The Sickly Fake Daughter, But a Beloved Darling of All - Chapter 2

Xu Chengjin was helped into the car by Si Yu. Her head was dizzy, and as soon as she sat down, her body collapsed onto the back seat. Her cheeks were flushed, but her lips looked frighteningly pale.

Uncomfortable. Her chest hurt so much.

She parted her lips slightly, breathing shallowly. Her voice was faint, but in the quiet of the car, it sounded especially sharp and clear.

Si Yu had just sat in the driver’s seat when she noticed Xu Chengjin’s strange state. Turning her head, she caught sight of Chengjin’s slightly hazy gaze. The girl bit her lip and licked lightly at her teeth with the tip of her tongue, the moist redness glimmering under the dim light…

“Are you feeling really bad?”

Si Yu reached out and touched her forehead. The next second, her wrist was grabbed. The grip wasn’t strong—just a weak hand resting on her skin, but the scorching heat spread straight to her heart, making her chest tingle.

Xu Chengjin instinctively clung to the coolness, leaning toward her. Even in her hazy state, she resisted stubbornly: “I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

She had been there too many times. If the illness couldn’t be cured, what was the point of going again and again?

“I’m not going…”

When Si Yu didn’t answer, Chengjin let go and tried to push herself up. Alarmed, Si Yu quickly climbed into the back seat. “Don’t move around.”

“You didn’t answer me.”

The moment Si Yu’s hand pressed down on her shoulder, Chengjin stopped struggling. She obediently stayed seated, her tear-filled eyes reflecting Si Yu’s figure. She looked so pitiful. “I don’t want to go.”

“Then we won’t go.” Si Yu carefully brushed away the tears at her eye corner, her expression betraying the pain in her heart. “I’ll take you home, alright?”

Chengjin took a moment to process the words, then murmured “Mm.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “My stomach hurts.”

She whimpered and pulled Si Yu’s hand to rest on her belly, rubbing her cheek against Si Yu’s chest. “It hurts… rub it for me.”

“Rub…” Si Yu’s lips pressed into a line. A knot of discomfort tightened in her chest, but her hand had already begun to move gently. She straddled from the front seat to the back, all the while wondering if Xu Chengjin would have done the same no matter who was with her tonight.

She had been watching Chengjin for so long—since the first time they met.

They weren’t strangers. They had met before. But did Chengjin recognize her now?

“Xu Chengjin.” Si Yu freed her other hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her voice carried a hint of displeasure. “Do you know who I am?”

“I don’t know. Then who are you?” Chengjin’s mind was foggy, her body drenched in sweat from the pain, her teeth chattering. “Didn’t you say you know me?”

“You’re lying to me…”

Her fingers brushed Si Yu’s neck, eyes reddened. “Are you lying to me?”

“No, I’d never lie.” Si Yu tilted her face against Chengjin’s trembling fingertips, softening her tone. “Does it still hurt?”

“It’s better…”

Chengjin closed her eyes, leaning into her. Perhaps from drinking too much, her thoughts drifted. She recalled the misery of being thrown out of the Xu family—falling into ruin, despised, bullied, even cut off from her medicine…

“I don’t want to go home.”

Panic rose in her chest. She suddenly lifted her head, dizziness making her sway, her breath hot against Si Yu’s collar. “Can you take me to a hotel?”

“You’re in no condition to stay alone in a hotel.” Si Yu coaxed her softly, then after a pause said, “I’ll call your family. For now… why don’t you come to my place and rest? I can take care of you. Okay?”

Chengjin hesitated, her flushed fingertips gripping Si Yu slightly harder. “No.”

“It’s alright.” Si Yu’s breathing grew heavy. She locked her eyes on Chengjin’s delicate face, holding it gently between her hands. “It’s alright. I won’t hurt you.”

Thank goodness she’d been the one to run into her tonight.

“I’ll drive. We’ll be there soon.”

Si Yu returned to the driver’s seat. Seeing Chengjin already fallen asleep in the back, she relaxed and headed toward her own place.

Xu Chengjin knew nothing of what happened—

Her moments of clarity were too fleeting. When she next stirred awake, she was already being carried into a bedroom.

She mumbled instinctively, “You’re amazing.”

“…What?”

Si Yu bent down, not catching her words. “Say that again?”

Chengjin’s eyes half closed, she whispered with a breathy voice, “I said you’re amazing for carrying me to bed.”

“You’re too light.” Si Yu chuckled softly. She was about to stand and fetch a towel when she suddenly felt a warm, wet touch against her ear—Chengjin’s tongue flicking her earlobe, as if unaware of what she was doing.

Si Yu froze, staring down in disbelief. “What are you doing?”

“Do you… have someone you like?” Chengjin asked out of nowhere, curling her legs so her skirt slipped upward. Her body burned, desperate for release.

“Say something…”

When Si Yu stayed silent, Chengjin hooked her arm around her neck. “Do you?”

Si Yu’s lips tightened, her whole body taut. “Why ask that?”

“Do you want to kiss me?” Chengjin tilted her head, brushing her lips against Si Yu’s. “Do you want to sleep with me?”

“Xu Chengjin!” Si Yu snapped, but her hand still touched her face tenderly. “Do you even know who I am?”

“Mm.” Chengjin hummed vaguely, maybe hearing, maybe not. Her dress slid down under Si Yu’s hands, the girl sighing at the coolness, her gaze never leaving Si Yu. “I want to kiss you.”

Si Yu’s breath caught, and the next second, she surrendered—pressing her lips to Chengjin’s. The girl yielded easily, matching her, their clothes slipping away piece by piece.

“Hug me,” Chengjin whispered, lips swollen and tingling, fingertips trembling. “Please?”

“Mm.” Si Yu kissed her again. “I’ll hug you… and keep kissing you.”

Chengjin leaned boneless against her, chest heaving violently.

It didn’t matter if she didn’t remember Si Yu.

“You kiss me so hard it hurts.” She pressed a hand weakly over Si Yu’s lips, groaning. “Let’s go to the bathroom. Bathe…”

“In a while.”

Si Yu held her hand, sweat dripping from her forehead, breathing uneven. “Are you hurting a lot?”

“No…”

Chengjin turned her head away, gasping. “Am I going to die?”

“No.”

Si Yu kissed her again, whispering,

“You won’t…”

Xu Chengjin remembered nothing afterward.

She woke from thirst at six in the morning, groggily pushing herself up. Her head pounded. As she lifted the blanket, she froze.

Where… was she?

She blinked, looking down at the nightdress she was wearing. Across her chest were scattered kiss marks…

Oh God.

Her breath caught, and she turned—only to see Si Yu.

Si Yu!

The very same villain who secretly loved the real daughter—and who would one day kill her.

Chengjin gasped, struggling to process. The marks on Si Yu’s neck left no room for doubt. The two of them had definitely slept together.

She had slept with the villain.

She sat on the bed, stunned. Slowly biting her lip, she climbed out, searching for her clothes. The white dress was gone, but there was a brand-new set of clothes waiting, along with an unopened toothbrush.

She hesitated, glancing at the sleeping Si Yu. After a pause, she crept into the bathroom, changed, and washed up.

The clothes fit perfectly. She examined herself—yes, they looked nice. Si Yu’s taste wasn’t bad.

Si Yu herself wasn’t bad looking either—sharp, handsome features with natural authority. Too bad she was the villain.

And one targeting her.

Chengjin tiptoed out of the bathroom. Seeing Si Yu still asleep, she didn’t make a sound. Her lashes trembled, then she quietly slipped out the door.

The villa was spacious, spotless, filled with decorative touches she had no time to study. Hurrying downstairs, her eyes landed on a note on the table.

Her breath quickened. After a pause, she forced herself closer and read it. The handwriting was strong and steady, much like the woman herself:

[Remember to take your stomach medicine. I asked the doctor—it’s safe for you.]

“Stomach medicine…” Chengjin’s heart clenched. She didn’t know how to react. Why would Si Yu treat her this way?

The medicine was indeed the one she often used. Her stomach ached again, unbearable. Lips trembling, she swallowed a pill before heading for the door—unaware that, as she left, someone upstairs was already awake.

Si Yu descended, eyes sharp, no trace of drowsiness. Checking her phone, she pulled up the gate’s camera feed—Xu Chengjin was hailing a cab outside.

Her lips curved. She strolled to the table, eyes falling on the note, now with a reply added in Chengjin’s neat handwriting:

[Thank you.]

“Thank you?”

Thank her… for what?

Si Yu chuckled softly. Her gaze lingered on the glass used to take the pill, still faintly warm. She raised it, aligning her lips exactly where Chengjin’s had been.

They had kissed. They had slept together.

And yet—

Si Yu picked up the stack of cash pressed beneath the cup, her laugh low and mocking.

“So what is this supposed to be?”

“The payment for spending a night with you?”