The Sickly Girl Becomes a Scum Alpha - Chapter 9

When Chu Ci left the study, she was still in disbelief. Was it because I acted so deranged that Chu Xiong appreciated me?

In the original novel, the host only earned Chu Xiong’s approval to enter the company after she had someone beat the manager of a rival company that was bidding against the Chu Corporation and sent them to the hospital, then burned down their headquarters and found a fall guy to take the blame. Chu Xiong was so pleased with her ruthlessness that he let her start managing the family business.

It had to be said that there was a reason the original host could stand out in a cast of villains and become the final winner.

It was also from that point on that the original host started down a path of committing every crime in the book.

But what had she done?

Completely baffled, Chu Ci decided to stop thinking about it and just wait and see what happened.

[Ding! Plot progress +2, currently 3/100. Host, please keep up the good work!]

Sure enough, the system’s notification rang in her head, sounding much more cheerful. [Applause! I can’t believe the host is making progress on two fronts at once! I knew you could do it!]

Chu Ci: “…”

Listening to the system in her head, whose mood changed faster than flipping a page, Chu Ci resisted the urge to roll her eyes. After all, there were maids working around her, and it would look insane to suddenly roll her eyes while walking.

[So, can you tell me how I got those points? I know the plot point was for entering the company, but what did I do to get points for tormenting the female lead?]

Since she couldn’t figure it out, she might as well ask the system.

[I don’t have a detailed record here. How should I know what you did?]

The system was unapologetically useless.

[If you have that attitude, it’s going to be very hard for me to work with you.]

The system could monitor the entire world. There was no way it didn’t know what happened. Chu Ci didn’t believe it.

[!!!]

The threatened system expressed its silent rage but still went back to review the data from that moment. However, its permissions were limited, so the information it could see was also limited.

[At the time, Jian Sui’s health index was full. She wasn’t tormented. But you… your health index was in the red after you spit up blood. Hmm, that doesn’t make sense.]

Chu Ci’s brows furrowed. The system’s index couldn’t be wrong. So what was going on?

They both conveniently ignored the emotional abuse aspect. How could Chu Ci spitting blood emotionally abuse Jian Sui? That’s ridiculous.

Both of them were completely baffled, sticking to the physical torment angle. Suddenly, Chu Ci had a flash of inspiration.

[Could your system be malfunctioning and counting the physical and emotional abuse points toward me? Why else would my health drop and the progress go up?]

[Huh? That’s possible!]

The system also had a moment of realization. [This terrible system of ours is long overdue for an upgrade. It lags and freezes all the time. I’ve complained about it so many times. A bug seems pretty normal.]

[Exactly! I’ll try it right now.]

Chu Ci was eager to try. She looked at a nearby staircase and then chickened out. She looked at a wall next to her, steeled her heart, and punched it.

Chu Ci: “…”

Chu Ci: “!!!”

Ouch, ouch, ouch!

She rubbed her reddened knuckles as she and the system watched her health index drop by one bar. But the progress notification never came.

[Wait, maybe the bug has a trigger condition?]

Chu Ci thought about it like a video game. Bugs were a mysterious thing.

The system agreed. [You’re right. Maybe the system mistakenly registers the female lead’s health dropping when your health drops while you’re next to her?]

[That makes sense!]

The two of them agreed and decided to test it out immediately.

How to reasonably self-harm in front of Jian Sui is the real question here. What if I scare her away?

It would be a terrible waste if this bug went away.

Lost in thought, Chu Ci didn’t notice the closed door in front of her. She walked right up and pushed it open, just in time to see Jian Sui changing. A large expanse of her pale back, her slender waist, and the smooth lines of her body—a masterpiece from heaven—were all exposed to Chu Ci’s eyes.

She froze on the spot, unable to react.

At the same time, Jian Sui heard the noise and turned slightly, covering her chest with her clothes. But her collarbone and a large red patch on her shoulder were still visible.

Who had bullied Jian Sui again when she wasn’t looking?!

Chu Ci was furious. She forced herself to suppress her anger and backed out of the room. “Change your clothes first.”

She closed the door and stood outside, her face as dark as the bottom of a pot. [Is your system’s setting broken? Is the female lead just there for you to torment for fun? I was in the study for maybe five minutes?]

The system, being scolded, fell silent.

Given that Chu Ci was making progress, the system decided to tolerate it. [This world is indeed full of malice toward the female lead.]

Chu Ci waited outside the door for Jian Sui to finish changing. When Jian Sui opened the door, she was barefoot, making her about a centimeter shorter than Chu Ci. Their heights were almost the same.

“What happened to your shoulder?”

Chu Ci tried to make her expression less grim and asked.

“It’s nothing,” Jian Sui said, pursing her lips and avoiding Chu Ci’s gaze. “You haven’t eaten yet. I’ll go get something ready for you…”

“I saw it this time, but what about the next? And the time after that? If you keep enduring it, people will keep treating you this way, Jian Sui. For evil people, your patience will only make them worse!”

Chu Ci couldn’t stand it. Does Jian Sui have to be so patient? That kind of soft temperament will only get you bullied to death!

Jian Sui finally looked up at Chu Ci. Chu Ci’s eyes were clean and pure, and the distress in them made Jian Sui’s heart tremble slightly.

“My mother probably just bumped into me by accident.”

Chu Ci looked at Jian Sui’s still cool and collected face, which showed no hint of feigned grievance. She genuinely believed Jian Sui said this just to keep the peace. But it was precisely this resilient forbearance that made her heart ache.

“Go get some food ready. Wait for me, and we’ll eat together. I’m going out for a bit.”

She wasn’t going to let Zhao Zhu get away with this without a lesson. Chu Ci patted Jian Sui’s arm and turned to leave.

Jian Sui watched Chu Ci’s back. This feeling of being unconditionally protected was truly wonderful.

Chu Ci didn’t change her clothes. She got into her chauffeur’s car in her pajamas and slippers, calling Cao Xi on the phone and giving the name of a nearby club.

It was almost noon, but Cao Xi still wasn’t up. When Chu Ci arrived, her hair was a messy bird’s nest. She looked so unkempt that Chu Ci almost didn’t recognize her.

The rest of Chu Ci’s friends were in a similar state, yawning and slumped on the sofas like they had devolved into apes holding a meeting on a tree.

Chu Ci, in her pajamas and slippers, was somehow the most presentable one.

“Let’s get down to business. I need you all to help me with something.”

Chu Ci now understood the phrase “birds of a feather flock together.” She rubbed her forehead and got straight to the point.

“What do you need?”

Cao Xi blinked hard but couldn’t help but yawn.

“Zhao Zhu has a company under her name that my father gave her. I’ll pay you to help me make sure she loses both the company and the money, but you can’t cross any legal lines. Can you do that?”

Chu Ci watched as they all finally woke up and sat upright, and waited patiently for their answer.

Cao Xi was fully awake now. She ruffled her bird’s nest hair. “What did Zhao Zhu do to you this time? You’ve never been this roundabout before.”

“She’s done two things recently. She convinced my dad to lock me and Jian Sui in the ancestral hall, and her son told me I was dying. The last time was just a little spat, so I thought she just hadn’t learned her lesson,” Chu Ci said in the original host’s tone, talking about someone’s fate as if it were a casual thing. “My dad doesn’t give her a living allowance. All her spending money comes from that company’s dividends. I need to cut her off financially. Understand?”

“Heh, leave it to us,” Cao Xi said, laughing angrily when she heard that Chu You had told Chu Ci she was dying. “Some random brat thinks he can talk to you like that? Don’t worry, Chu Ci. If we don’t handle this perfectly for you, every one of us will rip up our diplomas.”

Don’t let their wild partying fool you. They were only able to party like that because they had the skills for it. Like Chu Ci, although money was a big part of their lives, they were all recent graduates of top business schools, ready to take over their family businesses. They might not have learned much else, but when it came to becoming a competent heir, no one was careless.

“That’s right. Let’s consider this a practical project that Chu Ci is funding for us,” another person agreed, smiling at Chu Ci. “How much are you willing to pay, Mr. Chu?”

Chu Ci held up one finger.

“A hundred million?” Cao Xi thought about the size of Zhao Zhu’s company. It probably wasn’t enough.

“No,” Chu Ci said, shaking her finger casually. “There’s no limit.”

“Whoa! Mr. Chu is so generous!”

“What a moneybag!”

…

The compliments came one after another. Only Cao Xi sat next to Chu Ci without reacting. After everyone else left, eager to go home and start their research, Cao Xi sat next to Chu Ci with a worried look. “Aren’t you being reckless? They’ll really take you for a fool if you say that.”

Chu Ci was a little surprised. She had thought Cao Xi would be just like the others, but it seemed she wasn’t. At the very least, Cao Xi, who had grown up with the original host and had been just as wicked, was genuinely loyal to her, even though in the novel, the original host eventually threw her under the bus.

Feeling a bit of relief, Chu Ci patted Cao Xi on the shoulder. “I know. That’s why I need your help.”

“What do you mean?” Cao Xi looked confused.

Chu Ci already had a plan. “My dad is letting me into the company. It’s time our circle was cleaned up a bit, too. Keep an eye on them. You’ll know who’s really in the circle and who’s just on the fringe. I trust you.”

Cao Xi’s eyes widened in shock. They all knew what it meant to be placed in a family business right after graduation. It meant the word “heir” was no longer a promise but a reality. It was a huge step up. Normally, you’d have to work in the company for two to three years or even more before that happened.

“You’re amazing!”

Overjoyed, Cao Xi patted Chu Ci, almost making her cough up blood.

“Cough, cough, cough! Be gentle! I’m sick!”

Chu Ci took a sip of tea to settle herself down, then stood up. “I’m only telling you this. The rest is up to you.”

Cao Xi stood up with her. Hearing Chu Ci’s trust, the usual teasing on her face was gone, replaced by a touch of emotion. She hugged Chu Ci tightly. “I can’t believe you trust me so much! I’m so touched!”

“You’re choking me! Let go!”

Chu Ci, with her throat constricted, struggled desperately, rightfully accusing Cao Xi of murder.