Chapter 240

Words : 1324 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

After returning, Ji Nian learned from Zhiliao that Shen Qingtang's grandparents had already left. Because of the incident involving Ma Xiaofei, the elderly couple felt too embarrassed to stay for dinner and also guilty toward Shen Qingtang. They decided to let her stay for another week to adjust her mood before bringing her back home. "Alright, I understand~" With that, Ji Nian took out a fragrant jasmine bracelet and tied it around Zhiliao's wrist. The green ribbon at the end paired with the fresh, elegant white jasmine flowers was strikingly beautiful, softening the wearer's aura. "I saw an elderly woman selling these by the bridge on my way back, so I bought all of them." "If you have time, Zhiliao, could you help distribute them to everyone?" Of course, the privilege of having Ji Nian personally tie the bracelet was reserved only for Zhiliao. Well, and Shen Qingtang too. Gesturing for Wei Yang to bring over the woven basket filled with jasmine bracelets, Ji Nian waved her hand, picked one out, and ran off. Zhiliao watched the girl's retreating figure and softly called out, "Don't run too fast." Then she glanced at the jasmine bracelet on her wrist—the bow was tied beautifully, a skill Ji Nian had inherited from Ji Tingzhou. "You all heard her, right? Come and take one if you want." As soon as Zhiliao spoke, the nearby servants, who had been lingering at a distance, giggled and rushed over, crowding around to pick their favorites. "Thank you, Miss Ji." "The rainy season’s been so frequent lately. Wearing this really lifts the mood." "Ah, it smells so nice! Is this jasmine?" That evening, Ji Tingzhou noticed that many servants were wearing flower bracelets on their wrists, and the air was occasionally filled with a delicate fragrance. When he asked, he confirmed it was indeed Ji Nian's doing. Ji Tingzhou shook his head. If it made her happy, so be it. ... Ji Nian took the bracelet she had picked earlier and found Shen Qingtang standing by the window, watching the rain. On the nearby balcony, Da Dan lay dozing in his favorite spot. The rain had made the big dog seek out the cool air. The two of them, human and dog, stood apart yet listened to the same rhythm of the rain. Shen Qingtang had been chased by dogs as a child and used to be afraid of Da Dan. But now she was accustomed to him—after all, Da Dan only bonded closely with Ji Tingzhou and Ji Nian, rarely pouncing on others, so she felt safe sharing the space with him. "What are you looking at?" Ji Nian walked over and followed her gaze downward. Raindrops fell into the pond, where plump koi fish lazily swayed their tails. The rippling water resembled a scene from an oil painting. Shen Qingtang turned around, her expression seemingly normal. "You're back. What did Gu Xiuyuan want?" Ji Nian told her about Yang Xinyu's situation. Shen Qingtang knew him too—sometimes, when Ji Nian wasn’t around, Yang Xinyu would ask her to pass things along and even give her candy. Hearing that he was now ill, Shen Qingtang felt a pang of sympathy. "At least it’s treatable." Ji Nian nodded. "Right. I’ve already arranged everything with the hospital. He’ll definitely recover." After that, the conversation lulled. A brief silence settled between them. Fortunately, Shen Qingtang spoke up again soon. "When did you find out...?" Ji Nian’s reaction had been so composed, as if she had anticipated everything. She hadn’t seemed surprised at all. Ji Nian didn’t hide it. Softly, she admitted she had accidentally seen the messages Ma Xiaofei sent her. Shen Qingtang suddenly understood. So that was it. Ji Nian had known all along. "Aren’t you angry?" Her voice grew quieter. Ji Nian was momentarily confused. "Why would I be angry?" Shen Qingtang’s gaze lingered on the jasmine bracelet in Ji Nian’s hand. Her throat tightened slightly, but she still managed to say, "I did it on purpose." "I deliberately exposed her in front of everyone at the Ji family’s place." Ji Nian would hate her now, wouldn’t she? For being so calculating. "That’s great." "You’re so clever, learning how to protect yourself. I’m proud of you—why would I be angry?" Shen Qingtang’s head snapped up, meeting Ji Nian’s smiling emerald-green eyes. "Really?" "But... you always said I was kind. I thought..." Ji Nian couldn’t resist patting her forehead. "Being kind doesn’t mean you can’t be smart. Who said kind people can’t play mind games? Should you just let others walk all over you without fighting back? Is that what kindness means?" Shen Qingtang blinked slowly. "Oh..." That made sense. "Besides, I don’t like you just because you’re kind." "I like you because you’re Shen Qingtang." "Even if you snuck into my bathroom tonight to eat poop, I’d still like you. Though, you’d better brush your teeth afterward—otherwise, Tingzhou might ban you from the dinner table." Shen Qingtang: "......" That wouldn’t happen. As she tied the jasmine bracelet around Shen Qingtang’s wrist, Ji Nian lowered her head and said, "By the way, Dad mentioned you’re starting to resemble your father more and more." "I never noticed before, but now I can see it." Holding Shen Qingtang’s wrist up to the light to admire it, Ji Nian nodded in satisfaction. Then she nudged her shoulder playfully. "Dad told me that when your father was in school, some boys bullied him." "He never showed it, but after school, he worked part-time at a pool hall and befriended a few older guys." "Once they got close, he told them about the bullying. Those guys were so righteous—they went and beat up the bullies. After that, no one dared to mess with him again." This was the first time Shen Qingtang had heard about her father’s "glorious deeds." "‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍Ah..." Honestly, it was hard to imagine, but it didn’t seem out of character for him. "Hahaha, so Dad had that side to him too." Shen Qingtang laughed. Seeing her mood lighten, Ji Nian relaxed and asked, "I’m free for the next few days. If you want to go out to clear your mind, I’ll go with you." Truthfully, she did have things to do—but making money wasn’t as important as Shen Qingtang. Hearing that Ji Nian was willing to go out, Shen Qingtang’s eyes lit up. This was like the sun rising from the wrong end—what a rare opportunity. "There’s a comic convention this weekend. Can you come with me?" Her big eyes sparkled with hope. Ji Nian agreed without hesitation. "No problem~" "Ah... do I have to cosplay?" A few days ago, on a whim, she had dressed up with Shen Qingtang for an event. From the moment they entered, people kept pulling her aside for photos until her smile froze. She never wanted to do it again. Sensing her trauma, Shen Qingtang blinked. "No, but you should still wear a cute dress. Something adorable." Ji Nian waved her hand. "That’s fine." Shen Qingtang often ordered things like Lolita dresses or Hanfu-inspired outfits, and sometimes the packages were delivered to Ji Nian’s place. She’d try them on to help decide whether to keep or return them. Shen Qingtang brightened instantly. "Perfect! I already feel much better." Ji Nian thought it was almost too easy to cheer her up. After dinner, Shen Qingtang checked the time and called He Xiang. He Xiang had just finished feeding his grandmother when he saw Shen Qingtang’s name on the screen and answered. "Hello?" "Hey, is this He Xiang? Are you free this weekend? I have a job for you—helping my friend watch their stall. It pays 200 a day. Can you make it?" After hanging up with He Xiang, Shen Qingtang searched the class group chat for Lu Jinghuai's contact info and sent him a friend request. "Hi, are you free this weekend?"

Chapter 240

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