This was also the reason why Wei Yang had been so excited upon seeing Ji Nian earlier.
Previously, it was because of Ji Nian that he hadn’t been completely harmed by the poison. At that time, he already felt that the child was a lucky star.
Now, after seeing the little yellow chick before waking up, he was even more convinced of this.
As for the mysterious antidote, he thought somewhat unreasonably: *Since no one has claimed it, I’ll just consider it as Ji Nian’s doing. So what?*
Ji Tingzhou hadn’t expected this silly boy to accidentally stumble upon the truth.
Torn between pride for his own child and the need to keep Ji Nian’s secret, he ultimately resisted the urge to boast.
“Hmm, I believe you.”
Wei Yang, who had braced himself for Ji Tingzhou to scold him for still being foolish, was caught off guard. “Huh?”
Ji Tingzhou stood up, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. “You’ve suffered a lot during this time.”
Before Wei Yang could feel moved, Ji Tingzhou continued, “I’ve signed you up for advanced Latin dance classes as a reward.”
“You can start once you’ve recovered.”
With that, he turned and left, even thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
Wei Yang was left sitting there, utterly bewildered.
“Huh??”
...
Back at the Ji Family residence, Zhiliao had been waiting since early morning.
As soon as Ji Nian got off the plane, she spotted her. Skipping the last step of the stairs, she leaped down, her little braids flying as she threw herself into Zhiliao’s arms.
The weather was cold, so Zhiliao quickly unfolded the blanket she was holding and wrapped Ji Nian tightly in it.
“Zhiliao jiejie!!”
Ji Nian happily flailed about in her arms.
Zhiliao’s face broke into a faint smile. The scar on her face was less noticeable in the dim light of the evening, making her appear somewhat tender.
The warm atmosphere made Ji Tingzhou, who was slowly approaching, expressionless.
*When has the child ever been this enthusiastic with me?*
If Zhiliao hadn’t already received news of Wei Yang’s recovery, she might have mistaken Ji Tingzhou’s expression for bad news about Wei Yang’s condition.
“Master,” she greeted him, signaling to a servant to drape a blanket over Ji Tingzhou. Her eyes scrutinized him.
He had lost some weight, but he looked in good spirits.
Glancing down at Ji Nian in her arms, Zhiliao pinched the child’s chubby cheeks.
Ji Nian, on the other hand, had gained some weight.
The blanket matched Ji Tingzhou’s outfit perfectly. He allowed the servant to wrap it around him, then reached out and pulled Ji Nian away from Zhiliao’s embrace.
Normally, Ji Nian would have shot him a displeased look, but this time, she didn’t resist at all, obediently letting Ji Tingzhou handle her.
He paused, clearly surprised.
Ji Nian didn’t look at him, her eyes scanning the surroundings until they landed on Shen Qingtang.
Compared to when she had left, Shen Qingtang had lost weight. Her hands were wrapped in bandages, and she stood timidly beside the nanny, looking over but too afraid to approach.
Ji Nian’s heart ached.
Noticing that Ji Tingzhou had stopped moving, she decided to walk over herself.
“Wei Yang gege is fine now.”
Seeing Ji Nian, Shen Qingtang took a step forward. Upon hearing that Wei Yang was okay, she was overjoyed.
But her smile quickly faded, replaced by a look of unease.
Ji Nian turned around and saw that Ji Tingzhou had followed her.
Since the incident, Shen Qingtang hadn’t seen Ji Tingzhou. She had once told the nanny that she wanted to see Uncle Ji to explain everything, take responsibility, and accept any punishment.
But from the nanny’s expression, she guessed that Uncle Ji didn’t want to see her.
Being young and highly sensitive due to her upbringing, Shen Qingtang’s first thought was that he blamed her and disliked her so much that he didn’t want to see her.
So later, she thought that if she could suffer the same pain Wei Yang had endured, perhaps everyone would forgive her. That’s why, when Ji Nian found her, she had somehow gotten hold of a fruit knife and was making shallow cuts on the back of her hand.
Thankfully, Ji Nian’s reassurance and comfort had calmed the distraught Shen Qingtang.
But now, seeing Ji Tingzhou, she couldn’t help but feel afraid, though the anticipation she once had was gone.
Ji Tingzhou clearly saw the fear, unease, and confusion in the little girl’s eyes.
He wasn’t the type to explain himself to others. He hadn’t seen Shen Qingtang because he didn’t think it necessary, not because he wanted to blame her or push the responsibility onto a child.
Remembering how Ji Nian had been so distracted earlier, unsure of what gift to bring her, Ji Tingzhou pondered for a moment before speaking.
“The enemy will stop at nothing to hurt someone.”
“If it wasn’t you, they would have used someone else. I’m not so far gone as to pin all the blame on a child.”
This was his indirect way of saying, *I don’t blame you.*
Shen Qingtang understood. The anxiety she had been carrying for days dissipated slightly with his words. Her eyes welled up with tears again.
She had been crying so much lately that the nanny, worried about her eyes, softly suggested, “Should we go see Mr. Wei?”
Shen Qingtang’s attention was immediately diverted. She nodded eagerly. “I want to go.”
Ji Nian, watching this, thought to herself, *Ji Tingzhou is being unusually considerate this time…*
She didn’t say anything, handing Shen Qingtang the gift she had brought before leaving.
The gift was a little rabbit keychain, something Ji Nian had won from a soda bottle cap. It was just the right thing to give her.
Shen Qingtang loved it. It was the first time she had received a gift from someone her age, and she was so touched that her eyes turned into little egg flowers.
Back in familiar surroundings, Ji Nian took a bath. Zhiliao, worried she might be tired, had dinner brought to her room, all easy-to-digest foods to help her relax.
Ji Tingzhou didn’t go downstairs for dinner either. When Ji Nian came out, he beckoned her over.
Once she was seated, he asked, “Is there anything you want?”
Hearing this, the porcelain spoon in Ji Nian’s hand clinked as it fell back into the bowl.
She had a feeling that this moment would come.
*It seems Ji Tingzhou is planning to send me away and is preparing things for me.*
Misunderstandings are like stubborn remnants—they don’t understand why they’re stuck, and you, not having dug deep enough, don’t even realize they’re there.
Ji Tingzhou’s intention behind the gift was simple.
The child had done something incredible and deserved a reward.
But Ji Tingzhou had no experience giving gifts to children, so he decided to ask her directly.
Ji Nian honestly said she didn’t want anything.
Noticing her lack of interest and the way she kept her head down while eating, Ji Tingzhou suddenly sensed something was off.
*Has Ji Nian not looked me in the eye since this afternoon?*
He had just started to speak when Ji Nian’s face suddenly changed. She clutched her stomach, retched, and began to vomit.
Ji Tingzhou’s expression shifted instantly. He stood up abruptly and rushed over.
“Ji Nian!?”
Seeing the beads of sweat instantly forming on the child’s forehead, he turned to someone and said, “Call the doctor.”
A servant immediately ran out of the room.
Ji Nian vomited almost everything she had eaten that day.
But even after vomiting, she didn’t feel better. Her stomach was wracked with sharp pain, and she curled up involuntarily.
Ji Tingzhou didn’t let her kneel on the floor. He pulled her into his arms, one hand patting her back as he asked, “What’s wrong? Is it your stomach?”
Ji Nian’s face was twisted in pain, but when she heard Ji Tingzhou’s question, she looked up at him and froze for a moment.
Ji Tingzhou was staring at her with a face full of concern. To hold her, he had even knelt on one knee, right next to her vomit.
This was the same man who changed clothes three times a day and was extremely particular about cleanliness. Yet now, he seemed completely unaware of the mess, his arms firmly wrapped around her, his eyes focused solely on the child in pain.
Ji Nian lowered her gaze, her long lashes trembling slightly.
In a voice laced with a hint of grievance she didn’t even realize she was feeling, she whispered, “My stomach hurts…”
Hearing her weak voice, Ji Tingzhou felt as though an invisible hand had gripped his heart. Before he could respond, Ji Nian added—
“Eating an ice cream will make it better.”
Ji Tingzhou: “………”
