A Little Trick, the Scumbag Dad Can’t Hold the Knife After Understanding Love

Queen Feia was well aware of her current circumstances.

The young woman, blessed with extraordinary talent, had nowhere to go after leaving the Lu family.

She wasn't the least bit curious about the authenticity of the records concerning Ji Nian's past.

Feia only trusted what her eyes could see in the present.

Ji Nian accepted the mineral resources without much hesitation but declined everything else.

Upon learning that Ji Nian had no plans to stay in Country O permanently, Feia didn't press for reasons. She simply nodded and said, "I never take back my words. These things are still yours."

In her heart, Ji Nian sighed in admiration: Queen indeed.

After their brief conversation, Ji Nian began preparing for Lu Jinghuai's first treatment.

Seeing Lu Jinghuai again after so long, Ji Nian still disliked the sight of him—lifeless, confined to a bed, sustained only by nutrient solutions.

Lu Jinghuai shouldn't have been like this.

He should have remained the radiant center of attention, dazzling crowds as he pursued extreme, adrenaline-fueled adventures.

"Ah Huai…"

Ji Nian called his name softly.

No response came, of course.

He had long lost the ability to speak.

After the first treatment concluded, everyone who had watched Lu Jinghuai teeter on the edge of death for years gathered around the screens, monitoring his vital signs.

John Qiao supported the elderly professor who had once held Lu Jinghuai as a child, handing him a handkerchief to wipe his tears.

Even Queen Feia, who had never before shown outward emotion, now wore a faint expression—a mix of relief and sorrow—as she comforted Lu Zhi, whose eyes were reddened, gently stroking his back.

"Ji Nian, thank you."

Lu Zhi expressed his gratitude solemnly when he saw her.

Ji Nian brushed it off with a polite response.

The refinement of the ores would take time. After outlining her requirements, Ji Nian found herself besieged by researchers from the National Institute. Even the retired director, now eighty years old, flew back just to consult her.

The demands left Ji Nian with no time to visit Lu Jinghuai. Eventually, Queen Feia noticed her predicament and issued an order forbidding anyone from disturbing her—limiting their inquiries to ten emailed questions per day.

Rumor had it that fierce debates, rivaling palace intrigue, now raged within the National Institute over those ten precious slots.

But none of that concerned Ji Nian at the moment.

She sat by Lu Jinghuai's bedside.

Outwardly, after the first treatment, he looked no different from before.

Ji Nian read to him, her voice steady and warm.

When she grew tired, she switched to telling jokes. Sometimes, even when Lu Jinghuai didn't react, she would double over laughing until tears streamed down her face.

On sunny days, knowing how much he loved the sun, she helped the servants move his bed and life-support equipment outside.

She wandered the grounds and returned with an armful of flowers, placing them near his nose.

"Smell them—aren't they lovely?"

"There's one with petals in a soft gradient of yellow and white, so delicate and beautiful. It reminds me of you—the kind of person who'd still smell sweet even if drenched in filth."

"Oddly enough, these seem more fragrant than the ones in the palace gardens, even though they're the same variety."

A thought struck her, and she rested her chin on her hand, smiling. "Maybe it's because you're here. That's why these flowers smell sweeter."

"Once you're well enough to travel, I'll take you to see the flowers I planted at home—"

She paused mid-sentence.

[Well… the Ji family now has no trace of the flowers I once planted with Ji Tingzhou.]

"Never mind. Forget I said that."

"The scabs on my face have mostly healed. If someone like me can recover, so can you."

"Our Ah Huai is too beautiful for this world to lose."

She spoke these words—so beautiful—to a figure wrapped in bandages, barely recognizable as human. Yet her voice brimmed with sincerity, as if she truly believed it.

"Let me sing for you. Someone once told me I have a lovely voice, so I'm sure you'll like it too."

She hummed the opening notes softly before singing,

"Embed the privately treasured night's emerald~"

"Into the heart…"

Her voice was quiet, tender. She didn't notice the faint twitch in the fingers of the man who should have been unresponsive.

Two days later, while Lu Jinghuai rested in preparation for the next treatment, Ji Nian remained busy. She spent two sleepless nights formulating a specialized skin-regeneration serum tailored to his condition.

When Lu Zhi saw her, he was startled.

"Your face—it's completely healed?"

The young woman before him had managed only two hours of sleep before rushing over. Her hair was hastily tied back, dark circles shadowed her eyes, yet exhaustion couldn't mar her flawless features.

Her face was exquisitely sculpted, as if the goddess Nüwa had crafted it to showcase her skill. Even when her emerald-green eyes were dull with fatigue, they gleamed like precious jade, impossible to ignore.

But ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍what struck Lu Zhi most was…

How much she resembled Ji Tingzhou.

Though her features were softer, the resemblance in her eyes and facial structure was uncanny—undeniable proof of their blood ties.

"Yeah, but the newly healed skin doesn't match the other side yet. It looks a bit frightening."

Lu Zhi immediately protested that it wasn't the least bit ugly.

"Ah Huai's condition isn't urgent. I heard you've been in the lab for two days without proper rest. Xiya! Take Ji Nian to get some sleep."

Ji Nian initially refused, but Lu Zhi insisted, and she was eventually escorted away to rest.

After a long nap, she bathed, dressed in fresh clothes chosen by the servants, and enjoyed a hearty meal. Refreshed and well-fed, she donned the elegant gown Lu Zhi had picked for her and returned to Lu Jinghuai's side.

"His skin will itch intensely these next few days. Make sure someone watches him so he doesn't scratch."

Fresh from her bath, she carried a faint, sweet fragrance.

The doctor was unwrapping the bandages from Lu Jinghuai's face, revealing a ravaged, pockmarked visage that sent a ripple of shock through the room.

Ji Nian had always loved his eyes, but now, even his lashes were gone. His entire face looked as though it had been pulled from a vat of corrosive acid—grotesque, nightmarish, enough to turn stomachs.

The onlookers paled.

"Everyone, leave."

"I'll take it from here."

Ji Nian's voice cut through the silence, snapping them back to reality.

The doctor was the first to comply, understanding that lingering would only cause discomfort. As he led the others out, a thought crossed his mind:

Miss Ji is truly remarkable. After years of tending to Young Master Lu's bandages, we still can't bear the sight. Yet she remains unfazed on her first encounter.

And the way she treats him… it's as if they've known each other for decades.

Once alone, Ji Nian carefully prepared the serum she had brought.

"I made this serum a pale gold—the color of your hair, like the first light of dawn."

Seated beside him, she studied his face—a sight that would haunt anyone's nightmares. After a moment, she suddenly stood, leaned down, and pressed a gentle kiss to his scarred cheek.

The person who had shown no reaction before now had their eyelids trembling slightly, as if startled by something unbelievable.

"You're not scary at all."

"In my eyes, you'll always be the most beautiful."

With a gentle touch that lingered only for a moment before parting, Ji Nian lowered her gaze and spoke to him earnestly.