After Becoming a Cannon Fodder Side Character, I Became the Group’s Favorite (GL) - Chapter 27

After school on Friday, Xu Chacha told Xu Yanshu that she had to go to the hospital with Wang Fang to see Gao Lele and asked her to go home first.

Wang Fang’s car was smaller than the one that usually transported Xu Chacha, but it was very clean and had a faint fragrance. It was comfortable and not prone to motion sickness.

Gao Lele had fractured her coccyx while learning to ride a bicycle before school started and had to lie down to recover. Wang Fang went every Friday to give her the homework.

Her ward was quite lively, with four beds in one room. There were men and women, old and young, all looking pitifully immobile.

Xu Chacha carried the fruit basket, bought with class funds, and placed it on the table. She then stood obediently behind Wang Fang, waiting for the introduction.

“This is Xu Chacha, your deskmate and the Class President of Class One. You can ask her for help with anything,” Wang Fang introduced.

“Hi.” Xu Chacha leaned forward, waving to greet her. “I was so worried when you weren’t here.”

She was the only one without a deskmate and really wished Gao Lele would recover and come back to class soon.

Gao Lele, contrary to her name (which means “tall” and “joyful”), was short like Xu Chacha, with a small face and delicate single eyelids. She had a very quiet voice and looked like a gentle girl.

“Hello, Chacha. Thank you for worrying about me.”

Gao Lele’s father stood up to give his seat to Wang Fang and brought a chair for Xu Chacha. “You all chat. I’ll go wash some fruit.”

“I’ll wash it, Uncle.” Xu Chacha stood up. She had already heard Wang Fang read the homework once in class and didn’t want to listen to it again. Before Gao Lele’s father could refuse, she grabbed two large apples and ran off. “I’m great at washing fruit! I’ll wash them for you!”

“This child…” Gao Lele’s father stared at her retreating back in astonishment. “She runs fast, huh.”

Wang Fang didn’t even lift her head, completely unconcerned about Xu Chacha. “She loves washing apples. Just let her wash them.”

Xu Chacha excitedly carried the two apples out, only to realize she had no idea where to wash them. She saw the sign for the restroom and decided to slip inside.

Thinking the restroom sink wasn’t clean, Xu Chacha put one apple into the large pocket in front of her shirt. After washing one, she dried it, swapped the positions, and washed the other.

As she was wiping the second apple, she thought she heard suppressed sobbing from inside one of the stalls.

She tucked the apple into her pocket, walked over, and knocked on the door. “Hello, do you need help?”

The crying inside stopped, but no one spoke.

“Do you need toilet paper or anything else? I can get it for you,” Xu Chacha said again.

Knock, knock. The girl inside the stall knocked twice but still didn’t speak.

“Does that mean no?”

Knock.

Xu Chacha guessed her knocking pattern: two knocks for ‘no,’ and one for ‘yes.’ So she continued to ask questions.

“Are you unable to speak? Then I’ll go get a paper and pencil. Wait for me.” Xu Chacha quickly ran back, shoved the two apples into Gao Lele’s father’s hand, tore a sheet of paper from her homework notebook, grabbed a pencil, and ran back.

At the stall, she carefully slipped the paper and pencil inside. “Write it down, and then I’ll understand.”

A small hand took the paper. After a long pause, it was handed back out.

‘Pants wet 0612’

“Okay, I’ll go get them for you now. Don’t be scared. I’ll be right back.”

The door was gently knocked once, indicating acknowledgment.

Xu Chacha started moving fast again. Because 0612 was a VIP ward, she searched for a long time but couldn’t find it. In the end, she had to ask a passing nurse.

The room door was closed. Out of politeness, Xu Chacha raised her hand to knock.

“What do you want! If you’re coming in, come in! Do you want me to invite you in, you mute?” It was a hoarse, unpleasant voice that sounded elderly.

Xu Chacha hesitated, then pushed the door open. On the hospital bed lay an elderly woman wearing a cheap plaid shirt. She was leaning against a pillow, reading a magazine and eating an orange. When she finished, she spat a seed out and looked over.

“You finally remembered to come back… Who are you? This is a VIP ward. You can’t just come in here to play.”

Xu Chacha guessed that the woman was unlikely to be a relative of the girl in the restroom. How could someone living in a VIP ward be dressed so poorly?

“I’m here to find pants for her,” Xu Chacha said.

“Wetted herself again?” The woman frowned, slowly getting out of bed to find pants for Xu Chacha. “What a bother, all day long.”

Xu Chacha bit her lip and didn’t speak. She silently took the pants the woman found, nodded, and ran off.

Knock, knock. Xu Chacha knocked on the restroom door. “I brought them for you. Open the door a little so I can hand them to you.”

The door opened a tiny crack. A small hand with bluish-purple needle marks on the back reached out. It grabbed the pants and immediately retreated, locking the door quickly, like a startled kitten.

Xu Chacha waited quietly outside the door. After about ten minutes, the door was knocked again.

Knock, knock, knock. Three knocks, seemingly saying “Thank you.”

“Aren’t you coming out?” Xu Chacha asked.

Although the restroom was well-disinfected and didn’t smell, the girl’s continued hiding after changing her pants was quite strange.

Xu Chacha remembered the elderly woman’s attitude and her comment, “you mute.”

“Has someone been bullying you?”

This time the girl’s response was a little slow, but it was just one knock, an affirmation.

“That old woman?”

Knock. Yes.

“Then are you just going to hide in the restroom and not come out?” Xu Chacha asked again.

Knock, knock. No.

“I know! We can write to talk.” Xu Chacha handed the pencil to her again. “This is kind of fun, ha ha ha.”

The girl took the paper and, after a while, slid it out.

‘Waiting for Grandpa’

Xu Chacha lowered her eyes, staring at the shaky handwriting, and felt a pang of sadness.

She could probably guess what was happening. The woman was most likely a helper hired by the girl’s family, bullying her in private. The girl only dared to leave the restroom when her grandfather arrived for dinner.

“Did you tell Grandpa?” Xu Chacha whispered.

‘She won’t let me I’m scared’

“You don’t need to be scared. Tell Grandpa, and that old woman will be kicked out.”

A few more stifled sobs came from inside the stall. This time the note was passed out very slowly.

‘Scared’

Xu Chacha frowned, her tone becoming serious. “How about this: I’ll stay with you until 5:30. I’ll help you tell your grandpa.”

She knew the girl couldn’t speak, which must have caused many inconveniences.

There was silence in the stall, then the gentle knock came again.

Knock. Okay.

…

Xu Chacha was afraid Wang Fang would worry if she was gone for too long, so she went back to tell her.

“What are you going to do?”

“There’s a little friend who is very lonely and pitiful. I want to go and keep her company.”

Wang Fang had finished discussing the homework. She packed her things and stood up. “I’ll go with you. Don’t run around by yourself next time.”

She wondered why Xu Chacha had taken so long for a trip to the restroom.

“Thank you, Teacher Fangfang.” Xu Chacha held her hand and squeezed it gently. “You’re so nice.”

Wang Fang was expressionless. “I’m your homeroom teacher. If something happens to you, I’ll be responsible.”

“Bye, Lele.” Xu Chacha said goodbye to Gao Lele. “Get well soon and come back to school quickly.”

Gao Lele was lying on the bed, bravely copying vocabulary words despite her injury, her wrist nearly chafed raw. She barely managed to reply, “Mmm-hmm, I’ll drink more bone soup so I can heal faster.”

Wang Fang gave Gao Lele’s father a few final instructions, then walked out, holding Xu Chacha’s soft little hand.

“Where is she?”

Wang Fang didn’t say anything, following her steps slowly.

“Little sister, I brought my teacher with me. She’s super nice and said she’d come with me to protect you after she heard what happened.” Xu Chacha knocked on the door.

Wang Fang: ?

Was she having amnesia? When did she ever say that?

“Anyway, that old woman can’t see us, and Teacher Fangfang and I are here. Come out, the restroom will smell if you stay in too long.” Xu Chacha said.

There was no answering knock, but after a while, the bolt on the lock was slid open, and a little girl about the same height as Xu Chacha stepped out hesitantly.

The girl’s timid large eyes flickered with unshed tears. Her body was very thin, like dry kindling that could be crushed in one hand.

She bowed to Xu Chacha and raised her hands to sign.

Xu Chacha didn’t understand the meaning, but Wang Fang, who knew a little, translated. “She said thank you.”

Xu Chacha smiled sweetly and held out her hand to her. “It’s nothing. I’m happy to chat with you too.”

The girl hesitated, wiping her hand on her skirt before grasping Xu Chacha’s. She offered a fragile smile that was heartbreakingly weak.

Wang Fang led the two little children to the flower bed where patients could get some air, found a spot, laid down a newspaper, and had them sit.

There was a large cherry blossom tree in the middle of the flower bed, but unfortunately, August was not its flowering season. There were only green leaves and buds on the branches.

Several children, also in hospital gowns like the girl, were playing around the cherry tree, holding hands and singing a nursery rhyme.

“Don’t you want to go play with them?” Wang Fang asked the two children.

Xu Chacha shook her head. She was already tired enough from playing with children at school all day.

The girl’s large eyes looked at the children under the cherry tree, and she also gently shook her head, then pointed to the area of her heart.

“Heart condition?” Xu Chacha put the chocolate she was holding back into her pocket.

People with heart conditions couldn’t eat high-fat, high-sugar foods.

Wang Fang asked, “What is your name?”

The girl signed to her.

“Lang Yueyue?”

Lang Yueyue nodded, then shrank back and remained still. Her gaze shifted from the group of children and focused on the street outside the hospital entrance, her eyes following the vehicles and people moving back and forth.

Wang Fang had little experience in comforting children, so she just sat quietly and watched with her.

“Are you waiting for your grandpa?” Xu Chacha reached out and held her hand.

Lang Yueyue’s hand was very cold. Veins showed bluish-purple beneath her thin skin, and the area near the IV line was covered with needle marks.

Lang Yueyue nodded.

“It’s still a while until 5:30,” Xu Chacha shook Wang Fang’s arm. “Teacher Fangfang, let me use your phone for a bit.”

Wang Fang unlocked her phone and handed it to her. Xu Chacha found the video app and opened Peppa Pig, which Chen Qianqian loved to watch.

“Do you want to watch a cartoon? Qianqian and the others love watching this.”

Lang Yueyue shook her head, still stubbornly staring at the street. But as she listened to the cheerful sounds from the phone, she couldn’t help but peek curiously. After a few back-and-forths, she finally turned back, sat closer to Xu Chacha, and stretched her neck to watch with her.

“This is Peppa, and this is her little brother George.” Xu Chacha pointed at the pigs to help her identify them. Lang Yueyue blinked, indicating that she understood.

They hadn’t watched two episodes when Wang Fang’s keen eye spotted a white-haired elderly man walking toward them, followed by a young woman.

She tapped Xu Chacha, who was sitting next to her. “Is that Yueyue’s grandpa?”

Before she could answer, Lang Yueyue had already run over and hugged the old man.

Xu Chacha’s mouth slightly dropped open as she clearly saw the old man’s face. Isn’t that Lang Shu?

After going home following a magazine shoot, she had searched for Lang Shu’s interview and seen his photo. The real person didn’t look much different from the interview photo: buzz cut, white hair, square face, thick earlobes, and even the same clothes.

And the person walking behind Lang Shu was even more familiar: Wen Mubai.

Did those two know each other?

Lang Shu embraced Lang Yueyue and walked towards them. “Hello, did you bring Yueyue out for some air?”

Lang Yueyue had been sensitive since childhood and was very shy. Even though she was five years old now, any little stimulus would often scare her into wetting her pants. It was the first time Lang Shu had seen her so close to other children her age.

“Hello.” Wang Fang stood up. “I am this child’s homeroom teacher. She told me your granddaughter was being bullied and was hiding in the restroom, afraid to come out. That’s why we waited here for you to ask about the situation.”

“Bullied?” Lang Shu frowned and looked at Lang Yueyue. “Yueyue, tell Grandpa, who bullied you?”

His voice was a little loud. Lang Yueyue trembled in fright, her eyes immediately turning red.

“Don’t be scared, Yueyue. The bad person isn’t here now. Tell your grandpa everything. Your grandpa will protect you.” Xu Chacha looked up and said to her.

Lang Yueyue blinked gently, raised her hand, and signed.

‘Don’t like Auntie’

“Auntie Miao bullied you?” Lang Shu hadn’t expected this answer.

He had asked an acquaintance to introduce this aunt to him. She was diligent and resourceful. He had thought she was an honest person, but now his precious granddaughter said she was being bullied.

“Tell me in more detail. How did Auntie bully you?”

Lang Yueyue probably remembered something and suddenly choked up. Xu Chacha, standing next to her, saw that her newly changed pants were quickly becoming wet again.

Wang Fang also noticed that this child was much more sensitive than the average person. No, perhaps it wasn’t just sensitivity. In such a severe stress situation, it would be difficult for her to regain normal expressive abilities without professional psychological guidance.

Fortunately, Wang Fang was an old-fashioned person who wore a suit jacket every day, no matter how hot the weather. She took off her jacket and wrapped it around Lang Yueyue’s legs.

“Don’t ask her for now,” Wang Fang told Lang Shu.

Lang Shu clumsily wiped Lang Yueyue’s tears, vaguely agreeing to Wang Fang’s words. “Okay, I won’t ask, I won’t ask.”

His granddaughter was always crying and often experienced stress-induced incontinence. In the past, whenever this happened, the moment Auntie Miao arrived, she would immediately quiet down.

“She was hiding in the restroom, afraid to come out.” Xu Chacha pulled her towards the restroom. “The old woman who bullied her was very fierce. Teacher Fangfang, you have to protect us.”

He had thought that Lang Yueyue liked Auntie Miao, but now he realized she might have been too scared to even cry.

Lang Shu carried Lang Yueyue back to the ward to change her pants. Xu Chacha, Wen Mubai, and Wang Fang followed them. Xu Chacha held one of their hands, yet the one with the shortest legs was walking the fastest.

“Teacher Fangfang, you know so much, you’re amazing.” Xu Chacha wasn’t flattering her. She genuinely felt that Wang Fang possessed a solid sense of reliability that other teachers lacked.

She had overheard other teachers chatting about Wang Fang’s education, which was excellent—to the point of being overly qualified even for the gifted class at A Primary School.

Furthermore, Wang Fang didn’t seem to be the type to particularly like children. She wondered why she chose to teach elementary school math.

“So you must study hard and learn from your Teacher Fangfang.” Wen Mubai held her small hand and deliberately slowed down. “Don’t daydream so much in class.”

“I am studying hard. I’ve never fallen behind in my schoolwork.” Xu Chacha squeezed Wen Mubai’s hand. “Auntie, stop telling tales about me to the teacher.”

Wen Mubai nodded, humoring her. “Yes, I was speaking nonsense.”

“Deal.” Xu Chacha successfully shifted the blame.

Wang Fang was silent. She remembered that it was indeed as Wen Mubai said. Although Xu Chacha was often caught daydreaming and not focusing in class, she was always correct when called upon to answer questions, and her homework was always completed neatly and diligently. Her self-learning ability and self-discipline were also outstanding.

“Do you find the lessons too simple, and that’s why you daydream?” During the interview, she had already thought that Xu Chacha was an overly intelligent child.

She had seen her share of prodigies, but most highly intelligent children often had some emotional intelligence deficits, were highly competitive, and easily became overly arrogant, even looking down on classmates less capable than them. Xu Chacha was the complete opposite. She got along well with her classmates, and her conflict resolution skills were better than some teachers.

Wang Fang could spot many bright children right away, but Xu Chacha was different. She was unique, yet she never used this uniqueness as capital for arrogance. As a result, she blended in well with the group of children, without that sense of being a lone crane among chickens.

“Not really.” Xu Chacha’s answer was quite conservative. She smiled and changed the subject. “Is Teacher Fangfang calling me smart?”

“…I suppose so.”

Wen Mubai, standing beside her, secretly shook her head. She never thought Wang Fang would be so easily fooled by the little clever girl.

“Auntie, do you know Grandpa Lang?” Xu Chacha looked up and asked her, her little eyes blinking with curiosity.

Wen Mubai lightly nodded. “He is half a teacher to me.”

She had only come with Lang Shu to visit because she heard Lang Yueyue’s condition had improved. She hadn’t expected to coincidentally run into Xu Chacha.

“Oh, I see.” Xu Chacha narrowed her eyes.

She didn’t expect the world to be so small. It was likely that Xu Yanshu had a hand in persuading Lang Shu, the reclusive old artist, to work with EV.

…

They followed Lang Shu into Room 0612. Completely unlike what Xu Chacha had seen before, the elderly woman who had been lying in bed spitting orange seeds was now diligently wiping the table with a cloth. Magazines and newspapers were neatly stacked on the coffee table.

“Mr. Lang, you’re here.” Auntie Miao saw them enter, put down her cloth, smiled, and stepped forward, pretending to take Lang Yueyue. “Oh dear, why did our little darling wet her pants again? Come, Auntie will help you change.”

Lang Yueyue timidly glanced at Lang Shu and did not obediently reach out her hand to Auntie Miao this time.

In the past, if she showed even a hint of resistance in front of Lang Shu, Auntie Miao would intensify her verbal abuse when they were alone, slapping her head hard and calling her a little idiot.

“You don’t need to change her.” Lang Shu walked past her, carrying the child and looking for a change of pants himself.

He was old and holding the child, so moving was difficult. Wang Fang walked over. “Let me.”

Lang Yueyue was not very resistant to her and remained quiet while being carried. Wang Fang took her into the restroom to change her pants. Outside, Lang Shu was confronting Auntie Miao.

“Were you bullying Yueyue when I wasn’t around?” Although Lang Shu was old, his presence was imposing. His deep question startled Auntie Miao, causing her body to tremble in place.

“How could I? I treat her like my own granddaughter. It’s just that the child is sensitive and often appears melancholic. How did this turn into me bullying her?”

“Grandma, why are you lying?” Xu Chacha squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them, tears streaming down her face. She pursed her small mouth, her acting more sincere than anyone else’s. “Chacha clearly heard you! You called Yueyue a mute and were so mean! If you truly loved her, you wouldn’t be so harsh.”