Transmigrated as the Chongxi Wife of a Critically Ill Young Lady - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Ji Wanqing couldn’t think anymore; the pain in her chest started to flare up again.

Cen Xia noticed that something was wrong with her. She walked over, dropped the umbrella on the ground, and knelt down, gently resting her head between Ji Wanqing’s legs. She looked up, her starry eyes fixed on her. “Sister, let me tell you a story!”

Ji Wanqing didn’t say anything. She was rarely approached so intimately and was completely stiff at that moment.

Cen Xia looked into her eyes and continued.

“Once upon a time, there was a child who was abandoned by her parents at birth because she was a girl. On a cold winter day, she was left at the hospital entrance. When the nurses found her, her lips were already blue from the cold, and she was on the verge of death.

Later, they sent her to an orphanage, where she lived with other disabled children and was raised by the director. When she was 13, her biological parents suddenly appeared and said they wanted to take her back. Having never been in contact with family, she was overjoyed. She went home with her mother.”

She paused and asked Ji Wanqing, “Sister, guess what happened?”

Ji Wanqing was caught off guard, but Cen Xia didn’t wait for an answer and continued, “They raised her like a princess for a year. Then, by chance, the girl discovered that they had a sick younger brother.”

Cen Xia smiled. “That was her biological brother. They took her home to be a bone marrow donor for him.”

Ji Wanqing’s grip on the umbrella handle tightened. She tilted the umbrella more towards Cen Xia.

After a few seconds of silence, Cen Xia continued, “She eventually went through with the bone marrow transplant for her brother. It cost a lot of money, but luckily, he was saved. Her parents were very happy, but they didn’t have much savings left, so she was sent back to the orphanage not long after. When the director mother took her back, she was furious and fought with the parents.”

Cen Xia lowered her head, a smile on her lips. “From then on, the little girl had no hope for family affection. Later, she grew up and worked to earn money on her own. When she was 18, she found her first job through her own efforts. But just a few days after she started, her parents found her again and asked her to donate a kidney because her brother needed one.”

Ji Wanqing’s expression changed when she heard this.

Cen Xia said, “She didn’t agree.” Her tone was calm, as if she were stating a very ordinary fact. “The old couple spread rumors all over her company, saying that they had raised her through hardships, and now that she had grown up, she was an ungrateful wretch who disowned her parents. The whole situation became a huge scandal. She was fired from her new company before she even had a chance to get settled. After that, the girl was unemployed for a long time.”

Ji Wanqing listened intently.

Cen Xia kept her head down. “What kind of savings can an 18-year-old have? She worked odd jobs to pay for college. That period was very difficult for her. She didn’t know where her next meal would come from, had no place to live, and had to deal with her difficult parents every day. She thought to herself, ‘Maybe I should just give them my kidney and my life. That way, we won’t owe each other anything.'”

Ji Wanqing’s mind was pulled along by the story.

Cen Xia’s tone remained flat as the story progressed with her memories.

“The girl thought about it all night. She had made up her mind. When she went to the hospital to have the kidney removed, she suddenly changed her mind. Why should she? Everyone has a heart. Why should she die for her brother to live? They had never raised her. Why did they take her bone marrow and still want her kidney? She wasn’t a savior.

She ran away from the operating table, bought a standing-room train ticket, and fled to a very, very distant city in the south. They couldn’t find her, and she started a new life. Things went much more smoothly after that.”

Cen Xia looked up and smiled at Ji Wanqing. “Sister, don’t give up. There’s nothing in this life that you can’t overcome. You don’t know, but that little girl later became a great designer with a monthly salary of tens of thousands of dollars. She rented a small apartment in a major city, worked from nine to six, and lived a carefree life! She was thriving!”

She took Ji Wanqing’s hand and held it in her palm, as if cheering her on and giving her a sense of security. She said, “Sister, don’t worry. No matter what happens in the future, I’ll be with you. Slowly, everything will get better. Don’t give up!”

Ji Wanqing lowered her eyes, a few glistening tears hanging from her long eyelashes. She didn’t know this girl very well. All she knew was that she was the “auspicious wife” Madam Ji had forced upon her to torment her, at the cost of business interests.

After meeting her, she had someone investigate her. She was indeed the daughter of the Cen family, who had grown up with a carefree life, doted on by her parents. Later, she was forced into a marriage for family interests, which was a little pitiful. But at this moment, she couldn’t help but associate the little girl in the story with the girl in front of her.

She had torn open her old, bloody wounds and exposed them to the scorching sun just to comfort her, telling her that there was nothing in this life that she couldn’t overcome and that she had to live on.

No one had ever been so sincere with her since she was a child. Even Shao Yu, who was a sister to her before her true colors were revealed, never held her heart out like this girl, telling her, “Sister, be strong. Everything will be okay.”

Ji Wanqing took a moment to compose herself, then raised her hand and patted Cen Xia’s head, just like she would with a WeChat profile picture.

Cen Xia smiled, half-squatted, and stood up. She vaguely wrapped her arms around Ji Wanqing’s shoulders, then squatted down again, resting her head on her lap and acting spoiled.

“Sister, you have to pay to listen to a story. Fifty dollars a word. Count how many words I just said!”

The sun was high in the sky. Ji Wanqing sat in her wheelchair, holding a parasol, and tilted it as much as possible towards her. Her wrists were weak, so she held the umbrella with both hands, determined not to let the sun’s rays hurt the girl.

Cen Xia lay on her lap for a while, then looked up and asked, “Sister, have you counted? How much do you owe me?”

Ji Wanqing looked at her, her eyes filled with tenderness. She was usually cold and rarely looked at a person with such warmth.

Cen Xia’s gaze never left her face. The two of them stared at each other for several seconds under the parasol.

Sweat beaded on Ji Wanqing’s forehead, making her bangs damp. The warm summer breeze lifted them, and the shadows of the light on her added a delicate and sickly beauty. She pursed her lips and stubbornly held the umbrella.

Cen Xia took the handle from her hand, freed one hand, and smoothed out the stray hairs on her forehead.

“Sister, let’s go back. Won’t it be more comfortable to be inside with a blanket and the air conditioning?”

Ji Wanqing nodded. Her wheelchair was already turning back. Cen Xia tugged on her. “Sister, you don’t need this umbrella anymore! It costs tens of dollars!”

She handed the umbrella back to her, then quickly ran to pick up the one on the ground. When she came back, she folded it up and put it in Ji Wanqing’s lap. She then took the other one from her hand, and the two of them walked under a single umbrella in the summer.

This time, Ji Wanqing allowed her to touch her wheelchair.

When they got back inside, Ji Wanqing went to shower again. Her body was too weak to move, and she would be covered in sweat with the slightest movement. She also loved to be clean, so she would go to the bathroom for a quick wash after any effort.

Cen Xia stood guard at the door like a puppy, occasionally knocking.

“Sister, are you done yet? I’m coming in!”

Ji Wanqing felt a sense of security listening to that voice. Before this, she had never imagined that a girl like this would appear in her life. Now, she was a person who was cared for and worried about. Even though her life was full of torment, the beautiful moments were fleeting, but at this moment, she was content.

After her shower, she felt refreshed. She felt she still had some energy. After applying lotion, she wheeled herself to the music room, with Cen Xia following her all the way.

The music room was huge, with a single bright light illuminating the space. Ji Wanqing went to the piano and reached out to touch the instrument that had been sitting there for over a year. She thought she would never touch it again in her life, but here she was.

She was a true diva. Her fingers lightly touched the keys, and a melody flowed like a stream, lingering in the air.

Cen Xia didn’t know much about music, but she found the melody coming from Ji Wanqing’s fingers very touching. While others were enjoying the music, she took out her phone and started recording a video.

Ji Wanqing had performed on stage in front of thousands of people, with flashlights and cameras from every angle. She had never been nervous before, but now, facing Cen Xia’s small phone, she was. She sat up straight, meticulously playing the strings, afraid of hitting a wrong note.

But the other person kept trying to distract her. While recording, she coached her, “Sister, look over here. Strike a pose! Say cheese!”

Ji Wanqing: …

She was a singing diva. People went to great lengths just to listen to her. But here was this person, yelling at her to strike a pose with a broken phone. And she was taking it so seriously.

Ji Wanqing stopped playing, her eyes narrowed as she looked at her. She raised her hand.

—You’re the one who looks like a clown!

Cen Xia’s camera was still on. She said, “Sister, I’ve recorded it all. If you’re not a good girl, I’ll send it to your fans!”

Ji Wanqing shot her a deadly look. How dare you!

Cen Xia giggled. “Sister, what kind of fans do you have? Are they as good-looking as me?”

Ji Wanqing raised her hand.

—How would I know what they look like? But one thing is for sure, they’re definitely better looking than you!

Cen Xia’s face crumpled, and she pouted pitifully, pretending to be hurt.

Ji Wanqing rarely comforted people, so she couldn’t tell if Cen Xia was really sad or just faking it. So she raised her hand again, using the few comforting techniques she knew.

—You’re a little sun. You’re cuter than all of them!

Cen Xia immediately beamed and pestered Ji Wanqing, “Really? Sister, is it true? Since I’m so cute, do you like me?”

Ji Wanqing lowered her eyes and didn’t say anything, a faint blush spreading across her pale skin.

Cen Xia stuck out her butt, turned her head, and forced her face into Ji Wanqing’s line of sight, teasing her relentlessly. “Do you like me or not, Sister? I’m so cute!”

Ji Wanqing was rarely teased like this. Her ears and neck turned red with embarrassment. She reached out and pushed Cen Xia’s head away, not wanting her to look at her like that.

Cen Xia ignored her, like a spoiled child. She continued to cling to Ji Wanqing, asking, “Do you like me, Sister?”

Ji Wanqing had no choice. She looked away and quickly made a hand gesture.

—You’re very warm!

After she said that, she wheeled herself out, leaving Cen Xia alone in the music room, giggling foolishly.

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