Transmigrating as the Female Supporting Character: Dumb with Deep Pockets - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Familiarity Grows with Time

Watching Su Su act like a pampered, well-behaved daughter in front of Bai Xue, Chen Jia felt a tug at her heartstrings.

Su Su had been angry just a moment ago, yet now she was proactively making excuses for Chen Jia to prevent any friction between her and the family. In a corner where her mother couldn’t see, Su Su shot Chen Jia a quick, cautious glare.

When she spoke to Bai Xue, however, her voice returned to its usual playful, coquettish tone. “Alright, alright, I get it, Mom. Chen Jia and I are sharing secrets right now. I’ll come down to find you in a bit.”

“Oh, you. Once you have a friend, you stop caring about your mother. I’m going to get jealous!” Despite her words, Bai Xue slowly retreated from the room with a smile.

Once only the two of them remained, Chen Jia gently pressed Su Su down to sit on the edge of the bed. “Let me see.”

She cupped Su Su’s chin with one hand, looking at her reddened eyes. She reached out to touch the still-warm eyelids. “I’m sorry.”

The two of them were very close now. Whenever Su Su looked up, she could see Chen Jia’s perfect almond-shaped eyes. At this distance, Chen Jia’s features appeared even more delicate and petite. Her warm breath fanned across Su Su’s face, tingling.

As if possessed, Su Su murmured blankly, “Chen Jia, you’re really beautiful.”

Chen Jia’s body stiffened slightly. “Am I?”

This face bore some resemblance to her appearance in her previous life, though back then her skin was so pale people often mistook her for a high schooler. Now, due to her complexion, she looked quite fierce whenever she put on a cold expression.

“Yeah, I’m not lying. Actually, the moment you entered the dorm, I thought you were pretty.” But because Chen Jia didn’t seem to want to talk to anyone back then, Su Su had intentionally ignored her.

If she hadn’t gotten sick 그날 night and Chen Jia hadn’t taken her to the hospital, the two of them might never have crossed paths again. Thinking about it, Su Su felt a lingering fear. She stayed in that position, hugging Chen Jia’s waist. “Thank you for taking me to the hospital back then.”

She had almost missed out on a best friend.

Recalling Chen Jia’s coldness at the time, she asked curiously, “What did you feel when you first saw me? Why was it that even after Li Sisi and the others arrived, you weren’t that silent, but you specifically never gave me a good look?”

Before Chen Jia could answer, Su Su acted as if she had discovered some earth-shattering secret. “You hate the rich! You saw I had money and you hated me!”

Her dead-serious expression made Chen Jia burst into laughter. “I swear, absolutely not. Maybe it’s just because you’re too rich and I felt inferior.”

Her half-joking, half-serious words struck a chord with Su Su.

“Then don’t feel inferior. I won’t look down on you just because my family has money. You’re my best friend.”

“I know. That’s why I don’t feel that way anymore.”

Before, she only thought Su Su had too much money; who knew she was also such a dork? Perhaps it was because of this that Chen Jia couldn’t bear to watch Su Su fall into the tragic fate described in the original novel.

As the atmosphere grew warm and cozy, Chen Jia suddenly remembered something. “By the way, is ‘Bao Bao’ your nickname? Why those two characters?”

When Bai Xue called her that earlier, it hadn’t felt odd, but now Su Su suddenly looked embarrassed. “It’s just… just a habit.” She certainly wouldn’t tell Chen Jia it was because she was white and chubby like a baozi (steamed bun) when she was little. She was a young beauty now; how could she have such a childish nickname?

…

In the evening, the whole family gathered for dinner to celebrate Su Su’s holiday. The large household made for a lively scene. They looked at Chen Jia—the friend Su Su had brought home—as if she were a rare, exotic animal.

Grandma Su adjusted her reading glasses. “Chen Jia is a good child. With you by our Bao Bao’s side, we can finally rest easy.”

Bai Xue chimed in, “Yes, exactly. Our Bao Bao has been easy to trick since she was a child. She’s grown up now without a single true friend, and we were very worried. We’re so lucky to have you, Chen Jia. Please look after her at school from now on.”

Chen Jia was genuinely overwhelmed. She didn’t feel she had looked after Su Su all that much, and being praised like this made her bashful. “I’ve only done what a friend should do.”

Bai Li smiled at her, placing food in her bowl. “I’ve never seen our Su Su so close to anyone. This child was spoiled by me growing up; if she ever offends you, please don’t take it to heart.”

Chen Jia shook her head and said seriously, “She is very good.” This wasn’t flattery. For a child from a wealthy family, Su Su was remarkably humble. Even if she had occasional tantrums, she was never unreasonable. That was the real reason Chen Jia could get along with her.

“Hearing you say that makes me even more relieved.” For some reason, Chen Jia felt there was a hidden meaning in Bai Li’s words, but after thinking it over and finding no clue, she let it go.

That night, Su Su returned to the room with her. She happily opened the wardrobe. “I don’t have any new pajamas, so you’ll have to wear mine. You don’t mind, do you?”

Actually, she did have new ones, but she felt that best friends wearing each other’s clothes was a great sign of intimacy. Moreover, they were about the same size, so they fit perfectly.

Chen Jia shook her head. They sometimes shared spoons now, let alone a pair of pajamas. “I don’t mind.”

While bathing, Su Su specifically took her into the bathroom to share her various scented body washes. “These all smell amazing, and the scent lasts for a long, long time.” She handed Chen Jia a rose-scented bottle. “This one is my favorite. You have to try it.”

“Okay.”

Truthfully, Chen Jia wasn’t very picky about soap, but seeing Su Su’s enthusiastic recommendation, she couldn’t help but smile, responding to every word. Once the “instructions” were over, Su Su still didn’t want to leave.

“We’ve bathed together once before. Anyway, we’re both girls, it’s no big deal. Why don’t we just wash together? I can even scrub your back.”

“…”

Chen Jia looked at her blankly. Su Su blinked her eyes playfully. “You can scrub mine, too.”

Ten minutes later, they ended up bathing together anyway. Familiarity grows with time; this session was much less awkward and much more relaxed than the last.

“Chen Jia, your waist is so thin, but it looks strong.” While lathering up, Su Su reached out and pinched Chen Jia’s waist.

Chen Jia flinched sensitively, and Su Su burst into giggles. “So this is your ticklish spot!”

Chen Jia looked up, eyes sparkling with amusement, and retaliated by pinching the soft flesh of Su Su’s waist. “You’re not bad yourself.”

Su Su, who had just been laughing at her, felt as if her waist had been struck by lightning. She jerked back a step, nearly slipping. Chen Jia was quick enough to grab her arm.

“It seems this is your ticklish spot, too.”