The Sickly Fake Daughter, But a Beloved Darling of All - Chapter 5

According to what Xu Chengjin knew about the plot, she shouldn’t have run into Wu Buran at this time at all, nor did she know that the other would appear at this school.

The Wu family… their status and power were about the same as the Xu family’s. Xu Chengjin only knew that Wu Buran was the Wu family’s child. How old she was or what she did was all hidden away, so Chengjin had never bothered to investigate.

Until today, Wu Buran had always been wrapped in a veil of mystery.

“What’s wrong with you?” Wu Buran was a little taller than Xu Chengjin. At first glance, she gave off an unapproachable air. Her eyes were narrow, carrying a certain coldness. Unlike Jin Xi’s guardedness that came from wariness, the distance in this person seemed to seep out from her very bones.

“Did I scare you?” Wu Buran casually rubbed her wet hair with a towel. She looked at Xu Chengjin for a few seconds, then suddenly started walking toward her as if she was about to do something.

Chengjin’s heart tightened. She took a half step back, turned her head slightly, and frowned. “What are you going to do?”

Bang—

The sound of the door closing echoed behind Chengjin. Her pupils quivered as she turned her head slightly. Wu Buran was very close now, so close she could even smell the scent of shower gel clinging to her.

So sweet it was cloying.

“I know you.”

Wu Buran took hold of Xu Chengjin’s suitcase. Her fingertips brushed against Chengjin’s palm by accident. Looking down, she noticed how tense Chengjin was—her fist clenched so tightly that her fingertips were turning white.

Was she really that scary?

Wu Buran found it amusing. She pushed the suitcase aside, pulled out a hair dryer, and started blow-drying her hair. “Do I look that terrifying to you? Look how frightened you are.”

Of course she wasn’t terrifying.

But Chengjin couldn’t help trembling at the thought that this was another protagonist. At the start, she had only wanted to approach Jin Xi, not Wu Buran.

Her death would also be tied to Wu Buran.

Chengjin had to admit to her own panic. She took a deep breath and tried to control her emotions. “Sorry.”

The only reply was the hum of the hair dryer.

Chengjin glanced at Wu Buran. Seeing that she didn’t seem interested in talking further, Chengjin quietly let out a breath of relief. Since they were already roommates… maybe getting along wasn’t such a bad idea.

Her thoughts paused there as she stepped over to retrieve her suitcase. Opening it up, she saw that the bed already had a mattress and blanket provided by the school. She only needed to put on the sheets and covers.

Her suitcase was neatly organized, but she wasn’t used to doing things like putting on sheets. She had hardly ever done chores at home—her life skills were nearly zero.

“Better look it up.” Chengjin didn’t rush onto the bed. She first pulled out her phone and watched a few tutorials. Once sure she understood, she fetched the bed sheets and duvet cover.

She squatted down, and when she stood back up with the items, her vision suddenly blacked out. Stars danced before her eyes. She staggered forward, legs weak, about to collapse on top of her suitcase.

Chengjin braced herself, swallowing down the taste of iron in her mouth. She was ready for the pain in her knees when she fell—but it never came. Instead, an arm slipped around her waist, lifting her up.

Wu Buran had caught her.

“Is this how you live your life?”

Her voice carried a faint laugh behind Chengjin. Chengjin’s eyes widened, and the next moment she pulled free of Wu Buran’s hold. Looking up at her, she said, “Thank you. I probably just stood up too quickly.”

“Oh, is that so? I thought the famous Miss Xu was trying to scam me.”

The Wu family’s values had always been different from the Xu’s. Wu Buran had lived independently since childhood. She had heard rumors of a sickly young lady from the Xu family, but paid them no mind—until she realized they attended the same school, and now, shared the same dorm.

“Sorry.”

Chengjin pretended not to notice the mockery in her words. She smiled lightly, then raised her hand to gently wipe away a bead of water sliding down Wu Buran’s cheek. The motion was featherlight, like a brush of down.

Wu Buran had wanted to pull away but forced herself to stay still. Feeling the touch, she pressed her lips together in silence.

“There’s still so much I need to learn.” Chengjin murmured to herself. She didn’t dwell on the moment, instead tossing her bedding onto the bed and climbing the ladder to make it herself—completely unaware of the way Wu Buran’s eyes lingered on her.

Chengjin struggled to straighten the sheets, sweat breaking out all over her body. The dizziness only grew worse. Touching her forehead, she felt heat.

Another fever?

Panting, Chengjin collapsed onto the bed, mouth dry, throat parched. She covered her face helplessly at the mess she’d made. Her throat felt unbearable, so she climbed down.

Wu Buran had been watching her all along. She pulled out a lollipop but froze before opening it. Instinctively, she rushed forward to steady Chengjin, just in time to stop her from falling.

“I—”

Chengjin’s legs had given out, nearly sending her tumbling. She had expected the fall—but Wu Buran caught her again.

She found herself wrapped around the waist once more, gently set on the floor.

“You’re not hurt, are you?” Chengjin didn’t even think—she immediately turned to check Wu Buran’s condition, frowning. “My legs just gave out and—”

“Do you have a fever?” Wu Buran cut her off, placing a hand on her forehead. Her expression instantly darkened. “Are you brainless? Sick and not going to the doctor, not even telling anyone?”

Chengjin clasped Wu Buran’s hand. After being saved twice, her preconceived notions of her had already started to fade. Looking up, she smiled. “Thank you.”

Wu Buran suddenly fell silent. Her gaze dropped to their clasped hands, momentarily distracted.

“Wu Buran.”

Chengjin called her again, then let go, embarrassed. She stepped back and sank onto a chair, only now realizing how heavy her breathing was. “I’ll go to the infirmary later.”

Her eyelids burned with heat, but she forced herself up to rummage through her suitcase. She pulled out a large medicine pouch, found fever pills, and swallowed one dry.

She winced at the bitter taste, sticking out her tongue.

“You didn’t even drink water?”

Wu Buran frowned deeply, tossing her a bottle of mineral water. “My oh my, Miss Xu, is your body really this weak?”

Chengjin touched the desk. Not a speck of dust—she’d noticed how clean the dorm had been since she arrived, likely cleaned by the school staff.

She tilted her head slightly, eyes turning red at the corners. “Mm. It’s been like this since I was a child. But it won’t get in the way of us living together.”

Wu Buran said nothing, only narrowed her eyes and stared for a few moments. Then, without a word, she climbed onto Chengjin’s bed and began making it for her.

Chengjin was shocked, eyes widening. She immediately stood up. “I can do it myself!”

“And how long would that take you? Till tomorrow? Next year?” Wu Buran’s hands moved quickly. She glanced down at Chengjin. “Just think of it as a bit of care from your new roommate.”

Care…

Chengjin’s lips parted, but in the end, she said nothing. She sat back down, fingers absently brushing the desk surface again. Not a speck of dust.

“I didn’t expect the school would even clean for us.” Chengjin murmured, too muddled to think clearly. Her voice was soft, but every word reached Wu Buran’s ears.

“Cough.”

Wu Buran coughed suddenly. Chengjin turned at the sound, but she quickly looked away. Chengjin blinked, confused.

Was she unwell?

Chengjin felt a pressure in her chest. As she laid her head on the desk, Wu Buran coughed twice more. This time Chengjin realized something was wrong. She lifted her head and fixed her gaze on her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Heh, what do you think? Just feels pretty cold-hearted, doing all the work and having someone else take the credit.”

Wu Buran finished folding the blanket and hopped down. Standing before Chengjin, she said, “Say thank you.”

“Thank you.”

Chengjin obediently complied, turning slightly to face her. “Thank you for helping me. I’ll treat you to a meal sometime, okay?”

“What exactly are you thanking me for?” Wu Buran’s face didn’t soften. She leaned closer and muttered, “You smell so strongly of medicine.”

Chengjin smiled. She lifted her hand and counted on her fingers. “Thank you for saving me the first time, for stopping me from falling. Thank you the second time for helping me down from the bed safely…”

Her voice was slow, her breath hot, as if each word brushed against Wu Buran’s wrist. “And thank you… for making my bed.”

“For giving you—”

Before she could finish, Wu Buran shoved a candy into her mouth. Chengjin blinked, startled, staring up at her. “Mm?”

“I was the one who cleaned your desk.” Wu Buran exhaled deeply, pinching the lollipop stick between her fingers and giving it a teasing shake. “Don’t overthink it. It was nothing.”

Ah, so that’s how it was.

Chengjin was amused, a genuine smile lighting her eyes. Following Wu Buran’s hold, she opened her mouth. The lollipop was slick with her saliva, trailing faintly suggestive strings.

She leaned closer. “So that’s why you coughed. Sorry, I almost missed it.”

“Wu Buran.”

Chengjin slowly stood, stumbling slightly. Wu Buran naturally steadied her by the waist. Chengjin licked her lips. “You’re really kind.”

“And also—” She clasped Wu Buran’s hand again, slipped the lollipop back into her mouth, eyes shining brightly as she said, “Very sweet.”