Transmigrating as the Female Supporting Character: Dumb with Deep Pockets - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Injury

“Oh.”

Chen Jia couldn’t quite describe her current mood. She just felt a twinge of unease imagining a future where Su Su was with someone else, leaving her all alone.

By late October, the Northern weather had gradually begun to turn cold. During the day, a T-shirt and a jacket were enough, but at night, one needed a thick quilt to avoid being woken up by the frost.

A group of girls who weren’t particularly skilled at basketball were dragged into a competition after only two weeks of training. The indoor stadium was buzzing with excitement.

The first match: School of Digital Media vs. School of Education.

Chen Jia wore a black-and-white striped jersey with the number 6. Su Su sat on the cheerleader substitutes’ bench, cheering her heart out.

“Go Chen Jia! Go, go, go!”

Chen Jia turned her head and waved back at her. With the blast of a whistle, the game began.

“Why did you push me?” “Who pushed you? I was just going for the ball!” “Does no one in your basketball team teach you the rules of contact sports?”

The one getting shoved was a Digital Media student, but the Education students were shouting even louder. With no real coaches present, a teacher eventually stepped in to quiet the disputes.

“Alright, we know you’re not professionals, so our expectations aren’t high, and we’re more tolerant of fouls. But hitting your classmates is wrong.” The teacher gave a look to the referee, and the Education student who had just been shouting and shoving received a yellow card.

Since no one was a pro, a yellow card didn’t seem like a big deal to them. For a while, the entire court was a chaotic mess. Su Su sat in the stands, her heart aching as she watched Chen Jia being shoved around.

During halftime, Su Su scurried over to Chen Jia’s side. “Are you hurt?”

Chen Jia smiled and shook her head. “I’m fine. I’m pretty agile, they rarely manage to hit me.”

Despite her words, Su Su remained worried. “You still have to be careful.”

Seeing her furrowed brows and distressed look, Chen Jia checked the time. “We’ll be able to go home soon. Start thinking about what you want for dinner. I think my cooking has improved lately; I can try something complex.”

Su Su nodded. “Okay.”

Time was up. The opposing team seemed to realize that Chen Jia was the most agile player on the team—half of Digital Media’s points were thanks to her. They began to target her; every time she got the ball, they swarmed her.

Chen Jia held the ball tight, protecting it as her eyes darted around, looking for a teammate through the gaps in the wall of players. Finally, she saw an opening and passed the ball while the opponents weren’t looking. Just as the ball left her hands, a pair of hands shoved her hard from behind. She stumbled forward and fell heavily to the ground.

“Chen Jia!”

Su Su’s heart leapt into her throat. She dropped Chen Jia’s jacket and half-finished water bottle. In her frantic rush, she didn’t look where she was going; someone’s foot tripped her. She crashed onto the floor, her knees hitting the hard surface with a thud. A surge of sharp pain sent tears streaming down her face instantly. She struggled to push herself up with her hands.

Chen Jia had just been helped up by her teammates. Afraid Su Su would worry, she didn’t even stop to brush the dust off her clothes before looking for Su Su in the crowd. Instead, she turned to see Su Su sprawled on the ground alone, her expression pained. Behind her stood Qin Mingxing, wearing a malicious smirk.

Qin had been looking for a chance to settle the old score, and she had finally found it. Chen Jia was tough; aside from some scrapes on her elbows, she was mostly fine.

“I’m okay.” She declined her teammates’ help and hurried over to Su Su. “Are you alright?”

Su Su had been helped up by some classmates, but one of her feet couldn’t touch the ground. Chen Jia usually considered herself a calm person, but at this moment, rage stripped her of her reason.

She grabbed Qin Mingxing by the shirt. “How can you be so despicable? Apologize to her!”

Qin Mingxing knew Chen Jia wouldn’t hit her in public, so she was brazen. “This is the retribution you deserve.”

Seeing Chen Jia’s clenched fist and fearing she might get disciplined for fighting, Su Su hobbled over on one leg and grabbed her hand. “Chen Jia, it hurts so much. Take me to the infirmary first.”

Looking at Su Su’s red eyes, Chen Jia felt an intense pang of guilt. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Chen Jia let go of Qin Mingxing, her eyes swirling with hatred and anger. She used so much force that Qin nearly toppled over. “You better pray that ‘retribution’ doesn’t find its way back to you.”

“What do you mean?” Chen Jia’s gaze was so terrifying that Qin Mingxing involuntarily swallowed.

Chen Jia didn’t give her another look. She crouched down in front of Su Su. “Come on, I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“Okay.”

Because the school was old, the stadium was a separate facility off-campus; they were actually closer to the hospital than the school infirmary. The game had to continue, but in Chen Jia’s current state, she wasn’t fit to play. The teacher in charge subbed her out.

Chen Jia carried Su Su on her back. Su Su rested her hands on Chen Jia’s shoulders. “You carried me like this that night, too.”

“Mhm.” Chen Jia’s voice was low and muffled. Su Su immediately sensed her mood was down.

“Are you unhappy?” “Does it hurt a lot?”

At this angle, Su Su couldn’t see Chen Jia’s face, but she desperately wanted to know her expression. “It’s okay now, but it really hurt a second ago. I wanted to just take my leg off and set it aside until it healed.” She paused. “I think my ankle is swollen.”

She was right. By the time they reached the hospital, her ankle was significantly swollen. It looked painful. During the treatment, Su Su gripped Chen Jia’s hand tightly, tears welling in her eyes. Chen Jia stepped closer and pulled Su Su’s head against her chest, coaxing her gently. “It’s okay, it’s okay. It’ll be bandaged up soon.”

By the time they left the hospital, it was dark. Chen Jia was still carrying her. Su Su let out a yawn. “I originally wanted sour and spicy cabbage tonight.”

Chen Jia shifted her weight to boost Su Su higher. “We can order something complicated now. I think I can handle it.”

Su Su didn’t hesitate to burst her bubble. “But the braised pork you made yesterday was deathly salty.”

“…”

Seeing her silence, Su Su swung her uninjured leg slightly. “I’m kidding, really. You’re amazing. People who can’t cook have no right to mock others.”

“It’s fine. I thought it was deathly salty, too.”

…

Back home, Chen Jia brought Su Su to her room and went to get a towel to wipe her face. As Su Su removed her makeup, she worried aloud, “The doctor said this foot will take two weeks to heal. You aren’t going to carry me to class every day, are you?”

After the makeup was off, Chen Jia began washing Su Su’s face for her. She didn’t even realize that Su Su only had a hurt foot; her hands were perfectly fine. Even when the takeout arrived, Su Su stared at the meat being held to her lips, stunned, but she didn’t remind her.

After finishing the meal and watching Chen Jia clear the trash, Su Su was confused when Chen Jia didn’t leave. “What is it?”

Chen Jia looked at her seriously. “Do you need to shower?”

Su Su’s brain stalled for a second. “You’re going to help me shower?”

Chen Jia knit her brows. “If you want, I can help.”

Su Su’s mind raced. She had been out all day and definitely wanted a shower, but if Chen Jia helped… she couldn’t even imagine the scene. “Really?”

“Mhm.”

Su Su felt shy under her gaze. Okay, Su Su, be composed. “Actually, I don’t need such full service. I can use my hands.”

She then saw a flicker of realization on Chen Jia’s face. Chen Jia really hadn’t realized that it was her foot that was injured, not her hands.

After a moment of silence, Chen Jia cleared her throat. “I’ll wash your hair for you. You can do the rest. Just don’t get the injured foot wet.”

She helped Su Su sit on a small stool in the bathroom. “Wait for me a second.”

Su Su tied her hair up with her back to Chen Jia, pinning back the strands by her ears to reveal her slender neck. “Go ahead.”

Warm water soaked Su Su’s hair. Soft fingers brushed past her earlobes, gently massaging her scalp. With Chen Jia this close, Su Su couldn’t stay quiet. “That Qin Mingxing is so annoying. Next time no one is looking, I’m going to find a chance to give her a good beating.”

“Okay, we’ll go together.”

Su Su was just venting. If she actually hit someone, she’d likely be publicly disciplined. She was a “good kid” at heart. But for some reason, she felt Chen Jia was being serious. “Don’t be impulsive, I was just saying.”

Chen Jia didn’t reply immediately, her hands pausing for a split second. “I really wanted to hit her today, but I decided against it.”

“Why?”

“Last time I just said a few words to her and it resulted in you being hurt like this. So… if I’m going to hit her, I’m going to make sure she never knows who did it.”

“…Chen Jia, why are you so angry? Is it because of… me?” Her voice was filled with uncertainty and disbelief.

Chen Jia was puzzled. “Why wouldn’t it be for you? You’re my only friend.”

After saying that, Chen Jia felt a bit awkward. She was never one to express her emotions. She turned off the showerhead, tucked Su Su’s head into a hair-drying cap, and briskly fastened the button.

“Alright, you wash the rest. Be extremely careful not to get the bandage wet.” After her instructions, Chen Jia still felt uneasy, so she went out to find a plastic bag and tied it around Su Su’s injured foot. “Call me when you’re done.”

Su Su crinkled the plastic bag with her fingers and nodded. “Okay.”

Chen Jia didn’t idle after stepping out. She changed Su Su’s bedsheets and brought over fresh clothes from the next room, then sat on a chair by the bed, waiting for Su Su to call.

“Chen Jia, I’m done.”