After Becoming a Cannon Fodder Side Character, I Became the Group’s Favorite (GL) - Chapter 34

When school resumed on Monday, Wang Fang called Xu Chacha to the office during the lunch break.

Xu Chacha stood up and followed, her heart pounding. Did she get caught intentionally skipping parts of the copying assignments?

“Close the door. I want to talk to you for a couple of minutes, Teacher.”

The other teachers in the office had gone to the dorms for their lunch break. Only the physical education teacher was sleeping loudly in the corner on a recliner, his snores practically shaking the walls.

Xu Chacha did as Wang Fang asked, then returned and stood with her hands clasped behind her back in a stiff manner. “Teacher Fangfang, what did you want to talk about?”

“Do you feel that what I teach in class is especially easy?” Wang Fang took out her test papers.

Oh, so it’s about this, Xu Chacha secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Her posture straightened, and her spirit perked up again.

“It’s alright.”

“You understand the textbook content just by looking at it, right?” Wang Fang continued to ask. “I’ve never seen you stumped. You don’t listen in class, yet you still get perfect scores every time.”

Xu Chacha: “…”

Would it seem too arrogant if I nodded?

“So, Teacher Fangfang, do you want me to be more serious in class? Then I’ll pay more attention from now on.”

“No,” Wang Fang pulled out a form from somewhere. “Go back and discuss with your parents whether you want to skip a grade. If you decide to skip, have them fill out the form and sign it.”

“Skip a grade?” Xu Chacha didn’t take the form and refused outright. “I don’t want to skip a grade.”

Wang Fang looked at her and patiently asked, “Why don’t you want to skip a grade? Is it because you can’t bear to leave your classmates, or are you worried about not getting along with the older children in the higher grades? Don’t rush to refuse; go home and discuss it with your parents.”

Xu Chacha maintained her firm attitude. “No need. My parents respect my decision.”

Her parents’ support gave her the confidence to say this. They truly respected her wishes.

“I can’t bear to leave my classmates, and I can’t bear to leave Teacher Fangfang, either.”

The child’s innocent words unexpectedly broke through Wang Fang’s inner guard. She was stunned for a moment. “Me?”

“Mmm,” Xu Chacha nodded seriously. “The things I learn after skipping a grade might be harder than now, but I might not meet a homeroom teacher as responsible as Teacher Fangfang. Mom says we need to learn more than just knowledge; we need to learn many other things, too.”

Alright, setting aside all the high-sounding reasons, Xu Chacha had other reasons for not wanting to skip a grade.

In her previous life, her childhood was somewhat incomplete, so now she just wanted to do the things a child should do at this age—to try being innocent and simple. To some extent, this could make up for some regrets. At least, so far, she was very satisfied.

Wang Fang lowered her eyes, avoiding Xu Chacha’s direct gaze. “If you’ve really thought it through, then so be it.”

“Then Teacher Fangfang won’t kick me out, right?” Xu Chacha moved closer and pressed.

“I’m not trying to kick you out, I’m just asking for your opinion.”

Xu Chacha was right. She had actually called Xu’s parents before today to ask for their opinion, and they also said they needed to confirm Xu Chacha’s own wishes first, which led to this conversation.

“That’s great! Then I’ll keep being the class monitor and be your good helper, Teacher Fangfang!” Xu Chacha reached out and gave her a light hug, quickly letting go. “Then I’ll leave now. Teacher Fangfang, please take a good rest at noon and don’t grade any more papers.”

Wang Fang waited until the sound of her cheerful footsteps disappeared before slowly lifting her head. She looked at the grade-skipping application form in her hand, quietly folded it, and tucked it back into the cabinet.

If she doesn’t want to skip, then she doesn’t skip.

That’s fine, too.

…

Wen Mubai took Lang Shu’s exhibition very seriously. One reason was that this was the first time her work would be presented to the public for evaluation, and the other was that she didn’t want to disappoint Lang Shu, who trusted her.

She usually read enough reference books, but when she actually started working, she still felt far from having enough knowledge.

Making a piece of clothing was vastly different from just drawing it on paper. From the small details like fabric selection to the large aspects like pattern and cutting, each subject alone was enough to keep her busy for a long time.

However, she didn’t forget her promise to Xu Chacha, setting aside one weekend every two weeks to see her. Sometimes, it was just having afternoon tea or going shopping with the little one, but as soon as they met and she heard that energetic “Auntie,” she felt instantly recharged, ready to persevere a little longer.

As time wore on, the exhibition date for Lang Shu was set for mid-January, close to the New Year. They invited many Chinese and foreign media outlets and even contacted online platforms for a video live broadcast, making quite a large-scale event.

Although the clothes had been approved by Lang Shu, Wen Mubai still felt a constant tightness in her chest.

She desperately wanted to achieve something to show her father that the path she had chosen was the right one.

…

As soon as the winter break started, Xu Chacha was pulled by Lang Shu to practice her runway walk. It turned out that as she practiced, she became a volunteer teacher. The instructor would often single her out for demonstrations, and after class, the other students would cling to her, asking her to teach them again.

Oh, well, by the end of the day, she had walked twice as many times as anyone else.

“Chacha, Chacha, can you show me again, please? The teacher keeps scolding me, and I don’t understand.” A little girl named Tang Doudou tugged at the hem of her clothes.

Xu Chacha hadn’t even had a sip of her herbal tea. She stubbornly tilted her head back and drank a mouthful, then screwed the cap back on her thermos before standing up.

“When you walk, keep your core tight, stand up straight, and just let your hands fall naturally,” she said while demonstrating.

“Oh, oh, oh,” Tang Doudou nodded, but when she started moving, it was a typical case of the eyes understand, but the body doesn’t.

Xu Chacha sighed, walked over, and held her protruding belly. “Belly, belly, suck in your breath.”

“Suck—” Tang Doudou even provided her own sound effects.

“Suck in your breath, but don’t shrug your shoulders,” Xu Chacha patted her shoulders again.

“Oh, oh, oh, lower my shoulders.”

“Shoulders down, but don’t stick your butt out!”

“I just can’t control it,” Tang Doudou’s eyes were watery, looking innocent and pitiful.

Xu Chacha: “…”

The tables had turned. She used to pretend to be pitiful to gain sympathy, and now it was her turn to soften her heart toward others.

The cuteness of a human child was truly insurmountable.

…

Wen Mubai created a collection inspired by the sketch she drew in the hospital that day. The dress assigned to Xu Chacha was the green gardenia dress from that drawing.

Before the exhibition, Xu Chacha went for a fitting. The size was perfect, saving the effort of alterations.

On the day of the exhibition, Wen Mubai arrived early at the venue to help Lang Shu with preparations.

Xu Chacha was brought in by her parents for the rehearsal at four in the afternoon.

It wasn’t their first time at a fashion show, but it was their first time attending as family members.

Xu Chacha was assigned to a makeup artist. There were five other small models in her collection, and their makeup was similar.

The eye makeup was a peach-pink shade with a large area of shimmer. The eyebrows were drawn into cute, dotted brows with a red pencil, and the lip color was a light, dewy shade. The several little dolls, sculpted and polished, looked perfectly pretty.

The headdresses for the six models varied according to their outfits. Xu Chacha’s was a pair of greenish kingfisher wing hairpins, while the others had styles like butterflies, geese, and red-crowned cranes.

Because Xu Chacha’s dress was the main feature of the collection, she naturally was the first one to appear.

The six little models lined up backstage. Although they looked young, they were all experienced models. They were not flustered by the hustle and bustle of staff coming and going, waiting quietly for the director to call their names.

“Okay, Group Three, let’s try the music. Chacha, wait for the beat to step in.”

Xu Chacha nodded, waiting for the prelude’s beat before immediately stepping in.

When she was in work mode, she was more reliable than ever. Even Lang Shu, who was initially worried about her lack of experience in walking, became exceptionally confident in Xu Chacha after hearing the training instructor’s feedback.

“The little girl has great potential. Have you considered letting her pursue this career later?” Lang Shu leaned over to talk to Xu’s father.

Xu’s father looked calm on the surface but was inwardly struggling to suppress the urge to cheer, “My daughter is so cute!” which almost contorted his expression.

“Mmm, she’s beautiful,” he finally managed to maintain his already worthless dignified persona and replied calmly.

Lang Shu was puzzled. “I was asking if you’d consider letting your daughter enter the industry. I think she has good potential.”

“It’s up to the child. Our thoughts follow hers,” Xu’s mother looked at the confident Xu Chacha on stage with a comforted smile.

She only hoped that Xu Chacha’s latter half of life would be good enough to make her forget those four years forever. Not out of guilt, but simply a mother’s sincerest wish.

After about three or four rehearsals, Xu Chacha’s group was finally done. Tang Doudou, wearing a butterfly hairpin, eagerly ran over with a bottle of water.

“Chacha, you are so cool! You didn’t miss a beat once!”

“Thank you,” Xu Chacha took the water she offered, opened it, and took a sip. “You’re much better now, too. If you keep this up on stage later, you’ll be perfect.”

“Really?” For some reason, Tang Doudou felt happier being complimented by Xu Chacha than by the instructor. She shook Xu Chacha’s arm. “It’s all because you taught me so well.”

The other little girls saw them chatting and soon joined in. Xu Chacha could contribute a few lines to everyone’s conversation, and soon the six of them were chattering away with the loudness of dozens of people.

Fortunately, the backstage was already noisy, and no one paid attention to the topics of the little models.

“Is Xu Chacha here?” A voice came from somewhere. Xu Chacha craned her neck to look around, finally spotting the small figure of Lang Yueyue in the crowd by standing on her toes.

The staff member holding Lang Yueyue’s hand was the one who called out.

After half a year of recuperation, Lang Yueyue’s physical and mental state had improved significantly. She had put on weight, and her smile was much more frequent. She used to hide in fear when seeing strangers, but now she could at least look people in the eye.

“Yueyue!” Xu Chacha raised her hand and waved at her. “Long time no see.”

Lang Yueyue smiled, let go of the staff member’s hand, and ran towards her.

Xu Chacha remembered that she couldn’t exert herself, so she quickly went up to stop her. “Don’t run! I’m right here.”

“Ah… ah!” Lang Yueyue excitedly signed to her.

The staff member who followed her over helped translate. “Yueyue says she missed you so much and is very happy to see you.”

Xu Chacha opened her arms and gave Lang Yueyue a big hug. “I missed you, too.”

Lang Yueyue was modeling Lang Shu’s collection, wearing the dress that was originally meant to be lent to EV for the cover shoot but was never used.

“You look so beautiful.”

The dress was originally designed by Lang Shu with her as the inspiration, and Lang Yueyue wore it perfectly, living up to expectations. The little white dress was ethereal and not lacking in sophistication.

Lang Yueyue looked down, smiling shyly, then quickly kissed Xu Chacha on the cheek when she wasn’t looking.

Xu Chacha covered her face, surprised by the sudden kiss.

The staff member translated Lang Yueyue’s subsequent sign language. “You look especially beautiful, too.”

“Thank you! Hahahahaha.”

…

The live stream started promptly at eight o’clock. Lang Shu’s exhibition gathered over a dozen of his collections from over the years, plus Wen Mubai’s, so the show was conservatively estimated to be at least an hour long.

The collections were ordered chronologically from Spring, Summer, Autumn, to Winter. Wen Mubai’s “The Revival of All Things” was arranged as the last group in the Spring collection. Xu Chacha was the opening model for this collection, considered a “small opener.”

She had walked in many shows, but for some reason, she was more nervous than ever this time.

Xu Chacha was walking this show not for herself, but for Wen Mubai. She wished more than Wen Mubai herself did that after tonight, Wen Mubai would no longer be unknown in the industry.

The grand opening was walked by Lang Yueyue. On stage, she was completely different from her shy demeanor backstage—confident and dazzling. Every step was solid. The silver thread that Lang Shu had painstakingly sewn onto the hem of the dress blended into the soft skirt, resembling a shimmering lake under the lights.

It was like the first ray of sunlight breaking through the ice in early spring.

That was the hope he placed in Lang Yueyue—that she could quickly break through the shadows and be as lively and happy as a normal child.

“Chacha, I’m scared.” Tang Doudou was on such a large show for the first time. Before, she had only been accompanied by her mother to shoot a few times for Taobao children’s clothing. “What if I make a mistake later?”

“If you make a mistake, you make a mistake. Just get up quickly!” Xu Chacha put her arm on her shoulder. “Didn’t the teacher say not to keep thinking about making a mistake before you walk? You should chant…”

“I know!” Tang Doudou shook her head and began to chant, “I’m the queen, shining with confidence!”

“Hahahahaha, exactly.” Children are so easy to amuse.

After two continuous pieces of music, it was finally time for the last segment of the Spring collection.

Xu Chacha raised her arms, shrugged her shoulders, and dropped her cheerful demeanor.

At the same time, on the live stream, tens of thousands of viewers were watching the show. The number wasn’t huge, but the bullet comments were frequent.

[Welcome to the “Series of Lies to Make You Have a Child: The Beautiful Baby You Can’t Produce”!]

[Hahaha, a little model fell down at the back when going off the stage just now, stood there and cried, and a hand reached out from below and pulled him down.]

[You’re a demon! You watched so closely! Doesn’t he deserve some dignity?]

The music for “The Revival of All Things” was the most lively and light-hearted of all the Spring collections. Accompanied by several crisp bird chirps, Xu Chacha, in the green dress, emerged from backstage.

Although she was small, her body proportions were good. Her slender, fair legs moved naturally with the music, stepping perfectly on every light beat. At the designated spot, she touched her chin with her shoulder and smiled, then turned, swinging the flowing skirt, and looked back again, offering a brief second glance. The dangling beads of the kingfisher hairpin on her head shook, adding a touch of quick-witted charm.

[This little sister walks so smoothly! My OCD for hitting the beats is satisfied!]

[Although she’s short, her runway walk is pretty good! She’s so confident, and I’m obsessed with her looks, ahhh!]

[That smile at the end of the walk! I’m dead, I’m dead! I want to rush into the screen and pinch her cheeks!]

[I’m just going to say, “Hi! Daughter! Come home with Auntie!”]

[LOL, you guys are still commenting? I can’t even keep up with the screenshots!]

As Xu Chacha had hoped, the “Revival of All Things” collection really took off. Her thirty-something seconds of walking were clipped into several animated GIFs and went viral. The second glance at the designated spot was particularly popular.

The comment section was full of people planning to “steal” the child, while Xu’s parents were panicking.

After the initial buzz died down, the compliments shifted from the model to the clothes. People started looking for the designer, and someone uploaded a screenshot of Wen Mubai leading Xu Chacha out for the curtain call.

[Isn’t this the great beauty who saved EV before? I was drooling over her cover for half a day!]

[The designer is more beautiful than the model series]

[With that figure and face, she could definitely rely on her looks but insists on relying on her talent]

[I just looked up her background and came back. She’s actually a rich woman with over a hundred billion in assets! Sister, look at me!]

[Reply to the above: Forget the rich woman part, her college entrance exam scores would also crush those idols who hype up their “academic genius” persona by ten streets.]

…

As soon as Xu Chacha got off the stage, the first thing she did was search the crowd for Wen Mubai.

“Chacha.”

Amidst the frantic searching, a familiar, cool voice sounded from behind.

Xu Chacha immediately turned around. Wen Mubai’s hand was already resting on her small head. “You walked wonderfully. Thank you.”

Xu Chacha had been looking for her just to hear this compliment, but when she actually heard it, her face flushed red, and she stammered, unable to speak.

“I tried so hard for Auntie. You know that, right?” Xu Chacha looked at her and whispered.

“That’s why I’m saying thank you,” Wen Mubai smiled. “Perhaps if it were another model…”

“If it were another model, the clothes would still look beautiful! Because Auntie’s designs are beautiful!” Xu Chacha quickly interrupted her. “But they look even better on me.”

“You’re right,” Wen Mubai’s tone was very indulgent.

“What I mean is, I worked so hard for Auntie’s dream,” Xu Chacha reached out and took her hand, pressing it against Wen Mubai’s own left chest. “So, no matter how difficult the situation is, Auntie is not allowed to give up. You have to go to bigger and more distant places and see more spectacular and beautiful scenery.”

“Did you learn parallel sentences this semester?” Wen Mubai poked her cheek with her finger, then quickly composed herself. “I know. I’ll listen to you.”

“Don’t listen to me,” Xu Chacha said, her face serious. She took Wen Mubai’s hand and pressed it to her own left chest. “Listen to here.”

Wen Mubai felt her own heartbeat in her palm, looking into Xu Chacha’s transparent eyes. She found herself at a loss for words.

“Auntie just needs to remember that no matter what happens, Chacha will always be on your side. Although I might not be qualified enough right now, I will be your strongest support.”

The corners of Wen Mubai’s lips curled up. For the first time, she smiled so genuinely happy. “Okay, Auntie remembers.”

…

The two, one big and one small, were the subject of discussion on trending topics for almost a week before the heat slightly subsided.

This directly caused the phone at the Xu household to ring nonstop all day long.

It was manageable for Xu’s parents. On one hand, they were happy to show off, and on the other, people could try sending WeChat messages, so they didn’t have to reply instantly all the time.

But it was different for Xu Chacha. Elementary school students didn’t bother typing on WeChat; they sent voice messages and complained that her replies were slow, insisting on calling to vent their urgency.

“Chacha, you’re so pretty! I saw your video! My mom and dad are asking about you!” Chen Xixi’s high-pitched, child’s voice was highly recognizable. She was quickly taken over by her mother after only a few sentences.

“I’m sorry, Chacha, for always bothering you. Xixi talks about missing you all day, so I had to let her call you.”

Xu Chacha sweetly replied, “It’s no bother, Auntie Xixi. I also love talking to Xixi on the phone. I’ve missed her so much these many days of the holiday.”

Chen’s mother covered her chest, thinking, What kind of little angel is this? Why is she so sensible?

Crucially, she, too, was mesmerized by the animated GIF online. Now, she was looking forward to the start of school more than anyone, so she could sneak in a hug with Xu Chacha when dropping Xixi off.

The phone was quickly handed back to Chen Xixi. The two girls chatted nonsensically about topics that were silly but inexplicably funny for a long time. Then, another call came through to Xu Chacha’s phone—it was Xue Miaomiao.

Xu Chacha rubbed her forehead with a headache and said to Chen Xixi, “Xixi, let’s switch to a WeChat call. I’ll pull Miaomiao into the group.”

“Ah? Okay then.”

They were both using their parents’ phones. Xu Chacha had already created a large group chat before. She started a call in the group, and Chen Xixi and Xue Miaomiao joined instantly.

“Hello, Chacha,” Xue Miaomiao’s slightly awkward voice came through. “Why haven’t you been sending me messages?”

Don’t you know, I miss you a lot.

Xu Chacha laughed foolishly. “I’ve been so busy these days. I can chat with you every day after this.”

“You… you don’t have to chat every day,” Xue Miaomiao’s voice dropped. “But, if you want to, it’s not impossible.”

“I do want to! We miss Miaomiao so much, too. School starts soon, and we can play together.”

Suddenly, a woman’s voice, neither loud nor soft but very clear, came from somewhere. “Hehe, what do you mean ‘it’s not impossible’? You keep picking up my phone to draft messages to people, but you’re too scared to send a single one. Who taught you to be so stubborn?”

The air was instantly quiet. Xu Chacha pretended not to hear, but Chen Xixi couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Pfft! Hahahahaha! Xue Miaomiao, you’re so uncool!”

After two seconds of silence, Xue Miaomiao’s voice, laced with a hint of a sob, finally came through. “Mom! What are you doing! I hate you the most!”

Xu Chacha sipped her milk and nodded silently: Mmm, today’s “I hate you the most” check-in is successful.