The Sickly Girl Becomes a Scum Alpha - Chapter 23

Just as the two were frozen in place, Chu Xiong appeared from the other side, looking at them with confusion.

Chu Ci instantly snapped to attention, pulling Jian Sui toward Chu Xiong. “Dad, are we leaving now?”

Faced with Chu Ci’s eager gaze, Chu Xiong hesitated but nodded.

“What a shame, we didn’t get to dance,” Chu Ci said, though her feet kept moving, following Chu Xiong out. In front of the guests, she casually patted Jian Sui’s hand. “I owe you a dance. I’ll make it up to you next time.”

Every adult knows that “next time” usually means “never.”

Having successfully demonstrated their loving relationship, they smoothly exited the room, leaving many guests regretting they hadn’t seized the opportunity to approach Jian Sui.

Jian Sui’s eyes rested on Chu Ci. While relieved, she took those words to heart. It looks like I need to enroll in a dance class.

Once they got into the car, Chu Ci saw that Zhao Zhu and Chu You were already inside. Chu You was still sobbing intermittently, and Zhao Zhu’s face was as dark as a pot.

Chu Ci and Jian Sui had been so engrossed in their own affairs during the banquet that they hadn’t noticed what happened elsewhere. Clearly, Chu Xiong didn’t know either.

“What are you crying about?”

Chu Xiong presented the image of a refined gentleman in public, but at home, his face was usually stern. Now, visibly displeased, his expression nearly scared Chu You into another fit of tears.

Zhao Zhu was furious. She wanted to glare at Chu Ci but reflexively backed down when their eyes met. Her eyes darted instead to Jian Sui, and she let out a cold snort. “Some people hogged all the attention, didn’t they? Now people dare to bully me and my son! We have no one to rely on, so we deserve to be bullied!”

Jian Sui: “???”

If Zhao Zhu had glared at Chu Ci, Chu Ci would have ignored it, but glaring at Jian Sui was unacceptable.

“Speak clearly if you have something to say. Otherwise, shut up. Crying at someone else’s birthday party? Isn’t that embarrassing?”

Chu Ci didn’t spare Zhao Zhu any face. She and Jian Sui hadn’t seen Zhao Zhu and her son all night. How could she blame this on Jian Sui?

“I…”

Zhao Zhu pointed to herself in disbelief, ready to start a fight.

Chu Xiong frowned. “Enough! Haven’t you caused enough embarrassment? From now on, you are forbidden to bring Chu You out!”

Zhao Zhu never expected such an outcome and was stunned. She wanted to protest, but she swallowed her words when she met Chu Xiong’s eyes.

This was a case of trying to steal a chicken only to lose a handful of rice. Zhao Zhu had been frustrated by something else and tried to take it out on Jian Sui. Now, Chu You was completely banned from high society events.

Chu Ci was satisfied with the outcome. She gave Jian Sui a reassuring look and said nothing more.

The silence in the car lasted until they arrived home. Zhao Zhu stormed off with Chu You, and Chu Xiong retreated to his study. Only Chu Ci and Jian Sui were left.

The two walked incredibly slowly. The short front garden seemed to stretch out for an eternity.

Chu Ci dawdled, looking everywhere—up, down, front, back—but not at Jian Sui. She was trying to buy time to come up with an excuse to sleep in the study.

Jian Sui matched Chu Ci’s slow pace, gazing at the garden, which was exceptionally tranquil under the moonlight. A breeze sent shadows swaying and brought with it the scent of flowers.

She had never allowed herself to experience this quiet leisure. In school, she had to struggle, rely on herself, and rush to work before graduation to start her company, wishing she could split herself into eight people. After graduation, she was tirelessly involved in every aspect of her company, constantly busy, accustomed to the hustle and bustle of daytime and either collapsing into bed or working all night.

Jian Sui used to believe that time spent doing nothing was a crime and that the finish line was the only important thing. She always kept her head down and hurried. But now, walking slowly beside Chu Ci, she finally realized how beautiful the flowers on both sides of the path had grown.

All the scenery and fragrances she had missed were made up for at this moment. Her heart settled, feeling comfortable inside and out.

Jian Sui wasn’t in a hurry, but Chu Ci felt increasing urgency as they approached the door. How can I come up with an excuse to sleep in the study?

Her gaze darted around, and when she saw the moon, a brilliant idea struck her.

“The moonlight is so beautiful tonight. I want to look at it for a while longer. You go back to the room and rest. I’ll just sleep in the study when I get tired.”

It was a flawless excuse. It even explained why she was walking so slowly.

Jian Sui clearly paused when she heard this.

Just as Chu Ci worried that her excuse was too clumsy, Jian Sui nodded with a slightly unnatural expression and went back to the room first.

Chu Ci wondered if she was imagining things, but did Jian Sui’s face look a little flushed just now?

It must be my imagination. It’s not even summer yet. The night is cool. How could Jian Sui’s face be red?

Regardless, the excuse had worked. To make it convincing, Chu Ci deliberately lingered in the garden for two more laps, sitting on an outdoor chair and genuinely gazing at the moon for a while.

Jian Sui, who had rushed back to the room, used the back of her hand to cool her flushed cheeks but felt annoyed.

Did leaving without responding just now make Chu Ci sad again?

Thinking this, Jian Sui didn’t turn on the light and walked onto the balcony. From here, she could look down at the entire front garden.

Under the cold moonlight, Chu Ci’s clothes were thin, and the gentle breeze lifted her loose dress. All the flowers in the garden were shrouded in night, stripped of their daytime competition, willing to be the backdrop, leaving a blank canvas to frame Chu Ci under the moon.

Chu Ci looked up at the moon, and the moon, in return, generously poured all its light onto her, coating Chu Ci in a soft, silver glow, making her look as if she were about to ascend to heaven.

Her heart skipped a beat. Jian Sui involuntarily leaned closer, instinctively reaching out to grab Chu Ci, but the touch of the cold glass pulled her back to reality.

She shook her head, laughing at her own wild imagination. Chu Ci was human. How could she ascend to heaven? I must be staying up too late, and my mind is foggy.

Despite her rational thoughts, Jian Sui couldn’t tear her eyes away. Chu Ci stood, then sat, watching the moon, and Jian Sui stood on the balcony, watching Chu Ci through the glass, until Chu Ci seemed to get cold and let out a sneeze, which made Jian Sui tense up.

Is she freezing?

Frowning slightly, Jian Sui grabbed a jacket, intending to take it out to Chu Ci, but then her mind cleared completely.

If she went out now, wouldn’t that mean she was telling Chu Ci that she had returned to the room early, hadn’t rested, and had been secretly watching her the entire time?

Just as Jian Sui realized this and hesitated, Chu Ci also seemed to feel the cold and went inside.

Jian Sui sighed in relief, then tensed up again. Will Chu Ci come back to the bedroom?

Fumbling to change into her pajamas, Jian Sui rushed to the bed, lay down, closed her eyes, and pretended to be asleep.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway, their rhythmic beat tapping on Jian Sui’s heart, making it beat faster and faster, almost bursting from her chest.

The footsteps grew clearer, indicating they were approaching, and then stopped right outside the door.

At that moment, Jian Sui’s heart rate reached its peak.

But Chu Ci’s pause was brief. She didn’t even try to open the door. The footsteps resumed, moving further away this time, and Jian Sui’s heartbeat slowly returned to normal.

With the sound of the study door opening and closing, the footsteps disappeared completely.

Her heart was back to normal, but Jian Sui felt an emptiness inside.

She threw back the covers, realizing she hadn’t needed to play this childish game since elementary school.

Looking at the door, which remained shut the entire time, Jian Sui felt it isolated more than just the room from the hallway.

Feeling down, Jian Sui forced herself to fall asleep quickly.

Maybe Chu Ci just thought I was asleep and didn’t want to disturb me. Tomorrow morning, she might quietly walk into the room, just like this morning.

If that’s the case, I absolutely can’t open my eyes too fast and scare her away again.

Holding onto that thought, Jian Sui fell into a deep sleep.

Chu Ci slept well that night. Lying on the study sofa, she had added two layers of padding from her preparations the night before, making it much softer. Although narrow, it was nothing to Chu Ci, who was used to hospital beds.

Waking up naturally, Chu Ci heard the pattering of rain. Looking outside, she saw that it was indeed raining.

The moonlight was so beautiful in the first half of the night, but it rained in the second half. No wonder the wind last night felt so cold it made me sneeze.

She yawned comfortably. Chu Ci felt that the best thing to do on a rainy day was nothing at all. It would be even better to fall back asleep listening to the rain.

She moved to the sofa under the study window, wrapped herself in a small blanket, closed her eyes contentedly, and drifted back to sleep.

Meanwhile, Jian Sui, who had also naturally woken up, lay in bed with her eyes open, looking at the closed door for the hundred and eighth time. Where is Chu Ci?