After Becoming a Cannon Fodder Side Character, I Became the Group’s Favorite (GL) - Chapter 65

Although the father and daughter’s talk that day wasn’t exactly pleasant, they at least didn’t argue, which Xu Chacha considered a blessing.

She started dedicating herself entirely to preparing for the TY fashion show in September. The brand was kind enough to give her a small opening for one of their collections. She would have to change two outfits for the show. They sent her pictures of the styles, but there might still be modifications before the official event.

When good freelance opportunities came up, Xu Chacha no longer refused them, hoping to get more exposure.

After her midterms in May, she finally had some free time and went back home.

Mr. and Mrs. Xu had already prepared a lavish dinner. Xu Yanshu, who had finished filming the variety show, was also sitting at the table with the girlfriend she had “tricked” into being with her.

Since appearing on the variety show, Jian Xi’s popularity had skyrocketed. Coincidentally, the female lead in a project resigned, and the director chose her to replace the original actress. The TV drama’s broadcast rating climbed steadily, and after that, the offers she received were countless.

So, while she wasn’t a top-tier celebrity yet, she was considered a popular newcomer in the industry.

Mr. and Mrs. Xu didn’t have the same prejudice against actors as other families. They didn’t view the public nature of the work as undignified. They had met Jian Xi a few times privately and found her to be steady and sensible. They didn’t say much about the relationship between their two daughters.

The fact that they invited Jian Xi back for dinner on the day Xu Chacha returned home was a strong indication of their acceptance.

“Chacha, long time no see,” Jian Xi said with a smile.

“Sister Jian Xi, I missed you so much,” Xu Chacha went up and hugged her, winking at Xu Yanshu over her shoulder. “My sister said you were too busy and told me not to bother you, so I didn’t dare to message you.”

“That’s not true, she was just kidding,” Jian Xi smiled and patted her head. “You’ve gotten thinner again. Haven’t you been eating properly at school?”

“I have been eating!”

“Come here,” Xu Yanshu beckoned to Xu Chacha.

Xu Chacha walked over. “What?”

“I need to talk to you,” Xu Yanshu draped an arm over Xu Chacha’s shoulder, exchanged a look with Jian Xi, and then led her upstairs.

Once in the room, Xu Yanshu cautiously closed the door. Her secretive actions left Xu Chacha utterly confused.

“What is it, Sis?”

“First, tell me what’s going on between you and Wen Mubai.”

“It’s going well,” Xu Chacha blinked. “You’re not here to tell me to break up, are you?”

“As if I could control you,” Xu Yanshu walked closer. “You know about that big-mouthed little wife in the Wen family, right?”

“What about her?” Xu Chacha knew she was talking about Wen Mubai’s stepmother.

“She’s been talking about Wen Mubai’s business constantly,” Xu Yanshu sat next to Xu Chacha. “Even Mom and Dad know now. Last time I came home, they asked me who Wen Mubai’s girlfriend was.”

She certainly couldn’t have said, “It’s your youngest daughter.”

Xu Chacha just said, “Oh,” with little reaction. “Actually, it’s fine if you tell them.”

Her plan for this trip home was to be open and honest with Mr. and Mrs. Xu. It was better for them to hear it from her than from outsiders.

Xu Chacha was actually relieved that they didn’t know yet.

“Have you thought this through?” Xu Yanshu frowned.

“You and Sister Jian Xi are fine, so why shouldn’t I be?” Xu Chacha swung her feet carelessly. “They’re not going to beat me up and kick me out of the house, are they?”

“My relationship with Jian Xi and yours with Wen Mubai are different,” Xu Yanshu advised earnestly. “I can’t stop you if you want to tell them, but choose your words carefully. Give them some time to adjust.”

Putting the age gap aside, even if it wasn’t Wen Mubai, Xu Chacha would always be a child in her parents’ eyes, to be cherished and pampered. They would surely want a partner who was one in a million for her. Mrs. Xu had even stated that she didn’t want Xu Chacha to get married at all because she didn’t think anyone was good enough for her precious daughter.

“I know. Mom and Dad aren’t as fragile as you think. I know what I’m doing,” Xu Chacha clapped her hands and stood up. “Let’s go downstairs and eat. You made it sound like a huge deal.”

When the two went downstairs, Mrs. Xu was just about to come up and look for them. “Where were you hiding? You left Jian Xi alone here. She’s your wife, yet you don’t even take care of her.”

“Exactly!” Xu Chacha stood next to Mrs. Xu, looking like she was on her side.

Xu Yanshu gave her a thumbs-up behind her mother’s back and apologized resignedly.

“Sit down, girls. Auntie made a table full of good food today,” Mrs. Xu motioned for everyone to take their seats. “Sweetheart, your favorite chicken legs. You can’t get these at school, can you? Come on, eat more.”

“Of course they have chicken legs at school. They have everything.”

“How can school food compare to homemade food?” Mr. Xu chimed in. “If you ate well at school, would you have lost so much weight?”

Xu Chacha slumped her shoulders, giving up on arguing this point with her parents.

“Come on, Jian Xi, you eat too,” Mrs. Xu motioned to the side. “You’re too thin, too. You need to eat more. Just looking at your small frame, I can tell our Yanshu hasn’t been taking good care of you. I’ll have a serious talk with her later.”

Jian Xi smiled softly. “It’s fine. Yanshu is very caring. Please don’t scold her.”

“Exactly! My sister doesn’t just care for her, she follows Sister Jian Xi around all day like a fly that can’t be shooed away,” Xu Chacha interjected while biting her chopsticks.

“Speaking of that,” Mr. Xu said seriously. “Chacha, you too. Now that your Auntie finally has someone she might marry, you should keep your distance and stop running over there so much. People need time for their own world. If you’re bored alone, you can come home more often and spend time with your sister, your dad, and your mom.”

“…” Xu Chacha suddenly found the food in her mouth a little hard to swallow.

Xu Yanshu put a piece of lettuce in her bowl and added fuel to the fire: “Yeah, someone might think you’re the one cohabiting with her.”

“Sis!” Xu Chacha gritted her teeth, giving her a warning look.

Xu Yanshu made a zipping motion over her mouth.

After that topic passed, the meal was relatively pleasant. After dinner, Xu Yanshu saw Jian Xi home. Mr. Xu, in a rare move, didn’t retreat to his study to deal with work but sat with Xu Chacha on the sofa to watch TV.

Mrs. Xu personally went to cut some fruit and brought it over. She kicked Mr. Xu, who was sitting next to Xu Chacha, and squeezed in herself.

“Sweetheart, have a slice of peach. Didn’t you say you’ve been wanting to eat it?”

Xu Chacha bit down with an “aww” sound. “It’s so sweet. Mom, you eat some too.”

The TV was airing the season of the modeling competition that Xu Chacha had participated in. Mr. Xu had watched it no less than three times, but he was still watching with great interest.

It was clear he had been showing it off to others in private, which Xu Chacha was completely used to.

Showing this off was certainly better than boasting about how her short legs made her fast at jump rope when she was a child.

It was a rare moment of family warmth with the three of them. It would be perfect if Xu Yanshu were here, but it was actually more convenient for her to talk without her sister around.

“Mom, I need to tell you something,” Xu Chacha bent her knees and hugged her legs.

“What is it? Not enough pocket money?”

“No, no.” She never spent all her pocket money; she barely touched it.

“Then what is it? Just tell us. Your dad and I won’t go against you,” Mrs. Xu fed her another slice of banana.

Xu Chacha chewed a few times and swallowed the food in her mouth. “Didn’t I say I would tell you first if I started dating someone?”

The moment she started, Mr. Xu’s reaction was as if the sky was falling. “A boyfriend? Who? When did it start? How long has it been? How far have you gone? Is he taking advantage of you?!”

“Dad, calm down,” Xu Chacha soothed him, then tentatively whispered, “If it’s a girl, you won’t mind, right?”

Even in an era where same-sex marriage was legal, same-sex couples were still uncommon.

“A girl?” Mr. Xu’s expression looked a little better. “A classmate?”

Xu Chacha shook her head and used her hand to indicate the age difference. “A little older than me.”

“Twenty-five?” Mrs. Xu guessed.

“A little older than that.”

“Twenty-seven?”

“Just a little more.”

“Don’t tell me she’s thirty.”

“She’s not that old,” Xu Chacha shook her head. “Twenty-nine.”

“What’s the difference between that and thirty?” Mr. Xu slapped his thigh. “Have you been tricked? People are very good at deceiving young girls these days. Don’t let a few sweet words fool you.”

“Dad,” Xu Chacha raised her voice. “Stop treating me like a kid.”

“Your dad is just worried about you,” Mrs. Xu leaned in and asked, “Do you really like her that much?”

Xu Chacha nodded. “I like her a lot.”

“Then bring her back. We’ll meet her. Your dad and I aren’t unreasonable people. Ultimately, you’re the one who has to live your life. What you like is what matters most,” Mrs. Xu said gently.

Xu Chacha giggled. “Mom is the best to me.”

Mr. Xu cleared his throat beside them. Xu Chacha moved over and patted his shoulder. “Dad is good to me too.”

“Don’t rush to say nice things. Bring her back for us to meet first.”

“Actually, there’s one more thing,” Xu Chacha chuckled dryly. “You already know the person.”

“We know her?”

A woman, twenty-nine, and someone they both knew who had contact with Xu Chacha…

Mrs. Xu reacted the fastest. She immediately had the answer in her heart, but she subconsciously shook her head. “Don’t tell me it’s…”

Xu Chacha nodded at her. “Don’t get angry.”

“Who?” Mr. Xu was still clueless.

Mrs. Xu leaned in and whispered in his ear.

“You, you, you!” Mr. Xu was livid, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh to Xu Chacha. After holding it in for a long time, he could only choke out, “Nonsense!”

Xu Chacha kept silent but secretly poked Mrs. Xu’s arm with her finger. “Mom…”

“I’m not scolding you, but out of all people, why Wen Mubai?” Mrs. Xu sighed.

Although Wen Mubai was quite a bit older than Xu Chacha, she was a person of good character and genuinely cared for Xu Chacha. That wasn’t their main concern.

If Mr. Wen found out about Xu Chacha and Wen Mubai’s relationship, how would their two families get along?

“You know your Uncle Wen’s temper. Even if your dad and I don’t object, will he agree so easily?”

“It’s enough if you two aren’t unhappy,” Xu Chacha hooked her arm around Mrs. Xu’s, resting her head on her shoulder. “I care more about what you think.”

As soon as she said that, the hearts of the two doting parents melted. No matter how many objections they had, they couldn’t voice them when faced with Xu Chacha’s pitiful look.

“Dad, are you still mad?” Xu Chacha tugged at Mr. Xu’s sleeve again. “I even brought you your favorite Longjing tea, but it looks like you’re not interested in drinking it.”

Mr. Xu, who was staring at the TV with a stern face, cleared his throat. “Go get it. I happen to be a little thirsty.”

Xu Chacha secretly gave herself a thumbs-up, stood up, and said, “I’ll go brew it for you right now!”

Xu Chacha stayed at home for two days this time, leaving on the morning of the third day.

Mrs. Xu got up early to pack her luggage, visibly stuffing a large bag of items into her suitcase.

“Mom, what are you putting in there? I can’t eat too much food,” she walked over.

Mrs. Xu mysteriously opened a box, revealing several neatly stacked boxes of finger cots. “Mom looked it up yesterday. Even though you’re both girls, you need to pay attention to health and hygiene. This is very necessary to have on hand.”

“Huh?”

“Of course, Mom isn’t encouraging you to be careless,” Mrs. Xu added. “You should still be moderate.”

Xu Chacha waved her hands. “No, no, you don’t need to pack that for me.”

“How can you not need it!” Mrs. Xu said seriously, opening one box and taking out a few to stuff into her bag. “You need to have some everywhere. It’s safer that way.”

Xu Chacha’s face was flushed. “Really… I don’t need it…”

She might as well give some to her sister; she certainly wouldn’t be using them.

“Mom is giving it to you, so you take it!”

Sigh.

Wen Mubai came to pick Xu Chacha up. Seeing the girl’s bitter expression, she asked, “What’s wrong? Did they scold you badly?”

The night before, Xu Chacha had informed her, after the fact, that she had told her parents about their relationship, excitedly bragging that Mr. and Mrs. Xu hadn’t been too opposed.

But meeting her today, Xu Chacha’s expression didn’t look at all like someone who had successfully come out.

Xu Chacha clutched her bag, looking timid as if she were carrying a ticking time bomb. “They didn’t scold me.”

“That’s good,” Wen Mubai reached out and fastened her seatbelt. “Put your bag down.”

Xu Chacha was still nervous and shook her head. “I’ll keep carrying it.”

“What, are you hiding something shameful in there?” The more she acted like this, the more Wen Mubai wanted to tease her.

She gently tugged the bag. Xu Chacha hadn’t expected her to touch it and was caught off guard, letting it move slightly. She immediately pulled back.

During the tug-of-war, the bag clasp popped open, and the few packets stuffed near the opening fell out, scattering on the floor.

Wen Mubai looked down, squinted to confirm the label, and then looked up at Xu Chacha with a questioning gaze.

Xu Chacha raised both hands in surrender. “It wasn’t me! My mom insisted on stuffing them in!”