Transmigrated as the Chongxi Wife of a Critically Ill Young Lady - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

She looked away and turned toward the storage cabinet.

Cen Xia was briefly stunned. Her gaze fell on the microwave next to her, and she thought, She hasn’t eaten anything. I should heat up the dough drop soup for her first.

She walked over, picked up the bowl of cooled soup from the coffee table, skillfully opened the microwave door, and tapped the quick-heat button a few times with her slender fingers.

The low hum of the microwave filled the room. A few minutes later, a faint aroma wafted through the air. As Ji Wanqing wheeled over with her medicine box, she smelled it and was filled with curiosity.

She rolled her wheelchair to the coffee table and looked up at Cen Xia, who was standing by the microwave, heating food.

Cen Xia smiled at her. “Sister, you didn’t eat lunch, so I’m heating up the dough drop soup for you!”

Ji Wanqing was expressionless. She simply raised her arm and made a gesture to summon a little dog.

—Come here!

Cen Xia said nothing and just obediently walked over.

Ji Wanqing held out her hand. Cen Xia had a fleeting illusion that she was about to be petted on the head, but Ji Wanqing only grabbed her wrist.

It took Cen Xia a moment to understand.

Ji Wanqing held her hand and examined it for a bit, then opened her medicine box, took out some iodine solution, and carefully dabbed it onto a cotton swab.

The microwave continued to hum. Cen Xia said, “Sister, are you going to be my nurse and give me a shot?”

Ji Wanqing ignored her, carefully dabbing the iodine on her wound. She herself didn’t fear pain, but she was afraid Cen Xia would be hurt.

Cen Xia’s lips curved into a smile. She said, “Sister, you’re so gentle!”

Ji Wanqing’s hand shook, and the tip of the cotton swab poked her wound. Cen Xia hissed, then smirked playfully. “Ouch, that hurts! Why can’t you handle a compliment?”

Ji Wanqing pursed her lips, holding the cotton swab with iodine, now afraid to apply it.

Cen Xia looked at the red mark on her neck, and her playful smile faded a bit. She took the cotton swab from Ji Wanqing’s hand. Her voice was slightly firmer than usual as she put it aside. “Doesn’t it hurt you? You’re still worried about others?”

Without thinking, she took a new cotton swab from the box, dabbed on some solution, and gently lifted Ji Wanqing’s chin, brushing aside her hair.

Ji Wanqing tried to pull away, but Cen Xia’s fingertips tightened slightly. “Don’t move!”

Ji Wanqing was forced to tilt her head back. Cen Xia looked down at her. Their faces were very close, their breaths so subtle they caused a faint tingling on their skin. A light blush appeared on Ji Wanqing’s pale cheeks. Although Cen Xia didn’t show it, her heart beat a little faster.

As their heated gazes locked, the microwave dinged.

Cen Xia quickly snapped out of it. “The food is ready. I’ll go get it for you!”

She walked to the microwave, put on the heat-proof gloves, opened the door, and carried out the steaming bowl of soup.

Ji Wanqing was in the middle of tidying up her medicine box.

Cen Xia placed the soup on the coffee table. Fresh green scallions floated on the small dough drops. The tomatoes and egg drops were mixed in, not too thick and not too thin, served in a porcelain bowl.

Ji Wanqing’s gaze lingered on the unfamiliar food for a moment.

Cen Xia noticed the subtle curiosity in her eyes and eagerly began to explain. “Sister, this dough drop soup is a specialty from my coworker’s hometown. It’s really delicious!”

Ji Wanqing’s thoughts paused. She looked at the strange food again.

Cen Xia said, “I heated it up for you. You can eat it now!”

She stirred the soup with a spoon, about to taste it for temperature, when she suddenly felt as if she was under an intense, cold glare. She instinctively looked up.

Ji Wanqing’s thin lips were pressed together, her empty eyes staring at the bowl of soup.

Cen Xia paused, then slowly put down the spoon as if she’d just realized something. She licked her lips and gave an awkward laugh.

Ji Wanqing maintained her icy poker face, continuing to watch. Cen Xia felt as though she was being silently questioned.

—Child, who gave you the courage to make me, a high and mighty person, eat your leftovers?

Cen Xia’s scalp tingled. As a nobody from the bottom tier of society, she wasn’t used to the lives of the wealthy. She had made a blunder in front of the young lady. But from another perspective, Ji Wanqing’s reaction was completely normal. She was a young heiress from a prominent family. Even in her current difficult situation, she wouldn’t have to resort to eating someone else’s leftovers. Cen Xia knew she had been presumptuous.

She steadied herself, ready to apologize.

Ji Wanqing narrowed her eyes and looked at the spoon Cen Xia had just put down. She hesitated and then raised her hand.

—Didn’t you say it was for me?

It took Cen Xia a few seconds to understand what she meant.

She picked up the spoon she had just put down, naturally scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it to cool it down, and then offered it to Ji Wanqing. “Here, Sister, try it!”

Ji Wanqing: …

Her eyes were filled with rejection. Her lips were pursed, showing no intention of opening her mouth.

Cen Xia was oblivious. She didn’t think much of it and moved the spoon closer to Ji Wanqing’s lips. “It’s not hot anymore!”

Ji Wanqing: !!!

Finally, after this silly girl’s repeated attempts to coax her, Ji Wanqing’s lips twitched in annoyance. The sweet and refreshing dough drop soup slid over her tongue, leaving a faint aroma. A look of surprise involuntarily appeared on her face, which Cen Xia quickly noticed.

Cen Xia looked down, her lips curving into a secret smile that Ji Wanqing couldn’t see. She scooped up a second spoonful and offered it to her.

“Sister, eat more. You’re too thin!”

…

A few minutes later, more than half of the soup was gone. Ji Wanqing had a small appetite and was usually full after a bite or two of any delicacy. But today, she had eaten an unusually large amount of this dough drop soup.

Cen Xia was delighted that the young lady had enjoyed her food. She could almost hear the system’s cold electronic voice in her head.

[Congratulations, Host. The happiness index has increased by 0.09 percentage points. Your current happiness value is 0.1.]

Unfortunately, there was no sound. The green happiness index on the control panel in her mind didn’t move.

After eating, Ji Wanqing rested for a while and gained a little strength. She rolled her wheelchair toward the bathroom. Her body was still sticky with sweat from before, and she wanted to take a shower.

Cen Xia said, “Sister, where are you going?”

Ji Wanqing didn’t reply. Cen Xia was worried. She put down the bowls she was cleaning and got up to follow her.

Ji Wanqing was no longer as resistant to her presence as she had been before.

As Cen Xia followed her to the bathroom, the faint scent of cedarwood became clearer, along with a peculiar, subtle fragrance. Cen Xia couldn’t help but sniff.

The scent was unique and seemed to be coming from Ji Wanqing herself, a blend of her body scent and a shower gel—clean, elegant, and a perfect match for her cold demeanor.

Her thoughts wandered as she trailed behind. Suddenly, Ji Wanqing stopped her wheelchair. Cen Xia wasn’t paying attention and stumbled, her foot hitting the wheelchair’s wheels.

As soon as she steadied herself, that cold gaze was on her.

Cen Xia: …

Ji Wanqing’s eyes were fixed on her, her presence intimidating.

Cen Xia gave a light cough. “Sorry, I got a little distracted.” She looked around evasively and realized they were at the bathroom door.

The last rays of the setting sun shone through the window, casting a soft glow on Cen Xia. Her white dress was wrapped around her slender figure.

Cen Xia calmed her nerves and met her gaze with a docile look, like a pitiful little stuffed doll who had made a mistake and was waiting to be scolded by her owner. No one could bear to scold her.

Ji Wanqing raised her arm. With her index finger pointed at Cen Xia, she then pointed at her own eye, pinched her thumb and index finger together, clenched them into a fist, and motioned for a downward pull over her head, as if brutally ripping something out.

—Look at me again, and I’ll gouge out your eyeballs!

Cen Xia: …

Ji Wanqing wheeled herself into the bathroom and closed the foggy glass door. Cen Xia was left outside, a little worried. With a body as frail as hers, how could she shower by herself? What if she passed out inside? What would she do?

She put her ear against the door to listen. Ji Wanqing, having chosen her clothes, saw the dark shadow against the foggy glass door from a distance. She frowned, picked up a sachet of dried flowers from the closet, and threw it at the door.

“Bang!” Cen Xia let out a surprised yelp.

At the sound of the yelp, a faint smile appeared on Ji Wanqing’s lips, and her eyes held a hint of a weak, fleeting joy.

At the same time, the cold system voice in Cen Xia’s mind sounded.

“Congratulations, Host. The happiness index has increased by 0.99 percentage points. Your current happiness value is 1.”

Cen Xia was momentarily stunned. She then focused on the 0.99 percentage points. She was so excited that she started jumping up and down outside the bathroom door, chanting in her mind. What a stroke of luck! I, Cen Xia, must have done a lot of good deeds in my past life for fate to help me like this…

Her excitement lasted less than a few seconds. As Ji Wanqing’s weak smile disappeared and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness came over her, the system sounded an alarm again.

“Host Cen Xia, I regret to inform you that your mission target, Ms. Ji Wanqing’s, heart has been shattered. The happiness index has decreased by 0.9 percentage points. Your current happiness value is 0.1.”

Cen Xia: ?

The sudden surge of joy and sorrow was too much. Cen Xia calmed herself down. She heard a clang from the bathroom as Ji Wanqing bumped into something while trying to get out of her wheelchair and into the bathtub. Cen Xia’s heart tightened. She said, “Sister, are you okay? Do you need help?”

Ji Wanqing didn’t reply. Cen Xia heard the faint sound of water in the bathroom and felt a little relieved. She used the sounds to gauge Ji Wanqing’s condition, calling out every so often, “Sister?”

Ji Wanqing was annoyed by the constant calls. She felt an indescribable mix of emotions. She stayed in the water for a shorter time than usual. Bearing her exhaustion, she struggled into a silk nightgown and climbed back into her wheelchair.

At that moment, the voice outside came again. “Sister, are you almost done?”

Ji Wanqing’s body was utterly exhausted, but she sat upright in her wheelchair, slowly moving outward and opening the bathroom door.

Cen Xia was stunned when their eyes met.

Ji Wanqing was wearing a champagne-colored silk nightgown that outlined her charming, graceful figure. Her hair was still dripping, and her fair skin was flushed with a soft pink.

Cen Xia couldn’t help but think of the famous passage from “Lotus in Moonlight.” The lotus leaves rose high above the water, like the skirts of graceful dancers. Among the layers of leaves, a few white flowers were dotted here and there. Some were blooming gently, others were shyly budding, like scattered pearls, or stars in a sapphire sky, or a beauty just out of the bath. A soft breeze wafted a faint fragrance, like a distant, ethereal song from a high tower…

An ethereal song. The book said Ji Wanqing was a former queen of the music world. She loved to sing so much. To be framed by her family and suddenly lose her voice at the peak of her career—such a blow would drive anyone to the edge of despair, especially a member of such a prestigious family.

Ji Wanqing didn’t say anything. She rolled her wheelchair toward the living room. The last rays of the setting sun had not yet faded, and the orange-red light stretched her shadow—slender, frail, and filled with a sense of loneliness.

Cen Xia followed behind her, looking at the proud woman seated in her wheelchair, and her heart was suddenly filled with a deep sense of empathy.

She felt that Ji Wanqing at this moment was like an untamed parrot locked in a cage. She was resistant to anyone approaching her cage. She didn’t want other birds to see her vulnerability. She was so strong, and yet so heartbreaking.

Ji Wanqing didn’t feel the footsteps behind her. She stopped and turned around. When their eyes met, she immediately saw the pity in Cen Xia’s eyes. A flicker of anger swiftly rose in her heart.

At the same time, Cen Xia’s mind dinged.

“Host Cen Xia, I regret to congratulate you. You have successfully angered the mission target, Ms. Ji Wanqing. The happiness index has decreased by 0.01 percentage points. Your current happiness value is 0.09.”

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