After Becoming a Cannon Fodder Side Character, I Became the Group’s Favorite (GL) - Chapter 41.2

Xu Chacha didn’t know how long she had been drawing. When she woke up, it was already past three in the morning.

She frantically kicked off her slippers and leaped onto the bed, as if death would catch up with her if she delayed for another second.

Sleeping at the desk counted as staying up late, but sleeping in bed didn’t. Next time, she would just draw in bed. How much easier would that be?

She originally intended to close her eyes and sleep, but she habitually grabbed her phone for a look. A row of red dots all wished her a happy birthday.

Xu Chacha didn’t check who they were. Instead, she scrolled down and finally found the row for “Sweet Auntie.”

No red dot.

But that made sense. Wen Mubai knew her sleep schedule and wouldn’t send her messages in the middle of the night.

After confirming, Xu Chacha turned to look at the other messages. She had added quite a few people since starting university, plus her old friends, nearly a hundred people had sent her birthday wishes.

Xu Chacha picked and chose, first claiming the red envelopes Chen Xixi and Xue Miaomiao sent in the group chat, then forwarded one to the 2602 dorm group.

Xu Chacha: Thank you. I’ll treat you to a meal when I get back tomorrow.

Before the people in the dorm could reply, the two little ones exploded.

Chen Xixi: @Xu Chacha, is this the real you? Hacked?

Xu Chacha sent a question mark back.

Xue Miaomiao: The owner of this account is never awake after midnight. You hacked the wrong person. [smile]

Xu Chacha was touched by their protective behavior and sent a voice message.

“Sorry, it’s my first time hacking, so I’m inexperienced. I couldn’t resist clicking the red envelope. How do I transfer it to my own account?”

Chen Xixi: ???

Xue Miaomiao: ???

Xu Chacha: well-behaved.jpg

Chen Xixi: You’re too weird. What’s going on? I can’t think of any other reason for you to stay up late unless you have a partner.

Xue Miaomiao: Concur.

Xu Chacha: I’m being rebellious for once. I wanted to try what it feels like to stay up late. I feel it now.

Chen Xixi: What does it feel like?

Xu Chacha: I feel a bit cold on top of my head, so I’m about to go to sleep.

She followed up with a sarcastic [well-behaved.jpg].

Chen Xixi felt she was being mocked but had no outlet for her anger.

Xu Chacha sent her a five-hundred-yuan red envelope with the message, “Hair volume rich person, calm down.”

Chen Xixi exploded even more, sending a flurry of messy emojis.

Ten seconds later, Xu Chacha’s phone received a new message.

[Chen Xixi claimed your red envelope]

Xu Chacha chuckled a few times and flipped back to the dorm group. The messages of “rich lady I love you” had already flooded the chat over a hundred times. Even though there were only three people, they managed to convey the momentum of a thousand troops.

Xu Chacha: If your formation skills during military training were half this good, the instructor wouldn’t have been so angry that he made us run laps.

After chatting for a bit, the sleepiness returned. Just then, her phone vibrated again.

An anime avatar popped up. It was “Lao Wu” from the etiquette club.

‘It’s your birthday tomorrow. Let me treat your dorm mates to dinner.’

‘You don’t have to feel burdened. I treat my buddies to dinner on their birthdays too.’

‘You guys pick the place. I saw on your class schedule that you only have two classes in the afternoon. How about I wait for you at the school gate then?’

Xu Chacha couldn’t help but give him a thumbs up after reading all that. She hadn’t replied a single word, but he seemed to have already agreed for her and set the time.

He had even tracked down her class schedule and prearranged everything. Although it wasn’t a private matter, it still made Xu Chacha feel uncomfortable.

Jiang Shu’s words had made her hesitate before, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Now, thinking about it, if she didn’t nip this in the bud, her ears would never have peace.

Thinking this, Xu Chacha finally sent the social media post that was stored in her drafts.

The caption was just two words, “Yearning,” accompanied by a beautiful photo.

The picture was of a famous actress whose works ranked high in historical box office records. She had recently come out, causing a sensation that trended on hot searches for an entire day.

Not long after the post was sent, her phone started dinging and clanging.

Chen Xixi: You’re gay? Tell me if you’ve been harboring evil intentions toward one of us!

Xu Chacha: confused.jpg

Chen Xixi: Spill it now! If it’s me, I’ll surrender immediately [shy.jpg]

Xu Chacha: naturally gay, no partner

Xue Miaomiao: Something’s wrong. You definitely have someone.

Xu Chacha: Sleeping, do not disturb [I won’t listen.jpg]

She ignored the other messages, muted her phone, and happily went to sleep.

…

Coming out wasn’t that rare anymore, and Xu Chacha had done it quite subtly. Many people might not have reacted to it, but once she got to school in the morning and everyone started talking about it, the effect was completely different.

Many people around Jiang Miao knew Xu Chacha through her, and they were also discussing the matter today.

“This little junior is quite brave, huh? First, she turned nasty at the basketball court and embarrassed the campus heartthrob. Then, she ditched seven or eight suitors and publicly came out?”

“The coming out was a bit sudden. Does she have a girlfriend?”

“I don’t think so. I know Zhu Zhu from her dorm, and she said Xu Chacha is still single.”

“Then she has a crush.” The girl’s expression was meaningful. “She’s coming out to give a hint.”

“What hint?”

“‘I like girls. Hurry up and confess to me,'”

Jiang Miao, who hadn’t participated in the conversation, suddenly tightened her grip on the pen. She didn’t turn her head, but she heard the last sentence clearly.

She wasn’t just listening; she even started to let her thoughts run wild uncontrollably.

Logically speaking, since Xu Chacha started university, the only girls she had interacted with, besides her roommates, were the ones closest to her. So, if she really did have a crush, could it possibly be her?

Pooey, pooey, pooey! Are you crazy!

This crazy thought was instantly dismissed by her with closed eyes.

But…

People are like that. They can’t help but anticipate something they want but can’t have.

“What’s wrong, Jiang Miao? Does your neck hurt? You keep shaking your head.”

“Huh?” Jiang Miao awkwardly touched her neck, realizing how strange her action was. “A little, yeah. I slept wrong last night.”

“Then go back and apply a hot towel. Be careful.”

“Mhm, thank you.”

Jiang Miao lowered her head to look at her phone. Xu Chacha finally replied to the birthday message she sent last night that morning.

She stared at the sweet, cute emoji, and somehow her thoughts drifted to Xu Chacha. If Xu Chacha used that expression to be coy, it would instantly empty a person’s health bar.

Jiang Miao was completely unaware that her thoughts were becoming increasingly dangerous. She smiled and fell into a silly trance.

In the afternoon, Xu Chacha and her three dorm mates walked out of the classroom. She looked down at her phone.

Lao Wu hadn’t sent her any messages since she posted that social media update yesterday. He hadn’t asked anything until now, so he probably really backed down.

“Where are we eating later?” Zhu Zhu linked arms with her. “The cake is all set. It’s temporarily stored in the supermarket lady’s freezer. Remember to remind me to bring it when we leave.”

“Let’s drop off our books and go. I’ll call a ride.”

They didn’t have an early class the next day, so the few of them were prepared to stay out until midnight. Not only did they touch up their makeup completely, but they also brought power banks, charging cables, and electric toothbrushes.

Xu Chacha felt like laughing. “Are you really going to sleep at my place tonight?”

As someone who had slept on a half-deflated air mattress, she wasn’t sure if she recommended Zhu Zhu and the others try it.

“Not necessarily. Maybe I’ll be sleeping in a handsome guy’s arms tonight.”

Xu Chacha was used to Zhu Zhu’s wild claims. She was bold with her words, but she was actually a timid person who would be nervously hesitant for half a day even to hold hands.

Sometimes, thinking about it, it was quite a charming contrast.

—When she first complained about Zhu Zhu like this in her mind, Xu Chacha didn’t expect this boast would one day fall upon herself.

They went out and picked up the cake on the way. Xu Chacha casually bought a can of soda and paid an extra ten yuan as a storage fee to the proprietress.

In the car, they discussed where to eat later.

“Hot pot and barbecue are too smelly. Since it’s a birthday, let’s be more elegant and eat something refined.”

“Then these two. I’ve eaten at both, and there are no bad dishes.” Su Qing screenshotted the places and sent them to the group chat. “Chacha, take a look and see which one you like.”

“Okay.”

Xu Chacha noted the restaurant names and searched for them in the app. One was a Southern cuisine place that leaned sweet, and the other was a Sichuan restaurant with spicy food.

All four of them in the dorm could handle spicy food, so they often ate together.

Xu Chacha didn’t reply immediately. Instead, she went to Wen Mubai’s chat box.

Xu Chacha: How is it? Can you come? If you do, we won’t eat spicy food.

Wen Mubai had been called home by her father that morning and hadn’t messaged all day. Xu Chacha was a little worried.

Although Mr. Wen wouldn’t do anything to Wen Mubai, she was still worried they might argue. Mr. Wen had always had a bad temper. The last time they had such an ugly fight was when the old man stepped in to mediate.

Fortunately, Wen Mubai replied quickly, interrupting Xu Chacha’s worries.

Wen Mubai: I’m on the way. It might take some time to get to you. You guys eat first. Don’t worry about the spice. I might not arrive until you’re done eating.

Xu Chacha: Okay. Tell the driver to drive slowly. No rush. Be safe.

Wen Mubai: Mhm. Send me the payment code when you check out. I’ll pay.

Xu Chacha didn’t stand on ceremony with her. She replied with an “ok” and turned to tell Zhu Zhu and the others to choose the spicy restaurant.

Su Qing’s taste truly suited the four roommates. They ordered eight dishes, and almost every plate was finished.

The food was genuinely spicy. Eating it in the winter made them sweat, but taking a bite of the soft cream cake afterward elevated the satisfaction to its peak instantly.

“Ah!!! This is too wonderful! Can I eat like this every day!” Zhu Zhu started howling even before wiping the cream off her mouth.

Xu Chacha handed her a tissue and laughed, “If you eat like this every day, you’ll have to make an appointment with the proctologist.”

“…” Zhu Zhu’s expression immediately darkened. “Chacha, you’re the worst. You’re even better than my mom at killing my appetite.”

“I bet your mom said eating cake every day would make you fat.”

“Damn it! How did you know?” Zhu Zhu’s eyes widened. “You know so much. Am I the long-lost—”

“Stop.” Xu Chacha cut off her sentence and cut her another slice of cake. “Eat more and shut up.”

“You’re deliberately trying to fatten me up so I can’t get married.” Zhu Zhu clutched her clothes. “So you can possess me, is that it?”

Su Qing and Jiang Shu rolled their eyes at her almost simultaneously, saying in unison, “Does having food in your mouth still not shut you up?”

“Hahaha.” Xu Chacha also had a bit of cream on her face, but she didn’t notice, laughing happily.

When they were mostly finished eating, she got up, ready to try her old trick of paying the bill, but was informed that the bill had already been settled.

She asked in confusion, “Who paid?”

The waitress pulled out a gift bag from somewhere. “The three ladies at your table paid together, and they also asked me to give you this gift.”

Xu Chacha took the gift and opened the bag. A card slipped out.

[Remember to split the bill next time. Since it’s your birthday today, we won’t include you. Happy Birthday!]

When they went out to eat, Xu Chacha often secretly settled the bill halfway through. Now, she realized that the few of them genuinely wanted to be her friends, and too much of this “caring” would make them feel burdened instead.

She slowly opened the gift box. Inside lay an exquisite ladies’ watch. Xu Chacha, who was familiar with major brands, quickly recognized the watch.

It was a trendy internet celebrity model this year, and the price was not low. All three of them came from average middle-class families and sometimes complained about being broke and having to live on instant noodles at the end of the month. She didn’t know where they saved up the money to buy it for her.

Xu Chacha’s eyes were a little moist. She suddenly felt that these girls were quite lovely.

“You girls have such a good relationship,” the waitress said with a hint of envy.

She had only seen such romantic gestures between young couples before. It proved that the friendship between girls could also be very beautiful.

“It is very good,” Xu Chacha smiled at her, hiding her tears.

After washing her hands in the restroom, her emotions had mostly settled down. She dried her hands, took out the watch from the box, put it on, and put the one she was originally wearing into the gift box, stuffing it into her back pants pocket.

By the time she returned to the table, the expression on her face was almost completely concealed.

“Have you guys eaten enough?” She sat down, took the gift box in her right hand, and quickly stuffed it into the pocket of the jacket hanging on the chair, moving so fast that no one probably noticed.

“Wait, let me take two more sips of my drink,” Zhu Zhu said with puffed cheeks.

“Drink slowly. Who’s going to fight you for it?”

“I’m not afraid you’ll fight me for it. It’s just that Jiang Miao and the others have booked a room and are waiting for us. It wouldn’t be good to keep the seniors waiting for too long.”

Su Qing: “Why don’t you just say you’re rushing to see the handsome guys?”

Zhu Zhu quickly finished her drink, picked up her jacket, and said, “Let’s go, let’s go. Time to see some handsome guys.”

The others followed suit and left the table.

As they walked out, Zhu Zhu habitually came over and linked arms with Xu Chacha. Her eyes glanced at the wrist with the new watch. “Oh, beauty, nice watch.”

Xu Chacha’s lips curved up. “It is nice. Jealous?”

Jiang Shu and Su Qing exchanged glances, both seeing a smile in the other’s eyes.

“It’s just average. I can tell the time with my phone anyway,” Zhu Zhu scoffed.

…

The group arrived at the KTV room Jiang Miao had booked and sat down. This place belonged to the short-haired senior who asked for Xu Chacha’s signature at the last late-night snack. She often brought her classmates there.

For Xu Chacha’s birthday this time, she specially gave her a large room for free. Xu Chacha originally wanted to refuse, but the other party’s mother answered the phone and told her, “Chacha-bao, just go and have fun. It’s okay. Auntie is treating you!”

Even just hearing the voice, Xu Chacha felt her generosity was very real, so she put aside the thought of refusing, repeatedly saying thank you and accepting the offer.

Xu Chacha deliberately chose a seat close to the door, thinking it would be convenient to go out for some fresh air. However, this seat was right next to the song-requesting station, and she was constantly being ordered around. After switching seats a few times, she ended up squeezed next to Jiang Miao, who was sitting in the middle.

Jiang Miao had been restless all day. Her heart rate soared even higher when Xu Chacha sat down next to her.

She felt like if she didn’t control herself, her heart would fly out of her throat.

Jiang Miao took a sip of alcohol, a little flustered. Her eyes glanced at Xu Chacha, stopping at her right wrist.

“Don’t you like the bracelet? Why aren’t you wearing it?” She had seen Xu Chacha wearing it all the time before. Why was it suddenly off?

Xu Chacha said, “Oh.” “I was afraid of scratching it, so I put it away. I really like it, thank you, Senior.”

She didn’t dare to say it explicitly. Since Wen Mubai pointed out that the bracelet was a couple’s item, she hadn’t dared to wear it.

Even though Jiang Miao might not have that intention, she still needed to be careful to avoid suspicion.

…

When Wen Mubai arrived at the KTV with the new address, she saw Xu Chacha wearing a paper crown hat and sitting among the noisy crowd like a lifeless stone statue.

Everyone else was more excited than the birthday girl. Some were singing, some were drinking, and some were playing dice wildly. Someone offered the microphone to Xu Chacha, but she smiled and refused.

The microphone was passed to someone else. Listening to the voice, it was clearly someone who couldn’t sing, a howling sound that seemed capable of shattering glass and destroying one’s will to live.

Wen Mubai looked at the center of the sofa. Xu Chacha, with her tall and slender figure, suddenly looked a bit like a pitiful little milky bun from childhood.

Poor, weak, and helpless.

Her eyes were smiling. She opened the door and stepped in.

The moment Wen Mubai showed her face, the lively room suddenly fell silent. More than a dozen pairs of eyes stared at her intently.

“You guys continue. I’m here to keep the birthday girl company.” She had a slight smile on her lips, composedly walking over and sitting down next to Xu Chacha.

Xu Chacha, who had been unenthusiastic just moments ago, suddenly had her eyes light up. The dim, ambiguous lighting in the room couldn’t hide the rosy blush on her face from the alcohol.

Her moist, deer-like eyes looked at Wen Mubai, faintly showing signs of intoxication. “Auntie, you’re here.”

Wen Mubai picked up the wine glass on the table in front of her, sniffed it lightly, and frowned. “The alcohol content is this high?”

Xu Chacha nodded. “It’s fine. You’ll come and pick me up anyway.”

The trusting words softened Wen Mubai’s heart, and the words she had planned to scold the disobedient child with were unspoken.

Jiang Miao was sitting right next to Xu Chacha, and she heard their conversation clearly.

She lowered her head, unable to hide the disappointment in her eyes. It was the first time she had heard Xu Chacha use such a soft voice to be coy. Her clear,灵动 (agile) voice slowly elongated, and every word felt like a wad of cotton stuffing her chest.

The sweeter and more touching it sounded, the sourer her tongue felt. She knew Wen Mubai was just Xu Chacha’s so-called “little aunt,” but their relationship seemed too close.

Who would be in college and still contact a relative so frequently, even prioritizing her in everything?

She thought Xu Chacha’s tenderness toward her was special, but after witnessing how she was in front of Wen Mubai, that completely different side, she realized that she was just like everyone else, not truly knowing the complete her.

Jiang Miao got up and walked to the door to get some fresh air away from the noise. Her mind finally recovered some calm.

But the more she was alone, the more opportunities she had for her thoughts to run wild. She couldn’t help but recall the conversation her friends had on Sunday.

“I like girls. Hurry up and confess to me.”

Was this really a hint from Xu Chacha to her?

Jiang Miao’s hand trembled as she typed the message. She stared at the send button for more than ten seconds, then gritted her teeth and sent it out.

She stomped her foot, waiting for a few minutes. Finally, footsteps came from behind her. She turned around happily, but was met with Wen Mubai’s emotionless face.

“She’s drunk. She asked me to come.” Wen Mubai held out her hand. “You have a gift for her, right?”

Jiang Miao held the box in her hand, unsure whether to give it or not.

“I have something I want to say to her,” she withdrew her hand. “If she can’t come, I’ll give it to her myself next time. Thank you for coming out.”

Wen Mubai was wearing flats today, but she was still half a head taller than Jiang Miao when she stood straight. Her gaze, as sharp as a security scanner, swept up and down Jiang Miao.

“You’re going to confess?”

Normally, Wen Mubai wouldn’t bother with young people confessing to each other. Xu Chacha had been attracting attention since childhood. As long as she didn’t cause trouble, Wen Mubai wouldn’t interfere.

But this time, she didn’t know why, but those words slipped out uncontrollably.

She could hear her own voice. It was a cold tone, carrying a light rhetorical question, a not-so-friendly tone.

Jiang Miao was stunned. She probably didn’t expect Wen Mubai to be so blunt, but she still gathered her courage and nodded.

“I don’t actually know if I really like girls because I’ve only dated boyfriends before,” she probably didn’t notice the subtle unfriendliness hidden beneath Wen Mubai’s mature facade. She poured out her heart, almost as if confiding in an elder.

“When I first met her, I just thought this girl was rarely gentle and kind, so I developed the idea of wanting to be her friend.”

“Later, I found that my eyes were always drawn to her uncontrollably. I’d feel disappointed when she smiled at others, and I’d suddenly feel a sense of rivalry when she praised others. But all those feelings would vanish the moment she turned around, smiled at me, and called my name.”

“I know.” Jiang Miao laughed self-deprecatingly. “In her heart, she probably just sees me as an easygoing senior, but I don’t want to stop there. I want to be the most special person in her heart. I want to do more intimate things with her. I want our relationship to become special and even more special…”

As Jiang Miao spoke, she looked up at Wen Mubai. “Do you think I’m a pervert for feeling this way?”

Wen Mubai didn’t answer immediately. Her mind was a little blank.

She found that everything Jiang Miao said resonated deeply with her. It was as if it was an honest portrayal of her own heart.

When did the feelings start to change? Wen Mubai didn’t know.

Maybe it was with Xu Chacha’s innocent, sweet smiles, or maybe it started with the basketball that was thrown out of uncontrollable emotion. Perhaps it was even the moment she heard the girl’s soft, sweet voice say, “It’s fine. You’ll come and pick me up anyway,” and her heart was shaken.

Wen Mubai looked back at the equally confused Jiang Miao in front of her.

She asked herself in her heart, Wen Mubai, are you willing to stop here?