The Sickly Girl Becomes a Scum Alpha - Chapter 26

Just as Special Assistant Cheng thought Chu Ci was about to lose her temper, she turned and left without a word.

Unable to fathom the young mistress’s thoughts, he could only hurry to keep up.

Chu Ci took out her phone. Perhaps because the situation hadn’t escalated yet, there weren’t many people paying attention. The trouble with Jian Sui’s company hadn’t become a full-blown scandal just yet. However, the photo of her and Jian Sui from last night had gained significant traction. People interested in that photo were being recommended videos from marketing accounts by big data.

“Have someone investigate this thoroughly,” Chu Ci instructed Cheng Feng without looking up. Then, realizing he was Chu Xiong’s special assistant, she looked up and added, “Is that okay?”

Cheng Feng hadn’t expected to be put to use so quickly and nodded immediately. “Of course.”

“Thank you.”

Chu Ci put away her phone, taking a breath to calm her fluctuating emotions. “Let’s go straight to the Project Department first.”

The two took the elevator to the Project Department.

There were many projects, large and small, but for someone in Chu Ci’s position, she didn’t need to personally oversee them unless they were exceptionally large; naturally, there were people to handle the details.

Even so, the workload was not small.

On her first day, Chu Ci held a meeting with part of the Project Department to introduce herself. Since some staff were away on business, and the department had been leaderless for a while due to the previous manager’s issues, it was still a maturely functioning department and hadn’t fallen into chaos.

The meeting was brief. Once it concluded, Chu Ci returned to her office.

Standing before a floor-to-ceiling window, she could overlook half of Jiangcheng. Files were categorized neatly on a massive desk. Behind her chair was a wall of books, with a sofa in the middle of the room. Behind a greenery wall was a private lounge for afternoon naps.

In the prime commercial district of Jiangcheng, an office the size of a micro-company was considered extremely extravagant.

Chu Ci looked around. The facilities were basic—it seemed everything had been replaced after the previous manager left. She would decide what else to add later.

Sitting in the spacious executive chair, she picked up a nearby file to flip through. She needed to adapt to the situation here as quickly as possible; once she held real power, it would be much easier to get things done.

As she turned another page, Chu Ci couldn’t help but think of Jian Sui’s situation.

She had already sent Cheng Feng to investigate. As Chu Xiong’s special assistant, he likely wouldn’t need her to worry about the details, but she wondered how Jian Sui was doing.

In the original novel, aside from the “torment” between the two, the story focused on the original host’s career. There was very little description of Jian Sui’s career because after they married, the original host couldn’t stand Jian Sui being busy with work. She directly forced Jian Sui’s company into bankruptcy and locked her up at home. Later, it was mentioned in passing that with Jian Sui’s talent and ability, keeping her as a “canary” was a terrible waste.

If that was the case, Jian Sui’s personal ability was excellent. Coupled with her resilient character…

But no matter how strong a person is, it’s hard to hold up against such widespread framing and slander.

Chu Ci couldn’t stop worrying. She picked up her phone, put it down, and picked it up again. Maybe I should just call and ask?

While she was debating, the phone suddenly rang, startling her so much she nearly dropped it.

She checked the caller ID: it was Jian Sui.

Chu Ci quickly answered.

“Chu Ci…”

“Are you okay?”

The two spoke at the same time, then fell silent for a moment.

“I’m okay,” Jian Sui answered first. She looked at her phone hesitantly. Has Chu Ci already seen those things? Will she believe me?

Thinking of this, Jian Sui suddenly felt a lack of confidence. Her fingertips gripping the phone turned white, and she bit her lower lip as if waiting for a verdict.

On the other end of the line, Chu Ci couldn’t see Jian Sui’s expression. Hearing her say she was “okay” made her breathe a small sigh of relief.

“I saw the rumors online. Don’t take them to heart. Leave it to me to handle.”

There were no questions, no suspicion—only comfort and a promise. Jian Sui was stunned, her heart feeling hot. “You believe me?”

“Don’t be silly. Of course I believe you. How could you possibly commit plagiarism?”

Chu Ci’s tone was gentle and firm. Even though Cheng Feng’s investigation results weren’t in yet, she didn’t doubt Jian Sui for a second. She trusted her own judgment.

The steady voice coming through the receiver moved Jian Sui deeply. She had never imagined someone would trust her to this extent. The hard, cold expression she had maintained since the incident melted away. Although the corners of her eyes were slightly red, she was smiling.

“Thank you,” Jian Sui whispered.

Chu Ci knew this matter would have a big impact on Jian Sui. Hearing her unusual voice, she couldn’t help but worry more. She checked the time. “It’s almost noon. What do you want to eat? I’ll bring it over to you.”

“Huh?”

Jian Sui didn’t expect the topic to jump so quickly. She didn’t react at first, then realized the time. “But we’re quite far apart, aren’t we?”

It was indeed far. The Chu Group was in the heart of the city, while Jian Sui’s company, due to limited funds, was near the outskirts. A one-way trip took an hour. With only a two-hour lunch break, Chu Ci wouldn’t have time to eat if she came over.

“It’s okay. I want to eat with you.”

Chu Ci couldn’t rest easy without seeing Jian Sui’s state with her own eyes. She couldn’t say it plainly, fearing Jian Sui’s pride might be hurt, so she used delivering lunch as an excuse.

Jian Sui felt her heart beating at an illegal speed. The rapid circulation made her feel flushed, and her brain felt foggy. She didn’t even know how the call ended.

“Jian Sui, did you tell Chu Ci about this…”

Zhao Rong pushed the door open and stopped mid-sentence. Seeing Jian Sui’s blushing face—practically surrounded by pink bubbles—she immediately realized something. “…Just finished talking?”

“How did you know?” Jian Sui looked up at Zhao Rong, feeling the heat in her face and touching it with her hand.

Zhao Rong: …You’re making it very hard for me to pretend I don’t know.

“Getting down to business—what did Chu Ci say?” Zhao Rong coughed and sat down, pretending she hadn’t seen anything.

“Chu Ci said she knows. She said I can leave it to her to handle.” Recalling Chu Ci’s gentle yet firm tone, an unconscious, light smile appeared on Jian Sui’s face.

Zhao Rong: …

In all the years she had known Jian Sui, the times she had seen a smile on her face could be counted on one hand. Has it already reached the point where she smiles like this just by mentioning Chu Ci’s name?!

What on earth is love!

Fine. Seeing that Chu Ci was being reliable, Zhao Rong looked away again. “So, are we still going to the cafeteria for lunch today?”

“I’m not going. Chu Ci is coming over soon.” The smile on Jian Sui’s face widened a bit more.

Zhao Rong, feeling a continuous critical hit: …

Dammit! I can’t take this!

“It’s her first day at the company; shouldn’t she be incredibly busy? Our companies are so far apart, what is she coming here for?”

Hearing Zhao Rong say this, Jian Sui also felt a bit worried. But then she thought: even while being so busy, Chu Ci was willing to spend two hours traveling just to have a meal with her…

Was my attitude just now too cold?

Zhao Rong saw Jian Sui’s brow furrowed in deep thought and breathed a sigh of relief. Good, there’s still a chance to save these two “love brains.” “Alright, then call Chu Ci and tell her not to come. Let’s go eat together.”

Jian Sui wasn’t listening to Zhao Rong at all. She stood up. Just as Zhao Rong thought she was going to eat and was about to remind her it wasn’t lunch break yet, Jian Sui stood in front of a full-length mirror.

“Is my makeup okay today? Is it too cold and serious?”

Zhao Rong felt herself mentally fall apart.

Inside the Chu Group, there was a cafeteria for private catering that served high-level executives. Chu Ci placed an order through the internal phone, picking items based on Jian Sui’s usual tastes and adding two extra desserts. When someone is in a bad mood, eating something sweet helps.

After finishing the call, there was a knock at the door.

“Enter.”

Cheng Feng walked in with documents that felt warm, likely just printed.

This efficiency was impressive.

“Little Mr. Chu, the investigation is clear. It’s obvious that Tiss is using its power to bully others. I checked all the evidence listed in the original video; it’s all nonsense. Ms. Jian did attend Fashion Week, but there’s no record of Tiss issuing an invitation to visit. Furthermore, Tiss’s plan to acquire Bamboo Dream was only proposed recently—the timeline is after Bamboo Dream filed a public lawsuit against Tiss for plagiarism. It’s the exact opposite of what the video claims.”

Cheng Feng placed the documents in front of Chu Ci. “Most importantly, the investigation into the design leak at Tiss six months ago is complete. The leaked designs have absolutely nothing to do with the designs involved in this plagiarism incident.”

“They’ve already started the lawsuit?” Chu Ci picked up the documents and scanned them briefly.

“Yes. A result is expected soon. Ms. Jian has a very strong case with solid evidence. Tiss is likely acting out of desperation, which is why they used this tactic.”

Cheng Feng had seen plenty of storms during his years at the Chu Group. He could only describe this level of tactic in two words: crude.

However, if Jian Sui really was just a small company with no background, these tactics would have been more than enough. Unfortunately for Tiss, they’ve kicked a steel plate this time.

Of all the people to provoke, they chose the young mistress of the Chu family?

Chu Ci finished reading the background. “Is it troublesome to handle this?”

Cheng Feng thought for a moment. “If you mean controlling the public opinion on Tiss’s side and suppressing the matter, that’s just a matter of a single phone call. If you want to teach Tiss a lesson, let the public opinion backfire, and put in a little effort to make them feel the pain—that’s not troublesome either. If you want to drive Tiss into bankruptcy directly, that’s a bit harder. Mainly because there’s no profit in it for us, so we don’t think much of them; it would be hard to convince foreign conglomerates to join us in the hunt. But it’s not impossible.”

The Chu Group had always been diversified. Naturally, they wouldn’t overlook the entertainment industry, which had grown rapidly in recent decades. The Chu Group had a presence in several major traffic platforms and public opinion centers. While they didn’t exactly “rule the sky,” it wasn’t difficult to say the word for such a minor matter.

Chu Ci had a plan. “Give them a lesson, but mainly focus on controlling the narrative so it doesn’t have a negative impact on Jian Sui’s side.”

“You mean leaving this to me?” Cheng Feng pointed to himself.

“Is that okay?” Chu Ci raised an eyebrow.

“Of course.” Cheng Feng smiled and nodded. “By tomorrow at the latest, I will have two plans for you to review.”

A special assistant under Chu Xiong was indeed different. Chu Ci was very satisfied with this efficiency. “Everyone involved in solving this, who has extra work because of it, will receive an additional bonus. It will come out of my account.”

“Little Mr. Chu is generous. I’ll thank you on their behalf.” This was the first time Cheng Feng had met a boss who prepared bonuses before the work even started. Wasn’t actual cash better than any “motivational pie”?

He suddenly felt that the future of the Chu Group was promising.

After settling these matters, it was almost lunch break. Because Chu Ci had already made arrangements, the driver was waiting downstairs, and the cafeteria had sent the packed meals.

Sitting in the car, watching the scenery flash by, she felt confident in the Chu Group’s ability to handle this. She would have more confidence when comforting Jian Sui later.

The car quickly passed through the city center. The tall buildings became sparser and shorter. Just as Chu Ci was about to fall asleep, the car stopped.

As a rapidly developing commercial city, even the outskirts of Jiangcheng were bustling, though not comparable to the city center.

The car parked downstairs. Chu Ci called Jian Sui. After confirming she was coming down, Chu Ci got out of the car carrying the lunch boxes.

A camera shutter clicked. She glanced at a small group of media not far away. Clearly, they were eager to rush up for an interview, but they were deterred by the original host’s notorious reputation and didn’t dare approach.

Since they didn’t dare come near, Chu Ci was happy for the peace and walked straight into the building.

Just as she reached the entrance, Jian Sui came down to meet her. Jian Sui glanced at the media waiting outside and went upstairs with Chu Ci.

Jian Sui’s company was indeed small. This was the headquarters for office work, occupying one floor of this modest office building. Since it was lunchtime, those who had gone to eat were returning for their break, and they saw their boss walking in with her “wife.”

Surprise was written all over their faces. Their eyes widened as they exchanged silent messages.

“Ahem!” Jian Sui couldn’t stand it and coughed into her hand, though she couldn’t hide her slightly red ears.

Chu Ci wasn’t socially anxious; she greeted people openly.

“Wow, is Miss Chu here for an inspection?” someone tried to whisper to a colleague, but their volume slipped, drawing everyone’s attention.

Chu Ci and Jian Sui heard it too. Jian Sui’s pace quickened. Why is this office area so long?

“I’m here to deliver lunch,” Chu Ci replied with a smile, lifting the lunch boxes.

“Ooh~” Perhaps because of Chu Ci’s casual manner, the staff weren’t as constrained. Hearing the answer, they looked at each other and smiled, starting to tease them.

Chu Ci had just replied casually and hadn’t expected them to start teasing. She felt a bit flustered. After all, Jian Sui might not like this. No one likes being teased about someone they don’t like.

Jian Sui didn’t have time for that. Seeing her office door ahead was like finding salvation. She grabbed Chu Ci, who was about to try to explain, and pulled her into the office. The door shut with a “bang,” cutting off the gossiping gazes from outside.

Outside, the staff watched the closed door, their gossiping hearts burning.

“Is our Boss Jian shy? Heavens, is the iron tree blooming? Our usually cold and calm Boss Jian’s ears are actually red.”

“Haha, be careful. If Boss Jian hears you, you’re dead. But seriously, how can Miss Chu be so pretty? She’s prettier than the celebrities on TV!”

“True. But our Boss Jian isn’t bad either, she’s just always cold. Miss Chu has quite a good temper, she speaks so nicely, nothing like the news.”

“Today’s news has no ethics at all!”

Outside, the conversation was exploding. Inside the office, seeing Jian Sui’s expression wasn’t great, Chu Ci felt like a child who had done something wrong, standing there awkwardly.

In reality, Jian Sui was still calming her heart. She looked at Chu Ci. “Have a seat.”

Carefully watching Jian Sui’s expression, Chu Ci sat on the sofa. She placed the lunch boxes on the coffee table and opened them. “I don’t know if these dishes suit your taste.”

“Anything is fine.” Jian Sui didn’t have the mental capacity to care about the food right now. For some reason, even though they were used to being in the same room at home, she felt completely out of place now that the location had changed to her office.

Taking advantage of pouring tea, she turned her back to Chu Ci and took a deep breath to relax her tense nerves before bringing back two cups of water.

“Thank you,” Chu Ci said reflexively.

“You’re welcome,” Jian Sui replied reflexively.

It was a bit too “mutual respect.” They both realized it felt off and lowered their heads to drink water to hide the awkwardness.

Chu Ci looked at Jian Sui standing nearby and felt this wasn’t going anywhere. She broke the silence. “Let’s eat first. We can talk while we eat.”

“Okay.” Jian Sui agreed. Just as she was about to sit, she realized her only choices were sitting to Chu Ci’s left or her right.

Since this was Jian Sui’s office, there was no dedicated dining table; they had to make do with the coffee table. The sofa where they could sit and eat was small. If she sat too far, she couldn’t reach the food, and there were no other stools that matched the height of the coffee table.

Chu Ci clearly realized the problem too and suddenly felt a bit of regret. Why did she insist on delivering lunch? It wasn’t like there were no restaurants near Jian Sui’s company. Wouldn’t picking one have been better than this?

But she couldn’t let the food go to waste. Chu Ci moved over, and Jian Sui sat down beside her.

It must be said, the Chu Group’s five-star cafeteria wasn’t just talk. The food was characterized by its perfect color, aroma, and taste. Even simple home-style dishes tasted many times better. Even the rice was exceptionally soft and fragrant, stimulating the appetite.

When the meal was nearly finished and Jian Sui’s expression had returned to normal, Chu Ci brought up the business.

“Regarding the Tiss matter, don’t worry about it. I can solve everything on my end. There will be two plans by tomorrow at the latest. I’ll send them to you then to see if there’s anything you want to add or change.”

Speaking of business, Jian Sui became serious. Hearing Chu Ci’s solemn and thorough consideration, she was moved but also hesitant. “Is this too much trouble for you all?”

“It’s no trouble. As long as the matter is resolved, that’s what matters most.” Chu Ci saw Jian Sui put down her chopsticks and start drinking water. She prepared to take the desserts out of the other lunch box.

Because the dessert was cold, it was in a thermal container. To maintain the temperature, the seal was very tight and somewhat difficult to open.

Jian Sui watched Chu Ci struggle with the container and reached out to help. “Let me do it.”

“No, no, it’s almost open.” Chu Ci had developed a bit of a temper with this stubborn little box. She refused to believe she couldn’t open it.

“Try pushing this part down?” Jian Sui reached out to point to a small catch at the bottom as Chu Ci looked like she was about to go to war with the box.

“This one?” Holding the box, Chu Ci tilted her head to look. Finally seeing the small catch, she felt a surge of joy and pressed it.

Jian Sui saw the tilted box and knew something was wrong. “Watch out!”

“Huh?” Before Chu Ci could realize what happened, the lid of the container popped open. She belatedly tried to save the dessert inside.

She and Jian Sui had the same thought; both lunged for the dessert. But they forgot the distance between the coffee table and the sofa was too small, and they were sitting side by side. Jian Sui’s leg hit the coffee table as she tried to stand, causing her to lose her balance and fall uncontrollably toward Chu Ci.

Chu Ci panicked as well. Having successfully steadied the thermal container with the dessert, she didn’t have time to catch Jian Sui. She could only watch as Jian Sui fell onto her, and they both tumbled back onto the sofa.

With a familiar muffled groan, Chu Ci—having been crushed again—breathed slowly. Her gaze fell on Jian Sui, whose face was buried right in the crook of her neck.

Because she had Chu Ci as a cushion, Jian Sui didn’t feel any pain. Feeling extremely apologetic, she propped her arms on either side of Chu Ci to get up. As she rose, she inadvertently glanced down…

Chu Ci was frowning slightly. Perhaps because of the pain, there were physiological tears in her eyes, and the corners of her eyes were flushed. Her head was tilted slightly to the side, revealing her delicate, long neck. Her wide-open collar showed her exquisite collarbone, which was now red where Jian Sui’s head had bumped it—looking pathetic yet carrying an unspeakable desire.

Before she could even marvel at the sight, Jian Sui’s gaze was drawn to something else.

On the collar of Chu Ci’s sapphire blue shirt, a bright red lip print was exceptionally conspicuous.