RGSTG 05

Chapter 5: Are You Cold?

Guan Ju trudged back toward the hospital room, feeling miserable.

As she passed the elevators, she spotted Bai Weixi. Suppressing the bitterness welling up inside her, she forced a smile.

“Big Sis Xi, what are you doing here?”

Bai Weixi’s heart trembled. She lowered her head nervously and spoke in a tiny voice.

“I… I was worried…”

She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. She was afraid she’d be scolded for meddling.

“I’m fine,” Guan Ju replied gently.

She glanced back at her parents one last time before reluctantly heading downstairs.

Only after Guan Ju had walked some distance away did Bai Weixi dare to follow.

Back in the room, Guan Ju sat on the bed listlessly. The scene she’d just witnessed replayed over and over in her mind, making her chest ache more with every passing second.

Sensing her bad mood, Bai Weixi shrank into herself. She stood quietly, trying her best to make herself invisible.

After wallowing for a while, Guan Ju forced herself to pull herself together.

She was still alive in this world. She had to keep going. Maybe one day she’d find a way back into her own body.

For now, the most important thing was saving the real Guan Ju lying unconscious in the ICU and easing her parents’ suffering.

Having made up her mind, hope flickered back into her eyes.

Looking up, she asked, “How is the traffic accident being handled?”

“It hasn’t been settled yet,” Bai Weixi answered softly.

She stole a cautious glance at Guan Ju. Seeing no signs of anger, she continued.

“Lawyer Ding spoke with the victim’s family. They’re demanding full responsibility on our side. Since you’ve been unconscious the whole time, Lawyer Ding said he’d wait until you woke up before making any decisions.”

Her voice grew quieter and quieter.

It took Guan Ju a moment to process what she meant.

After thinking carefully, she said in a low voice, “I want to see Lawyer Ding. I need to discuss the accident with him.”

The seriousness in her tone made Bai Weixi’s heart skip a beat.

Without hesitation, she hurried out to make the call.

Hearing her voice in the hallway, Guan Ju poked her head toward the door.

She wanted to tell the goddess to come inside and make the call where it was more comfortable.

Her lips parted.

Then she swallowed the words back down.

The goddess already seemed terrified of her. Better to take things slowly.

Just what had the original owner of this body done to her?

Why did she always curl up like a frightened animal, as if she had no sense of security at all?

Guan Ju pouted unhappily.

The moment the conversation outside ended, she immediately pulled her head back in and sat upright on the bed like a model patient.

“Lawyer Ding said he’ll be here right away,” Bai Weixi said softly.

Guan Ju nodded.

She had just been about to chat with her for a bit when she saw Bai Weixi retreat to a corner of the room.

Silently, she swallowed her words.

About ten minutes later, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Guan Ju guessed it was Lawyer Ding.

Sure enough, a man in a suit appeared at the door moments later.

He looked to be in his twenties. His handsome face was drenched in sweat, and even the backs of his hands were dripping.

He looked as though he’d just finished an eight-hundred-meter sprint.

The instant he saw Guan Ju, he didn’t even dare wipe his face. He rushed inside and bowed deeply.

“Miss Guan, I’m sorry. This was my failure. I’ll speak with them again and reduce the damages as much as possible. Please give me another chance.”

His final words were humble to the point of being pitiful.

Guan Ju frowned.

This Lawyer Ding seemed afraid of her too.

He wouldn’t even meet her eyes.

After waiting several seconds without a response, panic began to creep into his heart.

His voice trembled.

“Miss Guan, I promise I’ll—”

“Tell the victim’s parents that we’ll take full responsibility for everything. We’ll cover all expenses. Their daughter will be fine.”

“We’ll take full… responsibility?”

Lawyer Ding froze.

The reassurances he’d prepared instantly lodged in his throat.

Guan Ju’s expression darkened at his hesitation.

Without realizing it, her voice turned cold.

“Of course we will. Why are you still standing there?”

“I…”

Lawyer Ding was so shocked that his mind stopped working.

When Guan Ju shot him a glare, he practically fled from the room.

Bai Weixi silently watched everything unfold and unconsciously wrapped her arms tighter around herself.

She was angry now.

Maybe she’d hit her next…

Guan Ju let out a heavy sigh, suppressing her worries.

If she took full financial responsibility, her parents’ burden would be much lighter.

Her father had saved some money from running a taekwondo studio, but ICU expenses were astronomical. One day’s bill could easily equal an entire month’s income for their family.

Money was the only thing she could still help them with.

Relieved and helpless at the same time, she could only pray her real body would pull through.

After letting her thoughts run wild for a while, she looked toward the figure standing in the corner.

Bai Weixi’s frail body looked as though it might collapse at any moment.

Guan Ju was genuinely worried she’d fall over in the next second.

“Big Sis Xi, are you cold? You’ve been hugging your arms this whole time.”

After speaking, she glanced at the air conditioner.

Twenty-three degrees.

She distinctly remembered it being twenty-six earlier.

“N-No…” Bai Weixi shook her head in panic, suddenly unsure what to do with her hands.

She looked painfully thin and helpless.

Guan Ju’s heart ached.

Because Bai Weixi was so afraid of her, she could only suppress the urge to pull her into an embrace.

Instead, she climbed out of bed to grab the remote and raise the temperature.

The moment her feet touched the floor, a faint sound came from the corner.

A tiny whimper.

Soft as the cry of a frightened kitten, filled with boundless fear.

If the room hadn’t been so quiet, she might not have heard it at all.

Guan Ju froze.

After glancing worriedly at Bai Weixi, she immediately pulled her feet back onto the bed and sat down again.

“Big Sis Xi, don’t be scared. I won’t get down.”

The moment Bai Weixi heard those words, her strength seemed to vanish.

She slid down the wall and sank to the floor.

Just now, she’d thought Guan Ju was getting out of bed to hit her.

Thank goodness she wasn’t…

Watching the goddess collapse right in front of her, Guan Ju was frantic.

She wanted to help but couldn’t even leave the bed.

The frustration nearly drove her crazy.

That bastard.

What exactly had she done to hurt Bai Weixi this badly?

Unforgivable.

“Big Sis Xi, turn the temperature up. I’m a little cold.”

Even though she was furious enough to punch someone, Guan Ju softened her voice as much as possible.

Her eyes remained fixed on Bai Weixi’s fragile figure, terrified something else might happen.

Thankfully, although Bai Weixi staggered slightly, she managed to reach the remote.

“Is this okay?”

She glanced at the display.

Twenty-four degrees.

Guan Ju shook her head.

Realizing Bai Weixi hadn’t seen, she said gently,

“A little higher.”

Bai Weixi obediently changed it to twenty-five.

She quickly glanced toward the bed.

“A little higher.”

Twenty-six.

“Keep going.”

Twenty-seven.

Guan Ju studied her carefully.

Seeing that Bai Weixi was still trembling slightly, her heart clenched.

“Set it to twenty-nine.”

“Twenty-nine?”

Bai Weixi stared at her in surprise.

It was already thirty-two degrees outside.

At twenty-nine, the air conditioner wouldn’t cool the room at all.

At that point, she might as well turn it off entirely.

Guan Ju nodded firmly.

Even though she already felt hot at twenty-seven.

“Okay.”

Bai Weixi obediently raised it another two degrees.

She had always been sensitive to cold and naturally weak. For her, this temperature felt perfect.

After sitting there for a while, beads of sweat appeared on Guan Ju’s forehead.

While Bai Weixi wasn’t looking, she hurriedly wiped them away.

“Big Sis Xi, you’ve really worked hard because of me. Having to take care of me in weather this hot.”

Guan Ju smiled.

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

They were supposed to be girlfriends.

Saying something like that sounded far too distant.

Sure enough, panic flickered through Bai Weixi’s eyes.

She shook her head without speaking and quietly retreated another few steps.

Guan Ju felt instantly defeated.

She wanted nothing more than to slap herself.

Such a perfect chance to get closer to the goddess, and she’d ruined it with her terrible conversational skills.

“Um… we…”

She desperately searched for another topic.

Unfortunately, the awkward words stumbling out of her mouth didn’t even make sense to herself.

After a few broken fragments of conversation, she gave up and fell silent.

Bai Weixi secretly let out a sigh of relief.

She lowered her gaze to her toes again, trying to make herself disappear.

More and more, she couldn’t understand the person before her.

Ever since waking up, Guan Ju seemed like a completely different person.

She was gentler. Softer.

Almost like the Guan Ju she’d first met.

But Bai Weixi could never forget how terrifying she had become once that gentle mask had fallen away.

The memory haunted her like an endless nightmare.

And she had never possessed the strength to resist.

Silence settled over the room.

Each woman was lost in her own thoughts.

Guan Ju racked her brain for a way to break the awkward atmosphere, but before she could think of anything, another figure appeared at the door.

Lawyer Ding.

His suit was soaked through with sweat.

“Miss Guan, it’s all been taken care of.”

He forced a smile, his sweat-covered face practically asking for praise.

Guan Ju nodded calmly.

“Thank you.”

“You’re too kind, Miss Guan. It’s what I should do. If you need anything else, just call me.”

His tone bordered on fawning.

After bowing deeply, he finally left.

Guan Ju looked thoughtful.

Lawyer Ding’s attitude toward her was unmistakably one of submission.

To put it bluntly, he acted as though he were beneath her.

It seemed the original owner of this body had never treated him with much respect. Otherwise, he wouldn’t behave so cautiously and humbly.

Now that she was the one controlling this body, she was determined to become a better person.

She would help the goddess regain the confidence she’d once had.