Forced to Become the Female Lead's Beloved Wife [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 3

The hospital’s pungent disinfectant smell filled Wen Yige’s nostrils as she leaned weakly against the wall. She tilted her head to look through the window at the woman lying on the hospital bed, her current appearance a stark contrast to the gentle and virtuous image etched in her memories. The disease had ravaged her mother’s body, reducing her to skin and bones, so frail it seemed a gust of wind could scatter her.

Liu Liang emerged from the patient’s room and noticed Wen Yige standing outside the door. He approached her from behind. “Yige, why aren’t you going in?”

“Dr. Liu…” Wen Yige turned around, her eyes still swollen and red from unshed tears, her voice strained to suppress sobs.

She was afraid her mother would see her crying, so she had been waiting outside, hoping her eyes would swell down a bit before going in.

Liu Liang paused, a pang of sympathy striking his heart. He patted the young woman’s shoulder, his words circling in his mind before settling into a cliché: “It’s alright. Everything will get better.”

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of the young woman’s lips. She lifted her head, her eyes a mix of sorrow and hope, and asked softly, “Dr. Liu, will she really get better?”

After years of practice, Liu Liang believed he had grown accustomed to the vicissitudes of life and death, able to face mortality and accidents with composure. Yet now, facing the girl’s expectant gaze, he found himself momentarily speechless. “Yes,” he managed. “Your mother’s condition is stable for now. If we can proceed with the surgery promptly, there’s still hope.”

Wen Yige lowered her head and bit her lip, her nails digging painfully into her palms as the weight of reality bent her slender back like a withered branch on the verge of snapping.

How could she not want to give her mother the surgery? But the astronomical cost was beyond her means. The money she’d painstakingly saved from part-time work and frugal living was barely enough to cover the hospital’s daily expenses.

Moreover, a portion of those expenses had been covered by Liu Liang himself.

Hospitals have always been places of hope and farewell, witnessing so much of the world’s suffering. For single-parent families like Wen Yige’s, the burden of responsibility and the high cost of treatment often fall on their young shoulders.

Liu Liang couldn’t bear to see a girl who should be in the bloom of youth hardened by life’s hardships. He did everything he could to help her.

Wen Yige was deeply grateful for his assistance, but she knew she couldn’t keep asking for help. In the end, his kindness was a favor, not an obligation.

Liu Liang opened his mouth to comfort her, but she slowly straightened up, her eyes still red but her voice firm. “Thank you, Dr. Liu. I’ll work hard to save up the money as soon as I can.”

Wen Yige wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and smiled. “You can go back to work now. I’m going in to see Mom.”

She turned and pushed open the hospital room door. Liu Liang stood at the threshold for a few seconds, then glanced back at the solitary mother and daughter. He sighed softly.

Fate is cruel. Has heaven ever truly pitied the masses?

*****

During self-study period, Wen Yige was deeply focused on solving a problem when her chair suddenly wobbled slightly. She paused momentarily, assuming the person behind her had accidentally kicked it, and paid it no mind.

A moment later, the chair wobbled again, this time with more force. It seemed the person behind her was deliberately trying to disrupt her concentration. Wen Yige’s hand trembled, and her pen left a long streak across the paper.

Frowning, she turned to glance at the blonde girl leaning casually against the wall. Her voice was calm but still carried a friendly tone as she gently chided, “Classmate, please stop kicking the chair.”

Li Wancheng paused, lifting her gaze slightly to meet Wen Yige’s. The fleeting glance was enough to make Wen Yige instinctively avert her eyes, a strange warmth creeping up her ears.

“Oh~” The girl smirked, her tone softening into a playful smile. “So what about leaving me alone in the infirmary yesterday? How do you explain that?”

How could I forget? Wen Yige thought. She had rushed over yesterday after receiving the call, forgetting that she’d left Li Wancheng alone in the infirmary.

“I had something come up yesterday and saw you were sleeping soundly, so I didn’t wake you.” Seeing Li Wancheng still staring at her, Wen Yige pursed her lips and continued, “I’m really sorry if that upset you.”

A memory of the girl applying a patch to her wound flashed before her eyes. She paused, then added, “I’ll repay you for the medicine as soon as possible.”

Her sincere apology melted any lingering irritation in Li Wancheng’s heart. She couldn’t stay mad at someone who looked so genuinely remorseful. She poked Wen Yige’s arm playfully and rotated the practice book in front of her.

“Forget about the repayment. Why don’t you explain this problem to me instead?” She propped her head up and tapped her finger lightly on the worksheet.

It was the second-to-last major problem in the math section. Wen Yige found herself unexpectedly caught in Li Wancheng’s smiling eyes, her pupils shimmering with a translucent amber hue under the sunlight. Paired with her soft golden hair, she looked like an angel straight out of a manga.

Though puzzled as to why this chronic class sleeper would suddenly seek her help with homework, Wen Yige nodded gently. After all, one should repay kindnesses. Having benefited from Li Wancheng’s help the previous day, explaining a problem was the least she could do in return.

Wen Yige took a pen and began explaining step by step, from drawing auxiliary lines to performing calculations, her explanation clear and thorough. When she looked up, she saw the person opposite her slightly part her lips, a hint of weariness in her expression. “I don’t understand. Could you explain again, Wen?”

She paused for two seconds, unconsciously tightening her grip on the pen, and pressed her lips together. “…Okay.”

Though this person had asked for help with the problem, her gaze remained fixed on Wen Yige, never once looking at the paper.

After explaining it three times, Li Wancheng, still lazily propping her head up, said again, “I don’t understand.” Wen Yige finally set down the pen with a sharp clack on the table, her expression darkening. “Li, you don’t need to toy with me like this.”

First, she’d paid for Wen Yige’s medicine, then exploited her guilt to get her to explain the problem, all while pretending nonchalance.

Perhaps the irritation stirred the deeply buried sensitivity within her, causing her to instinctively dwell on the darker possibilities.

Wen Yige suddenly remembered how she’d once thought Li Wancheng was different from those other people. Now it seemed she was just like them after all. A mocking smile slowly curled the corners of her lips.

Of course. People like them just use me for amusement.

Li Wancheng’s heart skipped a beat as the girl’s eyes suddenly turned icy. In that split second, she quickly pinched herself hard, forcing a few involuntary tears to well up.

“I just thought you were beautiful and got lost in thought, so I didn’t understand the question,” the blonde girl said, her expression momentarily stunned. Her watery eyes brimmed with disbelief, her voice sounding aggrieved, like she’d been utterly wronged. “Do I really seem like that kind of person to you?”

[ System: ] …

If it weren’t for its ability to read Li Wancheng’s thoughts, the System would have been utterly fooled by her utterly convincing act.

Wen Yige noticed the faint glimmer of tears in the girl’s eyes and realized she had spoken too harshly. The coldness in her expression gradually softened, and her voice lowered. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant…”

She regretted her impulsiveness, unsure how the words had slipped out.

Seeing the girl’s expression relax, Li Wancheng let out a soft sigh of relief. That was close. I almost went too far…

At first, Li Wancheng had genuinely intended to use the math problem to bridge the gap between herself and Wen Yige. But as she observed the younger girl’s restrained frustration that’s clearly bristling yet forced to swallow her irritation, a mischievous urge stirred within her.

The atmosphere remained tense from the earlier misunderstanding. The densely packed steps on the exam paper mirrored Wen Yige’s tangled thoughts.

A gentle breeze drifted through the window crack, carrying a coolness with it. Li Wancheng glanced at the girl with her head bowed, then reached out and gently hooked her pinky finger. Her voice was soft and sweet, like a cup of warmed wine: “Teacher Wen, shall we continue with the problem now?”

The warmth that surged through their fingertips was undeniable, fleeting though it was. It left Wen Yige’s heart with an involuntary ache.

“Mm…”

The cafeteria was unusually crowded at noon. Wen Yige, balancing her tray of freshly bought food, navigated the sea of students for what felt like an eternity before finally claiming a corner seat. The school cafeteria kept prices low to accommodate poorer students, but Wen Yige still adhered to her principle of saving every penny, sticking to rice and vegetables every day.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” A familiar, sweet voice cut through the clamor from behind. Wen Yige’s gaze snapped to meet the smiling blue eyes of the blonde girl. In that instant, her heart felt like an ice cube dropped into soda, sending a gentle fizz of bubbles through her chest.

Li Wancheng settled across from her, balancing a heaped tray. She glanced at Wen Yige’s lone spoonful of vegetables and frowned. No wonder she doesn’t gain weight eating like this.

“I… I’ve been trying to lose weight recently,” Wen Yige murmured, noticing Li Wancheng’s gaze and pursing her lips.

Suddenly, a large chicken leg appeared on her plate. Her chopsticks froze mid-air as she looked at Li Wancheng in confusion.

“This chicken leg is too fatty. I don’t like it.” The blunt Eldest Miss Li withdrew her chopsticks decisively and pushed the soup toward Wen Yige, her expression disgusted. “This soup is too salty too.”

Before Wen Yige could refuse, Li Wancheng added with a half-threat, “You mustn’t waste food.”

The chicken leg’s crispy skin glistened with juices, its aroma filling the air. Wen Yige, unaware that Li Wancheng was deliberately acting this way, felt a warm stream flow through her heart, the words of refusal catching in her throat.

This person always seemed to care for her so tenderly, in a way she couldn’t refuse. Like a spring breeze caressing the tender buds of new growth, bringing a warmth that made her want to sink into it.

She looked up, her features relaxing into a genuine smile for the first time. “Thank you, Li Wancheng.”

Hearing her formal address, Li Wancheng set down her chopsticks and looked at her. “Aren’t we friends? Why are you still so formal with me?” As if afraid Wen Yige didn’t know how to address her, she added considerately, “You can call me by my name, or just Wancheng.”

A hint of playful reproach lingered in her voice. Wen Yige’s heart fluttered in rhythm with her words, her fingers unconsciously tightening around her chopsticks as the name echoed in her mind.

“Wan… Wancheng.”

As the sound of her voice faded, Li Wancheng looked up, and the healing value above the girl’s head surged to ten percent in a single leap.

Her eyes shifted, a hint of a smile appearing.

For the next month, Li Wancheng clung to Wen Yige with every excuse she could muster. She’d shove a milk and bread breakfast at her in the morning, drag her to share lunches brought from home, and corner her with questions during class breaks. She was practically glued to Wen Yige’s side, except when they went to the restroom.

The System was dumbfounded by this clingy behavior, but seeing the healing value skyrocket, it could only look the other way.

A gentle spring breeze blew outside. Suddenly, a sharp voice pierced the quiet classroom: “Wen Yige, someone’s here for you.”

Her recitation rhythm disrupted, Wen Yige frowned slightly, glancing back at the golden-haired girl still slumped over behind her. Seeing she hadn’t been woken, she relaxed slightly, ignoring the faint disdain in the girl beside her. She stood and walked toward the door, pondering inwardly. She had almost no friends at school, so who could possibly be looking for her?

When she saw who stood at the door, she froze momentarily before her expression returned to its usual cool detachment. “May I ask what brings you here?”

The boy in the white school shirt smiled, bright and refreshing. “Hello, I’m Xu Zhou. I didn’t get a chance to apologize last time.”

At his reminder, Wen Yige recalled him; the one who accidentally slammed a basketball into her.

“I’m fine now,” she said, stepping back slightly to maintain some distance from the boy.

With only a few more classical Chinese texts left to review, Wen Yige just wanted to end the conversation quickly. “If there’s nothing else, Xu Zhou, I’ll head back now.”

She turned to leave, but her wrist was suddenly gripped by the boy’s rough, scalding palm, stopping her in her tracks with firm pressure.

“Wait!”

Several pairs of eyes were now watching them through the classroom window. Wen Yige felt uncomfortable, unable to break free from his grip, and a growing irritation stirred within her.

Fortunately, Xu Zhou seemed to realize his mistake and released her wrist. He lowered his head and said, “Sorry about that. I just wanted to apologize by treating you to a meal. Can you meet me at the school gate after class tonight?”

Before Wen Yige could refuse, the school bell rang, cutting her off. When she turned back, the boy’s figure had already disappeared.

“Ugh, what a poser…” a quiet mutter reached her ears. Wen Yige had long grown immune to such remarks. Without sparing a glance, she walked back to her seat.

If she let others’ opinions bother her every day, she wouldn’t have lasted a day in this place.

Li Wancheng was still happily playing chess with Zhou Gong when the System yanked her awake by the ear: “Wake up! Xu Zhou is trying to steal Wen Yige!”

A gentle poke in the back, tinged with a faint tickle, made Wen Yige turn around. She looked at the girl who had just woken up, her eyes still drowsy, and a smile she hadn’t noticed crept onto her lips. “What’s wrong?”

“Who was looking for you just now?” Li Wancheng asked, her voice still soft and sleepy, like a fuzzy little kitten just waking up. Wen Yige’s heart fluttered despite himself.

“Xu Zhou. He said he wants to take me out for dinner after school,” she replied truthfully.

Li Wancheng narrowed her eyes. That little rascal! He dares to try and steal my man while I’m just taking a beauty nap!

Resting her chin in her palm, she asked casually, “So, did you agree?”

Wen Yige’s clear eyes locked onto her, and she answered obediently, “No.”

Her mind was completely occupied by the girl’s drowsy, soft appearance. Then she saw the girl’s lips suddenly curl into a smile. “Oh… so, are you free tonight?”

The abrupt change in topic caught Wen Yige off guard. Before her brain could process it, she found herself nodding dumbly in agreement.

Li Wancheng was thoroughly pleased by her obedient demeanor. Stretching lazily, she said, “Perfect. You’ll come out with me tonight.”

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