Chapter 196

Words : 1403 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

“While we were heading this way, someone handed us flyers about a lantern festival happening tonight—it’s supposed to stretch along a whole street. Should we go check it out?” After lunch, Grandpa Shen suddenly remembered something and brought it up to the two children. Shen Qingtang thought for a moment. “Ah, I know about this! My desk mate mentioned it a few days ago. I heard it’s really lively, and there’s even a fireworks show.” Hearing this, Ji Nian recalled it too. Originally, if she hadn’t skipped school today, she would’ve planned to go to the lab. But seeing Shen Qingtang’s bright, expectant gaze fixed on her... “Alright.” She hadn’t spent much time playing with her these past few days. Though Shen Qingtang was usually independent, emotions shouldn’t be taken for granted. Once Ji Nian agreed, Grandpa Shen couldn’t help but glance at Ji Tingzhou. Even without seeing her father’s face, Ji Nian knew exactly what expression he’d be wearing. A lantern festival was bound to be packed with people—inevitably leading to accidental brushes with strangers. For Ji Tingzhou, it was practically the same as being tossed into a pit of bacteria. “Grandpa Shen, my dad doesn’t need to come. Wei Yang can take care of me.” Ji Nian, worried Ji Tingzhou might refuse too bluntly, spoke up first to decline on his behalf. Beside them, Wei Yang nodded emphatically and thumped his chest, signaling that he had it covered. Ji Tingzhou stayed silent—he genuinely wasn’t interested. Crowded places were nothing short of a nightmare for him. But then Grandma Shen chimed in, “Children this age need their parents’ companionship the most.” “Once they grow older and build their own social circles, they won’t even want you around anymore.” Ji Nian thought there was truth to that. But for Ji Tingzhou, it wouldn’t make a difference. He wouldn’t budge over something so trivial— “Is that so?” Ji Tingzhou suddenly cast a glance at Ji Nian, as if pondering something. Ji Nian blinked slowly at him. Don’t tell her... “Wei Yang, make the arrangements.” “And tell Zuo Yi he won’t be needed later.” Wei Yang and Ji Nian exchanged wide-eyed looks, their expressions comically stunned. Holy crap??? “Wait... Dad, you’re seriously going?” Forgetting that Shen Qingtang’s grandparents were still present, Ji Nian stood up and tugged at his sleeve, whispering, “The lantern festival will be packed. You can’t just clear the place out.” Looking down at the little girl earnestly trying to reason with him, Ji Tingzhou pinched her cheek, his tone tinged with exasperation. “Do you think I’m an idiot?” Of course he knew that. Meanwhile, Wei Yang was counting on his fingers, trying to recall the last time Ji Tingzhou had willingly stepped into such a setting. At the very least, it was before he was brought into the Ji family. No, even earlier—back when they were still running street stalls to scrape together tuition for Shen Rushan. Those festivals had always brought in more money than usual. Ji Nian realized Ji Tingzhou was making a huge sacrifice this time. She just hoped he wouldn’t lose his temper once they got there. Still, somewhere deep inside, she felt a tiny flicker of excitement for the night ahead. ... As dusk fell, Grandma Shen called the two girls over and pulled out a jewelry box and two sets of dresses from her luggage. “I bought these specially when I heard about the lantern festival before we came.” “I had a feeling they’d come in handy.” Shen Qingtang’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the two Tang-style hanfu dresses with high waistlines. “Ji Nian, pick one!” Ji Nian hadn’t expected Grandma Shen to prepare dresses. She leaned in for a closer look. Both dresses shared the same design—one in a pink-to-green gradient, the other in purple with just a faint green gradient at the hem. Ji Nian didn’t mind either, but knowing Shen Qingtang loved pink, she took the purple one. Grandma Shen was downright enthusiastic about dressing up the girls. Skilled in hairstyling, she braided their hair while reminiscing, “I always wanted a daughter.” “Someone to buy pretty dresses for, to style her hair beautifully, to pamper like a little princess every day.” That was also why, when Shen Rushan’s cousin had been left with no one to care for her, the elderly couple had taken her in without hesitation. Zhiliao dropped by midway, helping to tie a purple ribbon into Ji Nian’s hair, earning praise from Grandma Shen for her deft hands. By the time night fully settled, the two girls emerged hand in hand, dressed in matching hanfu and identical updos. Grandpa Shen didn’t hold back his compliments, snapping photos with the camera around his neck. Ji Tingzhou couldn’t even get a word in edgewise... For the outing, Ji Tingzhou still wore long sleeves, though his outfit carried a subtle classical flair to match the festival atmosphere. A wide-sleeved inner layer, topped with a diagonally draped black outer shawl, layered with strands of pearls and a necklace. The hem of his robe, reaching mid-calf, was printed with irregular ink-wash strokes. Ji Nian’s eyes lit up at the sight, immediately snapping a photo with her smartwatch. Grandpa Shen: “......” Were these two father and daughter... reversed? Once everything was ready, the group set off. Wei Yang, as the head of the security team, had his hands full with preparations. Even before reaching their destination, the vibrant glow of lanterns was visible from the car. “Wow, it’s so pretty.” Stepping out, they were met with a bustling scene—stalls lining both sides of the street, children around Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang’s age darting about. “It smells amazing.” Shen Qingtang caught a familiar scent and perked up. “Is that the thing you gave me before... what was it called? Some kind of noodle?” “Grilled cold noodles?” Shen Qingtang nodded. “Yes, that’s the one.” “Do you want some, Tangtang?” Grandpa Shen asked, and when she agreed, he took her to buy a serving. Meanwhile, Ji Nian turned to Ji Tingzhou, who stood behind them wearing a mask and gloves, his brows tightly knit. “Dad, are you okay?” Truthfully, he wasn’t. The noise of the crowd grated on his ears, and the mingled scents of so many people in one place made his skin crawl. But when he caught sight of Ji Nian looking up at him, the ribbons on her twin buns fluttering in the breeze, it didn’t seem quite so unbearable. His ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍vision, which had been slightly blurred, gradually sharpened. The first thing he saw was a father hoisting his daughter onto his shoulders, both of them laughing joyfully. “I’m fine. Let’s go.” His gaze lingered for just a second before he lowered his eyes and held out a hand to Ji Nian, who was waiting for him. Only when she was convinced he wasn’t forcing himself did she relax, leading him forward. The girl walked slightly ahead, careful with every step—unlike other kids her age who dashed around recklessly. Her expression was almost comically alert, like a small animal on guard. Seeing her protective stance, Ji Tingzhou’s discomfort eased. He patted her head, deciding to indulge her this once. “What do you want to eat?” Hearing Ji Tingzhou’s permission to eat street food, Ji Nian no longer had to secretly ask Wei Yang to buy it for her and wolf it down before returning home. It felt like finally being able to move from squatting in the wild to sitting properly on her own toilet—legitimized at last. “I want to eat—” “Ouch!” Just as she turned to answer Ji Tingzhou, a little boy came out of nowhere, crashing into her and yanking hard on her hair ribbon. One side of Ji Nian’s bun came loose. “Caught the monster!” The triumphant boy giggled, showing not a hint of remorse. ... In the distance. Old Master Chen, who had finally found his way and decided to stroll around for some shopping, spotted the scene from afar: That little brat’s got a death wish! How dare he bully someone like that?! Old Lady Chen quickly held him back: “Don’t rush. Didn’t you want to see how Ji Tingzhou treats Nian’er? Let’s watch how he handles this first.”

Chapter 196

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