The Sickly Girl Becomes a Scum Alpha - Chapter 34

Amidst the flashes of the media, Chu Ci did not linger, acting as if she had only come specifically to accompany her wife before leaving. However, the glimpse the world caught of her was destined to cause a stir.

In the aftermath, Li Sinan, who had just arrived, sat for an interview alongside Jian Sui and Zhao Rong. His supportive stance toward Bamboo Dream left everyone stunned. More importantly, in front of numerous cameras, Li Sinan personally handed Jian Sui an invitation to the Fashion Exhibition and repeatedly invited her to participate.

While they were being interviewed, a specific topic was rapidly climbing the trending charts, soon reaching the top.

It started with a fashion blogger who posted a side-by-side comparison of Chu Ci’s outfits before and after marriage across various platforms. It quickly sparked heated debate.

【To be honest, is this the same person?】

【Upstairs, you’re not the only one.】

【Confession: I always thought Chu Ci was pretty, but I assumed it was just because of her heavy makeup. Seeing this, I just want to ask: Chu Ci, what were you doing to that face before?!】

【The style shift is insane. She went from a reckless “scum girl” to a cold, ascetic, virtuous wife. Honestly, I still can’t believe this is Chu Ci.】

【In one sentence: she’s settled down. There’s a very clear line between her pre-marriage and post-marriage life!】

【Wait, has no one noticed that the biggest reason for this change is that Chu Ci’s entire wardrobe seems to have been replaced since she got married? There’s always a shadow of her wife in what she wears. I suspect her post-marriage outfits are all styled by her wife.】

【Finally someone noticed! At Li Sinan’s banquet, the accessory Chu Ci wore matched the color scheme of her wife’s dress, and it was a design from her wife’s company. Later, the couple’s brooches matched too. Not to mention her clothes these past two days—all designs from her wife’s company! This couple is subtly showing off their love everywhere, okay?!】

【Yes! In the latest photos of them leaving the court, they’re wearing matching black and white outfits from her wife’s company. And the dress Chu Ci is wearing is the very commemorative piece Tiss plagiarized! I remember Tiss tried to hire marketing accounts to frame her—Tiss is truly shameless! Now that she’s won the case fairly, let’s see how they try to distort the facts now!】

【Wow! That really happened? So Chu Ci wore that dress specifically to pick up her wife and show support? Iconic!】

【This sudden bowl of dog food was shoved in my face. I want to know who started the rumors about their bad marriage? They fooled me for so long!】

【Asking quietly: what’s the name of her wife’s company? These clothes are exactly my style. I want the same look!】

【Bamboo Dream Original Design. Just checked it out—it’s a hidden gem! Run, sisters!】

As the topic topped the trends, Bamboo Dream’s official website saw its highest-ever volume of traffic. Fortunately, the backend operations had been taken over by the Chu Group’s team. Not only was the page design completely refreshed to look high-end, but the programming held up perfectly under the sudden surge. They even added an “easter egg” titled [Our Own Aesthetics], where upcoming designs were partially revealed, building massive anticipation.

Soon, similar topics appeared across all platforms. Bloggers and influencers who had been waiting for the verdict followed suit as soon as they saw the interview with Jian Sui and Li Sinan. Pre-edited videos popped up like bamboo shoots after rain, riding the massive wave of traffic.

This traffic was versatile—fashion bloggers, entertainment news, gossip accounts, and even economic analysts found something to say from their respective angles.

The explosion of traffic was so sudden that even Cheng Feng and his team were slightly caught off guard. Seeing a long line of topics waiting to trend, they decided to suppress some and pushed the “Tiss Apology” topic to the second spot on the trending list.

Predictably, once Tiss’s apology hit the list, it drew all the netizens’ attention. Tiss, used to being a legacy luxury brand, issued an apology that was arrogant and sarcastic. Lacking any sincerity, they tried to dismiss the incident as a “coincidence of inspiration.” This successfully enraged the public. Furthermore, as an old-money brand, Tiss still had a group of mindless fans. When the two sides clashed, the comments section became a chaotic battlefield, and the heat surged until it replaced Chu Ci’s topic at number one.

The climax occurred when Li Sinan, after seeing Tiss’s statement, joined a group of fashion industry giants to speak out.

Li Sinan: All inspiration leaves a trail; even a flash of brilliance must have a foundation. You don’t even have a design philosophy; it is pure copy-paste-and-flip. Stop insulting the words “inspiration” and “originality,” and stop insulting fashion.

Li Sinan’s status was unquestionable. With international and domestic titans and celebrities echoing his sentiment, the hypocritical mask of Tiss was ripped away, exposing its despicable behavior to the world.

The next wave of news was a flurry of contract termination notices from Tiss’s spokespeople. The brand, once a prize celebrities fought for, became a “hot potato” they couldn’t drop fast enough to prove they stood on the right side.

In the span of a two-hour lunch break on this Thursday, the public relations war Tiss had planned backfired spectacularly. Their headquarters’ stock hit the downward limit, but this was only the beginning. As a brand that relied on plagiarism even for its seasonal mainstays, Tiss was already at a dead end; Jian Sui and Chu Ci’s actions were merely the wind that delivered the final push.

Cheng Feng had been watching closely. While the PR war hurt Tiss, the real show was about to begin. For Tiss to try to get back up after this fall would be harder than climbing to heaven.

The commotion was perhaps a bit too loud. As soon as Chu Ci returned to the company, she was called to Chu Xiong’s office.

Still wearing Jian Sui’s jacket, Chu Ci felt her hands and feet were like blocks of ice. When she opened the door to Chu Xiong’s office, a blast of cold air hit her, making her head throb. She didn’t know what was wrong with Chu Xiong—he was running the air conditioning on full blast in such cold weather!

Supplying a shiver, Chu Ci pulled her jacket tighter. “Mr. Chu.”

“It’s just the two of us. No need for that,” Chu Xiong signaled his assistant to close the door. “Sit.”

Chu Ci sat down tentatively, unsure of his intent.

“Was the plan to deal with Tiss yours?” Chu Xiong went straight to the point.

Chu Ci wouldn’t take the credit that belonged to Jian Sui and Cheng Feng. She shook her head and was about to explain when Chu Xiong interrupted.

“If not you, then it was Jian Sui.” Chu Xiong had clearly already investigated; his question was just a conversation starter. He continued, “I didn’t expect I had underestimated Jian Sui. She has some ability.”

Chu Ci nodded in agreement. Jian Sui was not only capable but also like a sponge, absorbing new things with incredible speed. Given the opportunity, she would surely create a miracle.

Before Chu Ci could feel proud of her, Chu Xiong shifted his tone.

“However, Chu Ci, you must realize one thing: in a marriage, one party must be absolutely dominant and the other absolutely submissive. If you truly let Jian Sui grow, do you think she will remain as submissive as she is now?”

Chu Ci froze. She remembered her last talk with Chu Xiong, where she had played along with his advice not to care too much, saying she only liked Jian Sui because she was “easy to control.” That lie had now come back to haunt her.

Who could have guessed Chu Xiong’s view on marriage was so… ridiculous?

“Jian Sui… she has some cleverness, but this was just Tiss being too stupid. It was a blind cat hitting a dead mouse. Nothing to worry about.”

Chu Ci had no choice. Letting Jian Sui grow under Chu Xiong’s watchful eye was “maximum difficulty” level. For the sake of the future, she could only run interference by downplaying Jian Sui’s contribution.

But Chu Xiong hadn’t reached his position by being easy to fool. He had believed her before because her words matched the facts, but now, he only trusted his own judgment.

“If you want to prove she doesn’t have that ambition, let her hand the company over to someone else to manage. The Chu family can afford to support her,” Chu Xiong stared into Chu Ci’s eyes. “Or is it that you simply can’t prove it?”

Chu Xiong was a ruthless old fox. If the bosses in “trash-tier” cultivation novels had half his caution, they would have strangled the protagonists in the cradle.

Chu Ci knew she couldn’t refuse. She could only agree for now and figure out a plan later. She had some experience with malicious compliance.

Just as she stood up to leave, thinking she was in the clear, Chu Xiong spoke again.

“Little Ci, if Jian Sui cannot even give up such a tiny company for you, it proves she doesn’t truly have you in her heart. A forced melon isn’t sweet.”

Chu Ci’s footsteps paused. This old fox was a master of manipulation, using “sowing discord” and “redefining the argument” in one breath. Jian Sui’s company might be small, but it was her life’s work; it couldn’t be measured in money. And the idea of proving love through sacrifice was centuries out of date!

Besides, Jian Sui was already being magnanimous by not hating her. How could she have the face to talk about “love”?

“I understand.”

Fortunately, her back was to Chu Xiong. Her expression twisted for a moment before returning to normal as she acknowledged him and left.

Once outside, she realized her back was drenched in sweat from the tension. She hadn’t noticed in the freezing room. She rubbed her temples, wondering how to bring this up with Jian Sui.

She couldn’t say it the way Chu Xiong did. But if Jian Sui had to hand over management, could she compensate her privately? Chu Ci suddenly thought of Zhao Zhu’s company. Cao Xi was currently buying up the shares; once they reached a certain percentage, that company would be hers.

Why not give that to Jian Sui? Chu Xiong only said she had to give up her original company, not that she couldn’t have a new one. With Cheng Feng’s help, Zhao Rong could manage Bamboo Dream, and Jian Sui could develop a new company.

She called Cao Xi immediately.

“I want Zhao Zhu’s entire company. Buy up the shares from the other shareholders too. Take everything.”

“Are you crazy? The shareholders are desperate to dump those shares! Zhao Zhu’s finances are a mess. We should just buy her out at a discount to cut her off and leave.”

“A thin camel is still bigger than a horse. I have a use for it. Hurry up.”

Chu Ci wasn’t crazy. Although the company was currently failing, it was mostly because of the “bottomless pit” that was Zhao Zhu. The foundation and management team were solid. With a little cleanup, it could shine again. And no matter the outcome, she had the Chu Group as a safety net.

Cao Xi didn’t understand, but she obeyed. The one with the money is the boss.

After the call, Chu Ci felt lighter, almost floating. Even her headache had eased. Taking advantage of the feeling, she continued with her work. Since the files had already been screened by layers of management, she only had to give them a final look and a signature.

The afternoon flew by. While the internet was in an uproar, reality went on as usual.

Chu Ci maintained that light, airy feeling until she clocked out. When she got in the car, she noticed the driver glancing at her several times in the mirror. She assumed it was because of the online news and didn’t care. She watched the rain on the window with a strangely happy mood, her eyelids grew heavy, and she slowly closed them…

Jian Sui had been prepared for this whole process, so even with the massive scale of the victory, she wasn’t panicking. She worked in an orderly fashion and even clocked out on time.

Everything had gone smoothly, and she was in a great mood, ready to celebrate with Chu Ci. As she drove into the Chu estate, she saw Chu Ci’s car pulling in as well. She walked toward the car with a skip in her step, waiting for it to stop.

The driver got out and looked at her. “Ms. Jian, the Young Mistress fell asleep in the car, but… she looks a bit unwell.”

Jian Sui wondered if something at the Chu Group had upset her. She gently opened the car door, only to find Chu Ci deathly pale, her breath faint, and completely unconscious.