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

It was only the first treatment, but Ji Nian almost thought he was exceptionally gifted, able to start speaking again in such a short time.

She hurriedly examined him, only to realize he could barely produce a faint sound.

Even so, Ji Nian felt a flicker of joy.

This meant the medicine was working, and his body was responding well.

Of course, what pleased her most was that Lu Jinghuai, who had always refused to communicate, was now willing to reach out on his own.

She had feared that even if his body recovered, his spirit would remain broken.

"Thank you for comforting me. All the unhappiness from before is gone now."

"I mean it. I'm not just saying that to make you feel better."

"Here, touch it."

She carefully took one of his hands and guided it toward the corner of her lips.

Even through the bandages, his sense of touch was dulled, but Ji Nian still did it anyway.

Before, she hadn't dared to touch him because his wounds wouldn't heal and kept reopening. But now, with the medicine taking effect, a gentle touch wouldn't cause any harm.

Lu Jinghuai's finger moved slightly.

As if he was really trying to trace the curve of her smile.

Seeing him still responding to her, Ji Nian's eyes curved even more, and she couldn't wait to share the good news with Lu Zhi.

After talking with Lu Jinghuai for a while and telling him another story, she waited until he fell asleep before leaving.

On her way out, her mind wandered.

At the very least, now wasn't the time to be stubborn—she should go talk to Ji Tingzhou again.

She had been too angry earlier to even argue back.

[Even if he doesn't need it, what about Wei Yang?]

Could Ji Tingzhou really bear to leave him in that deranged state forever?

Ji Nian believed that even in a parallel world, his feelings for Wei Yang wouldn't change.

Unfortunately, by the time she returned, Ji Tingzhou was already gone.

A servant informed her that dinner was ready.

Ji Nian absentmindedly touched her stomach, belatedly realizing she was a little hungry, and nodded.

Before coming to the Lu family, she had thought the variety of dishes at the Ji household was extravagant. But here, she learned what true luxury meant.

Many of the dishes were things she couldn't even name. Each portion was small, and after just one bite, the servants would bring the next one based on her glance.

Though hungry, her appetite had been ruined by the argument with Ji Tingzhou. She barely touched her food, picking at it mechanically.

Distracted, she barely registered what she was eating, mindlessly lifting her chopsticks to her mouth.

Then, suddenly, a gust of wind brushed past the tip of her nose.

"Ah!"

The startled cry from a servant snapped her back to reality.

She turned her head—

And met Ji Tingzhou's furious face.

His pale, gaunt features were alight with anger, his emerald-green eyes burning brighter than usual, no longer lifeless but brimming with energy.

He had knocked the food right out of her chopsticks, sending it clattering to the floor.

She stared at him, baffled.

Then Ji Tingzhou spat out a single word: "Idiot."

Without any explanation, he turned and left.

Ji Nian: "……"

[Is he out of his—]

The system cut her off: [Hold on.]

[Did you even notice what you were about to eat?]

At its reminder, Ji Nian looked down at the plate in front of her.

[Crab-stuffed orange?]

She froze, staring at the dish.

Her ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‍irritation at Ji Tingzhou's sudden interference faded instantly.

Ji Nian was allergic to Song Cheng (bitter orange).

Severely so—even the scent could trigger a reaction.

Bitter orange peel smelled pleasant, but the fruit itself was sour and bitter, usually only used as a fragrance ingredient. Once, Shen Qingtang had gifted her a perfume containing bitter orange. The moment Ji Nian tried it, red rashes erupted across her skin, and her face swelled up almost instantly.

After that, Ji Tingzhou had banned all fragrances containing bitter orange in the house, forbidding anyone from wearing perfume.

"How did he know…?"

Ji Nian set down her chopsticks with a sigh, turning her head away as she sneezed. She explained her allergy to the servants and had the dish removed.

The head chef rushed out to apologize profusely.

Ji Nian assured them it wasn't their fault—the servants had asked about her allergies beforehand. She had simply forgotten.

"And he still called me an idiot…"

The word was so characteristic of Ji Tingzhou that it made her miss her father.

"Ah…"

The next time she saw Ji Tingzhou was three days later.

In fact, she hadn't seen much of Lu Zhi either during that time.

She had no idea what the two of them, who rarely interacted, were up to now.

Fortunately, Lu Zhi appeared for Lu Jinghuai's second treatment.

"Uncle Lu."

Ji Nian greeted him.

Lu Zhi walked over and patted her head in front of everyone.

Noticing her gaze darting behind him, he chuckled. "Ji Tingzhou isn't here."

Ji Nian muttered under her breath that she wasn't looking for him.

Lu Zhi shook his head.

These two were truly father and daughter—both deeply concerned about each other, yet stubborn and prideful.

If he had initially suspected Ji Tingzhou's arrival had ulterior motives, Lu Zhi had since relaxed.

He could see it now.

Ji Tingzhou was just acting like a child, throwing some kind of tantrum.

Honestly, how immature. If Ji Nian were his daughter, he'd be laughing in his sleep, hugging his wife in delight.

"Uncle Lu, after the second treatment, Ah Huai's condition should stabilize. I'll start preparing the follow-up medication."

Hearing this, Lu Zhi understood her meaning.

"Are you returning to China?"

Ji Nian nodded.

After administering the second injection, she carefully dressed Lu Jinghuai's wound and wrapped it again.

Then she confirmed, "Yes."

The moment she spoke—

The hand she had just placed back on the bed suddenly gripped hers.

The force was so strong that his barely healed wounds split open, blood immediately soaking through the bandages.

"Ah Huai!"

Lu Zhi called out in alarm, stepping forward to separate them. But at his father's voice, Lu Jinghuai only tightened his grip.

Ji Nian shot Lu Zhi a look, signaling for him to leave this to her.

Seeing the blood seeping through the bandages, Lu Zhi swallowed his panic. The root of the issue lay with Ji Nian—it was better to let the two of them resolve it themselves.

"Alright, you two talk."

With that, he ushered everyone out of the room, leaving Ji Nian and Lu Jinghuai alone.