Chapter 16

Ji Tingzhou looked at the little girl in front of him, dressed in a nightgown with her long, curly hair in disarray. The child didn't speak, pouting and staring at him intently. Da Dan, lying nearby, perked up his ears and came over to lick her hand. "What's wrong?" Seeing that Ji Nian was acting strange, Ji Tingzhou put his phone aside and reached out to feel her forehead. No fever. Although Ji Nian didn't show it, Ji Tingzhou could tell she was a bit afraid of his touch, but now, when he touched her forehead, she didn't react at all. She just stared blankly at him, her eyes vacant. Seeing that the child still didn't speak, Ji Tingzhou suddenly thought of something. "Did you have a nightmare?" This time, Ji Nian reacted. She nodded slightly. Even when Ji Tingzhou withdrew his hand, she actively grabbed his sleeve. Ji Nian, due to her injuries, had a faint medicinal smell, which wasn't unpleasant. Her face was clean and fresh. Ji Tingzhou pulled his wrinkled sleeve back from her grasp. "It's all fake." "What's there to be afraid of? Stupid." As a seasoned expert in nightmares, he had the confidence to say that. Seeing him pull his hand away and call her stupid, the child's dark green eyes slowly dimmed. She habitually revealed a restrained expression, nodded, and turned to leave. Before she could walk away, she was suddenly scooped up. Then she landed in a warm embrace. Ji Tingzhou smelled wonderful. He was very picky, and his incense was unique. Anyone who smelled it once would know it was him. "What are you running away for?" "If you have another nightmare, you can just crow like a rooster." "Aren't you good at that?" After saying that, Ji Tingzhou gave Ji Nian the chicken pillow that Da Dan had fetched. It was something he had seen among the toys Zhiliao had selected earlier. For some reason, he thought of Ji Nian's begging for food and decided to bring it up. Ji Nian sat on her father's lap, hugging the chicken pillow, still a bit stunned. It seemed she hadn't reacted to being held by Ji Tingzhou. Instinctively, she replied, "Really?" Feeling how little flesh Ji Nian had, Ji Tingzhou thought to himself that he was still too lenient with Zhang Yulan. Giving her so much money every year, yet the little one was still so thin. He replied, "Yeah." The entire room exuded a lazy, sleepy atmosphere. ... Even if Ji Tingzhou's brain was only the size of a rotten egg, he would have noticed that every time he fell asleep, it was related to Ji Nian. Fortunately, his brain was normal, so he immediately realized it. Seeing Ji Nian, who had woken up, eating the almond panna cotta that Zhiliao had brought for afternoon tea, Ji Tingzhou's expression was complex. Ji Nian, who was commanding Da Dan to pick up the dropped puzzle piece, noticed his gaze. She stood up and walked over. "Head of the family, do you want to eat sweet?" She didn't know what the dish was called, so she simply named it based on its taste. Ji Tingzhou looked at the half-eaten bowl of panna cotta. "No, it's too sweet." Ji Nian nodded, then ran over to grab Da Dan's dog food: "Then eat this." Ji Tingzhou's eye twitched: "You want me to eat dog food?" Ji Nian nodded: "Every animal has infinite possibilities." "Head of the family, you can do it." It was hard to imagine these words coming from a five-year-old girl. Ji Tingzhou: "..." "Go play with your dog." "Okay." Ji Nian ran off again. Da Dan, with its tongue out, rubbed its head against her. Ji Tingzhou pressed his temples. Because of his sleep, he was unusually easygoing. Even when he saw "How to Use Your Brain to Be a Good Father" tucked among a pile of children's picture books, he picked it up. Seeing the title, he disdainfully said it was a scam. It was probably a freebie, maybe because he was bored. As Ji Nian's voice followed the smart picture book to recognize characters, Ji Tingzhou opened the book. The first sentence: Congratulations, by opening this book, you have already defeated 99% of irresponsible fathers. Although it was a freebie, the content was surprisingly interesting, and Ji Tingzhou actually got into it. Until he read, "Children need the companionship of other children." Ji Tingzhou's fingers twitched slightly. As Ji Tingzhou was lost in thought, Ji Nian was chatting with the system. [That's not right. You said the female lead would be here in a few days, but it's been so long. Where is the female lead?]