The Female Lead of the Abusive Novel Can Hear My Heart's Voice - Chapter 23

The paper that had fallen into the trash can was blown out by the wind, drifting in the air, and finally resting on the ground like a fallen leaf.

Teng Jingsi picked it up, his mouth murmuring the words on the paper, “Uremia.”

He crumpled the paper, rolling it into a ball and tucking it into his pocket.

The sky was bright and sunny, but he was gloomy, almost growling through clenched teeth, “I won’t let you die. Whatever you need, I can do for you.”

Even if she needed a kidney, he would find a suitable donor for her.

Xia Mucai quietly watched everything below from in front of the floor to ceiling window. Although she couldn’t see much from the high floor, she had already anticipated what was happening.

Teng Jingsi would take Xia Chi to his ‘White Moonlight’ to clearly break off their relationship, taking the opportunity to humiliate Xia Chi.

Xia Chi, the “little white flower,” unable to resist or knowing how to resist, would silently endure the humiliation, suffering immensely deep down.

Before long, Teng Jingsi would learn that his ‘White Moonlight’ had kidney problems and would set his sights on Xia Chi. Coincidentally, Xia Chi’s kidney would be a perfect match for the ‘White Moonlight’, practically making her a heaven-sent organ donor.

Xia Chi wouldn’t agree to the kidney transplant, and Teng Jingsi would resort to finding a weakness to threaten her.

That weakness was what she, the vicious female antagonist, had told the male lead—that she had indirectly caused the death of the old (Director of the Orphanage), and therefore, Xia Chi’s misfortune.

She wondered how helpless Xia Chi would feel then, seeing the orphanage engulfed in a huge fire, unable to do anything but watch the flames rage, crying her heart out, yet powerless to extinguish the blaze, and hearing the heartbreaking screams from inside.

Feeling a pang of guilt, Xia Mucai closed her eyes, her hands trembling, uttering word by word, “I really want to save her.”

But things were no longer as she had imagined. Xia Chi was not taken by Teng Jingsi to be humiliated in front of the ‘White Moonlight’. Instead, realizing her weakness in the struggle against Teng Jingsi, she had been motivated to start exercising.

The sound of the express elevator arriving at the CEO’s office rang out. Xia Mucai turned around. The light shone on her face, her eyes filled with an inescapable worry.

She focused intently on the office door. The moment it opened, she saw it was Xia Chi, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

But upon seeing the pinch marks on the other woman’s neck, that breath almost knocked her over, lodging painfully in her chest.

Xia Chi was still holding a newly bought, still warm breakfast of soy milk and fried dough sticks.

She shook the soy milk and dough sticks in her hand, smiling as she greeted, “Come and have breakfast.”

The more light-hearted Xia Chi appeared, the more Xia Mucai’s heart was filled with self-reproach.

She pointed to the marks on Xia Chi’s neck and asked, pretending not to know, “What happened to you?”

She looked so wronged, as if she were the one who had been hurt.

Xia Chi covered her neck with her free hand and said lightly, “It’s nothing.”

She was satisfied just to see Xia Mucai worry about her. “Hurry up and eat breakfast. It won’t taste good when it gets cold.”

Xia Mucai tentatively walked over to the desk, watching the “virtuous wife and loving mother” Xia Chi unwrap the food and place a straw in her soy milk.

She couldn’t help but keep looking at the five red finger marks on Xia Chi’s neck, imagining how much it must have hurt, so conspicuous and glaring.

“Where is Mo Qi? I told Mo Qi to look for you.”

The other woman was calmly moving a chair for her, arranging the food, and busy with many things.

“You mean Mo Qi? I saw her downstairs. I told her I would come up first to bring you food. She’s still downstairs.”

Xia Mucai sat down in the CEO’s chair that had been moved near her legs. She looked up, her eyes red, staring at the constantly busy Xia Chi, and changed the subject.

“Does the injury on your neck still hurt? Teng Jingsi must have choked you, why does he always like to choke people?”

Xia Chi, who was going to boil water for tea, spoke slowly and calmly, “Alright, alright, stop talking about it. My neck injury is fine. I won’t let him hurt me easily next time.”

Holding the kettle filled with water, she turned around and said, “Seeing you worry about me like this always hurts my heart more than any physical injury.”

For a moment, Xia Mucai didn’t know if this was a confession of love or what. Her face flushed, her ears turning crimson, ready to bleed.

She covered her burning face with her hand and stammered an explanation.

“You, what are you saying? It’s not just me who would feel bad for you, anyone would.”

“That’s not the same.”

Her statement was denied. Xia Mucai looked up and turned to Xia Chi.

She almost blurted out, “How is it not the same?”

How could she be so childish, genuinely hoping to hear the person she cared about give her a special evaluation?

The slender woman walked toward her. Xia Mucai had a momentary hallucination of her wearing leather pants and wielding a whip.

Startled, Xia Mucai quickly realized it was normal Xia Chi was wearing a white dress as she approached.

“You are different. They aren’t as good as you imagine. At most, they just say they worry, but deep down, they don’t really care. But I can feel your heart; you are genuinely worried and hurting for me.”

That was what Xia Chi meant by “not the same.”

Hearing this, Xia Mucai suspected even more that Xia Chi had mastered some kind of flirty trick. What was this about, “I can feel your heart; you are genuinely worried and hurting for me”?

How could anyone know what was in her heart? Xia Chi was really saying these sweet words without batting an eye, she wondered who she learned it from.

Xia Mucai pouted and muttered, “Xia Chi, when did your mouth get so sweet?”

“Is it?” Xia Chi’s lips curled into a barely noticeable arc.

“Yes!”

If you looked closely, Xia Mucai’s face was about to catch fire. She was being flirted with first thing in the morning.

Where was the cat’s dignity?!

After breakfast and a short rest, it was nearly 10:30 AM, almost noon. Xia Mucai hurriedly got up from the sofa.

She held her bag, radiating a dazzling, vigorous energy.

“I’m leaving everything in the office to you. I’m taking Mingming to tour Jiangcheng and see how things are going with the lawyer.”

In essence, she was taking Tang Mingming out to play and justifiably dumping the company work onto Xia Chi.

Xia Chi, sitting in the CEO’s chair, put down a stack of papers and contracts, rubbed her eyes, and asked, “Should I bring Mo Qi along?”

“No need, Mo Qi will assist you. She’s your assistant now. The Vice President should consider the bigger picture.”

She walked lightly to the door, waved, and said, “I’m leaving. See you tonight.”

Bang went the office door as it closed.

Mo Qi, who had been watching, smiled lightly and said, “Vice President Xia, don’t worry. If you have any questions, you can ask me.”

These contracts and things were simple for Xia Chi; she was a natural leader, and there were no issues with her handling the business side and asking Mo Qi for help.

But when it came to Xia Mucai, she had many questions.

“Mo Qi, what was the former Xia Mucai like?”

“You mean the former Vice President? She used to just love to play. Coming to the office once a month was already a good thing. But ever since you, the Vice President, arrived, she’s been coming to the office more often. Yet, you can still tell from her eyes that her heart isn’t here, it’s in the outside world.”

Xia Chi nodded, seemingly understanding everything.

“So that’s what she meant by making me Vice President.”

No wonder, when she saw Xia Mucai leave, she was glowing, while the office felt like moldy cabbage, withered and spiritless.

Unconsciously, she propped up her chin and looked at the sky, smiling.

That was one reason, but the main reason was that Xia Mucai felt guilty toward Xia Chi.

Xia Mucai was making arrangements for the future. She had decided to leave Jiangcheng as soon as she completed this idiotic plotline, putting it out of sight and out of mind.

The original ‘vicious female antagonist’ also went offline after handing over the male lead’s weakness, only to reappear much later.

So, she had to leave. She knew without a doubt that Xia Chi would hate her, wishing she could be torn to shreds.

But that was for later. For now, Xia Mucai drove her Porsche to the five-star hotel entrance to pick up Tang Mingming.

The child was devastated after being abandoned by her parents, and Xia Mucai was here to help the child broaden her horizons.

Tang Mingming’s world was small. Once she witnessed the vastness of the world, the confines of her small mountain village would no longer satisfy her. She would be filled with curiosity to explore the outside, just like Xia Chi, and find her way out.

Xia Mucai took Tang Mingming to see schools. In the evening, they went to an amusement park to ride the Ferris wheel and admire the city’s night view.

At their parting, Tang Mingming bowed, weeping, understanding Xia Mucai’s intentions.

In the end, she swore with determination, “I will definitely leave the orphanage. Thank you, Sister Xia, for spending time with me today.”

Xia Mucai sat in her Porsche, looking at the little girl, her face full of relief.

“It’s good that you think that way. Good luck with next year’s college entrance exams. Also, you don’t need to worry about your parents. The lawyer will handle it tomorrow or the day after. They should be punished for abandoning you for so many years.”

“I’m leaving. Remember to call me if anything happens. Your Sister Chi is very busy lately.” Xia Mucai winked at the child, instantly winning Tang Mingming over.

“Okay. Sister Xia, you can call me directly if you need anything, too.”

“Mhm.” ~

During the orphanage fire, they would need Tang Mingming to organize the children to escape. Building a good relationship with her now was all part of Xia Mucai’s plan.

Xia Mucai returned to the Xia family home around eight in the evening. Father and Mother Xia were always sitting on the living room sofa, waiting for her to come home.

When they saw her push the door open, Mother Xia was always the first to stand up and ask if she had eaten dinner, if she wanted to shower, and what she had done that day.

Their concern was genuine, the concern of parents for their child. But Xia Mucai wanted this concern to be for Xia Chi, not her.

Her adoptive mother came forward to take her bag, but she stepped back. “Mom and Dad, I am not your biological daughter. I’m already grateful that you let me live in this house. I hope you can recognize who your real daughter is.”

She turned her attention to her adoptive mother. “Xia Chi has never had her bag taken from her shoulder, nor has she been asked if she’s eaten dinner, if she wants to shower, or if she’s tired. Who are you putting on this display of favoritism for?”

She didn’t let Father Xia, the silent presence, off the hook either. She skirted around her mother and took a few steps closer, standing in front of the man on the sofa.

“You, too. You never ask about your biological daughter. I thought you had disappeared. All the bad reputation goes to Mom. You think by doing nothing, you’re not biased, that you’re a qualified father? No, you’re even colder than Mom.”

The man on the sofa first frowned, wanting to retort, but was interrupted by the continuous stream of words.

Saying nothing made him look even more incompetent. He was even put to shame by Xia Mucai’s words, lowering his head.

“Cai Cai, what’s wrong today?” Her adoptive mother wore all her emotions on her face—worry, but more so, the pain of being hit where it hurt.

“What’s wrong with me? Why don’t you ask yourselves what’s wrong? Why do you have to show favoritism? Can’t you treat both equally? You think this will make me feel a sense of belonging? It just makes me feel like you’re ruthless, like devils!”

As she spoke, Xia Mucai watched as her mother’s eyes filled with tears from her words. She stood there, covering her face and weeping.

Her father tightly bit his lower lip, burying his head low, his shoulders trembling slightly as he silently cried.

Their reaction made her seem so heartless, like an ungrateful, malicious wolf.

“I’m going back to my room. I hope you can treat your biological daughter well from now on. She wandered outside for so many years and has never had anything since coming home.”

Xia Mucai said this with a sob, then went upstairs to her room without looking back.