A Short-Lived Cannon Fodder Alpha Just Wants to Be a Salted Fish - Chapter 23

“It really is light.” Chu Yihan casually took the ice cream from Wen Yuan’s hand and gave a mock-serious evaluation: “The raspberry flavor is much more intense.”

The phone in her pocket vibrated twice.

Withdrawing her gaze from Chu Yihan’s opening and closing pink lips, Wen Yuan checked her phone. It was a message from Fang Jingbai asking if she was coming home for dinner.

Wen Yuan glanced at the time in the top left corner of the screen. “I have to head home.”

Fang Jingbai wasn’t working overtime tonight, and Wen Ming wasn’t on the night shift. It had been a while since the three of them had a meal together, and Wen Yuan had promised her mother she’d be back early for dinner.

Chu Yihan gave a soft “Oh.”

She had thought they would have dinner together, but looking back carefully, Wen Yuan had never actually said they were eating out. She lowered her head and took a listless bite of the ice cream to hide her disappointment.

Wen Yuan was busy replying to her mother and didn’t notice the change in Chu Yihan’s mood. By the time she looked up, Chu Yihan had already adjusted her mindset. “How are you getting back?”

“I rode my ‘Little Lamb’ here.” Realizing that was also her nickname for Chu Yihan, Wen Yuan quickly corrected herself. “I mean my electric scooter. What about you? Is that quiet uncle driving you back?”

“Mm.” Chu Yihan changed the subject. “But I let him go home to rest this afternoon. If he comes now, he’ll probably hit rush hour traffic. I don’t know how long I’d have to wait.”

Thinking that waiting together would be indefinite, Wen Yuan had a sudden flash of inspiration. She opened the map to check the distance. The mall and the library were in opposite directions; last time Chu Yihan had given her a ride because it was on her way, but this time it was the reverse.

Wen Yuan suggested, “I’ll drive you back. Electric scooters don’t get stuck in traffic. But I’m not very familiar with the route past your house, so I’ll need you to be my navigator.”

Chu Yihan’s eyes lit up, looking quite chirpy. She pulled out her phone and said, “I’ll send Uncle Li a text.”

Once Chu Yihan finished her message and they finished the ice cream, they walked to the parking area. Wen Yuan squeezed through the rows of bikes and pushed her scooter out. She looped around to stop in front of Chu Yihan, braking and tilting her head to look at her. Her gaze traveled slowly from Chu Yihan’s lovely face to her knee-length skirt.

She felt it was a bit strange to have such a beautifully dressed girl sit on the back of her scooter. She even suspected that a rich young lady like Chu Yihan had never ridden on one before.

Evidently, Wen Yuan underestimated her. Chu Yihan stepped gracefully to the back seat, smoothed her skirt, and sat sideways, pressing her bag down over her knees.

The bag was a bit small, so Wen Yuan swapped it for her own long bag, which was just long enough to cover Chu Yihan’s knees.

Chu Yihan held her phone in one hand to open the GPS, while her other hand curled and uncurled. She bit her lip, looking like she wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing and just lightly gripped the fabric at Wen Yuan’s waist.

Wen Yuan looked down. “Are you set?”

“Mm-hmm.” Chu Yihan’s tone was more upbeat than usual.

There were a lot of people out for Qixi, and it was peak rush hour. The non-motorized vehicle lane was crowded with people swerving or riding side-by-side. Wen Yuan was skilled and drove steadily, constantly leaving behind those who acted like they owned the road.

However, Chu Yihan really might have been a first-timer. When Wen Yuan swerved to overtake another bike again, Chu Yihan let out a soft “Ah” and wrapped her slender arms around Wen Yuan’s waist.

Wen Yuan instinctively straightened her back.

Once they passed the bike, Chu Yihan immediately withdrew her hands, going back to just gripping the clothes.

“Turn right at the intersection ahead,” Chu Yihan followed the navigation’s prompt, paused, and then asked in a small voice: “Can I hold onto you?”

Actually, it was perfectly normal to hug the person in front when sitting on a back seat, and they were both girls. But because she asked so explicitly, it made Wen Yuan focus on and magnify the feeling of that brief hug.

Wen Yuan swallowed, thinking she was overthinking it. Guessing that Chu Yihan was simply scared, her heart softened. She proactively took Chu Yihan’s wrist and pulled her arms around her waist, comforting her softly: “My driving skills are pretty good.”

Behind her, Chu Yihan’s beautiful eyes curved into a sly, mischievous arc.

Turning the corner, they entered Ningcheng’s famous Camphor Avenue. Thick, tall camphor trees lined both sides of the road. The setting sun filtered through the lush leaves, scattering dappled light across the path. Many couples were riding bicycles, either side-by-side or carrying their partners. The breeze ruffled the hair of the boys and girls, mixing with the heavy scent of camphor and the romantic atmosphere of Qixi.

“Do you often carry people on your bike?” Chu Yihan asked.

“No. I carried Shi Ran once in middle school, and then you. Though, I’m often carried by people in my dreams.” In Wen Yuan’s memories of her past life, she was often given rides—sometimes on a bicycle, sometimes a scooter—though she couldn’t remember who was driving.

Chu Yihan laughed, then said urgently: “Left turn ahead!”

The prompt was late, so Wen Yuan swerved hard into the turn. The bike leaned sharply, causing Chu Yihan to naturally hug her waist tighter and rest her head lightly against Wen Yuan’s back.

Heat climbed from Wen Yuan’s straight spine, making her feel a bit lightheaded. Her possessiveness was becoming hard to suppress.

“What about you? Are you often carried by others?”

The scooter was upright again, and Chu Yihan waited two seconds before straightening her body. Her tone was relaxed and soft: “No. Usually, I’m the one carrying people.”

Wen Yuan arched an eyebrow. “You carry people?”

Just as she spoke, Chu Yihan added: “In my dreams, too.”

Well then, look at you, copying me.

On a whim, Wen Yuan slowed down, pulled the bike to the side of the road, and planted her feet on the ground. She turned around to ask: “Want to try making that dream come true?”

“Huh?”

“You drive, and I’ll sit in the back.” Wen Yuan paused to confirm, “Can you ride one?”

“I can.” Chu Yihan looked very interested; despite trying to act poised, her excitement spilled into her eyes. She got off the back and walked to the front. “It’s just been a long time since I’ve ridden or carried anyone.”

Seeing her looking a bit nervous, Wen Yuan teased, “Is it because you haven’t carried anyone in your dreams for a long time?”

Chu Yihan froze, and then a shy smile bloomed on her face.

Wen Yuan stepped aside and gestured for her to take the handles. Wen Yuan sat sideways on the back seat, wrapped one arm around Chu Yihan’s slender waist, and encouraged her: “Don’t be afraid, just go slow.”

Chu Yihan looked down at the hand on her waist, sat up straight with her back as stiff as a board, and bit her lip. “I’m not afraid.”

Not afraid? Your voice is trembling. Wen Yuan suppressed a laugh and touched the rose tucked in her bag. She decided not to expose her. “Then let’s go. I’ll be your navigator. Continue straight…”

Chu Yihan forced herself to ignore the shivers spreading from her waist. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, twisted the handle, and started driving.

It went smoothly. Chu Yihan seemed very happy and started humming a song after a short distance—S.H.E’s Locking Time.

The slowly receding scenery, the evening breeze blowing away the heat, and the pleasant humming… everything was perfectly cozy. There was even a subtle sense of familiarity. At this speed, they’d arrive twenty minutes late, but Wen Yuan didn’t feel any rush.

She even wished time could truly be locked in this beautiful moment.

After Qixi, Wen Yuan returned to her cycle of homework, gaming, and sleeping.

Perhaps due to the “butterfly effect,” Jiang Huaiyu inexplicably became more social with her, joining her and Shi Ran’s gaming squad for several days straight. Because the random players they matched with were usually terrible, Shi Ran and her apprentice felt Jiang Huaiyu was at least competent, so Wen Yuan relented.

On the day of the Ghost Festival, Shi Ran’s apprentice was busy and dropped out, leaving just the three of them. Jiang Huaiyu suggested recruiting a teammate, and they agreed. While waiting, Wen Yuan went to pour a glass of water.

Chu Yihan, having just finished playing chess with her grandmother, logged into the game on a whim and saw Wen Yuan in a lobby. Seeing a vacancy in the four-person squad, she sent a join request. It was accepted quickly.

Once inside, Chu Yihan realized one teammate was Shi Ran, and the other was… Jiang Huaiyu. It was quite a “Ghost Festival surprise.”

Shi Ran greeted her. Chu Yihan didn’t turn on her mic, only typing a reply. Soon, Shi Ran was pulled into a conversation with Jiang Huaiyu. Seeing that they knew each other, Jiang Huaiyu started the match.

In the team voice chat, Jiang Huaiyu was talking to Shi Ran about a previous game. Chu Yihan couldn’t follow the conversation; seeing that Wen Yuan hadn’t chimed in, she tried to use her character to do emotes at Wen Yuan’s character.

Wen Yuan’s character didn’t react at all. During a lull in Jiang Huaiyu’s talking, Chu Yihan tried calling Wen Yuan’s name over the mic, but got no response. She comforted herself internally, but listening to the lively discussion between the other two, her mood grew increasingly gloomy. The feeling of being an outsider was overwhelming.

Once the match started, Jiang Huaiyu finally stopped talking about the previous game. “I heard you guys mention you’re moving into the dorms next semester?”

Chu Yihan’s eyebrow twitched, and she accidentally swapped her $M416$ for a $Uzi$.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Shi Ran remembered and asked, “Didn’t you live in the dorms before? What are they like?”

“They’re good. Two people per room, private bathroom, and AC. But the lights go out at 10:00 PM after roll call,” Jiang Huaiyu said. “But if you don’t go home on weekends, you have a lot of freedom.”

Shi Ran let out a long “Oh” and marked a Level 3 backpack. “What’s up with Little Bird? Is she a mute this round?”

The “mute bird” was actually following right behind Chu Yihan—she had been for a while. Whichever building Chu Yihan entered, she followed. At first, Chu Yihan thought she wanted items, but even when she dropped her gear, Wen Yuan didn’t take anything and didn’t speak.

Jiang Huaiyu teased Wen Yuan familiarly: “She only deigns to open her mic once it’s the final circle.”

Ignoring Jiang Huaiyu and Shi Ran is one thing, but she’s ignoring me too. Chu Yihan pouted and vaulted through a window into another house. She was immediately knocked down by a camper on the second floor. Fortunately, Wen Yuan was right behind her and instantly killed the enemy.

A soft sigh came through the headset. Chu Yihan’s heart gave a little throb.

“I was saying so much to you, why didn’t you answer me?” Wen Yuan let out another heavy sigh while reviving Chu Yihan. “Turns out I just didn’t have my mic on.”

She had been so happy to see Chu Yihan join the team after getting her water and had been talking to her the whole time, but the other girl had stayed silent. It wasn’t until Jiang Huaiyu’s comment reminded her that she realized her mic was off.

The gloom in Chu Yihan’s heart instantly vanished. She bit her lip, but couldn’t stop her smile.

“Idiot.” There was clear amusement in her voice.

Wen Yuan smiled back and didn’t argue. She was being pretty stupid.

After being revived, Chu Yihan used a medkit and asked casually, “Are you moving into the dorms next semester?”

“Yeah,” Wen Yuan replied offhandedly. “Want to room together?”

Jiang Huaiyu was taking a drink of water; hearing this, he spat it all over his screen. He gave a friendly reminder: “You’re an Alpha; it might not be a good idea to invite an Omega to room with you.”

Wen Yuan let out an “Ah,” belatedly remembering that the ABO world placed much more emphasis on secondary genders.

Shi Ran chimed in: “Why don’t you just invite her to sleep in the same bed while you’re at it?”

Provoked, Wen Yuan huffed: “I’m a person of integrity; sleeping in the same bed wouldn’t matter either. Right, Little Lamb?”

A soft, breathy chuckle traveled through the headphones into Wen Yuan’s ear.

“Mm. Right.”