The Female Lead Keeps Forcing Me to Take My Meds [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Moved to a New Place, Are You Used to It?

“Miss Cheng, please follow me, this way.”

The surroundings became increasingly familiar. Cheng Zhishu, who had passed by this area several times, now openly walked through that door and took the elevator up to the third floor.

When the elevator doors opened, Cheng Zhishu followed behind the butler, diligently trying to memorize the path. She didn’t notice the person in front of her had stopped, almost bumping into the butler’s back.

Cheng Zhishu quickly braked, raising her eyes apologetically. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but the butler seemed to curve her eyes into a smile. When Cheng Zhishu looked closely again, she had reverted to her usual demeanor.

The butler raised a hand and opened a door: “Miss Shuang said the room next to hers is empty, so she would like you to stay here.”

The scene inside the door came into view, stunning Cheng Zhishu for a moment. This place was much larger than the room she had lived in before.

Sunlight from the balcony streamed into the room. The sheer white curtains had been tied back by the servants who entered earlier, and the room was sparkling clean.

The people at the Xi mansion were meticulous. The bookshelf behind the desk was already filled with many books that Cheng Zhishu would need, and a blank space was thoughtfully left for the user.

Cheng Zhishu could discern the other person’s sincerity from the details. She had thought the room she was assigned would be similar to the previous one. Now, she felt a little overwhelmed and flattered.

The butler meticulously introduced all the amenities and finally said: “Miss Cheng, if there’s anything else you’re not satisfied with, just instruct someone to get it for you.”

“I… I’m not unsatisfied with anything. Everything is wonderful.”

“I want to ask Miss Shuang if she…” Cheng Zhishu felt she should express her gratitude to the other person.

Moreover, she still didn’t know the other person’s name.

The butler raised her wrist to look at her silver wristwatch. She said: “It’s Miss Shuang’s nap time right now. She’s not well, so she may not wake up until two hours later.”

Cheng Zhishu remembered that Xi Congshuang was in the next room. She quickly covered her mouth and whispered: “Then I’ll look for her later.”

The butler offered a polite smile: “Very well.”

Xi Congshuang, who had just finished arguing with the System, was indeed napping.

She had only been discharged from the hospital for a few months and was still in the intensive recovery period, making her extremely prone to sleep.

But she didn’t sleep for too long, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, and woke up two hours later, just as the butler had said.

She stared blankly at the ceiling for a while. Once she came to her senses, Xi Congshuang recalled what she had done before going to sleep. She propped herself up and reached for the phone beside her bedside table.

Although the butler had told Cheng Zhishu that the room had excellent soundproofing and not to worry about waking Miss Shuang, Cheng Zhishu instinctively moved quietly.

She took her clothes out of her backpack and prepared to put them in the wardrobe. When she pulled open the doors, she was momentarily shocked by the clothes hanging inside.

“So many…”

She quickly shut the door, leaned against it, and wondered if the butler had made a mistake and taken her to Miss Shuang’s walk-in closet in the next room.

Trying to open the door again to confirm if she was mistaken, Cheng Zhishu heard a faint ringing sound.

“Where is that sound coming from?” She cocked her ear for a moment and confirmed the sound was coming from inside her room.

Cheng Zhishu then stood by the desk, identifying the source of the sound as originating from there.

“Whose phone was left behind?” Her fingertip touched the cold handle. She grasped it, pulled it open, and revealed a phone screen waiting to be answered.

“Xi Congshuang?” Cheng Zhishu softly read the saved name, remembering the butler called the Miss “Xi Congshuang.”

Could it be the same Shuang?

A suspicion formed in her mind. She picked up the phone, inexpertly swiped the answer button, and brought it to her ear: “Hello?”

A lazy voice, tinged with weariness, predictably came through: “Did the butler put the phone somewhere hard to find? You’re a little slow answering.”

Cheng Zhishu immediately replied: “No, I just didn’t hear it, so I was a bit slow picking up.”

She was worried about causing trouble and answered quickly.

Xi Congshuang was propped up against the headboard, nestled in her soft duvet. Her wide sleeve slipped down, revealing a stretch of pale wrist: “That’s good.”

“You’ve moved to a new place. Are you used to it?”

Hearing this, Cheng Zhishu was momentarily dazed.

To be honest, she didn’t know what she should be feeling right now.

Having left the bewildering Wencan Building, the sadness brought by the truth of being the fake Miss who had usurped another’s place was surprisingly less pronounced.

Initially, Cheng Zhishu’s first thought was: No wonder my parents forgot to change my surname. Her life was a series of rejections.

Now, someone had helped her move away from there, saving her from having to listen to those words.

The silence on the other end lasted a bit too long. Xi Congshuang propped one hand on the bed, adjusting her posture: “Why aren’t you speaking?”

Cheng Zhishu mustered her courage: “Miss Shuang, can I come and see you?”

After speaking, Cheng Zhishu nervously clenched the phone.

The voice on the other end was as lazy as ever: “Of course. I’m in the room right next to yours.”

Casually placing the phone on the table, Cheng Zhishu walked out and went to Xi Congshuang’s door. Before she touched the doorknob, she remembered that would be impolite and knocked solemnly on the door.

A muffled voice came from inside: “Come in.”

She twisted the doorknob, and the curtains in the room slowly drew open, revealing the daylight.

Cheng Zhishu saw the figure sitting on the bed and looked surprised.

The room here was slightly smaller than the one next door. The large bed occupied most of the space, and auxiliary tools were installed everywhere.

There were fewer pieces of furniture, most of which were specially sized, making them more suitable for someone who moved while sitting.

Before stepping into the room, Cheng Zhishu wondered why the room would be so small. Then she realized that if it were too large, she wouldn’t be able to move back to a safe area easily if she fell.

Xi Congshuang turned her head to look and said to the hesitant girl standing not far away: “Wait a moment.”

Cheng Zhishu: “?” She didn’t understand what she was waiting for.

Then she watched as the person sitting on the bed lifted the covers, revealing her slender legs beneath a long nightgown. With one hand, she reached for the wheelchair beside the bed, adjusting its angle.

Her hand beneath the soft long sleeve propped her up on the bed surface, and the other hand grasped the headboard railing. Cheng Zhishu finally realized: Xi Congshuang was attempting to move into the wheelchair!

Cheng Zhishu instinctively rushed forward a few steps, wanting to reach out to help.

Xi Congshuang spoke first, without raising her head: “No need.”

Cheng Zhishu’s extended hand paused. After only a moment of hesitation, Xi Congshuang was sitting steadily in the wheelchair. She used both hands to position her legs, then casually grabbed the light-colored blanket from the cabinet and covered her knees.

The legs beneath the long skirt were covered once more. Cheng Zhishu hadn’t seen clearly what they looked like.

In that fleeting glimpse, she only thought they were too white.

The butler had said the room was very well soundproofed. Cheng Zhishu finally understood just how well.

When she didn’t deliberately make a sound, she could even hear her own heartbeat drumming in her ears, thump-thump-thumping.

The only other sound in the room was the whirring of Xi Congshuang activating the wheelchair.

She maneuvered the wheelchair toward the table by the window. Xi Congshuang settled in, looked up at her, and said: “You sit down too.”

Cheng Zhishu sat down, feeling awkward and restless. Xi Congshuang opened a small refrigerator nearby and took out a bottle of drink: “What would you like to drink? Is juice okay?”

“It’s fine.”

Xi Congshuang took out two bottles of juice, then asked: “Would you like cake? Matcha or blueberry?”

“Blueberry cake.” Cheng Zhishu had tasted it once while working a part-time job. It was delicious, and she answered unconsciously.

After a while, Xi Congshuang asked again: “The cut fruit is still quite fresh. I only ate a tiny bit before going to sleep. Do you mind?”

“I don’t mind.”

Xi Congshuang continued rummaging: “I remember there was ice cream too. Did Zheng Momo eat it?”

“…” Cheng Zhishu watched in a state of stunned confusion as the Miss continuously pulled things out of the refrigerator. Finally, she couldn’t help but lean forward curiously.

She thought the refrigerator wasn’t that tall; how could she pull out so many things?

Moreover, the quantity was astonishing. Cheng Zhishu spoke up to stop Xi Congshuang’s “treasure chest” behavior: “Miss Shuang, I think this is enough. It’s a bit much.”

“It’s enough?” Xi Congshuang regretted stopping and closed the refrigerator door. She said: “My physical therapist doesn’t let me eat too many of these. Luckily you’re here today. It’s fine to eat a little more.”

Cheng Zhishu: “Why?”

Xi Congshuang: “It’s only natural for consumption to be higher when two people eat together. Zheng Momo’s lock-on will fail. She won’t be able to scold me.”

Cheng Zhishu: “…”

Xi Congshuang was in a good mood for having found a co-conspirator for her gluttony.

She truly hadn’t had this opportunity before. She often survived on nutrient injections and rarely ate normal food.

Let alone cold fruits and sweet cakes, which were things she had to strictly avoid.

Although Xi Congshuang couldn’t eat too much, the supply was always abundant. It used to be stored in the refrigerator downstairs, but now, for her convenience, it was kept in a refrigerator in her room.

However, most of the food before had gone in and been carried out again. Xi Congshuang, lacking any interest or appetite, wouldn’t touch it.

It wasn’t until a few days ago that the aloof Xi Congshuang suddenly developed an interest in these things. Zheng Momo began a life of constant vigilance, strictly enforcing the patient’s dietary restrictions.

A small piece of the exquisitely shaped cake was cut with a gleaming silver fork and brought to her mouth.

Xi Congshuang squinted her eyes, having already decided that regardless of whether the mission was completed, she would try more things in her limited life.

The sweet aroma drifted past her nose. Cheng Zhishu picked up the silver fork, the cold metal transmitting its coolness to her palm. She was preoccupied, unable to taste the food.

She looked up and saw Xi Congshuang, who was eating with an almost starry-eyed look. Her nervous mood suddenly eased a lot. She attempted to speak: “Miss Shuang…”

Xi Congshuang was accustomed to eating in silence. She put down her fork: “You don’t have to call me Miss Shuang. How old are you?”

Cheng Zhishu: “Seventeen.”

Xi Congshuang: “Then I’m five years older than you. You can call me Sister Shuang, like my cousins.”

The sprawling Xi family tree had countless descendants. It was impossible to keep track of seniority even among the close relatives, let alone adding the branch families. They used the last character of the names for differentiation.

The current Cheng Zhishu simply agreed to whatever the other person said, behaving impeccably.

Finally remembering that the person sitting in front of her was the female lead, Xi Congshuang searched her mind for a bit of tenderness and patiently comforted her: “You don’t have to feel burdened. The Xi Corporation sponsors many excellent students every year, and they enter the company to work after graduation. Based on your academic performance, you can be selected for the Xi Corporation’s sponsorship list.”

Cheng Zhishu looked at Xi Congshuang suspiciously. At seventeen, she couldn’t accurately discern the truth in the other person’s words.

Biting her lower lip, Cheng Zhishu asked: “Do you know my grades?”

Xi Congshuang replied matter-of-factly: “I don’t, but you look like you study very well.”

Cheng Zhishu: “…”

The girl’s clear and beautiful face showed a puzzled, confused expression, then gradually shifted to a look of dawning comprehension.

Every time she saw the other girl, Xi Congshuang felt a sense of wonder. The clear, beautiful girl had light-colored hair and kept a fringe over her forehead. When she spoke, she liked to stare directly at people with her clear, pale eyes.

If she looked long enough, Xi Congshuang would be reminded of the puppy owned by the little girl in the hospital room next door when she was hospitalized previously.

Fluffy, with soft fur, it always liked to stare at people with clean eyes. Yet, it was both shy and bold, occasionally baring its tiny teeth at unfamiliar nurses.

When its owner scooped it up, it would tilt its head, looking at people with an air of confusion.

After a long while, Xi Congshuang, who was about to drink some juice, heard the person opposite her say: “I understand. I will study hard and not disappoint your mentorship.”

“Mhm, cough, cough…”

Xi Congshuang choked on her water, quickly covering her mouth with a handkerchief to avoid being impolite.

After finishing her food, Cheng Zhishu, suddenly filled with renewed fighting spirit, returned to her room, solemnly promising Xi Congshuang: “I definitely won’t let you down, Sister Shuang!”

No one had ever been so supportive of her. She absolutely would not let the other person down.

“…”

Xi Congshuang sat in her wheelchair, offering an encouraging smile.

She doesn’t know what the other girl is thinking, but it’s a good thing she’s willing to stay… right?

She checked the Corruption Value again. It hadn’t decreased.

“Can’t rush things,” Xi Congshuang closed the door, comforting herself.

…

This weekend felt exceptionally long.

After breakfast, she persuaded Cheng Zhishu to return to her room to continue studying. Xi Congshuang finally had time to go downstairs and continue her upper-limb training.

After sleeping all night, Cheng Zhishu, who had recovered her energy, had slightly red eyes but still managed to put on a brave face for outsiders. She took the advice and went back to her room.

After training, Xi Congshuang took a shower in the training room’s attached bathroom, changed her clothes, and went downstairs for a walk.

She was reducing the time she was pushed around every day, enjoying the sunlight on her own.

The intense summer sun shone on her. Xi Congshuang raised her hand, her fingertips translucent in the light, her eyes slightly narrowed beneath the shade of the trees.

Sometimes, she still felt that this world was extremely unreal.

The sun was warm, and the flowers smelled sweet, yet she felt her soul was floating, suspecting that all of this was just a fleeting illusion before her death.

“Why are you alone?”

A voice came from behind. Xi Congshuang turned her head. Someone had crossed the open space and stood behind her.

The newcomer was Xi Hanran, who, by seniority, was her aunt.