The Sickly Fake Daughter, But a Beloved Darling of All - Chapter 7

Xu Chengjin froze at those words. Hugging the shopping bag tightly in her arms, the rustling of paper made her lower her eyes slightly. Through a small gap, she caught a glimpse of her own underwear inside…

Heavens.

“Thank you.”

Xu Chengjin forced herself to stay calm. Lifting her head, she smiled at Si Yu. “Sorry to trouble you.”

“Not at all.” Si Yu lifted her hand casually. Then she glanced past, and Chengjin’s lips tugged faintly upward. “And this is?”

Turning around, Chengjin saw Jin Xi standing right behind her. The other girl’s expression was severe, her hand at her side curling slightly. Chengjin let out a slow breath, quickly trying to sort out the current situation.

The villainess and the true daughter had met—
and she was caught right between them.

Regaining her composure, Chengjin tilted her head back with a smile. “You’ve finished your shift?”

Whenever Jin Xi’s gaze met hers, it softened. She nodded, leaned down, and asked quietly, “Want some coffee?”

“No.” Chengjin leaned back a little, though the action wasn’t off-putting. She then turned back to Si Yu. “President Si, this is my friend Jin Xi. You two should’ve met last night.”

She still had fragments of memory from when she’d been drunk. But after saying this, the air felt somewhat odd, and her smile faded. “Would you like some coffee, President Si? I’ll treat you.”

Caught between the two of them, the strange, stifling atmosphere made her reluctant to keep talking.

What was going on with them? Why weren’t they saying anything?

After a few seconds of silence, Chengjin suddenly laughed. “I think we can at least call each other friends, right? President Si, you’re being too formal.”

They had only met a few times, barely spoken, and their exchanges had always been brief. If not for last night’s accident, they probably wouldn’t have interacted anytime soon.

“Friends,” Si Yu agreed. Chengjin did want to get along with the two of them, so she tilted her head slightly and smiled warmly. “Elder sister.”

Si Yu raised her brows, seemingly pleased by the address. Just as she was about to reply, Jin Xi cut in:

“Xu Chengjin, we’re not just friends—we’re classmates too.”

“Uh…” Chengjin couldn’t understand why she suddenly said that, but she still nodded. “Yes, that’s true. What about it?”

“Nothing.”

Jin Xi rested a hand on Chengjin’s chair, half-raising her eyes to fix on Si Yu. Her gaze held no trace of a smile.

Si Yu pressed her lips together, stared back for a moment, then shifted her attention entirely to Chengjin. “I’ll leave you now, won’t bother you further.”

“Okay.”

Chengjin stood to see her off, telling Jin Xi, “Go on ahead, I’ll be right back.”

Jin Xi merely hummed, silently stepping aside to let her pass.

“The evenings are getting cool—wear a thin jacket,” Si Yu said as they walked side by side. Her voice was steady. “You seem a little feverish.”

Chengjin raised a hand to her forehead, shook her head. “Not hot.”

Si Yu stopped suddenly, turning her gaze on her. “You said we’re friends.”

“Ah, yes.” The evening wind ruffled Chengjin’s hair. She twirled a strand around her finger, then gently looked up. “Should we exchange contacts?”

This time, she was the one to take initiative.

Si Yu’s eyes flickered slightly. She remained calm as she pulled out her phone. “I’ll scan yours.”

“Alright.” Chengjin’s voice softened. After exchanging details, she waved. “I’ll be going back then. Thanks for making the trip today.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Si Yu got into her car. Chengjin waved again and headed back toward the café.

“President Si, where to now?” her driver asked.

“Somewhere discreet. No rush.” Si Yu lowered her head, scrolling through Chengjin’s social media feed. The girl’s profile picture was a kitten in a cap—adorable. Most of her posts were scenic shots, with hardly any photos of herself.

Watching for a while, Si Yu couldn’t help but curve her lips. In a low voice, she ordered, “Keep an eye on her. Especially the people around her. Investigate their identities.”

The driver gave a short “Understood,” steering the car to a good vantage point.

Chengjin, meanwhile, hadn’t thought much more of Si Yu. When she returned to the café, Jin Xi was wrapping up her part-time shift. She packed up Chengjin’s leftover cake and made her a hot cocoa. Handing them over, she said simply:

“Here.”

“Thank you.” Chengjin’s eyes lit up with surprise. Cradling the items carefully, she began, “I—”

“My treat.” Jin Xi cut her off in time, smiling faintly as she leaned closer to whisper, “Got it with the staff discount. Not expensive.”

Chengjin also whispered back, “You’re so sweet.”

“That President Si seemed familiar with you,” Jin Xi asked casually. “You two chatted a while.”

She rubbed her nose. “Just asking.”

Chengjin sipped her drink. “No, we just added each other on social media.”

The moment she said it, Jin Xi froze. Chengjin, puzzled, turned to her. “Hm?”

There was a trace of disappointment in Jin Xi’s eyes. “Did you… give her your contact first?”

She had seen Chengjin take out her phone.

Chengjin blinked, then burst out laughing. Holding out her phone toward her, she teased, “Then let’s redo it… May I have your contact information?”

“Okay.”

Only then did Jin Xi smile. They exchanged details quickly and decided to stroll around near campus.

“Someone picks you up at night, right?” Jin Xi asked as they walked side by side, gaze never leaving her. “Is your home far from here?”

“I live on campus now,” Chengjin said, sipping cocoa. “Just moved into the dorm today.”

Surprise flickered in Jin Xi’s eyes, but she didn’t pry. “That’s convenient then. If you need anything, just tell me.”

“Okay.”

Chengjin turned with a bright smile. “What about you? Do you live far?”

“About half an hour by bike.” Jin Xi didn’t think much of it, already planning where to take her next. “I wanted to move into the dorms too, but… that’ll have to wait until my mother dies.”

Chengjin froze mid-step. Her smile vanished instantly, but by the time she looked back up, her expression was obediently sweet again. “Your parents treat you badly?”

“Father’s been dead for years—beaten to death over debts. My mother’s half-paralyzed, no money for treatment, so she’s stuck at home.”

Jin Xi spoke with no trace of grief—there was almost a kind of satisfaction in her tone. “Anyway, enough of that. Want to eat something?”

Chengjin quickly cross-checked what she knew of the plot. Nothing had deviated. Before long, Jin Xi’s foster mother would die, and she would meet the other main character, the one she’d fall in love with at first sight…

“Chengjin?” Jin Xi called her twice, then, seeing no response, grabbed her wrist. “Are you unwell?”

Chengjin jolted back to herself, breathing uneven. “No, I was just lost in thought.”

Forcing a smile, she said, “I’m not hungry, and I still have the cake you packed for me.”

“Then…” Jin Xi hesitated, checked the time, and seeing how tired Chengjin looked, decided, “Let’s hang out another day. Go rest.”

Chengjin didn’t argue; she was indeed exhausted. “Alright, I’ll head back first. Be careful on the way, don’t get your wound wet, change the bandage, and ride slowly.”

Jin Xi’s heart warmed. She nodded firmly. “Okay. I’ll text when I get home.”

“Good.” Chengjin waved. “Bye-bye. And the cocoa you made was delicious.”

Jin Xi stood watching her leave. For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling of an unfriendly gaze lingering around them. But after scanning the area and finding nothing, she dropped it.

Back at the dorm, Wu Buran still hadn’t returned. Chengjin showered, turned on the air conditioning, and climbed into bed once the room cooled.

She wasn’t very sleepy. Opening her phone, she saw Jin Xi’s message: [I’m home.]

She replied with a patting-head sticker: [Have you eaten?]

[Cooking noodles now,] Jin Xi answered.

[Okay, then I’ll let you cook.]

Right after their chat ended, a new message arrived from Si Yu. Her avatar was a doodle of a bunny giving a peace sign—far from the stiff image Chengjin had imagined.

[Want to see some cats?]

“Cats?”

Excited, Chengjin sat up straighter, typing quickly: [Yes.]

Soon, a video arrived. A calico cat played with a toy wand while only Si Yu’s hand was visible. Her voice sounded in the clip: “Your profile picture is a kitten, so I guessed you like them. I have three cats at home. You left too quickly during the day—they were still asleep.”

Nibbling her fingertip, Chengjin’s brows arched with delight. She had zero resistance to cute animals. She was just about to replay the video when the dorm door opened.

Wu Buran had just come back from working out, dripping with sweat. She froze when she heard another woman’s voice from Chengjin’s bed.

“…Your girlfriend?” Wu Buran asked quietly, toweling off.

“Huh?” Chengjin startled, not understanding why she would ask. “No, just a friend.”

“I’m single,” she clarified quickly, then bent down to reply to Si Yu: [So cute. Your cats are adorable.]

The response came instantly: [(＾ｖ＾).]

Chengjin chuckled softly at the emoticon, not noticing how Wu Buran’s gaze lingered on her like an inescapable shadow—A presence that clung.