A Little Trick, the Scumbag Dad Can't Hold the Knife After Understanding Love-Chapter 254

No one could persuade Ji Nian—or perhaps no one dared to try.

When Ji Tingzhou spoke up, saying, "Let her do what she wants," Ji Nian ultimately returned to school two days later.

After Ji Nian left, Ji Tingzhou summoned Zhiliao and asked her to prepare some things for him.

Hearing his request, Zhiliao lifted her gaze slightly before nodding. "Understood."

...

Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang both taking leave at the same time caught the attention of their classmates.

If only one of them had been absent, it might have been due to illness, but both skipping together likely meant something had happened at home.

"Young Imperial Grandson, did Ji Nian or the class monitor say why they weren’t coming to school?"

A curious classmate asked Lu Jinghuai during the break after morning self-study. Thanks to Ji Nian’s influence, everyone had started calling him "Young Imperial Grandson," though no one quite knew why.

Lu Jinghuai glanced down at the unanswered message he’d sent two days earlier and shook his head at the question.

Then he turned to He Xiang, who, unusually, was also looking at his phone.

Sensing his gaze, He Xiang met Lu Jinghuai’s questioning look and shook his head as well.

The meaning was clear: Ji Nian hadn’t replied to him either—nor had Shen Qingtang.

He Xiang had even asked Gu Xiuyuan, but he didn’t know what was going on either.

By the afternoon, the two girls who had been the subject of concern returned to school.

The moment they stepped into the classroom, Lu Jinghuai and He Xiang’s eyes swept over them like scanners.

Feeling the weight of their stares, Ji Nian waved at them.

Lu Jinghuai watched her from his seat, his gaze subtly lingering on her eyes before lowering.

They were slightly swollen.

As if she’d been crying.

Was it still that matter from before, upsetting her again?

Thinking back to Ji Nian’s sudden shift in mood at the comic convention a few days ago, Lu Jinghuai fell into thought.

He Xiang didn’t notice the slight swelling in Ji Nian’s eyes, but he could see the clear traces of tears on Shen Qingtang’s face—and he sensed something off about Ji Nian’s demeanor too.

The two boys, seated side by side, shared a rare moment of silent understanding as their eyes met.

Then they both looked away.

Lu Jinghuai discreetly sent a message on his phone, instructing someone to look into recent events involving the Ji family. Then he stood and walked toward Ji Nian.

He Xiang moved with him, their steps almost synchronized.

But the message Lu Jinghuai had sent turned out to be unnecessary—because Ji Nian volunteered the truth herself.

"My family’s dog passed away."

Da Dan.

The name flashed through both their minds.

A name Ji Nian had mentioned often enough.

He Xiang had experienced loss early in life. Though he’d never owned a dog, he understood the pain of losing a family member.

He wanted to say something to comfort her, but when his eyes met Ji Nian’s calm gaze, the words stuck in his throat.

From what Ji Nian had shared before, she and that dog must have been very close. Yet now, she seemed composed, as if she’d already come to terms with it. Still, He Xiang felt something was off—he just couldn’t pinpoint what.

Soon, the preparatory bell rang, forcing them to hurry back to their seats.

He Xiang should have focused immediately, but for some reason, he couldn’t absorb a single word on the page.

Then he noticed the unusual behavior of the person beside him.

Lu Jinghuai seemed to be calculating something, his silver-gray eyes flickering with thought.

He Xiang pulled out a used scrap of draft paper, scribbled something on the blank side, and slid it to Lu Jinghuai’s hand.

Feeling the nudge, Lu Jinghuai glanced down.

He Xiang’s neat handwriting stared back at him:

What are you planning?

Lu Jinghuai’s lips curled with faint amusement as he looked at He Xiang, as if surprised the other boy would pass notes during class.

Only when He Xiang grew visibly uncomfortable under his gaze did Lu Jinghuai finally look away and write a reply, pushing the paper back.

He Xiang’s lips pressed into a tight line as he read it.

But after a moment, he relaxed. His eyes darted between the teacher lecturing at the front and Lu Jinghuai’s response, as if torn.

Finally, he picked up his pen, wrote something quickly, and slid it back to Lu Jinghuai.

Satisfied with the answer, Lu Jinghuai allowed a small smirk.

...

By the end of class, Ji Nian’s head felt heavy and muddled. Truthfully, she hadn’t absorbed a single word the teacher had said.

Resting her head on the desk, she tried to clear her mind—until she felt a slight shift in the table. Someone was standing beside her.

Ji Nian turned her head, still pillowed on her arm, and the first thing she saw was a cascade of pale golden hair, nearly brushing against her eyes.

She blinked, startled, then lifted her gaze.

Right into a pair of silver-gray eyes, so close they felt within reach.

Lu Jinghuai had appeared at her desk without her noticing, one hand resting on the surface as he leaned down to look at her.

Ji Nian swallowed her confusion silently and slowly stood up, stepping away from the scene.

The people around them were also sneaking glances in their direction.

Lu ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‍Jinghuai raised his hand and gently mimed touching the area around her eyes, murmuring softly, "They're swollen."

Before Ji Nian could ask what he was doing, Lu Jinghuai spoke again in a quiet voice, "Can you come with me for a moment?"

Ji Nian blinked her sore, tired eyes. A part of her wanted to refuse, but somehow, under the pleading gaze of the Young Imperial Grandson, she still managed to utter a soft "Mm."

Then, in a daze, she let Lu Jinghuai lead her out of the classroom.

Shen Qingtang witnessed everything. After the two left, she abruptly turned her head to look toward He Xiang’s seat—only to find, unexpectedly, that He Xiang wasn’t there. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

Following Lu Jinghuai, Ji Nian stared at his pale golden hair, wondering: If Da Dan were reincarnated as a human, would his hair be yellow too?

But probably not as light as the Young Imperial Grandson’s. Da Dan’s was more of a bright, orange-yellow… Hmm, imagining it now, it’d look pretty punk.

Lost in thought, she nearly bumped into Lu Jinghuai’s back.

Snapping back to reality, Ji Nian took in their surroundings—they had unknowingly stopped behind the old gymnasium, a place on the verge of abandonment, already out of use.

Why would the Young Imperial Grandson bring her here?

Before she could voice her question, she watched as Lu Jinghuai swiftly moved aside the discarded equipment piled against the wall.

Amid the swirling dust, Ji Nian squinted and saw him pick out a table, placing it against the wall. Then, with agile movements, he climbed onto the table, using it as a step to scale the partially broken section of the wall.

The overgrown purple Bauhinia blossoms brushed lightly against his face, but they didn’t stop him from reaching a hand down toward Ji Nian—an inviting, coaxing gesture.

Ji Nian stared blankly at the outstretched hand.

"What are we doing?"

Only now did she think to ask this crucial question.

Lu Jinghuai blinked at her, tilting his head to avoid the white Bauhinia blocking his vision, and answered with an innocent, matter-of-fact tone, "Skipping class."

(For plot purposes—please don’t try this at home.)

Ji Nian, who had spent her entire life as a model student and only ever dared to ask for leave, looked at the face that bore no resemblance to rebellion whatsoever.

"How did you know… you could climb out from here?"

Lu Jinghuai hopped down from the wall, landing on the table, and tugged gently at her wrist, pulling her closer. Hearing her question, he flashed a smile that didn’t quite match his usual demeanor—playful, almost mischievous.

"He Xiang told me."