The two stood there for a long time. Passersby who noticed the two exceptionally handsome young men standing awkwardly couldn’t help but cast curious glances their way.
Ji Nian remained perfectly composed, standing still. If anyone stared too boldly, she would suddenly shoot them a look, startling them.
It wasn’t until He Xiang finally regained his composure.
Ji Nian had no idea what kind of internal struggle He Xiang had gone through during that time, but when he turned his head back to her, she could see that his gaze had changed.
She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.
"You’ve already given me so much," He Xiang said, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Without you, I can’t even imagine what I’d be like now, or what stage I’d be struggling in."
"I’d still be the old He Xiang, but you can’t pretend this never happened."
As he spoke, there was a hint of pleading in his eyes.
Ji Nian looked at him seriously and replied, "I won’t."
"Thank you, He Xiang. Thank you for liking me."
"If he ever treats you badly—"
A faint smile appeared on Ji Nian’s face. "You’ll beat him up?"
"I’ll go tattle to Gu Xiuyuan."
Ji Nian: "……"
If the mood weren’t so heavy, she would have burst out laughing.
"I still need to go to school," Ji Nian said, motioning for him to leave first.
He Xiang shook his head and waited with her until her ride arrived, watching her leave before finally turning away.
He had lied. He didn’t actually need to go to school—he just wanted an excuse to separate from Ji Nian for a while.
He had reached his limit in pretending to be strong. If Ji Nian stayed any longer, he was afraid he’d do something even more pathetic.
The carefree expression He Xiang had worn earlier was long gone. Now, he felt as if someone had thrown his heart into a meat grinder.
For a moment, he had wanted to throw caution to the wind, but once he calmed down, the first emotion that surfaced wasn’t resignation—it was the unwillingness to make Ji Nian uncomfortable.
He had promised Mr. Ji.
If He Xiang truly sank to that level, the other man might revoke their previous agreement, and then he would truly have no place in Ji Nian’s future.
Lu Jinghuai…
At the thought of that name, bitterness welled up in He Xiang’s eyes.
"Big brother, why are you crying? Did you fall?"
A child licking an ice cream cone looked up at him curiously.
Hearing the voice, He Xiang quickly masked his emotions and glanced down at the child.
"No, my eyes are just… peeing."
Child: ?
...
"Done talking?"
Lu Jinghuai’s voice came through the phone.
Ji Nian hummed in agreement as she stepped out of the car and walked inside.
Lu Jinghuai didn’t ask what the two had discussed. Instead, he simply said, "I missed you."
Ji Nian’s eyes darted around, making sure no one was nearby, before whispering into the phone, "I missed you too."
"How’s everything on your end?"
Hearing Lu Jinghuai’s satisfied chuckle, she couldn’t help but smile as well.
If there had been a mirror in front of Ji Nian at that moment, she would have seen just how silly her grin was.
"Good. Mother has talked things out with His Majesty. She wants to spend the next while with family."
Of course, she hadn’t completely relinquished her power. At the very least, in Country O, Princess Feiya could still do as she pleased—this was to prevent a repeat of the tragedy that had happened to Lu Jinghuai when he was five.
"That’s great! You’ll still make it back before summer break ends."
Lu Jinghuai said it was likely.
The two had just confirmed their relationship, and the novelty hadn’t worn off yet. Lu Jinghuai was especially clingy—aside from when he was conducting experiments, Ji Nian was basically on the phone with him all day.
She had spent the past few days finishing all her summer homework. Sometimes, when she was tired and looked away from her computer screen, she’d see the call still connected and softly call out Lu Jinghuai’s name.
Lu Jinghuai would immediately respond, "Mm, I’m here."
But the good times didn’t last. Soon, Ji Nian went to visit Chen Mo, who took her on a trip to the Amazon rainforest. Trekking through the jungle with Chen Mo, the most memorable thing he told her was not to pee just anywhere.
There was a creature called the candiru that could swim up a stream of urine and lodge itself inside a person’s body, feeding on their blood.
Ji Nian’s hair stood on end at the thought.
They also took a boat to see pink dolphins, went fishing for piranhas at night, and encountered countless bizarre creatures Ji Nian had never seen before. She had an absolute blast.
Chen Mo kept her entertained for a long time, and by the time they returned, Ji Nian had tanned a little. This infuriated Ji Tingzhou, who even punched Chen Mo in frustration, blaming him for not making sure she applied sunscreen properly.
Before Lu Jinghuai’s return, Ji Tingzhou spared no expense, using every resource at his disposal to restore Ji Nian’s fair complexion.
"Dad, Lu Jinghuai’s back. I’m going with Shen Qingtang and the others to pick him up. We’ll have dinner out tonight."
After changing her clothes, Ji Nian dashed off to inform Ji Tingzhou before eagerly running off.
Ji Tingzhou barely had time to say anything before she was gone.
Narrowing his eyes, he thought to himself—Lu Jinghuai had been away for long periods before, but Ji Nian had never been this excited when he returned.
Wei Yang, who happened to be passing by, let out a loud, disdainful snort.
Ji Tingzhou: "……"
Almost forgot—this one still had a bad case of rabies.
Lately, there had been complaints about someone howling in the middle of the night. When Ji Tingzhou looked into it, he discovered it was Wei Yang. He was starting to wonder if one of the dogs, Da Gen or Da Dan, had possessed him to come back for a visit.
"Hey, you’re here! And dressed so nicely today."
Shen Qingtang spotted Ji Nian the moment she arrived.
Ji Nian was wearing a light blue halter-neck dress with a tulip hem, making her legs look long and fair. Her hair had been carefully styled, falling smoothly over her shoulders with a matching hairpin on one side. On her feet were silver high-heeled shoes—the epitome of an elegant young lady.
Ji Nian fiddled with a strand of her hair. "Really? I just threw this on."
Shen Qingtang saw right through her but didn’t call her out. She had learned a few days ago that Ji Nian and Lu Jinghuai were now together.
For a moment, she had even felt a little sad—after all, the popular school ship "Unforgettable Echo" (Ji Nian x He Xiang) had officially sunk.
Ji Nian had been utterly baffled, asking how she never knew such a ship existed.
Shen Qingtang thought to herself—there were plenty of things Ji Nian didn’t know.
Like how she definitely had no idea that Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang’s ship name was "Sweet Memory."
"Honestly, I’m not surprised you chose Lu Jinghuai," Shen Qingtang remarked as they walked side by side.
"Hm?"
"Because the little crown prince is ridiculously good-looking," Shen Qingtang said matter-of-factly.
Though Ji Nian had never admitted it, everyone close to her knew she was an absolute sucker for pretty faces—she was far more lenient with attractive people.
In the end, Ji Nian and Lu Jinghuai were basically the living embodiment of "When a Looks-Obsessed Person Meets a Divine Beauty."
He Xiang had prior engagements today, and Gu Xiuyuan was still abroad, so only Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang were there to pick up Lu Jinghuai.
Halfway there, Shen Qingtang suddenly realized something. "Wait… should I be making myself scarce?"
Ji Nian tugged her along. "No need."
But the moment Lu Jinghuai appeared, Shen Qingtang regretted her decision.
The second Lu Jinghuai spotted Ji Nian from afar, his pace quickened.
When he reached her, he wordlessly pulled her into a hug. The long-awaited embrace made his eyes crinkle with joy—if not for the presence of others, he would have buried his face against her right then and there.
He reached out and touched a strand of dark, curly hair right before his eyes, breathing in its fragrance before whispering to her,
"You look so beautiful today. Is it because of me?"
Ji Nian tugged at the corner of her lips and gave his slender back a light pat. "Mhm."
Beside them, Shen Qingtang: "…………"
Then who was the one who just said they dressed casually?
