In Ji Tingzhou's memory, the number of times the kid had wailed in such distress could be counted on one hand.
What's more, Ji Nian wasn’t that little brat who used to wet the bed anymore.
The crease between Ji Tingzhou’s brows deepened.
He reached out to pat Ji Nian’s head, his voice softening unconsciously, and for the moment, he forgot all about their earlier argument.
"What’s with the crying? Anyone would think Wei Yang farted in here."
Ji Nian: "……"
Her moment of melancholy was cut short by Ji Tingzhou’s familiar tone, leaving her torn between laughter and tears. She wiped her runny nose on him, sniffled, and pulled herself out of his arms.
Ji Tingzhou’s expression turned downright awful. His chest heaved several times as he silently repeated to himself, She’s my own flesh and blood, she’s my own flesh and blood, just to keep himself from losing it.
But changing his clothes could wait—figuring out why she was acting like this was the real priority.
"I’ll never run away from home again."
For his own child to disappear overnight and return saying something like this—it was hard not to assume she’d been bullied outside.
Suppressing the murderous glint in his eyes, Ji Tingzhou took the opportunity to push further: "Oh? Then I’m going after that little punk."
What he planned to do with Lu Jinghuai was obvious.
But Ji Nian seemed utterly indifferent, even nodding in agreement. "Go ahead."
[It’s fine if his legs get broken—I’ll take care of him for the rest of his life.]
Previously, this topic had sparked an argument between father and daughter. But now, Ji Nian acted as if it were nothing.
This made Ji Tingzhou’s brow twitch.
He grabbed a disinfectant wipe from the table, pressed it against Ji Nian’s forehead, and wiped it down before checking her temperature.
No fever.
Had she lost her mind?
Were they being played by someone?
The atmosphere froze for a moment.
Just as Ji Tingzhou was about to say something, the bedroom door was suddenly flung open with a bang.
Chen Mo, dressed in a suit, rushed in frantically—clearly having hurried over from the office.
"Nian Nian, what happened?!"
After hearing that Ji Nian had suddenly bolted back home after staying out last night, coupled with the cryptic message she’d sent him, Chen Mo had dropped everything to get here.
Hearing Chen Mo’s voice, Ji Nian turned to look.
The tears she’d just held back threatened to spill again.
In that other world, based on the timeline, Ji Nian had assumed Chen Mo was most likely dead. Still, she’d held onto a sliver of hope and asked someone to look into the whereabouts of "Number One" and "Number Two."
But whether they’d changed their names or moved abroad, searches in both China and Country O turned up nothing.
Even when she left that world, Ji Nian still hadn’t found any trace of Chen Mo.
"Uncle Mo."
Ji Nian reached out to hug him.
Though confused, Chen Mo was too moved by her rare display of affection and tears to question it. His heart ached, unsure how to comfort her.
He shot a glare at Ji Tingzhou, silently demanding if this was his doing.
But Ji Tingzhou ignored him, standing there with a troubled expression, eyes burning with anger.
Ji Tingzhou was analyzing Ji Nian’s behavior.
Yes, he’d been furious when she ran off, but as her father, he’d still kept tabs on her whereabouts and condition.
Combined with her reaction just now when he mentioned that punk…
His gaze sharpened.
"What, did that brat dump you?"
On paper, it should’ve been music to his ears—but instead, it only fueled his rage.
All he’d planned was to break the kid’s legs—was Lu Zhi’s bastard son so spineless that he’d dump Ji Nian out of fear?!
Chen Mo’s comforting pats paused. His refined face flushed with anger. "How dare he?!"
But—wait.
Break up??
With who? That punk? Lu Jinghuai?!
BREAK UP?!
"Nian Nian, you and that brat—"
Chen Mo’s first reaction was disbelief.
His kid was still so young! How could she be dating?!
Something this important should involve at least fifty years of vetting before even considering the flirting stage!!
His thoughts spiraled before he suddenly realized—
Ji Tingzhou’s sudden argument with Ji Nian—it had to be about this!
Remembering how he’d gloated about it yesterday, Chen Mo now felt a pang of regret.
But no matter his personal feelings, Ji Nian’s well-being came first.
Suppressing the storm inside, he forced himself to comfort her under Ji Tingzhou’s mocking gaze. "Don’t cry, Nian Nian."
"If he hurt you, I’ll go beat him up right now."
Ji Nian thought, What nonsense is this?
"No, A-Huai didn’t break up with me."
"A-Huai? / Didn’t break up?"
The two men seized on different parts of her sentence, their voices equally venomous.
If Lu Jinghuai had been there, they might’ve actually thrown punches.
Do they know how hard it was just to get Ji Nian to call them "Dad" and "Uncle"? And now, after such a short time, that kid already had a nickname?!
Ji Nian couldn’t even focus on making up for the time she’d missed them anymore. She let go of Chen Mo, plopped into Ji Tingzhou’s office chair, crossed her legs, and said flatly, "You two only care about him, not me."
"Of course not, Nian Nian! It’s just… this is a lot for your uncle to process."
Damn it, why can’t I possess a rabbit right now? Otherwise, Lu Jinghuai better watch his back—those buck teeth don’t hold back when they bite.
"Explain. Now."
Ji Tingzhou rapped his knuckles on the desk. Rather than sending someone to investigate, he wanted to hear it from Ji Nian herself.
Ji Nian averted her gaze, hesitating before saying, "I had a nightmare."
She glanced at Ji Tingzhou. "I dreamed you were living a miserable life."
Then she looked at Chen Mo. "And Uncle… no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find any trace of you."
Hearing this, both men felt a flicker of unease.
After all, given Ji Nian’s personality, a nightmare shouldn’t have shaken her this badly.
But since she said so, they chose to believe her.
Noticing neither of them dismissed it with a "It’s just a dream, don’t take it seriously," Ji Nian elaborated a little more.
For instance—Ji Tingzhou suffering from chronic insomnia and nerve pain for years, and Chen Mo’s suspected death with no leads.
They listened quietly.
Some details aligned a little too well with reality—eerily accurate.
For once, Ji Tingzhou held back his sarcasm. The fury in his eyes dimmed slightly, replaced by resignation. "What’s there to fear? So what if life’s hard? You’re too young to be worrying so much."
Chen Mo nodded, though privately thinking that without Ji Nian, he might’ve ended up exactly as she’d dreamed.
The thought made him grateful—to his sister, for bringing Ji Nian into this world.
"Don’t be scared, Nian Nian. Your uncle won’t let himself end up like that."
Looking up at them, Ji Nian finally felt a sense of calm settle over her.
At that moment, it truly sank in.
Ah.
She was really home.
