Chapter 171

Words : 1286 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

“Teacher Lu, not off work yet?” Along the way, Teacher Li greeted other teachers with a calm demeanor. Despite having only arrived a few days ago, he had already become familiar with everyone. Hearing his voice, Teacher Lu, who was visibly pregnant, turned around. “Not yet. My due date is approaching, and I won’t be able to return to school for several months. I thought I’d stay a little longer today.” As she spoke, she gently caressed her belly, her expression a mix of reluctance to leave the school and anticipation for the new life growing inside her. Teacher Li reminded her to be careful, especially during dismissal when the halls were crowded with students, so as not to be accidentally bumped by any mischievous children. Ji Nian followed behind Teacher Li, wondering what he was up to. This was a school, after all. Since the kidnapping incident that nearly forced the principal into early retirement, the school’s security had more than doubled. It wouldn’t be easy for him to take Ji Nian away. Contrary to expectations, Teacher Li didn’t lead her to some secluded spot. Instead, he calmly brought her under a camphor tree downstairs. Stepping into the shade of the tree, he turned to face Ji Nian, a subtle smile playing on his lips. “Actually, I have a younger sister,” he began. “She’s three years older than you.” “If she were still able to attend school normally, she’d be in fourth grade by now.” The sudden dive into his personal history left Ji Nian feeling a bit exasperated. But she didn’t show any impatience. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, pretending not to notice the odd direction the conversation was taking. “Why can’t your sister attend school normally?” Teacher Li’s smile dimmed. “Because she was poisoned.” Ji Nian’s eyes flickered. So, this was his weakness—something someone had exploited. Hearing the word “poison,” Ji Nian’s expression shifted slightly. Teacher Li, who had been closely watching her reaction, didn’t miss it. He crouched down, his gaze soft as he looked at her. “Teacher knows that Ji Nian has a way to deal with poisoning, right?” His tone was gentle, but the barely restrained madness in his eyes was terrifying. The child shrank back, clearly frightened. Ji Nian didn’t respond, seemingly at a loss for words. Internally, however, she was thinking: 【This is strange.】【If he wanted to do something, why not just act directly? Why bring up his sister?】 Her system chimed in: 【Isn’t this how villains usually are? They paint themselves as victims before harming others to ease their conscience.】 Ji Nian’s intuition told her it wasn’t that simple. The way he was looking at her was like she was some kind of prized treasure. “Teacher, I... I need to go,” the child stammered, looking as if she wanted to flee. Just as she turned to leave, Teacher Li suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm. At that moment— There was a rustling sound from the nearby bushes. Teacher Li’s gaze sharpened as he scanned the area. “Who’s there!?” Half ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍a minute later, a lazy black cat emerged, stretching and flicking its tail before sauntering away. False alarm. Teacher Li turned his attention back to Ji Nian, resuming the interrupted conversation. “Ji Nian, Teacher knows you have a secret.” “After all, you were the one who cured He Xiang, weren’t you?” Hearing He Xiang’s name, Ji Nian’s eyes widened in shock, her expression betraying her thoughts: ‘How does he know?’ Teacher Li’s lips curled into a smile as he tightened his grip, pulling her closer. “So, Ji Nian, help Teacher, won’t you?” “Help Teacher save my sister, okay?” His voice was soft, but it sent chills down her spine. The child looked on the verge of tears, her voice trembling. “Teacher... I need to talk to my dad. Can you let me go home?” Teacher Li’s gaze softened. “Ji Nian, Teacher knows you’re a good kid.” “Teacher has planted bombs in the office, the classroom, the activity room—anywhere I’ve been.” “The detonator is in my hand right now.” “If you come with me quietly, I’ll spare everyone.” “You wouldn’t want to see your teachers and classmates turned into a pile of limbs, would you?” At the mention of bombs, Ji Nian’s face turned pale, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Although school was out, many students stayed behind for club activities and wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. “Be good. Call your uncle and tell him you’ll be home late.” Clearly, he had done his homework, knowing exactly when Chen Mo usually came to pick her up. Tears welled up in the child’s eyes, clinging to her lashes as she looked utterly pitiful. “Teacher... where are you taking me?” This time, Teacher Li didn’t answer. The organization had tasked him with poisoning Ji Nian and investigating the pharmacist behind the Ji family. But his personal agenda had led him to betray the organization and target Ji Nian directly. Ji Nian observed his reaction and sneered internally. 【Looks like someone’s got ulterior motives.】 Using someone’s loved ones as leverage to force them into compliance was a tactic that would inevitably backfire. Of course, this Teacher Li wasn’t a good person either. While he had his tragic reasons, his willingness to harm innocent people like He Xiang and the students of S Elementary School showed he was no better than the rest. Still... his weakness could be exploited. In the blink of an eye, the frightened expression on Ji Nian’s face vanished. Her emerald-green eyes, glassy and reflective, locked onto Teacher Li’s terrifying visage. “Teacher, I’ve been thinking,” she said calmly. “Why don’t you just blow up the school? That way, we won’t have to come back on Monday.” Teacher Li: “.........?” Watching Ji Nian’s sudden change in demeanor, Teacher Li was momentarily stunned. But then his expression shifted abruptly. She was stalling for time! A sharp object cut through the air, hurtling straight toward Teacher Li’s back. Just before it struck, Ji Nian caught a glimpse of what it was—a javelin. As the javelin descended, a shadow fell over Ji Nian, and a pair of hands covered her eyes. A familiar, anger-laced voice rang out above her: “I want his right hand.” Teacher Li’s right hand—the same one that had grabbed Ji Nian. With her vision blocked, her hearing became more acute. From a distance came the sound of something being torn, accompanied by muffled screams of agony. Then, silence. He must have passed out from the pain. Ji Nian guessed that the perfectly aimed javelin had come from her dear sister, Zhi Le. There was no smell of blood, and the angle and force had been calculated to minimize injury while incapacitating the target. As for the tearing sound, that was undoubtedly Wei Yang’s doing. His brutal, savage methods were his signature. If it had been Zhi Le, she would have used her favorite dagger, carefully carving away at the target while keeping them conscious. Finally. “Dad, you almost got caught earlier,” Ji Nian said, her tone tinged with exasperation. She was referring to the noise from the bushes that had nearly scared Teacher Li off. If that had happened, all their planning over the past few days would have been for nothing. Ji Tingzhou, unbothered by the criticism, shamelessly shifted the blame. “It was this little black guy’s fault.” Beside him, He Xiang, who had turned pale from the gruesome scene, could only stare in silence.

Chapter 171

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