Although Ji Tingzhou claimed there was nothing wrong with him, Ji Nian didn’t truly believe it.
"Go back. Don’t disturb my peace."
Before Ji Nian could even say much, Ji Tingzhou was already shooing her away.
"Are you planning to stay here?"
Ji Nian was the first to object.
"Mhm."
Ji Tingzhou leaned back lazily, offering only a nonchalant hum in response.
"What’s wrong with home that you’d rather stay outside?"
"This place isn’t even as big as Da Dan’s spot. How can it be comfortable?"
Ji Nian looked at him with exasperation, pointing around critically. Her gaze swept over the entire house, suddenly finding fault with everything—even the chandelier, which she deemed ugly.
"I can sleep well here."
But Ji Tingzhou shut down her protests with just one sentence.
Ji Nian: "……"
"Since you’re on break, work on a new incense blend. Once it’s ready, I’ll come back."
He tapped the table, signaling Ji Nian to pay attention, shamelessly ordering her around.
"Fine. This time, I’ll make one so potent you’ll pass out the moment you smell it—something even ten Wei Yangs snoring in your ear won’t wake you from."
Ji Tingzhou let out an "mhm," then beckoned her closer. When the girl obediently trotted over, he made her bend down and patted her head like a puppy.
"Good girl."
"Now go."
Ji Nian left reluctantly, glancing back every few steps.
"I’m leaving."
Ji Tingzhou waved dismissively, urging her to hurry up.
Once the girl was truly gone, the lively atmosphere in the room dissipated instantly, leaving only the quiet trickle of water and the occasional chirp of birds.
Ji Tingzhou stood up and called for someone. "Replace the chandelier."
It really was ugly.
As Ji Nian left Tinglan, the butler prepared a basket of local fruits for her, along with the same pastries she had enjoyed in the car earlier.
"Goodbye, Miss Ji."
Though surprised at how quickly she was leaving, the butler maintained his usual composure.
The car had just driven off when Ji Nian spotted a group of workers in uniform cleaning fallen leaves and petals along the roadside.
She was about to look away when a familiar figure caught her eye.
He Xiang.
His tall frame stood out among the older employees. Even with a cap pulled low, his sharp profile was unmistakable. His movements were swift and efficient, his entire demeanor detached as he focused on his task.
Ji Nian didn’t stop the car, letting it pass by the group without pause.
No one would want to be seen by a classmate in such different circumstances while working—no matter how close they were.
Just as Ji Xi was being escorted inside, a car drove past with its window rolled down, revealing the profile of a girl in the backseat.
Curly hair, delicate features, an air of indifference—lost in thought.
It was just a fleeting glimpse, but Ji Xi couldn’t tear his eyes away, twisting his neck to keep watching even after the car had gone.
His blood surged with an inexplicable excitement, a reaction so intense it startled even him.
He knew who that was.
Ji Nian.
He’d seen her photo before.
But why did seeing her in person fill him with such an uncontrollable sense of familiarity…?
A Tinglan executive had just finished entertaining clients when his phone rang.
"Hello? Secretary Zuo."
"Oh, yes, yes—He Xiang, right? I remember him. A very capable young man."
"Ah, of course, of course. Miss Ji’s friend is my friend too. Don’t worry, I’ll be discreet. He won’t suspect a thing. Mhm, mhm."
After hanging up, the executive’s smile deepened. Initially, he hadn’t wanted to hire someone so young, but the referral had ties to the Gu family, so he’d turned a blind eye. Who knew the kid would also have connections to the Ji family’s young miss?
At lunch, He Xiang’s team was informed they’d earned an extra 200-yuan bonus for their excellent work, much to everyone’s delight.
He Xiang kept his head down, shoveling food into his mouth. Though he didn’t show the same excitement as the others, a faint glimmer of amusement flickered in his dark eyes.
"That liar. Making me develop new incense was just an excuse to get rid of me."
Ji Nian adjusted her straw hat and yanked out a weed with unnecessary force.
"Uncle Dagen, was he like this when he was younger too?"
She wrinkled her nose at the statue of the large dog before her, continuing to pluck weeds while airing her grievances.
"I just want to know what’s really wrong with him. Is it really just insomnia?"
No one else understood—only Ji Nian, who knew the original plot, was this anxious. And she couldn’t explain it to anyone else.
Not internal injuries… not poison either…
Ji Nian was certain of that.
A gust of wind nearly blew her hat off, and as she reached to steady it, a sudden realization struck her.
What could cause sudden insomnia?
Emotions, stress… mental issues.
Could it be a mental problem?
Ji Nian shot to her feet just as she finished clearing the weeds.
"Uncle Dagen, I’ll head out now. Next time, I’ll bring you an apple."
Though Ji Tingzhou didn’t like her coming here, Ji Nian always visited this dog statue, Da Gen, whenever she went to see Da Dan.
Clutching her tools, she sprinted down the path, the idea solidifying in her mind.
After handing the trash to a servant, Ji Nian rushed upstairs to shower and change before diving into research.
Not the internet—she used the system instead.
[Tell me, with so many lunatics in the Ji family, is it just their natural emotional detachment, or is there something actually wrong with their brains? Like a mental illness?]
Ji Tingzhou had briefly mentioned the Ji family’s history, but his account was sparse. Some details had come from Wei Yang.
For instance, the root of Ji Tingzhou’s hatred for the Ji family stemmed from the bullying he endured in his youth.
‘Because I’m a bastard. Different from them.’
And different he was. Aside from the irritability caused by insomnia, Ji Nian didn’t see any trace of madness in her father.
"What’s the real difference between a legitimate Ji and a bastard? Aside from the legal aspect?"
Aren’t they all born from people?
The system hesitated.
[No.]
[Legitimate Ji family members are all products of inbreeding.]
Ji Nian clapped a hand over her mouth.
Her stomach churned, but she forced the nausea down.
From birth, no matter how talented you were, your entire being—down to your soul—belonged to the family.
Even those not born mad would be warped by such a twisted environment.
Among the Ji children, raised knowing their fate from the moment they could speak, an outlier like Ji Tingzhou was bound to be hunted.
Ji Nian bolted to the bathroom, barely making it before dry heaving.
No wonder Ji Tingzhou despised the Ji bloodline.
No wonder he refused to pass it on.
After Ji Tingzhou came to power, he did not take over the organization known as 'The Crow' because its primary focus had been on screening the genes of unborn Ji family heirs to ensure they were free from intellectual disabilities and hereditary diseases.
Strictly speaking, the legitimate bloodline of the Ji family in modern times has been a product of scientific intervention.
