Chapter 208

Words : 1379 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

"It's done, it's done." Old Master Chen watched the finished product in Ji Tingzhou's hands and couldn't help but crack a smile. Ji Tingzhou, who was barely satisfied with the final result, examined it for a few moments before setting it aside. When he turned around, he was met with the old man’s grinning face. Ji Tingzhou felt goosebumps rise all over his body again. What’s wrong with this old man... Did he eat something foul? Thinking back, it seemed the change had started after that conversation. Ji Tingzhou had already contacted a lawyer, but Old Master Chen never brought up Ji Nian again. "Quite skilled with your hands. But why suddenly make a lantern for Ji Nian? It’s not even a holiday." Old Master Chen watched as Ji Tingzhou placed the lantern in a corner and asked casually. Ji Tingzhou’s attention was fixed on the color of the paper lantern, feeling it wasn’t quite right—perhaps it needed some adjustments. Hearing the old man’s question, he replied flatly, "She wanted it." If ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍the child wanted it, he made it. And from the looks of it, Ji Nian probably didn’t even know her father was crafting something for her. Old Master Chen felt an indescribable emotion. If he had to put it into words, it was like seeing his younger self in Ji Tingzhou. At this moment, regardless of social status, wealth, or knowledge— They were both just fathers who wanted to see their daughters happy. Old Master Chen fell silent. Just then, someone knocked and entered. A tall, slender woman with her hair neatly pinned up, adorned with a rose. Old Master Chen remembered her well—not because of the scar on her face, but because despite her striking presence, she was oddly easy to overlook. And... she walked without a sound. "Ji Nian will like it." The woman entered, carrying a tea tray, and glanced at the lantern Ji Tingzhou was scrutinizing before speaking. Old Master Chen’s hands tensed. What’s going on? Did the Ji Family allow servants to casually chat with their masters? "The color feels off." The surprising part was that Ji Tingzhou actually responded—and his tone was noticeably warmer than when he’d spoken to Old Master Chen earlier. "Where?" Setting down the tray, the woman walked over. Since Ji Tingzhou was blocking the way, she nudged him aside without hesitation. In the next second, Ji Tingzhou shot her a murderous glare. Old Master Chen thought, Now that’s more like it. Then, the woman said airily, "I just washed my hands." Hearing that, Ji Tingzhou retracted his glare and pointed at the lantern. "Here." Old Master Chen: "......" If he recalled correctly, the servants he’d seen in the Ji Family before were like puppets—lifeless, their every move mechanical. Rumor had it that no one would work for the Ji Family unless they were truly desperate for money. Watching Ji Tingzhou now, casually discussing colors with a woman dressed as a servant, Old Master Chen couldn’t help but think of a word he never expected to associate with the Ji Family— Approachable. It was hard to imagine such a term being applied to anyone from the Ji Family. With an old man like him, who held no real influence, Ji Tingzhou had no reason to put on an act. And the scene before him felt too natural, as if it were a common, everyday occurrence in the Ji household. Would a man who treated servants with such ease really be unkind to his own child? Without another word, Old Master Chen wheeled himself out of the room. --- Due to her injury, Ji Nian didn’t have to do anything after waking up—just let her brain boot up while the servants helped her wash up and get dressed. When she reached the dining table downstairs, she wasn’t surprised to find Ji Tingzhou absent. But she hadn’t expected to see someone else there. Shen Qingtang had left early for her morning duties, so Ji Nian had assumed she’d be eating alone. Yet now, there was someone seated across from her. A tall, gaunt old man. Old Master Chen. "Good morning." Ji Nian greeted him, surprised that Ji Tingzhou hadn’t sent him away yet. The old man paused while peeling an egg and acknowledged her with a nod. "Where’s my grandmother?" Ji Nian asked. "Still asleep. She won’t be up until lunchtime." That sounded a lot like Ji Tingzhou, Ji Nian mused. After asking about her grandmother, Ji Nian fell silent and focused on her meal. Just as she picked up her spoon, a wrinkled hand reached across the table and placed a perfectly peeled egg into her bowl. Ji Nian blinked in surprise. But she quickly recovered and flashed the old man a bright smile. "Thank you~" Seeing the child’s cheerful expression, Old Master Chen’s slightly clouded eyes seemed to glimpse another figure from the past. His eyes grew moist, and he quickly lowered his head. "What’s there to thank..." "Do you always eat breakfast alone?" How could they let a child eat by herself? He thought disapprovingly. Ji Nian shook her head. "No, Shen Qingtang usually eats with me. But she’ll be moving out soon, so she might not be here every day. If no one’s around, Zhiliao will join me. And sometimes Dad shows up too." No wonder Zhiliao wasn’t here—she must’ve seen Old Master Chen and assumed Ji Nian had company. The old man’s gaze drifted to the bandages on Ji Nian’s hand, and he muttered something under his breath. Noticing his stare, Ji Nian wiggled her fingers. "It doesn’t hurt. Doesn’t stop me from eating either." Ji Tingzhou had even arranged for someone to feed her this morning, but Ji Nian, mortified at the idea, had firmly refused. Though she didn’t understand why Old Master Chen’s attitude had softened so much, Ji Nian ate faster, as if afraid he might try to feed her too. Then she wiped her mouth and hopped down from her seat. "I’m full. Please take your time—I’m off to school now." With that, she dashed away. Old Master Chen watched the child scurry off and rubbed his head, looking somewhat dejected. Am I really that scary? --- Completely oblivious to Old Master Chen’s attempts at bonding, Ji Nian headed to school with her prepared items. The moment she stepped into the classroom, her eyes zeroed in on He Xiang. She walked over to thank him. Having heard from Zuo Yi about He Xiang’s condition yesterday, she placed a bag of supplies—prepared with Zhiliao’s help—on his desk. "Apply this during the day to reduce swelling and pain. Use this ointment at night. And if taking notes is hard, I’ll copy mine for you so you don’t fall behind." Knowing what mattered most to him, she cut off any chance of refusal. "If you don’t let me do anything, I’ll feel guilty. I’ll keep worrying about your injury, and eventually, my grades will drop." Just as expected, He Xiang could only stare at her helplessly, unable to voice a single objection. Delighted by his speechlessness, Ji Nian grinned and winked. "You’d better recover fast—I still need you to fold paper for me." With that, she headed off to the toolshed to find Shen Qingtang, completely missing the way He Xiang slumped in his seat, desperately pinching his ears as if trying to cool them down. The entire day, Ji Nian spent assuring everyone that she was "fine." Her little brothers from Class Five came one after another with gifts and well-wishes, and she barely managed to send them away—along with the helpers Gu Xiuyuan had sent over. Shen Qingtang was the worst, practically offering to assist Ji Nian in the bathroom. Exhausted, Ji Nian sighed as she finally returned home, just wanting to finish her homework and collapse into bed. She rushed straight upstairs, but as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she noticed something odd—the entrance and hallway were pitch black, even though it wasn’t nighttime yet. Puzzled, she took a couple of steps forward, wondering what was going on. Then, in the next second— A dazzling burst of color in the darkness instantly caught her eye, making Ji Nian widen her gaze in surprise.

Chapter 208

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