After Transmigrating Into A Cannon Fodder Character, I Only Want To Survive - Chapter 54

Fang Bai slept soundly through the night. When she woke up, her sleepy eyes blinked a few times. Her body curled into a C-shape under the covers. After nearly three minutes, she finally threw off the blanket and got up.

Picking up the phone from the bedside table, Fang Bai, who habitually turned off the Wi-Fi while sleeping, saw several messages pop up on WeChat the moment her phone connected to the internet.

They were messages from Liao Li, reminding her to remember to pass on the gift.

After replying with an “Okay,” Fang Bai got out of bed, changed out of her pajamas, and after a quick wash, took the gift she had prepared and Liao Li’s gift up to the attic.

She saw the door was tightly closed.

Fang Bai didn’t rush forward. Instead, she stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down at the time.

7:30.

Although it was Saturday, according to Ji Yuning’s usual routine, she always got up very early, even on weekends. She must be studying, right?

Knowing she wouldn’t be disturbing Ji Yuning’s rest, Fang Bai continued forward.

She knocked twice on the door, lightly, just loud enough to ensure the person inside could hear.

However, more than ten seconds passed, and the door didn’t open.

Fang Bai wondered if Ji Yuning wasn’t in the room. She hesitated whether to open the door and put the things inside or take them downstairs to give to Ji Yuning. Just then, with a “click” sound, the door was pulled open from the inside.

Ji Yuning was still wearing her pajamas, a gray long-sleeved top and pants. Her usual cool and aloof air was evident. Her hair was slightly messy, as if she had just gotten out of bed and hadn’t had time to fix it. There was a hint of blue under her eyes. Although her expression was calm, the fatigue on her face was hard to hide.

Fang Bai was stunned, quickly realizing what was happening. She said softly, “I’m sorry, Auntie didn’t know you were still sleeping.”

So even someone as self-disciplined as her had a day to relax.

“Is something the matter?”

Ji Yuning’s voice was a little hoarse, and since it was very low, it sounded like she was angry.

Fang Bai thought this reaction was normal. Being woken up from sleeping in would make her angry too.

Fang Bai held up the bag in her hand between them and said gently, “Here to bring our Xiao Ning a birthday present~”

The bag blocked Fang Bai’s view, and she didn’t see the unnatural look that flashed across Ji Yuning’s face when she heard the words “Xiao Ning.”

Fang Bai waited for a while, but when Ji Yuning didn’t respond, she awkwardly lowered the bag and asked softly, “Can I come in?”

Ji Yuning’s hand holding the doorknob tightened. Her lowered eyes concealed her emotions. After a few seconds, she stepped aside.

Stepping inside the room, Fang Bai’s eyes subconsciously scanned around.

The desk was neat and tidy, the schoolbag stood upright next to the chair, and the corner of the blanket on the bed was turned up, but the rest was very smooth, showing that Ji Yuning didn’t move around much while sleeping.

Fang Bai quickly withdrew her gaze and handed the bag to Ji Yuning. “Mine and Liao Li’s, see if you like them.”

Ji Yuning didn’t open it because Fang Bai asked her something as she took the bag.

Fang Bai asked, “Did you take a shower in the early hours of the morning?”

The bathroom on the second floor was very close to Fang Bai’s room. Even if the room had good soundproofing, the sound of water in the quiet of the night would still disturb light sleepers.

Half-awake, Fang Bai had guessed it was Ji Yuning.

A dazed look flashed across Ji Yuning’s eyes, and the dream from last night unconsciously played in her mind. The overly sweet dream had startled her awake just as she was about to succumb to it.

She woke up, but she hadn’t come out of the dream, so she could only wash it away with water.

Ji Yuning’s mouth felt a little dry. “Mmm.”

“I didn’t look at the time, but it should have been very late then. Were you still not asleep?” Fang Bai asked.

Emotions gathered in Ji Yuning’s eyes. “I’ll be more careful next time.”

As soon as Fang Bai heard this, she knew Ji Yuning had misunderstood her. “I didn’t mean to blame you, I was just worried you were under a lot of pressure and concerned about your sleep quality.”

Ji Yuning’s stern face softened slightly. She said softly, “I slept, but I woke up in the middle.”

Fang Bai said “That’s good,” without delving into why Ji Yuning would take a shower after waking up. After looking at Ji Yuning for two seconds, she noticed that Ji Yuning’s lips were a little dry. When Fang Bai stepped forward to take a closer look, she found that Ji Yuning would take half a step back every time she moved closer.

“?”

Fang Bai was a little confused, but she didn’t lean towards Ji Yuning again. She just said, “Your lips are a bit dry. Do you still have the lip balm I gave you?”

Ji Yuning nodded.

Fang Bai was silent for a moment, then said, “Then I won’t disturb you. I’ll go downstairs first.”

“…Mmm.”

Fang Bai went out and closed the door behind her, a door separating Ji Yuning’s gaze from Fang Bai’s back.

She wasn’t intentionally avoiding Fang Bai, but as Fang Bai got closer, she could always smell that faint fragrance. When the scent was strong, it painted like a brush, depicting the extravagance of last night’s longing.

Ji Yuning thought she had hidden it well.

But during breakfast, when Fang Bai reached for the tissue next to Ji Yuning’s hand and saw Ji Yuning quickly move her hand away, Fang Bai still noticed something was off.

Then Fang Bai intentionally or unintentionally reached towards Ji Yuning, and each time she could see Ji Yuning’s furrowed brow and tense body.

After testing twice, Fang Bai finally confirmed that Ji Yuning was deliberately avoiding close contact with her.

What had she done to offend this little darling again?

Fang Bai was puzzled.

After eating, Ji Yuning left after saying she was going upstairs. Fang Bai responded and sat on the sofa with Beibei, eating fruit.

She ate a strawberry and then fed one to Beibei.

After eating two, Beibei ignored the food Fang Bai offered to its mouth and licked its fur on its own.

Its attitude changed so quickly that Fang Bai couldn’t help but complain, “No wonder it’s the cat raised by a certain someone.”

Yesterday it ate the noodles she fed it, and today it started avoiding her.

After sitting in the living room for a while, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Wu Mei checked and said to Fang Bai, “Miss, there are guests.”

Fang Bai pinched Beibei’s paw and asked casually, “Who is it?”

“It’s the Xiao Ji classmate who came last time,” Wu Mei said. “I’ve already opened the front door.”

The classmate who came last time? Then it could only be Mu Xuerou.

“Mmm.” Fang Bai got up with the cat in her arms. She reached the entrance hall just as the two people entered.

Fang Bai thought only Mu Xuerou had come, but she didn’t expect He Ziyan to be there as well.

The two of them… when did they become close enough to travel together?

Fang Bai was slightly surprised, her voice gentle. “How did you two come together?”

The two who entered were also taken aback when they saw Fang Bai. They hadn’t expected Fang Bai to greet them at the door.

He Ziyan looked at Fang Bai. She had never seen Fang Bai dressed so casually at home before. Her long hair was pinned up behind her head, and she wore a cream-white knitted sweater, exuding a gentle and virtuous air.

And, she finally saw Fang Bai’s profile picture, that cat.

Could this be considered a further understanding of Fang Bai?

Seeing He Ziyan remain silent, Mu Xuerou pointed to the bags they were carrying and said softly, “Hello, Aunt Fang. Ziyan and I made plans to come and give Yuning birthday presents.”

“Oh, is that so? Thank you both.” Fang Bai thanked them on Ji Yuning’s behalf, then stepped aside. “Is it cold? Come inside first.”

The group walked into the living room. Following Fang Bai’s instructions, Wu Mei poured hot water for the two guests and then went upstairs to call Ji Yuning.

During this time, Mu Xuerou said thank you, while the person sitting next to her didn’t say a word.

Fang Bai looked at He Ziyan, wondering why the little peacock wasn’t showing off today. Wasn’t she usually quite talkative? Could she be nervous?

He Ziyan didn’t know what Fang Bai was thinking. She just shifted her gaze from the cat in Fang Bai’s arms, and the next second, her eyes met Fang Bai’s.

Before He Ziyan could react, she heard Fang Bai ask her, “Why did you take leave for the last parent-teacher conference?”

He Ziyan was taken aback. “You went?”

Fang Bai smiled. “Otherwise, how would I know you took leave?”

A warm current flowed through her heart. He Ziyan glanced elsewhere. “It’s nothing, just some family matters.”

Fang Bai nodded in response and didn’t ask further.

She wasn’t really curious about why He Ziyan had taken leave. She just wanted to ease the atmosphere since He Ziyan wasn’t talking.

The atmosphere did indeed ease because the little peacock, who had been hanging her head, shook her body and took small steps to sit next to Fang Bai, asking, “Aunt Fang, can I hold the cat for a bit?”

Beibei wasn’t afraid of strangers, but it wouldn’t let He Ziyan hold it no matter what. As soon as He Ziyan reached out to Beibei, it would flail its claws and move around wildly.

Fang Bai could only hold Beibei and let He Ziyan pet it.

As Ji Yuning stepped down a flight of stairs, she saw Fang Bai and He Ziyan sitting on the sofa, with Mu Xuerou leaning down in front of them. All three had smiles on their faces as they teased the cat. From Ji Yuning’s perspective, He Ziyan and Fang Bai looked like they were close together.

“Yuning,” Mu Xuerou was the first to notice Ji Yuning. She straightened up and said to Ji Yuning, “Happy birthday.”

A curve that might or might not be considered a smile appeared on Ji Yuning’s lips. “Thank you.”

Hearing the movement, the other two who were teasing the cat simultaneously looked towards Ji Yuning.

Seeing Ji Yuning first look at Fang Bai and then at her, He Ziyan raised an eyebrow, ignoring the gloom in Ji Yuning’s eyes, and said, “Happy birthday.”

Ji Yuning lowered her head and glanced at He Ziyan’s hand still resting on Beibei’s head, replying faintly, “Thank you.”

Her tone was the same as when she replied to Mu Xuerou, but He Ziyan could still sense a difference.

He Ziyan didn’t mind. She hummed in acknowledgment, her eyes returning to Beibei. While stroking Beibei’s head, she called out to the person next to her, “Aunt Fang.”

Fang Bai’s attention shifted from Ji Yuning to He Ziyan. “What’s wrong?”

He Ziyan giggled sweetly. “This cat looks just like you~”

Fang Bai thought Beibei looked more like Ji Yuning, but she didn’t want to contradict He Ziyan, so she just smiled faintly.

And this smile, in the eyes of outsiders, was an agreement to He Ziyan’s words.

A voice devoid of emotion entered their ears. “Beibei.”

As the voice fell, the cat held by Fang Bai stood up, jumped to the ground, completely disregarding the several gazes that fell upon it, and walked with elegant and composed steps to Ji Yuning’s legs.

Ji Yuning reached out and held Beibei in her arms, saying softly, “Good boy.”

Fang Bai: “…”

Someone just said Beibei looked like her, and now you’re praising it for being good?

He Ziyan withdrew her hand in mid-air, a hint of insight in her eyes as she looked at Ji Yuning.

Mu Xuerou, standing to the side, looked from left to right, feeling like she had overlooked something and was being excluded.

But when Mu Xuerou saw a hint of something unreadable also appearing on Fang Bai’s face, that feeling was suppressed.

Mu Xuerou looked at the time and then said to Fang Bai, “Aunt Fang, today is Yuning’s birthday. We discussed it and decided to go to that newly opened amusement park to play. Why don’t you come with us?”

“You three kids go ahead,” Fang Bai refused softly.

Hearing this, Mu Xuerou looked at Ji Yuning, her intuition telling her that as long as Ji Yuning spoke, Fang Bai would agree.

Ji Yuning didn’t receive Mu Xuerou’s pleading gaze because when Mu Xuerou suggested Fang Bai go with them, Ji Yuning’s eyes had already landed on Fang Bai.

Hearing Fang Bai’s refusal, Ji Yuning paused for a few seconds and said, “Together.”