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

Those emerald-green eyes brimmed with sorrow, tears streaming down in large drops as they stared unblinkingly at Ji Tingzhou.

Wrapped in the inexplicably turbulent and unfamiliar emotions radiating from them, he felt deeply unsettled.

In the past, he might have had the energy to study why this hallucination differed from the others he'd seen. But now, the splitting headache and the relentless discomfort from years of insomnia left him with no desire to think.

"...None of your business. Get lost."

His voice was harsh as he closed his eyes again, battling the pain in his body, refusing to engage further.

"You're so mean..."

Ji Tingzhou couldn't see her, but he caught the faint tremor of hurt in her voice.

"Even if you're this cruel, I'll still save you, Ji Tingzhou."

"If you die looking this awful, your enemies will laugh at you."

Listening to the tearful voice of this little "ugly ghost," Ji Tingzhou scoffed inwardly, too weak to retort.

Who's the ugly one here?

Save him? To drag him to hell?

Too bad he wouldn't get to see Da Gen there.

Ji Tingzhou didn't realize that, unlike his usual fits of rage—smashing objects or accidentally harming bystanders—this time, he merely dismissed the strange illusion with words.

Hmm. An illusion that looked eerily like him.

His head throbbed mercilessly. Would this ever end?

Were those burns on the little ugly ghost's face?

Damn it hurt... That bastard Bruce, his special medicine was useless.

The next second, Ji Tingzhou's eyes snapped open, his hand instinctively shooting out to grab the arm reaching toward him. In the past, he would've crushed the bones of anyone daring to touch him. But now, weakened by alcohol and years of physical decline, his grip was feeble.

Ji Nian easily dodged his attempt, her fingers pressing firmly against his neck.

Before Ji Tingzhou could process anything, darkness swallowed his vision, and he collapsed unconscious.

Ji Nian watched as he slumped to the floor. She walked behind the bar, washed her hands, dried them with a paper towel, and tucked the trash into her pocket before returning to haul Ji Tingzhou upright.

The moment she touched him, she realized how frail he was beneath those clothes. Used to her father's muscular arms, feeling Ji Tingzhou's bony frame was heartbreaking.

After settling him onto the couch, she crouched in front of him, studying his face for a long moment before sighing softly.

Leaving the Ji Family estate, Ji Nian walked for a long time before sitting on a bus stop bench. She ate a cold, soggy meat pie in the biting wind.

[Lu Jinghuai must still be in Country O... Ugh, and we only kissed once.]

Given how the system was acting, it'd probably be a while before she could return.

She stood, lifting her suitcase—retrieved from the place she'd lived at five years old.

Just as expected, the original owner still lived there, and all of Ji Nian's belongings had been tossed out. Nothing valuable remained, whether stolen or never there to begin with.

Patting the small suitcase, she smirked. "Well, at least I won't run out of clothes now."

...

The next morning, Bruce arrived with the doctor to examine Ji Tingzhou. When he mentioned inexplicably falling asleep the night before, Bruce's face lit up with excitement.

Years of treating Ji Tingzhou's condition had cost him most of his red hair. Any slight improvement was cause for celebration.

But this sudden bout of sleep didn't bring relief. Instead, the tests revealed his condition had worsened drastically.

Ji Tingzhou's body was deteriorating at an alarming rate. The doctor even noted that one of his legs had begun losing sensation intermittently.

If this continued, he might soon slip into an irreversible coma—a living corpse.

Everyone except Ji Tingzhou looked devastated by the news.

Ji Tingzhou scanned the room but found no trace of last night's "little ugly ghost." Instead, the familiar red-clad figure of Ji Wanting had returned.

Just then, a servant knocked. "Master, Miss Ji wants to see you."

Ji Tingzhou scowled. "No."

His mind drifted back to the hallucination—the one with the burned face, the one that resembled him.

His gaze, sharp with fury, snapped to Bruce. "Your medicine is useless. The hallucinations haven't stopped."

Bruce grimaced inwardly. This formula had taken countless trials. Another failure, then.

His progress couldn't keep up with Ji Tingzhou's decline.

But reasoning with Ji Tingzhou in this state was impossible.

"Get out."

"Stop wasting your time. Just give me painkillers."

The others exchanged surprised glances. Today, his temper was oddly restrained—just a simple order to leave.

The attending physician sighed. "Bruce, Mr. Ji has no will to live. Even if we find a cure, he won't cooperate."

Bruce had worked under Ji Tingzhou for so many years that he considered himself quite familiar with the man.

He had practically watched him suffer all this time.

"If it's really too much... just let it be."

For Ji Tingzhou, death might even be a kind of relief.

Bruce wiped the corner of his eye, his voice low and hoarse with emotion.

...

"Does Father not want to see me?"

Shen Qingtang leaned on her cane, looking at the returning servant as she asked.

The servant replied tactfully, "Miss, the family head wishes for you to focus on recovering."

Hearing this answer, Shen Qingtang nodded, appearing unsurprised.

"I understand. Please give this to him—it's something I obtained from the temple earlier. It can be hung in the room to help with sleep."

She handed over a sachet, then paused before turning away. "Has Ji Nian... already left?"

Before the servant could answer, a figure suddenly appeared, glaring sternly at the servant, who shrank back and hurried away.

"Qingtang, why are you still worrying about that little wretch? She nearly got you killed."

Shen Qingtang looked at the nanny who had raised her since childhood, forcing a weak smile onto her pale face. "But I'm still alive. There must be some misunderstanding—Ji Nian isn't that kind of person."

The nanny scoffed impatiently. "What misunderstanding? She deliberately sent someone to kill you. When her scheme was exposed, she had no shame left and slunk away like a coward."

In truth, it was the nanny who had driven Ji Nian out.

But it didn't matter—Shen Qingtang didn't need to know.

Her expression softened as she continued, "Qingtang, I've watched you grow up. Do you really think I'd harm you? Listen to me—I only want what's best for you."

"You're the Ji Family's heir now. You can't afford to be soft on those who try to hurt you, understand?"

Shen Qingtang gave a faint, weary smile. "Alright..."

Her gaze drifted emptily toward the window. For some reason, she thought of the warm, tender hand that had caressed her face in last night's dream.

Everyone said she was the apple of Ji Tingzhou's eye, the Ji Family head's beloved treasure.

But only she knew the truth.

All these years, her so-called "father" had never shown her affection. Sometimes, Shen Qingtang wondered if he kept her around out of obligation, like an unwanted pet.

At first, she had believed time would change things—that one day, he would love her too. Until the first time he lost control, gripping her throat and nearly taking her life.

After that, Shen Qingtang had feared him. Even now, remembering that day made her tremble.

Hearing that Ji Tingzhou refused to see her brought not disappointment, but relief.