A Little Trick, the Scumbag Dad Can't Hold the Knife After Understanding Love-Chapter 277

Ji Nian, who was practicing how to swing the bat, noticed and asked, "Not going to answer it?"

Lu Jinghuai flipped his phone over, his expression returning to normal. "Wait for me a moment." He then turned and stepped away to take the call.

Through the green netting, Ji Nian could see him sitting on a bench with his back to her. Occasionally, she caught fragments of his voice, though she couldn’t make out the words.

Gripping the bat in her hands, Ji Nian had initially thought Lu Jinghuai would take her go-karting again like last time, but instead, they were playing baseball today.

Swinging the bat and hearing the sharp whistle of air, Ji Nian felt a flicker of anticipation. It seemed like a great way to relieve stress.

Lu Jinghuai returned quickly—much sooner than she expected for a phone call.

The young royal heir’s eyes still held that same faint amusement as before, as if the surprising call hadn’t troubled him at all.

"Want to try batting?"

Ji Nian set the bat down. "So soon? Shouldn’t I practice more?"

Lu Jinghuai shook his head. "Your form is already perfect, and you have great athletic instincts."

Last time, when he taught her how to drift, she had mastered it after just one demonstration.

Hearing his praise, Ji Nian nearly wept internally.

Who would’ve thought that in her past life as a lab-bound weakling, she’d ever receive such compliments in this one?

Ah, destiny truly works in mysterious ways.

"I’ll do it."

Lu Jinghuai motioned for her to lower her hands so he could help her put on the helmet.

Tilting her head back slightly, Ji Nian took the chance to admire his face up close. Upon closer inspection, she realized he wasn’t entirely the spitting image of his mother.

If she covered the lower half of his face, the resemblance to Lu Zhi became more apparent in the upper half—though without the striking, almost otherworldly allure of his father. It was clear how much impact his hair and eye color had on his overall presence.

"All set."

After securing the helmet, Lu Jinghuai didn’t step back. Instead, he lifted his gaze, meeting her lingering stare head-on.

Ji Nian didn’t shy away, meeting his eyes with a smile. "Young Prince, I’ve realized you actually take after both your parents. There’s definitely some of Lu Zhi in you too."

"He’d be happy to hear that."

Though Lu Zhi adored his resemblance to his mother, he occasionally grumbled about not looking more like his father—though those complaints were usually just a ploy to coax more affection from her.

Ji Nian mentioned she’d say the same thing to Lu Zhi’s face during the upcoming parent-teacher conference.

But instead of responding, Lu Jinghuai’s expression dimmed slightly, his gaze dropping as he murmured, "Father… won’t be able to make it."

Ji Nian tapped her helmet-covered head.

Oh. So that call earlier must have been from Lu Zhi.

"It’s fine, it’s fine! My dad can’t come either. We can sit together."

At that, Lu Jinghuai’s eyes brightened. "Really?"

Ji Nian chuckled inwardly—still such a kid, afraid of being lonely. She briefly considered ruffling his hair but gave up when she remembered she’d have to tiptoe to reach.

Lu Jinghuai set the pitching machine to 80 mph and watched from behind the net as Ji Nian took her swings.

Her reflexes were sharp, and her strength impressive. Though she fumbled the first ball, after Lu Jinghuai adjusted the speed three times—eventually maxing it out—she hit every subsequent one with ease.

Thankfully, this was an exclusive, ultra-VIP private club with only five slots open per day. If anyone else had seen her, they’d have gathered to watch.

A fourteen-year-old prodigy.

As Lu Jinghuai mulled over her earlier words, he absentmindedly ran a thumb over his phone, recalling the call.

As comforting as Ji Nian’s offer sounded, he couldn’t refuse that person either.

A faint trace of regret flickered in his silver-gray eyes.

But when Ji Nian turned and waved, asking how she’d done, he pushed the emotion aside and praised warmly, "Amazing."

"You didn’t even need my guidance—after just one swing, you already knew how to distribute the force."

"Though you could put a little more power into twisting your waist."

Ji Nian exhaled and nodded.

Though it wasn’t the high-speed racing she’d expected, baseball was surprisingly fun. Swinging with all her might, hearing the crisp ping of metal meeting ball—it was exhilarating.

The perfect stress reliever.

By the end, her arms were so sore she could barely lift them.

She would’ve gone for another twenty rounds, but Lu Jinghuai, usually so indulgent, insisted they leave.

"We can come back next time, alright?"

Come to think of it, she’d been the only one playing today—she hadn’t even seen the young prince take a swing.

Reluctantly, Ji Nian left the field.

Wei Yang stood like a sentinel at the entrance, though Ji Nian was certain she hadn’t sent him the address.

Shen Qingtang had gone to her grandparents’ house and messaged her half an hour ago:

Where’d you go today?

After making sure Lu Jinghuai got into his family’s car and waving goodbye, Ji Nian climbed into hers under Wei Yang’s hesitant gaze and replied:

Went to play baseball.

She stretched her aching arms. The staff had offered a massage before she left, but Lu Jinghuai had taken over—and surprisingly, his technique was on par with the expensive specialists Ji Tingzhou kept on payroll.

Typing…

A moment later, Shen Qingtang replied:

Baseball? He took you to play baseball???

Fresh out of the pool and wrapped in a towel, Shen Qingtang stared at her phone in disbelief.

Are you sure it was Lu Jinghuai????

Yeah. I was hesitant at first since baseball rules seem complicated, but it was just hitting the ball—so satisfying.

Shen Qingtang took a moment to process the idea of Lu Jinghuai—who seemed more suited to genteel golf than sports—actually playing baseball. She finally replied:

Don’t worry about the rules. Just watch Ace of Diamond and you’ll get it.

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Lu ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‍Jinghuai returned home. The live-in cook, who only came twice a day, had already left—his young employer preferred solitude.

After showering, he sat down to eat when Lu Zhi’s call came through.

Answering the video call, his father’s face appeared on the screen.

"Ah-Huai, having dinner?"

Lu Jinghuai set down his fork and nodded. "Yes."

"I just saw the email from your teacher—there’s a parent-teacher meeting on Friday."

"How about I fly over tomorrow?"

He expected his son to agree obediently as usual.

Instead, Lu Jinghuai lowered his eyes and said softly, "Father… I think Mother might need you more right now."

The moment Princess Feia was mentioned, Lu Zhi leaned closer to the screen. "What’s wrong with your mother?"

The young prince frowned slightly, sighing. "The young emperor’s been ill, and there’s been some unrest among the courtiers. When we spoke the other day, she looked thinner."

"She mentioned missing your Chinese cooking. The parent-teacher meeting isn’t important—you should stay and make sure she eats properly."

Lu Zhi's eyes softened instantly upon hearing this, her peach-blossom gaze shimmering with emotion. She complained lightly, "Your mother is really something—she never says what she wants to eat, always brushing aside her own cravings. I’ve scolded her about it a few times, but even now, she hasn’t changed."

"Alright, A'Huai, your father will definitely attend the next parent-teacher meeting. Enough of that—I’m off to look for my recipe book."