Failed to Run Away After Transmigrating as the Scummy Alpha's Wife of the Villain - Chapter 25

Jiang Ci frowned, feeling Chi Yuan was standing too close, yet her hand still rested on her waist.

 

 

Their posture looked undeniably intimate from any angle.

 

 

Jiang Wan stood frozen, receiving no response from Chi Yuan, her entire demeanor radiating awkwardness.

 

 

“Sister Jiang is so lucky, having someone personally tie her apron. Not like me—injured hand and no one cares,” Jiang Wan remarked with saccharine sweetness.

 

 

Jiang Ci caught the passive-aggressive tone and glanced at her coolly. “Thank you, Sister Jiang. I suppose I’m just well-liked.”

 

 

Chi Yuan watched Jiang Ci’s sarcastic, deadpan expression as she sparred with the female lead and couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly—she was just too adorable.

 

 

Playing along, Chi Yuan added, “Teacher Jiang burned her arms cooking for everyone the other day because she didn’t wear an apron. The oil splattered, leaving red marks and blisters. It broke my heart to see.”

 

 

Jiang Ci stiffened, instinctively pulling her arms closer under the camera’s gaze, locking eyes with Chi Yuan.

 

 

Chi Yuan blinked innocently. “So, from now on, I’ll be in charge of tying Teacher Jiang’s apron.”

 

 

Then, as if remembering something, she walked over to Jiang Wan, picked up the kitchen knife again, and gestured for her to leave. “Since you’re injured, Miss Jiang, you shouldn’t stay here. Gu Meng! Didn’t you bring ointment? Help Miss Jiang with it.”

 

 

“Got it, Sister Chi!”

 

 

Gu Meng, quick on the uptake, ushered Jiang Wan away. This was clearly Sister Chi and Teacher Jiang’s “alone time”—any conflicts should be resolved behind closed doors.

 

 

Once Jiang Wan was gone, Chi Yuan started casually teasing Jiang Ci. “Teacher Jiang, do you prefer sweet or spicy? There’s a fantastic spicy rice cake place on West Street—you should try it.”

 

 

“I don’t like rice cakes.”

 

 

“What about hotpot? Yinsheng has a famous seafood hotpot spot. Want to go together sometime?”

 

 

Jiang Ci, wearing disposable gloves while massaging seasoning into the chicken, gave her an unreadable look. “I’ll keep the hotpot and rice cake in mind, but dining with President Chi won’t be necessary.”

 

 

Chi Yuan tilted her head. “Still mad at me? I know I went too far teasing you last night, but look—my forehead’s still red. Everyone’s been laughing at me all morning.”

 

 

“Can’t you let it go?” Chi Yuan lowered her voice, leaning in to peek at Jiang Ci’s expression.

 

 

Jiang Ci remained silent, removing her gloves and pressing the oven’s preheat button. Then she shot Chi Yuan a meaningful glance.

 

 

The two walked side by side into the bathroom, where no cameras or recording devices could reach.

 

 

Jiang Ci crossed her arms, glaring sternly at Chi Yuan. “Why did you mention my blisters on camera?”

 

 

Hearing the irritation in her voice, Chi Yuan pouted. “It’s the truth. You got splashed with hot oil and had blisters for days. The ointment barely helped.”

 

 

Jiang Ci subconsciously held her other arm, discomfort flashing across her face. “It’s just my skin—ointments take longer to work. I told you there was no need to bring it up.”

 

 

“I wasn’t trying to! Jiang Wan brought up cooking injuries, so I just followed up.”

 

 

“Really? What do my blisters have to do with aprons?” Jiang Ci retorted, looking at Chi Yuan like she was an idiot.

 

 

Chi Yuan blinked, realization dawning belatedly. “…Oh. Right.”

 

 

 

“I don’t want anyone to know about my allergies or the blisters on my arm.”

 

 

Chi Yuan sighed. “I understand—you don’t want your fans to worry. But Jiang Ci, the way you hide everything and stay silent breaks my heart.”

 

 

“Do you know about Jiang Wan’s allergy persona? It’s exactly like yours—can’t be in the sun, weak constitution, takes forever to recover from a cold. She even copied the fact that you fractured your leg during filming and had surgery.”

 

 

Chi Yuan grew more agitated as she spoke, arguing fiercely for Jiang Ci’s sake, but she accidentally let something slip.

 

 

Jiang Ci’s face paled the moment she heard “fractured leg,” her body trembling so violently she nearly collapsed. Chi Yuan quickly reached out to steady her, but Jiang Ci gently pushed her away. “How did you know about my leg fracture?”

 

 

Chi Yuan thought she was asking about Jiang Wan. “Jiang Wan’s fans keep promoting it on Weibo hashtags and public forums to build her ‘dedicated actress’ image. I found it strange—how could the coincidence be so exact? I almost wondered if she’s so obsessed with copying you that she’s fallen in love with you, replicating your entire life.”

 

 

Jiang Ci shook her head weakly, exhaustion weighing on her. “I wasn’t talking about Jiang Wan. I meant me. How did you know about my leg fracture?”

 

 

This…

 

 

Chi Yuan hesitated. How did she know? Because the original novel briefly mentioned it.

 

 

The antagonist, Jiang Ci, had one weakness—her leg would ache unbearably on damp, rainy days. It was said that during a filming accident while suspended on wires, she suffered a severe fracture. Fortunately, she underwent surgery in time, or she might have lost her leg.

 

 

After that, Jiang Ci spent months bedridden to recover. Though the surgery was successful, the damage was irreversible.

 

 

Somehow, Jiang Wan learned about this old injury. When Jiang Ci was at her lowest, Jiang Wan, riding high on her own rising fame, deliberately made her film a scene kneeling in the rain. She even persuaded the director to demand repeated retakes, directly triggering Jiang Ci’s old injury. She was hospitalized immediately after filming.

 

 

That was when Jiang Ci hit rock bottom.

 

 

The Chi family, her arranged marriage partner, saw her reputation in ruins and tore up the engagement, finalizing the divorce without hesitation. The original Chi Yuan happily kicked Jiang Ci to the curb, diving into Jiang Wan’s arms the very night the divorce was finalized.

 

 

In the entertainment industry, the once-glamorous queen of cinema had fallen into the mud, her name forever tarnished. Her company terminated her contract, leaving her saddled with massive debt.

 

 

The film fee Jiang Wan offered at the time couldn’t fill that financial hole, but it was better than nothing.

 

 

Pushed to such extremes, there was little left that could truly break her.

 

 

This was the turning point of Jiang Ci’s complete descent into darkness.

 

 

The reason Chi Yuan remembered it so vividly was because the author’s depiction of that rainy scene had deeply shaken her—the emotional shift, the final flicker of hope vanishing. It had pained her beyond words.

 

 

Looking at Jiang Ci now, who hadn’t yet endured those sufferings, Chi Yuan felt a surge of relief. Thank goodness she had arrived in this world in time. From now on, she would protect Jiang Ci and never let her suffer again.

 

 

“I heard about it in the industry. I’m not sure if it’s true, but they said you fell during filming.”

 

 

Jiang Ci seemed to relax slightly, but then her expression tightened again. “Who in the industry told you?”

 

 

 

Chi Yuan reassured her, “Who else could it be but Xiao Qianqian, the big mouth? As the CEO of an entertainment company, it’s normal for her to hear some industry gossip.”

 

 

Jiang Ci kept her head lowered, her fists clenched tightly behind her back, betraying a hint of panic.

 

 

She forced a smile and feigned indifference, “It’s all in the past now, nothing worth mentioning. Just an accident—after the surgery, everything was fine.”

 

 

Chi Yuan pursed her lips, her gaze shifting to Jiang Ci’s flawless, jade-like calves. “Were you scared back then?”

 

 

Jiang Ci kicked her legs lightly and said breezily, “Not too bad. Though I was a little worried I might end up disabled, luck was on my side, and nothing happened.”

 

 

Before Chi Yuan could respond, Jiang Ci quickly changed the subject. “Enough about me. Aunt Chi mentioned you’ve been behaving yourself lately—all those past flings were neatly wrapped up and sent away.”

 

 

“Have you finally settled down?”

 

 

Chi Yuan wasn’t sure why Jiang Ci suddenly brought this up. “Yeah, I’ve settled down. I admit I was a real scumbag before—reckless, selfish, and promiscuous. But I’ve turned over a new leaf now.”

 

 

“I won’t go back to the red-light district, and I won’t juggle multiple partners anymore. Mom wants me to take over the Chi Group, so I’m learning management.”

 

 

“Jiang Ci, you’ll see a whole new Chi Yuan.” One who can protect you and never abandon you.

 

 

Jiang Ci seemed burned by the fire in Chi Yuan’s eyes, her breath catching. She had to admit, this version of Chi Yuan was undeniably charismatic. She believed Chi Yuan’s words about reforming—previously, she’d thought Chi Yuan joining this variety show was just a passing whim, that she’d quit after a few days of hardship.

 

 

But after a week, Chi Yuan had blended in seamlessly with the other guests, never complaining no matter what happened.

 

 

Was this still the same spoiled rich kid?

 

 

After the first episode aired, Chi Yuan’s fanbase grew steadily. Many were won over by this genuine, unfiltered “dorky” CEO who wore every emotion on her face.

 

 

Even Chi’s mother watched with approval, calling Jiang Ci late at night in tears, attributing her daughter’s positive transformation entirely to Jiang Ci’s influence.

 

 

Mrs. Chi believed that without Jiang Ci’s guidance, Chi Yuan would never have shown such initiative.

 

 

Jiang Ci wasn’t entirely sure what had caused Chi Yuan’s change either, but overall, it was for the better.

 

 

But—

 

 

“So how do you view our marriage?”

 

 

The conversation circled back to their wedding. Unable to decipher Jiang Ci’s thoughts, Chi Yuan answered honestly, “A marriage in name only. I know you’ve always resented this arranged union. But we are legally married now, and no matter how much we dislike each other, it’s not the right time for divorce.”

 

 

Chi Yuan assumed Jiang Ci’s sudden mention of divorce meant she was angry and wanted out.

 

 

But their wishes meant nothing—they were still trapped under Mrs. Chi’s ironclad control. Neither of them had a say.

 

 

“Unless we convince my mom, divorce isn’t an option. Give it some time—I’ll talk to her myself. I’ll tell her we’ve tried but just aren’t compatible, so—”

 

 

Chi Yuan trailed off, noticing Jiang Ci’s stormy expression darkening further.

 

 

Jiang Ci: “Not compatible… How unfortunate for CEO Chi, being stuck with me against your will.”

 

 

 

“Then I suppose I’ll have to trouble President Chi to mail me the divorce papers later.” Jiang Ci’s smile didn’t reach her eyes as she watched Chi Yuan’s indifferent expression, her heart aching painfully.

 

 

Yet Chi Yuan remained oblivious to the issue, nodding along with Jiang Ci’s words. “No trouble at all, no trouble.”

 

 

Jiang Ci scoffed, her expression icy. Placing both hands on Chi Yuan’s shoulders, she swiftly turned her around and pushed her out of the bathroom.

 

 

Jiang Ci: “Then I’ll trouble President Chi to get the hell out—quickly.”