The Sickly Girl Becomes a Scum Alpha - Chapter 3

Riding in the car back to the Chu family mansion, Chu Ci stared straight ahead, as if ignoring the fact that Jian Sui was sitting next to her could ease her awkwardness and tension. After all, she had just almost made the other woman cry.

Jian Sui was also silent, observing the person beside her.

Could a person really change so much overnight? Or had she simply not understood her before?

Both were lost in their thoughts, and the car was quiet until it began to slow down.

“Miss, I think there’s a traffic jam ahead.”

The driver turned back to speak to Chu Ci.

Jolted out of her reverie, Chu Ci looked up and saw an endless line of cars, completely stuck.

She glanced at the time and understood what was happening. In the original plot, she had forced Jian Sui to drink an entire bottle of wine, which wasted a lot of time. As a result, they were late and Jian Sui had to face the family’s punishment. This time, Jian Sui had been too cooperative and didn’t waste time, so to ensure they were still late and got punished, the system had added an “unforeseen” traffic jam.

Seriously! What city has a traffic jam this bad at six in the morning?! It was just absurd!

Chu Ci knew this was a deliberate setup to make them late and punish Jian Sui, and her expression immediately soured.

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror, shrank his neck in fear, and said there was nothing he could do. They were stuck both front and back.

They crawled at a snail’s pace until the road ahead suddenly cleared just as the clock ran out.

The car drove into the old-fashioned estate, and a servant immediately came to open the door. “Mr. and Mrs. Chu are waiting for the young lady and young mistress in the living room.”

Chu Ci, preoccupied with the upcoming plot, absentmindedly nodded and walked inside in her wrinkled wedding dress.

The original host’s father was named Chu Xiong, and her stepmother was Zhao Zhu. In this novel where everyone was a villain, they were naturally no exceptions. Chu Xiong was hypocritical and sanctimonious, while Zhao Zhu was cruel and malicious. It was no wonder the original host grew up to be so twisted in such an environment.

As she was thinking, the two of them entered the living room.

The large doors were wide open, but the rising sun seemed to intentionally avoid the room, only casting a small, rectangular patch of light that made the surrounding darkness seem even more oppressive and suffocating.

Chu Xiong and Zhao Zhu sat in their armchairs, their faces grim and intimidating.

“Where have you been carousing again?”

Chu Xiong was the first to speak, his brow furrowed as he stared at her un-changed wedding dress.

Although Chu Ci had been sick for many years, her parents had always been loving and doting, treating her like a treasure. They had never even raised their voices at her. This was her first time witnessing such suffocating behavior from parents.

“Is it any of your business?”

Her brows furrowed in return. Chu Ci had initially thought the original host’s attitude toward her elders was a bit excessive, but now she realized that they deserved exactly this kind of treatment.

Ignoring Chu Xiong’s even darker expression, she nonchalantly sat down in a nearby chair, crossed her legs, and adopted the posture of a lazy, good-for-nothing heir.

Chu Xiong was furious at his rebellious daughter, but before he could explode, Zhao Zhu reached over and patted his chest. “Why are you getting so worked up over A’ci? She’s at the age where she wants to have fun. It’s not a big deal.”

Then, Zhao Zhu’s eyes darted to Jian Sui, who was standing in the middle of the room. “But then again, A’ci is young and foolish. At least now she’s married, so someone can keep an eye on her. If A’ci makes a mistake, it’s because someone didn’t watch her properly. Isn’t that right, Jian Sui? This morning, Butler Sun told you to get A’ci back early, but you dawdled and brought her back late, which caused A’ci to get scolded. Isn’t this all your fault?”

In one breath, she hinted at Chu Ci’s incompetence, drove a wedge between the newlyweds, and played the part of a virtuous stepmother in front of Chu Xiong. It was truly wicked.

Sitting nearby, Chu Ci couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

The words, however, worked perfectly on Chu Xiong. He immediately looked at Jian Sui. “Jian Sui, I thought you were a sensible and well-behaved girl. Chu Ci may have no manners, but do you have no manners either? This Chu family has no room for people with no manners. I’ll let it slide with a minor punishment. Go to the ancestral hall and copy the family rules one hundred times. Come back for a meal after you’re done. There will be no next time. If you don’t understand anything, go ask Butler Sun.”

With just a couple of simple sentences, he condemned Jian Sui. His disappointed tone made it sound like Jian Sui had committed some grave offense.

Jian Sui lowered her eyes, did not argue, and agreed.

Just as Chu Xiong and Zhao Zhu were about to leave, Chu Ci stood up. “By what right are you punishing Jian Sui?”

At her words, everyone’s attention turned to Chu Ci. Jian Sui was also a little surprised.

“Are you questioning me?” Chu Xiong hated being defied, especially by Chu Ci.

“Are you saying you’re in the right?” Chu Ci met his gaze without flinching. She had never seen such a preposterous person.

“Alright, you’ve really grown up,” Chu Xiong laughed in anger, looking at his daughter, who, no matter how rebellious, had always been obedient in front of him. “You say it’s your fault, so you’ll go to the ancestral hall with Jian Sui. Each of you will copy the family rules one hundred times. Butler Sun, watch them. They’re not allowed out until they’re finished!”

Chu Ci’s attempt to reason with him resulted in both of them being locked in the ancestral hall.

The Chu family’s ancestral hall was very old, and even in the daytime, it was dark and cold. The ink on the top row of ancestral tablets had already blurred. There were no lights, only white candles. The flickering flames and the scent of burning wax filled the air, making the place feel physically and psychologically uncomfortable.

Butler Sun was relatively respectful to Chu Ci. After bringing in a table, chairs, and the family rules, he added a word of advice. “Miss, Mr. Chu doesn’t really want to punish you. All you have to do is apologize to him. The ancestral hall is damp and cold. It’s not comfortable here.”

“It’s his fault. Why should I apologize?”

Chu Ci had shivered the moment she walked in, but she refused to back down.

Seeing that Chu Ci was beyond help, Butler Sun said no more and left, closing the door behind him.

The meager sunlight completely disappeared once the door was shut, leaving only the dim candlelight and the rows of ancestral tablets.

Chu Ci rubbed her arms and sat down at the table, unable to stop herself from coughing a couple of times.

The plot had been progressing smoothly, and her body was gradually stabilizing. But because she had just talked back to Chu Xiong, her character persona had nearly broken, and her physical condition had rapidly worsened. Fortunately, the plot had still moved forward, and Jian Sui’s punishment hadn’t changed, which pulled her condition back a little. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have just been coughing; she probably would have ended up in the ICU.

She knew she would be fine if she just followed the plot, but she was in this world now. She couldn’t just stand by and watch an innocent person like Jian Sui get unfairly punished. She just couldn’t do it.

Jian Sui looked at the slender figure slumped over the table, coughing uncomfortably. Chu Ci didn’t have to be punished, not if she had just kept silent. But she had spoken up, standing up for her.

Such an act was quite foolish since Chu Ci lacked the power to resist, but Jian Sui couldn’t deny it. The moment Chu Ci spoke, Jian Sui’s heart felt as if it had been pulled from an icy bath, warming up and beginning to beat fiercely again.