The Sickly Fake Daughter, But a Beloved Darling of All - Chapter 64

“Is it possible we’ve met before—”

Si Yu fell silent for a few seconds before averting her gaze from Xu Chengjin’s. “Perhaps. I don’t quite remember either. Maybe we met in a parallel universe.”

Xu Chengjin gave an “oh” in response. She didn’t pay much mind to what Si Yu said; she had only asked the question to find a topic of conversation, thinking such talk would make them feel closer.

“I ordered some noodles for you. Remember to go downstairs and pick them up in a bit,” Si Yu hurriedly instructed her. It seemed someone had entered her office to report on work, so she said goodbye to Xu Chengjin without further elaboration. “I’ll pick you up at the school gate later.”

Xu Chengjin nodded. “See you later.”

The two ended their call. Since Wu Boran wasn’t returning to the dormitory for lunch, Xu Chengjin was left alone. The noodles Si Yu ordered tasted good, and she liked them quite a bit, only stopping after finishing half the bowl.

She wiped her mouth clean and sent a message to Si Yu: [I finished the noodles. I really liked them.]

Si Yu: [I’m glad you liked them. I’ll order them for you again sometime.]

Xu Chengjin smiled. She put down her phone and took her medicine. The earlier she took it, the earlier she would wake up. Fearing she might sleep too soundly and miss her afternoon classes, she set four or five alarms just to be safe.

Fortunately, Xu Chengjin managed to wake up. Every time she woke, she felt a heavy cloudiness in her brain, as if a nail were being driven into her head. From time to time, she still felt dizzy and experienced sharp pains, but she could endure it. On the surface, she showed no significant abnormalities.

Adding to that, she quickly applied a light layer of makeup; at first glance, her complexion looked quite healthy.

There were still many people in the classroom that afternoon. Jin Xi had arrived early to save a seat for her, and upon seeing her, Jin Xi immediately waved. “Over here.”

Xu Chengjin walked over and sat down beside Jin Xi. She handed Jin Xi a piece of candy. “I think the flavor is pretty good. Want to try?”

“Thank you.”

Jin Xi handed her previous notes to Xu Chengjin and asked softly, “How have you been feeling lately?”

“I’m doing okay.”

Though Xu Chengjin said this, her voice sounded as if she lacked strength. “Don’t worry about me. Speaking of which, you and Wu Boran didn’t get into a fight this morning, did you?”

“No.” Jin Xi shook her head, her brow furrowing slightly. “Speaking of that person… isn’t she a bit too arrogant? She always acts high and mighty when she sees me.”

Xu Chengjin took a deep breath. She didn’t answer Jin Xi’s question directly, but instead replied indirectly, “Perhaps your magnetic fields just don’t align.”

Jin Xi nodded, finding Xu Chengjin’s reasoning plausible. “True. I’ll just ignore her more in the future.”

“These notes are extensive. Take them back and copy them slowly; I’ll just use a new notebook.”

Jin Xi was very patient. Fearing there might be parts Xu Chengjin wouldn’t understand, she had included explanations in many places, which was a huge help to Xu Chengjin’s studies.

Xu Chengjin flipped through the pages. For a moment, she was so moved by Jin Xi’s gesture that her nose felt a bit stingy. She looked over sideways and said with utmost sincerity, “Thank you.”

Hearing this, Jin Xi raised an eyebrow at her. “It’s a small thing.”

The afternoon class was inevitably a bit stifling. The classroom was crowded, the air conditioning wasn’t particularly effective, and there were various odors mixed together that were quite choking. Luckily, there was a few minutes of break mid-class, and Xu Chengjin couldn’t help but pull Jin Xi outside for some fresh air.

“It smells terrible.” Jin Xi’s expression wasn’t great either. She whispered, “How many years has it been since that group of people behind us took a shower? Their feet stink, too.”

Xu Chengjin’s lips curled into a smile. Her face was faintly pale, but her spirits were decent, and she wasn’t experiencing any particular discomfort.

“Sister Xu.”

A voice suddenly came from behind Xu Chengjin. Her body stiffened for a moment, unsure if the address was meant for her.

“Chengjin.” The person called again, and only then did Xu Chengjin confirm it was her they were calling. But… the term “Sister Xu” was rarely used for her.

Xu Chengjin turned around, wearing a perfectly composed smile. “Hello. Is there something I can help you with?”

“You don’t recognize me?” The person calling her was a girl, not very tall—perhaps a bit shorter than Xu Chengjin. Her eyes were filled with a strong sense of purpose as she stared fixedly at Xu Chengjin. “I didn’t expect to run into you here. I’m a year older than you, and I go to this school too.”

Didn’t expect—

Xu Chengjin didn’t show it on her face, but she felt uncomfortable in her heart. Anyone with half a heart could have found out she attended this university; there was no need for such polite pretenses now.

“And you are?”

Xu Chengjin still couldn’t recall who the other person was. In her memory, she had never seen this person before. “If there’s something you want, just say it. I have to go back to class in a moment.”

The girl’s smile didn’t fade. “Actually, I came to ask if you have any thoughts about getting married.”

Xu Chengjin: “…?”

“Marriage?” Xu Chengjin thought she might have misheard. She looked at her with utter disbelief. “Married to whom?”

“To me.”

The girl acted quite matter-of-fact. “My last name is Wu. I’m the eldest daughter of the Wu Group. You’re well aware of your own physical condition. Since you don’t have many years left to live, why not make good use of them? An alliance between our two families would surely take us to the next level.”

Xu Chengjin laughed the moment she heard the girl’s words. She reached out and lightly touched the girl’s face, and in the next second, she said, “I’ve seen stupid people, but I’ve never seen anyone as stupid as you.”

“You want to marry me?” Xu Chengjin spoke as if she had heard a joke. “And yet you think my health is poor… what, do you think I’ll be dead in a few years and your Wu family can just move on to the next one?”

“But you’re right, there would indeed be some benefits.” Xu Chengjin pinched the girl’s face, there was not a trace of a smile in her eyes. “Go back. Someone from the Xu family will naturally get in touch with you.”

Xu Chengjin released her hand. She took out a tissue and forcefully wiped the fingers that had touched the other girl. She then turned her head and said softly to Jin Xi, “Let’s go back.”

Jin Xi’s expression was also sour. She shot the girl a glare and immediately followed. “Xiao Jin!”

“What is it?” Xu Chengjin sat down. Her expression hadn’t changed, but her hands hadn’t stopped typing. “I don’t know that girl. She probably has something wrong with her head.”

“I know.”

What Jin Xi wanted to ask wasn’t about that. She was angry at first, but then another thought occurred to her. She leaned in toward Xu Chengjin and asked cautiously, “Will you… get married to someone?”

In truth, Xu Chengjin was young; there was absolutely no necessity for her to marry, and who could say for sure when it came to matters of the heart? An arranged marriage… that seemed even more unlikely.

But Xu Chengjin didn’t answer immediately. Her hands paused, her eyes trembled slightly, and just a second before the class bell rang, she spoke. She said:

“I probably will.”