Ji Tingzhou didn't ask the child about her hand, instead, he turned his head and called out Zhiliao's name.
Then, realizing that due to Shen Qingtang's arrival, some changes had occurred in the Ji Family, and many tasks needed her attention, she wouldn't be able to accompany Ji Tingzhou on his outings.
He had to suppress his curiosity for the moment and boarded the car with a stern expression.
He sat in the row of seats next to Ji Nian, his gaze seemingly fixed on the brand-new phone in his hand, but his peripheral vision constantly lingered on Ji Nian.
Since they were attending a funeral, the child wore a black lace-trimmed dress, with a diamond-studded bow at the neckline. Her matching fur-collared coat was hung up by a servant on a hanger.
Her long, curly hair was half-tied, secured at the back with a ribbon.
Ji Nian was sucking on a lollipop, her gaze fixed out the window, seemingly lost in thought.
Shen Qingtang's arrival seemed to have no impact on her at all.
That was natural, after all, her heart was set on her new father, so why would she pay attention to what was happening around her?
Ji Tingzhou even maliciously thought, could that simpleton who only knows how to raise dogs provide you with such a luxurious home, beautiful clothes, and a car this extravagant? Even the lollipop you're eating costs him half a month's salary.
Ji Tingzhou's gaze was too obvious for Ji Nian to ignore.
[What's wrong with the princess now? I didn't say anything, is he glaring at me?]
The system glanced at the pair of dark green eyes brimming with intense malice and awkwardly replied: [Sort of.]
Although it looked more like he wanted to give you a good spanking.
No one knew about the news of Wei Yang's mother's death. The sudden departure of the usually reclusive head of the Ji Family left everyone quite surprised.
The Ji Family was vast, and not everyone knew Ji Nian. Shen Qingtang was a good child, and with the nanny's intentional instructions, she would comfort those who cried and offer cute animal-printed band-aids to those who were injured.
Combined with her natural charm and adorable appearance, she quickly won the affection of many.
Moreover, everyone knew she was the daughter of Shen Rushan, whom the head of the family had been raising since his death.
Meanwhile, a rumor quietly spread within the Ji Family.
"Have you heard? The head suddenly going out is to send Miss Ji Nian to an orphanage."
"Ah? How could that be? Miss Ji Nian is the head's biological daughter."
"You don't know, do you? Earlier, Zuo Secretary brought a lot of orphanage documents to the head, all prepared for Miss Ji Nian."
"Besides, being biological doesn't mean anything. Don't you remember how much the head hates the Ji Family's bloodline? Even his own child, and a... bastard at that."
The last two words were whispered.
As the manager of the Ji Family, Zhiliao quickly noticed these rumors.
She swiftly expelled the leading troublemakers from the Ji Family and punished the rest, soon silencing the gossip.
But she could control the surface, not the thoughts in people's hearts.
Some servants, seeing Shen Qingtang's young age, couldn't resist their crooked thoughts, choosing to curry favor with her, dreaming of future benefits.
Zhiliao watched this, inwardly scoffing.
These past few years, her focus had been on Ji Tingzhou, neglecting the management of these people.
It was a good opportunity to conduct a 'big cleanup' once the head returned.
Regarding the orphanage rumor, it would be debunked once Ji Nian returned, so there was no need to address it.
While the Ji Family was secretly turbulent, Ji Nian remained unaware.
She followed Ji Tingzhou to Wei Yang's hometown.
"Brother, I'm going in."
Wei Yang no longer cried, but his eyes were red.
Ji Tingzhou patted his shoulder: "Mm."
Ji Nian obediently stayed by Ji Tingzhou's side. She was well-behaved, unlike most children who would still run around even with parental supervision.
It seemed she understood the purpose of their visit, as she was quiet throughout, holding a small white flower she had picked up somewhere.
She was the only child present.
Most of the attendees were Wei Yang's maternal relatives, not many, just a few, with the rest being former colleagues from the same factory and familiar neighbors.
They occasionally glanced at the strikingly colored, good-looking pair, clearly father and daughter.
When they learned that Ji Tingzhou was Wei Yang's boss, they both marveled at his youth.
In the farewell hall, people took turns paying their respects to the deceased.
Wei Yang, with red eyes, silently thanked each person who came to see his mother.
Finally, it was Ji Tingzhou's turn.
After confirming that Wei Yang was more resilient than he had imagined, Ji Tingzhou looked at Wei Yang's mother's body, whom he hadn't seen in years.
She lay there quietly, covered in a white cloth. Ignoring her pale complexion, she looked more like she was sleeping.
"Auntie, I'll take care of Wei Yang from now on."
Ji Tingzhou's words were clearly a promise.
Hearing this, Ji Nian looked up.
Unlike the psychotic young man in the system's narrative, who had killed his own kin and held a dark, ascension-driven script,
Ji Tingzhou, who attended his subordinate's funeral and made a promise to the subordinate's deceased mother, appeared more fleshed out and three-dimensional in Ji Nian's eyes.
She tugged at Ji Tingzhou's trouser leg.
Feeling the pull, Ji Tingzhou's thick lashes lowered, his gaze sweeping over Ji Nian, who had been quietly following him. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveI★Fire.net
'Your dad's at home feeding the dogs, who are you looking for?'
His gaze seemed to say.
Ji Nian didn't understand the look; she wasn't a piece of excrement in Ji Tingzhou's stomach.
She tiptoed and raised the small flower in her hand a bit higher.
She looked at Wei Yang's mother, lying there.
Next to her, Wei Yang, who had already shed tears upon hearing Ji Tingzhou's words, felt even more heartbroken seeing Ji Nian offer a flower to his mother.
If he ever had a family, he wanted to have a daughter as obedient, understanding, and kind as Ji Nian.
Ji Tingzhou's gaze fell on the other hand, still bandaged, hanging by her side.
His lips tightened unconsciously.
But now was clearly not the time to pursue this matter. He took the flower from her hand and placed it by Wei Yang's mother's side.
After the funeral ended, Ji Tingzhou went to the restroom, and Ji Nian waited for him at the door.
[Speaking of which, this is the first time I've gone out since my time travel.]
This world was similar to the one she had lived in before, with comparable technological levels, though the countries and place names were different. This relieved Ji Nian, who planned to leave the Ji Family in the future.
As she was mentally planning, she suddenly caught an unkind gaze.
Ji Nian looked up and saw several men standing not far away, eyeing her, with cigarettes in their hands.
But with her lower line of sight, Ji Nian immediately spotted a hand in the grass, still stained with blood!