After Transmigrating as the Omega Fiance of the Cannon Fodder Top - Chapter 1

When he opened his eyes, the light was dim.

The scenery outside the car window receded at a steady pace, with streetlights occasionally casting a glow onto the glass. Shu Baiyu scanned his surroundings before lowering his gaze again.

The driver seemed to notice he was awake and said, “Almost there, almost there. There’s a bit of traffic, but we’ll be at the Jian family mansion soon.”

The person in the back seat sat with his head bowed. Long bangs obscured his dark eyes; he didn’t say a word.

The Jian family mansion.

Shu Baiyu searched his memory. This specific plot point seemed to be when the original host of this body received a message and prepared to return to the Jian family for a birthday banquet.

In the book, the original host’s family background was identical to his own—almost zero contact with his family. A third party had intervened, his parents divorced, and if he remembered correctly, he was returning now to attend the ninth birthday party of his half-sister.

As a “cannon fodder” supporting male lead, he certainly wasn’t returning to celebrate. In the book, he caused a massive scene at the banquet, leading to a complete falling out with his family.

Before he could think further, the car slowed to a stop.

“We’re here,” the driver called out.

The taxi stopped outside the gates of the Jian courtyard. Even before getting out, one could feel the brightness and bustle of the event. Many people had been invited, and a humble taxi like this looked conspicuously out of place.

Sure enough, it drew some eyes.

Two young Alphas were standing by the gate. One of them, Wei Li, looked up and spotted the Omega stepping out of the car.

“Hey, who’s that? Why does he look so familiar?” Wei Li, whose outfit was much more casual than the others, nudged the person next to him, his eyes never leaving Shu Baiyu. “He looks like he’d be pretty handsome. I think I’ve seen him somewhere—is he from our school?”

The Alpha he nudged was standing in the corner. Though he stood straight, he gave off a vibe of casual indifference. He had narrow, slightly upturned eyes, thin lips, and fair skin. His expression was detached, as if he didn’t care about his surroundings at all.

Hearing this, Lu Xingzhou finally seemed to notice the Omega walking toward them. However, he only gave a fleeting, superficial glance before withdrawing his gaze, completely uninterested.

Wei Li, however, couldn’t help but stare a bit longer. As Shu Baiyu drew closer, his slender, thin frame became more apparent. His hair was long, and his bangs hid his eyes, making his exact features unclear, yet there was something about him that made it hard to look away.

It wasn’t until Shu Baiyu walked past them that Wei Li snapped out of it. He turned to Lu Xingzhou and complained, “No way, am I really that unattractive? He didn’t even give us a glance!”

When the guy walked by, his eyes hadn’t even flickered in their direction; he had treated them like thin air.

Lu Xingzhou didn’t react much, but his gaze suddenly followed Shu Baiyu, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Wei Li noticed the change. “What is it?”

Lu Xingzhou slowly turned back. “…Nothing.”

It was just that when Shu Baiyu brushed past him, he thought he smelled a faint, fleeting trace of pheromones.

Shu Baiyu navigated his way to the main hall with practiced ease. The Jian house was decorated in pink, and the hall was crowded and exceptionally lively. He was dressed plainly, and since the original host rarely showed his face to these people, few noticed him. He blended into the crowd naturally.

The Jian family “trio”—father, stepmother, and daughter—were chatting with guests, faces glowing with smiles. The birthday girl, Jian Yanyan, wore a fluffy princess dress and was giggling in the center of the crowd.

Shu Baiyu looked around the group, and after failing to see the person he was looking for, he withdrew his gaze and prepared to slip away.

But even though he tried to minimize his presence, someone noticed him.

Tang Yan, an Omega, was standing with the Jian family. He spotted Shu Baiyu almost the instant he appeared. After scanning Shu Baiyu’s outfit, Tang Yan couldn’t hide the excitement in his eyes. As if afraid people wouldn’t notice Shu Baiyu’s arrival, he raised his voice slightly: “Baiyu!”

The moment he spoke, the surrounding area went quiet. Jian Weizhang, who had been talking to someone, stopped and turned around. His expression was one of surprise: “Baiyu?”

Shu Baiyu looked at him briefly but didn’t answer, though he stopped moving.

Tang Yan hurried over and intimately took his arm, smiling. “Why are you here? You didn’t even tell us. I almost didn’t see you!” His tone was affectionate, as if they were very close.

Shu Baiyu looked at him and asked, “What is your name?”

Tang Yan choked. The smile on his face froze for a second before he managed to recover. He laughed reproachfully, “I’m Tang Yan! Baiyu, you really love your jokes…”

Tang Yan…

Shu Baiyu quickly searched his mind for the plot regarding this person. Tang Yan was the nephew of his stepmother, Tang Jingxia. Because his parents couldn’t look after him, the stepmother had convinced Jian Weizhang to let him live at the Jian mansion. Ever since Tang Yan arrived, he had been framing and bullying the original host.

The original host was sullen and blunt—no match for this “White Lotus” character—and usually ended up as the one being blamed. The host’s current icy relationship with his family was largely due to Tang Yan’s “help.”

Having finished his internal review, Shu Baiyu silently pulled his arm out of Tang Yan’s grasp and looked down at him. “Do I need to check in with an outsider to return to my own home?”

Tang Yan clearly didn’t expect a retort. He was stunned, and only after hearing the whispers of the guests did he snap out of it. His heart sank, but he gritted his teeth and forced a smile. “Ho-how could you say that? We all wanted you to come back. After all, you’re never at home, you’re always outside… busy.” He emphasized the last word pointedly.

The guests had heard rumors about the Jian family’s eldest son—that he had a terrible relationship with his family and “fooled around” outside. There were many nasty rumors about his college life. Supposedly, despite being engaged to a member of the Lu family, he was still shamelessly pestering another Alpha at school.

Tang Yan knew this well and used it to strike at Shu Baiyu. According to his understanding of the boy, Shu Baiyu would fly into a rage upon hearing people discuss him like this, storm out, and humiliate Jian Weizhang.

To his surprise, Shu Baiyu remained expressionless. He even nodded slightly and looked at Tang Yan. “Better than being an idle parasite living off the Jian family.”

Tang Yan’s face instantly collapsed—especially when someone nearby let out a “pfft” of laughter.

Wei Li and Lu Xingzhou were close enough to hear everything. Wei Li spun around to look at Lu Xingzhou, his expression pure horror: “He… he is your fiancé?”

Lu Xingzhou’s expression didn’t change. He gazed calmly at the Omega in the crowd.

“Holy…” Wei Li wanted to go back in time and slap himself. What had he said when he first saw Shu Baiyu? That he was handsome? He’d even questioned his own charm in front of Lu Xingzhou! If he’d known this Omega was Lu Xingzhou’s “fickle” fiancé, he would never have said a word!

Jian Weizhang finally broke the awkward silence. “Baiyu, today is Yanyan’s birthday. Since you’re back, stay the night before you leave.”

Shu Baiyu didn’t speak. Tang Yan, seeing an opening, took the opportunity to save face. “That’s right, Baiyu. You haven’t been back in so long. For Yanyan’s birthday, the family built a new pool. Let me show you?”

Shu Baiyu remembered this plot point. Tang Yan planned to use his old trick: “accidentally” fall into the pool and then cry piteously about why Shu Baiyu pushed him.

However, Shu Baiyu didn’t refuse. He let Tang Yan lead him toward the garden with the crowd following.

The courtyard was lively. Tang Yan pulled him to the edge of the pool, his smiling face back in place as if they were having a delightful chat. Knowing that Tang Yan’s next move was to fall into the water, Shu Baiyu looked at the back of the boy’s head, wondering why anyone would think this was a good idea.

Tang Yan held his hand affectionately while scanning the surroundings. Shu Baiyu did the same. Deciding that the timing was perfect, Tang Yan started to turn toward Shu Baiyu.

But before he could even get into position, he heard a loud SPLASH! He turned around and was immediately drenched by a spray of water. When he wiped his eyes, someone was already in the pool.

The people around the pool gasped. “Someone fell in!” they cried, frantically calling for help.

Shu Baiyu thrashed around symbolically a few times before being hauled out of the water. On the pool deck, people rushed to cover him with blankets and hand him towels, clearly shaken.

Soaked and looking pathetic, Shu Baiyu’s first action under the gaze of the crowd was to look up at Tang Yan and say: “I don’t blame you.”

The looks the bystanders gave Tang Yan changed instantly.

Tang Yan: “…”

His face was a mask of disbelief and fury. “It wasn’t me! He… he jumped in himself! I didn’t push him at all!”

Shu Baiyu said nothing. He just quietly lowered his head.

His eyes were a deep color, and his wet bangs clumped together, revealing his half-lidded eyes. In his current state, he looked incredibly pitiful. Within seconds, the crowd’s sympathy had shifted entirely.

However, Shu Baiyu was actually just looking at the “Water Depth” warning sign on the edge of the pool. He thought to himself: It’s only 1.5 meters. If I stood up, it wouldn’t even reach my shoulders.

He glanced at the impotently fuming Tang Yan and thought silently: His IQ is worrying.

“Shu Baiyu, what are you pretending for?” Tang Yan’s face turned red with anger. He pushed people aside to rush at him. “I didn’t push you! You framed me! You did it on purpose!”

Before he could grab Shu Baiyu, a stern voice rang out: “Tang Yan—that’s enough!”

Jian Weizhang had been in the main hall but had been drawn by the commotion. He walked out to see the dripping Shu Baiyu surrounded by guests. He looked at Tang Yan with a displeased expression. “Stop it. Baiyu is soaked. Take him to change clothes.”

Shu Baiyu didn’t wait for a response. He stood up. “I can go by myself.”

Jian Weizhang looked unhappy, and Tang Yan didn’t dare argue further. He could only swallow his anger and stay by Tang Jingxia’s side, though he glared darkly at Shu Baiyu’s retreating figure.

Jian Weizhang wasn’t the only one drawn out. Wei Li, seeing the look on the Omega’s face from his angle, hissed quietly to Lu Xingzhou, “I guess the Young Master of the Jian family is in for it this time, huh?”

Before he could finish, the person beside him stepped away without warning.

“Brother Lu, where are you going?” Wei Li called out.

Lu Xingzhou didn’t look back. “It’s boring. I’m leaving.”

Shu Baiyu didn’t return to his room; he stopped at the restroom on the way. Perhaps because of the sudden dip in the water, even though his clothes were wet, he felt a strange heat rising within him.

Did I catch a cold that fast?

He wrung out the hem of his shirt and splashed his face with water at the sink. When he looked up, the mirror reflected the same face as his original world. He stared at his long bangs, went silent for a moment, then indifferently decided to keep the “non-mainstream” hairstyle.

The restroom was near the back garden, so there were very few people. Shu Baiyu waited for a moment until he heard footsteps approaching. He turned his head and, as expected, a tall man—arranged beforehand by Tang Yan—appeared at the door.

Shu Baiyu’s expression remained unchanged. He exhaled a breath of hot air and rotated his wrists.

The next second, a fist swung toward his face.

BAM—!

A dull thud echoed, followed by a faint scent of pheromones that grew stronger as one got closer.

Lu Xingzhou paused his footsteps, then continued walking forward. The Jian mansion had a complex layout, and he hadn’t spent much time in the back garden. He walked down the path, turned a corner, and stopped abruptly before reaching the end.

Shu Baiyu didn’t realize someone had witnessed the entire thing. After washing his hands again, he leaned against the sink. After the physical altercation, his body felt even more uncomfortable. He felt as if a new scent was surrounding him.

Even after washing his face with cold water, the heat wouldn’t subside. His mind felt fuzzy and warm. Every breath he took seemed to make his own scent heavier.

In addition to his own, he smelled another scent—extremely faint and light, yet carrying a hint of coolness. it cleared his head slightly, but his physical reaction grew more intense.

He looked up and met Lu Xingzhou’s eyes.

Before he could walk away, the other man suddenly approached. Lu Xingzhou grabbed his arm—causing a sharp sting of pain—and shoved him into a restroom stall.

The door slammed shut.

The cool scent was now very close. Shu Baiyu’s nose instinctively moved closer to the source.

Lu Xingzhou looked down at the Omega who was pressing into his chest, sniffing at him. He frowned and pushed the boy away with cold indifference. After taking a deep breath, his eyes flashed with displeasure.

“Are you in heat?”