The Sickly Girl Becomes a Scum Alpha - Chapter 28

Butler Sun came out to open Chu Ci’s car door. She handed him her coat and asked, “Is Jian Sui back?”

“The Young Mistress is already upstairs.” Butler Sun took the coat and went to arrange for the parking and the driver.

Chu Ci looked up at the room with the lights off, wondering why Jian Sui was sitting in the dark, but she didn’t ask and headed upstairs.

“Miss, will you be eating now? Should I have someone bring it up?” Butler Sun’s voice came from behind.

“No, I’ll come down to eat later. Have they all eaten?” Chu Ci asked. Eating in the bedroom would inevitably leave food smells; Jian Sui might not like that if she had just finished.

“Mr. Chu, the Madame, and the Little Master have eaten. The Young Mistress hasn’t eaten yet.”

Jian Sui hadn’t eaten? Is she waiting for me?

“I see. We’ll talk later.”

Ascending the central spiral staircase, Chu Ci looked at the closed bedroom door and realized something was wrong. Lights off, no food eaten, door shut tight—could something have happened during the short time she was late coming home?

The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Chu Ci knew the family in the original novel too well; they lived to cause trouble. Her pace quickened, but she paused at the door, knocking first to give Jian Sui a heads-up in case she was changing or—like last time—crying.

“Jian Sui?”

There was no reaction. Chu Ci called out softly, still with no response. She gripped the handle and pushed the door open. The room was dark, save for the faint glow from the garden and the beam of light from the hallway, making it hard to see anything clearly.

As her eyes adjusted, she still didn’t see Jian Sui. Just as Chu Ci was getting confused, the door to the adjacent study opened.

“I do not wish for you to become a burden that holds Chu Ci back.”

Chu Xiong’s words had been circling Jian Sui’s mind ever since she returned to her room.

In truth, Chu Xiong wasn’t wrong. Chu Ci was the future heir of the Chu family. According to the rules of high-society marriages, she should have allied with someone of equal commercial value and social standing. A “power couple” was the standard; she was clearly unqualified. The only reason she had married in was because of Chu Ci’s “like.”

Chu Xiong was clever. Chu Ci was his successor, and he avoided direct confrontation with her to prevent any rift. Therefore, he would push Jian Sui to back off on her own. Initially, he had allowed the marriage because he didn’t take Jian Sui seriously, thinking Chu Ci would get bored in a few days or that a controllable “vase” at home was harmless.

But as time passed, Chu Xiong found his usually obedient daughter arguing with him for Jian Sui’s sake. Her protection was growing, her focus intensifying—she was deviating from his control and moving toward Jian Sui. This was something he could not tolerate.

Stop the loss.

Either make Jian Sui leave on her own or trap her at home as a “vase” as originally predicted—both were the least harmful solutions. Of course, if Jian Sui didn’t want to choose and insisted on going against him, she would have to face the consequences.

If this were the old Jian Sui, she would have taken Chu Xiong’s guarantees and left without hesitation. But things were different now.

Once she left, her life and Chu Ci’s would never intersect again. Just the thought of that possibility made Jian Sui feel as if her internal organs were being twisted. A bitter taste spread to the root of her tongue, her throat felt blocked, and breathing became difficult.

But she couldn’t accept giving up her career either.

As expected, she was still too weak. If she were more powerful, she wouldn’t be suffering over this problem or facing such a choice. Her cold eyes grew dark as an abyss; her desire for the “heights” had never been so clear.

Sitting in the dark until nightfall, Jian Sui knew Chu Xiong’s talk was just a preview. Chu Ci’s feelings were strong right now, so Chu Xiong wouldn’t risk turning his daughter into an enemy over Jian Sui. He would act like a patient hunter, waiting for the rope in the shadows to silently tighten, forcing her to make the final choice. He hadn’t even explicitly told her to leave, knowing Chu Ci wouldn’t agree even if Jian Sui proposed a divorce. He would let time wear her down, waiting for the perfect moment.

This uncertain window of time was her opportunity. She had to gain enough leverage during this period. But how could she achieve that in the shortest amount of time? Even a single company like Tiss had her cornered, forcing her to seek Chu Ci’s help.

Wait—the predicament!

This crisis might actually be the “east wind” that helps her soar! A spark flashed in Jian Sui’s eyes; this was a hurdle, but it was also an opportunity.

Action followed thought. Jian Sui immediately got up, grabbed her laptop, and went to the study next door. When Chu Ci’s car arrived downstairs, she was so focused on typing that she didn’t even hear the footsteps. It wasn’t until Chu Ci knocked that she realized she was home. She grabbed the documents the printer had just spat out and walked to the door.

Opening the door, the two stood in the hallway, looking at each other. Chu Ci looked at Jian Sui holding the papers and blinked. Just as she was about to speak, Jian Sui thrust the documents toward her.

“What is this?”

“These are some of my thoughts regarding the Tiss lawsuit. This is a great opportunity I don’t want to miss, but the execution might need coordination from your side. Take a look; I’ve organized the specific ideas.”

This sudden “all business” approach stunned Chu Ci. Taking the warm papers, she thought: Did I overthink it? Nothing happened; she just didn’t eat because she was busy working?

“By the way, I borrowed your printer.”

Jian Sui’s expression was normal. She wouldn’t tell Chu Ci what Chu Xiong had said. Chu Ci had just started at Chu Corporation and still needed to rely on him. If she went to cause a scene in a fit of rage, it would ruin her own future. Furthermore, Jian Sui was confident that one day, she would stand by Chu Ci’s side through her own strength, where no one would ever call her a burden again.

“Uh, that’s fine.” The printer was in the corner; Chu Ci had almost forgotten it existed. Just as she was about to look at the papers, her phone chimed with two messages.

It was from Cheng Feng—Plan A and Plan B, in two separate files.

With documents in one hand and her phone in the other, Chu Ci looked back and forth, blinking. Are you all this obsessed with overtime? Looking at the plans in both hands, she realized a problem: Why was she acting as the messenger? Shouldn’t Cheng Feng and Jian Sui just deal with each other directly?

“Here, take these,” Chu Ci handed the papers back to Jian Sui and sent her Cheng Feng’s contact card. “This is my new assistant, Cheng Feng. He’s very capable and is handling this matter. Add him so your communication will be more efficient.”

That was indeed much more efficient. Jian Sui had no objections. Chu Ci gave Cheng Feng a heads-up, and Jian Sui added him on her phone.

“By the way, the butler said you haven’t eaten. Want to go down and get something together?” Having finished the task and escaped her “overtime” fate, Chu Ci enthusiastically invited Jian Sui.

“You go ahead. I’m not hungry. I need to look at these two files, and Assistant Cheng will look at mine. We’ll need to exchange opinions soon.” Jian Sui held her phone, her head down as she returned to the study.

Chu Ci felt a twinge of shame for having just celebrated her escape from work. Look at this professional spirit!

“Gurgle~”

Her stomach let out a treacherous sound. Chu Ci realized she probably didn’t have that kind of spirit.

Going downstairs to eat alone, Chu Ci asked the chef for a simple bowl of noodles but left out ingredients for a second bowl, ensuring Jian Sui could have a fresh one later.

In the spacious, empty dining room, sitting alone with a solitary bowl of noodles, Chu Ci suddenly felt the food was tasteless. This was the first time Jian Sui had refused to eat with her. Is work really that satisfying?

While thinking this, she finished her small bowl of noodles with a hint of grievance. She looked up at the closed study door and then at the stove. Jian Sui must be hungry. If she stayed busy too late, she might just skip eating because she was too tired to come down. The chef had already left, but boiling noodles shouldn’t be difficult.

Should she boil some for Jian Sui?

Thinking of how the chef had handled it effortlessly, Chu Ci felt she could do it too. She rolled up her sleeves, looking at the neatly arranged ingredients with anticipation. Turn on the fire, add water, put the ingredients in once it boils, boil for five minutes, turn it off, and serve.

Simple.

Having rehearsed the process in her head, Chu Ci confidently lit the flame. The successful first step boosted her confidence. She picked up the pot the chef had used and filled it halfway with water—it was a bit heavy, but she could manage with both hands.

She put the pot down a bit too forcefully; the “bang” and the sudden flare of the flames startled her, but so far, so good. She put on the lid. The lid was transparent, which lowered the difficulty significantly.

Once the water was boiling, Chu Ci lifted the lid and dumped the noodles and ingredients in all at once. A splash of boiling water hit her hand; the searing sting made her flinch, and physiological tears instantly welled up. She blew on her injured hand, which was already turning red.

She glanced at the closed study door and blew on her hand again to ease the pain. It’s fine. It’s my own fault for being clumsy.

Standing by the stove, watching the ingredients tumble in the boiling water, Chu Ci felt a bit of comfort. But then she realized something was wrong. The foam from the boiling water began to stack, rising higher and higher until large bubbles pressed against the lid. The lid rattled up and down as steam escaped, and water started spilling over the edges.

What is happening?!

Stunned, Chu Ci tried to turn off the heat, but the switch was covered in dripping boiling water, which burned her again. Retreating, she risked grabbing the lid. She didn’t realize that at this stage, removing the lid would release a scald of steam, and the lid itself was scorching.

The moment she lifted it, a white cloud of steam burst out, instantly scalding her entire wrist red.

“Ah!”

“Crash!”

The pain was too much. Chu Ci reflexively backed away, dropping the lid. The glass lid shattered on the floor, shards flying everywhere with a loud crash.

The noise was so loud that Jian Sui finally heard it. Her heart skipped a beat as she threw open the door. Seeing Chu Ci in the kitchen, she sensed disaster and rushed downstairs. Even Chu Xiong and Zhao Zhu came out to look. “What happened?”

Chu Ci kept her head down. “Nothing, just broke a plate.”

Chu Xiong couldn’t see the kitchen clearly and didn’t care much. He glanced at the rushing Jian Sui. “If it’s broken, it’s broken. Someone can clean it tomorrow. Go to rest.”

With that, Chu Xiong and Zhao Zhu returned to their rooms. But Jian Sui, standing at the kitchen entrance, saw everything. Seeing the stove still boiling over, Jian Sui avoided the shards and quickly turned off the fire. She then turned to Chu Ci, who looked like a pitiable mess. Her gaze fell on Chu Ci’s hands—previously flawless, now red and swollen in patches—and she gasped, especially at the even more terrifying burn on her wrist.

She immediately grabbed Chu Ci’s arm and put her hand under the cold water tap. The icy sensation instantly replaced the throbbing pain, but the grievance in Chu Ci’s heart suddenly surged up. She took a deep breath, forcing back the tears. I can’t even do this simple thing; I have no right to cry!

“How could you come into a dangerous place like the kitchen?” Jian Sui’s brow was furrowed in anxiety.

“I thought… you hadn’t eaten yet…” Chu Ci’s voice was tiny, not daring to speak up.

Jian Sui froze. Looking up, she saw Chu Ci with a red nose and red eyes, desperately holding back tears. Her heart instantly melted into a puddle; she couldn’t bear to say a single harsh word, leaving only a bittersweet ache of pity.

[Ding! Torment and Abuse progress +2! Current score is 12/100. Host, please keep up the good work!]