After Becoming a Cannon Fodder Side Character, I Became the Group’s Favorite (GL) - Chapter 40.2

Fang Jianren walked up to Xu Chacha and the others, tilted his head back, and drank water, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Sweat dripped all over his smooth skin, causing another commotion among the girls in the back.

Xu Chacha nibbled on her small biscuit and moved aside, trying to leave more room for the campus heartthrob and his fans to interact.

“Is it good?” Fang Jianren’s next question was directed at her.

Xu Chacha glanced at him and casually offered the biscuit bag in her hand. “It’s good.”

Her taste was influenced by Wen Mubai; she was half a matcha enthusiast.

Fang Jianren didn’t reach out to take it. Instead, he leaned closer to Xu Chacha, as if waiting for her to feed him.

Xu Chacha pretended not to understand what he meant. She thoughtfully took out a stick for him and held out her hand again.

Fang Jianren smiled, opened his mouth, and bit the end of the biscuit, taking it away, as if his two arms were completely useless.

“Ooh…”

Someone nearby cheered, and Fang Jianren’s smile was ambiguous. “Stop it. Can’t I even eat a biscuit?”

Xu Chacha seemed to have lost all her senses, completely oblivious to all the commotion around her. Because of Fang Jianren’s provocative move just now, she had lost her appetite for the remaining biscuits and simply tossed the bag aside.

“Gotta go. Watch well.” Fang Jianren finished the biscuit, smiled, and winked at her.

Xu Chacha forced a half-smile and replied with a perfunctory tone, “Go for it.”

After Fang Jianren left, she finally returned to her normal breathing rhythm. She took Jiang Shu’s hat and waved it in front of her to disperse the smell of sweat.

She finally had a slight desire to watch the game now, mainly to ponder Fang Jianren’s confidence.

In truth, this so-called campus heartthrob wasn’t stunningly handsome. Given the limited number of guys in the Faculty of Arts, Fang Jianren was merely the best among the mediocre. At most, his features were decent, and the major bonus came from his 1.85-meter height.

And this kind of person thinks he can win a girl over just by smiling and winking at her?

Xu Chacha tapped her head. Well, there seem to be quite a few girls who fall for it. More than a few, in fact. I see a bunch of them around me.

Sometimes, when Xu Chacha saw attractive female supporting characters with ordinary male partners, she wanted to shake their shoulders and tell them to wake up, but that was their private matter. How could she interfere?

When the game was about to finish, Wen Mubai sent a message.

Sweet Auntie: I’m at the entrance. What time does it end?

Xu Chacha: I don’t know. I’m watching the game with Su Qing and the others. I don’t know how much longer it’ll go, but it looks like it’s almost over.

Xu Chacha sent a photo. The habit of reporting everything to Wen Mubai was deeply ingrained in her.

Sweet Auntie: Basketball?

Xu Chacha pursed her lips at the question mark and retorted rebelliously, still holding onto the anger from the morning.

Xu Chacha: I don’t understand the game. Is it wrong to look at handsome guys?

After gritting her teeth and sending it, Xu Chacha didn’t feel much better. Instead, she was nervously waiting for Wen Mubai’s reply.

But after a long wait, there was no response from the other side.

“Seriously? Is she already mad?” Xu Chacha’s face fell.

While she was feeling down, the whistle blew shortly after, and most of the stadium stood up and cheered excitedly.

They won.

Xu Chacha stood up listlessly, smoothed out her wrinkled pants, and prepared to leave.

But the insensitive Fang Jianren approached her again. “Hand me a bottle of water, little junior.”

Don’t you have hands?

Unfortunately, with so many people watching, Xu Chacha couldn’t voice her complaint. She could only squat down silently and grab a bottle for him.

Fang Jianren reached out. When taking the water, he didn’t grab the top or bottom of the bottle. His hand just coincidentally brushed the back of Xu Chacha’s hand.

He had just finished playing, and Xu Chacha couldn’t stand the smell of sweat and the greasy feeling of his skin. When she thought about him touching her without wiping his hands after touching such a dirty basketball, Xu Chacha couldn’t help but frown.

“Junior, how about giving me your WeChat?”

Xu Chacha forced a laugh, let go of the bottle, and stepped back, pretending she hadn’t heard clearly.

Fang Jianren smiled smugly, a smile he thought was very handsome, and leaned closer to her. “Are you shy?”

Xu Chacha couldn’t take it anymore. To hell with the upperclassman! To hell with appearances!

She directly pulled out a perfume sample she carried with her and sprayed Fang Jianren twice. “Upperclassman, you smell a little strong.”

“You…?” Fang Jianren’s expression was stunned. He hadn’t expected this reaction from Xu Chacha.

Xu Chacha smiled at him. “This is a popular hot-selling item from our company. It’s neither too sweet nor too heavy and is suitable for both men and women. If you like it, I can bring you a bottle.”

Zhu Zhu and Su Qing didn’t know what had happened between the two of them. They were just staring blankly, seeing that Xu Chacha looked upset.

But Jiang Shu had been watching their interaction the whole time and felt that Xu Chacha’s move was a satisfying slap in the face. She was secretly thrilled, perhaps because the couple she shipped wasn’t this one, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

She’s even promoting her family’s perfume at a time like this. Should I praise Xu Chacha as a business genius, a worthy daughter of the richest man?

“What do you mean?” With so many people around, they all more or less sensed the tension. Fang Jianren had never been embarrassed in front of so many people. He gritted his teeth and quietly said to Xu Chacha, “Don’t take kindness for granted.”

Xu Chacha wasn’t afraid of him at all. She even curled her lips into a sweet smile. “What’s wrong, Upperclassman? Are you going to hit me here?”

Fang Jianren’s facial muscles twitched a few times. He was about to reach his limit when a basketball suddenly flew from behind, hitting him hard in the back. The dull thud alone was enough to tell how painful it was.

The person who threw the ball was wearing the same coat as yesterday, and her long boots drew a clear line between her mature demeanor and the group of young girls gathered there.

Her heels clicked on the wooden floor, slow and rhythmic. Wen Mubai ignored the flabbergasted Fang Jianren, walked up to Xu Chacha, disregarded the attention around them, and held out her hand to her. “Let’s go. Give me your bag.”

Xu Chacha was a little surprised. “When did you get here?”

“Just now. I ran into an acquaintance at the entrance, and she let me in,” Wen Mubai said flatly.

Fang Jianren realized he was completely ignored and was extremely annoyed. “Hey, who are you? Don’t you apologize when you hit someone?”

Hearing this, Wen Mubai lifted her eyes and gave him a cold, piercing look. She answered his question with a condescending tone. “I hit you on purpose. And is it necessary to tell you who I am?”

Zhou Yang probably recognized Wen Mubai. He went up, grabbed Fang Jianren’s shoulder, and pulled him back. “Don’t be rash, don’t be rash. Let’s go first. We just won the game. Let’s celebrate and be happy.”

He winked at Su Qing as he spoke.

Su Qing looked at Zhou Yang with a conflicted expression, then at Xu Chacha, and shook her head at him. She mouthed, “I’m not going. You go.”

Seeing this, Zhou Yang could only drag Fang Jianren away first.

The spectators who were watching the show dispersed when the people involved left. Su Qing walked up and hugged Xu Chacha’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect Fang Jianren to be that kind of person.”

Xu Chacha gave her a comforting smile. “Why are you apologizing to me?”

Su Qing looked dejected. She had actually known that Fang Jianren was interested in Xu Chacha, and Zhou Yang had mentioned trying to set them up today. That’s why she had gone along with Zhu Zhu to bring Xu Chacha to watch the game. She never expected something like this to happen.

If a guy genuinely liked a girl, how could he speak in such a terrible tone? She was even scared watching from the side, fearing that Fang Jianren would get angry and physically lash out at Xu Chacha.

“Are these all your roommates?” Wen Mubai asked.

“Mhm. We came together to watch the game.”

“Let’s go.” Wen Mubai gestured with her left hand, put Xu Chacha’s bag on her back, and walked down the steps. “Let’s go eat. You guys pick the place. My treat.”

The three girls exchanged glances. The earlier unpleasantness was completely forgotten, and their minds were filled with the joy of being treated to a meal by the Goddess.

“Can we come?” Zhu Zhu tugged at Xu Chacha’s arm.

“Of course.” Xu Chacha replied. “It’s her treat, not mine. Tell her quickly what you want to eat. You might not get this chance again.”

“Me, me, me. I’ve been craving the Japanese restaurant on East Street for a long time, but it’s a bit expensive…” Zhu Zhu fiddled with her fingers, constantly giving Xu Chacha a meaningful look.

“Then let’s go there. I’ll tell her.”

Xu Chacha walked around the stands railing and quickly caught up with Wen Mubai. Wen Mubai seemed to be in a bad mood.

“Hey.” She touched Wen Mubai’s arm. “Give me a wet wipe.”

Wen Mubai took out a whole pack from the bag and handed it to her.

“Help me open it.”

The soft white wet wipe was handed to her. Only then did Xu Chacha take it and use it to scrub the hand that Fang Jianren had touched.

The sticky, sweaty feeling made her feel nauseous, and she couldn’t help but rub harder. Her delicate skin quickly became red and raw.

Wen Mubai grabbed her wrist before her seemingly self-mutilating behavior got worse. “What are you doing?”

“Dirty,” Xu Chacha said innocently.

Wen Mubai looked down at her clean hand and then remembered the sight that had made her lose her self-control at the door. She pulled Xu Chacha and turned around to the sink behind the basketball court.

“Wash it here.” She turned on the faucet for Xu Chacha.

“Oh.” Xu Chacha washed her hands using the standard seven steps. She looked up and glanced at the stern-faced Wen Mubai. “Why do you look so upset?”

Wen Mubai wasn’t quite sure of the answer to that question herself. After a moment of internal struggle, she blamed everything on Fang Jianren’s arrogance and rudeness.

“What is your relationship with that person just now?”

“We don’t know each other. That was the first time we met today,” Xu Chacha said as she turned off the faucet. “You didn’t have to deliberately embarrass him. I could have handled it myself.”

“You expect me to just stand there and watch you get bullied?” Wen Mubai handed her a paper towel to dry her hands.

Xu Chacha lowered her head, slowly drying the water from her hands. Her downcast eyelashes concealed the emotions in her eyes. She suddenly remembered that Wen Mubai had indeed said something very seriously to her before.

‘No one will ever be able to bully you again.’

She never expected such a lighthearted promise to be remembered until now. She had almost forgotten it herself.

“From now on, any boyfriend you find must be approved by me. If you encounter people like that again, don’t even think about it, just reject them immediately.” Unlike before, her tone this time was serious and cold.

“So fierce,” Xu Chacha mumbled, wrinkling her face. “I wouldn’t like him anyway.”

Wen Mubai was satisfied with this answer. She pinched her cheek. “Good. I haven’t taught you in vain.”

When Zhu Zhu and the others came out and didn’t see Xu Chacha, they assumed the two of them had gone to the restaurant first, so they quickly headed for the back door.

In reality, Xu Chacha was walking leisurely behind Wen Mubai with her hands in her pockets. Wen Mubai would stop after walking a short distance to wait for her, but Xu Chacha would deliberately maintain a certain distance each time.

“Does your foot hurt?”

“No.”

Wen Mubai stopped and stared at Xu Chacha without speaking.

Under the silence, Xu Chacha couldn’t help herself. “That message this morning really wasn’t sent by me. A classmate borrowed my phone to play and might have accidentally sent the wrong thing.”

Wen Mubai took in her awkward and sheepish expression completely. She reached out, circled Xu Chacha’s wrist, and pulled her along. “Fine.”

Xu Chacha cautiously observed her expression from the side. “You believe me?”

“What do you think?” Wen Mubai glanced at her, her eyes carrying a hint of frustration over her failure to live up to expectations. “You stewed over it for half a day and came up with that excuse. I’m embarrassed for you.”

“Okay, fine.” Xu Chacha’s expression became crestfallen again. “I’m not very good at lying anyway.”

“If you’re not good at it, then don’t do it. Don’t learn bad things.”

“How do you know I’m learning bad things? Haven’t I been good enough?” Xu Chacha glared at her.

A laugh escaped Wen Mubai’s lips. “Fine, you’re the best.”

Xu Chacha secretly made a face, silently venting her dissatisfaction.

But then she thought, Wait a minute, I’m the one who’s more in the right here. Why is it okay for you, Wen Mubai, to roam the flower gardens abroad, but it’s considered ‘learning bad things’ for me, Xu Chacha, to look at a piece of gossip news in class?

Just as she was gathering some courage to fight back, Wen Mubai spoke.

“The one in the black dress is Du Fei, my subordinate.” She explained proactively. “I arranged for her to meet an important client that day. The girl was inexperienced and got drunk. She called me to pick her up because she was worried something might happen. I sent her, so I couldn’t just stand by.”

“Oh.” Xu Chacha’s mood inexplicably brightened considerably. Her lips curled into a smile, which she quickly suppressed with reason, pretending to be nonchalant. “I didn’t believe it anyway.”

“You didn’t believe it, yet you specifically saved the picture to your phone?”

“A slip of the hand, I guess.” Xu Chacha awkwardly changed the subject. “So, do you have a partner now?”

She was still cautious and didn’t ask if it was a man or a woman.

Wen Mubai turned and stared at her for a few seconds. “My career is more important.”

…

Japanese Restaurant

Wen Mubai specifically booked a private room and instructed the waiter over the phone to start serving the food even if not everyone had arrived.

When they got there, Zhu Zhu and the others had already ordered a few appetizers but hadn’t dared to order the main courses yet.

Wen Mubai knew the girls were shy and wouldn’t dare to touch their chopsticks unless she spoke first. So, the first thing she did after sitting down was pick up the menu and order a few signature sets. The portions were enough for eight people. Then, she handed the menu to Xu Chacha next to her.

“Order anything else you want. Don’t worry about saving me money.”

She just said that her career was more important and that she needed to earn money, and now she’s being so generous? Xu Chacha secretly complained. She glanced at what Wen Mubai had ordered, estimated she wouldn’t be able to eat it all, and didn’t order anything more.

She passed the menu down to Jiang Shu. “You guys order. Put in the same effort as you did when ordering that spicy hot pot. If we can’t finish it, we’ll just pack it up.”

With Xu Chacha’s words, Zhu Zhu became bolder. She furiously ordered three expensive sashimi plates and a Japanese sweet wine. After ordering, she still lowered her head with feigned modesty. “I’m fine with just these.”

The menu circulated and returned to Wen Mubai. Seeing that they had only ordered sushi and sashimi, she took a pen, circled a few tempura dishes, and then handed it back to the waiter.

The fish slices arrived quickly. Zhu Zhu, who was seated closest to the serving door, offered the plate inside first. “Try this, Chacha-bao.”

Before Xu Chacha could move her chopsticks, Wen Mubai blocked the plate. “She doesn’t eat fish.”

“Huh? You don’t eat fish?”

“I don’t really like it,” Xu Chacha nodded.

“Okay then.” Zhu Zhu put the plate back in front of herself.

She thought back and realized Xu Chacha never ordered fish dishes in the cafeteria. The only thing that came close was possibly yuxiang rousi (fish-flavored shredded pork).

Wen Mubai wasn’t very talkative, but today she was intentionally trying to get acquainted with the girls. She initiated a topic that was familiar to both parties to reduce the distance: Xu Chacha.

“Does she cause a lot of trouble at school?”

“No, but she’s really popular, that’s for sure.” Zhu Zhu counted on her fingers. “It’s only been a few weeks since school started, and I can’t count the guys who are openly and secretly pursuing her on one hand.”

“That upperclassman just now was one of them, but he seemed a little slow in the head and couldn’t take a hint.”

Wen Mubai slowly took a sip of tea from her cup. “And Lao Wu?”

“Damn it,” Xu Chacha couldn’t help but swear. “Why bring him up?”

“Who’s Lao Wu?” Su Qing asked curiously.

Jiang Shu had talked about Wen Mubai all the way back yesterday and hadn’t mentioned Lao Wu at all, so they didn’t know about him yet.

“He was the guy who stayed behind to confess to her after the dinner party yesterday,” Jiang Shu said, swallowing her food. “She rejected him, so nothing happened.”

The last half of the sentence, she seemed to say to reassure someone.

Xu Chacha got a massive headache talking about this person. Because they were in the same club, they had exchanged contact information before. Even after being rejected, he continued to use the excuse of “being friends” and sent her good morning and good night texts every day, constantly showing concern. Xu Chacha was so bothered that she had no choice but to put him on mute and give him the cold shoulder.

“I wanted to pretend nothing happened, but he didn’t.”

“Then why don’t you just tell him you don’t like guys?” Jiang Shu’s words were shocking.

There was a moment of silence at the table. After a while, Zhu Zhu led the applause and gave her a thumbs up.

“That’s a good idea, my Shu Shu. So smart.” She continued, “Actually, it would be great if Chacha-bao were really gay. Then I could openly ship you and Upperclassman Jiang Miao!”

“Cough! Cough, cough—” Xu Chacha choked on a piece of sushi. Her first reaction was to look at Wen Mubai’s expression.

As a fan of the couple, Jiang Shu was also keenly interested in their interaction, keeping a close eye on Wen Mubai’s actions.

The person involved acted as if she hadn’t heard the name “Jiang Miao.” First, she handed a cup of water to Xu Chacha, then picked up the onsen tamago (soft-boiled egg) from the plate, mixed it into the chicken leg rice, and handed it to Xu Chacha. “Try this. The teriyaki chicken leg here is their specialty.”

A boss is a boss indeed. She has absolute confidence, no matter who the rival in love is.

—Thought Jiang Shu, who was obsessed with shipping couples.