Chen Mo's first thought was: Is this guy acting?
Because of Ji Nian???
Having just woken up from a weakened state, Chen Mo felt like his throbbing head wasn’t functioning properly.
He closed his eyes and passed out.
Wei Yang promptly hauled him up, clicked his tongue, and slung him over his back.
"Let’s go to the hospital first."
Ji Nian followed Wei Yang, who was carrying Chen Mo, and asked Lu Jinghuai where he had found him.
Lu Jinghuai explained that he had met a child and traded a piece of candy for information. By chance, the child mentioned that his grandfather had rescued someone—a man who looked like a fairy.
Suspecting it was Chen Mo, he followed the child home.
Recalling how Chen Mo had been unsteady on his feet, dressed in clothes that clearly belonged to the local villagers, Lu Jinghuai shared his theory: "He must have just woken up."
Ji Nian understood.
If nothing else, the little crown prince’s luck was truly unmatched.
"Sorry for dragging you into this trip."
At her words, Lu Jinghuai’s face, almost translucent under the light, flickered with a trace of sorrow. "Do we really need to be this distant with each other?"
Ji Nian: ?
"Ah, no, it’s just…"
His eyes drooped slightly, his silver-gray irises gilded by the sunlight. From Ji Nian’s angle, they even seemed to shimmer with moisture.
"Back then, when VengeanCe kidnapped you, and Chen Mo was… so…"
Even though he had his own trauma, he still helped her for her sake. Ji Nian couldn’t help but feel guilty.
Watching Ji Nian lower her eyes in remorse, her long, slightly upturned lashes veiling her glistening gaze—
Lu Jinghuai’s lips curled into a faint smile.
"So, it’s not distance."
"Are you… feeling sorry for me?"
So this was why she rarely mentioned Chen Mo around him.
Hearing this explanation, Ji Nian’s eyes flashed with confusion.
Something felt off, but his reasoning wasn’t exactly wrong…
So she nodded frankly. "Yeah."
"...Hah."
She distinctly heard the soft chuckle from the man beside her.
Unmistakably pleased.
She turned her head and met his eyes, brimming with a vivid, teasing warmth—like tiny hooks tugging at her.
Noticing Ji Nian staring straight at him, Lu Jinghuai casually tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear, revealing the crystal stud he always wore on his earlobe.
As if reminding her:
Look, this is the mark you left on me.
Ji Nian’s gaze wavered.
For the first time, a new thought crossed her mind.
[Is he… flirting with me?]
Before she could dwell on it, Lu Jinghuai spoke up, repeating what he had earlier told Chen Mo.
Ji Nian’s mind buzzed with fresh questions.
But before she could voice them, they reached the foot of the mountain. With Wei Yang present, she held back.
Once in the car, she called Ji Tingzhou to confirm their safety, then contacted Numbers One and Two to update them on Chen Mo’s condition and the hospital’s location.
They promised to arrive as soon as possible.
The nearest county hospital was close, so they took Chen Mo there first for a checkup before transferring him to the city hospital.
Exhausted, Ji Nian stepped outside while Chen Mo slept, taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air.
Lu Jinghuai placed a paper bag on her lap and sat beside her.
"Eat something."
Only then did Ji Nian realize she was hungry.
Wei Yang had brought food earlier, but she’d been too preoccupied waiting for Chen Mo’s test results to eat.
"Thanks, little crown prince."
Lu Jinghuai had somehow gotten his hands on round mochi—stuffed so generously that her tongue couldn’t even keep up with the flavors.
"Delicious."
Ji Nian’s eyes curved happily.
After licking the taro paste from the corner of her lips, she finally asked the question on her mind.
"If it wasn’t because of your trauma, why did you seem upset whenever I mentioned Chen Mo before?"
Lu Jinghuai had been resting his chin on his hand, watching her eat. At her words, his eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.
Remembering all the jealousy he’d harbored toward Chen Mo…
There was no way he’d ever tell Ji Nian.
"How could Chen Mo be your uncle?"
"You didn’t know???"
Ji Nian’s face was a picture of astonishment.
Lu Jinghuai blinked in confusion. "No."
"Didn’t Lu Zhi tell you?"
Lu Jinghuai stayed silent.
Ji Nian: "……"
So he really hadn’t.
Lu Jinghuai’s lips quirked, though his silver-gray eyes held no mirth.
Little did Lu Zhi know, he wouldn’t receive a single call from his son for the next week.
"Why do you call him ‘Chen Mo’?"
If not for that nickname, he wouldn’t have misunderstood for so long.
Ji Nian explained that it made him sound younger.
Lu Jinghuai tapped his cheek with a finger, his eyes crinkling. "Then I want to sound young too."
"Can you call me ‘A-Huai’?"
His tone was playful, but the look in his eyes was dead serious, leaving Ji Nian no room to laugh it off.
[…He’s definitely flirting with me.]
Ji Nian was starting to catch on.
But before, Lu Jinghuai had claimed his kindness was just repayment for saving his life.
So she was baffled.
"It’s not impossible."
Lu Jinghuai’s smile deepened—until she added, "But your family calls you that too. If I do the same, it’d feel like I’m your elder or something."
"……Really?"
His lashes lowered, and even his golden hair seemed to dull.
Ji Nian: "……Fine, I’ll call you that in private, okay?"
"A-Huai."
"Mm."
The moment the name left her lips, Lu Jinghuai straightened slightly, responding in a low voice. His light eyes shimmered like spring water.
Private was fine too.
Wasn’t this their little secret?
Just between the two of them.
...
"Uncle, are you sure you don’t need to rest?"
Ji Nian had brought the lyrics they’d written, glancing at Chen Mo, whose head was still bandaged.
"I know my body."
"Don’t worry."
The brief exchange ended, but Ji Nian kept studying him.
Abruptly, she said, "Uncle, you saw my draft notes, didn’t you?"
A perfectly ordinary sentence—yet Chen Mo’s face stiffened for a split second.
He looked up.
Gone was Ji Nian’s usual naivety. The face of the now fully grown young woman was expressionless, as plain as water.
This version of her overlapped so perfectly with that person in his memories that it sent a violent shudder through him.
Chen Mo lowered his head, flustered. "…Nian Nian, can we talk after the arts festival?"
Ji Nian hadn’t meant to pressure him. In fact, if Chen Mo preferred, she could pretend this never happened.
But clearly, Chen Mo wanted to talk—he just needed time to process.
After all, the situation was about as absurd as crap coming out of the mouth.
"Okay."
Ji Nian agreed, instantly reverting to her usual cheerful self.
She handed him the lyrics. "Uncle, take a look."
Seeing his familiar niece again, Chen Mo exhaled in relief. He accepted the notebook, pausing to take a deep breath before opening it.
Please… no more toilet humor.
Fortunately, Ji Nian had no intention of showcasing her artistic endeavors on stage, appearing perfectly normal.
Chen Mo skimmed through the contents, starting with Lu Jinghuai’s work.
His eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise.
A guy without someone he liked would never come up with such flirtatious lyrics.
"Tsk, this makes my teeth ache just reading it."
Curious, Ji Nian leaned in to peek.
Truthfully, she hadn’t read Lu Jinghuai’s lyrics either—the moment he handed them to her, she had tucked them away, planning to find Chen Mo instead.
"Don’t worry, don’t look yet. Wait until the melody is finished, and we’ll listen to it together."
Chen Mo closed Lu Jinghuai’s notebook and then opened Ji Nian’s.
He read it quietly, his expression reminiscent of his days as a literature teacher grading assignments.
Ji Nian was so nervous she almost felt the urge to run to the bathroom.
Unconsciously, she had woven a few subtle hints into her lyrics.
Luckily, this world didn’t have a book like Flowers for Algernon, or else Jump Jump would probably hide from her in embarrassment again.
Chen Mo studied Ji Nian’s lyrics with the utmost focus. Closing the notebook, he looked up at the expectant girl and smiled gently. "You wrote this very well."
"I think I already have a melody in mind."
Her face lit up with an irrepressible grin at his praise.
