The entire house exploded.
Debris buried the corpses in the courtyard, and the Ji Family's eldest daughter—who had once toyed with everyone—along with Mu Xiu, met their end in such a hasty manner.
"Ji Nian!?"
Ji Tingzhou helped the child up, a few stones sliding off his shoulders as he moved.
Compared to her body, Ji Nian's ears were ringing fiercely.
No one had expected it to happen so suddenly, but fortunately, the explosives weren’t powerful enough to do more than collapse the house—the amount used was precise.
It could have easily taken everyone out, so why was the blast radius so controlled?
It was almost like… suicide.
Before Ji Nian could figure it out, she took a moment to recover, and the ringing in her ears subsided slightly. She tugged at Ji Tingzhou’s sleeve. "Dad, are you okay?"
Ji Tingzhou’s gaze toward the ruins was unreadable, as if he, too, had considered Ji Nian’s earlier thought.
"I’m fine."
He tried moving his shoulder and realized his arm felt weak and sore, his joints aching.
But it didn’t matter.
An arm was just an arm—it wasn’t like he was dead.
"What about Uncle?"
Ji Nian rubbed her ears and stood, looking toward where Chen Mo had been.
Thankfully, after knocking out the unwell Chen Mo earlier, she had dragged him under the banyan tree outside to avoid heatstroke.
Otherwise, she didn’t even want to think about what could have happened.
Seeing Chen Mo still slumped in the same state, she let out a relieved sigh before remembering something.
During the explosion… she remembered seeing Ji Xi.
Ji Xi had pushed her out—just in time to save her.
Ji Nian whipped her head around.
They had been standing close to the wall when it happened, and when the explosion hit, the structure collapsed. Ji Xi had shoved Ji Nian clear, but he hadn’t escaped himself.
A heavy slab of stone pinned him down. Ji Nian’s sweeping glance only caught sight of his upper half.
"Dad…"
Confused but acting on instinct, Ji Nian called out to Ji Tingzhou.
Ji Tingzhou gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I’ll call for rescue."
He knew his child was soft-hearted, and given that Ji Xi had saved Ji Nian, he wasn’t about to say anything harsh.
Ji Nian walked over and crouched, trying to lift the stone pressing down on him, but it wouldn’t budge.
"Why did you do this?"
Her voice was laced with complicated emotions as she looked at Ji Xi, his face covered in dust, his head turned to the side.
Ji Xi was still conscious. At her words, his eyes flickered.
"...Cold."
In the middle of summer, he was freezing.
Given their history, Ji Nian had thought he would hate her. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t understand why he had pushed her to safety at the critical moment.
"Help will be here soon. Hold on."
At the mention of death, Ji Xi seemed to regain some clarity.
One of his eyes fixed on Ji Nian kneeling beside him, studying her face.
"You’re… a pharmacist, right?"
His voice was faint, but Ji Nian heard him clearly.
She didn’t know how he’d found out, but there was no point hiding it now.
"Yes."
She admitted without hesitation.
Ji Xi’s expression was indescribable, but Ji Nian thought he looked like he might cry.
"...I’m a clone… I won’t live past fifteen…"
Ji Nian stayed silent.
Because she already knew.
This was the flaw Mu Xiu’s experiments had never overcome.
Whether they were clones raised from infancy or ordinary people forcibly experimented on, they all shared the same fate—shortened lifespans.
Back then, Sun Xiao had probably known his own fate too, which was why he’d framed the Ji Family’s universal antidote with his death—hoping to secure a future for his wife.
But the Crows were no saints. They hadn’t kept their promise to provide for Sun Xiao’s orphaned child.
"Do clones… get another life?"
In the end, if even their souls weren’t supposed to exist, could they enter the cycle of reincarnation?
Ji Nian didn’t answer.
Because she didn’t know either.
"I hope not…" Ji Xi murmured.
"I stole… but I gave it back to you…"
"I’m so cold. Hold me, Ji Nian."
"...No one’s ever… hugged me before."
His eyes began to lose focus. Blood seeped up from where the debris crushed him.
Ji Nian sighed heavily in her heart. The stone slab was pressing directly on his wound—she couldn’t even administer a healing agent.
Just before Ji Xi’s consciousness faded, something warm and soft enveloped him, arms wrapping around his shoulders.
His pale, bloodless lips curved into the faintest smile.
Then the light in his dark eyes vanished completely.
...
Inside a car, two adults and a child sat in complete silence.
Ji Nian thought about Zhiliao, Shen Qingtang, and the now-deceased Ji Xi.
Chen Mo hung his head, replaying the moment Mu Xiu had died in his mind.
His revenge was complete, yet his heart felt hollow.
He’d imagined an epic final battle—three hundred rounds at least.
But instead, Mu Xiu had died just like that, in such an anticlimactic way. After years of chasing vengeance, it all felt surreal, like a dream.
As for Ji Tingzhou…
He glanced at Ji Nian sitting across from him, her head propped up as she stared out the window, recalling Ji Wanting’s words:
"The Ji Nian of now isn’t your child—she’s just some stray soul that crawled into her body."
His dark lashes lowered, veiling his emotions. Then he nudged Ji Nian’s shoe with his foot. When she turned to him, bewildered, he tossed something her way.
"Eat some junk."
Ji Nian looked down.
A half-crushed bag of shrimp crackers.
Now this was good junk—she wouldn’t mind a couple more packs.
Watching the child tear open the packaging and tilt her head back to pour the crumbs into her mouth with wild abandon, Ji Tingzhou turned his gaze back to the window, a faint smile playing at his lips.
Ridiculous.
His own child—did anyone think he wouldn’t recognize her?
...
Worried about Zhiliao, Ji Nian insisted on going to check on her personally, no matter what anyone said.
At the same time, she urged Chen Mo to go back first.
He really didn’t look well.
Ji Nian was afraid he’d walk straight into a ditch.
Chen Mo, upon hearing this concern: "……"
Was that the impression he gave her?
Since the child was determined, Ji Tingzhou didn’t stop her. He accompanied her himself as they headed toward the location.
Hearing footsteps drawing nearer, Shen Qingtang—her face streaked with tears—bit back the pain as she shoved Zhiliao into a narrow crevice barely large enough for one person.
She’d woken up to find herself kidnapped.
The rescue had gone smoothly at first. Zhiliao, who arrived later, understood Shen Qingtang’s silent warning and didn’t charge in recklessly, foiling the trap.
They were on their way down the mountain when a group of people dropped from above, claiming they were there to execute a traitor. They went straight for Zhiliao—and didn’t spare Shen Qingtang either.
Zhiliao was strong. So strong that every time Shen Qingtang thought she was about to be hit, she’d unleash an overwhelming burst of power at the last second.
So strong it made Shen Qingtang’s heart tremble.
Realizing they’d be wiped out at this rate, the assailants did something—Zhiliao suddenly collapsed.
In that critical moment, Shen Qingtang lunged forward, swinging the grenade Zhiliao had earlier slipped her.
She dragged Zhiliao away, half-carrying, half-pulling her.
And now…
They’d accidentally fallen into a hidden pit. Shen Qingtang’s arm had taken a bad hit, leaving it numb and throbbing with pain.
The little girl endured the agony as she tried to hide Zhiliao.
If they were going to die, at least one of them should survive.
If Zhiliao died… Ji Nian would be heartbroken.
Thinking of Ji Nian, Shen Qingtang took a small breath, suppressing a sob.
Footsteps drew closer...
"They're here."
Shen Qingtang forced her trembling body upright, ready to run out and divert their attention.
But suddenly, she was pulled back.
Turning her head in shock—
Zhiliao, who had woken up unnoticed, stepped out from the shadows and yanked Shen Qingtang inside.
The rose hairpin was pulled free, her long hair tumbling loose.
"I couldn’t protect him back then. Now, at least, I can make up for that regret."
Stunned, Shen Qingtang caught the hairpin she tossed, watching as Zhiliao rushed out. Only then did the realization dawn on her.
The person she meant...
Was her father, Shen Rushan.
