Lu Jinghuai’s situation had been temporarily stabilized.
[Don’t forget about He Xiang.]
The system reminded her with a hint of schadenfreude.
Ji Nian’s head began to ache again.
Back then, though her mind had been in a daze, the words of rejection had slipped out first.
What had she said again?
Oh, right—she’d told him she only saw He Xiang as a friend and had no romantic feelings for him.
And how had He Xiang responded?
[He said: Many lovers start off as friends.]
Then there was that letter. This time, he’d handed it to her personally. Ji Nian had assumed it would be another one of his usual diaries, documenting his daily studies and life.
But when she opened it, she found a love letter…
Clearly written by the boy himself—awkward, earnest, and brimming with the tender affection of youth.
Now she had a real headache.
From what Ji Nian knew of He Xiang, the boy had a stubborn streak. Normally, he was indifferent to most things, but once he set his mind on something, he’d stop at nothing to achieve it, no matter the cost.
Ji Nian’s once peaceful and uneventful school life had suddenly been rocked by two explosions today.
And both had come from people she’d considered close friends.
“Am I not dressed well today? Why do you look so upset the moment you see me?”
Wei Junze took off his sunglasses, his gaze landing on Ji Nian, who was glaring at him with barely concealed irritation.
Ji Nian crooked a finger at him.
Wei Junze raised an eyebrow, then stood from his seat by the window and strode over to her in a few steps. “What’s wrong?”
He had just bent down when Ji Nian’s eyes suddenly sharpened. Before he could react, her fist slammed into his stomach.
The punch was so forceful it felt like his guts were about to spill out.
“Tsk—”
He doubled over, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he squinted at her, his face twisted in pain.
Ji Nian, meanwhile, wore an expression of pure satisfaction, as if she’d just relieved some great tension.
She retracted her fist and feigned concern. “Sorry about that. Does it hurt? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?”
Wei Junze hadn’t expected her to hit so hard.
Then again, perhaps he shouldn’t have been surprised—after all, she was Ji Tingzhou’s daughter. It made sense that she’d learned self-defense from a young age.
“You’re ruthless, Ji Nian.”
He grimaced, still clutching his stomach. “Feel better now that you’ve punched me?”
Ji Nian exhaled in relief. “Much better.”
Wei Junze managed to straighten up, his lips quirking into a pained smile. “As long as you’re happy.”
“It wasn’t for nothing, then.”
Ji Nian rolled her eyes. “Enough with the nonsense. Let’s get down to business.”
She took a seat at the table.
The two had met at a teahouse Ji Nian frequented.
She hadn’t been particularly fond of tea before, but over the years, as she’d accompanied Ji Tingzhou in quitting alcohol, she’d gradually developed a taste for it. Now, whenever she had serious matters to discuss, she preferred to bring people here.
Ji Tingzhou, noticing her fondness for the place, had simply bought it and gifted it to her.
So this teahouse was, in fact, Ji Nian’s own establishment.
Knowing the young owner was here for business, the manager had only greeted her when she arrived and otherwise left her undisturbed.
Wei Junze, still nursing what he was sure would be a bruise on his abs, sat down across from her, replaying that punch in his mind.
She looked delicate as a kitten, but hit like a bear.
He loved it.
The thought made his gaze grow even more intense as he watched her.
Ji Nian, now immune to such looks, simply smiled sweetly at him. “Keep staring at me like that, and I’ll give you another one.”
His stomach throbbed in protest. With a regretful shrug, Wei Junze reined himself in.
“Alright, Boss Ji, take a look at this.”
He slid a file across the table, tapping it lightly before his demeanor shifted, the playfulness fading into something more serious.
“Right now, the most well-known and trusted hemorrhoid cream on the market is Hu Dayu’s brand. It’s practically a household name—people have grown up seeing their ads.”
“But being an old brand also means their formula has stagnated. With more office workers these days, hemorrhoids have become a common issue. And because of the… sensitive location, most people won’t see a doctor unless it’s severe. They’ll just grab a tube of cream instead.”
A strikingly handsome man with fiery red hair sat across from Ji Nian, discussing hemorrhoids with complete nonchalance.
She found this refreshing.
Had Wei Junze been the slightest bit awkward about it, she would’ve walked out right then.
“So you want to steal Hu Dayu’s market share.”
Wei Junze nodded. “Exactly.”
Ji Nian studied the documents carefully.
Wei Junze wasn’t just blowing smoke—he’d come with actual results. He’d partnered with a lab that had made some breakthroughs in hemorrhoid treatment. But…
“With the advent of healing accelerants, recovery from hemorrhoid surgery has gotten faster. People aren’t as resistant to the idea as before, and more are opting for removal.”
“As a result, Hu Dayu’s customer base has already shrunk.”
“And you want to launch a hemorrhoid cream now?”
She crossed her legs, her gaze amused yet piercing, scrutinizing him.
Wei Junze only grinned, his admiration for her growing.
He rubbed his fingers together absently, wondering what other surprises she had in store.
“I have my reasons…”
The discussion ended without much progress.
But business negotiations were like that—when money was involved, Wei Junze would need to offer terms compelling enough to win Ji Nian over.
“You know what you remind me of when you’re like this?”
Ji Nian shot a warning look at his arm, which was inching toward her shoulder.
“Your dad.”
She’d heard that before.
But in her heart, Ji Nian held the rebellious thought that it was Ji Tingzhou who resembled her—after all, she’d been this way long before he existed.
Wei Junze chuckled. “Seems I’m not the first to say so.”
Ji Nian shrugged.
She was used to it.
“What now? I don’t want to part ways yet. How about we go somewhere else?”
Standing at the teahouse entrance, Wei Junze blocked Ji Nian’s path with a playful tilt of his head.
Ji Nian gave him a sidelong glance. “Afraid not.”
Wei Junze raised an eyebrow in question.
Ji Nian pointed somewhere behind him. “My friend’s here.”
Wei Junze turned to look.
On the opposite street, a little boy was wiping his tears while a golden-haired youth crouched in front of him.
The young man had a face so beautiful it was almost dizzying. He wore a shirt with crisscrossed laces at the chest—one of which the boy had grabbed, tugging it loose and exposing a generous expanse of skin.
The youth seemed to be patiently coaxing the child to let go when he suddenly sensed their gaze.
Looking up, his eyes met Wei Junze’s.
He waved, smiling warmly—as if he hadn’t nearly taken Wei Junze’s head off with a ball that one time.
Wei Junze didn’t even have time to say anything before Ji Nian waved at him and dashed off lightly in that direction.
Wei Junze could only call out helplessly, “Hey, little troublemaker, watch out for cars.”
His eyes stayed glued to her as if he weren’t walking over himself but being reeled in like a fish on a hook.
“Go on, your mom’s over there. Go cry to her.”
As soon as Ji Nian arrived, she glanced at the sniveling little boy with his tear-streaked face, yanked the ribbon from his hand, and tilted her chin up at him.
The boy, robbed of his toy, was about to wail when he met Ji Nian’s icy emerald-green eyes. Instantly, he clammed up, pouted, and ran off.
“Just snatch it back. How could you let some brat push you around like that?”
Ji Nian motioned for him to retie the loose fabric at his chest—now gaping open—while feeling a twinge of regret.
[If only I were taller, then I could see… ahem…]
She wondered if it was still as pink as before.
Heh.
System: […Just agree to his request, and not only will he let you look, you can even take a bite if you want.]
“Didn’t I say to leave me alone? Why’d you come looking for me again?”
Ji Nian pointed an accusatory finger, looking ready to scold.
Lu Jinghuai lowered his eyes obediently, slowly winding the white ribbon around his fingers as he murmured, “But…”
“I couldn’t help wanting to see you. What do I do?”
Then he took a step forward, sniffed the scent on her, and noticed the lingering trace of another’s presence. His silver-gray eyes darkened as he whispered, “Maybe if you hug me, I’ll feel better.”
Across the street, Wei Junze met Lu Jinghuai’s gaze, his own eyes narrowing slightly.
