Perhaps blessed by the gods, the three children encountered almost no obstacles along the way.
Gu Xiuyuan's grandmother, being elderly, enjoyed raising animals and tending to plants, so a small courtyard was built for her that didn’t require an elevator.
Recently, the old lady had fallen ill, and her favorite orchid seemed to have withered.
The trial medicine sent by the Chen family had restored some of her energy, but now the old lady was in a fit of anger. "Call Gu Jing over here," she demanded.
"That child has always been sentimental since he was young. If he were born into an ordinary family, that would be a good thing. But in his current position, it’s a fatal flaw."
"Do you think I don’t know what the Chen family is trying to achieve by taking advantage of this situation?"
"For so many years, the Gu family has remained stable in S City precisely because we’ve stayed neutral, not favoring any side."
"He’s about to throw the Gu family into chaos, and Xiuyuan is still so young! How cruel!"
Gu Jing’s secretary, looking troubled, tried to console her. "Please don’t be upset, Madam. Mr. Gu is doing this for your sake."
The old lady coughed, clutching her chest. "I don’t need him to do anything for me."
"I, Liu Yue, would rather die than burden the family or put my children in a difficult position."
"I’ll pack up and die soon enough. Let’s see if that Chen fellow can bring me back to life with his advertisements! We’ll see how he threatens us then."
The secretary’s legs went weak at her words.
The old lady wasn’t just making empty threats—if she said it, she meant it.
Just as the secretary was at a loss, Gu Xiuyuan suddenly appeared, which didn’t add to his troubles but instead brought relief.
"Xiuyuan! Come quickly and talk some sense into your grandmother!"
Hearing her grandson’s arrival, the old lady’s expression shifted as if facing a great enemy. "My grandson is here?"
"Quick! Put on a mask! Give one to the child too, and don’t let him get too close."
Though her face showed resistance, her eyes betrayed her eagerness—she clearly missed the child.
Gu Xiuyuan had overheard his grandmother’s earlier words.
Still a child, he was terrified by what she had said.
Standing by her bedside, his voice choked with emotion. "Grandma, I don’t want you to die."
"We promised that you’d come to watch every one of my matches in the future."
Seeing the tears streaming down the child’s face and the pleading look in his wet eyes, the old lady’s heart broke.
"Xiuyuan, my dear child..."
She reached out to pat Gu Xiuyuan’s head.
As her sleeve slipped, it revealed the ugly, mold-like black spots on her arm. Realizing this, the old lady quickly pulled her hand back.
She composed herself, calming down, and then noticed the two little girls standing beside Gu Xiuyuan.
Only then did the old lady realize that her grandson had brought friends along.
"Who are these?"
Gu Xiuyuan suddenly remembered that Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang were still there.
Feeling embarrassed, the little boy pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his tears, too shy to blow his nose.
In a muffled voice, he introduced them. "Grandma, this is Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang."
Hearing the surname "Ji," the old lady didn’t need further explanation.
"Hello, you two. Such pretty little girls, so delicate and lovely."
Her gaze lingered on Ji Nian’s emerald-green eyes.
Even with a mask on, it was clear from her features that she would grow up to be a beauty.
While the old lady observed Ji Nian, Ji Nian was also studying her.
When the old lady had reached out to touch Gu Xiuyuan’s head, Ji Nian had caught a glimpse of the black spots on her arm.
They looked like mold, covered in a fine layer of black fuzz.
Though the old lady had a fiery temperament, she was gentle and kind in front of her grandchildren.
However, her complexion was poor, and her eyes were cloudy.
Ji Nian smiled politely and greeted the old lady, all while subtly observing her surroundings.
When she had entered, she noticed that the room was unusually cold. Despite the chill, the old lady was only wearing a thin shirt, and her blanket was equally thin.
It seemed she was sensitive to heat.
But it was winter, and this was clearly abnormal.
Ji Nian managed to make the old lady laugh with a few words, but her own heart was heavy.
Mold-like black spots, sensitivity to heat, initial symptoms of dizziness, weakness, and loss of appetite—over time, the person would become bedridden, with black spots spreading from the limbs to the torso.
Eventually, the spots would cover the bones, internal organs, and even the teeth.
Of course, by the time it reached the teeth, the person would already be ready for cremation.
Though it had never been tested on humans, Ji Nian guessed that by the time the bones were affected, the pain would be unbearable, and death would come before the internal organs were fully overtaken.
The system buzzed with alarm: 【So—】
Ji Nian sighed: 【It’s indeed my creation.】
【Code 011.】
The system was on the verge of collapse: 【Why are these deadly weapons of yours appearing in this fictional world? Do you know the original author?】
Ji Nian shook her head: 【I don’t have any friends who write novels.】
Deep down, she had a vague suspicion, but it seemed too absurd...
Pulling her thoughts back, she faced the old lady’s probing questions.
Ji Nian didn’t beat around the bush. "My father heard you were ill and was very concerned, so he sent me to visit you."
The idea of Ji Tingzhou being concerned about the old lady was laughable.
Everyone knew it was just polite talk, but the old lady seemed to grasp at something, her tired face brightening slightly.
"How thoughtful. When I first met Mr. Ji, I could tell he had a kind heart and would achieve great things. These days, there aren’t many young people who care for the elderly like he does."
Ji Tingzhou, kind and caring for the elderly—this was the funniest joke Ji Nian had heard all year.
If he didn’t run over old ladies in the street, that was already a blessing.
Ji Tingzhou hadn’t sent Ji Nian here. He suspected it was poison and, though he knew Ji Nian might have the ability to help, he never considered putting a child in such a position.
What did other people’s lives matter to his child? She was just a little thing, barely able to hold a large beaker without dropping it. What if she got hurt?
Ji Nian only needed to take care of herself.
Ji Nian wished she could do just that...
But she couldn’t.
Because someone was using her creations to cause trouble.
Ji Nian was in the light, while the enemy was in the shadows.
The best counterattack was to disrupt their plans—whoever they poisoned, she would cure!
"Goodbye, Grandma."
Gu Xiuyuan reluctantly led Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang away.
The moment the door closed, the old lady immediately turned to her secretary. "Quick! Contact Gu Jing!"
Whether Ji Tingzhou genuinely cared about her or not was irrelevant.
What mattered was the signal he had sent by having Ji Nian visit, knowing she was ill.
As Gu Xiuyuan stepped out, Gu Jing, who had instantly figured out what his son had done, rubbed his temples.
After saying he needed to handle some matters, Gu Jing excused himself and left.
Not long after he left, Ji Tingzhou also stood up.
"Has she come out?"
Wei Yang’s voice came through the earpiece: "Yes, she stayed for half an hour and then left."
Glancing at the time, Ji Tingzhou’s emerald-green eyes carried a faint chill.
"I’ll go pick her up. You can move now."
Hearing Ji Tingzhou’s order, Wei Yang, who had been yawning, suddenly tensed.
He was like a drawn sword, his face filled with a wild, excited gleam.
He stretched his shoulders, his bones cracking.
"Understood."
Meanwhile, Ji Nian, eager to find Ji Tingzhou, unexpectedly ran into someone on her way back.
To be precise, someone who needed help.
A man in a wheelchair had his back to her, his wheels seemingly stuck.
Ji Nian was about to call a nearby attendant for assistance, but as she passed, she caught a glimpse of his delicate, melancholic profile under the streetlight. Her feet seemed to have a mind of their own, steering her straight toward him.
"Hey, beautiful, need some help?"
Ji Nian stood beside him, her eyes glued to his face, practically drooling.
The man seemed startled by the sudden appearance of a child.
He slowly turned his head, and upon seeing Ji Nian’s face, his free hand clenched tightly, veins bulging on the back.
"No need."
He lowered his long, thick lashes, hiding the disgust in his eyes, and coldly rejected her offer.
Then he stood up, roughly yanked the stuck wheelchair free, and smoothly sat back down, maneuvering it away.
Ji Nian: "………?"
