After Becoming a Cannon Fodder Side Character, I Became the Group’s Favorite (GL) - Chapter 64

There was no class the next day, but the late-night activities meant Xu Chacha didn’t open her eyes until almost ten.

Wen Mubai had already gotten up and gone to the studio, leaving her a note saying breakfast was in the fridge.

Xu Chacha placed a hand on her aching lower back, feeling that she urgently needed to buy some supplements to restore herself.

The note’s bold and strong handwriting showed that the person who wrote it had plenty of strength and was completely unaffected, which made Xu Chacha feel rather defeated by comparison. She crumpled the note in a fit of pique and tossed it away.

Wen Mubai had already folded her pajamas and placed them on the bedside table. Xu Chacha reached out for them, and only when her arm stretched out from under the covers did she notice a string of pink marks on the inside of her forearm.

Her eyelids twitched. She threw back the covers and checked her body, finding that few spots had been spared.

These marks caused Xu Chacha to involuntarily recall yesterday’s events. The bedroom light hadn’t been fully off; a warm yellow bedside lamp was on, giving Wen Mubai a clear view of her expression. She even remembered the other person asking in her ear at the end if she still wanted to be on top next time.

Xu Chacha had buried her head in the quilt in shame and said, “No. Never, even if I die.”

Fortunately, wearing a turtleneck wasn’t unusual right now. Xu Chacha chose an outfit that completely covered her neck, tidied up, and went out to discuss the collaboration details with the people from TY.

She didn’t have an agent or an agency, so she had to handle everything herself. Thankfully, she had been in this line of work before and had endured all sorts of hardships, making her very familiar with the procedures.

TY was participating in BK Fashion Week, one of the four major fashion weeks, scheduled for early September. She had plenty of time to prepare before then.

After reviewing the contract and finding no issues, Xu Chacha signed it without hesitation. On her way back, she briefly updated Wen Mubai over the phone.

“Congratulations. Should I bring home a mille-crêpe cake for you tonight?”

“Ah…”

“You won’t be able to have any until September.”

“Then yes, I want it!”

“Chocolate flavor?”

“Mhm, mhm.”

After hanging up, Xu Chacha didn’t go straight home. She took a cab to Wen Mubai’s studio to wait for her to finish work, and then they drove back in Wen Mubai’s car.

Passing by a supermarket, Xu Chacha suddenly had a craving for hot pot and pulled Wen Mubai inside, buying two large bags of ingredients.

The two of them carried the bags home. Wen Mubai was about to take out her keys when she realized the door wasn’t locked; it was slightly ajar.

She gave Xu Chacha a meaningful look. The latter shook her head innocently. “I checked before I left. I closed it tightly.”

“It’s fine,” Wen Mubai put down the bags, grabbed an umbrella from the shoe rack. “You stay outside. I’ll go in and check.”

“Wait, maybe we should call the police directly. What if the burglar is still inside?” Xu Chacha nervously grabbed her.

“Then you run away quickly.”

Xu Chacha tried to hold her back, but the other person walked inside without looking back. After a while, there was no sound from inside. Xu Chacha cautiously poked her head in.

There was an unwelcome guest sitting on the living room sofa, but she recognized this person. “Uncle Wen?”

Hearing her voice, Mr. Wen’s expression softened slightly. “Chacha is here too. Come here, let Uncle look at you. It’s been a while.”

Wen Mubai was still standing where she was, her face cold, looking displeased. Xu Chacha gently patted her back as she walked past and sat next to Mr. Wen.

“Uncle, why did you come today? You didn’t even tell us, or I would have brought you a gift.”

“Hah, if I don’t come, she’s going to cause an absolute disaster,” Mr. Wen scoffed at Wen Mubai. When he turned back to Xu Chacha, his voice was much gentler. “Are you here to visit your Auntie and have dinner?”

“Ah… sort of,” Xu Chacha scratched her head.

She instinctively felt that now was not the right time to tell Mr. Wen that she was living with Wen Mubai.

“Why are you still standing there? The guest is already seated. Aren’t you going to pour her a glass of water?” Mr. Wen instructed Wen Mubai.

Wen Mubai shot him a cold glance, then turned to put the umbrella away. After locking the door, she brought a glass of milk and a glass of water.

“How did you get in?”

“I know you well enough,” Mr. Wen took a sip of water. “The key was just sitting under the blanket. You’re truly unafraid of being robbed.”

“The spare key has been there for over half a year. You’re the only one who lets yourself in without a word,” Wen Mubai mocked him with a forced smile.

Seeing that the father and daughter were about to start arguing again, Xu Chacha quickly stepped between them. “I’m so hungry! Let’s start eating quickly! Hot pot, hot pot! Uncle, it’s been a long time since you’ve had hot pot, hasn’t it? I discovered a new way to eat it—adding sesame paste and sesame oil to the dipping sauce is heavenly!”

“Now that you mention it, Uncle is craving it too,” Mr. Wen chuckled, pinching Xu Chacha’s nose with a kind expression. “I heard you’ve been busy lately. You must be starving. Hurry up and ask your Auntie to cook for you.”

This was a clear indication that he intended to stay for dinner. Wen Mubai let out a light hmph through her nose and silently turned to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients.

Xu Chacha had her own way of charming elders that had always worked since she was a child. In just a short time, she and Mr. Wen were chatting animatedly.

“What show were you talking about earlier? Put it on for Uncle to watch.”

Xu Chacha quickly turned on the TV for him. “It’s this one. Although it’s a small-budget production, the script is interesting. Silly, comedic shows are very popular right now.”

Mr. Wen nodded thoughtfully. “You young people like watching this kind of thing now. What about the romance stuff?”

“Ah… that kind is too old-fashioned,” Xu Chacha wrinkled her face. “But it mainly depends on looks. If the leads are good-looking, I can tolerate a cliché story.”

“What kind of looks do you all like now? Are you following any idol survival shows?”

Xu Chacha realized that once Mr. Wen started talking, he could really go on, especially about areas she was familiar with. He couldn’t stop.

“By the way, your father mentioned you’re investing on your own now and even became an ambassador recently. That’s really great, you’re so promising.”

The AS advertisements were posted everywhere, making it hard for Mr. Wen not to see them. But he was genuinely surprised when he learned that the Xu family hadn’t been involved at all. He hadn’t expected Xu Chacha to have this kind of capability.

“Mom and Dad have their own things to do, so I thought I’d try it myself. After all, spending the money you earn yourself is more satisfying,” Xu Chacha smiled.

Mr. Wen sighed, glancing at the person in the kitchen. “If she were half as sensible as you, I wouldn’t worry. I don’t expect her to inherit anything for me anymore. But treating me like an enemy every day is just unacceptable.”

“That’s not true,” Xu Chacha leaned in and whispered. “Auntie is just tough on the outside and soft on the inside. She was just discussing with me a few days ago about personally preparing a birthday gift for you.”

This was half-truth. Wen Mubai was indeed planning to choose a gift for her father herself, but it was Xu Chacha’s suggestion.

Hearing this, Mr. Wen’s expression visibly softened. “Really?”

“Yes! Why don’t you secretly tell me what you like, and I’ll tell her? We can secretly make her splurge on you. How about that?”

“Hahahaha, you little smart aleck.”

Seeing him finally laugh, Xu Chacha also hugged her stomach and giggled along.

Mr. Wen hadn’t laughed this heartily in a long time. After catching his breath, he sighed, half-serious, half-joking. “If only she were a boy, I would definitely have her marry you, my little ray of sunshine.”

Xu Chacha paused while drinking her water, feeling somewhat flustered.

How was she supposed to answer this question? She had no idea!

Mr. Wen thought she was scared. “My apologies, my apologies. Uncle just likes you too much. Did I frighten you? Don’t take it seriously, I was just saying it casually.”

“No, no, I want to be family with Uncle too! I’d be so happy to have an in-law who cares for me as much as you do, Uncle.”

“Your mouth is so sweet. No wonder your dad misses you so much and talks about you all the time.”

“Not at all. I’m only speaking the truth.”

Xu Chacha and Mr. Wen had been chatting animatedly for about twenty minutes before Wen Mubai finally and slowly set the food on the table.

“Eat.”

At the dining table, the three faced each other, and Mr. Wen’s affable demeanor immediately vanished.

Both father and daughter were equally frosty-faced. Xu Chacha sat between them, nervously biting her chopsticks.

“I heard you’ve been fooling around with a young model recently?”

Xu Chacha’s eyes darted around. A young model? Fooling around?

Wen Mubai lifted her eyelids to glance at him, clearly too lazy to answer.

“Chacha, you’re close to your Auntie. Is she involved in some ambiguous relationship with a young person recently? Are they even cohabiting?”

“Cough! Cough, cough, cough…” Xu Chacha nearly choked on a chili seed.

She had just been wondering who the “young model” Wen Mubai was fooling around with was, and now the gossip was about herself?

“No way. Auntie has always been very respectable. I’m with her practically every day, and I haven’t seen her with anyone in an ambiguous way,” Xu Chacha forced a smile. “Uncle, don’t listen to outside rumors. You know what kind of person Auntie is.”

“It’s precisely because I don’t understand her that I’m asking you.” Mr. Wen slammed his palm on the table. “I ask her to go on proper blind dates, and she refuses, insisting on fooling around in private. She’ll cause some scandal. How many people in that industry are decent? Can I just watch her mess around?”

“Uncle, you can’t say that,” Xu Chacha frowned. “Relationships are a matter of mutual consent. Auntie doesn’t want to be forced by you.”

“Besides, if you have to generalize, I’m in that industry too. Is Uncle implying…” She blinked, looking earnestly at Mr. Wen.

“No, no, Uncle didn’t mean that!” Mr. Wen panicked, quickly explaining. “Uncle is definitely not talking about you. I’m talking about others.”

“Actually, there are many colleagues who take their work seriously. It’s not fair to generalize or use a tiny fraction of negativity to categorize everyone, is it, Uncle?”

Mr. Wen knew he was in the wrong. “Uncle was angry just now. I didn’t mean to insult your profession. Uncle supports you being a model, and if you need anything, you can come to me.”

“No need, I’m just glad Uncle can clear up the misunderstanding,” Xu Chacha put food into his bowl. “I just don’t want there to be any misunderstandings between you, Auntie, and me. We should talk things out calmly, okay?”

Mr. Wen had watched this young girl grow up. It was strange, but of the two children in the family, neither was as close to him as she was.

So, Mr. Wen still listened to what Xu Chacha had to say.

“I’m done eating,” Xu Chacha stood up. “Uncle, you and Auntie talk properly, but no arguing, okay?”

“The cake is in the fridge,” Wen Mubai handed her a napkin. “Wipe your mouth.”

“Okay,” Xu Chacha walked behind her and signaled to her phone.

Xu Chacha: Don’t argue. Talk nicely!

Xu Chacha: [Fierce.jpg]

Unfortunately, the little kitten in the emoji was just like Xu Chacha herself—flailing her arms and legs but completely lacking in intimidation.

Wen Mubai curled her lips at her. “Got it. Would I ever disobey you?”

“That’s for the best.”

As soon as Xu Chacha left, the attitudes of the father and daughter completely flipped. One’s face was clouded and ready for a volcanic eruption, while the other’s gaze was cool, not even bothering with superficial politeness, the intent to dismiss the guest clearly written on her face.

“Explain yourself. Who exactly are you messing around with now, and is it so serious you have to cohabit?”

Wen Mubai didn’t bother to beat around the bush and asked directly, “Even if I were to follow in my mother’s footsteps, what can you do about it?”

Mr. Wen was so angry by her words that his teeth were grinding. Just as he was about to explode, Wen Mubai spoke again, her tone flat.

“Who I date and who I live with is my own business,” she set down her cup. “Don’t insult my relationship with her with your filthy speculation.”

Although her tone was still very impolite, this was considered an explanation. Mr. Wen frowned, but he still refused to soften his stance.

“Your wings have hardened, indeed. Since you like her so much, you’ll have to bring her home sooner or later,” he raised his voice. “You’re not planning to keep your marriage a secret from me, are you?”

Wen Mubai picked up a piece of green vegetable with her chopsticks and ate it slowly, chewing meticulously. “When the time is right, I will naturally tell you.”