After Becoming a Cannon Fodder Side Character, I Became the Group’s Favorite (GL) - Chapter 13

“You can come in.” Xu Yanshu, though only a thirteen-year-old child, already possessed an adult’s composure, and her words had an inexplicably reassuring quality.

“Yay!” Xu Chacha clenched her chubby fists in a quiet celebration, kicked off her squeaky slippers, and bounced onto Xu Yanshu’s bed. “Sister’s bed is so soft.”

The furniture in the Xu household was all from the same brand, so Xu Chacha’s and Xu Yanshu’s beds were naturally identical.

Xu Yanshu inserted a bookmark into her book, closed it, untied her hair, and lay down beside Xu Chacha.

Initially, there was some distance between them, but after another booming clap of thunder, Xu Chacha gasped and scooted closer to her side.

Her small body made a little bulge in the blanket where she nestled in Xu Yanshu’s arms.

“Don’t be afraid.” Xu Yanshu patted her back, like comforting a startled small animal. “Sister is here.”

The “little bulge” moved up and down, seemingly nodding.

“Don’t cover yourself too much, you need air.” Xu Yanshu lifted the blanket.

Xu Chacha poked her head out, her bangs flying everywhere, and her hair a messy tangle like cotton candy. She blinked her black, bright eyes, seemingly contemplating whether to choose being scared to death or suffocated to death.

Fortunately, the rain came and went quickly. Once the rain stopped, the thunder also ceased.

“Sister, are you happy now?”

Xu Yanshu, who was feigning sleep, opened her eyes. “Why do you ask that?”

“Mommy said Sister used to be very unhappy.” Xu Chacha cupped Xu Yanshu’s right hand with both of hers, held it solemnly to her brow, and whispered a prayer. “Chacha is very happy now, so I want to share half of my happiness with Sister. Sister must be happy from now on too.”

“You…”

Just when Xu Yanshu thought all “little sisters” would be as willful, arrogant, and difficult to get along with as Wen Shiyu, this silly little one popped up.

Because of a piece of candy, she accepted the non-blood-related Xu Yanshu as her sister without any defense.

Because of one hug, she used a naive tone to pray and share her own happiness with her.

Xu Yanshu held back her tears, grateful it was night so Xu Chacha couldn’t see her expression.

“Because of Chacha, Sister is very happy now,” Xu Yanshu tried to say in a lighter tone. “Thank you.”

Xu Chacha shook her head. “Family doesn’t say thank you. Even though Chacha is very clumsy, I will try hard to be a good daughter to Sister!”

“As long as Sister is here, no one will ever let you be wronged again,” Xu Yanshu solemnly rested her chin on the crown of Xu Chacha’s head. “Sister promises.”

“It’s so good to have a sister.”

Xu Chacha felt that the book had written Xu Yanshu off as too wicked. In truth, she had never intended to steal anything from the original owner.

She had always lived very cautiously, worried about being abandoned, worried about not being needed. If the original owner hadn’t been so aggressive, perhaps their relationship wouldn’t have ultimately devolved into animosity.

For instance, now, she was just a thirteen-year-old child who had only been in the Xu family for half a year, and she dared not even breathe too loudly.

Xu Chacha thought of her former self. She was about Xu Yanshu’s age when she first arrived at her aunt’s house. The happiest thing every day was going to school, and the thing she dreaded most was returning to that oppressive home atmosphere.

But she didn’t want Xu Yanshu to turn out that way too.

…

To thank Wen Mubai and to introduce Xu Chacha to their social circle, Mr. and Mrs. Xu quickly organized a small party. They invited prominent figures, and the location was the Xu family’s villa.

The villa was usually unoccupied. People only came and went for large family gatherings or when an event like this needed to be hosted.

Mrs. Xu took time off work to help Xu Chacha get dressed. Unlike Mr. Xu’s embarrassing taste, the clothes she custom-made for Xu Chacha were suitable for her age and not too flamboyant.

The color of the dress was a sprout-like green, which complemented her skin tone perfectly. The length of the skirt reached just above her calves, revealing her slender, delicate legs. Her round-toed leather shoes were polished to a shine, adding a touch of playfulness to the formal look and wouldn’t hurt her feet even after wearing them for a long time.

“Our darling is so beautiful,” Mrs. Xu rubbed Xu Chacha’s cheek, leaning down to rub her nose affectionately.

Xu Chacha’s cheeks were squeezed together by Mrs. Xu, forcing her rosy lips into a pout. She opened and closed them twice, feeling like a fish that couldn’t blow bubbles.

“Big… Sister is very pretty, too,” she struggled to articulate under Mrs. Xu’s “evil hands.”

Please, go rub her face instead.

“Sister is the big beauty, and you are the little beauty. Mommy loves both of you.”

“Madam,” Housekeeper Zhang knocked on the door. “The Wen family has arrived.”

“Good, I’ll be right down.” Mrs. Xu turned and joined Xu Chacha’s and Xu Yanshu’s hands together. “Stay with Sister. Don’t wander off.”

Xu Chacha nodded readily, but her attention drifted toward the small garden outside the window.

The wall here wasn’t high. A calico cat was resting its two paws on the top, wiggling its butt, preparing to jump in.

Mrs. Xu told Xu Yanshu approximately when to bring Xu Chacha downstairs, patted Xu Chacha’s head, and followed Housekeeper Zhang out.

As soon as she left, Xu Chacha began to coax Xu Yanshu. “Sister, come play with me over there for a bit.”

She pointed to the garden.

Xu Yanshu looked out the window. “It’s too sunny outside.”

Xu Chacha’s mouth pouted. “I’m not afraid of the heat, but I’m afraid of being bored. I want to play with the kitty.”

In the garden, the calico cat had already jumped in and was shaking its head, hunting mosquitoes in the beautiful flower bed.

“How about Sister takes you after the party is over?” Xu Yanshu still couldn’t disobey Mrs. Xu’s instructions.

“Just for a little while.” Xu Chacha tugged at her arm and shook it, her smile sweet. “If Sister is with me, I won’t get lost, so it’s not really disobeying Mommy, right?”

The little chatterbox was quite good at deceiving people. Xu Yanshu pursed her lips and struggled for a moment, but eventually succumbed to Xu Chacha’s wheedling.

“Alright, but you can’t play for too long. We have guests to meet soon.”

“Mhm, mhm, mhm! I’ll be super well-behaved!”

Xu Yanshu had only been to the villa once, so she wasn’t familiar with the way. They walked around a few times before finding the entrance to the back garden.

“Meow~ Meow meow~” Xu Chacha crouched down, clapping her hands and meowing, trying to get the cat’s attention.

She was small but moved quickly. Xu Yanshu, holding a parasol, was half a step behind her while trying to catch up.

“Ah! Kitty!”

Xu Chacha’s voice rang out from around the corner. Xu Yanshu hurried forward. “Chacha, slow down. Don’t fall.”

Xu Chacha caught the wild cat. Although it wandered outside all day, its fur looked quite clean, likely from frequent self-grooming.

It’s a clean little calico.

Xu Chacha carefully lifted her skirt, then squatted down in front of it. The cat wasn’t afraid of people. Seeing the foxtail grass in her hand, it cheekily leaned forward to reach Xu Chacha’s hand.

Xu Yanshu finally caught up to the little mischief-maker, holding her arm high to shade her with the umbrella.

“Sister, do you want to touch it too? It’s very well-behaved.” Xu Chacha, the expert cat petter, smoothly picked up the calico and offered it to Xu Yanshu.

“Chacha.” Xu Yanshu spoke, intending to warn Xu Chacha about the person behind her, but she was a beat too slow.

When Xu Chacha stepped back, she accidentally stepped on the person’s shoe. She turned around to apologize, but her shoulder was forcefully shoved. Losing her balance, she fell hard onto the ground with a thump, and the cat in her arms bolted in fright.

“Get away from me. Don’t let that dirty thing near me.” Wen Shiyu patted imaginary dust off her clothes, her tone extremely hostile.

Xu Yanshu quickly helped Xu Chacha up, and for the first time, she didn’t suppress her temper in front of her. “Wen Shiyu, why did you push her?”

“What about pushing her? You won’t inherit the Xu family’s assets whether you butter her up or not, so why are you looking after her like a servant?” Wen Shiyu clearly didn’t think there was anything wrong with her actions.

Xu Yanshu didn’t immediately retort. Her first reaction was to look down at Xu Chacha’s expression.

Seven was the age when one should start understanding things. She should grasp the meaning of Wen Shiyu’s words. If she genuinely misunderstood her motives…

Xu Chacha certainly understood. She understood all too well that the self-important little brat in front of her was the stumbling block on her path to having a loving relationship with Xu Yanshu.

The little girl bit her lower lip, her eyes slightly red. Her cheeks were puffed out from anger at Wen Shiyu’s words, making her look like a round, spiky pufferfish.

“You’re not allowed to say bad things about Sister! You big meanie!”

One could tell Xu Chacha was trying to curse fiercely, but paired with her soft, childlike voice, all the force was gone.

It was more like a tickle in the heart.