After Saving My Cannon Fodder Omega - Chapter 14

Standing at the door at the end of the second-floor hallway, Chi Wei poked the cloud-shaped hook—level with her eyebrows—with her middle finger. After twisting the knob, she habitually picked up the hanging sign stored behind the door and hooked it on.

On the sign, made of the same material and color as the hook, four large characters were written vertically: DO NOT DISTURB.

In the entire Chi household, this was a privilege and a piece of daring that only she possessed.

Returning to a room she hadn’t been away from for long, Chi Wei took a deep breath, took two quick steps, and threw herself onto the bed, playing dead against the duvet.

The phone she had tossed carelessly at the foot of the bed beeped incessantly. She didn’t know if the network was bad or if her sisters’ reactions were just too slow, but messages she had sent ages ago were only just getting responses.

But after being interrupted by Xuan Nian’s call and the appearance of Ming Rui’s mother, she had zero desire to hold her phone and chat idly with them.

Especially Zhang Qing’s appearance, and the unspoken meaning she had deliberately let slip through her gaze and expressions—it was far too obvious, making Chi Wei more uncomfortable than if she had just said it outright.

Between sending the watch and finding a “helper” for a surprise domestic raid, Ming Rui’s maneuvers today showed that she was, regardless of anything else, clearly a bit too well-informed regarding Chi Wei’s whereabouts.

If there were no other motives, or if Chi Wei felt the same way, such perfectly timed attentiveness would indeed be delightful. But once the premise didn’t hold, a surprise was no longer a surprise; it could no longer carry any beautiful connotations.

She had dropped hints during the call before coming home and was certain Ming Rui understood. She didn’t know if Ming Rui hadn’t had time to notify Auntie Zhang or was simply unwilling to give up, but based on Mrs. Xiang’s cooperation just now, it at least proved her mother supported her and had no intention of forcing a “family-on-family” union.

That was an absolute win.

It was just that it wasn’t suitable to make any more moves in the short term. Otherwise, if she spoke too bluntly, a rift would likely be unavoidable.

Realizing her family’s attitude was different from her past life, the shadow lurking in Chi Wei’s heart shrank slightly.

She took a deep breath, and remembering she would see Xuan Nian again on Friday, her arms—which had been spread out like the character for “one” (一)—instantly pulled back, shrinking in front of her as her palms overlapped over her chest.

Then again, the difference between “Work Mode” Sister and the Sister in her memory was just too vast. Especially the combination of that cool, distant voice and the imagined image of her blushing, speechless face—

Chi Wei felt like her whole body had been set on fire.

“…”

Holding her chest, Chi Wei lifted her head and sniffed hard. No, I can’t think about it anymore. I feel like I’m going to get a nosebleed.

After calming her fluctuating emotions, Chi Wei kicked off her shoes, scrambled past the sofa, and went through the sliding glass doors into the balcony area she had converted into a workspace.

The balcony was surrounded on three sides by sheer curtains to filter the strong outside light.

Beside a two-meter-long workstation stood a large, adjustable drawing board. On the desk were two ultra-high-definition monitors—one horizontal and one vertical—and the digital tablet on the table showed clear signs of frequent use.

Chi Wei pulled out her chair and sat down, powering everything on one by one.

Her mind wasn’t on what kind of draft she should turn in, but rather on the novel she had been forced to read in the endless darkness while lying on that hospital bed.

In the novel, she—the stepping stone for the protagonist—made her first appearance by “parachuting” into the Design Department. Using her status as the third miss of the Chi family and the CEO’s biological sister, she snatched away the only promotion slot for the quarter.

As for the primary purpose of this plot point, looking at the context, it wasn’t hard to understand. It was simply to add drama and make Chu Shirong’s eventual success and “backstab” seem righteous and justified.

But in reality, regardless of the season, there was no such thing as “only one promotion slot.”

Her brother, Chi Tu, as the head of the Design Department, valued talent above all else. As long as his subordinates’ drafts were good enough and their designs brilliant, he wasn’t above promoting everyone in one go.

Chi Wei remembered clearly that back then, the reason Chu Shirong’s design was rejected was simply that it wasn’t good enough.

Recalling the baseless things Chu Shirong had said to other colleagues after Chi Wei’s design became the company’s featured product, she couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.

—Her character was clearly that rotten; how could I have believed that person’s claim of being Sister Xuan Nian’s close friend in my past life?!

Truly a total idiot.

Leaning back in her chair, Chi Wei stared blankly at the sheer curtains swaying in the cold wind coming through the half-open window, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Zhang Qing, having detected her friend’s somewhat perfunctory smile, helplessly squeezed Xiang Jieqiu’s hand. “We’re both mothers; you have to understand me.”

“I do. It’s good that you can think of it that way. Xiaoyu is my youngest and my precious darling.” Xiang Jieqiu squeezed Zhang Qing’s hand back with a bit of force.

Zhang Qing’s lips twitched into a smile. “Alright. I have to head back to my parents’ house later, I won’t trouble you any longer.”

“I’ll see you out,” Xiang Jieqiu offered politely.

Zhang Qing waved her off. “Stay and rest. We’re sisters, we don’t need all that. I’m heading out.”

Xiang Jieqiu nodded but followed Zhang Qing out of the living room anyway, standing at the door to watch her get into the car.

Upstairs, Chi Wei sat facing the sheer curtains, her feet moving back and forth on the footrest. Her toes happened to hook the curtain, making it sway. Through the gap, she just happened to see Zhang Qing getting into the car in the courtyard.

Catching the disappointment on Zhang Qing’s face through the glass, Chi Wei felt her mood lighten instantly.

In families like theirs, the happiness of being able to choose one’s marriage partner at will was even higher than inheriting the entire family fortune.

She had no idea that her mother was currently looking up at her tightly shielded balcony from below.

Letting the curtain drop, Chi Wei pulled her wandering thoughts back. She lowered her head and quickly sketched the shape of a ring on the digital tablet, then turned to the drawing board beside her. She rapidly captured the image that had flashed through her mind when she received Xuan Nian’s voice message. Fueled by that burning sensation, she worked on the “answer sheet” she had to turn in on Friday morning.

This first piece wasn’t just a work task; it was her record of reuniting with her Sister.

The sunlight outside changed color silently. The massive sun sank into the clouds, domineeringly dyeing the sky in its own hues. The orange-red came and went in a flash.

Chi Wei looked at the rendering on the screen with satisfaction. Suddenly looking up, she realized that behind the curtains and the glowing eye-protection lamp, it was pitch black outside. Checking the time, it was exactly dinner time for the family, so she happily headed downstairs to eat.

Dinner time in the Chi family followed a strict principle: if everyone was there, they started.

Because Chi Wei often didn’t eat at home—and because she had hung the sign on her door—no one had waited for her tonight, despite how much her parents favored her.

Consequently, when she appeared in the living room, everyone eating was startled.

“Xiaoyu came home today?” Her father, Chi Xuehai, was the most shocked, clearly unaware that his youngest daughter had returned that afternoon.

Xiang Jieqiu let out an “ah.” “She came back this afternoon. I meant to tell you, but I called and you didn’t pick up, and then I forgot.”

Chi Xuehai, not daring to blame his wife, chuckled. “That’s fine. It’s normal for a child to come home; no need for special announcements. It was my own carelessness for not noticing.”

This was the truth.

Chi Yu and Chi Tu, who had returned together from work, had seen Chi Wei’s car the moment they arrived. After greeting their parents, they had both taken turns going up to the second floor, so they weren’t surprised she was home—they were only surprised she had come out so soon.

After all, based on her usual speed for turning in assignments, she wouldn’t have finished in less than twenty-four hours. Because she didn’t want to be “rewarded” for her competence with more work, the fun-loving Chi Wei had hidden her talents since childhood, never daring to reveal how efficient she actually was.

Looking at the five shocked faces, Chi Wei gave a sheepish grin: “Drawing made me hungry.”

“Then why are you just standing there? Sit down and eat,” Chi Tu said, gesturing toward the empty seat opposite him.

Chi Wei chirped an “okay” and hurried over to sit. The housekeeper had already brought her a set of bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen.

Chi Yu and Chi Tu were sitting side-by-side. Seeing Chi Wei pick up her spoon, Chi Yu instinctively glanced at her bare right wrist. She said nothing and continued eating.

However, Xiang Jieqiu put down her chopsticks. “Since the whole family is here… Xiaoyu.”

“Huh?” Chi Wei had just taken a sip of soup. Being called out suddenly, she looked blank. “Mom, what is it?”

Xiang Jieqiu turned to her. “You told Zhang Qing this afternoon that you have someone you like. What’s the story? Aren’t you going to tell us about it?”

Chi Wei looked foolishly at her father, elder sister, and brother, who had all put down their chopsticks at the same time. “Tell you what?”

“Tell us whose child they are, their name, and what they do,” Xiang Jieqiu said.

Chi Wei blinked in a daze and put down her spoon, feeling the question was quite bizarre. “Why? When Big Sister and Brother dated before, it wasn’t like this.”

Xiang Jieqiu nodded. “Right, because they didn’t go around announcing their relationship status.”

Chi Xuehai originally wanted to say forget it, let’s talk after dinner, but seeing that his wife was serious, he had to help out: “Since your mother asked, just tell us.”

Xiang Jieqiu’s lips moved slightly as she watched Chi Wei in silence.

Chi Tu, who had known first about Chi Wei’s crush, noticed the mood was a bit off and nudged his elder sister’s knee for help.

Chi Yu lowered her eyes, having guessed the general situation. She took a sip of water and said, “Mom, didn’t you say before that the Ming girl wasn’t a good fit for Xiaoyu? Why are you worrying now? Don’t you know your own ‘precious darling’? Since she was little, she’s wanted the best of everything. Her standards are high; you don’t need to worry about the kind of person who manages to catch her eye.”

Xiang Jieqiu turned to her eldest daughter. “You already knew Xiaoyu had someone she liked?”

Chi Yu: “No.”

Xiang Jieqiu looked at her son: “And you?”

Chi Tu shook his head calmly.

Chi Xuehai, seeing his wife’s dark expression, asked in confusion, “Xiaoyu will be twenty-three after New Year’s. Isn’t it normal to have a crush? Why are you being so serious?”

Xiang Jieqiu finally snapped. She looked at Chi Xuehai: “Am I worried about Xiaoyu? I’m worried about the girl she’s set her sights on! Zhang Qing is easy-going, but have you forgotten her mother-in-law—your best friend’s mother? That old lady is unreasonable. If she finds out her granddaughter lost to some girl with no name or status, what do you think will happen?”

Chi Wei finally understood. She reached out and hugged Xiang Jieqiu’s arm. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll definitely protect her. I’ve already decided on her; I won’t let anyone bully her as long as I live. This Saturday, I’ll bring her over to meet you guys!”

In the Xuan household, over twenty kilometers away.

Xuan Nian, having just entered the house, covered her mouth with her scarf and sneezed.

Xu Danying, who was scrolling through her Moments while sitting in her wheelchair, was startled. She immediately pressed the forward button on her armrest to move toward her. “Did you catch a cold?”

Xuan Nian waved her hand. “I’m fine, Mom. My nose just suddenly felt itchy.”

Xu Danying nodded. “The temperature has dropped again. You must stay warm; don’t let yourself freeze.”

Xuan Nian agreed. As she leaned down to put her bag away, her gaze accidentally swept across the phone screen on Xu Danying’s lap. She took another look.

—Wait, why does the person in the middle of that photo look so much like that little “tiger-tooth” girl I ran into at the hospital?