Yu Miao fell silent for a moment, seemingly caught off guard by her question.
But in the end, he answered.
"Theoretically, he won’t wake up."
Ji Nian nodded to show she understood.
Wei Yang pulled out a chair for Ji Nian, letting the child sit down.
Ji Tingzhou’s injuries had been treated, though honestly, the color of the bandages clashed with his outfit, making them an eyesore.
Wei Yang turned and left, followed by Yu Miao, leaving Ji Nian alone in the room.
Ji Nian dimmed most of the lights and sat back down, her gaze lingering on Ji Tingzhou yet seeming to look past him.
The conversation she’d had with Yu Miao downstairs replayed in her mind.
At the time, she had eyed the casually seated man with suspicion. "You just told me everything, just like that?"
Yu Miao replied, "It was Mr. Ji’s intention."
Under Ji Nian’s puzzled stare, he explained, "Young Master Lu’s investigation into me—Mr. Ji already knew about it."
His eyes rested on Ji Nian, who showed not a hint of guilt, and he mused that no matter the family, a child investigating their father was a taboo that could ruin relationships.
But to his surprise, Ji Tingzhou had merely clicked his tongue and uttered, with a tone so indulgent it sent shivers down one’s spine, "You little imp."
"Mr. Ji anticipated you’d find out, so he instructed me that if you discovered the truth, I should just tell you outright."
"Besides that, Mr. Ji also asked me to relay a message to you."
Ji Nian uncrossed her legs, thinking irritably that if he dared say something like ‘don’t worry,’ she’d burn his entire wardrobe.
Did he even know how worried they’d been?
Then Yu Miao paused before mimicking Ji Tingzhou’s tone, his voice low and firm. "The watch I ordered earlier is almost here. Remember to bring it to me."
Ji Nian: "…………"
Snapping out of her thoughts, Ji Nian felt a surge of mischief and reached out to ruffle his hair. But as she drew closer and saw the exhaustion etched into his sleeping face, she held back.
He’d finally found some peace—she wouldn’t disturb him.
With a sigh, she took out a stick of incense from her small bag, glanced around, and placed it on a low cabinet in the corner before lighting it.
Soon, the fragrance filled the room, so potent it made Ji Nian drowsy. She yawned and headed downstairs.
At the foot of the stairs, she ran into Wei Yang, who had just returned.
He waved her over.
Wei Yang had gone to question the people Ji Tingzhou had brought with him. Under his scrutiny, they’d spilled every detail of what had happened that day, trembling in fear.
Afterward, he led Ji Nian to a clean spot, handed her a warm cup of tea, and sat down beside her, his long legs awkwardly folded.
"Got this from the night shift. Drink up and warm yourself."
When the family doctor had explained menstruation to Ji Nian, Wei Yang had listened too, even taking notes—afraid he’d fail to take care of her properly.
Once Ji Nian took the cup, he sprawled beside her and said, "Ji Xi came by."
At the mention of Ji Xi, Ji Nian’s brows lifted. "Dad let him in?"
Wei Yang nodded. "But he got kicked out in the end."
"He brought some kind of medicine, said it could ease the family head’s suffering. But the family head… smashed it."
Ji Nian sighed in disappointment.
Her father’s temper—couldn’t he have held back? Agreed to whatever Ji Xi said, taken the medicine first?
Even if he couldn’t move, they could’ve snatched it.
Genetic disorders causing mental illness weren’t her expertise—she specialized in poisons. But the Ji or Chen families had pharmacists who could handle it.
Wei Yang then handed her something. "The bottle was smashed, but afterward, the family head sent someone to collect samples from the spill."
"And Ji Xi said if it wasn’t consumed within a set time after opening, it would become useless."
Ji Nian’s interest piqued.
She took the sealed sample.
No wonder.
If it would expire, there was no point in fighting for it.
Ji Nian returned and sat beside Ji Tingzhou again, determined to wait for him to wake. Wei Yang couldn’t persuade her otherwise and quietly stepped outside to stand guard.
[It’s a temporary relief, not a cure. Ji Tingzhou’s episode was Ji Xi’s doing.]
Her eyes were closed, but her conversation with the system continued.
If not for her worry over Ji Tingzhou, she’d have rushed back to the lab to analyze the supposedly ineffective liquid.
Just then—
The fingers resting on the bed twitched.
Even with sedatives, Ji Tingzhou’s sleep was restless.
In his dreams, rain mixed with blood streamed down his face. He felt filthy, so filthy he wanted to peel off his own skin.
"HAHAHAHA! You damn mutt! Those disgusting eyes remind me of that mongrel dog you kept."
"You know how I caught that damn thing? It was cunning as hell."
"I used a piece of cloth soaked in your blood to lure it out. It thought you were hurt and came running, dumb mutt! HAHAHA!"
His blood boiled, pumping not oxygen but pure hatred, the kind that longed to carve his enemy into a thousand pieces.
"If you don’t want those little rats you met in the garbage heap to suffer, you’d better behave and be our plaything."
"I think there was one surnamed Shen… still in school, wasn’t he?"
Ji Tingzhou’s eyes snapped open, bloodshot.
A figure appeared before him.
Ji Yanzhen.
In his youth, Ji Yanzhen had been strikingly beautiful—a face so androgynous he could pass for either gender, his smile sweet and innocent.
But now, he held a mangled, bloodied animal in his hand, his crimson lips curling into a vicious sneer as he taunted Ji Tingzhou: "Hey, little mutt. Want some dog meat?"
Ji Tingzhou lunged, seizing Ji Yanzhen’s throat with crushing force.
Ji Yanzhen, unfazed, kept laughing, still asking if Ji Tingzhou wanted to eat the dog.
Kill him—
Kill him kill him kill him kill him kill him kill him.
A voice inside him screamed, fueling a tidal wave of bloodlust that swallowed him whole.
Until a tremendous force slammed into him, hurling him backward.
With a roar, Ji Tingzhou hit the ground, his crimson gaze clearing for a split second.
Ji Yanzhen was gone.
Only a slender girl remained, collapsed on the floor, clutching her throat as she coughed violently.
Wei Yang knelt beside her, holding her protectively while glaring at Ji Tingzhou with a mix of wariness and sorrow.
Ji Tingzhou’s fingers spasmed. He shut his eyes tightly, his voice hoarse and exhausted.
"Wei Yang… take her away."
"Don’t let her see me."
"That’s an order."
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