NOVPUBThe next morning, when Ji Nian saw Lu Jinghuai at the family dining table, she was momentarily stunned.
Especially since Ji Tingzhou was sitting right across from Lu Jinghuai.
In the golden morning light streaming through the white curtains fluttering in the breeze, the two figures—one with golden hues, the other dark—sat facing each other. Hearing footsteps, they both looked up simultaneously at Ji Nian.
"What year is it now?"
Ji Tingzhou smirked, eyeing the little thing dressed in a school uniform, her face still groggy from sleep, yet bearing identical features to his own.
Ji Nian, catching the disdain in her father’s gaze, walked over with an exasperated expression. "I’m awake."
She then pulled out a chair and sat beside Lu Jinghuai. "Young Master Lu, is the breakfast to your liking?"
Knowing they had a guest, the kitchen had not only prepared an extra portion but also made the dishes more elaborate and refined.
Watching her fuss over Lu Jinghuai, Ji Tingzhou’s eye twitched.
Pathetic.
If he doesn’t like it, he can leave. Why even ask?
Even Lu Jinghuai, despite the morning puffiness around his eyes, still looked effortlessly elegant. He replied gently, "It’s delicious."
Ji Nian thought, Good, then turned to her father. "Dad, are you going out today?"
Otherwise, why would he be up so early?
Ji Tingzhou glanced at her but didn’t answer.
His temperament had always been eccentric, so Ji Nian was used to it. Even if he ignored her, she wouldn’t take it to heart.
It wasn’t until they were about to leave that Ji Nian, noticing Ji Tingzhou’s leisurely demeanor, suddenly realized.
"Oh."
"Today must be the release day for Desperate Dad 2, nine years in the making."
Since it was a foreign film, Ji Tingzhou had to wake up early to catch the raw, untranslated version.
The system chimed in: Hmph~
Ji Nian rolled her eyes.
The only hardship Ji Tingzhou endured these days was waking up two hours early for his dramas.
Having stayed up all night, Ji Nian felt sluggish the entire day.
But looking at Shen Qingtang, who still woke up at 5 AM for his morning run, Gu Xiuyuan, who went to school early to inspect students’ uniforms, and He Xiang, who seemed completely unfazed, Ji Nian felt like a useless lump.
Not to boast, but in a fight, she could take all three of them at once. So why did they have so much more energy than her?
It wasn’t until math class, when she glanced at Lu Jinghuai and saw the young master struggling to keep his eyes open, that Ji Nian felt a sense of satisfaction.
She then pinched her arm to stay awake and focused on the lesson.
Now’s the time to study!
Outshine Lu Jinghuai at all costs!
...
After school, Ji Nian went straight to her father’s study.
Wei Yang was massaging Ji Tingzhou’s shoulders, his expression obsequious—clearly angling for money.
Without hesitation, Ji Nian shoved him aside and took over the massage duty, grinning.
"Dad, you know I’m going out later, right?"
"Can I borrow You Er?"
Wei Yang, now sidelined, widened his eyes in shock.
Since when did You Er rise in the ranks without my knowledge?!
Ji Tingzhou was well aware of Ji Nian’s plan to visit Sun Xiao. In fact, the moment she booked her tickets, he had already made arrangements.
While he wanted her to gain experience, he wasn’t about to let her go completely unprepared.
"Fine."
Ji Tingzhou kept his eyes closed, enjoying the massage.
Ji Nian cheerfully grabbed an apple from the table and placed it in his hand like an offering. "Then I’ll go find him."
Zhiliao had already packed her luggage.
Ji Nian made a quick stop at the lab to grab a few things.
Chen Mo, assigned to escort her, was waiting in the car.
"Take your time, no rush."
He steadied her as she climbed into the seat.
"Where’s Wei Yang?"
"I didn’t bring him this time. Dad lent me You Er instead."
Unlike Wei Yang’s hulking presence, You Er was leaner and far less noticeable—perfect for discreet travel. He wouldn’t draw attention, yet he was more than capable in a crisis.
"Why the sudden urge to go yourself? Uncle could’ve just sent someone."
Chen Mo looked at her with concern, clearly reluctant to let her undertake the trip.
Ji Nian sipped her juice and leaned back, flashing him a sweet smile. "I want to challenge myself, Uncle. This is a good opportunity."
Truthfully, the matter wasn’t complicated. The Chen family could’ve resolved it quickly without her, albeit at a higher cost. But in their line of work, money was never an issue.
The fact that it had dragged on this long suggested Chen Mo had deliberately left it for her.
Reading between the lines, Ji Nian realized her uncle and father had conspired to test her.
She saw through it but didn’t mind.
If they coddled her like a greenhouse flower, that would’ve been the real headache.
In her past life, Ji Nian had been nothing more than a lowly pharmacist. But now, with access to resources beyond just medicine, she wasn’t about to waste the chance to learn.
Ji Tingzhou often praised her intelligence, but she knew better.
Outside of poisons, she couldn’t match Gu Xiuyuan’s academic prowess or Shen Qingtang’s reflexes. As they grew older, the gap forged by her past-life experience would shrink.
Soon, people might start thinking: Ji Nian? She’s nothing special.
"Oh, Uncle, someone asked me to give you this."
She casually handed him a brown paper bag.
Chen Mo, expecting pastries or snacks, was ready to compliment her thoughtfulness—until he opened it.
Inside were three sealed vials of transparent liquid, accompanied by a printed instruction sheet.
[xxxxxxxxxxx Rapid Recovery]
Amid the string of indecipherable technical terms, Chen Mo only recognized the last four words.
Skimming the description, his expression shifted—
Three parts shock, three parts disbelief, two parts what the hell, and two parts utter confusion.
Ji Nian could practically see a pie chart in his eyes.
"She just… handed this to you?"
Like it was a leftover baozi.
After a long silence, Chen Mo finally managed to speak. 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝙢
Ji Nian nodded. "Yep."
"She said you can test these samples first. But for future collaborations, the Chen family will have exclusive rights in China."
The envy in Chen Mo’s eyes could’ve burned a hole through Ji Tingzhou, miles away in the Ji residence.
Where the hell did he unearth this pharmacist?!
The Ji Group had only recently ventured into pharmaceuticals, yet they casually produced breakthroughs like this. Compared to companies pouring fortunes into research with little to show, it was downright infuriating.
Chen Mo was green with jealousy, but Ji Nian herself felt uneasy.
After all, although she specialized in pharmacology, her focus was primarily on toxic agents. This was her first attempt at formulating clinical medications.
One could say that all her energy during these seven years of seclusion had been poured into this very endeavor.
