After Transmigrating as the Villain’s Cannon Fodder Fake Sister - Chapter 3

With a clack, the sunglasses perched precariously on Jiang Xia’an’s nose hit the floor. Like a dying fish, they bounced twice and then went silent.

Jiang Xia’an herself underwent a visual transformation, fading from a colorful oil painting into a minimalist grayscale sketch.

It was like déjà vu all over again.

Her jaw-dropped expression lasted for a full minute before she seemed to realize something and regained her composure. The shock of being a “repeat offender” witness was no less than the first time.

But! As a woman who had seen the world’s greatest storms, she couldn’t afford to look like a clueless amateur! Even though she was still reeling, the feeling wasn’t quite as surreal as before.

Looking back, the last time she’d been this impacted was… the last time. It could only be the last time!

The Best Actress winner stepped inside. As her mental state adjusted, the “grayscale” tone of the room bled back into full color.

She even squinted and shook her head, sighing poetically: “Perhaps I should be under the car, not inside the car.” (A reference to a famous Mandopop song about being a third wheel).

Grandpa Jiang glared at her. “What nonsense are you spouting? Hurry up and help your sister up!”

Gu Ruanruan was propped up on her hands, looking down at Jiang Cen. The only thing separating their upper bodies was the camera in Jiang Cen’s hands.

Position-wise, Gu Ruanruan held the high ground, but aura-wise, Jiang Cen was undoubtedly the dominant one. Gu Ruanruan had zero doubt that at this very moment, Jiang Cen was already plotting how to “accidentally” assassinate her without leaving a trace.

Thus, when Jiang Xia’an offered a hand, Gu Ruanruan almost burst into tears of gratitude. One more second and she would have been frozen to death by Jiang Cen’s gaze!!!

Gu Ruanruan’s ascent was so fast—her face practically screaming “I need to get away”—that she ignored the biggest issue: her gown did not allow for large movements.

Her upper body rose, but her lower body couldn’t keep up. Gu Ruanruan was trapped by her uncoordinated limbs and the complex fabric. Her attempt to stand was agonizingly difficult; eventually, because she pushed off too hard, she tripped over the hem. With a twist of her body, she fell heavily back onto Jiang Cen!

Coincidentally, Jiang Cen had just moved the camera out from between them.

A faint, muffled groan escaped Jiang Cen’s lips.

Gu Ruanruan was dizzy from the impact. Her chin had slammed into something on Jiang Cen—it was rock hard.

Gu Ruanruan panicked: “Sis… Sister… are… are you okay?!”

Only two words echoed in her mind: I’m cooked.

A million African wild boars were charging through her fragile heart, each one trampling her soul while shrieking: “You’re dead, you’re dead, you’re dead!”

Gu Ruanruan felt she couldn’t breathe. Why was she so unlucky? Was her short life going to end before it even began?

Jiang Cen contributed the first eye-roll of her life. “Not dead yet,” she said dryly.

Gu Ruanruan’s heartbroken expression was so obvious that even Jiang Xia’an felt a momentary pang of pity for her.

Jiang Cen reminded her, “If you don’t get up, I can’t guarantee that status for long.”

!!!

Gu Ruanruan finally realized she was still pinning Jiang Cen down. When Jiang Xia’an reached out again, Gu Ruanruan rejected the ineffective help. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around her head, and simply rolled to the side—rolling right off Jiang Cen.

She thought she was being cool and decisive, but due to excessive force, she ended up rolling several times across the floor before coming to a halt. The reason she stopped? She hit the leg of the sofa.

At least she’d protected her head…

While she was having a life-or-death moment, some people weren’t so “kind.”

“Pffft… you look like a fugitive goose flapping around in an iron pot,” Jiang Xia’an said. Her “humor threshold” was very low, and she loved sharing new jokes.

Grandpa Jiang couldn’t help but visualize the scene thanks to the vivid description. Suppressing a smile, he scolded Xia’an, “Hurry up and help your sister!”

Having learned from the previous attempt, Jiang Xia’an understood what a troublesome dress this was and carefully “plucked” Gu Ruanruan up from the floor.

As soon as Gu Ruanruan stood up, she didn’t even pat the dust off her clothes before rushing to check on Jiang Cen. By now, Jiang Cen had already tidied herself, returning to her pristine, spotless state with her unchanging mask of indifference—as if nothing had happened.

Gu Ruanruan realized Jiang Cen had a magical ability: no matter how frustrating or awkward the situation, she could remain breezy and detached.

“Ah!!! My dear sister~ how are you? Does~ it~ hurt~? Your sister will take you to the hospital!!!” Gu Ruanruan grabbed Jiang Cen’s shoulders and shook her forcefully. Her tone was a roller coaster of drama; a simple sentence was dragged out into a full-blown aria.

Prepared, Jiang Cen coldly and skillfully removed Gu Ruanruan’s claws. She took off her jacket as well, her disgust written clearly on her face.

Seeing Gu Ruanruan’s nervous state, Jiang Xia’an’s eyes crinkled. She teased exaggeratedly: “That’s right! Little Sister, hurry and take Big Sister to the hospital! Any later and her wounds might actually heal on their own!”

Jiang Cen glanced at the teary-eyed, “sincere” Gu Ruanruan and the chaos-loving Jiang Xia’an. She sneered: “I’m fine. You two, however, need to go to the hospital to check your brains. Any later and I won’t be able to help. The Jiang family does not support the mentally challenged.”

Gu Ruanruan: “…”

Jiang Xia’an: “…”

Double Kill!

Hearing this, Grandpa Jiang was instantly displeased. “What is Eldest saying! Don’t talk about your sister like that! Even if Little Ruanruan is a bit slow, this old man can afford to raise her!”

“Grandpa, uuuuuhuhu, you’re so good to me!!!” Gu Ruanruan burst into tears and spread her arms like a giant bird to give Grandpa a hug.

The bird’s journey ended halfway.

Jiang Cen extended a single finger against Gu Ruanruan’s forehead, pinning her in place while Gu Ruanruan’s arms flailed helplessly. She said coldly: “Gu Ruanruan, I have no hobby for raising idiots.”

Gu Ruanruan pouted, looking aggrieved. Grandpa Jiang saw her looking like a chick being scolded by a mother hen and comforted her with a doting look.

Not wanting to be left out, Jiang Xia’an asked gloomily: “Grandpa… what about me? If I become an idiot, won’t you raise me anymore?”

Jiang Cen glanced at her.

“Second child, you… don’t you start making a scene!” Grandpa Jiang looked away.

Jiang Xia’an guessed what her grandpa really wanted to say was: Second child, you’re not worthy. Her heart ached. As an actress (bracket: an award-winning actress!), she understood subtext!

“Grandpa, you’re so biased. Am I not your little darling anymore?”

“Cough, cough…” Grandpa Jiang faked a cough to hide his guilt. Ignoring Xia’an’s accusations, he summarized: “As long as you three sisters have such a good relationship, this old man is satisfied. I’m old; my only wish is for our family to be harmonious and happy.”

The more he spoke, the more satisfied he became. He looked at his three granddaughters. The youngest was the most worrying—she’d come to the family late, and he feared she wouldn’t feel she belonged. But seeing them today, he didn’t need to worry. They were getting along “famously.”

Truly relieved, he took Jiang Cen’s hand in his left and Gu Ruanruan’s in his right, beaming: “Second child, go get the camera. Let’s take a family photo.”

Jiang Xia’an: ??? I’m unworthy again??

That evening, Gu Ruanruan returned to her room and changed into comfortable loungewear, rescuing her body from the torture of the gown.

Jiang Cen had eaten dinner with them. Since she hadn’t heard a car start, Gu Ruanruan guessed she was staying over. She asked a servant and confirmed that Jiang Cen was in her third-floor bedroom.

The Jiang manor had six floors: Grandpa on the first, Gu Ruanruan on the second, and Jiang Cen and Jiang Xia’an on the third.

Jiang Cen had just finished her shower when a knock sounded. Thinking it was the “reformed” Jiang Xia’an learning manners, she said: “Come in.”

A fluffy head peeked in like a thief. It was Gu Ruanruan.

Jiang Cen’s eyes turned cold. Gu Ruanruan hesitated before scurrying into the room, not daring to look around, only staring at Jiang Cen with a pitiful, puppy-dog expression.

“Sister… I’m really sorry about today. I was too out of line!” Gu Ruanruan offered her “scumbag’s confession.”

Jiang Cen sneered. “At least you know.”

She was wearing a bathrobe, her long, fair legs crossed, revealing her elegant neck. Gu Ruanruan noticed a red mark on her collarbone. So that was the hard thing her chin had hit.

Thinking of her future “tortured to death” ending, Gu Ruanruan felt a surge of sorrow. She solemnly presented a tube of ointment from her pocket with both hands. “Please accept my repentance!”

Jiang Cen glanced at the bruise on Gu Ruanruan’s own chin and scoffed, “Keep the medicine for yourself.”

The marks on her own pale skin looked dramatic but weren’t actually painful.

Jiang Cen refusing medicine = Jiang Cen refusing the apology = Jiang Cen holding a grudge = Jiang Cen never forgiving her = Psychiatric hospital ending!

Gu Ruanruan was devastated. She had to soothe the villain’s fur!!! Why was the villain so difficult! Woman! Don’t force me to get on my knees and beg!

“Uuuuuuhuhu…”

Thinking this, she actually asked it aloud. With eyes full of tears, she asked with raw emotion: “Do I have to kneel and beg for you to be willing to use the medicine and forgive me??”

Her watery apricot eyes filled with tears in an instant, looking so innocent and pathetic that anyone would wonder if they were the ones being cruel.

Jiang Cen didn’t understand where all these tears came from, nor did she see the logic connecting “applying ointment” to “forgiveness.” She didn’t want to see Gu Ruanruan doing hypocritical, vicious things with that innocent face anymore.

She took the medicine. Then, she extended a finger to tap threateningly on Gu Ruanruan’s collar, looking down at her. Her gaze was gloomy, her voice bone-chilling: “Do what you’re supposed to do. If you stay in your place, I won’t touch you. But if you try anything else…” she said meaningfully, “I will make sure you can never come ‘home’ again.”

“Also, stay away from me.”

Jiang Cen knew Gu Ruanruan was different now, but whether this was a new disguise or something else, she would find out.

Gu Ruanruan nodded like a woodpecker. “Yes, yes, yes, yes!”

She was terrified, but she also couldn’t stop her “wild boar” heart from racing! The scent of shower gel drifted to her nose; the tips of Jiang Cen’s hair brushed her shoulder. Gu Ruanruan felt her face heating up rapidly.

Too… too close!

Even Jiang Cen’s icy presence couldn’t stop the rush of heat to Gu Ruanruan’s head. She… she had never been this close to a woman before!!!

What… what do I do!!!

She couldn’t take this “blessing” anymore. Gu Ruanruan jerked backward a step and instinctively gave Jiang Cen a light push to create space.

“Sister, I—”

!!!

The world spun. Gu Ruanruan couldn’t finish her sentence.

Who would have thought that a simple push would send Jiang Cen toppling backward onto the bed!!!

She really meant it to be light!!! Okay, maybe… maybe not that light…

As she fell, Jiang Cen instinctively grabbed the nearest thing—Gu Ruanruan’s collar. Thus, Gu Ruanruan was dragged down with her onto the massive, soft bed.

Driven by a sudden stroke of genius (or experience), Gu Ruanruan managed to prop her elbows on the mattress at the last second, avoiding crushing Jiang Cen.

It was a “Triple Play” of disasters.

“By the way, Sis, about that movie—” Jiang Xia’an’s voice rang from the doorway.

“Oh, my God…” After two rounds of trauma, “Three-peat” Xia’an seemed to have sufficient psychological preparation.

She skillfully backed out, checked the door number to confirm it was indeed Jiang Cen’s room, and then walked back in with steady, measured steps.

As her final footfall landed, the “restless flame” in Gu Ruanruan’s nose finally flared, and a drop of blood fell onto Jiang Cen’s clothes.

Jiang Xia’an: Staring-dog-in-disbelief.jpg

Gu Ruanruan didn’t dare look at Jiang Cen’s face.

Inhaling-oxygen.jpg

She really wanted to ask Jiang Cen: Sister, do you think… I still have a chance?

After a long silence, the Best Actress pushed her sagging jaw back into place and sighed maturely.

Growth begins with keeping countless secrets. She knew. She knew too much.

Jiang Xia’an stared deeply at Gu Ruanruan and Jiang Cen, then sighed toward Gu Ruanruan: “Little Sister… you sure play… perverted…”

Gu Ruanruan: “…”