Chapter 49

Although Ji Tingzhou was in desperate need of sleep, Wei Yang's condition could no longer be delayed. He went back and pulled the child out of the bed, memories gradually flooding back. Ji Tingzhou recalled the entire sequence of events from last night: how Ji Nian had used a fake poison to scare people, criticized Bruce mercilessly, bossed everyone around, and then somehow managed to knock Bruce unconscious. From Bruce's behavior earlier, it seemed the poor blue-eyed tomato still didn’t remember any of it, attributing everything to the work of ghosts. Even if an adult had done such things, Ji Tingzhou would have found it astonishing, let alone the fact that the mastermind behind it all was— "I'm hungry, I want Grandpa's lover..." A baby. Even though she had been forcibly woken up, the child wasn’t angry; she just pouted in grievance and immediately asked for a drink. Looking at the boneless child clinging to him, still warm from the bed, Ji Tingzhou felt a complicated mix of emotions. It was probably better that Bruce had forgotten. He was truly afraid that if Bruce knew the truth, he might lose his mind. But then again, Bruce had already gone a bit mad. Last night, when Ji Nian, standing on a stool and still not tall enough to look him in the eye, had called his formula a pile of dog shit, Bruce had already started to lose it. By the time the two of them, one big and one small, had gotten ready and arrived at the observation room, Bruce was still staring at the vial of medicine. Unlike the milky-white antidote he had made, this one, after being extracted and tested, was completely transparent. Bruce had calmed down considerably. Regardless of what had happened during the time he was unconscious, the most important thing now was to convince Ji Tingzhou to trust this mysterious substance. Ji Tingzhou was naturally suspicious. Even though Bruce had already tested it, the time had been too short, and he was afraid that Ji Tingzhou might delay Wei Yang's best treatment window due to its dubious origins. When Ji Tingzhou arrived, Bruce stood up, but before he could say a word, Ji Tingzhou raised an eyebrow and said, "Since it’s confirmed, let’s use it on him." Bruce, who had been holding his breath: ? "But... this thing’s origin is unknown..." He looked at Ji Tingzhou in disbelief, as if suspecting that the man had been possessed. Ji Tingzhou glanced at Wei Yang’s condition. He was awake but extremely weak, barely able to open his eyes, his gaze still unfocused. In the past, seeing someone who had been by his side for so many years, through life and death, in such a state would have deeply upset Ji Tingzhou. But now, he was calm, even holding a child who was sipping milk in his arms. "You’ve already tested it, haven’t you?" Ji Tingzhou countered. Bruce choked for a moment: "Well... that’s true." But who could say what problems might arise later? "There won’t be any problems. Use it." Ji Tingzhou tilted his chin slightly, signaling Bruce to proceed. The certainty in his tone and attitude made it seem as if the medicine had come from his own hands. She couldn’t help but smile a little herself. But... The sudden appearance of the antidote—Ji Tingzhou hadn’t even taken the time to investigate what had happened last night or verify its effectiveness before using it so casually? She had even calculated the time, estimating the degree to which the residual toxins had taken root in Wei Yang’s body to create a strong antidote. Ji Nian didn’t let this doubt slip by, tucking it away in her mind for later. Because of Wei Yang’s clear statement earlier, everyone’s expressions were filled with excitement. Even though the credit for Wei Yang’s recovery went to the mysterious antidote, as long as he was better, nothing else mattered. Amid the cheerful atmosphere, Bruce glanced at Ji Tingzhou. Then his eyes froze. This time, when Ji Tingzhou had arrived, Bruce had been under immense pressure due to Wei Yang’s condition. Although he had noticed that his boss seemed different, he hadn’t given it much thought. But now, looking again— The man was wearing a cold gray turtleneck sweater, his hair slightly disheveled. Perhaps to hide the dark circles under his eyes, he had a pair of black-framed glasses perched on his nose. His appearance was as striking as ever, even more so with age, exuding a mature charm. But what was different was that, compared to the young man in Bruce’s memory—who was often plagued by insomnia, his eyes always stormy, and even when he smiled, there was a hint of madness as if he might strangle someone at any moment— The Ji Tingzhou now radiated a sense of peaceful tranquility, as if life had settled into a calm rhythm. A young father, currently busy tying the hair of the little girl in his arms, who looked exactly like him. "Stop moving your head." His tone wasn’t particularly gentle, but his expression was patient as he adjusted the child’s head and casually pinched her little ear. Ji Nian was slurping on an empty milk carton, occasionally swinging her little red shoes. Is Wei Yang Gege better now? The person behind her didn’t answer, so Ji Nian asked again. Ji Tingzhou still didn’t respond. The child suddenly understood and rephrased her question: "Daddy, is Wei Yang brother better now?" This time, the man finally spoke. "Yes, he’s better." The little girl turned her head in dissatisfaction, her clear green eyes seeming to accuse the man of being 'childish.' "I told you not to move." The man quickly secured the strand of hair into a butterfly-shaped bow on one side, his expression showing no signs of impatience. In fact, he looked... satisfied. Bruce couldn’t for the life of him figure out what Ji Tingzhou was so satisfied about.