After Becoming a Cannon Fodder Side Character, I Became the Group’s Favorite (GL) - Chapter 50

The outsider, Jian Xi, keenly sensed that the atmosphere was wrong. Looking down, she even saw Xu Yanshu’s hands clenched into fists, so she quickly stepped forward, placing herself between the two.

“Yanshu, could you help me hold this?”

Xu Yanshu subconsciously reached out. “Sure, I’ll take it.”

“It’s getting late. Let’s head back soon,” Jian Xi then turned to Xu Chacha. “Even if you’re young, you shouldn’t stay up late often. You worked hard today. Get some rest early.”

“Mhm mhm mhm, I want to go home now.” Xu Chacha blinked. “Sis, be careful on your way back with Sister Jian Xi.”

Xu Yanshu stared at her with a strained smile. “No rush. We’ll head back after dropping you and your auntie off at home.”

Wen Mubai also narrowed her eyes and smiled. She put an arm around Xu Chacha’s shoulder. “No need. I drove.”

“It’s fine. My sister, I’ll take her home myself. I’m afraid she might encounter bad people and be unsafe,” Xu Yanshu finished, then turned to Xu Chacha. “Right?”

Xu Chacha dared not utter a word, not even breathing loudly.

At this moment, Jian Xi tugged on Xu Yanshu’s sleeve, pulling her back. “Yanshu, we need to go back soon. The people in the cottage are waiting.”

Xu Yanshu: “…Alright then.”

Hidden behind Wen Mubai, Xu Chacha furiously sent signals with her eyes to Jian Xi: Sis-in-law, I love you!

On the way home, Xu Chacha quietly asked the person in the driver’s seat, “Were you deliberately provoking my sister?”

“Was I?” Wen Mubai’s voice showed no sign of remorse. “I was only telling the truth.”

“What did you mean by ‘I belong to… belong to me’?”

“Should I phrase it differently?” Wen Mubai glanced sideways, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Are you my sugar mommy now?”

“Cough, cough, cough—” Xu Chacha nearly choked on her own saliva. Her face was flushed, whether from choking or from Wen Mubai’s audacity. “Why do you always refuse to speak like a normal person?”

“It’s alright,” Wen Mubai suddenly chuckled, remembering something. “Speaking of which, wasn’t it you who said you’d support me? I was just following your lead.”

“That’s not what I meant by supporting you!” Xu Chacha argued in her defense. “I just wanted to give you some support.”

“Give me support? Then how should I repay you, my dearest sugar mommy?” Her tone was teasing, making Xu Chacha’s ears turn red.

They hadn’t done anything, and there was still a distance between them, yet she felt that the term “sugar mommy” was loaded with inappropriate undertones.

“…Cook for me?”

“Are you taking on such a loss-making business?”

“Yes, I am. Rich women don’t care about those minor details.”

A laugh escaped Wen Mubai’s lips again, her eyes filled with pleasure. “Fine.”

Her subtle provocation toward Xu Yanshu was purely verbal; she genuinely didn’t intend to act like a “bad person” performing evil deeds at night.

“Get some sleep early these two days. Get your energy back. You also need to eat; don’t just focus on starving yourself,” she habitually reminded her when they reached the door.

“Got it.” Xu Chacha stood behind the door, looking eagerly at her. “Are you leaving?”

“Otherwise?”

“That… is there one?”

“What?” Wen Mubai took a step closer to ask.

“This.” Xu Chacha opened her phone and sent her an emoji.

It was a picture of a little girl with chubby cheeks pouting for a kiss.

Wen Mubai’s smile widened after seeing it. “Then look up.”

Xu Chacha gently raised her chin, her closed eyelashes trembling uncontrollably.

But the kiss didn’t land where she expected. It was just a touch on her forehead, like usual.

She opened her eyes, feeling a bit upset.

“You, come here.”

Wen Mubai good-naturedly leaned in. “What is it, my little ancestor?”

“What do you mean, what is it?” Xu Chacha glared at her, then reached out, grabbed her collar, and aggressively and fiercely bit her on the lips.

Calling it a bite was no exaggeration. When she pulled back, Wen Mubai’s lower lip stung. She couldn’t help but raise a finger to rub it.

It was manageable. She was merciful enough not to draw blood.

“This is what I want. Did you get that?”

“Got it.” Wen Mubai chuckled, her voice hoarse, her eyes full of ambiguity. Then, she repeated the title in a slow, almost mockingly refined tone. “Sugar mommy.”

And the door slammed shut in her face.

Wen Mubai couldn’t see Xu Chacha, who was currently leaning against the door, her cheeks rapidly reddening, one hand resting on her frantically thumping chest for reassurance.

A few seconds later, she muttered, “Damn it, you devil.”

Out of consideration for Xu Chacha’s student status, AS specifically rescheduled the advertisement shoot for the weekend.

Xu Chacha didn’t have a manager, so Wen Mubai had to push off her work and get up early to serve this “sugar mommy.”

At 4 a.m., she used her key to open Xu Chacha’s apartment door and pulled the groundhog out from under the covers.

Xu Chacha’s ankle was in her hand. She lay face-down in the pillow, looking half-dead.

She used to be able to wake up at whatever time she was told, because she’d wake up “poor” every morning without an alarm clock.

But now…

Wuwuwu, why did a rich woman have to wake up early too? Being a rich woman was so tiring.

“Get up, be good.” Wen Mubai was patient and didn’t immediately pull off her blanket.

The “unidentified creature” curled up in a ball moved its backside, laboriously flipped over, and stretched out both arms toward her. “Hug.”

“How old are you?” Wen Mubai sighed but still bent down to pick her up.

Xu Chacha in her arms weighed noticeably less than before. It seemed her figure management wasn’t just talk. She had been quite strict and had lost a lot of weight. She was already skin and bones to begin with.

However, Wen Mubai wasn’t too surprised. Although Xu Chacha looked cheerful and carefree all the time, she was always serious and diligent when it came to important tasks. Even Wen Mubai, who was a demanding client regarding her collaborators, would gladly work with her, setting aside their private relationship.

“I need a hug no matter how old I am. I’m the sugar mommy; what I say goes,” Xu Chacha nestled in her neck and laughed. “The sugar mommy demands you work out hard and be able to princess-carry her even when you’re eighty. Can you do that, Miss Wen?”

“That depends on whether the sugar mommy’s little treasury is enough to support me until I’m eighty,” Wen Mubai retaliated without batting an eye.

“It will be. I’m working hard to earn money,” Xu Chacha opened her mouth and lightly clamped down on a piece of delicate skin on her neck. “You’re a canary with no escape.”

After a flurry of activity, Wen Mubai finally delivered the little ancestor to the set before the scheduled time.

On set, Xu Chacha was noticeably more obedient, all her previous aggressiveness tucked away. She called the makeup artist “pretty jiejie” (older sister), making the artist’s cheekbones rise with pleasure.

“Your skin is so nice, meimei (little sister). No flaws even up close.”

“Yours is too, jiejie,” Xu Chacha opened her eyes and smiled at her. “What perfume are you wearing? It smells so good.”

“It was a sample that came with an aromatherapy candle I bought. I thought the scent was nice and planned to buy the full size next time. I think it’s Xu’s Perfumes. If you like it, I’ll take a photo for you when I get home.”

“Ah, I know. Their perfumes are indeed very high quality. I use a few of their products, and I can recommend some to you,” when talking about her family’s perfumes, Xu Chacha immediately switched into sales mode, chattering non-stop.

The quick-witted look on her face was enough to make Father Wen regret not recruiting her to the marketing department.

To match the product theme of Lele Bing, Xu Chacha’s makeup today was very youthful. A faint layer of powder was brushed on the tip of her nose and cheekbones. After a layer of rosy lipstick, the makeup artist applied a shimmering lip gloss, making her lips look full and moist.

“Jiejie, you’re such a great artist,” Xu Chacha was never stingy with compliments.

Stared at by her sparkling eyes, the makeup artist felt a surge of inexplicable maternal affection. “It’s because you have a good base. It makes it easy to work with. If you want me to do your makeup again in the future, I’ll give you half off.”

“Really! You’re so kind, jiejie,” Xu Chacha said sweetly.

Xu Chacha finished her makeup and went out to wait. Tang Doudou arrived shortly after. The dresses they wore were one pink and one blue, corresponding to the two new flavors of Lele Bing.

Tang Doudou wore the pink dress. Her hair was styled in pigtails and accessorized with strawberry hair clips. For a girl her age, this look would typically risk seeming overly youthful.

But Tang Doudou was known as the “Nation’s Little Sister.” Her face was naturally doll-like and full of collagen, so the outfit didn’t look out of place at all.

Xu Chacha had her hair down. The blue dress emphasized her freshness. The long, snowy-white legs beneath the skirt seemed to glow in the sunlight, dazzling the eyes.

When Tang Doudou saw her, she opened her arms to rush her again but was quickly restrained by her manager. “Be steady. We’re at work.”

“Oh, got it.” Tang Doudou pouted. Although her manager wasn’t old, she managed her very strictly and was more terrifying than a dean of students when she got angry.

Their shooting schedule for the day included a fifteen-second commercial and one individual and one double promotional photo to be printed on the product packaging.

Xu Chacha arrived early and was already taking her individual shots. The shooting director originally planned for Tang Doudou to start first so that Xu Chacha, who had less work experience, could watch and learn.

But Xu Chacha volunteered to go first, saying she didn’t want to waste everyone’s time.

The result was that she transformed the moment she stepped onto the set, handling the job with the ease of a professional model.

She was holding the blueberry-flavored crisp ice cream bar. Under the crunchy chocolate shell was a thick layer of blueberry jam, mixed with the vanilla filling in the innermost layer. The combination of three flavors enriched the texture, and the combination of jam and chocolate prevented an overly sweet taste.

Xu Chacha leaned lightly against a prop flower stand, slightly turning her face. She held the crisp ice cream bar and gently bowed her head, the touch as delicate as a lover’s kiss. A breeze came, lifting her hair and intertwining it with the lilies by the stand, adding to the soft, lingering quality of the scene.

The photographer asked her to change her posture, so Xu Chacha slightly adjusted the angle of the ice cream bar and turned her gaze toward the camera. Her faint smile blended with the entire set design, and her smiling eyes made people imagine whether the ice cream bar truly tasted so wonderfully delightful.

The photographer, who focused his lens on her, felt like a jeweler who had discovered a rare, expensive gem, eager to capture every subtle change in her expression.

Someone nearby whispered, “Do models this high-quality really have to be freelance?”

The person next to them subtly glanced toward Wen Mubai. “Freelance? The former editor-in-chief of HN personally drops her off and picks her up. She probably just looks down on those modeling agencies and hasn’t signed with one.”

“Oh my god… that’s Wen Mubai? She’s gorgeous!”

Knowing it was the shooting day, the product manager arrived fashionably late and watched from the side. Seeing the familiar face standing like a pillar, she walked over. “Well, what brings you here, Ms. Wen?”

“Manager Chen, it’s been a while,” Wen Mubai hugged her arms, her gaze still fixed on Xu Chacha. “The reason for my visit is right there.”

Following Wen Mubai’s gaze, Chen Jingli quickly spotted Xu Chacha, who was taking individual shots. “My eyes are really good. How could a face like that not be photogenic? Those old men insisted on arguing with me, wanting to use some online celebrity.”

“I agree. Manager Chen has excellent taste.”

“You should have told me she was your acquaintance earlier. The girl wouldn’t have had to go through all the interviews.”

Wen Mubai shook her head. “She looks obedient, but she actually has quite a temper. If she knew I pulled strings for her, she’d definitely get upset with me.”

“Hey, wait a minute. You know her that well?” Chen Jingli turned her head, intending to tease Wen Mubai, but then she saw a faint teeth mark on her neck. Her eyes immediately became suggestive. “Ah… so Ms. Wen has finally found love.”

Wen Mubai turned, raising an eyebrow at her in confusion.

“Next time, cover it up,” Chen Jingli pointed to her own neck. “I never thought you’d be into this kind of thing.”

While there were diligent and down-to-earth people in the modeling world, there were also many who engaged in unspoken practices. Figuratively speaking, it wasn’t uncommon for some photographers to change their female companions every week.

But in all her years in the industry, Wen Mubai had kept her distance from both men and women. Forget girlfriends, she hadn’t even been rumored to have a fling. Chen Jingli had even wondered if Wen Mubai had renounced all worldly desires and was preparing to become a nun.

“You’re mistaken.”

“Oh, sorry. I spoke too soon. Well, I wish you two a long life together,” Chen Jingli thought her words had offended Wen Mubai.

“The opposite.”

“The… the opposite?”

What did that mean, the opposite? Chen Jingli’s brain cells died by the half-dozen in a few seconds. Could this “opposite” mean what she thought it meant…

The image output was so high that the photographer only made a few calls for a change of pose before signaling “OK.” His expression was one of extreme satisfaction.

To be honest, he even wanted to privately arrange a shoot with Xu Chacha for a different style. He felt that such a perfect, angelic face would be a better fit for a dark, contrasting theme. Just imagining the combination made him too excited to sleep at night.

Xu Chacha bowed to the surrounding staff and the photographer, then her expression instantly changed, and she excitedly scampered toward Wen Mubai.

“How was it? Did I shoot well?”

“Very well.”

Only then was Xu Chacha truly happy. A single, faint compliment from the person in front of her was worth more than a thousand compliments from others.

“This is Manager Chen,” Wen Mubai introduced the person beside her.

Xu Chacha proactively extended her hand. “Hello, Manager Chen.”

“Hello, hello,” Chen Jingli shook her hand. “We met once during your interview, remember?”

“How could I forget such a great beauty as you?”

Chen Jingli immediately used the skill of mutual flattery in response. “I can’t compare to you. I’m currently thinking of going back and complimenting myself for having such good taste and insisting on keeping you.”

“Thank you for your appreciation, Manager Chen!” Xu Chacha smiled at her. “I’m so envious of AS employees. It must be a great pleasure to work with a leader as gentle and competent as you.”

Calling her a “great beauty” and “gentle,” coupled with Xu Chacha’s sincere expression that showed no hint of flattery, the few words made Chen Jingli feel lightheaded.

She suddenly felt the urge to ask: Do rich women take on new people? I’m much better at getting things done than that Wen Mubai!