A Little Trick, the Scumbag Dad Can’t Hold the Knife After Understanding Love

Chapter 316

Just moments ago, with reddened eyes and a tearful expression, Ji Nian secretly curled the corners of her lips when she saw Wei Yang was no longer angry.

Upon closer inspection, there wasn’t a trace of wetness in her eyes.

[Your acting skills are truly god-tier, Nian.]

Ji Nian thought to herself—if it meant he would forgive her, what did it matter if she had to cry and play pitiful?

...

Zuo Yi had just delivered thirty bottles of pitch-black medicinal concoctions to Ji Tingzhou’s side.

Even then, Ji Tingzhou, with his obsessive cleanliness, refused to use the stuff and threw a tantrum, threatening to smash them.

It was Zhiliao who stepped forward and slapped him across the face.

"Snap out of it."

"Every bottle you break is a betrayal of that kid’s efforts."

"If you want to stay a madman forever, fine. Tomorrow, I’ll have Chen Mo take Ji Nian away."

Whether it was the slap that briefly jolted Ji Tingzhou out of his frenzied state or the mention of Ji Nian’s name that restored his rationality, the black concoctions were eventually injected into his body without further resistance.

Before they were administered, Bruce had personally tested the substance, confirming it was non-toxic and non-addictive.

When he learned it was made by that kid Ji Xi, even the shamelessly obsessed blue-eyed "tomato" (as Bruce was nicknamed) couldn’t muster a pleasant expression.

But no matter how much he disliked its origins, the concoction’s effects were undeniable.

Ji Tingzhou, who had been so crazed he’d covered himself in wounds, finally regained clarity.

Even with his eyes wide open, the hallucinations were gone, and the headaches had vanished.

"She actually went this far."

Hearing that Ji Nian had gone alone to confront Ji Xi and strong-armed him into handing over thirty bottles, Ji Tingzhou didn’t react with worry like the others. Instead, he closed his eyes and smirked.

He looked almost… proud.

Zhiliao stood by the bed and, where no one could see, pinched Ji Tingzhou—right on one of his wounds.

The pain drained the color from his face.

Damn, her grip’s brutal…

"I’ll have to scold her when we get back. Courage and resourcefulness are good, but acting without informing the family is unacceptable."

Zhiliao nodded, then shot a razor-sharp glance toward Zuo Yi.

Knowing she wasn’t targeting him—just that her gaze was naturally piercing—Zuo Yi replied, "I’ll relay that to the young miss."

Zuo Yi left for the Ji household with his mission, also needing to handle company affairs.

Fortunately, Ji Tingzhou had always been reclusive. Even with rumors circulating about his health, the public reaction was: Give it a rest. Our shut-in king is just being his usual antisocial self. Stop acting like he’s dead.

It was enough to make the hired trolls lose their minds.

When Ji Tingzhou saw the comments and asked what "shut-in king" meant, Zuo Yi didn’t blink. "It’s a compliment—means you’re a quiet, handsome man."

Ji Tingzhou was… somewhat satisfied.

Once the door closed, Ji Tingzhou got up and stretched, the pain from his injuries reminding him of what had happened.

He remembered everything, but it felt like watching a stranger wearing his face lose control through a haze of blood.

Truthfully, these wounds, as severe as they looked, weren’t unfamiliar to him. Before he turned eighteen, this had been his daily reality.

But after years of living comfortably, fresh wounds felt almost foreign now.

Ji Tingzhou pulled off his shirt, the muscles along his shoulder blades shifting with his movements, the lines of his body sculpted like a masterwork—powerful and striking.

He stripped without a second thought, walking toward the bathroom covered in wounds, as if oblivious to his injuries.

Zhiliao picked up the discarded clothes and brought over the watch Ji Nian had sent earlier. She knew Ji Tingzhou would ask for it the moment he stepped out.

An hour later, an unassuming black car left Tinglan, heading in the opposite direction of the Ji estate.

Meanwhile, Ji Nian finally exhaled in relief upon hearing Ji Tingzhou was alright.

As long as he’s not in pain anymore.

"Young miss, leave the company matters to me."

Zuo Yi stood rigidly before her, tone solemn.

Even if Ji Nian wanted to shoulder everything herself, the adults around her couldn’t just stand by and let her.

She was still just a kid.

None of her peers had to bear so much so soon.

It only made the adults feel useless.

Remembering Lu Jinghuai’s words earlier, Ji Nian decided to step back from company affairs.

"I trust you, Secretary Zuo."

Then she turned to Wei Yang, looking like she had something to say.

Wei Yang stared back expectantly.

After a pause, she finally spoke.

"You Er still hasn’t reported back. I sent him to investigate the human experimentation case. I’m worried."

Wei Yang patted her shoulder. "Leave it to me."

"You Er’s slippery as an eel. Don’t worry—he’ll be fine."

Hearing that eased Ji Nian’s mind.

Delegating responsibilities didn’t seem so hard after all.

Now, all she had to focus on was the medicinal concoctions.

Steeling herself, Ji Nian called for someone. "Bring Bruce here."

Both Zuo Yi and Wei Yang glanced at her.

Ji Nian remained unruffled.

"He’s under a thirty-year contract with the Ji family. His wife works for us, his kid studies at a Ji-funded school, and his future is tied to the company."

In other words—his entire family was bound to the Ji empire. No risk of leaks.

Besides, given the circumstances, there was no point hiding things from him. Ji Nian needed an experienced assistant who understood her methods.

Finding a new one would be too much trouble.

Zuo Yi steadied himself. "I’ll fetch him."

Wei Yang, too, left to handle You Er’s situation.

Ji Nian retreated to her lab.

On the table lay all of Ji Tingzhou’s medical reports, procured from the doctors.

Princess Feia’s royal researchers—generations of them serving the crown—were already en route by plane.

Ji Xi’s concoctions lost potency once opened. Temporary relief without a cure? To Ji Nian, they were only reference material.

If she was going to do this, she’d do it right.

Years of setting aside poisons to focus on restorative serums had given her a solid foundation.

"Genius, huh…"

Her gaze swept over the opposite shelf, lined with neatly arranged vials of varying colors and effects, a flicker of disdain passing through her eyes.

...

"Mom, Ji Tingzhou is suffering. There are only thirty bottles. Once they’re gone, falling from heaven back into hell will only drive him madder."

"Mom, praise me. Aren’t I amazing?"

"Mom, don’t worry. No matter how skilled the Ji family’s pharmacologists are, they can’t be experts in everything."

As far as he knew, she excelled in antidotes, wound-healing serums, and the occasional bizarre poison that intrigued him.

But that was probably it.

How could anyone master all fields?

Even he hadn’t managed that.

Fingering the replicated poison vial on his desk—Falling Petals—Ji Xi smiled.

"Mom, I know what gift I want now."

"I want that pharmacist from the Ji family."

After receiving the reply, Ji Xi touched his wound again, thinking of the person who had hurt him yet left him unable to harbor any resentment.

Unable to hold back, he spoke up, "Mom, there's something I want to ask—"

A loud boom cut him off.

A violent explosion echoed from the other end of the call. Ji Xi's hand trembled, his voice hoarse from injury as he cried out in disbelief, "Mom!?"