The Sickly Girl Becomes a Scum Alpha - Chapter 14

Chu Ci felt like all the light had gone out of her life. She held her phone, desperate to call Jian Sui and tell her not to look, but checking the time, she realized Jian Sui had probably already seen everything.

Cao Xi, watching Chu Ci’s face instantly turn pale, was startled. “What’s wrong?”

“You…”

Chu Ci looked at Cao Xi in utter breakdown. But then she realized this wasn’t Cao Xi’s fault at all. The original host ordered the gift, and she was the one who delivered it. It was all her fault. Why didn’t I take the time to figure out what it was before I gave it to her!

How could she ever face Jian Sui now?

She must be so angry, right?

Wait… maybe she doesn’t know what that stuff is?

Chu Ci suddenly brightened, looking at Cao Xi, who was starting to look scared and was probably considering calling a psychiatric hospital. “A normal person wouldn’t know what that stuff is, right?”

Cao Xi: “…”

“A normal person would absolutely know what that is. We’re all adults,” Cao Xi looked at Chu Ci suspiciously. “What on earth are you up to?”

Chu Ci was silently fuming. Then why didn’t I know!

“Help me find a hotel. Get me a year-long membership. I might not be able to go home for a while.”

Unable to face Jian Sui, Chu Ci wanted to bury her head in the sand. Maybe if enough time passed, Jian Sui would forget about it?

…Though that was highly unlikely.

Putting herself in Jian Sui’s shoes, Chu Ci felt that if someone she disliked sent her a set of that stuff, she would probably rip the person’s head off and kick it around like a ball.

She suddenly felt a chill on her neck.

Cao Xi was even more confused. “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not. It’s a huge deal,” Chu Ci looked at Cao Xi. “If someone you didn’t like sent you a set of that, what would you do?”

“Depends on what they look like,” Cao Xi looked Chu Ci up and down. “If they look like you, darling, I’d say see you tonight~”

Chu Ci: “…”

“Be serious!” She gave Cao Xi a sharp rap on the head. Chu Ci wanted to literally pry open Cao Xi’s skull and see if her entire brain was just yellow!

“Ouch!” Rubbing her forehead, Cao Xi gave Chu Ci a resentful look. “Just kidding! But relax, you two are married. Doing things like that is completely normal. Jian Sui can handle it. Maybe she even loves it?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Chu Ci felt that being around Cao Xi for too long was starting to corrupt her. Now, she was swearing without a second thought and zero guilt.

“You don’t believe me? I told you before to get more experience, but you insisted on holding out for the best. See? Now you’re panicking, aren’t you?”

Cao Xi threw up her hands, looking smugly knowing.

“…Go help me book that hotel!”

This conversation was going nowhere. Chu Ci covered her face with her hands, about to lean back, when she suddenly remembered something and shot upright. “Oh no! Tomorrow is Sunday, and the day after is Monday! My company documents are at home!”

“That’s a sign from above. You shouldn’t ignore fate,” Cao Xi said solemnly, patting Chu Ci’s shoulder.

Chu Ci looked at Cao Xi. “You’re coming with me tonight. We’re scaling the wall and sneaking back in to steal the documents.”

Cao Xi: …I quit!

While Chu Ci was busy plotting her survival, Jian Sui, looking at the open box, also fell into silence.

She had anticipated that such a large box might contain something unexpected, but she hadn’t expected it to be this… unexpected.

She reached out and picked up the ribbon she had set aside earlier. No wonder the strange ties had seemed a bit off. This wasn’t for a human gift…

Cough. Her face was flushed, and her hands felt scalded as she placed the item back in the box.

Isn’t this… a bit too soon?

Her gaze was unfocused, but she couldn’t help it from drifting back to the box, lingering for a moment on the soft, beautiful, fluffy tail, then quickly jerking away as if shocked by electricity. She couldn’t help but picture that tail on Chu Ci…

Beautiful, fragile, enchanting, soft. Like a wounded yet cunning fox, its beautiful eyes luring prey into a trap…

“Slap!”

She slammed the box lid shut. Stop thinking about it! But the fit was just too perfect…

No, no, no. Fumbling with the lock, Jian Sui tried to calm her frantic heartbeat. This was too fast. She hadn’t made up her mind yet. Absolutely not!

She pressed down on the box until her knuckles were white. She felt fortunate that Chu Ci had only sent this first. If Chu Ci had packaged herself as a gift and placed her in front of her, she might actually have willingly…

Wait!

Jian Sui was startled by her own thought. In all her life, this was the first time she had felt she was someone who was lust-crazed and easily tempted by beauty!

This is bad, very bad.

She forcefully picked up the box. Jian Sui decided she needed to cool down. She shoved the box into the deepest corner of her closet and called Zhao Rong.

Half an hour later, the two met in the park.

Zhao Rong, wearing gym clothes, was bent over, supporting herself with her hands on her knees, exhausted. She shook her towel at Jian Sui, who had run three laps and showed no sign of stopping, admitting defeat. “I’m done competing with you. What’s gotten into you? Why the sudden urge to run?”

Jogging in place to regulate her breathing, Jian Sui looked at the out-of-shape Zhao Rong. “I need to cool down.”

“What’s wrong? Did that Chu family woman find a new way to torment you?” At the mention of the Chu family, Zhao Rong immediately straightened up, glaring fiercely, ready to storm the Chu mansion to fight for Jian Sui’s rights.

“No…” Jian Sui didn’t know how to start. She slowed to a stop. The flush on her face from the exercise made her blush even more apparent. How should I put this? Should I say I’m uncontrollably starting to lust after Chu Ci?

“Spit it out!”

Zhao Rong rarely saw Jian Sui so demure and urged her on.

“It’s just that Chu Ci sent me some things, but I don’t think we’re at that stage yet…” Jian Sui sat down on a nearby bench, stretching as she explained the situation to Zhao Rong.

Zhao Rong’s reaction after hearing the story: What do you do when your friend is emotionally naïve and has abnormal brain wiring? Asking for a friend, it’s urgent.

“I mean, is there a possibility that those things Chu Ci sent are for you to wear?”

“I know. It’s subtle hints and sedu…”

“No! They are for YOU to use! Not for her to wear herself!” Zhao Rong hissed through clenched teeth. She wanted to crack open Jian Sui’s head to see how her brain circuits were wired!

“Huh?” Jian Sui looked confused, and then her face went completely scarlet. “But I think Chu Ci would look better…”

“Wake up!!” Zhao Rong grabbed Jian Sui’s shoulders and shook her violently. Where did my rational, clear-headed friend go?!

“Right now, Chu Ci is lusting after you! Her predatory intentions are so obvious, and look at you! What is this dreamy, lovesick look on your face?!”

Zhao Rong decided that her birthday wish this year would be for a cure for “love brain,” okay?! She would force it down Jian Sui’s throat that very night!

Jian Sui was getting dizzy from the shaking. “But she likes me, and we’re married now. She still chose to give me a subtle hint like that, waiting for my choice…”

“Shut up,” Zhao Rong couldn’t take it anymore. “If that is subtle, then there is no such thing as being direct in the world! She just wants to have you, and a person like her doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘genuine affection’!”

“…Four words,” Jian Sui corrected Zhao Rong’s slip of the tongue in her anger. Under Zhao Rong’s furious gaze, she cautiously tried to defend Chu Ci. “I think we’ve been a little biased against her. She really isn’t like what we saw before.”

Jian Sui needed Zhao Rong to splash some cold water on her to calm down, but clearly, Zhao Rong needed it more. Perhaps if Zhao Rong truly got to know Chu Ci, she wouldn’t think this way.

Zhao Rong never imagined she would face this situation. She suddenly understood the feeling of those people online who were driven to fainting fits while trying to advise their lovesick friends.

“Fine. Then call Chu Ci out. I want to see for myself what kind of love potion she’s been feeding you these past few days!”

Jian Sui: “…The misunderstanding is deep.”

Agreeing to Zhao Rong’s request, Jian Sui felt there was no time like the present and immediately sent a message to Chu Ci.

Zhao Rong looked down at her gym clothes, then patted Jian Sui’s shoulder. “Wait for me to change into my battle armor!”

Jian Sui wanted to say something but didn’t. They were just meeting, not fighting.

At Platinum Club, Chu Ci broke into a cold sweat after receiving the message. “Is Jian Sui so angry that she’s decided to dismember me…”

“Stay calm,” Cao Xi gripped Chu Ci’s shoulder and looked at the message from Jian Sui. “It’s just her friend, Zhao Rong, who wants to see you. Meeting the parents, meeting the spouse, and meeting the best friend are the three great hurdles for a couple. This means you’re on the right track! It’s a good thing!”

“Are you sure this isn’t a conspiracy?”

Chu Ci still felt uneasy.

“Don’t be a coward! I’ll go with you! It’s not a big deal!”

Cao Xi valiantly volunteered, then looked down at her messy clothes. “Wait for me. I need to change into my battle armor!”

Chu Ci also looked down at herself. Fine. If I’m going to die, I might as well die with some dignity.

The meeting was set for 2:00 PM at a relatively quiet café, in a secluded spot on the second floor.

Jian Sui and Zhao Rong arrived first. Jian Sui watched Zhao Rong, who was dressed in a conservative, business-like outfit, complete with wire-rimmed glasses and a sharp, vigilant gaze that scanned the surroundings. Jian Sui felt that if the setting were changed, Zhao Rong could instantly become the most severe job interviewer.

“Aren’t you being too serious?”

“You don’t understand. You have to dominate the atmosphere,” Zhao Rong confidently adjusted her glasses. She was determined to make Jian Sui realize today that Chu Ci was nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing with no genuine affection.

Jian Sui shook her head helplessly.

Meanwhile, downstairs at the café.

Chu Ci quietly distanced herself from Cao Xi, who was wearing a fiery red dress that was both seductive and revealing. What kind of decent person dresses up like a demon in the middle of the day?

“What are you doing?” Cao Xi immediately hooked her arm through Chu Ci’s and pulled her back. “This is strategy. Why are you running? My charm has never failed! Watch this: I’ll win over Jian Sui’s friend in one glance. Pay attention, I’m only doing this once!”

Chu Ci: “…Jian Sui isn’t going to think Cao Xi and I are birds of a feather, is she?”

She suddenly felt a pang of regret.