Transmigrated As The Villainous Scumbag Wife Of A Disabled Tycoon - Chapter 40

40

The journey back was quiet. Jiang Ciyi didn’t say a word.

Cheng Xing didn’t know what was on her mind, but she didn’t regret pouring out her thoughts.

Jiang Ciyi was the first friend Cheng Xing had made since arriving here, and right now, Jiang Ciyi seemed so fragile. Cheng Xing genuinely wanted to protect her—not out of some obligation to a target, but out of the pure affection one feels for a friend.

The car pulled into the courtyard of Tinglan Mansion. Normally, Sister Zhou would be waiting outside, calling someone to park Cheng Xing’s car, but today, the courtyard was eerily silent.

The mansion was brightly lit inside. Cheng Xing drove the car into the garage herself. Seeing the garish, modified colors of the luxury cars—altered so hideously by the original owner—she couldn’t help but want to replace them all.

But that would be a hefty expense.

Since she didn’t need them, she figured it’d be better to buy a practical car instead.

She had her eye on a Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Cool, stylish, and spacious. She could even modify it, maybe install an electric ramp in the back so Jiang Ciyi could slide in smoothly without needing to be carried.

Not that Cheng Xing minded carrying Jiang Ciyi—she had the patience for it—but every time she did, she could sense Jiang Ciyi’s discomfort.

With this plan in mind, Cheng Xing decided she’d visit a dealership to check things out.

For now, she lifted Jiang Ciyi from the passenger seat. Jiang Ciyi murmured, “Thank you.”

Cheng Xing smiled. “What’s there to thank? It’s what I should do.”

Jiang Ciyi looked at her, as if she had a lot to say but hesitated, ultimately pressing her lips shut.

She didn’t believe anyone had to do anything for anyone else.

Having mentally separated the current Cheng Xing from the old one, Jiang Ciyi no longer expected anything from this version of her.

Even if she later discovered Cheng Xing had a split personality or was deliberately deceiving her, Jiang Ciyi wouldn’t regret her current choices.

She just… felt awkward.

Facing this version of Cheng Xing, she felt so awkward she didn’t know what to do.

She even wanted to escape this situation as quickly as possible.

Cheng Xing patted her shoulder. “Xiao Jiang, you can rely on your Sister Xing from now on. Don’t worry.”

Jiang Ciyi: “…Don’t call me Xiao Jiang.”

“What’s wrong with calling you that?” Cheng Xing noticed her low spirits the whole way, like a frostbitten eggplant, and deliberately teased her to lift her mood. “Xiao Jiang, Sister Xing’s got your back. If you say go east, I won’t go west. If you say go west, I won’t go north. If anyone bullies you, just tell Sister Xing. I may be weak, but you’ve still got Sister Guan.”

In the elevator, only Cheng Xing’s voice echoed.

Jiang Ciyi blinked, puzzled. “Sister Guan?”

“My mom,” Cheng Xing said with a grin. “Don’t let her card-playing fool you. She can rally an army—two armies, even. With a wave of her flag, countless people would charge into battle for her.”

Jiang Ciyi was stunned. “Huh?”

Cheng Xing hadn’t expected her to miss the joke. She’d spent so long crafting it in her head, only to deliver it with confidence and fall flat.

Cheng Xing gave an awkward laugh. “I mean, she can get my two brothers and my dad to do her bidding. When she speaks, both my maternal grandmother’s side and the Cheng family listen.”

Jiang Ciyi: “…”

“Pfft.” Jiang Ciyi lowered her head and laughed, her whole body curling slightly as if she’d heard the funniest thing, stifling her giggles.

“If you want to laugh, just laugh!” Cheng Xing poked her shoulder from behind. “I like hearing you laugh out loud.”

Jiang Ciyi let out a chuckle but quickly restrained herself, coughing lightly.

Before she could speak, a cold, authoritative voice cut through: “Coming home so late and giggling like that—what kind of behavior is this?”

Cheng Xing froze, looking up to see the old lady and Xu Zhaozhao sitting at the dining table in the living room.

It was the old lady who had spoken.

At her words, Jiang Ciyi’s face immediately stiffened, her laughter vanishing.

Cheng Xing, however, vividly remembered that day. If it weren’t for this unreasonable old woman, she wouldn’t have been punished by the system.

And that was the first time she’d made porridge! Porridge she’d personally cooked for Jiang Ciyi!

If not for this old woman, Xiao Jiang could’ve tasted her hand-cooked porridge and maybe even felt a sense of home.

Instead, she ended up like tonight, looking like a pitiful, homeless soul.

The thought made Cheng Xing even angrier. She snapped, “This is my house. What business is it of yours?”

As soon as she spoke, her phone rang. It was Guan Linmin. Cheng Xing slid the screen to answer. “Mommy, what’s up?”

“I just found out your grandmother brought Xu Zhaozhao to your place.” Guan Linmin said urgently over the phone. “What’s going on? Want to come back to the old house to avoid the storm? That old woman was insufferable when she was young, and now, practically one foot in the grave, she’s still causing trouble. Your dad had a huge fight with her two days ago. She said she was leaving the country soon, so why’s she at your place today?”

“You said it yourself—it’s my house. Why should I avoid anything? Shouldn’t she be the one avoiding me?” Cheng Xing said loudly, not bothering to lower her voice in front of the old lady.

“Oh, silly girl.” Guan Linmin sighed. “She holds a chunk of the Cheng Group’s shares, and those shares determine whether your dad can keep his position as president. It’s better not to clash with her. If she wants to stay at your place, let her. Wait until she leaves the country, then move back. Don’t let her get to you.”

“Who’s getting to who is still up in the air.” Cheng Xing huffed. “Don’t you remember how she almost drove me to death last time?”

“I remember. How could I forget? That’s why I’m telling you to come home for a few days.” Guan Linmin urged. “What if you two clash again? Last time, you were lucky to pull through. What if next time… bah, bah, bah!”

“I’m not leaving,” Cheng Xing said firmly. “If anyone’s leaving, it’s her.”

With that, she hung up and turned to face the old lady.

The old lady sneered, “I’m not dead yet, and you and your mother are already scheming to kick me out of the Cheng family? Cheng Xing, do you think just because your last name is Cheng, you can do whatever you want?”

Cheng Xing pushed Jiang Ciyi forward, speaking calmly but firmly. “I’ve never thought that way. But I’m curious why Grandmother’s visiting my place so late at night. This is a small temple—might not be big enough for a grand Buddha like you, let alone one who brought her mount along.”

The old lady froze, then realized Cheng Xing was taking a jab at Xu Zhaozhao.

She was the grand Buddha, and Xu Zhaozhao was her mount.

In TV dramas, it’s usually the mount of a grand Buddha who runs off to cause trouble in the mortal world.

And grand Buddhas are notoriously hard to please.

The insult hit both of them.

The old lady’s expression darkened. “Cheng Xing, this Tinglan Mansion belongs to the Cheng family. Can’t I stay here for a few days?”

Cheng Xing smiled and nodded. “Of course you can. But while Tinglan Mansion belongs to the Cheng family, it’s also mine because I’m a Cheng, and this was given to me by my parents as my marital home. It’s registered under my name.”

Without giving the old lady a chance to nitpick, she continued, “That said, as an elder, you should’ve given us a heads-up before coming to your junior’s home. That way, Jiangjiang and I could’ve prepared to host you properly. Showing up unannounced like this… it’s no surprise we’d feel uneasy coming home to a house that feels completely different.”

“Hmph,” the old lady sneered, giving her a sidelong glance. “How eloquent.”

Perhaps realizing she couldn’t outtalk Cheng Xing, the old lady dropped the verbal sparring. “Zhaozhao and I are staying here for a few days. A feng shui master said the energy here is good for my health.”

“Are you unwell?” Cheng Xing asked.

The old lady closed her eyes and said gravely, “Not dead yet. Don’t worry.”

“From your complexion, I can tell you’re fine.” Cheng Xing replied. “They say good people don’t live long, so I’d bet you’ve got at least another decade or two.”

Cheng Xing meant it—judging by the old lady’s rosy complexion, she didn’t look seriously ill at all.

But it was also a veiled jab.

The old lady didn’t argue further, saying flatly, “Arrange rooms for me and Zhaozhao.”

Cheng Xing assigned them two well-oriented guest rooms on the first floor. Once decided, Sister Zhou led the maids to clean the rooms and replace the bedding for the pampered old lady.

Jiang Ciyi, however, didn’t bother greeting the two and maneuvered her wheelchair back to her room.

Cheng Xing threw a few more subtle digs at the old lady downstairs. When she turned and noticed Jiang Ciyi was gone, she was about to message her when Sister Zhou leaned in and whispered, “Miss Jiang went back to her room on the second floor.”

“Thank you.” Cheng Xing said gratefully.

Sister Zhou smiled brightly. “No trouble at all.”

Cheng Xing headed straight to the second floor and knocked on Jiang Ciyi’s door.

Jiang Ciyi opened it. All the clothes they’d picked out earlier were already hung in the wardrobe, and she was choosing an outfit for work tomorrow.

Cheng Xing let out a relieved sigh. “Have you already picked something?”

“Yeah.” Jiang Ciyi said.

Cheng Xing pulled up a chair to sit at her level, sighing. “I thought we’d get a few days of peace.”

Not even a single day of quiet.

Every day since Cheng Xing arrived felt like an adventure.

“It’s tough.” Jiang Ciyi said.

Cheng Xing glanced at her cautiously. “You’re not mad that I let them stay, are you?”

“It’s your house. You can let whoever you want stay,” Jiang Ciyi replied. “I’m already imposing by being here.”

Though she said she felt bad, her tone carried no trace of embarrassment.

Instead, Cheng Xing caught a hint of displeasure.

“I told you, Tinglan Mansion is yours.” Cheng Xing said, grabbing the cool metal handle of her wheelchair. “Didn’t you read the agreement? Whether we divorce when the contract ends or you choose to divorce now, Tinglan Mansion belongs to you.”

“Then can you kick them out?” Jiang Ciyi countered.

Cheng Xing paused.

The old lady and Xu Zhaozhao had waltzed in so brazenly because they knew she was an elder and a key figure in the Cheng Group. They thought Cheng Xing couldn’t touch her.

Who made Cheng Xing jobless? Who made her entirely dependent on the Cheng family’s resources?

That’s why the old lady dared to act so high and mighty.

If it were Cheng Zimo or Cheng Zijing, would she try this?

The old lady might boss them around—like she “advised” Cheng Zimo at the dinner table that day—but she’d never show up at their homes unannounced.

She wouldn’t dare provoke them.

Cheng Xing had already figured out the reasoning but wasn’t about to indulge those two.

“I can’t,” Cheng Xing admitted frankly to Jiang Ciyi. “Because I’m planning to lock the door and deal with them my way.”

Jiang Ciyi: “…?”

“I’ve got a plan to make them leave on their own.” Cheng Xing said, a “kind” smile curling her lips.

The next morning at six o’clock, the living room’s sound system was cranked to maximum volume, blasting upbeat square-dancing music.