At an age when I didn’t even understand what liking someone meant, I already had a crush on her…
Ji Nian repeated this line in her mind, glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, and curled her lips into a faint smile.
"...Your mouth is as sweet as your face."
"What’s sweet?"
A voice suddenly came from behind, startling Ji Nian so much she nearly reflexively jabbed the person with a needle.
She turned her head.
Who else could it be but her infuriating father?
Ji Tingzhou had returned from who-knows-where, dressed in clothes so comfortable he could lie down and sleep on the spot, his expression lazily indifferent.
"Been sunbathing again?"
Lately, Ji Tingzhou had picked up a new hobby—basking in the sun like the one-eyed calico cat he’d picked up from somewhere.
His skin hadn’t tanned, but he often ended up flushed red from the heat.
"Yeah. What were you muttering about just now?"
Yawning, Ji Tingzhou nudged her with his shoulder.
Ji Nian replied, "Girl stuff. Not your business as a dad."
Her father scoffed. "What, am I too old and in the way now?"
"Where’s that same enthusiasm you had when you used to excitedly tell me about your heart-shaped poops as a kid?"
Ji Tingzhou felt a pang of melancholy at this.
His child had grown up, no longer chattering nonstop or tugging at his sleeve to share every little thing.
Seeing her father’s irritation, Ji Nian sighed helplessly.
She raised her right hand, palm open, and showed it to Ji Tingzhou.
He glanced down.
A healthy, well-lined palm—a good hand.
Hmph. Just like his.
He shot her a look, as if to ask, "And?"
Ji Nian smirked, her lips curling smugly.
"This is the hand I wipe my butt with after pooping."
Ji Tingzhou: "………"
"………………"
"…………………………"
He closed his eyes briefly. "I think some boundaries should exist between father and daughter."
Ji Nian shot him a sideways glare—clearly saying, "That’s not what you thought a second ago."
With just one sentence, she successfully killed Ji Tingzhou’s curiosity about her personal life.
Now that he wasn’t prying, Ji Nian suddenly felt more talkative.
The two walked side by side along the covered walkway in their home.
"Dad, have you ever been confessed to before?"
The moment she asked, Ji Tingzhou’s expression shifted. He side-eyed her and slowly, with deliberate pressure, listed three names: "Lu Jinghuai, He Xiang, or that red-haired kid?"
All three guesses were spot-on.
Ji Nian: "………"
"Do you really have to ruin this heartwarming father-daughter moment?"
Ji Tingzhou smirked without warmth. "The moment you decided to showcase the function of your right hand, the heartwarming moment was already dead."
"Come on, don’t be stingy. Tell me, Dad."
Ji Nian elbowed him, ignoring the scrutinizing look in his eyes.
Anyone else would’ve been on their knees by now, confessing to crimes they didn’t even commit.
But who was Ji Nian? The one person in the world who feared Ji Tingzhou the least.
"Spill it, spill it."
Unable to resist her pestering, Ji Tingzhou relented.
"Yeah."
Ji Nian’s eyes widened.
"What’s that look for?" Ji Tingzhou grumbled.
Ji Nian grinned sheepishly. "Didn’t expect that, honestly. Who was it?"
"Don’t remember."
Ji Tingzhou’s tone was flat.
It happened after he became the head of the Ji family.
Despite his notorious reputation, there were always people willing to risk it all for wealth and status—some even bold enough to approach him.
If he recalled correctly, it was someone who’d snuck in disguised as a servant. Back then, his control over the household wasn’t as tight, and she’d slipped through.
She’d even had the audacity to pity him, sympathizing with his "tragic past and suffering."
Just thinking about it now made Ji Tingzhou roll his eyes.
"What did you say after she confessed?" Ji Nian pressed.
Ji Tingzhou replied coolly, "I said,"
"I don’t like people who wear green dresses."
Truthfully, he couldn’t even remember her face—just the image of her swaying around like a giant broccoli.
And that hideous snake-patterned scarf she always tied around her neck. What terrible taste.
Ji Nian: A completely unsurprising answer.
Once, a servant ran out of black hairpins and used a bright yellow one instead. Ji Tingzhou had stared at her all day like he’d swallowed a fly.
If someone’s outfit clashed, it physically pained him.
This man was truly beyond help…
Shaking her head, Ji Nian realized asking Ji Tingzhou about romance was pointless.
What was the point of discussing love with an eternal bachelor?
"Thinking something rude about me?"
"………No."
"Heh."
"If you like someone, give it a try. If you don’t, just reject them. You don’t owe anyone an explanation."
Ji Tingzhou’s indifferent voice drifted into her ears.
Ji Nian glanced at him in surprise.
Just as she was about to respond, her father turned his head slightly, baring his teeth in a chilling grin.
"If you dare date someone before you’re of age, I’ll break their legs."
Ji Nian: "………"
With a light scoff, Ji Tingzhou walked off.
Left behind, Ji Nian crossed her arms and sighed. "So violent."
...
"Hey, Bro Gu."
Gu Xiuyuan had just pulled Shen Qingtang aside—she’d been insisting on helping him pack—when Ji Nian appeared from another direction and slapped a hand over his mouth.
Gu Xiuyuan: ?
"What’s your problem?"
Muffled, he glared at her.
Ji Nian pulled her hand back, gave it a disgusted look, and wiped it on Gu Xiuyuan’s sleeve.
Gu Xiuyuan: ???
He turned to Shen Qingtang, who’d been sneakily rifling through his suitcase to check if he’d packed that ridiculous four-person photo T-shirt, and shot her a questioning look.
‘What’s up with her?’
Shen Qingtang guiltily closed his suitcase and shrugged.
No clue.
"Gu Xiuyuan, this place is nice. Pretty spacious too. Isn’t the school you’re going to nearby? Take us around later."
Ji Nian had already moved on, her back to them.
Where Gu Xiuyuan and Shen Qingtang couldn’t see, she stared at her palm, recalling the sensation of Lu Jinghuai’s touch, and sighed inwardly.
[I think I might like Lu Jinghuai a little.]
But compared to the long list of reasons Lu Jinghuai had for liking her, when Ji Nian tried to summarize why she liked him, the only thing that came to mind was his looks.
How superficial was that?
If she told Lu Jinghuai, he’d probably think she was some shallow, looks-obsessed player.
Her system protested: [That’s not fair! His face is part of who he is too.]
[You’ve got a point.]
Ji Nian nodded in agreement.
Never one to hesitate, she immediately called Lu Jinghuai once she’d made up her mind.
But he didn’t pick up.
Even with the time difference, it was only 8 PM in China—he couldn’t possibly be asleep already.
She waited a while and tried again. Still no answer.
[This feels… ominous.]
Her heartbeat quickened as she sent him a message:
You free? I need to talk to you.
During lunch with Shen Qingtang and Gu Xiuyuan, she finally got a reply:
Sorry, I’m in Country O right now. Something came up here. Let’s talk properly when I get back, okay?
Before Ji Nian could reply, another message popped up in the window:
"Please wait for me, I beg you."
