The Sickly Girl Becomes a Scum Alpha - Chapter 8

Chu Ci froze when she heard the system’s notification. How did that get a +1?

Before she could think about it, Jian Sui had already walked quickly over to her, looking at her with a mix of hesitation and concern. “Your body…”

“It’s nothing. Just an old problem.”

She pulled a tissue from a nearby box, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and waved her hand dismissively. To her former self, this was the lightest symptom, something she was already used to.

Then why do you pull all-nighters and party until you drop?

The thought came to Jian Sui’s mind, but she swallowed it. With a complicated expression, she pulled out a tissue and handed it to her. “Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”

“The family doctor already came. I’m fine.”

After she spoke, Chu Ci took the tissue, planning to go to the bathroom to clean herself up and then ask a maid to clean up the mess. But just as she stood up, she felt her head spin. Her vision went black, and she lost her balance, instinctively reaching out to grab something.

She didn’t fall as she expected. Instead, a pair of cold hands gripped her tightly, and she was pulled into a warm embrace.

It took a while for her to steady herself. She looked up, feeling a bit dazed.

In her heels, Jian Sui was a little taller than the barefoot Chu Ci. Chu Ci was leaning weakly against her, and when she looked up, her eyes landed on Jian Sui’s rosy lips. They were perfectly shaped, full, and delicately pink. The small, rounded center of her lips was like a budding flower, yet on Jian Sui’s cool, reserved face, it was as tempting as the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.

Why hadn’t she noticed this before?

Maybe it was because she had felt guilty toward Jian Sui from the start and hadn’t dared to look her in the eye. Or maybe it was because Jian Sui never wore red lipstick, trying to make her lips less noticeable, so that everyone’s attention was drawn only to her calm demeanor.

Chu Ci stared unconsciously, completely lost in thought. Jian Sui, who was holding her, felt a little uncomfortable and bit her lower lip slightly. The movement of her teeth on her lip was a gentle reminder. She opened and closed her mouth, asking, “Are you feeling better?”

“Huh? Oh, yes,” Chu Ci stammered. She was a little flustered, embarrassed that she had been staring at someone’s lips. A blush spread from her neck to her face at a visible rate. She held onto Jian Sui’s arm, forcing herself to stand up straight. Her eyes darted around the floor, not daring to look at Jian Sui, before she fled. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

Jian Sui stood where she was, watching Chu Ci, who was running with a slight wobble. She thought about how weak and disoriented Chu Ci had looked in her arms, and the blush on her face. She curled her fingers slightly.

This is the playboy queen of the nightclubs?

She was getting used to the stark contrast between Chu Ci and her reputation, but she couldn’t help but be curious. How different could she be? What kind of person was she, really?

This long-lost curiosity made Jian Sui’s heart beat faster. The part of her body that Chu Ci had leaned on also felt a growing warmth.

Meanwhile, Chu Ci was hiding in the bathroom, brushing her teeth and looking at herself in the mirror, full of worry.

Would Jian Sui think that staring at her lips was offensive?

The moment she had that thought, the image of Jian Sui’s lips, which she had been trying to forget, resurfaced in her mind, even more clearly than before. Such beautiful lips. They must be nice to kiss, too, right?

“Slap!”

Chu Ci gently slapped herself to snap out of it. What are you thinking?!

But I’ve never kissed anyone before…

“Slap!”

Another slap! Chu Ci, get a grip!

She silently recited the core socialist values to cleanse her soul. Chu Ci felt like she had brushed her gums until they bled before she finally calmed down. She took a deep breath, splashed some cold water on her face, and told herself, It’s fine. Nothing happened. I wasn’t even thinking about Jian Sui’s lips.

“…”

Argh, I give up!

All her efforts were for nothing!

Closing her eyes in despair, Chu Ci walked out of the bathroom. To her surprise, she didn’t see Jian Sui in the room, only a maid who had come to clean.

“Where’s Jian Sui?”

Feeling a little strange, Chu Ci asked.

“The young mistress was asked by the master to go to the small living room for a word.”

The maid answered respectfully.

Chu Ci silently scoffed at the feudal term “master,” and then her worry kicked in. Is that old man going to take his anger out on Jian Sui because of me again?

With that thought, Chu Ci rushed out, but her head spun. She steadied herself by grabbing the doorframe, then continued walking, holding on to the wall.

“Miss, you’re not wearing any shoes!” the maid called out, holding up her shoes.

Chu Ci didn’t have time to care about shoes. She gritted her teeth and walked toward the small living room. The main living room was for receiving guests, while the smaller one was used for family matters.

This was the downside of having such a huge house. By the time Chu Ci walked over the cold tiles to the small living room, she saw Chu Xiong and Zhao Zhu sitting in armchairs. That little brat Chu You was crying in Zhao Zhu’s arms, the mother and son crying together. Chu Xiong’s face was dark, and Jian Sui stood in the middle with her head bowed, silently enduring it.

Just as I thought!

Chu Ci was glad she had come. Who knows how much more they would have made Jian Sui suffer?

When Chu Ci stepped into the room, she couldn’t help but cough. All eyes immediately turned to her.

Chu Xiong’s tightly furrowed brows looked like two twisted ropes. “You should be resting in your room. What are you doing out here?”

“A small cold doesn’t require bed rest,” Chu Ci said.

She walked to Jian Sui’s side and looked at Chu You in Zhao Zhu’s arms. The little boy flinched in fear when he saw her and started crying even louder.

“Either shut up, or I’ll sew your mouth shut so you can’t cry for the rest of your life.”

Chu Ci was completely fed up. The original host’s lines came out of her mouth, and she paused in surprise. She had never thought she would say something so harsh to a child, but after she said it, she felt much better.

When Chu You heard those words, he was so terrified that he manually covered his mouth. He continued to cry in shaky sobs, but no sound came out. In his mind, this was exactly the kind of thing the original host would do.

Zhao Zhu was furious and immediately complained to Chu Xiong. “Look at Chu Ci! She’s doing this to little You right in front of us! Imagine what she does when we’re not looking! Look at the red handprint on his face; it still hasn’t faded. His ear is still swollen, too! How can there be such a vicious older sister in the world?!”

As expected, Chu Xiong immediately turned his questioning gaze to… Jian Sui.

“You were right there. You just watched as Chu Ci hit him? Didn’t you try to stop her?”

Zhao Zhu was a little taken aback, but she didn’t dare say much in front of Chu Xiong. She could only hold her anger in and glare at Chu Ci.

Before Jian Sui could speak, Chu Ci raised her hand and let out a light cough, saying to Chu Xiong, “It has nothing to do with Jian Sui. She was so shocked when she heard Chu You curse you to die early that she didn’t even react in time.”

Chu Ci’s simple words completely stunned Zhao Zhu, who immediately stood up and started yelling at Chu Ci.

“What?! You’re making things up!”

Chu Xiong immediately looked at Zhao Zhu and Chu You. Chu You was still young, and he burst into tears when he met Chu Xiong’s gaze.

Annoyed by the crying, Chu Xiong slammed his hand on the table. “Enough! Tell me what happened, clearly!”

Zhao Zhu anxiously pushed Chu You. “Your dad is asking you! Hurry and tell him! It was your sister who hit you! Tell your father!”

The more she pushed, the more Chu You refused to speak. Chu Ci raised an eyebrow and took a step toward Chu You. “He’s too scared to talk, so I’ll help him.”

“You came into my room and said your mom told you that when you differentiate, I’ll be kicked out of the Chu family and that it’ll belong to you two. Is that what you said?”

As Chu Ci got closer, Chu You desperately buried his face in Zhao Zhu’s arms, trembling and screaming for his mom!

“What are you doing! What are you doing!”

Zhao Zhu was terrified, too. The mother and son had seen enough of the original host’s methods over the years that their fear was ingrained in their bones. Even though they knew Chu Ci was still weak from being sick, they were still terrified of her.

In the midst of the chaos, a faint sound of trickling water silenced everyone. A wet stain appeared on Chu You’s pants, and a small puddle formed at his feet.

There was a moment of silence.

Then Chu Xiong stood up, ending the farce. “That’s enough! Chu Ci, come with me.”

Chu Xiong gave Chu Ci a thoughtful look and walked out quickly. Chu Ci gave Zhao Zhu a look of contempt, feeling a wave of satisfaction as she saw Zhao Zhu gritting her teeth in hatred.

When she turned around, she dropped the wicked expression on her face and walked over to Jian Sui, patting her shoulder reassuringly. “Go back to the room and rest. I’ll be right back.”

Jian Sui’s gaze dropped, seeing Chu Ci’s bare feet.

Chu Ci motioned for the maid, who had been standing outside, to bring her shoes. She slipped on a pair of slippers and walked out.

After Chu Ci and Chu Xiong were gone, Jian Sui was about to leave when Zhao Zhu, still holding Chu You, slammed into her, making her stumble and grab the nearest table.

Zhao Zhu gave Jian Sui a venomous glare and quickly walked out.

Jian Sui rubbed her bumped shoulder and lowered her gaze. Silently taking a hit wasn’t her style.

She had originally planned to endure her time in the Chu family, but seeing Chu Ci’s attitude, Jian Sui felt that it was better not to take any losses if she could avoid it.

Meanwhile, Chu Ci had followed Chu Xiong to his study. Three of the walls were lined with large bookshelves, and a large floor-to-ceiling window overlooked the back garden. A large mahogany desk was positioned in front of the window.

Chu Xiong sat at the desk and lit a cigar, motioning for Chu Ci to sit down.

“I’m not going to get involved with what happened today, but are you a little too concerned about Jian Sui?”

This attitude surprised Chu Ci. She sat in the armchair and mentally recalled the original novel’s description of the father-daughter relationship between Chu Xiong and the original host. The two were not at odds, but there was a strange harmony. Chu Xiong was both permissive and strict with her, and the original host coveted his power while also fearing him.

Chu Xiong didn’t care about the mistakes the original host made or the trouble she caused. He only cared if she had disobeyed him. To put it bluntly, Chu Xiong would get furious if the original host ate one extra grain of rice that he didn’t approve of, but he wouldn’t care if she crashed two ten-million-dollar supercars in a street race.

It was a patriarchal and feudal mindset that naturally cultivated the original host’s desire for power and fear of him. The combination of these two things made her even more unhinged.

Of course, the father and daughter were equally cold-blooded. The original host’s ruthlessness and arrogance made Chu Xiong happy because he saw a reflection of his younger self.

A bizarre logic.

With this in mind, Chu Ci wasn’t surprised. She had sided with Chu Xiong today and had given an excuse that defended his power, which perfectly aligned with his psyche. For someone like Chu Xiong, if he could treat Chu Ci this way, how much sincerity could he have for Chu You? And what kind of love could such a cold-blooded person have for Zhao Zhu?

Furthermore, out of Chu Ci, Chu You, and Zhao Zhu, Chu Ci was already the designated heir as an Alpha, so she held more weight than the other two. Unless Chu Ci directly challenged him, he didn’t care what she did.

This was why Chu Xiong had turned a blind eye when the original Chu Ci later killed Chu You. To Chu Xiong, the later, more deranged Chu Ci was a source of real pride.

…What a messed-up family.

These thoughts ran through her mind in an instant. Chu Ci knew what to say. She sat comfortably in the armchair, having a ready answer for Chu Xiong’s question, and responded in the original host’s tone: “Is Zhao Zhu targeting Jian Sui? She’s trying to use Jian Sui to embarrass me. Should I just let that happen?”

As expected, Chu Xiong approved of this answer. But he still reminded Chu Ci, “You only need people who can help you. You don’t need useless trash. I won’t stop you from having your fun, but Jian Sui can’t give you any help. Don’t take it too seriously.”

He was basically telling Chu Ci to just have fun with it and not to get attached.

“I prefer people I can fully control,” Chu Ci said, trying to emulate Chu Xiong’s perverse view of people as objects. Then, she lifted her head with a hint of arrogance. “As for help, marriage isn’t the most secure form of partnership.”

Chu Xiong looked at Chu Ci with a hint of admiration and nodded in approval. “Come into the company this week.”

Chu Ci froze for a moment. Wait, what company? And wait again, wasn’t this a plot point that the original host had to struggle to achieve? Did I just accomplish it that easily?