Ever since Shen Qingtang saw her writing with her left hand as a child, Ji Nian had deliberately downplayed this skill. Outside the lab, she rarely used her left hand anymore.
After all, He Xiang was at school—he could recognize the handwriting of Ji Nian’s sponsor.
So when Chen Mo asked Shen Qingtang those questions, it was clearly a probe.
Where did he see my handwriting?
Her first thought was the notes she’d given to Bruce and John Qiao. But the original drafts were with her, and the two had only made copies—there was no way they could’ve leaked…
Unless.
Ji Nian returned to her room and searched through her desk again.
The little yellow chicken doodle is missing.
Recalling the events, she concluded that she must have accidentally packed that loose scrap of paper while organizing her bag. When she went to Chen Mo’s place to ask for help with lyrics, he must have seen it.
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Just like that, my cover’s blown.
Chen Mo must have connected the dots and figured out who the Ji family’s pharmacist was.
Though she said her cover was blown, Ji Nian’s expression showed no panic. After stretching lazily, she summoned the assassin squad.
At first, she considered giving them one of Chen Mo’s clothes to track his scent, but quickly realized that wasn’t a human skill.
“Young Mistress, what’s the mission this time?”
Mei—now known as Wang Xiaofang—asked quietly.
Ji Nian hadn’t expected her to come, since Wang Xiaofang usually followed Zhiliao around like a shadow.
“Help me find someone.”
After explaining about Chen Mo, she added an incentive: “If you succeed, I’ll spar with you.”
She knew Mei had been wanting this for a long time. Ever since she found out Ji Nian was also trained by Zhiliao, the way she looked at her had changed.
Sure enough, Wang Xiaofang’s lips didn’t move, but her eyes curved deeper.
“As you command.”
Then she called the others: “Sorry to trouble you with my friend’s matter. I’ll give you a bonus at the end of the month.”
At the mention of a bonus, the assassins maintained their professionalism—though they barely held back their grins.
This all started a few days ago when Ji Nian noticed He Xiang was injured.
She had sent the assassin squad to investigate who He Xiang had clashed with, but they stumbled upon something else—a group of shady men planning to set his house on fire.
Grandma He was still inside. If the assassins hadn’t intervened, the old woman would’ve been burned alive.
When Ji Nian returned from Chen Mo’s place and heard the news, her face was expressionless as she summoned You Er.
“Don’t kill them. Leave them with one breath and dump them at the police station.”
That night, the interrogation room was filled with bone-chilling screams.
...
“Teacher Mo still isn’t back?”
Shen Qingtang glanced at Ji Nian, who was zoning out over her meal.
Ji Nian nodded.
She was genuinely puzzled. Even the assassin squad couldn’t find him—where was Chen Mo hiding?
She took a bite and immediately winced, her face scrunching up as she realized she’d bitten into a piece of ginger.
Almost simultaneously, two opened bottles of water were thrust toward her from either side, bumping into each other and splashing a little.
Pitch-black eyes met silver-gray ones, faintly amused.
An invisible battle raged between them in the air.
Ji Nian frowned. “Are you two so happy I ate ginger that you’re toasting over me?”
Everyone: “……”
Across the table, Shen Qingtang ducked her head, shoulders shaking as she failed to suppress her laughter.
Yang Xinyu and Xiang Wan, who were walking over, exchanged confused glances.
Whose kettle just boiled?
The two had been called by Ji Nian—after all, they were part of the same group.
A classmate of Xiang Wan’s, originally sitting opposite Ji Nian’s table, gaped when she saw her take a seat beside Shen Qingtang.
“Damn, Yang Xinyu’s one thing, but Xiang Wan? She just transferred here—how does she know Top Five Looks?”
Top Five Looks—the nickname S High students had given Ji Nian’s group.
Of course, Ji Nian, completely unaware, was discussing their music.
With Chen Mo gone for days, their song had stalled. Even Gu Xiuyuan suggested they consult professionals.
“About the song—I still want to try. So after school, let’s all practice together.”
Ji Nian’s tone was serious as she handed each of them a red envelope.
Xiang Wan assumed it’d be around twenty bucks—pocket money for milk tea. But when she looked closely, her eyes widened behind her bangs.
Two thousand?!
Not that anyone would’ve objected anyway. Without Ji Nian, this group wouldn’t exist.
Xiang Wan glanced around. Strangely, no one even commented on the two grand.
Beside her, Yang Xinyu pocketed it without hesitation, as casual as if it were two yuan.
“Boss, no big deal. We can help look for Teacher Mo too.”
Chen Mo had once taught Yang Xinyu’s class, so he used the same title.
Ji Nian shook her head. If even the assassins couldn’t find him, she was starting to suspect Chen Mo might’ve gotten into trouble outside.
Lu Jinghuai, silent the whole time, noticed her expression and asked softly, “What if he went abroad?”
Ji Nian shook her head firmly.
“He wouldn’t.”
Her tone left no room for doubt.
All his documents were still at home, and her first and second teams were keeping watch.
Lu Jinghuai averted his gaze, the usual warmth in his eyes vanishing for a split second.
You know him that well, huh?
A dark thought slithered up like a serpent’s tongue, hissing.
He wanted to find Chen Mo first—then make sure this unworthy teacher never appeared before her again.
But if he did that… she’d be sad, wouldn’t she?
Just a few days of absence had already made her eat less. If Chen Mo never came back, wouldn’t he forever stay in her heart?
Forget it.
Lu Jinghuai didn’t want Ji Nian to be unhappy.
“Don’t worry. I’ll help too. We’ll find him.”
Under the table, he subtly hooked a finger around hers, his gaze clear and gentle.
Ji Nian scratched where he’d touched her and nodded firmly.
After the meal, He Xiang seemed to want to ask Ji Nian something, but after several false starts, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
That day, when he got home, someone told him a few thugs had been lurking near his place. He Xiang had immediately dropped his bag and sprinted upstairs.
Luckily, a neighbor stopped him and added that some good Samaritans had intervened and dealt with them.
His first thought was Ji Nian.
But she never mentioned it, acting completely unaware. He couldn’t find the right moment to ask—every time he tried, he just ended up staring at her face.
In the end, Ji Nian unexpectedly received a math notebook he’d compiled just for her, filled with problems he’d designed himself—all targeting her weakest areas.
Torn between tears and gratitude, she sighed. Hachiko Xiang was already swamped—this must’ve taken him ages.
“Good boy.”
Ji Nian patted He Xiang’s shoulder several times and offered to treat him to milk tea.
He Xiang declined, bending down to meet her eye level, his dark gaze narrowing until it held only her reflection.
"Pat my head," he said.
Ji Nian was utterly charmed.
Grandma He, are you seeing this? Our boy has learned to act cute.
Grinning, Ji Nian went all in, ruffling his hair with both hands like she was petting a dog, cooing, "Good boy, good boy, how are you this adorable?"
He Xiang: "……"
This wasn’t the kind of patting he’d meant.
After enduring the rough treatment, He Xiang walked away in a sulk, his hair a complete mess.
Gu Xiuyuan, who had just returned to campus, spotted him and raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Did a fart explode on your head or something?"
Meanwhile, Lu Jinghuai held a withered leaf that had drifted from somewhere, his other hand gripping his phone.
"Mm, thank you for your help, Uncle Lin."
The man on the other end chuckled warmly. "No need for formalities, Young Master. China is your home too—no need to stand on ceremony here. Finding someone is no trouble at all. You’ll have an answer by tomorrow at the latest."
After ending the call, Lu Jinghuai turned to head back when he overheard two girls whispering excitedly behind him.
"So intense… truly a masterclass in romance."
Lu Jinghuai spun around smoothly, startling the two girls.
"My apologies for surprising you. I couldn’t help but overhear—your conversation sounded quite intriguing."
The girls froze for several seconds, momentarily breathless under the full force of his striking looks before remembering to inhale.
"…Oh! Y-you’re interested in this too?"
One of them handed him a book with a pastel, aesthetic cover, mustering the courage to meet his eyes as she gushed, "This novel is amazing! Teacher-student dynamic, older love interest, repressed passion igniting—sooo good!"
Lu Jinghuai: "……"
Not a single tag appealed to him.
