A Little Trick, the Scumbag Dad Can't Hold the Knife After Understanding Love-Chapter 256

A turtle—that was a bit unexpected.

Ji Nian seemed to catch this thought from Lu Jinghuai's gaze, and he smiled faintly.

"My grandmother gave it to me."

"It was my first time keeping a pet. I bought books, researched how to care for it, prepared the best little home for it, bought the finest turtle feed, and took it out to bask in the sun every day."

"But it still died."

"A stray cat attacked it while it was sunbathing and killed it."

Ji Nian froze, her mind conjuring up the image of a young Lu Jinghuai—short arms and legs—running to check on his little turtle, only to find scattered remains instead.

Lu Jinghuai continued, as if reliving that moment: "I was devastated. I gathered the broken shell and whatever pieces I could find and brought them to my grandmother."

"She held me as I cried and comforted me, saying, 'Don’t be sad. You’ll see each other again.'"

"See each other again?"

Ji Nian softly repeated those last words.

Lu Jinghuai nodded, his gaze lingering on her meaningfully. "As long as you remember it, you’ll be reunited one day."

"Only the body disappears. The love doesn’t end."

Ji Nian understood—he was comforting her.

[I must be getting better if I’m being consoled by a kid.]

She knew this truth well enough, but the sadness lingered nonetheless.

[You’ve been grieving too long. It’s not like you.] The system chimed in.

Ji Nian didn’t argue. During Da Dan’s funeral, she had seen the system secretly place its favorite "Desperate Dad" merchandise beside him.

Da Dan had been a devoted fan of "Desperate Dad," always watching reruns with Ji Tingzhou.

"Thank you for today. I just remembered there’s somewhere I need to go. Would you come with me?"

Ji Nian stood up, stretching before turning to Lu Jinghuai, who was still seated.

Earlier, when changing clothes, she had noticed—even through his racing suit—the unmistakable curve of his backside.

[Damn, that must be springy.]

System: ???

This isn’t the kind of recovery I meant.

Lu Jinghuai would never refuse Ji Nian’s request.

After showering and changing back into their regular clothes, they left the club.

Only when they were leaving did Ji Nian realize—this club seemed to be Lu Jinghuai’s investment.

The cars had been shipped from his home country, something impossible to arrange in half a day. Clearly, he’d had them transported when he first arrived in China.

The young prince must really love this hobby.

...

The place Ji Nian wanted to visit was a store selling handicraft materials.

She’d learned about it from Shen Qingtang, who had stumbled upon it while shopping and recommended it to Ji Nian—the girl whose handmade projects were often showcased in class.

"Hello, welcome!"

The clerk’s eyes lit up at the sight of the strikingly attractive pair, though she discreetly noted their school uniforms.

A prestigious school. Shouldn’t they be in class right now? Playing hooky?

Her thoughts raced, but professionalism kept her expression neutral.

"Hi, we’ll just browse on our own."

Ji Nian headed straight for the supplies she needed. She shopped quickly, picking out her items and checking out without delay.

"What are you planning to make?"

Lu Jinghuai carried the bag for her as they walked.

Ji Nian nodded mysteriously, leading him to a nearby entertainment lounge. She winked. "Wait and see."

They booked a game room, complete with a sofa, snacks, and a massive screen connected to gaming consoles.

But neither was in the mood for games. They sat side by side on the sofa instead.

Lu Jinghuai muted the idle screen, watching Ji Nian’s movements with quiet fascination.

Raised under her father’s influence, Ji Nian wasn’t as skilled as Ji Tingzhou, but her craftsmanship was still impressive.

She sketched patterns onto fabric, cut and stuffed them with cotton, then deftly stitched everything together. Lu Jinghuai couldn’t look away.

By the time the ice in their drinks had melted, Ji Nian snipped the thread with a crisp snip of her scissors.

"Done."

She turned to Lu Jinghuai, expecting his attention to be on the finished product—but instead, he was looking at her.

His gaze wasn’t intense or uncomfortable, just warm, like a gentle embrace she hadn’t noticed until it was already around her.

"What… is it?"

Ji Nian blinked.

Only then did Lu Jinghuai’s eyes drop to what she held.

A small green turtle, its eyes stitched with two black pearls—round, dopey, and unexpectedly adorable.

Ji Nian placed it in his palm, tracing its fuzzy shell. "Thank you for taking me out today."

"This is my thanks."

A lost soul will stay with you in another form.

You’ll meet again.

Lu Jinghuai stared at the turtle for a long, long time, his lashes casting shadows over his eyes.

When he finally looked up, all his emotions had settled into a single, bright declaration: "I’ll treasure it."

Nine years after his grandmother’s passing, fourteen-year-old Lu Jinghuai received another turtle—one meant just for him.

This time, he would protect it well.

...

They returned to school by dismissal time.

Ji Nian had been slightly nervous, but Shen Qingtang messaged her—she’d already gotten excuses arranged for both her and Lu Jinghuai.

How? Shen Qingtang didn’t elaborate.

With ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍a student council meeting, Shen Qingtang couldn’t meet them, and Gu Xiuyuan had been tied up all day, unable to seek Ji Nian out.

"You’re back."

He Xiang approached, noting Lu Jinghuai’s absence.

Ji Nian explained, "He had something to take care of."

He Xiang didn’t press further, simply sitting beside her.

Students streamed out of the building, some casting curious glances at the pair lounging so casually.

Unbothered by the attention, He Xiang pulled something from his bag and handed it to Ji Nian.

The black plastic bag was light, filled with items that carried no weight but plenty of volume.

Ji Nian peeked inside.

Neat stacks of golden paper ingots filled the bag, each one identical, as if mass-produced.

He Xiang spoke softly. "I folded them myself."

"You can burn them for your dog."

"With money, it can visit you often."

He Xiang didn’t know how else to comfort Ji Nian. This was all he could think of—so he’d asked a delivery rider to buy the paper, then spent his lunch break and gym class folding these.

Money lets the departed return to their loved ones.

That’s what his grandmother had told him as a child.

Ji Nian smiled slowly at the ingots, each one carrying her friend’s sincerity.

"Thank you. I’m already looking forward to Da Dan’s visits."

"Next time, teach me how to fold them, okay?"

He Xiang had initially worried that Ji Nian might dislike his gift, but when he saw the softness in her eyes as she gazed at the simple golden ingots—trivial as they were—he realized she probably cherished them.

"Alright."

After watching He Xiang return to his dorm, Ji Nian carefully carried the black bag, waiting until Shen Qingtang and Gu Xiuyuan finally finished their tasks and approached.

Spotting Ji Nian from a distance, the two quickened their pace.

Gu Xiuyuan studied Ji Nian. Even though he knew she had skipped class today, he didn’t mention it. Instead, seeing her in better spirits than he’d expected, he felt somewhat relieved.

"I thought you’d gone straight home."

Shen Qingtang noticed that Ji Nian did seem more lively than before, her expressions much more animated. Then, in one swift motion, he stepped forward and draped something around her neck.

Ji Nian instinctively looked down.

It was an amber-colored pendant, shaped like a jade button.

Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t actually made of jade. The craftsmanship was far from refined—even a little crude—but Ji Nian didn’t dwell on that. She lifted the pendant toward the sunlight, squinting as faint, thread-like glimmers flickered within.

Noticing her discovery, Shen Qingtang softened his voice. "It’s Da Dan’s fur. I had someone clip a small tuft of it."

"Gu Xiuyuan suggested turning it into a necklace, so we borrowed the chemistry lab to make this."

In truth, the two had skipped the meeting to work on it.

The process hadn’t been easy. Gu Xiuyuan, a pampered young master who’d never lifted a finger for manual work, only knew the theory. Shen Qingtang had some experience, but it barely helped.

Ji Nian blinked slowly.

Gu Xiuyuan had just turned his head away, muttering, "It’s not exactly pretty. If you don’t like it—"

But before he could finish, Ji Nian suddenly reached out, grabbing one of them in each arm, and pulled them into a tight embrace.