A Little Trick, the Scumbag Dad Can't Hold the Knife After Understanding Love-Chapter 259

The physical education class was more than halfway over, and the remaining time was left for the students to freely engage in activities.

Ji Nian and a few others sat cross-legged in a corner of the gymnasium, a checklist placed on the floor between them.

"For ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍drinks, let's just follow Little Crown Prince's suggestion and grab them from the Gu Family," Ji Nian said, scanning the list of essentials they had compiled. She pointed at the drinks section, crossed it out with her pen, then looked up teasingly at He Xiang. "Oh, and don’t forget to snag a few pairs of guests' underwear for He Xiang while we're at it."

Amid Shen Qingtang's laughter, He Xiang pressed his lips together and lowered his head in surrender.

He would never joke around again.

Who would’ve thought he’d be teased about it for so long?

"The schedule is set. After school today, we’ll go shopping for the materials together. But to avoid running into Gu Xiuyuan, we should go separately and meet up at the supermarket entrance," Shen Qingtang said, then turned to glance at Ji Nian. "If you’re busy, you can skip it. We can handle the shopping."

She had noticed that Ji Nian seemed to have a lot on her plate lately. She knew Ji Nian had already started getting involved with the family business, so compared to the rest of them, Ji Nian was the one with actual responsibilities.

Ji Nian leaned back, pressing her back against the cool wall. The chill seeped through her thin sports shirt, making her sigh in relief. "I still have time for shopping."

Hearing her response, Lu Jinghuai’s eyes flickered slightly.

He recalled the information he had gathered before learning about Big Egg’s passing. freewebnøvel.com

The issue with the problematic medication from the collaboration between the Chen Family and the Ji Family had been circulating quietly within their circles. Though temporarily suppressed, if no official statement was released soon, the situation could turn ugly.

Speaking of which… the head of the Chen Family was called Chen Mo, wasn’t he?

The "Mo Mo" Ji Nian often mentioned must be him.

If Ji Nian’s father was already letting her handle company affairs, it made sense that she knew Chen Mo.

Chen Mo was nearly forty, unmarried—though whether he had any illegitimate children was unknown. Given the Ji Family’s influence, there was no need to send their underage daughter over for an alliance, let alone with any of his illegitimate offspring.

But if Lu Jinghuai remembered correctly, the Chen and Ji Families had clashed multiple times years ago, their relationship far from amicable.

Let him guess why the ice between them had suddenly thawed.

Chen Mo, you must be quite taken with Ji Nian too, aren’t you?

Lu Jinghuai’s expression cooled slightly.

"Hey! Little Crown Prince!!"

They were in the middle of their discussion when Ji Nian suddenly noticed something flying straight toward them out of the corner of her eye. It was moving slowly enough that they could easily dodge it.

But for some reason, Lu Jinghuai remained motionless, sitting right where he was—until the ball smacked him squarely in the head from the side.

Under everyone’s stunned gazes, Lu Jinghuai slowly raised a hand to cover the spot where he’d been hit.

"Little Crown Prince, are you okay?!"

"Quick! A stretcher!! Get a stretcher!!!"

"Am I the only one amazed that Little Crown Prince took a hit from Yang Xiaoying’s cannonball-like throw and didn’t even get knocked down??"

"I’m fine."

Lu Jinghuai raised a hand to silence the clamor.

He stood up, swaying slightly, but apart from his disheveled hair, he showed no obvious signs of injury.

"No need for a stretcher. I’ll go to the infirmary myself."

"I’m so sorry, really, Little Crown Prince! I didn’t mean to—I thought no one was here, so I just…"

The student who had thrown the ball rushed over, apologizing profusely.

Lu Jinghuai merely waved it off. "It’s fine. I know it wasn’t on purpose."

His understanding only made the other person feel even guiltier.

Ji Nian finally found an opening to speak. "Let me take you to the infirmary."

This time, Lu Jinghuai didn’t refuse.

Holding the side of his head where he’d been hit, he obediently followed Ji Nian out.

Shen Qingtang watched the forgotten ball roll away, then turned to He Xiang. "Hah, Xiang."

He Xiang hesitated for a moment before realizing she was calling him.

?

Shen Qingtang patted his shoulder. "I feel like this has happened before, hasn’t it?"

At her words, He Xiang quickly remembered.

"Yeah, it has."

Back then, a ball had nearly hit Ji Nian too. He had pulled her out of the way, but his shoulder took the hit, and Ji Nian still got hurt.

Ji Nian’s father had even come to check on her afterward.

Shen Qingtang nodded in recollection, sighing. "School life is just one big cycle of déjà vu."

He Xiang: ?

What did that mean? Was that some kind of anime reference?

...

"No external injuries, but I’d still recommend getting a brain CT scan to check for a concussion."

The student stubbornly refused to let go, so the school nurse could only give a brief assessment before making her suggestion.

"I’ll write you a leave slip and inform your homeroom teacher. You can head straight to the hospital."

Ji Nian nodded in understanding and thanked her. Once the nurse left, she drew the curtains around the bed.

The moment the curtains closed, Lu Jinghuai—who had been sitting silently on the bed, answering only when spoken to—suddenly reached out and tugged at the hem of her shirt.

Ji Nian turned to find his silver-gray eyes, darker in the dim light, fixed on her. Still holding his head, he murmured, "Can you check for me?"

"See if my face is swollen."

Ji Nian suddenly realized why he’d been covering his head the whole time: !

He was worried about his face getting hurt.

Thinking back to the time at the convention when he’d refused to let anyone see the scratch on his face, this was progress—he was actually asking her to check his injury.

"Let me see."

Suppressing a smile, Ji Nian sat beside him.

Lu Jinghuai slowly lowered his hand.

Ji Nian leaned in, instinctively holding her breath as she brushed his hair aside to examine the spot.

"Your forehead’s a little swollen, but your face is fine. No injuries there."

As she moved his hair, she couldn’t help but notice the unmistakable piercing on his small, delicate earlobe.

Without thinking, she reached out and pinched his earlobe, making Lu Jinghuai flinch in surprise, his eyes widening as if she’d done something outrageous.

Anyone watching would’ve thought Ji Nian had committed some heinous crime.

Ji Nian chuckled inwardly.

[When they first met, he had seemed like a figure plucked straight from a church mural. But the more time she spent with him, the more she realized he was actually an incredibly endearing kid.]

"I’ll take you to the hospital for a scan later."

Lu Jinghuai seemed to regain his composure and murmured, "Mm," before adding, "I can go by myself. No need to trouble you."

It was rare for him to turn Ji Nian down.

Ji Nian thought that wouldn’t do. Lu Zhi had always been kind to her, often sending gifts. She had to take good care of the Lu Family’s only heir.

"When did you get your ears pierced?"

At the mention of the topic, Lu Jinghuai instinctively touched his earlobe, half-hidden by his hair.

"Two summers ago. I did it myself."