Chapter 74

After sending the person away, the subordinate asked, "What is the boss suspecting?" Although two trusted aides had been dispatched, given Ji Tingzhou's affection for the child, it didn't seem like much. It was just accompanying the child to play, after all. Chen Mo could guess his thoughts and shook his head. "It's not that simple." "Accompanying the child is probably just a cover." The subordinate was taken aback. "What do you mean?" A cryptic smile appeared on Chen Mo's pale face. "Most likely, it's to cover for Ji Tingzhou's pharmacist." The subordinate was confused. "But the person earlier said only three people went." "And it's just an ordinary essential oil factory. Why would the pharmacist go there?" Chen Mo's fingers twitched, and his gaze was almost chillingly lucid. "Why would a child want to visit an essential oil factory for fun?" The subordinate paused, then realized belatedly. "Are you saying the pharmacist needed to do something there, and used Ji Tingzhou's daughter as a cover?" Chen Mo didn't respond, which was as good as confirmation. But if that were the case, they only had information about three people going. Could the pharmacist be one of those three? "If Wei Yang or Zhiliao were the pharmacist, why would Ji Tingzhou have recruited Bruce all those years ago?" The subordinate immediately ruled out the five-year-old Ji Nian, completely unaware that the most outrageous idea might be the truth. "Could it be..." His expression shifted, and he glanced at the thin, somewhat gloomy Chen Mo lying on the bed. "Are they like you, suddenly waking up one day and—" "Impossible." Chen Mo cut him off, his voice weak but his tone firm. Seeing Chen Mo's expression darken, the subordinate fell silent. "There must be something we're missing. Keep investigating, and don't overlook any details." The subordinate nodded. "Ji Tingzhou is already suspicious of us. Inform them to proceed with caution. From now on, Vengeance will no longer sell potions to outsiders." After saying this, he fell silent, his gaze fixed on the window. Though he appeared calm, a wave of madness and resentment surged in his eyes. For the time being, he couldn't act against the Ji family, but he could use this time to investigate the pharmacist. Having his plans thwarted repeatedly, even the patient Chen Mo was growing frustrated. "Cough... cough, cough, cough!" He bent over, coughing violently, and bright red blood splattered onto the blanket. Even Ji Tingzhou, who suspected Ji Nian of holding back, found it hard to believe. "What did you write? Let me see." Ji Tingzhou's interest was piqued, and he reached out for the essay. Ji Nian wore an "I told you so" expression. Over the past two years, Ji Nian had grown taller and filled out a bit. Her skin tone, likely inherited from Ji Tingzhou, remained strikingly fair, even after golf lessons where all the other children, including Shen Qingtang, had tanned. "The teacher didn't give us a topic; we could write whatever we wanted. I really outdid myself this time," Ji Nian said with a sly smile, proudly handing over her essay. Shen Qingtang had written about "An Unforgettable Trip," inspired by an animated movie the family had watched last year, which led to a trip to the country featured in the film, coinciding with their Day of the Dead festival. Ji Tingzhou assumed Ji Nian's essay would be along similar lines. With a faint smile, he looked down at the title— "My Billionaire CEO Father." Ji Tingzhou: "......" Zhiliao, who had leaned in: "......" Wei Yang, who had also leaned in: "......" Da Dan, who had joined the crowd: "......" Well, the dog didn't understand; he was just there for the show. Ji Nian puffed out her chest. "What do you think? Doesn't it have award-winning potential?" Gu Xiuyuan had been nagging her about her Chinese grades, sighing every time he saw her essays. Ji Tingzhou actually read through the entire piece. Though the title was cringe-worthy, it could easily be summarized as "My Father." She had written about him in her essay—how could that not be considered filial piety? "Very good. Your teacher has excellent taste," Ji Tingzhou said approvingly, pointing to a particular line. "This part is especially well-written." The passage in question was a lavish description of her father's impossibly handsome face and eyes so captivating they made all the jewels in the world pale in comparison. Ji Nian's favorite part too, she sat beside her father, nodding eagerly. "Right? Right?" Ji Tingzhou instructed Zhiliao to find a suitable frame so he could display the essay alongside Ji Nian's artwork from over the years. Wei Yang, snapping out of his daze, nodded as well. "It really is well-written, Nian Nian. You could be a great author someday." Ji Nian humbly replied, "Hehe, just Nobel Prize in Literature material, no big deal." Zhiliao also patted the child's head. "I'll have someone make your favorite bird-shaped red bean mochi as a reward. You need to replenish your brainpower." Ji Nian grinned even wider. "Thank you, Zhiliao jiejie!" "What a joyous occasion!" The nanny standing beside Shen Qingtang: "......" It's a miracle Ji Nian hasn't been spoiled into a little tyrant by all of you.