Chapter 175

Words : 1464 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

"Uncle You Er, is your leg better?" Ji Nian didn’t rush to ask for details. Instead, she ran over and immediately looked at the leg clad in suit pants. The name "You Er" sounded like it could be a brother to "Zuo Yi," but in reality, the two had no connection. The similarity in their names was purely coincidental. A few months ago, he had injured his leg and had been recuperating, completely absent from Ji Nian’s sight. Unexpectedly, the child still remembered his injury. You Er paused for a moment, then shook his head, his smile stiffening—clearly not something he was used to doing. "It’s much better now," he said, crouching down slightly and pulling out a piece of chocolate from his pocket to hand to Ji Nian. He had bought it at the supermarket, having specifically asked the cashier what children liked before making the purchase. Following the recommendation, he had picked up a recently popular brand of chocolate. Ji Nian, who was accustomed to being spoiled by her family, accepted it graciously and said, "Thank you, Uncle." Ji Tingzhou didn’t say much, but he did give You Er a meaningful glance, as if asking, "When did you two get so close?" Once the small interaction passed, You Er proceeded to report on the earlier events, omitting the more gruesome details of his threats due to Ji Nian’s presence. After he finished, the person in charge of the subsequent interrogation arrived, carrying a voice recorder. Ji Nian straightened up slightly and glanced toward the door. Coincidentally, it was the day for Chen Mo’s physical check-up, so the doctor had come to the Ji residence to conduct the examination, which was why he hadn’t come with them earlier. Just as she was thinking about him, the door was knocked, and Number One pushed Chen Mo in, followed by Number Two. All three of them wore serious expressions. Chen Yueling had been dead for seven years, and the cunning, sinister murderer had shifted all the clues onto Ji Tingzhou, using him as a pawn to pit the two families against each other. If it weren’t for the pharmacist and Ji Nian, it was hard to imagine the current situation—whether the mastermind behind it all would have truly reaped the benefits. At this moment, Chen Mo’s demeanor was strikingly similar to when Ji Nian had first met him: his eyes were silent, like a stagnant pool of water. "Uncle," Ji Nian called out to him. The murderous aura on Chen Mo’s face faded slightly, and his gaze softened as he looked at Ji Nian. "Hmm." "Have you been waiting long?" The truth was right before their eyes, yet Chen Mo was surprisingly calm. Ji Nian shook her head, saying she hadn’t waited long, and motioned for him to come over. Once everyone was present, Ji Tingzhou said to You Er, "Let’s begin." You Er signaled for the recording to be played. The voice that Ji Nian had often heard during her Chinese classes these past few days now sounded hoarse and weak. "I was born in Liuxing Street... After my parents died, I couldn’t afford the rent, so the landlord sold me and my sister. The buyers locked us up with a group of other children. Occasionally, adults would come to examine us and teach us certain things..." "Every month, there were assessments. Only those who passed could survive." "At the time, all I wanted was to live. By the time I realized what was happening, only five people remained besides me and my sister." "Later, I found out that I had been chosen by an organization called ‘Crow.’ They poisoned my sister, and only if I obeyed them would they give her the antidote each month." "Crow is an organization that has existed since the last century. Initially, it was an anti-feudal, anti-slavery group that helped the lower class. But after a major internal purge and an influx of funds from unknown sources, it developed into what it is today..." "Now, it’s entirely an underground organization. They use their unique poison-making techniques to control people, manipulating and participating in the political and cultural spheres of some countries from behind the scenes." As Zhao Heng spoke, the true face of the mastermind gradually became clear to everyone. "The leader of Crow has never shown his true face. No one knows what he looks like." "My mission this time was to get close to the eldest daughter of the Ji family and, through her, find clues about the Ji family’s pharmacist..." "That’s all I know." The interrogator asked a few more questions, but when it came to the core issues, Zhao Heng knew nothing. He wasn’t a core member of Crow—just a low-level operative with limited knowledge. After listening, Ji Nian noticed that the adults were all frowning. "Dad, is there a problem?" Ji Nian poked Ji Tingzhou. Ji Tingzhou glanced at the child, removed her intrusive finger, and said, "Yes." And it was a big problem. Beside them, Chen Mo was already looking at Ji Tingzhou. Even You Er turned his gaze toward Ji Tingzhou upon hearing the word "Crow." As for Ji Tingzhou himself... He wore a chilling yet intrigued smile. Ji Nian: "Things just got interesting." She filled in the silence with the classic villain line that Ji Tingzhou hadn’t uttered. Ji ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍Tingzhou: "......" Ji Nian blinked innocently. Then she understood why everyone was looking at Ji Tingzhou so strangely. Although Zhao Heng’s account made the organization called "Crow" sound incredibly mysterious and powerful... In reality... The previous leader of this organization was Ji Tingzhou’s biological father. The same man who had brought him into the Ji family at the age of fourteen and then ignored him. The reason the Ji family’s demons could wreak havoc in S City was largely due to Crow’s involvement. However, after the downfall of the previous leader, Crow was driven out of the Chinese stage. Ji Tingzhou had almost forgotten about this organization. He never expected it to still be alive and meddling in Ji Nian’s affairs. "Based on the timeline, after the previous leader’s death, a successor was quickly appointed. Retreating from China might have just been a smokescreen." Freshly appointed, the new leader sought to preserve the organization’s strength, avoiding Ji Tingzhou’s brilliance while orchestrating Chen Yueling’s death. If his guess was correct, Ji Nian was likely also sent to the Ji family by them. But the purpose remains unclear... Why was Ji Nian the only one who survived and was sent back to the Ji family? The adults were all lost in their own thoughts. After learning the true identity of their enemy, Chen Mo’s expression gradually shifted, the hidden killing intent in his eyes almost impossible to conceal. Ji Nian thought her plan needed to be accelerated. No matter how she looked at it, this plan was perfect as Chen Mo’s opening move. ... Ji Nian’s proposal was sent back for revisions by Ji Tingzhou for the fourth time before it was finally approved. The moment she raised her arms in triumph, she heard that Shen Qingtang had returned. Ji Nian shoved her computer into Ji Tingzhou’s hands and ran downstairs. Downstairs, Shen Qingtang, who had just gotten out of the car and was rushing back with the most important item, ran faster and faster despite the nanny’s repeated calls of "Miss, slow down!" The first and second place finishers in the 800-meter race during gym class reunited under such circumstances. "Nian Nian!!" Shen Qingtang waved from afar. The two children hugged each other tightly. "You cut your hair," Ji Nian said. "Yeah, and I got a bit tanner too. Grandpa says it’s healthy for kids to have some color." "Where’s my gift?" "Here! I asked Grandpa to teach me wood carving, and I made this for you myself." Ji Nian looked at the small, roughly carved but adorable wooden chicken in the box, gently touching its round head before checking Shen Qingtang’s fingers. Sure enough, she found small cuts there. "It’s so cute. Thank you," Ji Nian said, holding Shen Qingtang’s hand and receiving a bright, unclouded smile in return. "I have so much to tell you, but I need to go out for a bit now. Go inside and have some dessert—Aunt Chen made a lot of new flavors while you were away." Though she really wanted to talk to Ji Nian, Shen Qingtang nodded when she heard Ji Nian had something to do, promising to sleep in her room that night. The child had stayed with her grandparents for a while and had gained some weight. What made Ji Nian even happier was that Shen Qingtang seemed more confident and lively than before. Indeed... Love can take tangible form.

Chapter 175

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