Ji Nian: "……"
The moment she saw the man standing in front of her, fully dressed, Ji Nian's hair practically stood on end, and her entire body broke out in goosebumps. It was no exaggeration—her hair seemed to puff up a whole degree.
But she quickly calmed herself down, thinking of a strategy while also reflecting on where she might have slipped up.
"What a coincidence," she said, her tone casual, as if nothing was amiss.
Ji Tingzhou stared directly at the little girl, noticing how she greeted him as if they were strangers.
"I couldn’t sleep, so I wanted some milk," she explained, yawning and looking genuinely tired. "That’s why I came to find Bruce."
It all seemed flawless.
If Ji Tingzhou hadn’t discovered that she might actually know how to read, he might have been fooled.
Ji Nian usually appeared a bit naive, spending her free time playing with dogs, but in reality, she spent most of her time reading.
In the five years she had been neglected, no one had ever taught her anything, so her literacy level was limited to recognizing pinyin and her own name.
Her five-year-old appearance was incredibly deceptive—even Ji Tingzhou had been fooled by it.
But once the seed of suspicion was planted, Ji Tingzhou couldn’t help but want to dig deeper.
Who had taught her to read? Why was she hiding it?
What was her purpose in lulling him to sleep?
So, Ji Tingzhou hadn’t resisted earlier. He had pretended to fall asleep, not because he suspected Ji Nian of wanting to harm him, but because he wanted to see what she was up to.
Sure enough, after silently following her and watching her knock on Bruce’s door, he waited for an hour.
And then, he finally caught her red-handed.
"Is that so?" Ji Tingzhou chuckled ambiguously, his emerald-green eyes glinting with a hint of amusement. "What a coincidence. I couldn’t sleep either."
"I also came to ask Bruce for some milk."
Ji Nian: ?
What kind of nonsense is this? You don’t even like milk.
Ji Nian’s back stiffened.
She knew Ji Tingzhou didn’t believe her.
What should she do?
She didn’t dare gamble on whether Ji Tingzhou had access to Bruce’s lab.
Even if she could claim she had just been outside drinking milk and knew nothing about what happened inside, there was no guarantee Ji Tingzhou wouldn’t notice something was off with Bruce and call a doctor.
Tsk.
Her mind raced, but in reality, Ji Nian’s thick lashes drooped, and she crouched down, clutching her stomach. "My stomach hurts so much. I feel like something’s about to come out."
Even though he knew she was faking, Ji Tingzhou, who had no desire to smell anything unpleasant, took a step back. "……"
Ji Nian continued to moan in discomfort, as if she were in excruciating pain. Tears streamed down her face, her emerald-green eyes misty, and the droplets rolled down her delicate chin, making her look pitiful.
"I want to go back…" she said, her tearful gaze fixed on Ji Tingzhou.
Ji Tingzhou looked at the little girl pretending to be in distress, but instead of feeling sympathy, he grew even more curious about what she was hiding.
He remained calm, his mind clear:
Did she kill Bruce?
He glanced at Ji Nian’s frail little body and scoffed inwardly.
Outwardly, he remained unmoved.
No matter what tricks Ji Nian tried, he wouldn’t budge.
Ji Tingzhou hated deception.
He stepped around Ji Nian and walked decisively toward Bruce’s room.
Seeing the man’s resolute actions, Ji Nian lowered her eyes, masking her expression, and suddenly spoke softly—
"Dad, I’m in pain…"
A sudden gust of wind swept through, carrying her soft voice clearly to Ji Tingzhou’s ears.
The man’s footsteps halted.
After a moment, the footsteps didn’t continue forward but turned back, heading toward Ji Nian.
The little girl’s lips curved into a subtle smile, her cunning eyes flashing with triumph.
When she looked up again, Ji Nian had returned to her pitiful, frail, and helpless five-year-old self.
The earlier wind seemed like a warning, and soon after, rain began to fall, accompanied by thunder.
The corridor they were in wasn’t directly exposed to the rain, but the east wind carried the droplets toward them, splashing onto the hallway.
Ji Tingzhou instinctively shielded the child with his body.
Ji Nian looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears, and repeated what she had just said, as if worried he hadn’t heard her.
"Dad, I’m in pain."
As the last word left her lips, the man’s eyes darkened, and something in his heart settled.
He bent down and picked up the crouching child.
Ji Nian obediently let him carry her, snuggling into his chest as she wiped her tears, looking utterly miserable.
Seeing the little girl cry incessantly, the man, who had been silent until now, let out a long sigh.
It sounded like a mix of resignation and helplessness.
"My stomach hurts," Ji Nian said, patting her belly and sniffling as she watched Ji Tingzhou’s reaction.
Ji Tingzhou looked at her with an inscrutable expression. "Eating some ice cream will make it better."
Ji Nian: "……"
She didn’t respond, resting her head on his shoulder and looking out at the rain.
Seeing her silent, her gaze fixed on the dripping rain outside, Ji Tingzhou followed her line of sight. "What are you thinking about?"
Was she reminiscing about the moment he turned back for her, even though he knew it was deliberate?
Ji Nian answered honestly, "If the rain gets heavier, I can pee while walking."
Ji Tingzhou: ………
Watching Ji Tingzhou, who had stopped pursuing the matter and was now carrying Ji Nian away from Bruce’s door, the system was stunned.
This actually worked???
Ji Nian: Hehe.
Ji Tingzhou: Not hehe.
You think it’s over?
But actually—
Ji Tingzhou: I’m just pretending.
After accompanying the child to eat ice cream, brush her teeth, and wash her face, Ji Tingzhou changed into his pajamas and lay down on the bed with her.
Ji Nian, true to her chicken-like nature, was incredibly crafty.
"Dad, I think my stomach might still hurt. You have to promise you’ll stay with me, okay?"
Without waiting for Ji Tingzhou to respond, she leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "Those who betray sincere hearts…"
Ji Tingzhou raised an eyebrow. "Will swallow a thousand silver needles?"
"Will eat ten tons of pig saliva mixed with dung."
Ji Tingzhou: "……"
He stared at the child’s serious face for a few seconds before slowly uttering a single word: "Okay."
Ji Nian felt relieved.
"Goodnight, Dad," she said, clutching Ji Tingzhou’s sleeve tightly as she fell asleep, as if afraid he would leave.
Ji Tingzhou silently responded with a ‘Goodnight’ in his heart.
According to Ji Nian’s plan, with the rain outside and Ji Tingzhou’s cleanliness obsession, he would have to take a shower if he went out.
Ji Tingzhou indeed didn’t leave.
He waited until the child, exhausted, fell into a deep sleep, then reached for his headphones and put them on.
Ji Nian had done everything she could, even meticulously deleting the surveillance footage and cutting off the real-time upload.
But she hadn’t considered one thing.
Bruce’s lab was equipped with a separate audio recorder.
And Ji Tingzhou, as the investor and primary benefactor, had access to all the room’s surveillance and audio files.
When he saw that the surveillance footage had disappeared shortly after Ji Nian entered, Ji Tingzhou thought, ‘As expected.’
Without hesitation, he located the audio file and clicked on the corresponding timestamp.
Bruce’s lab was equipped with the most advanced instruments, so Ji Tingzhou could clearly hear the sound of Bruce walking in.
The rustling of clothes was likely him changing.
Ji Tingzhou listened patiently.
Soon, he distinctly heard Bruce grunt in surprise, followed by a disbelieving voice saying, ‘What are you… doing?’
Someone had done something unexpected, catching Bruce off guard.
Before Ji Tingzhou could analyze further, he got his answer.
A child’s voice, young but eerily calm, even cold, spoke through the headphones, clear and unmistakable:
‘Take me inside, or I’ll inject the poison right now.’
