uncle Ji, are you feeling better?”
Shen Qingtang had brought something with her.
It was a carefully arranged bouquet of flowers.
“I picked these myself. I hope they’ll brighten your mood, Uncle Ji.”
Ji Tingzhou saw no reason to be harsh with a child, but he also didn’t have much to say, so he simply nodded and gestured for Zhiliao to take the flowers.
Then, his emerald-green eyes shifted to the nanny standing behind Shen Qingtang.
He had already asked Zhiliao about the origin of the injury on Ji Nian’s hand.
Though Ji Tingzhou’s gaze carried no particular weight, the moment it landed on her, the nanny broke into a cold sweat.
Her heart raced uncontrollably.
Seeing that Ji Tingzhou showed little interest in her gift, Shen Qingtang felt a pang of disappointment.
Her eyes fell on what Ji Nian was reading, and she suddenly spoke up, “Is that *Detective Butt*?”
*Detective Butt* was the title of the picture book Ji Nian was holding.
Zhiliao had found it for her and even provided an electronic pen that would read the text aloud when tapped, making it easier for children who couldn’t read yet.
Ji Nian had no intention of playing the genius card and was content to act like a typical, clueless five-year-old.
“Yeah, do you want to read it?”
Ji Nian had a good impression of the female lead and handed her the picture book.
Shen Qingtang had actually read it before and liked it a lot. Meeting someone who shared her interest made her happy, and she was about to strike up a conversation with Ji Nian when the nanny suddenly interjected.
“No need, young lady has already read it. She even knows all the words and doesn’t need any technological help.”
Most parents might have been impressed by Shen Qingtang’s intelligence, but to Ji Tingzhou—
So what? His kid could even bandage his wounds.
Ji Tingzhou couldn’t read a single word at five either, and that hadn’t stopped him from reaching his current status.
Seeing his expression shift slightly, the nanny smiled proudly and added, “The young lady can even recite Tang poetry. Go on, recite a poem for the family head.”
Seemingly spurred on by the scene she had witnessed earlier, the nanny was eager to “showcase” Shen Qingtang’s talents.
Ji Nian, who had never liked this nanny, couldn’t help but speak up when she saw her acting like those relatives who always pressured kids to perform during holidays.
“I’ll recite something too.”
The nanny interpreted this as Ji Nian trying to steal the spotlight and was instantly furious, but with Ji Tingzhou present, she could only suppress her anger.
She completely missed the look of relief that flashed across Shen Qingtang’s face.
Ji Tingzhou hadn’t expected Ji Nian to step in to help Shen Qingtang, but he played along with a casual “Oh?”
“What can you recite?”
Ji Tingzhou raised an eyebrow, his gaze settling on Ji Nian.
His expression was entirely different from when he had heard about Shen Qingtang’s ability to read and recite poetry.
Even the dense nanny could tell that Ji Nian, this sudden addition to the family as Ji Tingzhou’s biological daughter, wasn’t as unloved as the rumors suggested.
Ji Nian patted her chest confidently. “I can recite famous quotes.”
It was both adorable and amusing to hear such a tiny child talk about famous quotes.
Ji Tingzhou found it amusing but kept a straight face and told her to go ahead.
Ji Nian cleared her throat.
“Mark Twain once said—”
The fact that Ji Nian even knew who Mark Twain was genuinely surprised Ji Tingzhou, and he straightened up a bit.
“When you touch someone’s belly, you’re only three centimeters away from their poop.”
Everyone: “……”
The nanny’s disdain was barely concealed.
How could such a disgusting thing come out of a child’s mouth? She was practically a savage, disrespecting a great figure! She was nothing compared to Shen Qingtang.
“Mark Twain never said that. This child is already lying at such a young age,” the nanny said with a hint of schadenfreude.
Then Ji Tingzhou’s voice cut in. “Mark Twain indeed never said that.”
The nanny’s heart leapt with joy.
But his next words froze her smile. “However, he did say, ‘If you don’t know who said a famous quote, just say it was me.’”
The nanny’s smile stiffened.
Ji Nian hadn’t expected Ji Tingzhou to get the joke and looked at him with delighted surprise.
The moment Ji Nian’s gaze turned to him, Ji Tingzhou noticed and beckoned her over with a finger.
This time, Ji Nian obediently crawled over and let Ji Tingzhou ruffle her hair like a puppy.
Shen Qingtang lowered her eyes and tugged at the nanny’s sleeve.
She wanted to leave.
As she turned to go, Shen Qingtang wanted to thank Ji Nian. The little girl had sensed that Ji Nian had done this for her sake and wanted to express her gratitude.
But Ji Nian was busy being petted by Ji Tingzhou and didn’t notice her gaze.
Shen Qingtang had no choice but to swallow her words and follow the nanny out.
Once they were back, the nanny exploded in anger.
“Why didn’t you recite anything when I told you to?!”
“What’s the point of memorizing all those things if you’re not going to show them off when it matters?!”
The nanny, thinking of how Ji Tingzhou had clearly favored the other child, was seething with rage.
So much for hating the Ji family bloodline. In her eyes, Ji Tingzhou was nothing but a traitor who had killed his siblings and even his own father to secure his position.
A complete ingrate!
Shen Qingtang stood in the corner, too scared to say a word.
Seeing her frightened, the nanny realized she shouldn’t have lost her temper and tried to calm down, bending over to hug her.
“Tangtang, everything I do is for you.”
“I raised you with my own hands. You’re like my own child.”
“You have to make me proud.”
Shen Qingtang nodded tearfully and whispered, “Auntie, please don’t be angry. I’m scared…”
The nanny’s plans had been repeatedly disrupted, and she was so frustrated that she even briefly considered secretly getting rid of Ji Nian.
But before she could act on it—
Her leg was broken. It was just a fall, but when she woke up, she was told it had been amputated.
Coincidentally, it was the same leg she had used to kick Ji Nian when she first arrived.
Shen Qingtang, who also heard the terrible news, was heartbroken. She instinctively wanted to seek out the servants who had always been kind to her, hoping for some comfort.
But she couldn’t find any of the familiar faces.
“Tangtang, what’s wrong?”
Wei Yang happened to pass by and noticed Shen Qingtang looking lost, so he asked.
Shen Qingtang saw that he was carrying something, apparently on his way to see someone.
The words she had been about to say died in her throat.
Uncle Wei Yang would probably find her annoying. She didn’t want to be a bothersome child.
So she forced a smile and said, “It’s nothing, Uncle Wei Yang. You can go ahead.”
“How’s your injury? Does it hurt? I think you should rest.”
Wei Yang, being the easygoing type, didn’t notice the dullness in Shen Qingtang’s eyes.
“It’s fine. This little injury is nothing. If you’re okay, then I’ll be on my way.”
“Ji Nian’s waiting for me. She said the cast on my arm looks too plain and wants to draw a little dog on it to keep me company.”
Hearing Ji Nian’s name, Shen Qingtang’s eyes filled with envy.
How nice… so many people like her…
What had she done wrong to not be as loved?
...
Wei Yang, carrying his art supplies, didn’t find Ji Nian but was instead summoned by Ji Tingzhou.
“A banquet?”
“Who’s hosting it? You, Boss? A murder banquet or a head-counting banquet?”
Wei Yang’s surprise wasn’t unwarranted.
After all, Ji Tingzhou was famously reclusive, preferring to work from home and delegating all other business to specialists.
He never went out or accepted invitations, to the point that many people didn’t even know what the head of the Ji family looked like.
Thus, news suddenly shook the entire city of S.
Everyone knew.
Ji Tingzhou, the head of the Ji family, was hosting a banquet to introduce his beloved daughter to his business associates.
