Returning to the Ji household, Ji Tingzhou handed Ji Nian over to Zhiliao but didn't go to sleep himself. Instead, he made a phone call to his secretary.
When Zuo Yi learned that Gu Jing had rejected the Chen Family, he couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. He had always known that his boss rarely intervened in matters, but when he did, it was always with absolute certainty.
That is, until—
“What?”
These conditions! Is Gu Jing planning to marry into the family and bring a dowry?!
Of course, he didn’t dare say that out loud.
“Boss, what did you use to change his mind?”
Just hearing Gu Jing’s demands gave the secretary a headache. If Gu Jing was willing to make such a significant sacrifice, the losses on Ji’s side would likely be…
“A bottle of antidote.”
Ji Tingzhou’s calm voice interrupted the secretary’s train of thought.
“Oh, a bottle of antidote…”
The secretary relaxed for a moment, then suddenly jolted in realization.
Antidote?!
Zuo Yi finally caught on.
“So, the Gu family’s matriarch isn’t sick—she’s been poisoned?”
“You agreed to restore her health… Brilliant. Even though Gu Jing is making a huge sacrifice, compared to us, he must hate the Chen Family even more for trying to take advantage of the situation.”
“But… will this task be assigned to Bruce?”
Ji Tingzhou twirled a pen in his hand.
“No, he won’t be needed.”
The secretary quickly connected this to the incident with Wei Yang. He couldn’t help but feel that his boss’s calm demeanor toward that mysterious antidote was too composed.
It was almost as if… he knew exactly who had made it.
Could it be that he had secretly been nurturing another pharmacist?
And someone so enigmatic at that.
“The person who can help the Gu matriarch recover must be intelligent, decisive, capable, and a beautiful genius.”
Zuo Yi: ?
Listen to that tone.
If one didn’t know better, they’d think Ji Tingzhou was planning to step in personally. The way he praised this person…
What does beauty have to do with any of this?
After hanging up with the secretary, Ji Tingzhou returned to his residence, washed up, and entered the bedroom.
The lights in the bedroom weren’t completely off, leaving only a small bedside lamp glowing.
Seeing the small figure curled up on the bed, Ji Tingzhou’s gaze softened, and the usually imposing aura around him dissipated.
Sensing the man’s approach, Ji Nian instinctively rolled over toward him.
Turning off the lamp, Ji Tingzhou climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around the child’s soft body, gently patting her head.
“Sleep now.”
Little genius.
Ji Nian shifted her head slightly, letting out a giggle. “Hehe, Zhouzhou…”
Ji Tingzhou: “……”
Maybe he should wake her up and give her a spanking.
...
Early the next morning, Ji Tingzhou was already up. Ji Nian opened her eyes and, as usual, leaped into Zhiliao’s arms.
“Good morning, Zhiliao jie jie,” she mumbled sleepily.
Zhiliao smiled, holding the child tightly. “Good morning.”
Ji Nian tilted her head back, letting her sister wipe her face. She glanced at the rose hairpin tucked into Zhiliao’s hair and smiled.
Her expression was one of pure satisfaction.
After washing up and changing, Ji Nian headed out the door.
Wei Yang stood at the entrance, yawning. When he saw her, he greeted her with a tired “Good morning.”
Seeing how worn out he looked, Ji Nian shook her head with mock seriousness. “Young people these days just don’t know how to pace themselves.”
Wei Yang didn’t catch what she said. “Huh?”
Ji Nian smiled innocently, pretending she hadn’t said anything.
Today, they were going to prepare the antidote for the Gu matriarch. After breakfast, Ji Tingzhou took Ji Nian to the secret base.
The two bodyguards—human and dog—were left behind, both wearing expressions of abandonment as they watched Ji Nian leave.
Zhiliao couldn’t stand it and smacked both of them.
“Dad, did you prepare everything I asked for?”
In the car, Ji Nian turned to Ji Tingzhou with a serious expression.
Ji Tingzhou, who was braiding her hair, adjusted her head back into place. “Yes, now stop moving.”
After coordinating with Ji Tingzhou, Ji Nian had given him a list of items she needed.
The laboratory Ji Tingzhou had built for her was well-equipped, but some extremely rare materials still had to be specially procured.
Of course, that wasn’t the main point.
The main point was that when Ji Tingzhou first received the list, it was the first time he had seen Ji Nian’s handwriting.
It was clear that the child was deliberately making her writing appear more childish, but Ji Tingzhou saw through her act immediately.
Later, that note was placed in Ji Tingzhou’s study, right next to the drawing Ji Nian had made titled *Healthy Poop*.
Words and pictures together—sounded quite artistic, didn’t it?
This was the first time Ji Tingzhou had visited the laboratory since its creation.
The lab was registered under Ji Nian’s name alone. Even Ji Tingzhou needed her permission to enter.
After putting on her custom-made, child-sized protective suit, Ji Nian pulled out a larger one for Ji Tingzhou.
“Dad, put this on.”
Ji Tingzhou looked at the blue-and-white protective suit and raised an eyebrow.
Clearly, he found it unattractive.
“Or, you could wait until you’ve custom-ordered a suit with broad shoulders, a fitted waist, and no wrinkles before coming in with me?”
Of course, there was no guarantee the Gu matriarch would last that long.
Ji Tingzhou flicked her forehead lightly. “Are you calling me a diva?”
Ji Nian muttered under her breath, “You said it, not me…”
In the end, he put on the suit.
Ji Tingzhou followed Ji Nian inside.
Though he had seen the lab before, it felt different now that Ji Nian had made it her own.
It carried her presence.
Ji Nian pushed over a stool.
She had specially requested this stool—the prettiest one she could find—just for Ji Tingzhou. It even had a comfortable cushion on top.
“Dad, sit here.”
“Don’t touch anything, and don’t wander around. There’s no food here, so if you get hungry… just bear with it. If you need anything, call me.”
For a moment, it felt like the roles of parent and child had been reversed.
If an outsider had seen this, they would have been utterly shocked.
Ji Tingzhou sat in the spot Ji Nian had designated for him, unfazed by her instructions.
He had only heard recordings of Ji Nian making the antidote before, but now he was witnessing it firsthand.
Watching her step onto the custom-made, height-adjustable platform, put on her gloves, and begin her preparations with such precision, Ji Tingzhou felt the same awe Bruce had experienced.
Such a meticulous, rational process, yet it was being carried out by a child who couldn’t even reach the table without the platform.
Without realizing it, Ji Tingzhou stood up and walked over to Ji Nian.
The child, completely absorbed in her work, didn’t notice him until she turned around to grab something.
“Perfect timing.”
Standing in the lab, Ji Nian seemed to enter a different state of mind.
She seemed to forget Ji Tingzhou’s identity, treating him as nothing more than an assistant.
Her natural assertiveness and domineering personality unconsciously surfaced.
“Crush these.”
“Make sure to crush them, not grind them.”
Pointing to the agate mortar on the table, Ji Nian instructed him before turning away to continue her work.
Seeing the child so confidently bossing him around, Ji Tingzhou didn’t feel the slightest bit of annoyance.
Instead, he found it rather amusing.
A faint smile curved his lips as he chuckled softly and began following Ji Nian’s instructions.
“Yes, Dr. Ji.”
