John Qiao: ?
At this moment, he still hadn’t grasped the meaning behind it.
His mind was entirely absorbed in admiring the "scenery" inside the laboratory.
Just how much money was poured into this place…
So enviable.
Though the Lu Family was generous too, providing ample funding, nothing quite matched this—where every detail, down to the densely packed gold-plated wires, was tailored to the highest and most luxurious standards for a single individual.
"We’re here."
Bruce subtly shot him an eager look, as if he couldn’t wait to see John Qiao’s reaction upon meeting the legendary pharmacist.
John Qiao straightened his collar and repeatedly asked Bruce if his appearance was acceptable.
Only after receiving confirmation did he feel slightly reassured.
Here he was, a grown man, suddenly feeling like he’d regressed to his elementary school days.
After changing clothes, he squared his shoulders and followed Bruce into the innermost lab.
Just like Bruce had been back then, John Qiao was immediately captivated by the large-scale equipment.
He couldn’t tear his eyes away.
His gaze wandered until it landed on Ji Nian, who stood at the operating table, her hair tied in a low ponytail as she examined something intently. Puzzled, he asked, "Miss Ji is here too?"
Back when Ji Nian had stormed the Lu Family to rescue Lu Jinghuai, he’d merely been an assistant. Now, years later, John Qiao had grown capable enough to stand on his own.
In fact, when securing the opportunity to come to the Ji Family, he’d even boldly refused his former mentor’s shameless request to hand over the spot.
Remembering how his mentor’s face had turned green, he couldn’t help but smirk.
"Where’s the teacher?" he asked, turning to Bruce.
But Bruce ignored him, striding forward and calling out, "Teacher, I’ve left the shrimp crackers you wanted in the break room."
Absorbed in her research, Ji Nian didn’t even look up, immediately summoning Bruce over.
"Come take a look."
"Just as I suspected, this isn’t an ordinary flower."
"I extracted its sap and found something fascinating."
Bruce hurriedly leaned in.
Ji Nian straightened up, her peripheral vision catching something that reminded her of why she’d sent Bruce away earlier.
She’d gotten so engrossed in studying the plant—with unexpectedly delightful results—that she’d nearly forgotten about their guest.
Feeling guilty, her tone softened considerably.
She smiled at John Qiao and said, "You’re John Qiao, right? I’ve reviewed your file."
[Is their family really not in the hamburger business?]
"I remember you were Mr. Ska’s assistant back then."
John Qiao, an Asian man with slightly tanned skin, stood tall and was surprisingly handsome.
But at this moment, his face was utterly blank.
When had it started?
The moment Bruce obsequiously called out "Teacher."
That single word had sent John Qiao’s soul flying out of his body.
What teacher?
Who was the teacher?!
Ji Nian—the only child of Ji Tingzhou, the future heir of the Ji Family, the young lady who barely reached his chest at just fourteen years old—was the legendary pharmacist?!
Good God…
Was he dreaming?
John Qiao pinched his thigh hard.
Tears welled up from the pain.
Bruce, busy as he was, glanced at his dumbstruck expression and mentally compared it to his own past reaction.
Surely he hadn’t looked this ridiculous…
Probably not. At least he hadn’t resorted to pinching himself.
Tsk tsk tsk. He really wanted to capture this moment—perfect blackmail material for future mockery whenever John Qiao messed up.
As for Ji Nian…
She was used to it.
Even Ji Tingzhou hadn’t taken the news well when he first found out.
"You’ve traveled far to assist us, and I’m grateful."
"I’ll remember the kindness of Princess Feia and the Lu Family. If there’s ever anything I can do to help, I won’t hesitate."
Even in his dazed state, John Qiao managed to think: There were plenty of ways she could help.
"There’s something I’d like you to handle. Can we start right away?"
She knew the best way to snap someone out of this state was to keep them too busy to dwell on it.
But John Qiao remained frozen. Bruce quickly dragged him over. "The teacher is talking to you."
John Qiao slowly turned to him and stammered, "...Oh. Oh… okay."
Ji Nian stayed until dinnertime. If Ji Tingzhou hadn’t personally come to fetch her, she might’ve moved into the lab.
"Dad, listen—the flower You Er brought back is a game-changer. It might even cure your illness."
Pulling on Ji Tingzhou’s sleeve, Ji Nian animatedly explained her discovery, her demeanor a far cry from the cool, rational scientist in the lab—now just a bright-eyed, cheerful girl.
Bruce patted John Qiao, whose eyes were practically popping out of his head, and said sympathetically, "I get it."
And you’ve got it easy.
He’d even seen Ji Nian kick Ji Tingzhou before. Now that was surreal.
A day later, half of John Qiao’s soul seemed to have returned. He stammered, "...She was only… only how old when she made the antidote that saved our young master?"
Bruce sighed, his voice laden with emotion. "Seven."
"And when she saved Wei Yang? Just five."
Watching John Qiao’s utterly crushed expression, Bruce sighed again.
But at the same time, he felt a strange sense of relief.
Seeing John Qiao like this made him realize—comparisons were the thief of joy.
...
You Er, upon learning that the flower he’d absentmindedly brought back was actually useful, personally delivered the entire confiscated crate to the lab.
Having been by Ji Nian’s side for years—and given the circumstances of their first meeting—he had his suspicions about her identity.
But outwardly, he still asked her to pass it along to the "pharmacist."
Late at night, too excited to sleep over her research, Ji Nian opened her phone and saw Lu Jinghuai’s new post.
He’d returned to Country O, sharing a photo of a sunbathing turtle wearing a straw hat, captioned: Even little turtles need sunscreen.
It was so adorable that Ji Nian gave it a like.
Noticing her like, Lu Jinghuai immediately messaged her:
Lu Jinghuai: Why aren’t you asleep?
Ji Nian replied: Can’t sleep.
Suddenly, a call request popped up on her screen.
Startled by the ringtone, she accidentally hit decline.
A second later, Lu Jinghuai sent: ꒦ິ^꒦ິ
Ji Nian: …………Sorry, misclick.
Then she called him back.
The call connected quickly, and Lu Jinghuai’s slightly muffled voice came through.
"Hold on a sec."
She heard rustling on the other end, then the sound of the phone being set down.
Soon after, a clear, enchanting melody flowed from the speaker.
Lu Jinghuai was playing the piano.
Ji Nian froze—not because he was playing, but because the tune was familiar.
It was the same one from the music box he’d given her.
She placed the phone by her pillow, hugged her giant plush egg tightly, and curled up on her side, letting the piano notes lull her to sleep.
The piece began with a familiar, lively melody, but as the playing continued, the music suddenly grew rapid before taking a sharp, sorrowful turn.
The first half was something Ji Nian recognized, but the latter part was entirely new to her.
From it, she sensed a strange, almost mystical energy.
It was like a stool that should have passed smoothly, but due to hemorrhoids, it couldn’t exit properly—even worse, it was squeezed and forced to change shape. No matter how hard a person strained, they could only manage to push out the barest tip.
Yet humans never gave up because of it.
Even if, mid-effort, they accidentally lost momentum and let it slip back in, they’d only curse themselves before mustering the strength to try again, never lacking the courage to start over.
Even if it meant bleeding, sweating, or enduring the agony of being torn apart, they refused to quit until the goal was achieved.
Always possessing the courage to rebuild after breaking.
Breaking, rebuilding…
Ji Nian’s eyes snapped open.
“I’ve got it!”
