Chapter 201

Words : 1253 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

If everyone had a progress bar above their head showing their favorability toward Ji Nian, Old Master Chen’s would probably be at -100 right now. Standing outside the door, Ji Nian smirked mischievously, hands on her hips, thinking to herself: Heh, serves you right for calling me "green-eyed brat." The system chimed in: "What, should I call you 'bratty-eyed brat' instead?" Ji Nian: "...Shut up." The system: Hmph. After visiting Old Master Chen, Ji Nian went to find Ji Tingzhou. He had changed out of his outdoor clothes and was wearing loungewear, clearly waiting for her downstairs instead of going up. "You waited long, Dad. Let’s go." She hadn’t forgotten—they were supposed to deliver the toy to Da Gen together. Wei Yang had been wondering why Ji Tingzhou was lingering downstairs so late instead of going up. It wasn’t like they were filming Desperate Dad right now. But when he saw what Ji Tingzhou handed him, he jumped in surprise. "Huh?! Isn’t this—?" "Dagen’s Wife," Ji Tingzhou said flatly. Ji Tingzhou’s eyelid twitched as he shot Wei Yang an impassive glance. Wei Yang shuddered and immediately zipped his lips. The reason he remembered this so vividly was simple. As a child, his parents had treated him well, but the family wasn’t wealthy enough to buy him many toys. So the first time he saw Da Gen’s doll, he had grabbed it out of curiosity—only to accidentally snap its arm off because he used too much force. Da Gen had been so furious that he peed on Wei Yang’s head while he was sleeping and then tattled to Ji Tingzhou, resulting in Wei Yang getting a beating the next morning. Wei Yang had plenty of memories tied to that stupid doll. Even now, his butt ached at the thought. And Ji Tingzhou had fixed the doll afterward, yet still beat him so harshly! "Where’d you even find this? It’s just as ugly as I remember," Wei Yang muttered under his breath. Once he realized where the two were headed, he eagerly tagged along. Ji Nian knew Da Gen was buried on the Ji family estate, but she wasn’t sure of the exact location. Even after living here for two years, there were still many corners of the sprawling Ji household she had never set foot in. "Wow, so many plants." Riding in a small cart, the evening breeze brushing past them, they twisted and turned through the paths before finally arriving at their destination. This was the quietest, most secluded spot on the estate. Aside from Ji Tingzhou occasionally coming to weed and clean, no one else was allowed near. "Here." Noticing Ji Nian’s gaze drifting toward a tree of an unfamiliar species, Ji Tingzhou tugged her back. Besides the doll, Ji Tingzhou had also brought some dog treats. Even in the dead of night, the lights here remained on, ensuring clear visibility. To Ji Nian, this so-called "graveyard" looked more like a miniature botanical garden—lush and vibrant. As they ventured deeper, they eventually reached an impressively constructed tomb, topped with a lifelike stone statue of a handsome dog. A small plaque beside it bore its name. Ji Nian wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Ji Tingzhou’s footsteps seemed to soften as they approached. She watched as his usual stern aura melted into something gentle and serene. He stepped forward, pulled out a disinfectant wipe, and carefully cleaned the dog statue’s head before giving it a pat. He didn’t say a word, yet it felt like he had spoken volumes. After nearly two minutes, Ji Tingzhou finally withdrew his hand and turned to Ji Nian. "Say hello." Snapping out of her daze, Ji Nian obediently greeted the statue. "Hello, Uncle Dagen. I’m Ji Nian." Wei Yang, standing behind them: "............" He rubbed his nose and stepped forward, placing the doll in front of Da Gen’s tomb. "Hey, Brother Dagen. Came to see you." "Look, this doll—doesn’t it look just like the one you used to have?" He gave the doll a little shake. A gust of wind swept through, tousling the doll’s messy hair—almost like the breath of a dog. "Enough." Ji ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍Tingzhou, wary of Wei Yang breaking it again, motioned for him to put the doll down. Ji Nian had expected them to stay longer, but after setting down the items, Ji Tingzhou quickly led her away. Confused, she asked, "Dad, aren’t we staying to chat a bit more?" Ji Tingzhou shook his head. "No need." His strides were brisk. When they returned, even Zhiliao seemed surprised at how quickly they had come back. But then, as if realizing something, her expression shifted to understanding. Noticing this, Ji Nian scurried over and sidled up to her. "Sister Zhiliao, you don’t seem surprised at all that we came back so fast." Zhiliao reached out and ruffled her hair. "Not really." Ji Nian grinned and pulled out a small, nameless flower she had plucked earlier. "Sister Zhiliao, this flower is as pretty as you. It’s for you." Taking the flower, Zhiliao smiled. "Since I’ve accepted your gift, I suppose I owe you something in return." Ji Nian nodded eagerly. "Yeah, yeah!" She tried to clamber onto Zhiliao, who effortlessly scooped her up. "Did you notice how dense the plants were there?" Resting her head on Zhiliao’s shoulder, Ji Nian thought for a moment. "Like a botanical garden." But Zhiliao wouldn’t bring this up without reason—there had to be more to it. A second later, Ji Nian’s eyes widened as she sat up abruptly, blinking at Zhiliao. Seeing she had figured it out, Zhiliao praised, "Clever girl." Then she continued, "Da Gen didn’t die naturally. He was murdered." "The first thing the family head did after taking power was bury all those involved in the crime alive there—as an offering to Da Gen." The plants thrived on the fertilizer of their flesh and blood. Ji Nian imagined the gruesome scene and gasped in awe. "Wow—" Nice one, Old Ji! "Once, a feng shui master said the place was too steeped in malice. Staying too long could harm one’s mind and body." Naturally, Ji Tingzhou had dismissed that warning like it was hot air. "But today, he took you there..." "Maybe he remembered the feng shui master’s words and worried about the effect on you. That’s why he hurried back." The realization stunned Ji Nian. So... that was why. Zhiliao smiled faintly in satisfaction. After escorting Ji Nian to her room, Zhiliao was about to head downstairs when Ji Tingzhou summoned her. He handed her a list of materials he needed. Zhiliao scanned it carefully but didn’t ask why. She simply nodded, promising to deliver everything by tomorrow. ... Meanwhile— At the Chen household. "Hah—" Chen Mo collapsed onto the floor, drenched in sweat and panting heavily. A muscular man wearing boxing gloves barked, "Hey! That’s pathetic. Get up!" "You wanna beat up Ji Tingzhou or not? At this rate, you couldn’t even fight a pig!" Hearing that, Chen Mo—who had been on the verge of passing out—snapped his eyes open and scrambled to his feet. He glared at his coach, fury burning in his gaze. Ji. Ting. Zhou. Yes, Chen Mo was learning to fight. Now that he had dealt with the Crow situation, he finally had time to train—all to vent the rage he felt after learning what Ji Nian had endured before she turned five. He absolutely had to land a punch—hard, hard, hard, harder than hard—right on Ji Tingzhou's face!!!

Chapter 201

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