Chapter 55

Ji Nian spent nearly a week recovering from her recent ordeal before she was fully well again. Wei Yang, on the other hand, was back to running 800 meters the day after returning and made it a daily routine to check in on Ji Nian. When Ji Nian was awake, he would accompany her while she watched cartoons, and when she fell asleep, he would sit by her bed with Da Dan, the dog, both of them staring at her motionlessly. Whenever Ji Tingzhou entered the bedroom, both Wei Yang and Da Dan would turn their heads to look at him in unison, making Ji Tingzhou feel as though he had two dogs instead of one. While Ji Nian didn’t seem bothered by Wei Yang’s constant presence, Ji Tingzhou found it a bit too clingy and coldly sent Wei Yang off to an advanced Latin dance class early. Wei Yang, though annoyed, didn’t dare to complain. He crouched by Ji Nian’s bed to bid her farewell. Ji Nian rubbed her eyes and sat up, saying, “Wei Yang, could you get that little bag for me?” At first, Wei Yang couldn’t find it, but Da Dan, ever the considerate dog, ran over and barked at the bag lying on the sofa. “Thanks, buddy,” Wei Yang said, reaching out to pat Da Dan’s head. The big dog bared its teeth at him, forcing Wei Yang to awkwardly retract his hand and pat himself instead. He handed Ji Nian the small yellow children’s bag, and she rummaged through it. “I have a gift for you,” she said. During their return to the Ji family, their flight had made a stopover, and Ji Tingzhou had taken Ji Nian around the city for a bit. She had bought gifts for everyone. Hearing that he was about to receive a gift, Wei Yang straightened up. Tangtang had shown him a rabbit keychain Ji Nian had given her, and he knew that Ji Nian had also gifted Zhiliao a rose hairpin. Zhiliao wore it every day, and when Wei Yang had casually complimented it, she had smiled and replied, “Ji Nian has good taste. She picked it out.” Wei Yang: “......” Even the old gardener responsible for tending the Ji family’s gardens had received flower seeds from Ji Nian. Wei Yang had thought Ji Nian had forgotten about him, but now... Finally, his turn had come! Wei Yang perked up, ready to receive his gift. Ji Nian dug through the bag and finally pulled something out. She gestured for Wei Yang to hold out his hand and placed a small black box in his palm. “Found it!” Wei Yang took the small, sleek black box, which was no bigger than his palm, and nervously swallowed. A brooch? A watch strap? Or maybe a bracelet? Though these weren’t things he usually wore, if Ji Nian had given them to him, he would definitely use them! “Thank you, Ji Nian! I’ll use it every day!” With that, he eagerly opened the box, only to find— ‘Hu Dayu Hemorrhoid Cream.’ Wei Yang: ? Ji Tingzhou walked over leisurely, glancing at Wei Yang, who was now frozen in shock. “Got it?” “Perfect.” He took the box back, leaving the hemorrhoid cream with Wei Yang. “Returning it to its rightful owner.” Ji Tingzhou placed his tie clip, which had been missing for days, back into the box and snapped it shut with a satisfying click. Wei Yang: “......” So, for the sake of appearances, they had even borrowed a box? Ji Nian, thinking he was marveling at her thoughtfulness, shyly patted her head. “Hehe, no need to thank me.” [How about it? I can’t help you grow a rabbit tail now, but I can provide hemorrhoid cream.] Soon, the secretary understood what he meant. Because Ji Tingzhou, for the first time in ages, logged into his personal account, which had long been managed by the company, and posted a tweet. ‘She has learned her lesson.’ Accompanied by a photo. A little girl in a blue lace floral dress stood dejectedly by the wall, her small hands clutching the hem of her skirt. Her black hair was tied into two little buns, with white ribbons hanging over her shoulders. Clearly, she had been scolded. Beside her, a large dog lay on the floor, holding the hem of her dress in its mouth, its ears drooping and its watery eyes looking pitifully at the camera. It was a heartwarming yet hilarious scene. The moment it was posted, netizens flooded in. ‘I can’t believe I’m seeing Ji Tingzhou post on social media in my lifetime??’ ‘Oh my god! Is this the little princess? Even though her face is covered, I can tell she’s adorable!!’ To protect the child, Ji Tingzhou had obscured Ji Nian’s face. ‘OMG! I can’t believe I stumbled upon this. It’s been so long, Ji Tingzhou. Do you remember me? We didn’t know each other as kids—I played at my house, and you played at yours.’ ‘So, it was the daughter using Ji Tingzhou’s account? So cute, hahaha!’ ‘Princess, look at me! I’m 6’1”, six-pack abs, broad chest, baby-faced, and definitely better than those male models.’ ‘This is hilarious! The princess sneaking onto her dad’s phone: 100% funny. Becoming the top donor in a male model’s live stream: 1000% funny.’ ‘Wait, did anyone notice the princess’s bracelet? It’s from XXX. I’d have to work since the Qing dynasty to afford that...’ ‘What?? Ji Tingzhou has a kid?? Isn’t he only 23???’ After briefly scanning the comments, Ji Tingzhou left the rest to the PR team. Then he turned to Ji Nian, who was sneakily glancing at him, and gave her a tight-lipped smile. Meanwhile— Gu Xiuyuan (the male lead), fresh from his fencing class, sat in the lounge, sipping a sports drink to recharge while checking his phone. He was about to message his grandmother. The elderly woman, who had always been in good health, had recently taken a turn for the worse, with large dark spots appearing on her skin. Doctors, however, found nothing wrong. Gu Xiuyuan’s father, though he didn’t show it outwardly, was clearly worried. Every night when Gu Xiuyuan went to get water, he would see his father sitting on the couch, his usually straight back hunched in despair. Thinking about this, Gu Xiuyuan lowered his eyes, suppressing his sadness. After sending a message to his grandmother, he received a notification while waiting for her reply. Through the notification, Gu Xiuyuan saw the photo Ji Tingzhou had posted. He immediately recognized Ji Nian. After catching up on the story, Gu Xiuyuan’s young face showed an expression far beyond his years—a mix of disbelief and exasperation. “This feels like something Niu Niu would do...” Thinking of Ji Nian, Gu Xiuyuan’s face scrunched up, and he muttered under his breath, “Shameless.” An hour later, the little boy learned from his father that he had invited Ji Nian to attend his sixth birthday party.