Lu Jinghuai looked over, the usual gentleness on his face gone. His unsmiling expression reminded Ji Nian of his mother, Princess Feia—his silver-gray eyes turned into misty glaciers, suppressing something.
Yet, inexplicably, Ji Nian caught a faint trace of… resentment on that aloof, restrained face.
"I thought he had ill intentions, so I kept an eye on him."
Ji Nian instinctively softened her voice.
Lu Jinghuai tugged at the corner of his lips. "You know him so well."
Ji Nian: "……"
The Young Imperial Grandson was not easy to deal with when jealous.
Yes, jealous.
No matter how dense Ji Nian was, she could sense something now.
[He likes me…]
The realization left her somewhat at a loss.
But she wasn’t one to show weakness, so her expression betrayed none of her inner turmoil.
"What happened to your hand?"
The atmosphere froze for a moment before Ji Nian’s gaze abruptly fixed on something in her peripheral vision.
Lu Jinghuai turned his head away, hiding his hand behind his back like a sulking child.
Ji Nian grinned where he couldn’t see.
She leaned over to grab the hand he’d hidden. Fortunately, its owner wasn’t truly resisting—the moment she pulled, he let her.
She pried his fingers open and examined his palm.
Four crescent-shaped wounds, perfectly aligned, stained his entire palm red.
A closer look at his nails revealed their neatly trimmed edges were also tinged with blood.
She couldn’t tell how long he’d been clenching his fist or how much force he’d used to leave such marks.
Ji Nian stared in silence for a long time.
[He… really does like me.]
The system lit a cigarette: [Cool and composed on the outside, but secretly mangling his own hand, huh?]
Ji Nian winced. "Doesn’t that hurt?"
It looked painful just to see.
Lu Jinghuai lowered his eyes, indifferent as if the hand wasn’t his. "My heart hurts more."
Ji Nian: "……"
Sighing, she pulled out a small lipstick tube, twisted it open, and selected the healing agent to spray over his wounds.
"Don’t do this again. If you’re upset, just say so."
"So, is he better-looking than me?" Lu Jinghuai pressed again, his pale pink lips pursed as he circled back to the question.
Ji Nian exhaled weakly. "No…"
"In my eyes, you’re more attractive than him."
Hearing this, Lu Jinghuai seemed slightly appeased—but only slightly.
"Will you get engaged to him?"
Ji Nian leaned back against the sofa, answering slowly, "No, I’m still young. I’m not considering that right now."
If Ji Tingzhou had forced her into an engagement with Wei Junze, she wouldn’t have protested.
Life was about trade-offs—she’d enjoyed too many privileges to give nothing in return.
But Ji Tingzhou hadn’t forced her. He’d let her choose.
And of course, she’d refuse. Not for any particular reason—Wei Junze was quite handsome—but the thought of spending her life with him… Well, for some reason, it instinctively made her recoil.
"You’re thinking about him."
Lu Jinghuai’s voice, tinged with resentment, drifted over, snapping Ji Nian back to reality.
Before she could respond, she heard him tighten his freshly treated hand and murmur, "Sorry…"
"Am I being annoying?"
His golden bangs shadowed his eyes, and from Ji Nian’s angle, it almost looked like a glimmer of tears flashed through them.
She bent down, peering at his lowered gaze. "Are you actually crying?"
Lu Jinghuai poked her cheek, nudging her face away.
"Don’t be upset. I’ve only met him three times at most."
"We’ve known each other for ages, and I don’t even like him."
Ji Nian racked her brain for comforting words.
Hearing her say she didn’t like Wei Junze, Lu Jinghuai mumbled weakly, "Mm, I understand."
"I won’t hurt myself again."
His entire demeanor was listless, like someone who’d been wronged and abandoned—fragile and pitiful.
And still… strikingly beautiful.
Ji Nian stood up.
Lu Jinghuai didn’t look up, sensing her movement.
He needed time to sort through his emotions.
At the very least, he had to regain his usual composure before returning to the private room. It was Yang Xinyu’s birthday—he couldn’t ruin it with a sour expression.
Secretly, though, his thoughts darkened. He couldn’t take it anymore. The idea of Ji Nian being stolen away when he wasn’t looking made destructive urges fester inside him.
Why did these strays keep appearing?
Why couldn’t Ji Nian’s gaze stay fixed on him forever?
Was he not good-looking enough?
The veins on the back of his hand bulged. He even began doubting his appearance—what if Ji Nian was just humoring him when she said he was attractive?
A twisted thought surfaced: maybe he should get plastic surgery. A new face might spark her interest, keep her from looking elsewhere.
It wasn’t like his face hadn’t been ruined before.
Fiancée? Even if it wasn’t Wei Junze, would there eventually be a Li Junze or Zhang Junze claiming her?
These thoughts pushed him to the brink, a single spark away from explosion.
Then—
The lounge lights flicked off with a click.
A power outage?
That was Lu Jinghuai’s first thought.
But then a beam of light appeared from somewhere, casting a shadow on the wall across from him.
To be precise—
A shadow puppet of a sharp-beaked chick, formed by two overlapping hands.
The chick flapped its wings as a deliberately cartoonish voice chirped, "Pretty boy~"
"You should be happy."
"If you’re sad while peeing, you might miss and spray everywhere~"
The shadow puppet animatedly mimed urinating, then jumped in exaggerated frustration when it "missed."
The dark, brooding aura around Lu Jinghuai shattered as he collapsed into laughter on the sofa.
From her hiding spot, Ji Nian peeked out, satisfied with the result, and texted the staff to turn the lights back on.
"Feeling better now?"
She leaned out from behind the wall, her emerald-green eyes sparkling under the light as she grinned at Lu Jinghuai, teasing in the same voice, "Pretty boy~"
Lu Jinghuai met her gaze, realizing she hadn’t left—she’d stayed to cheer him up. The poisonous flower withering in his heart perked up again, turning toward the sun.
On their way back, Lu Jinghuai suddenly asked, "Do you perform shadow puppets for anyone else?"
Ji Nian tensed. "Of course not. Only for you."
Honestly, Lu Jinghuai was difficult when angry—not in a loud, explosive way, but sitting there quietly, visibly upset yet enduring it, looking devastatingly beautiful in his melancholy.
It was heartbreaking.
But she really didn’t want a repeat—she wasn’t sure how she’d cheer him up next time.
So, for the time being, I hope Lu Jinghuai won’t be upset or angry anymore.
The system replied: [It’s jealousy.]
Receiving Ji Nian’s response, Lu Jinghuai smiled just as he had when they first met—yet now, it carried an even more captivating charm, like a luminol reaction.
