After Transmigrating Into A Cannon Fodder Character, I Only Want To Survive - Chapter 52

The two returned home, and Fang Bai didn’t need to cook; Wu Mei had already prepared the meal.

After telling Ji Yuning to eat slowly, Fang Bai went upstairs with Beibei in her arms.

Having taken Beibei out for a walk for half an hour, Fang Bai felt sorry for it and fed it some freeze-dried snacks as a reward. After playing with Beibei for a while, Fang Bai prepared to return to her room.

Coming out of the guest bedroom, Fang Bai ran into Ji Yuning standing at the top of the stairs.

“Just finished eating?”

Fang Bai said, walking towards Ji Yuning.

Ji Yuning, who had been standing at the top of the stairs for three minutes, replied, “Mmm.”

Fang Bai hummed in acknowledgment. She said softly, as usual, “Then rest early.”

After saying that, Fang Bai made a move to walk towards her bedroom, but Ji Yuning called out, “Auntie.”

Fang Bai turned her head to look at her, waiting for what Ji Yuning would say next.

Ji Yuning’s lips parted, and finally she said, “…Thank you.”

“?” Fang Bai was puzzled. She shifted her feet, facing Ji Yuning directly. “Thank me for what?”

“…”

Fang Bai’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. An exciting thought slowly rose in her mind. She suppressed the beating of her heart and said, feigning calmness, “The letter from the last parent-teacher conference, you wrote ‘thank you’ to me then too.”

Ji Yuning was taken aback.

When He Wei said they needed to write letters to the parents, Ji Yuning only paused for two seconds before deciding what to write.

Thank you was what she wanted to say to Fang Bai.

And the thank you just now wasn’t what she wanted to say. She wanted to say something else, but the words got stuck in her throat, and in the end, she could only say those two words, just taking it as thanks for Fang Bai waiting for her at the bus stop and then accompanying her home.

The more Fang Bai thought about it, the more likely she thought her guess was. She cautiously asked in a low voice, “Is…this about reconciling with the past?”

Just when Fang Bai thought she had moved Ji Yuning and made her let go of the hatred in her heart, Ji Yuning said without a moment’s hesitation, “Just saying thank you.”

“…”

She knew it wouldn’t be so easy to influence her; she had been overthinking.

Fang Bai cleared her throat to cover up her embarrassment and quickly changed the subject. “You haven’t answered my question yet. Are you going to study at home?”

If it was just studying, Ji Yuning could accept staying home, but thinking about what Yuan Yizhen had said in the afternoon, working from home might not be very likely.

Fang Bai had already guessed Ji Yuning’s thoughts in the few seconds of her silence.

The words of refusal were on Ji Yuning’s lips, but before she could open her mouth, she heard Fang Bai say, “If you don’t like video calls or anything like that, you can ask Xiao Mu to come to our house. After studying every day, Uncle Li can take her home. Or, Uncle Li can pick you up after school, including taking you to the library. If you need any textbooks, Auntie will also find a way to get them for you.”

Fang Bai’s proposal blocked all of Ji Yuning’s escape routes, leaving her no room for refusal.

Ji Yuning swallowed the words she was about to say and nodded silently.

Fang Bai’s lips curved into a smile. “Discuss it with Xiao Mu and give me an answer tomorrow.”

“…Mmm.”

Fang Bai stepped forward and slowly raised her hand under Ji Yuning’s gaze.

Ever since Ji Yuning refused to let her and Wu Mei deliver milk, Fang Bai hadn’t touched Ji Yuning’s head for a long time. The familiar yet unfamiliar feeling made Fang Bai couldn’t help but stroke it a little.

But it was just a brief touch. Fang Bai quickly withdrew her hand, and the moment her hand fell to her side, Fang Bai said softly, “Good night.”

Meeting Fang Bai’s clear eyes, Ji Yuning looked away and said softly, “Good night.”

It seemed that those were the two words she had wanted to say just now.

Fang Bai’s lips slightly curled up. “Sleep early.”

Coffee shop.

Liao Li took a sip of her coffee, savoring the sweetness within the bitterness. Setting down her cup, she looked at the person sitting opposite her.

After being busy for several months, Liao Li finally got three days off. After resting for two days, Liao Li called Fang Bai out on the third day.

She had originally wanted to call someone else, but when she opened her contact list, Liao Li realized that Fang Bai seemed to be the only friend she could truly call a friend.

Fang Bai readily agreed to her invitation, but ever since they met in the afternoon, the certain Ms. Fang had been constantly spacing out.

Liao Li crossed her legs, the foot on top gently swinging. “Fang Bai, if you have something to do, go back first. You don’t have to keep me company.”

Called by her name, Fang Bai’s gaze, which had been fixed on the ornaments on the table, shifted to Liao Li. She shook her head and said, “It’s nothing.”

“Still nothing? I’ve said three sentences to you just now,” Liao Li leaned back in her chair, her voice teasing. “Repeat them.”

Fang Bai: “…”

Okay, could she change her mind and say she did have something to do?

Seeing Fang Bai’s silence, Liao Li smiled and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Fang Bai rested her chin on the back of her hand, lowered her head, and used a spoon to cut a small piece of cake. The sweetness of the cream made her eyebrows slightly relax.

Staring at the cake, Fang Bai said slowly, “Xiao Ning’s birthday is coming up.”

Her seventeenth birthday.

It meant that Ji Yuning would be eighteen in another year, and a year and a half after that would be the day the original owner went offline.

Hearing this, Liao Li quickly opened her phone, counting how many days were left.

Three days later, still time.

“I’ve been too busy these days, I would have forgotten if you hadn’t mentioned it. Luckily I called you out today, let’s go, let’s buy a birthday present together,” Liao Li said, getting up.

Fang Bai didn’t move. “I’ve already prepared one.”

She had only taken two bites of the cake and didn’t want to leave yet.

Liao Li glanced at the cake and sat back down in her chair. “Then what are you thinking about?”

If it wasn’t worrying about a birthday present, what was wrong with Ji Yuning’s birthday?

Fang Bai took another bite of cake and said softly, “It’s nothing.”

Liao Li tapped her fingers on the table twice, prompting Fang Bai to look up at her, then lowered her voice and asked, “How is Yuning’s attitude towards you now?”

Very good, Liao Li perfectly guessed the question.

That was exactly what Fang Bai was thinking about.

“The same as before.” Fang Bai lowered her head, a bitter smile tugging at her lips, but her tone was very calm, making it difficult to detect her true thoughts.

Liao Li stared at the top of Fang Bai’s head for two seconds, picked up her coffee, and took a sip. She always felt that Fang Bai wasn’t as indifferent as she appeared. “Isn’t that pretty good? No change is the best change.”

No change is the best change? Fang Bai’s expression froze for a moment.

Then her half-year effort had gone down the drain… It seemed to make sense too. At least Ji Yuning’s attitude towards her was still normal, not too bad… But wasn’t that just Ji Yuning acting? In the original text, Ji Yuning only shed her two-year-long obedient daughter disguise when the original owner’s death was near…

Thoughts raced through her mind. Fang Bai could tell that Liao Li was trying to comfort her, but this comfort made Fang Bai feel even worse.

Liao Li didn’t notice Fang Bai’s furrowed features. She lowered her head, savoring her coffee, and added leisurely, “If I were Yuning, I would have torn you apart long ago.”

…Soon, in another year and a half, she would be torn apart.

Regarding Liao Li’s comfort, Fang Bai just wanted to say thank you, but she didn’t need it.

Fang Bai glanced at Liao Li. “It’s a good thing you’re not.”

Ji Yuning had at least given her two years.

Liao Li held her cup, her eyes scrutinizing Fang Bai’s face.

Fang Bai didn’t care about Liao Li’s scrutiny and let her look.

After Liao Li stared for a long time, Fang Bai’s fine eyebrows twitched slightly. “What are you looking at?”

Liao Li leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table. “I think…you’ve changed quite a bit.”

Fang Bai lowered her eyes. “People are bound to change.”

Liao Li clicked her tongue and blurted out what she had been thinking. “But you’re practically a different person.”

Half of the cake was eaten.

Fang Bai picked up her bag from the chair next to her and stood up.

Liao Li was taken aback, thinking Fang Bai was angry. “Where are you going?”

Fang Bai glanced sideways at Liao Li. “Didn’t we say we were going to buy a gift?”

Liao Li followed Fang Bai back home. As they stepped out of the entrance hall, they saw Ji Yuning holding a cat and standing on the stairs.

It was as if she had heard the door opening on her way upstairs and was waiting on that floor for the person returning.

The moment she saw Liao Li, Ji Yuning only paused for a second before lifting her eyelids to look behind Liao Li.

Liao Li smiled at Ji Yuning. “Yuning.”

Ji Yuning nodded and called out, “Aunt Liao.”

Fang Bai walked past Liao Li. Liao Li turned her head to look at her. “When did you start keeping a cat?”

Fang Bai: “Yuning keeps it.”

Liao Li hummed in acknowledgment. Seeing Fang Bai about to throw the bag she was carrying onto the sofa, she quickly stepped forward and took Fang Bai’s arm. Then, after Fang Bai said something, she pulled her towards the stairs.

Passing Ji Yuning, Liao Li said, “Your Aunt Fang and I have something to talk about, we’ll go upstairs first.”

Fang Bai glanced at Ji Yuning, then, worried about tripping, looked down at the stairs.

The brief eye contact revealed nothing about what the other person was thinking.

Upstairs, Fang Bai thought Liao Li had something important to say, but then she saw Liao Li hand her the bag in her hand.

“What’s wrong?”

Liao Li: “Help me give this to Yuning on her birthday.”

Fang Bai took it. “Why don’t you give it to her yourself?”

“I’m going abroad in a few days and might not make it back. It seems more thoughtful to give the gift on the day itself,” Liao Li said.

“So busy?”

Weren’t you just on vacation? Why are you going abroad again?

Liao Li grunted. “My family arranged a blind date for me. I’m going abroad to avoid it. It just so happens that they need me there too.”

Blind date?

Fang Bai became interested. She asked, “Aren’t you going to meet them? What if it’s your type?”

Liao Li shook her head. “It’s not about the person, it’s that I don’t want to get married yet.”

After saying that, Liao Li turned her head to look at Fang Bai. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Uncle Fang hasn’t arranged any blind dates for you?”

Of course, Fang Maozhou had arranged blind dates for the original owner, but they were all rejected by her. The original owner had hidden her sexual orientation very well, even Fang Maozhou didn’t know.

After Liao Li asked, she suddenly sat up straight. “Speaking of which, ever since I’ve known you, so many young men have been interested in you, why haven’t I seen you date anyone?”

Fang Bai sighed inwardly: Because the original owner’s heart was all about you.

After a few seconds, Fang Bai replied, “Never thought about it.”

“Then when are you planning to find someone?”

Fang Bai was taken aback. She really hadn’t thought about this question.

Now that Liao Li asked, Fang Bai realized that in her previous life, she had focused entirely on her studies and had never dated or been attracted to anyone. Even her sexual awakening…

She had transmigrated into the book without knowing what love felt like, and after transmigrating, she had never had the opportunity to interact with others.

Of course, the main reason was that her current situation didn’t allow her to think about these things.

Fang Bai was silent for a moment. “Wait until Xiao Ning comes of age.”

Wait until she wasn’t cannon fodder anymore, then consider it, or rather, wait until she left this place before thinking about these things.

The most important thing right now was still Ji Yuning.

Hearing this, in Liao Li’s ears, Fang Bai instantly became an admirable and great stepmother figure who was “waiting for the child to grow up before pursuing her own happiness.”

Liao Li sighed inwardly: When she wasn’t a good person, she really wasn’t one. But the change was also real.

She hadn’t said Fang Bai seemed like a different person casually.

Liao Li crossed her legs, her hand resting on her knee, and said with a teasing look, “Then I’ll introduce you to a few when the time comes?”

Meeting Liao Li’s gaze, Fang Bai understood that the other person had obviously misunderstood her meaning.

Just as Fang Bai was about to explain, two heavy knocks on the door interrupted her.

Ji Yuning stood at the door, backlit so her expression couldn’t be seen clearly. Her voice was very faint. “Dinner is ready.”

Author’s Note:

Aunt Fang: Listen to me, thank you, because of you, the four seasons are warm…

Xiao Ji: About the time I just became aware of my feelings and heard the other person wants to go on blind dates.