Ji Nian guessed they probably wouldn’t believe her.
Had she prepared beforehand, she might have changed her eye color. Even if her facial features couldn’t be altered, she could have claimed to be Ji Tingzhou’s cousin—after all, it wouldn’t be unusual for cousins to resemble each other.
But she had arrived completely unprepared, her emerald-green eyes identical to those Ji Tingzhou had inherited from his birth mother.
There was no hiding her appearance now. The only plausible explanation was that they were twins.
If she remembered correctly, Ji Tingzhou’s birth mother had been in City S during her pregnancy. After giving birth, she had fled here with the infant Ji Tingzhou in her arms, as if escaping from someone.
This meant even Ji Tingzhou himself couldn’t verify whether he had been born alone. Ji Nian’s fabricated identity would hold up just fine.
She was fully expecting someone to challenge her.
Yet, after a long pause, no one spoke.
Confused, she looked up and was met with two slightly… bewildered faces?
[?]
Did I not just speak Chinese?
Sensing the awkwardness, Shen Rushan glanced at Zhiliao and Ji Tingzhou, cleared his throat, and gestured for them to look at him. "Twins means two children born at the same time. Remember Boss Ma’s wife? She had two kids who looked exactly alike."
"That’s what twins are."
Though sadly, those two were kidnapped at age five and never seen again.
The other two finally understood.
So, this fair-skinned, delicate-looking girl—clearly not a child of Liuxing Street—was Ji Tingzhou’s twin sister.
Their eyes simultaneously turned to Ji Tingzhou.
Ji Tingzhou pressed his lips together, feeling their gazes. He looked back at them as if asking, Why are you staring at me?
He didn’t seem inclined to comment on Ji Nian’s claim.
Blood ties might matter to people elsewhere, but for kids raised on Liuxing Street, family wasn’t exactly a cherished concept.
The silence stretched until Shen Rushan broke it.
"Oh, right! On our way back, we ran into Luo Si and Da Chong."
At the mention of those names, Zhiliao’s expression darkened.
Shen Rushan continued, "Luckily, Ji Nian was there. She kicked them both away in seconds—super impressive! And then I found this."
Mysterious, he pulled something from his pocket and showed it to Zhiliao and Ji Tingzhou.
"Instant noodles."
Zhiliao’s eyes lit up as she looked down.
Even Ji Tingzhou walked over, silent but visibly pleased.
Ji Nian suddenly recalled a popular internet meme: My dad won’t let me eat junk food, but back in his youth…
Meanwhile, Zhiliao was fixated on what Shen Rushan had said about Ji Nian effortlessly taking down two opponents. She mentally compared it to her own skills—even she wouldn’t walk away unscathed from a fight with those two.
People from Liuxing Street were all tough fighters, if nothing else.
Her gaze drifted to the slender-limbed girl across from her.
Meeting her eyes, Ji Nian flashed a bright, eight-teeth smile. For some reason, Zhiliao felt an odd sense of familiarity—maybe because she looked exactly like Xiao Zhou…
The three huddled together, whispering, before Shen Rushan finally turned to Ji Nian. "Finding these noodles was all thanks to you…"
Anticipating his next words, Ji Nian waved a hand. "I won’t eat any. You guys can share."
Shen Rushan blinked in surprise. "You don’t want any?"
Ji Nian hummed in confirmation, her eyes flickering toward Ji Tingzhou. "My dad doesn’t let me eat instant noodles."
Ji Tingzhou, catching her glance, remained expressionless but thought to himself: Your dad’s way too strict.
Seeing Ji Nian genuinely uninterested, Shen Rushan rallied the group to cook the noodles. They weren’t foolish enough to hoard it like some people—anything valuable had to be eaten before it got stolen.
Since Ji Nian had given up her share, Shen Rushan regarded her warmly and urged her inside, warning that rain was coming.
Ji Nian glanced at the overcast sky, then at the rickety, sheet-metal shack that looked ready to collapse in a strong wind. Without a word, she stepped inside.
The interior was dark, lit only by a few candles. While Shen Rushan searched for a pot, Ji Nian noticed Ji Tingzhou still lingering at the doorway.
Zhiliao followed her gaze and explained, "He’s waiting for the dog."
Ji Nian’s eyes brightened in realization.
Ah, Uncle Da Gen.
She nodded her thanks to Zhiliao but couldn’t help staring at her, making Zhiliao shift uncomfortably.
Ji Nian didn’t mean to. Her eyes lingered on Zhiliao’s unmarred profile, lost in thought.
Shen Rushan, now holding a pot, found the interaction strange. Normally, anyone who stared at Zhiliao for more than five seconds would get punched.
Ji Nian finally looked away, scanning the room and wondering where her "Wei Yang gege" was.
As she mentally calculated ages, a sound came from outside—followed by a deep bark.
Ji Nian immediately turned.
Ji Tingzhou, who had been standing like a sentinel at the door, suddenly crouched as a large dog bounded into his arms, nuzzling him affectionately.
The dog rested its head on Ji Tingzhou’s shoulder, locking eyes with Ji Nian, who was peeking out.
The dog’s expression visibly faltered.
"Woof?"
It sniffed the air, wriggled free from Ji Tingzhou, and trotted over to Ji Nian, circling her before tilting its head in confusion.
Ji Nian studied the dog.
Its fur was darker than Da Dan’s, with white patches on its belly—identical to one of the stuffed dog toys she’d once made for Ji Tingzhou.
[Da Gen! Finally meeting the real deal!]
She crouched, extending a hand for the dog to sniff.
Da Gen inhaled her scent, then—to everyone’s astonishment—pushed his head into her palm, tail wagging furiously.
Now even Ji Tingzhou was intrigued, his brows knitting together.
Da Gen was notoriously fierce, tolerating no one but him.
Shen Rushan mused: Can dogs really recognize lookalikes?
