Chapter 7

Ji Nian had originally intended to put on an act to test the limits of Ji Tingzhou's patience with her. All thoughts of feeling tired in front of Ji Tingzhou vanished after she indulged in a delicious, satisfying meal. It was as if the previous Ji Nian had been cast aside. She didn't believe she could win Ji Tingzhou's heart as easily as the female lead in a novel, but as long as he didn't harbor any murderous intent towards her, allowed her to eat her fill, and she could endure until she was old enough to work and escape the Ji family, being treated like a pet cat or dog didn't bother her. 【Surviving the fragile infancy is the key...】 So, she decided to play the naive and sweet role to the end. As she thought about it, Ji Nian, who had only been pretending to sleep, actually fell asleep for real. She was wearing thin clothing, and despite the moderate temperature in the bedroom, she instinctively sought warmth. "Huh..." Ji Nian rolled over in her drowsiness, until she bumped into something hard and promptly hugged it. "Mimi shrimp sticks... hehehehe... big Mimi shrimp sticks..." Ji Tingzhou suffered from chronic insomnia and mostly relied on medication to get a good night's sleep. However, over time, his body built up a resistance, and even several pills were no longer effective. But he couldn't take too many pills, as there was a risk of not waking up. This led to his temper becoming increasingly erratic, and even Wei Yang, who had been with him since childhood, sometimes feared him. Although the drowsiness came unexpectedly, Ji Tingzhou wouldn't let this rare opportunity slip by. He closed his eyes despite Ji Nian's presence, until he felt something touch his leg. With his severe cleanliness obsession, he immediately realized that the only living creature in the room was the little fool who shared his face. In an instant, an overwhelming sense of disgust surged within him. Even though Ji Nian had done her best to clean herself, in Ji Tingzhou's eyes, she was still dirty. But before Ji Tingzhou could erupt in anger, an overwhelming wave of drowsiness pulled him down. Soon, Ji Tingzhou's breathing became steady. He even had a dream. He dreamt of his childhood, during a thunderstorm, huddled in a makeshift iron shack. Back then, Da Gen was still alive, and the warm, soft belly of the dog was the only source of warmth Ji Tingzhou could find. He hugged Da Gen's fluffy head, listening to the sound of rain drops hitting the roof, feeling lucky to have found an expired loaf of bread in the trash, which filled their stomachs for the time being. It was a rare moment of comfort and peace. "Da Gen, I'll make sure you get to eat meat every day," the young Ji Tingzhou said with bright, determined green eyes. "Woof!" Da Gen barked, gently licking the boy's face with its tongue, its wet nose nudging its little master. Even without meat, it didn't matter. The dog's world was simple, and all it wanted was to be by its little master's side. This was one of the few precious memories from Ji Tingzhou's childhood, especially after Da Gen was skinned and dismembered by the second young master of the Ji family, right in front of him. Waking up from the dream, which lacked the usual grotesque visions and bloody scenes, Ji Tingzhou found himself in a room with all the curtains drawn, only a few nightlights casting a soft glow. He could see the little girl, Ji Nian, sleeping soundly with her arms wrapped around his leg. No wonder her clothes were so dirty. The mention of the word 'dirty' suddenly made his relaxed expression vanish. Ji Tingzhou lifted Ji Nian up. Ji Nian, who had been dreaming of rua-ing a man's chest muscles, woke up with a start. Her heavy eyelids fluttered open to see Ji Tingzhou's dark expression. "Zhiliao, clean her up." The servant named Zhiliao suppressed a laugh and took Ji Nian. "Yes, Master." Ji Nian, still half-asleep, was carried off to bathe. After Ji Nian was taken away, Ji Tingzhou wasted no time stripping off his clothes and taking his third shower of the day. The earpiece disconnected, and Wei Yang was still puzzled. Who was 'she' that the master mentioned? Was there someone there? After canceling the shared screen showing Ji Nian riding Da Dan into the building, Wei Yang rubbed his chin. If a bath was needed, it must be something dirty, but instead of being thrown out, it was being taken to be cleaned. "Strange..." If Wei Yang knew that Ji Tingzhou had allowed Ji Nian to sleep with her arms around his leg for three hours, his jaw would probably drop in shock. Meanwhile— "Sister, you're so beautiful..." Ji Nian recognized her; she was the servant who had brought her food earlier. She had been too focused on eating before to notice, but now, as Zhiliao stood in front of her, helping her undress, Ji Nian could see her clearly. Her face was fair and well-proportioned, though it was marred by a scar that ran across the entire right side. Ji Nian wasn't flattering; she genuinely admired her, especially the servant's lively, star-like eyes. She couldn't help but gaze at them in awe. Zhiliao, who had a soft spot for Ji Nian after she helped the master eat and even fall asleep, was taken aback by the compliment. Her expression softened, and she was about to tell the little girl not to lie, but then she paused. Because those jade-like, clear eyes were filled with sincerity. Ji Nian truly thought Zhiliao was beautiful, without any pretense. Zhiliao's words caught in her throat. Ji Nian was about to say more when the woman's expression suddenly changed. She looked at the horrifying scars on the emaciated little girl's body and her face darkened.