Transmigrated As The Villainous Scumbag Wife Of A Disabled Tycoon - Chapter 63
63
When the name Wang Tingwan was mentioned, Cheng Xing distinctly felt her heart skip a beat, her nerves instantly on edge, and her voice involuntarily rising in pitch: “What does that mean?!”
…It wasn’t her.
Cheng Xing’s throat felt dry, as if those words had slipped out of her mouth unbidden.
Immediately after, she furrowed her brows and said sharply, “Xu Zhaozhao, don’t play with fire.”
“I have nothing left to lose. What’s there to fear?” Xu Zhaozhao wiped away her tears. “Sister Xing, you’ll help me, right?”
Cheng Xing felt a wave of dizziness. She pressed her temples and pinched herself, forcing herself to stay alert and finally regaining control of her voice. “No.”
The strange sensation from moments ago left her feeling utterly powerless.
It was as if, in that instant, someone else had taken over her body.
No, it was more like someone was trying to reclaim a body that didn’t even belong to her in the first place.
A cold sweat broke out on Cheng Xing’s back. She didn’t even have time to process what Xu Zhaozhao had said about Wang Tingwan before Xu Zhaozhao continued, “Then I’ll tell Brother Zijing everything you’ve done and see if you can still play the part of the Cheng family’s eldest daughter.”
“The Cheng Group’s stock will plummet because of you,” Xu Zhaozhao said through gritted teeth. “You’re a murderer.”
Uncertain of the full context, Cheng Xing didn’t dare respond rashly, fearing she might provoke Xu Zhaozhao further.
When she had taken over this body, she only knew that its original owner was a despicable person whose worst crime was abusing her newlywed wife, Jiang Ciyi.
But now, Xu Zhaozhao was adamantly claiming she was a murderer.
How could she know whether the original owner was a murderer or not?
Cheng Xing had thought she was just a run-of-the-mill domestic abuser, not someone who’d committed crimes that could fill half the criminal code.
But then again, she had dared to hire someone to hit Jiang Ciyi with a car, just to break her wings and stage a redemption arc.
What wouldn’t she be capable of?
But to monopolize Cheng Zijing?
That seemed unlikely.
When Cheng Xing first met Cheng Zijing, she had indeed felt an instinctive sense of closeness, a warmth that welled up from deep within. She had assumed it was because of Cheng Zijing’s kind demeanor.
She hadn’t realized it was tied to the original owner’s connection to him.
Cheng Xing paused. “What good would that do you?”
“Help me,” Xu Zhaozhao pleaded, her voice laced with grievance. “I don’t want to be blacklisted. I want to be an actress. Acting has been my biggest dream since I was a child, Sister Xing, you know that.”
“I can’t help you.” Cheng Xing said. “You’ve offended someone you shouldn’t have.”
“If it were you who offended the wrong person, the Cheng family would definitely help you.” Xu Zhaozhao shouted hoarsely. “Why am I treated differently? Just because my last name isn’t Cheng?!”
“I don’t know,” Cheng Xing said calmly. “I have things to do. I’m leaving.”
It was clear that Xu Zhaozhao’s mental state was unstable, as if she were looking for an outlet to vent her frustrations. One wrong move, and she’d be met with hysterical accusations.
As Cheng Xing turned to leave, Xu Zhaozhao immediately grabbed her arm. “Please, Sister Xing, help me. I’ll do whatever you say from now on.”
“Sorry.” Cheng Xing said.
She couldn’t help with this at all.
“If Second Brother finds out you hired someone to kill Wang Tingwan, will he break down?” Xu Zhaozhao sneered darkly behind her.
Cheng Xing froze. “Why do you think I can help you? I have no real power in the Cheng Group. I’m just a low-level employee. No one backs me up, so why would anyone help you just because I ask? If you just lay low for a while, things will get better.”
“How is that possible? I’m about to be blacklisted by the entire industry. Even Cheng Zimo won’t help me.” Xu Zhaozhao said, her voice hoarse with desperation. “Sister Xing, you’re the only one who can help me.”
Cheng Xing realized Xu Zhaozhao wasn’t listening. She opened the door and left without looking back.
Thankfully, Xu Zhaozhao didn’t chase after her.
When she returned to the office, everyone had just come back from a meeting.
Their gazes were complicated when they saw her. It was Daisy, who usually looked out for her, who spoke first: “You know Xu Zhaozhao?”
“Sort of,” Cheng Xing said. “We’ve had some issues.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie.
Cheng Xing knew Daisy was asking to give her a chance to explain.
That way, the incident from the morning meeting wouldn’t spread across the company, turning her into the subject of office gossip.
But Cheng Xing didn’t want to share those details.
Especially not anything tying her to Xu Zhaozhao.
“You’re a Cheng,” Daisy said, giving her a thoughtful look. “The CEO seemed to glance at you a few times today.”
“Huh?” Cheng Xing gave an awkward, perfunctory smile. “Maybe because I was sitting in the section with all the executives today.”
Jiang Bai frowned and chimed in, “You really don’t have any connection to the Cheng Group?”
Cheng Xing paused, then said candidly, “I do.”
The three of them exchanged looks, as if to say, I knew it. Lan Bo even grinned, ready to cozy up to her.
Cheng Xing laughed. “I’m an employee of the Cheng Group, aren’t I?”
The three: “…”
It was time to clock out. Normally, Cheng Xing would wait for Daisy’s cue, but Xu Zhaozhao’s words had left her so rattled that she grabbed her bag, stuffed her lipstick and phone inside, and prepared to leave.
Just as she was about to go, Daisy said, “I’m heading out. Want to walk together?”
She was offering her a way to save face.
Cheng Xing nodded. “Sure, Sister Daisy.”
The two walked out of the office side by side. As soon as they stepped outside, Daisy put some distance between them, her tone cool. “I didn’t mean to pry earlier, but today’s incident isn’t a big deal, nor is it small. If you don’t want to explain, don’t bother defending yourself when you hear your name floating around the company. Wait a bit, and when new gossip comes up, this will blow over.”
Workplace life was dull, and people always needed something to talk about.
That morning, everyone had been buzzing about Xu Zhaozhao and Gu Qingfeng’s trending topic. By the end of the day, it had shifted to the mysterious connection between Xu Zhaozhao and a low-level employee in the livestreaming department.
As Cheng Xing stood in the elevator, several people stole glances at her, their eyes meeting hers.
But those looks paled in comparison to the impact of Xu Zhaozhao’s words.
Once she was alone in her car, the windows shutting out the world, she started the engine and played soft, calming music to try to settle her restless thoughts. Then she began piecing together what Xu Zhaozhao had said.
From what she knew, Wang Tingwan was Cheng Zijing’s fiancée. Jiang Ciyi had performed her autopsy, and the case still seemed unresolved. Su Lengyue, Su Manchun’s sister, had approached Jiang Ciyi as the lawyer for the accused.
Everyone involved in this seemed connected to the original owner somehow.
But Cheng Xing couldn’t figure out why the original owner would hire someone to kill Wang Tingwan.
What kind of grudge could they have had?
What kind of grudge would drive the original owner to murder?
Cheng Xing racked her brain but came up empty. She sat in the driver’s seat for half an hour, still lost in a fog of confusion.
Finally, she thought of someone she could ask—or rather, something.
In her mind, she shouted irritably for the system several times. Then she heard that familiar mechanical voice: [Awoo! Hello, Host.]
“Can you give me all of the original owner’s memories? I don’t know anything about this body,” Cheng Xing said helplessly. “I need every single detail.”
[Awoo! Sorry, Host. Memories are personal privacy and cannot be fully accessed.]
Cheng Xing: “…What does that mean?”
She was already grinding her teeth.
[Awoo! In simple terms, the original owner hasn’t fully granted you access to her memories.]
Cheng Xing: “…”
Great. She wanted to punch something.
“Then how am I supposed to clean up this mess? I had no idea she did so many awful things.”
[Awoo! That depends on your own abilities. A qualified strategist can definitely handle it! The system believes in you, Host.]
Cheng Xing: “…”
Great. She wanted to kill something.
“Why did I hear a voice that wasn’t mine earlier? Where is the original owner? Why did it feel like she could control my body?”
[Awoo! After investigation, the original owner is currently in an unspeakable place.]
Cheng Xing: “…”
Great. She wanted to kill herself.
Talking to the system was useless. She tried to pry more information out of it, but after going in circles, it didn’t provide a single useful detail.
Finally, Cheng Xing snapped, “Get lost!”
The system replied: [Okay.]
She nearly choked with frustration.
She sat in the car for another half hour to calm down, only to feel her stomach cramping painfully.
Cheng Xing wanted to cry, but no tears came.
She rarely experienced such intense emotional swings, but being forced to face problems without knowing anything was pushing her to the breaking point.
She wanted to curse the system eight hundred times in her dreams.
But after all the cursing and hating, life had to go on.
Cheng Xing glanced at the time and realized she’d wasted her entire evening after work.
It had been an hour since Jiang Ciyi’s shift ended.
But Jiang Ciyi hadn’t texted to rush her.
She was probably working late.
Cheng Xing immediately started the car and left the underground parking garage. While waiting at a traffic light, she sent Jiang Ciyi an apology, saying she got off work late, omitting the part about Xu Zhaozhao.
Jiang Ciyi only replied: [No worries, take your time.]
The roads were clear after rush hour, and she made it to Jiang Ciyi’s lab building without issue.
Cheng Xing went upstairs to find Jiang Ciyi but ran into Su Lengyue at the elevator.
Su Lengyue subtly sized her up from head to toe before greeting her coolly.
Cheng Xing, however, perked up and greeted her warmly, trying to glean details about the Wang Tingwan case.
But Su Lengyue was tight-lipped, saying only that it involved professional confidentiality.
Before leaving, she asked if Cheng Xing had been in contact with Su Manchun recently, as if worried she’d get entangled with her again.
Cheng Xing smiled. “I’m married now. Of course I haven’t.”
“Good.” Su Lengyue said, relieved.
As if Cheng Xing were some kind of dangerous beast.
Cheng Xing couldn’t resist a jab. “No need to be so wary, Ms. Su. No matter how great your sister is, she’s in the past. I have someone better in front of me now, someone worth cherishing. I’m much happier than before.”
Su Lengyue frowned. “Oh?”
“Birds of a feather flock together.” Cheng Xing said. “Your sister used me for plenty of things back then, didn’t she? Why act so high and mighty, like I’m beneath you?”
Su Lengyue pursed her lips, saying nothing.
Cheng Xing continued coolly, “In terms of family background, your sister doesn’t even come close to the Cheng family’s standards. Your attitude is really off-putting.”
With that, she stepped into the elevator. As Su Lengyue’s annoyed and disdainful gaze followed her, the doors slowly closed.
Only then did a bit of the fire in her chest dissipate.
Upstairs, Jiang Ciyi was chatting casually with Xu Congshi. When they saw her, both came out to meet her.
Xu Congshi greeted her listlessly, and Cheng Xing teased, “Why so down today?”
“Tired,” Xu Congshi said, waving a hand. “Go on.”
He also thanked her for lunch.
Cheng Xing smiled. “No big deal.”
She wheeled Jiang Ciyi downstairs, sharing office gossip she’d heard, though she deliberately skipped anything about Xu Zhaozhao and focused on Gu Qingfeng.
She also mentioned the Cheng brothers visiting the company.
Mid-conversation, Jiang Ciyi suddenly asked, “Did everyone find out you’re the Cheng family’s eldest daughter?”
Cheng Xing froze, then shook her head. “No. I’ve hidden it well.”
“Then why aren’t you happy?” Jiang Ciyi asked.
Cheng Xing fell silent. They reached the car, and her reflection in the window showed a face full of dejection. She gave a wry smile. “Is it that obvious?”
“Not really,” Jiang Ciyi said. “You’re hiding it pretty well.”
“Then why call me out?” Cheng Xing opened the car door, watching Jiang Ciyi maneuver her wheelchair inside. Her fingers brushed the door’s rubber trim as she murmured, “Sometimes, isn’t it better to see through things and not say them?”
Jiang Ciyi glanced at her after settling in but said nothing.
Once Cheng Xing was in the driver’s seat and buckled up, Jiang Ciyi spoke. “I just don’t want to hear you say things that don’t make sense anymore.”
“When you’re upset, just be quiet,” she continued. “No need to force yourself to say things you don’t mean.”
Cheng Xing paused. “But when I’m quiet, it feels like the whole world goes quiet. You don’t talk either.”
“Why do we have to talk?” Jiang Ciyi said in a low voice. “Everyone deserves the choice to be quiet.”
“If you don’t want to talk, we can both be quiet,” she added. “I won’t feel awkward or embarrassed.”
“But when I’m upset, I like hearing people talk,” Cheng Xing blurted out. “It makes me feel less alone, like things might work themselves out.”
Only after speaking did she realize she was making demands of Jiang Ciyi. She pursed her lips and muttered, “Sorry.”
“Why apologize?” Jiang Ciyi asked. “Did you do something wrong?”
Cheng Xing went silent.
She couldn’t quite explain it, just felt the words shouldn’t have been said, so she apologized instinctively.
“Sometimes people are unhappy because they overthink,” Jiang Ciyi said. “They imagine all sorts of scenarios before anything even happens, prioritizing others’ feelings over their own.”
Cheng Xing listened quietly, not responding.
Jiang Ciyi’s tone was gentler than usual, comforting even when delivering life advice, without sounding preachy.
“No one should matter more than yourself,” she said. “That’s why everyone needs moments alone to talk to themselves. It’s far more useful than talking to others.”
“Can I just listen to you talk without answering?” Cheng Xing asked.
Jiang Ciyi nodded. “Sure.”
Then she added, “Try it.”
Cheng Xing: “That sounds like a threat.”
Jiang Ciyi: “It is a threat.”
Cheng Xing: “…Then I’m scared.”
Jiang Ciyi: “Why?”
Cheng Xing: “What if you get mad?”
Jiang Ciyi’s lips curved slightly. “It was a joke.”
Cheng Xing: “…What?”
“I was joking with you,” Jiang Ciyi said. “Not funny?”
Cheng Xing blinked, then gave a dry laugh. “Haha, very funny.”
Jiang Ciyi: “…I guess I’m not good at jokes.”
Cheng Xing: “I was joking too. It wasn’t funny.”
Jiang Ciyi clicked her tongue. “Let’s play a game then.”
“What?” Cheng Xing asked.
“Rapid-fire Q&A,” Jiang Ciyi said, then immediately asked, “What did you have for breakfast?”
“Bread and milk.”
“What time is it?”
“Seven-thirty PM.”
“What color are your clothes?”
“Beige.”
“What color is your hair?”
“Dark brown.”
“Why are you upset?”
“Xu Zhaozhao…”
Cheng Xing stopped mid-sentence, stunned for a moment. Her expression cracked, and she suddenly laughed.
Jiang Ciyi, unfazed, said, “Pretty sharp.”
“What else could I do?” Cheng Xing said. “Never seen you fish for information like that, A’Ci.”
“Never failed before,” Jiang Ciyi said. “You’re the first.”
“Who’d you trick before?” Cheng Xing asked.
Jiang Ciyi: “First time trying.”
Cheng Xing: “…”
“Little liar,” Cheng Xing said.
Jiang Ciyi lowered her head, pausing before saying, “Does the first time even count as lying?”
“Does it matter how many times you lie to be a liar?”
“It does. At least wait until I’ve tricked you a few more times.”
“Trick me for what? Money? Looks?”
“Haven’t decided. Nothing worth tricking you for.”
“Am I that worthless?”
“Then what did Xu Zhaozhao want from you?”
“To help her clean up her mess…”
Cheng Xing stopped again, pressing her temples and laughing helplessly. “You’re relentless.”
“That’s the second time,” Jiang Ciyi said, ignoring her. “Now for a follow-up question.”
“What?”
“Does failing to trick someone still make you a liar?” Jiang Ciyi asked.
Cheng Xing thought seriously. “For others, no. For you, A’Ci, yes.”
Jiang Ciyi tilted her head. “Why?”
“You’re special,” Cheng Xing said.
“How so?”
“You’re especially clever. If others fail to trick someone, it’s because their skills aren’t up to par. But if you fail, it’s definitely because you didn’t want to succeed.”
“That’s a misunderstanding,” Jiang Ciyi said. “I’m best at telling the truth. Back at the police station, I never dealt with victims’ families because my bluntness caused conflicts.”
“Why?”
“My truths aren’t pleasant.”
“Then why not change?”
Jiang Ciyi fell silent, then said softly, “You think I should change too?”
“Sometimes being softer with words might make you more likable,” Cheng Xing said.
“See?” Jiang Ciyi shook her head slowly. “You’re still thinking about being likable. Why does anyone have to be likable? Can’t I just be someone people dislike? Pandering can make you disliked, groveling can make you disliked—so why bother trying to be likable? Who are you trying to please, and to what extent?”
Cheng Xing was rendered speechless.
Jiang Ciyi continued, “Someone once told me to do what I think is right, not what others think I should do. Be the person you like, not the one others want you to be.”
What some people dislike, others might love.
But you’ll never betray yourself, so be someone you like.
Cheng Xing was stunned. Once upon a time, she’d been like that too.
She’d comforted others with similar words, but after internships during her undergrad and grad school years, she’d unknowingly become smoother, more polished.
She’d never been the rebellious type, and after getting used to being gentle, it was hard to grow thorns again.
The car pulled into Tinglan Mansion. Cheng Xing stepped on the brake, about to say something, when Jiang Ciyi said, “We’re home, Miss Cheng. Have your problems sorted themselves out?”
Cheng Xing: “…”
So she’d been keeping her company with conversation this whole time?
Her heart felt oddly warm.
After returning home, the two ate dinner in a quieter atmosphere than usual.
Jiang Ciyi’s words prompted Cheng Xing to reflect on herself, realizing her own overthinking.
After dinner, Jiang Ciyi went to the study. Cheng Xing knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Jiang Ciyi said. As soon as the words left her mouth, Cheng Xing pushed the door open and asked, “Do you know about Wang Tingwan?”
“Why ask about that all of a sudden?” Jiang Ciyi, who had several stacks of files beside her, put them away and looked at her. “What did Xu Zhaozhao tell you?”
“I’d rather keep that private,” Cheng Xing said. “Just tell me what you can. Su Lengyue came to you about this case multiple times—what does she want to know?”
“The Wang Tingwan case isn’t my responsibility,” Jiang Ciyi said. “I only did the autopsy.”
“What were the autopsy results?” Cheng Xing asked.
“Strangulation,” Jiang Ciyi said, pausing. “You probably shouldn’t be asking me about this.”
“I can’t exactly ask my second brother, can I?” Cheng Xing pouted. “It’s already a sensitive topic.”
“But I’m just a forensic pathologist,” Jiang Ciyi said. “The autopsy report was submitted to the department. What does this have to do with you?”
As Cheng Xing pondered, Jiang Ciyi added quietly, “Unless Wang Tingwan’s death has your fingerprints on it?”
Cheng Xing shivered, shocked by Jiang Ciyi’s intuition, but quickly denied it. “How could it? Xu Zhaozhao mentioned Wang Tingwan’s death today, and I got curious.”
“Why would Xu Zhaozhao come to you? If something like this happened, she should’ve gone to Cheng Zimo.”
“Big brother won’t help her,” Cheng Xing said, lowering her eyes. “She offended someone she shouldn’t have.”
“And your grandmother,” Jiang Ciyi said, puzzled. “No matter how you look at it, this shouldn’t fall on you. Unless…”
“What?”
“You have a hidden identity.”
“Huh?”
Cheng Xing was dumbfounded. Since when?
Jiang Ciyi said with a straight face, “Like a god descended from heaven.”
Cheng Xing: “…?”
“Another one of your jokes, little liar?” Cheng Xing stared at her, exasperated.
Jiang Ciyi spread her hands. “It’s my new skill.”
“What?” Cheng Xing asked.
Jiang Ciyi picked up an envelope and held it to her lips. “Talking nonsense.”
Cheng Xing: “…Haha.”
“You don’t have to laugh if it’s not funny,” Jiang Ciyi said, setting the envelope down and flipping it over. “Did you buy this envelope? It’s nice.”
“Yeah,” Cheng Xing said. “I got it at that bookstore. I like buying stuff like this.”
“I thought you only liked buying movies,” Jiang Ciyi said.
“Huh?” Cheng Xing didn’t follow.
“Educational films.”
“I like those too,” Cheng Xing said. “Philosophy, sci-fi, history—I’m into them all.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Jiang Ciyi said, placing the envelope on the table. “I meant s3x education films.”
Cheng Xing: “…???”
“Just a joke,” Jiang Ciyi said. “Do you like writing letters for fun?”
Cheng Xing, still reeling from the joke’s leap, answered, “I used to.”
“Then why not write down what Xu Zhaozhao told you today and mail it to me?” Jiang Ciyi said, crossing her arms leisurely. “I’m curious what she said to make you so distracted all evening.”
Cheng Xing: “…”