No sooner had she spoken than her knee visibly jerked forward, a wave of soreness spreading through it—uncomfortable, yet it brought tears to Madam Yu's eyes.
How long had it been...
How long since she had last felt the presence of her own legs?
Her withered heart, nourished by this small movement as if infused with clear water, made her feel alive again.
"Yes, yes! Your leg moved, Madam Yu, your leg moved!"
The servants were overjoyed.
They had watched helplessly as Madam Yu went from moving freely to gradually losing all mobility, as if her heart had withered along with her body.
"I'll go inform the Commander right away... I..."
The servant stammered excitedly for a moment before snapping back to reality and dashing out.
By the window, the lilies still bloomed vibrantly, their petals swaying gently in the breeze as if rejoicing for Madam Yu.
Upon receiving the news, Yu Jun shot up from his chair, the Eight Immortals chair clattering to the floor, unnoticed.
His hand holding the phone trembled slightly as he took several deep breaths.
A mountain of duties still demanded his attention—someone in his position couldn’t simply drop everything and rush back now.
He could only grasp the situation over the phone.
"The Ji family's medicine? You're certain?"
His voice darkened, and even through the screen, the servant on the other end broke into a cold sweat.
"The doctors are already examining Madam."
Truth be told, the whole thing was surreal.
That pair who had shown up like they were just there to play—the older one seemed riddled with issues, sitting around without a care, while the younger one actually did something, but aside from basic checkups and chatting, they were just a kid.
Compared to the experts the Commander had brought in before, these two seemed like actors putting on a half-hearted performance.
Yet who would’ve thought that the medicine these two casually administered after a cursory examination would actually work...
The world—one giant slapdash affair.
Not long after, Commander Yu’s call reached Ji Tingzhou’s phone.
He happened to be sitting in Ji Nian’s lab, fresh out of the examination machine.
Meanwhile, he amused himself watching Ji Nian, his fourteen-year-old daughter, scolding Bruce—a man old enough to be his father—until he couldn’t even lift his head.
"Is it really that hard to understand, Bruce?"
In just a few days, the fresh tomato had turned into a frostbitten eggplant.
It was like being back in school—what better way to relive one’s youth?
But compared to those days of being crushed by seniors and ignored by professors, Bruce now seemed to be suffering in a mix of agony and delight.
"Yes, Teacher. I’ll be more careful next time, Teacher."
A man nearing forty, calling Ji Nian "Teacher" without a hint of shame.
If his assistant saw this, their jaw would probably hit the floor.
Ji Tingzhou deftly removed the wires attached to him and stepped away to take the call.
Commander Yu was personally inquiring about the medicine.
Ji Tingzhou was generous—he answered every question without hesitation, having memorized Ji Nian’s script beforehand, explaining the medicine’s effects flawlessly.
"Madam Yu’s condition requires a second dose."
Meaning one more injection was needed to complete the treatment.
The slight heaviness in Commander Yu’s breathing betrayed his emotions.
Just then, Ji Tingzhou’s previously amiable tone shifted sharply: "But what a shame."
"It seems you don’t welcome us."
"I’m too thin-skinned to impose again."
With that, he hung up with a sharp click.
Hearing Ji Tingzhou’s voice, Ji Nian glanced up.
See? Offend Ji Tingzhou, and you’d face the consequences.
A man of Commander Yu’s age and stature probably never expected to be hung up on by some young upstart.
But what could he do?
Ji Tingzhou had that woman protecting him from above—untouchable. And now, with a favor to ask, he had no choice but to endure.
"Teacher, there’s something off about Ji Xi’s blood composition..."
Bruce suddenly leaned in, pointing at Ji Xi’s blood test results—newly reanalyzed by Ji Nian’s equipment.
Ji Nian nodded, handing him Sun Xiao’s earlier report along with similar cases gathered from across the country. Thɪs chapter is updated by novｅlfire.net
"They resemble Ji Xi’s, but his values here are significantly higher—so active it shouldn’t even be possible in a human."
Her gaze rested on the black-and-white documents, expressionless.
She tapped the bottom file.
Bruce took it, scanning quickly before gasping. "His blood has sedative and restorative properties?"
Which was exactly why she needed to capture Ji Xi.
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow at the sudden flood of massive orders.
Learning they were from the military, he smirked knowingly, though his eyes held a trace of awe.
The Ji family’s pharmacist... Normally inactive, yet every move shook the world. And this one was notoriously low-key, almost indifferent.
"Boss, this is the only photo we managed to get. They’ve been under surveillance since leaving the sanatorium, but we only captured this one shot."
Chen Mo’s eyes glinted as he pulled the photo from the file.
He’d never given up on unmasking them.
Looking down, the photo showed only the back of a tall man carrying a wooden case, his hair slightly curled, posture impeccable.
Yet Chen Mo’s eyelids twitched.
Suddenly, he lost interest.
Damn, that looked too much like Ji Tingzhou. What rotten luck.
Agent One nodded. "The team reported the man had a short kid with him."
Chen Mo’s suspicion deepened.
Why would he bring a kid to the Commander’s house? Unless it wasn’t the pharmacist himself.
To reconnect with Ji Tingzhou, Commander Yu swallowed his pride, throwing every resource he could muster into the effort.
Ji Tingzhou remained unmoved.
Then came the Commander’s fury—a storm of authority crashing down—yet Ji Tingzhou still didn’t flinch. Ji Nian woke daily to find him lounging, legs crossed, watching dramas, sometimes amusing himself with a one-eyed calico kitten he’d picked up from who-knows-where. When bored, he’d hand the cat off to a servant.
Compared to Ji Nian’s relentless schedule, he radiated far more vitality.
Though she wasn’t the busiest—Zuo Yi, who used to drop by for meals, had now vanished entirely.
Outside, the political storm raged like a hurricane, yet the Ji household seemed untouched.
Until Commander Yu received that call—from the woman—politely advising him to stand down. Only then did he understand.
Despite her interest in Mu Xiu’s experiments, this formidable figure remained the Ji family’s staunchest ally.
Of course. During the transition of power, Ji Tingzhou had pulled strings to secure her position.
So, two days later...
Commander Yu arrived in person.
Even bringing gifts tailored to Ji Tingzhou’s tastes—and one specially chosen for Ji Nian.