The Sickly Girl Becomes a Scum Alpha - Chapter 19

The digression was brief, as everyone’s main concern was the business at hand.

Qian Quan looked at the people around him, pulled out a proposal, and handed it to Chu Ci. “What do you think, Xiao Chu?”

Chu Ci already knew the contents of the proposal, but she had to go through the motions. Leaning back on the armrest, she casually accepted it and flipped through the pages quickly.

Cao Xi also pretended to be very interested, leaning in and saying matter-of-factly to Qian Quan, “Not bad, you guys actually put it together. That’s efficient. I thought you were too drunk in the land of soft living and forgot all about it.”

“How could we? What concerns Chu Ci concerns all of us. Zhao Zhu is so arrogant; if we don’t help Chu Ci solve this problem, what kind of brothers would we be?”

Seeing Chu Ci and Cao Xi pretending to read, Qian Quan assumed they were clueless. After all, their lack of learning was notorious. He wasn’t worried at all and even dared to boast of loyalty and discuss their friendship.

Chu Ci concealed the mockery in her eyes. She quickly flipped through the last few pages, as if she didn’t have the patience to read in detail, and went straight to the final page. “1.3 billion? That’s too much, isn’t it? I could start another company just by investing that money.”

Looking at the estimated figure, Chu Ci frowned, feigning difficulty. She slammed the proposal shut and tossed it onto the table.

“Chu Ci, didn’t you say ‘no limit’? And that amount isn’t a big deal for you. Doesn’t your dad have a foundation under your name? Just find another random excuse to ask your dad for some more; it’s a piece of cake.”

Seeing their cash cow might back out, the people next to Qian Quan immediately spoke up to persuade her. This was the amount they had carefully calculated that Chu Ci could definitely produce. The charitable foundation her father placed under Chu Ci’s name alone accounted for more than half. The rest could easily be covered by Chu Ci mortgaging some of her properties and cars. Besides, these were things Chu Ci had in overflowing abundance and wouldn’t care about.

“Hey, get this straight,” Chu Ci leaned back lazily. “I’m using this money to throw away. 1.3 billion—even if I throw it into the Pacific Ocean, it won’t float. If you can’t handle this, just pay a meal’s worth of money to get a few people to go and cause a ruckus at the company. Why go through all this trouble?”

Qian Quan’s face changed. He couldn’t let Chu Ci back out now. He had already planned what he would do with the money. If Chu Ci didn’t pay, all their plans would fail.

“Chu Ci, you were the one who said ‘no limit,’ right? Are you backing down already? No wonder Zhao Zhu dares to bring a bastard child and push you around. If you couldn’t handle it, why did you brag to us? What is this now? Leading us on?”

Qian Quan was a veteran in this circle. He thought he knew Chu Ci’s personality well: volatile, impulsive, and protective of her pride. A provocation was the most direct way to get her to act. Although it might offend her, a quick apology later would smooth things over. So he slammed his hand on the table, deliberately provoking Chu Ci.

Chu Ci had been waiting for this. She picked up a nearby water glass and slammed it onto the coffee table. The glass shattered instantly, sending fragments flying.

“Are you yelling at me?”

Chu Ci stood up, meeting Qian Quan’s glare, immediately redirecting the conflict.

Qian Quan froze. Chu Ci took the bait and got mad, but why is her focus all wrong? Shouldn’t she be throwing money at them right now to prove she can do it?

“You were the one who said ‘no limit’ and are now saying you don’t have the money!”

Gritting his teeth, Qian Quan refused to follow Chu Ci’s direction and tried to drag the argument back to the money.

“When did I say I didn’t have the money?”

Chu Ci sneered. Qian Quan’s heart leapt with joy. Now she’s going to hit us with the money, right?

Chu Ci enjoyed the shifting expressions on Qian Quan’s face. She placed her hand on Cao Xi’s shoulder. “Isn’t it just 1.3 billion? Cao Xi, I’m giving it to you. Can you make Zhao Zhu a pauper within a month?”

“Huh?” Cao Xi’s surprise was a bit exaggerated, but no one noticed. “But I don’t know anything about this kind of thing.”

“That’s your problem,” Chu Ci patted Cao Xi’s shoulder. “Go ahead and do whatever you need to. I’ll have the money ready as fast as possible.”

After saying this, Chu Ci looked at the varied expressions of Qian Quan’s group, gave them a look of disdain, and walked out.

Cao Xi reached out to stop Chu Ci, trying to tell her she couldn’t do it, but Qian Quan grabbed her instead. The room door closed.

Standing in the hallway, Chu Ci looked back without surprise, a smile forming on her face. The rest of the show belonged to Cao Xi.

Playing the pig to eat the tiger. If Qian Quan’s group had any conscience, they would merely be free labor for a while. But if they remained greedy and refused to change, then she and Cao Xi would simply enjoy the spectacle of them turning on each other and reaping the benefits.

Chu Ci personally thought the latter was more likely.

She got into the elevator and hesitated when she pressed the floor button.

It was still early. If she went back now, she might run into Jian Sui, which would mean facing that embarrassing issue again.

But staying here wasn’t a good idea either; it might expose her true intentions. Where should she go?

As Chu Ci hesitated, the elevator door suddenly opened. Chu Ci shuffled to the side so as not to block the entrance and gritted her teeth, pressing the lobby button. Whatever, I’ll go outside first. Maybe just book a hotel.

The two new people entering were clearly going to the first floor as well and didn’t press any buttons. They politely nodded to Chu Ci and started chatting.

Chu Ci nodded back and continued thinking about where to go tonight. Plus, Cao Xi had promised Jian Sui she would be home by ten, so she needed to come up with an excuse for Jian Sui.

“Omegas should just go back to taking care of the family. I heard she married well. Why doesn’t she just settle down and be a rich wife? The offer price is already high. Why won’t she agree? Does she think she’s amazing? If it weren’t to avoid a big lawsuit, I wouldn’t even look twice at her company!”

“She’s just pushing against a tide of inevitability.”

The first person who spoke was clearly a foreigner with a strong accent, complaining to the person next to him. The latter scoffed in agreement.

Hearing those words, Chu Ci frowned and looked over. “Omegas should go back to taking care of the family? Is that because you’re incompetent at your job and worried about being surpassed and crushed? You want to use outdated beliefs to enforce gender privilege, sending Omegas back home so they don’t highlight your own inadequacy?”

“What did you say?”

The two men looked at Chu Ci, shocked and angry, as if they couldn’t believe their ears.

Chu Ci folded her arms and looked them directly in the eye. “Was I wrong?”

“Excuse me, Miss,” the person accompanying the furious foreigner, who was clenching his fists, pulled him back. He frowned at Chu Ci, knowing that anyone who could access this place was not ordinary and didn’t dare act rashly. “You must be an Alpha as well. You should know we meant no offense to you.”

In this world with six genders, it was easy to differentiate. Besides Betas, Alphas and Omegas could be distinguished by their pheromones. An Alpha’s pheromones, even Chu Ci’s faint, sweet pear blossom scent, carried a certain aggressiveness. An Omega’s would not. It was precisely because they sensed Chu Ci was an Alpha that they had dared to speak so freely.

“But you offended… my spouse. Do you not have any Omegas you love or any family members? That’s why you can say such insensitive things, as if you were born from a rock?”

For some reason, hearing these two made Chu Ci suddenly remember the Jian Sui in the original novel, who was constantly controlled by the original host’s pheromones: her career destroyed, her life ruined, her family cut off, her wings clipped, and her dignity trampled, all in an attempt to turn her into a docile pet in a cage for the original host to admire.

It was horrifying—a level of hatred that resurfaced whenever she thought of it. Did this dehumanizing ideology really have so many supporters?

“What does that have to do with you? You can’t interfere with our freedom of speech…”

The foreigner tried to say more, but a scent of agitated pheromones filled the air. His companion was speechless, looking highly embarrassed. Just then, the elevator door opened, and he quickly pulled the foreigner out.

Chu Ci pinched her nose and stepped out, looking with disgust in the direction they had gone. This only strengthened her resolve to pave the way for Jian Sui before she left or died. She had to elevate Jian Sui’s position so that no one, whether the Chu family or anyone else, could easily harm her.

The only pity was that she didn’t know which Omega those two jerks were talking about. Otherwise, she would definitely intervene. She couldn’t let them succeed.

Feeling indignant, Chu Ci walked out, where the car Cao Xi had arranged was waiting for her.

But where to go?

Thinking this, Chu Ci realized she was completely unfamiliar with this world. She didn’t know any other places. But after being scared into hiding under a table, Chu Ci honestly didn’t have the courage to stay alone at Platinum Club or any other hotel.

After much deliberation, and just as the driver couldn’t help but silently check the rearview mirror for the fifteenth time, she gritted her teeth and decided to return to the Chu family mansion.

She couldn’t help it; she had developed a complex.

At worst, she could just sleep in the study quietly for the night.

When she arrived at the Chu family gate, Chu Ci bumped right into Chu Xiong and his family of three, who were dressed up and ready to leave. Zhao Zhu, covered in millions worth of jewelry, was preening and looked at her smugly. Chu You was dressed impeccably in a plaid suit, looking like a little gentleman.

Chu Xiong looked at Chu Ci, who had just returned. “It’s your Uncle Li’s 60th birthday today. We’re heading over there.”

“Oh.”

Chu Ci had no idea who this “Uncle Li” was. She glanced at the three of them and started walking inside.

“You and Jian Sui should get ready and come too.”

Chu Xiong paused before getting into the car and reluctantly called out to Chu Ci.

Zhao Zhu’s face immediately darkened. “Doesn’t little Ci always hate these kinds of events? It’s a birthday banquet. Young people find them boring…”

“I’ll go then.”

Chu Ci hadn’t intended to go, but seeing Zhao Zhu’s reaction, she decided she absolutely had to.

Zhao Zhu’s face got even uglier, but Chu Xiong closed his car door and started walking back. There was no tradition of the family arriving in separate groups.

Zhao Zhu stomped her foot, wanting to say more, but she didn’t dare openly attack Chu Ci in front of Chu Xiong. She could only follow him back inside.

Ignoring them, Chu Ci went upstairs to her room and saw Jian Sui sitting in front of her computer, frowning slightly.

“Trouble?”

“No,” Jian Sui closed her laptop and rubbed her temples. “Just some company matters. You’re back so early?”

Chu Ci nodded vaguely. “Do you have time now? We might have to go to a birthday banquet for one of my uncles.”

“I have time, but is it appropriate for me to go?”

Jian Sui hesitated, remembering the embarrassment from the wedding.

“Why wouldn’t it be appropriate? Go change your clothes first. I’ll go change too.”

Chu Ci pushed open the door to the walk-in closet. Since it was separate from the main bedroom, they could both change at the same time, speeding things up.

And there was another reason.

Chu Ci quickly changed. It was easy to choose an outfit; most of the original host’s clothes were too flashy or exaggerated. She only had a few decent pieces, so she just picked the simplest one to wear to an elderly man’s birthday, leaving no room for selection.

Then she took out her phone and started looking up who this “Uncle Li” was.

Anyone affiliated with the Chu family was a figure of some note, so the information was easy to find.

He wasn’t a business mogul but held a highly influential position in the fashion industry. He founded the only two high-end luxury brands in the country and was known as a very eccentric old man. Furthermore, his relationship with the original host was not good.

The answer was clear. Among the top three search results was a story about the gown he personally designed for the Chu heir’s coming-of-age ceremony, only to have the original host publicly call it ugly and tacky. The story immediately went viral. The “Chu heir” was, of course, the original host.

Chu Ci: …The original host was really good at making enemies.

The critical point was that she had just agreed to attend his 60th birthday celebration.

I am so going to die!

Chu Ci finally understood why Chu Xiong had been so hesitant to ask her to go. He felt it was inappropriate to exclude her but even worse for her to attend.

If you felt it was bad, why did you even bother asking?! Now everyone’s miserable!

Hopefully, it’s been a few years, and he’s old and forgetful enough to have forgotten about it.

With a feeling of dread, Chu Ci quickly applied some makeup. When she came out, Jian Sui was also ready. She was wearing a sophisticated indigo dress that made her look elegant but not overly attention-grabbing. Combined with Jian Sui’s cool expression, it conveyed a sense of restrained distance.

Chu Ci looked at herself. Her outfit was a low-key mix of black and white, with loose, Chinese-inspired elements. It was acceptable and unlikely to be a mistake.

Jian Sui was also looking at Chu Ci. Chu Ci’s naturally fair skin and long, raven-black hair fit the outfit surprisingly well. Her slender figure, swallowed by the loose clothing, reminded Jian Sui of the phrase, “The person is lost in the clothes.”

She looked like a beauty standing alone in the mist and fine rain.

Beautiful as she was, the outfit was perhaps too somber for a birthday celebration.

Jian Sui thought for a moment, opened her jewelry box on the table, and selected an antique silver garment press inlaid with lapis lazuli. She attached it to the second knotted button on the right side of Chu Ci’s dress. The overall style was harmonious and added a subtle, decorative touch.

And the color of the gemstone happened to match the color palette of Jian Sui’s own dress.