After Becoming a Cannon Fodder Side Character, I Became the Group’s Favorite (GL) - Chapter 70

The next day was bright and sunny.

After lunch, Xu Chacha pulled Wen Mubai out, carrying a small bucket.

Unlike Xu Chacha, who was wearing a crop top and sleeveless shirt, Wen Mubai was covered from head to toe in a sun-protective suit, with a thick layer of sunscreen applied even to her ears.

In her hand, she held a Polaroid camera, a new one Xu Chacha had bought to replace the one that had broken a decade ago. It worked in much the same way.

The leaves and flowers rustled in the breeze, accompanied by the pleasant sound of birdsong. Xu Chacha spread her arms, lifted her head, and took a deep breath. She suddenly felt that even the overly dazzling sunlight had become tolerable.

A swing had been installed by the edge of the flower field sometime recently. The swing seat was tightly woven from rattan, and it had a canopy decorated with a light-colored floral lace fabric. It was sturdy to sit on and neither stuffy nor too sunny.

“You sit here,” she settled the sun-averse Wen Mubai on the swing. “I’m going to collect flowers.”

She then held up the camera, taking selfies and photos of the flowers in the field. After playing for a while, Wen Mubai felt like a bored parent letting their child run free. The swinging of the chair was making her sleepy again. If Xu Chacha didn’t come back to chatter in her ear, she might fall asleep.

Just as she was zoning out, Xu Chacha raised the camera and snapped a picture of her. The photo slowly emerged from the camera. She gave it a shake and tucked it away in her waist bag like a treasure.

Wen Mubai beckoned to her, signaling for her to come closer.

Xu Chacha ran over, slightly breathless. When she sat down, the impact made the swing rock.

“Take a rest.” Wen Mubai took out a tissue and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Xu Chacha was wearing no makeup today. Her cheeks, flushed from the sun, were rosy and somewhat adorable, like a fragrant apple.

“I collected so many,” Xu Chacha proudly presented the branches, leaves, and petals she was holding. “I can make a really big flower crown.”

Wen Mubai picked up a few pieces. She thought she had forgotten the skill of weaving flower crowns, but once the materials were in her hands, her fingers began to move automatically.

Xu Chacha also started weaving alongside her. The two of them felt like they were back in childhood, doing nothing, thinking of nothing, with only the twigs and leaves in their hands to worry about.

Wen Mubai finished first. She smiled and placed the flower crown on Xu Chacha’s head.

Xu Chacha returned the favor, picking up the camera and taking a picture of her.

Every smiling moment of Wen Mubai was worth printing and keeping.

“Guess what else I picked up just now.”

Wen Mubai raised an eyebrow, inquiring with her eyes.

Xu Chacha asked her mysteriously, “Close your eyes and hold out both hands.”

Wen Mubai smiled but complied.

She felt Xu Chacha remove the ring from her right hand. Just as she wondered why Xu Chacha had such an antagonism toward this particular ring, a new, cold object was slipped onto her left ring finger.

She lowered her head, opened her eyes, and saw a diamond ring. It was a wide band, with a large diamond in the center and a dense half-circle of smaller diamonds along the side, making it overly dazzling in the sunlight.

She looked up again and noticed that Xu Chacha was wearing a matching ring on the same finger.

“I wanted to make it myself, but it was too hard. I couldn’t even make a proper circle. But I designed this one myself, and I placed the diamonds one by one with tweezers. You wouldn’t believe how much my hands hurt from the tweezers…”

Xu Chacha’s remaining words were entirely swallowed by Wen Mubai.

When she was finally released, she was breathless, but the instigator wore a faint smile. “Is this a proposal?”

Xu Chacha’s eyelashes fluttered. “I-It’s not impossible…”

“Such reluctance?” Wen Mubai nodded, putting on a disappointed look. “Then let’s wait a little longer. It’s normal for young people to want to have fun for a few more years.”

“Who wants to have fun?! What nonsense are you talking about!”

Wen Mubai’s smiling eyes looked her way. “Then what do you mean? How should I know if you don’t say it?”

Xu Chacha felt like strangling her.

“Then, if I say I want to marry you, will you agree?”

The previously irritated person immediately calmed down.

“Yes, I will.”

The proposal happened on an ordinary afternoon, in a casual, rural flower field, and there was no intense excitement in either of their voices.

But what Xu Chacha wanted was never a sensational or dramatic romance; she longed for the companionship that flows like a quiet stream. As long as she could always hold this person’s hand, living every day so “ordinarily,” she would be perfectly satisfied.

Wen Mubai’s voice was soft but carried significant weight. Xu Chacha knew she never joked; she would stick to her promises even after five or ten years.

Just like the “Sister will always be with you” from twelve years ago.

Xu Chacha had played too wildly earlier and couldn’t walk on the way back. Without a word, Wen Mubai squatted down in front of her. Xu Chacha chuckled and hopped onto her back without an ounce of embarrassment.

Once on her back, she asked flirtatiously, “I’m not too heavy, am I? What if I tire out my wife?”

“Then get down?”

“No way.” Xu Chacha hugged her and placed her stacked arms over Wen Mubai’s head. “I’m good here. I can shade my wife from the sun.”

However… the effect seemed minimal.

No matter how little she usually sweated, carrying a person for such a long distance made it inevitable.

Sweat washed away the sunscreen, and the summer sun was scorching. When she showered that evening, Wen Mubai saw small red rashes on her chest and back in the mirror.

Fortunately, it wasn’t severe, just a little itchy, with no broken skin.

She quickly grabbed a bathrobe and wrapped it around herself. Back in the room, she was about to look for ointment when she saw the table already set up. A dazzling array of cotton swabs, antiseptic, ointments, and wet wipes were laid out, and Xu Chacha was sitting behind the table like a street vendor.

The “vendor” greeted her. “I saw the rash on the back of your neck earlier. Come here, I’ll help you apply the medicine.”

She hadn’t expected that both sunscreen and a sun-protective suit couldn’t block the sun. She regretted dragging Wen Mubai out.

Wen Mubai didn’t refuse. She sat down in front of Xu Chacha. When the bow on her waist was untied, the bathrobe slid lightly from her shoulders.

Her hair was already tied up, revealing her long neck and the red-dotted back.

But in Xu Chacha’s eyes, she was still beautiful.

She dipped a cotton swab in the ointment and gently dabbed it on, tracing a path over Wen Mubai’s beautiful shoulder blades and up her snowy neck.

“You have it on the front, too.”

Xu Chacha’s hand paused. “You can see the front. You do that yourself.”

She heard Wen Mubai chuckle softly and turn her head. “I’m not shy. What are you afraid of?”

Xu Chacha turned her head away, deliberately looking at the stars outside the window. “Seriously, it’s easier for you to do the front yourself than for me.”

“Easier?” Wen Mubai grabbed her hand and brought it forward. “I think it will be easier if my wife does it for me.”

Wife… Wife!

Even without all the other things, just those two words were enough to make Xu Chacha blush.

The cotton swab in her hand dropped to the floor. Wen Mubai directly dipped Xu Chacha’s finger into the ointment. “Apply it.”

Xu Chacha’s cheeks were crimson. “You temptress…”

“What?”

Xu Chacha wouldn’t repeat it for her to hear. She just endured the shame and hastily applied the cream.

“Here, here, and here,” Wen Mubai’s tone was like an instructor checking homework. “You missed those spots.”

“Do it yourself.”

Wen Mubai grabbed her wrist, preventing her from leaving. “The rash happened because of you, right? Is that how you take responsibility?”

Xu Chacha swallowed hard, trying to think of an answer, but Wen Mubai said,

“Never mind.”

Did she really mean never mind?

Xu Chacha quickly tidied up, intending to bolt, but she was pulled back by the wrist. Cool lips pressed against hers, and Wen Mubai spoke, her voice muffled against Xu Chacha’s mouth.

“Applying cream now would be pointless anyway.”

That night, Xu Chacha was forced to learn new knowledge.

Picking peaches.

Eating dates.

As the first ray of morning sun rose, the seeker who had drunk the dew felt even thirstier.

Xu Chacha was jolted awake by a nightmare. She dreamed that her soul had been sucked dry by a demon, and she was turning into a mummy, about to die.

She opened her eyes in fright, only to find both her arms tightly wrapped around Wen Mubai’s waist, with her leg draped over her. Realistically, it seemed more likely that she was suffocating the “demon.”

She put on her pajamas, holding her lower back, and got up to find some water.

A sip of ice-cold tea soothed her throat significantly. Her gaze landed on the photo she had pulled out of her pocket and placed on the table earlier.

She picked it up, then opened her suitcase. Inside was the box she had brought from home.

Xu Chacha opened the box, placed the new photo inside, positioning it with the others, and closed it with satisfaction.

Her arm dropped, and the bracelet on her wrist slid down. Xu Chacha saw the inscription on the inner side: “May light always envelop you.”

She suddenly wondered what was written on Wen Mubai’s bracelet.

Gently placing the water glass down, Xu Chacha tiptoed back to the bed, pulled Wen Mubai’s arm toward her, and peeked inside stealthily.

The cursive script was a little difficult to decipher. She squinted for a while, realizing she was looking at it upside down, so she turned her head around.

“To be her light”

Xu Chacha picked up the camera from the table again. After a click, the photo that emerged showed two hands clasped together.

Fingers intertwined, fitting perfectly.

Silver bracelets touching.

Clink—

Chapter 71: Extra 1

For a long time, Wen Mubai thought she would grow old alone.

She fundamentally did not believe in the seductive sweetness of love that people praised so much. She felt it was merely a trick of hormones, a temporary passion that, once weakened, would leave nothing but arguments and coldness.

In this subject, her parents were the physically practicing mentors on the podium.

When she was three, her mother cheated for the first time. The man was a foreign model she worked with, just a casual one-night stand.

Like many people, her mother’s infidelity was like flipping a switch after the first time, leading to countless subsequent occasions.

Then, when she was seven, her father, who had just returned with photos from a private investigator, wore an iron face. He pulled her into the study and, in a rough voice, asked her who she would live with if they divorced.

Wen Mubai had never considered the question, so she froze and didn’t answer immediately.

Her father angrily slapped the photos onto the desk—explicit, sensual images of intertwined bodies. But because one of the people was her mother, Wen Mubai suddenly felt a strong urge to vomit.

“If we divorce, you come with me. She’s the one who did wrong,” her father said, pointing at her head. “Did you remember that?”

So, Wen Mubai went crying to her mother.

Her mother hugged her, patted her back, wiped her tears, then released her hand and told her to sleep. Everything would be better after a good night’s sleep.

Wen Mubai refused. She was too familiar with those words. Every time she wanted to say something, her mother would use that to placate her.

She just found her tears bothersome; she didn’t truly care.

She remembered crying and saying, “I don’t want to lose Mommy, and I don’t want to lose Daddy. Can you please stop fighting?”

But her mother smiled, looking at her with a very complex expression. “There are too many beautiful things in this world for Mommy to love. To stop is a sin.”

Wen Mubai didn’t understand the logic behind her words, and she still didn’t as an adult.

But she remembered the sight of her mother, like someone who had taken an upper, working frantically in her studio after returning from a date with a lover, her shadow climbing the wall like twisted branches, dancing a bizarre dance.

She knew she couldn’t interfere in her parents’ affairs, nor could she help.

After that, she rarely cried and rarely laughed. Why bother? No one cared anyway. She tried, too, not to care about anything.

She was alive, but like a lifeless corpse, her limbs walked while her mind had long since decayed.

Until a little child, crying miserably but insisting on forcing a smile, said to her, “I’ll repay you well for the rest of my life. When I grow up, I’ll protect you!”

While on her back, she said, “Sister, my heart is beating so fast. No one has ever been this nice to me.”

Xu Chacha didn’t know that, on that day, Wen Mubai’s own heart was also thumping, beating against her chest, nearly reaching its maximum load.

After meeting her, every minute and second Wen Mubai spent with Xu Chacha, she wondered how such a sensible girl could exist.

Even when she was hurt, she would think of Wen Mubai. Even when she was scared and crying in her dream, she would turn around and comfort Wen Mubai, offering to go to the welfare institution herself.

In Wen Mubai’s eyes, children were always self-centered, trying to cause trouble to attract attention. A typical example was Wen Shiyu, the child her stepmother brought into the family.

But even though Xu Chacha was always quiet and well-behaved, Wen Mubai always proactively observed her. She knew that such quiet, sensible children needed care even more.

They innocently offered all their kindness, only to be met with cold neglect. How unfair.

Why should only the crying child get the candy?

Wen Mubai didn’t want to hand this child over to anyone else, at least not to people like Mr. and Mrs. Wen. Fortunately, Mrs. Xu’s attitude was better than she expected.

She still loved this child. The joy of having her back was so overwhelming that she even dropped the refined elegance she had always maintained, which was the most reassuring sight to Wen Mubai.

Wen Mubai hated all physical intimacy. When a deskmate borrowed a pen from her, she would make sure her fingers gripped the end of the pen so as not to touch the other person’s fingers.

But Xu Chacha was different. Perhaps it was the soft and harmless look of those little hands that allowed Wen Mubai to drop her guard and fear.

She didn’t realize then how dangerous this was.

She couldn’t bear to let this warmth leave.

Nor did she want to give it up to someone else.

The day she returned to China, she stood in the shadows, waiting for Xu Chacha to spot her.

The bright eyes that met hers from the darkness gave her an impulse to kiss them.

But she couldn’t, so every time she saw Xu Chacha’s trusting eyes, she felt a profound sense of guilt.

She wanted to remain a reliable elder, staying by her side, protecting her, and looking out for her. She thought this would be enough, but she forgot that many more people would enter Xu Chacha’s life.

More importantly, she was growing up, blossoming into a beautiful young woman.

Perhaps a handsome guy from the basketball team, or a considerate, gentle, and caring senior girl. Xu Chacha would eventually form a new family with someone else.

At that time, she, the “elder,” would be marginalized, like a childhood doll forgotten in a corner.

The thought that Xu Chacha might trust others the way she trusted her gave Wen Mubai a very uncomfortable feeling.

It was similar to jealousy.

This emotion was confirmed on Xu Chacha’s birthday.

She instantly recognized what the hesitant Jiang Miao was trying to do, but the other woman treated her as an elder whose advice could be sought, pouring out all her inner thoughts.

Wen Mubai listened expressionlessly, but she knew clearly that she was jealous of Jiang Miao.

Jealous that she could disregard everything and bravely voice her feelings.

“Wen Mubai, are you willing to stop here?”

She already had the answer when she asked herself that question.

The birthday present she gave Xu Chacha was a handmade bracelet. Her hands were numb for two months trying to hammer them into shape.

Out of self-interest, she engraved words on the inside of the bracelet, intending it as a spell, wishing that Xu Chacha would forever stay by her side.

That night, Xu Chacha’s whispered “I love Auntie the most” in her dream made her happy for a long time.

She felt the same way, which was why Xu Chacha’s light kiss that day broke the principle she had adhered to for so long.

Xu Chacha asked, “Why do you overthink things so much?”

Yes, Wen Mubai asked herself the same question: why did she overthink so much?

The facts proved that this choice was correct, or rather, she had already made the choice but hadn’t had the courage to act on it.

Xu Chacha was her courage, ten years ago and ten years later.

With the failure of her parents’ marriage as a cautionary tale, Wen Mubai was exceedingly cautious.

Although it was unlikely, Wen Mubai considered that even if she one day fell out of love and lost feeling for Xu Chacha, even if she had to return to her former boring, tedious single life, she would never betray her.

She even set a curfew for herself: she had to be home by ten at night, and she had to report to Xu Chacha about any social engagements outside. Yet, it seemed she needed to worry more about the possibility of the person at home being taken away by someone else.

Xu Chacha invariably caught a cold with every seasonal change; preemptive measures never seemed to work.

She woke up one morning with a swollen face and a terribly hoarse voice.

“I’m doomed. I have a photoshoot scheduled today,” Xu Chacha looked at her face in the mirror with a tearful expression. “Why is it so swollen?”

Wen Mubai turned her face to look. “Your eyes are a little puffy.”

But it was cute.

Sometimes, after she teased Xu Chacha into tears at night, her eyes looked like this the next morning.

“Let’s ice it. I’ll make you coffee.” Actually, Wen Mubai wanted to offer another solution: cancel the photoshoot and take the day off to rest at home.

But she knew Xu Chacha would never agree.

Heaven knows where she inherited this dedication to work from.

Xu Chacha drank the black coffee with the expression of someone taking bitter medicine, then stuck out her tongue and headed out the door.

Since becoming famous, her workload had been so heavy that she hired an agent—a woman of few words but professional and effective—who had just texted to say she was waiting downstairs.

“I’m leaving.”

“I’ll pick you up tonight.”

“Not working overtime today?”

“Jiang Panpan is there.” Wen Mubai’s studio expanded before the new year, renting a new office and hiring three more teams. Although still busy, it was much better than the previous days of frequent all-nighters.

Jiang Panpan, who was currently sleeping in her apartment, sneezed and poked her head out from under the covers.

Who is speaking ill of me?

Xu Chacha was used to it. Jiang Panpan and Wen Mubai, one who woke up earlier than a chicken and one who slept later than a dog, complemented each other perfectly in their working hours.

“I’ll text you when I’m almost done.” Xu Chacha casually wrapped a scarf around her neck and held out her arms to Wen Mubai.

Wen Mubai walked over and gave her a hug. When she leaned in for a kiss, Xu Chacha dodged it.

“I have a cold. Don’t want to pass it to you.”

“When have you not passed it to me?” Wen Mubai leaned in again and claimed her kiss anyway. “Go on. I’ll make hot pot for you when you get back tonight.”

Xu Chacha caught a cold every year, and passed it to Wen Mubai every year. The most frequently stocked medicine in their house was cold medication.

Xu Chacha raised her arms. “Wait for me! I have to finish work at light speed today!”

How could she be late for hot pot?

The photographer today was someone she had worked with before, for the promotional short film for AS.

The photographer had privately asked Xu Chacha for a shoot, but she couldn’t find the time. Unexpectedly, with AS renewing the contract, the two met again.

“Good morning.” Yang Liu, who was wiping her lens, raised a hand to her. “Long time no see.”

Xu Chacha waved back. Since she was still makeup-free, her red nose tip was visible.

She sniffled, her voice very hoarse. “Not too many shots today, right?”

“Two outfits. If everything goes smoothly, we’ll be done before dark.” Yang Liu reached out a hand to check her forehead. “Do you have a cold?”

When her bangs were pushed aside, the back of Yang Liu’s hand touched skin that was burning hot. She didn’t need Xu Chacha to answer to know.

“You look a little serious. Did you take medicine?”

“I did.” She actually hadn’t, because cold medicine made her drowsy. Xu Chacha never took it before work, afraid it would affect her performance.

She told Yang Liu this so she wouldn’t worry.

“It’s a good thing today is an indoor shoot.”

Xu Chacha nodded, her face buried in her scarf. “Yeah. It’s also lucky it’s you, Teacher Yang. You’re so professional, you’ll definitely let me off work early, right?” For hot pot.

Yang Liu met her beautiful eyes, and her cheeks felt warm. “Um… okay.”

“Then I’ll go get my makeup done. See you in a bit, Teacher Yang.”

“Go ahead.”

Xu Chacha pushed open the door to the makeup room. The stylist had been waiting for a while and asked her to change clothes first, then sit down for makeup.

Both outfits today were summer wear: one was a camisole and hot pants, and the other was a floral dress. They would shoot the dress first.

The dress looked cold just by looking at it. Because it was so thin, it was hard to put heating pads underneath. Xu Chacha shivered as she came out after changing.

Her agent quickly covered her with a blanket and handed her a hot water bottle.

It wasn’t quite cold enough for a hot water bottle yet, but since Xu Chacha was sensitive to cold and had a cold, the agent had prepared extra.

The dress was styled with loose hair and a flower crown on her head. The light makeup made Xu Chacha look very innocent.

She walked into the studio. The lighting and the photographer were ready. An assistant next to her handed her an ice cream cone, which was the biggest challenge of the day.

The cone was cantaloupe flavored, Xu Chacha’s favorite, but she genuinely couldn’t bring herself to be happy today. Her teeth chattered with every bite, yet she had to force a joyful expression for the camera.

After several takes, she was nearly frozen silly. The agent, like a Mary Poppins bag, produced a small sun heater and placed it next to her.

Xu Chacha squatted next to the heater, practically hugging it.

Yang Liu saw her shivering, put down her camera, and brought over a cup of ginger tea. “Have something hot.”

“Thank you.” Xu Chacha actually had her own thermos and had already drunk from it. Afraid of drinking too much and having to run to the restroom often, she took a symbolic sip. Who knew the ginger tea was scalding hot? She didn’t swallow it properly and nearly choked to death.

“Cough, cough, cough…” She coughed until her eyes were red. The agent quickly took the cup away, preventing her from scalding her hand if she dropped it.

She knew her artist’s careless nature too well.

“Sorry, did I burn you?” Yang Liu took a tissue, intending to wipe her mouth, but Xu Chacha avoided her.

“Thank you, I’ll wipe it myself.”

She gasped, feeling a little numbness on her lip. She prayed she hadn’t gotten a blister, or it would affect the rest of the shoot.

“Do you have a mirror?”

The agent pulled one out of her bag. Xu Chacha took it and looked. Luckily, it was just her lipstick that had smudged a little. The redness on her skin could be covered with concealer.

The makeup artist was quickly called over for touch-ups. After resting, Xu Chacha went to change into the next outfit.

To match the youthful feel of the clothes, her hair was tied up, making her look like a high school girl.

Wen Mubai felt restless at work, so she left a little early to pick up Xu Chacha.

She parked the car outside and asked someone to lead her inside. From the doorway, she saw Xu Chacha still posing, with the studio filled with constant clicks and flashes.

Wen Mubai hid herself, retreating to a corner where Xu Chacha couldn’t see her, and waited. Several young people were standing in front of her, conveniently blocking the view.

They must have felt it was almost time to leave, as they started to relax and whisper gossip.

“She’s so beautiful in person… By the way, is Xu Chacha gay?”

“You don’t know this? She kissed Wen Mubai live during the TY fashion show! The GIFs went viral.”

“Hahaha, I got her mixed up with someone else. But they don’t have much interaction. You can’t tell at all.”

“True. Xu Chacha isn’t some idol, so she doesn’t need to deliberately avoid suspicion. The lack of interaction might just mean their feelings have faded.”

“Maybe they’ve already broken up. Think about it, they’re both great beauties. You could form a soccer team with their rivals and ex-lovers combined. Maybe one of them cheated a long time ago.”

“So what if they cheated? If a great beauty like that favored me, I’d be willing to be her backup.”

Perhaps triggered by a certain keyword, Wen Mubai’s expression wasn’t good, but she only frowned and didn’t speak up rashly.

The group continued talking. Someone pointed to the photographer. “Did you guys see earlier? She was being so attentive and asking how she was feeling.”

“Who? Who?”

“Old Yang, who else.”

“Is Old Yang interested in her? I heard she was asking for her phone number before.”

Wen Mubai tilted her head. She seemed to recall that face.

She remembered Yang Liu privately contacting Xu Chacha for a shoot, but she was refused.

While they were chatting, the shoot seemed to have wrapped up. The group stood up and moved forward. Wen Mubai followed.

Xu Chacha, wearing only a camisole, her white, slender arms exposed, was huddled under a blanket provided by her agent, looking like a pathetic little kitten.

She immediately asked her agent for her phone, looked down at the screen, and frowned, seemingly having not found what she wanted. “Why hasn’t she replied yet?”

Wen Mubai realized that she had been listening to the gossip and forgot to text Xu Chacha to tell her she had arrived.

Just as she was about to raise a hand to greet her, she saw Yang Liu, who had packed up her equipment, walk over to Xu Chacha.

“How are you feeling? Is the cold still bothering you?”

“It’s okay.” After saying that, she coughed twice.

Yang Liu hesitated, then took out her phone. “Would you like to have dinner together tonight?”

Xu Chacha thought, Of course not! I’m waiting for my wife’s hot pot.

But she couldn’t be so direct in front of people. While she was struggling to find a diplomatic way to refuse, a pair of hands rested on her shoulders, and a familiar scent enveloped her from behind. Wen Mubai’s pleasant voice sounded next to her ear.

“You worked hard. Let’s go home.”

Xu Chacha was delighted. She turned around and hugged Wen Mubai’s waist, burying her body in her overcoat. “Why didn’t you text me when you got here?”

The onlookers who had just analyzed that the couple had broken up were now watching the intimate scene up close.

“I forgot,” Wen Mubai said lightly. She cupped Xu Chacha’s head, lowered her head for an unreserved kiss on Xu Chacha’s lips, and asked gently, “Are you tired?”

“A little.” Xu Chacha whispered in a voice only Wen Mubai could hear. “Let’s go quickly.”

Xu Chacha’s back was to Yang Liu, so Yang Liu clearly saw Wen Mubai’s hand resting on the back of Xu Chacha’s head and the ring on her ring finger.

“Are the two of you…”

Wen Mubai lifted her eyelids and looked at her. Her gaze was cool and somewhat sharp, but her tone was polite. “This is now my wife.”

Xu Chacha let out a surprised cough but nodded in agreement. “We got married. We didn’t feel the need to broadcast it to the world, so we didn’t announce it, but we weren’t deliberately hiding it either.”

Yang Liu’s expression froze for a moment. Wen Mubai immediately followed up. “Thank you, Teacher Yang, for taking care of my wife. She’s not feeling well today, so I’m taking her home. As for dinner, I’ll treat you next time.”

“It’s my pleasure, my pleasure…”

Xu Chacha couldn’t miss the implied meaning in Wen Mubai’s words. She tugged at her sleeve and pulled her into the changing room.

With just the two of them, Wen Mubai was much more direct. “Does she like you?”

“Maybe. It doesn’t matter if I don’t like her, right?” Xu Chacha was unconcerned. This had happened to her many times; she was used to it.

“How about we just post a public Weibo announcement?”

Xu Chacha let out an “Ah?” but seeing that Wen Mubai wasn’t joking, she understood.

“Are you jealous?”

“Not at all.” Wen Mubai reached out and pinched a piece of her cheek. “Or does Teacher Xu think I’m not presentable and needs to keep our relationship secret?”

She knew Yang Liu held no attraction for Xu Chacha, but this time it was Yang Liu. What about next time? If someone Xu Chacha couldn’t resist appeared, would she also…

Wen Mubai shook her head, forcing herself not to think about it. She had a dream about her childhood last night, and the sight of her parents arguing was so vivid. It was influencing her too much.

Xu Chacha slapped her hand away and reached for her phone. “I find that sometimes you have a strong urge to act.”

“It’s nothing. I was just talking. If you don’t want to post it, we won’t.”

“You should have said that earlier.” Xu Chacha handed her the phone. “I already posted it.”

Wen Mubai lowered her eyes and saw a new Weibo post on Xu Chacha’s homepage.

Xu Chacha V: My wife @BC Wen Mubai

The accompanying photo was of their hands, clasped together, wearing their rings.

Wen Mubai quickly logged into her account and posted a reply.

BC Wen Mubai V: My wife @Xu Chacha

Less than a minute after the post, fans were already screaming in the comments. The couple’s super-topic community exploded, and many fans started celebratory giveaways. The excitement level was comparable to the New Year holiday.

Related keywords even soared into the top ten trending topics. Meanwhile, the two people involved were leisurely grocery shopping at the supermarket, preparing dinner.

“Let’s get the clear broth base,” Xu Chacha picked up a pork bone one.

Wen Mubai couldn’t handle spice, just like Xu Chacha’s sister.

“Tomato, please.”

Normally, she would indulge Xu Chacha and eat spicy food, but with a cold, she couldn’t.

“Tomato is great! I love tomato too.” Xu Chacha looked around, found the tomato base on the bottom shelf, and then threw in the clear broth packet as well. “Only children make choices. I’ll take both.”

Both of them preferred to blanch vegetables when eating hot pot, so they bought very little meat and meatballs but spent a long time in the vegetable section. As they passed the snack aisle, Wen Mubai, without looking, habitually grabbed several bags of dried sweet potato from the dried fruit section.

Xu Chacha bought it every time they came. It had become a muscle memory for her. If she passed the aisle without grabbing two bags, it felt like something was missing.

They filled two large plastic bags. Wen Mubai carried one, and Xu Chacha hugged the other. They returned home fully loaded.

Making hot pot was easy enough even for the culinary-challenged Wen Mubai.

Xu Chacha went back to the room to change into thick pajamas and, under Wen Mubai’s supervision, took her cold medicine. Then she collapsed onto the sofa, melting like a piece of useless goo.

Ultimately, the aroma of the food lured her up. The warm hot pot went down, clearing her stuffy nose.

After the meal, she flopped back onto the sofa, and not content with just herself, she dragged Wen Mubai along.

Once Wen Mubai sat down, Xu Chacha lifted her legs and placed them on her lap.

Of all the ways to watch TV, this was the most comfortable for her.

Wen Mubai was long used to it. She even reached out and massaged Xu Chacha’s calves, which were a little more swollen than usual. “Does it hurt?”

Xu Chacha had been standing in high heels all day. Of course, her legs hurt.

More than hurt, they felt ready to give out.

“It hurts, it hurts so much.” She rubbed her feet against Wen Mubai’s lap, pouting dramatically. “The kind that only a pretty big sister’s massage can fix.”

Wen Mubai chuckled softly. Her fingers pressed into Xu Chacha’s ankle, slowly massaging the muscles.

The person being attended to was humming softly, enjoying the service, her eyes glued to the TV. Only when the pressure was too strong would she turn her head to glare.

The TV was showing a documentary Xu Chacha had saved. The current segment was a solo interview with a certain international supermodel. Wen Mubai remembered her as one of Xu Chacha’s many idols.

“You like her that much?”

Xu Chacha nodded, mumbling incoherently with a piece of dried sweet potato in her mouth. “But I still like my wife the most.”

She always said these things so naturally, but every time, Wen Mubai felt a catch in her breath, a flutter in her heart.

She thought of what those staff members had said that afternoon and couldn’t help but ask again.

“If one day, someone appears who is more worthy of your affection than me, what will you do?”

Xu Chacha didn’t hesitate. “Impossible.”

“What if?”

Wen Mubai rarely pressed these questions. Xu Chacha finally realized something was amiss. Linking it to her reaction that afternoon, she knew this was Wen Mubai’s insecurity showing.

Although she didn’t know why it was happening so suddenly, Xu Chacha felt she needed to answer seriously.

She straightened up and said earnestly, “I said impossible means impossible. I worked so hard to marry you. It would be a waste not to cherish you for seventy or eighty years.”

While Wen Mubai was still processing her words, Xu Chacha wrapped her arms around her. “You’re not planning to cheat, are you?”

“…”

“It’s okay if you are. I’ll just relentlessly pursue you again.”

Wen Mubai frowned, pinching her cheek. “Stop talking nonsense.”

“You know I’m talking nonsense, too,” Xu Chacha poked her chin forward, her gentle gaze locking onto Wen Mubai. “Then why are you overthinking things?”

Wen Mubai lowered her eyes, looking into Xu Chacha’s clear depths.

That look again. It was the same look from the day she confessed.

People always said Wen Mubai was the rational one, yet she was constantly led by the nose by a single look or word from Xu Chacha.

She finally smiled. Xu Chacha did too.

The movement to lower her head and kiss her lips was once an impulse she had to fight to suppress, but now it was a practiced action she had performed countless times.

The hand massaging her calf slowly moved upward, but Xu Chacha, her cheeks flushed, pushed it away, breathing heavily.

“If you keep doing that, you’ll really catch a cold.”

“It’s fine,” Wen Mubai lowered her head, consuming the rest of Xu Chacha’s words with her lips.