After Transmigrating Into A Cannon Fodder Character, I Only Want To Survive - Chapter 57

A few seconds after speaking, Fang Bai didn’t even realize why she had explained herself to Ji Yuning.

She had gone abroad alone for those two weeks. Although they were only apart for a short time, when Fang Bai returned to China, Ji Yuning’s appearance hadn’t changed, but that cold, aloof air had started then, making her increasingly unapproachable.

Perhaps Ji Yuning’s detached demeanor was too obvious, which was why Fang Bai had subconsciously offered an explanation, afraid that Ji Yuning would misunderstand and think she had reverted to her former unpleasant self, afraid that the goodwill she had built up over the past year would diminish.

Having figured it out, Fang Bai smiled. “You should be able to tell, right?”

Ji Yuning was wearing a gray short-sleeved shirt, and her lower garment was also in the same color scheme. A faint emotion flowed between her brows. “Yes, I could tell.”

“That’s good,” Fang Bai replied, resting her hand on the sofa and propping up her chin as she asked, “Is your homework finished? Do you want to go swimming? Relax a bit?”

Ji Yuning had intended to go upstairs, but hearing Fang Bai’s question, her footsteps on the stairs halted. She turned her head and asked, “Aren’t you going to attend the banquet?”

“You came downstairs at that time?” Fang Bai asked, assuming Ji Yuning had coincidentally come downstairs after they finished talking.

Ji Yuning hummed in agreement. “I heard.”

“Oh,” Fang Bai said, not paying much attention. She thought about the date she had seen and said, “It’s tomorrow.”

Fang Bai got up and walked towards the stairs. “Going?”

Ji Yuning pursed her lips. Her homework had long been finished. She had been dealing with company matters. Before coming downstairs, Yuan Yizhen had sent her new documents, which she hadn’t read yet.

Fang Bai didn’t know what Ji Yuning was thinking, but judging from Ji Yuning’s delayed response, she was likely going to refuse her.

Stepping onto the stairs, Fang Bai slowly walked towards the second floor. “If you’re not going, then I won’t go either. Maybe in a few days.”

Ji Yuning was one step below Fang Bai, holding her water glass. The “hmm” was just about to escape her nose when she heard Fang Bai say with slight regret, “My new swimsuit will turn old if it stays in the closet for a few more days.”

As she spoke, Fang Bai turned her head again to Ji Yuning. “It’s the one you helped me choose last time, do you remember?”

She remembered.

It was a black, one-piece, high-cut swimsuit with a hollow-out design on the back, the back straps crisscrossing in a sexy design.

“You chose it yourself,” Ji Yuning said softly.

Was there a difference?

Usually, people only fussed over this question if they felt they had bought the wrong thing…

Fang Bai looked at Ji Yuning and said, “But I bought it because you said it looked good.”

You also said it looked good, so she hadn’t bought the wrong thing.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have bought it so decisively. After all, it was rare for Ji Yuning to say something looked good. Usually, she would just reply with an “hmm” or nod silently without saying anything.

Ji Yuning lowered her eyes, knowing that Fang Bai had misinterpreted her meaning, but she didn’t intend to explain. After a few seconds, she said, “Half an hour.”

The sudden change in topic confused Fang Bai. “Huh? What half an hour?”

The two walked up to the second floor. Ji Yuning replied to Fang Bai with “Go swimming” and then turned to continue upstairs.

Fang Bai paused in place for two seconds. Regarding Ji Yuning’s changed answer, her eyebrows curved into a smile. She said softly to the back disappearing around the corner of the hallway, “Okay~”

After saying that, Fang Bai turned back to her room, not seeing the person at the corner of the hallway stop in their tracks after hearing her reply.

Chang Suyao returned to the Fang family home and told Fang Maozhou that Fang Bai would attend the celebration banquet. The latter was very happy to hear this and immediately called Fang Bai, but no one answered.

Fang Maozhou then assumed Fang Bai was busy and sent her a message.

Fang Bai swam a few laps and then sat down on the edge of the pool to rest. She glanced at the figure swimming in the distance, dried her hands, and picked up her phone from the side.

Old Man: [I’ve booked a stylist to come to your house tomorrow. Remember not to go out.]

Looking at the message, Fang Bai didn’t know how to reply for a moment.

What made her feel at a loss wasn’t the content of the message, but the concern from Fang Maozhou.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Fang Bai typed a few words: [Got it, thanks old man.]

Fang Maozhou seemed busy. The page stayed open for a long time without a reply. Just as Fang Bai returned to the list, Ji Yuning’s voice entered her ears, “Who is Auntie chatting with?”

A faint tone, like a casual inquiry.

Fang Bai turned off the screen and looked up at the person beside her. “My dad.”

Having just come out of the water, Ji Yuning was covered in water droplets. They slid down her body. A drop of water slid out of Fang Bai’s sight. Fang Bai asked, “Are you going to the banquet tomorrow?”

Ji Yuning used a towel to dab the water droplets from her face and stood beside Fang Bai, looking down at her. “Does Auntie want me to go with you?”

What kind of question was that?

“If not with me, who else would you go with?”

Ji Yuning lowered her eyes and said softly, “Only with you.”

“…” Fang Bai handed the towel she had been using to dry her body to Ji Yuning and said gently, “Then just say you’ll go, right?”

Ji Yuning didn’t take it. She said, “Still want to swim.”

Then she added, “Go.”

Fang Bai raised an eyebrow, marveling at the young person’s stamina. Ji Yuning had swum about three more laps than her, and now she was so tired she didn’t want to move, yet the other person still wanted to swim.

“Are you planning to make up for all the swimming you haven’t done before?”

Half a year ago, Fang Bai would never have imagined that the water-fearing child would say “still want to swim.” In half a year, she had overcome her fear, swimming like a fish, as if there was nothing she couldn’t conquer.

Ji Yuning lowered her eyelids without speaking.

A few seconds later, under Fang Bai’s gaze, Ji Yuning squatted down beside her. Then Fang Bai saw Ji Yuning press the towel in her hand against her collarbone and say, “There’s water here.”

By the time Fang Bai took the towel, she heard Ji Yuning say casually, “For me, this is something special.” ?

Fang Bai didn’t understand what was special about swimming. Her eyelids flickered, meeting Ji Yuning’s indifferent eyes. The question at her lips remained unasked.

And Ji Yuning got up and went back into the water, continuing to swim.

The next day, the stylist arrived at one in the afternoon.

When they arrived, Fang Bai was taking a nap. Wu Mei woke her up.

Fang Bai was particular about strangers entering her room, so when they suggested doing the styling in the bedroom, Fang Bai refused. She asked Wu Mei to take them to the guest room.

Beibei’s room was occupied, so after licking its paws, it went up to the attic.

When Ji Yuning came down to the second floor with Beibei and entered the guest room, she saw Fang Bai sitting in front of the dressing mirror with her eyes closed, letting the stylist apply makeup to her face.

Ji Yuning didn’t make a sound when she entered the guest room. Although the stylists didn’t know Ji Yuning, they knew she must be someone from this household. They had wanted to strike up a conversation, but after seeing the aloofness on her face, they swallowed their words and just nodded slightly.

Ji Yuning half-closed her eyes in acknowledgment and then looked at the person surrounded in the center.

Fang Bai’s skin was snow-white, without any freckles or blemishes. Her makeup wasn’t heavy, very light and sheer. Her delicate eyebrows were outlined with a brow pencil, the turn at the arch like a gentle spring, soft and subtly alluring…

Fang Bai was resting with her eyes closed, completely unaware that Ji Yuning had entered the guest room. If the makeup artist hadn’t asked her to open her eyes to apply mascara, and she hadn’t seen Ji Yuning when she opened them, Fang Bai might not have noticed Ji Yuning’s presence until the makeup was finished.

“Why did you come downstairs? Not enough hands? I’ll have Sister Wu call you when I’m done,” Fang Bai said softly.

Ji Yuning came back to her senses, stroking Beibei’s fur, and said softly, “Mmm.”

She had come downstairs to get freeze-dried food for Beibei, but she had inadvertently become mesmerized after entering the room.

Fang Bai’s head was being controlled by the makeup artist and couldn’t move. Glancing at Ji Yuning standing still, Fang Bai had an idea. She asked the makeup artist, “Can I apply my own lipstick?”

The makeup artist smiled. “Of course, I’ll recommend a few shades for you, and you can choose the color yourself.”

Fang Bai hummed in agreement and said thank you. At this point, the makeup artist withdrew her hand.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, her makeup was done except for her lips. The corners of Fang Bai’s mouth curved slightly as she turned to ask Ji Yuning, “Do you want to come and put on lipstick for Auntie?”

A flicker of light crossed Ji Yuning’s eyes.

Without waiting for Ji Yuning to agree or refuse, Fang Bai had already asked the makeup artist to place the selected shades on the table.

Fang Bai didn’t have any ulterior motives. She simply thought that Ji Yuning standing there meant she was interested in makeup. After all, children of this age were at the age of loving beauty.

The makeup artist quickly placed the lipsticks on the table.

Fang Bai glanced at them.

“Come,” Fang Bai beckoned to Ji Yuning, her voice gentle. “You choose.”

Ji Yuning stood there expressionlessly, not moving. Fang Bai’s hand beckoned and then dropped. As that pale white disappeared from her sight, Ji Yuning’s lips moved slightly. “I don’t know.”

Fang Bai didn’t mind. “Auntie doesn’t know either, but Auntie trusts your taste.”

After saying that, Fang Bai looked at the cat in Ji Yuning’s arms and called out expectantly, “Beibei~ come here.”

It had to be said that Beibei was quite cooperative with Fang Bai in front of outsiders. It first looked at Fang Bai with its round eyes, then saw Fang Bai’s open arms. Its front paws stepped on Ji Yuning’s arm, and after slightly freeing itself, it leaped down and went straight into Fang Bai’s embrace.

Fang Bai scratched the fur around Beibei’s neck, her rippling eyes looking at Ji Yuning. “You come here too.”

“.”

This time, Ji Yuning didn’t speak again. After hesitating, she took two steps forward and stood in front of Fang Bai.

The makeup artist said in a timely manner, “Miss can try the colors on the back of her hand now, and then apply it to Miss Fang after choosing.”

“Mmm.” Ji Yuning lowered her eyes and glanced at the table, her finger picking up the leftmost lipstick. The golden casing made her skin look even whiter.

Ji Yuning just lightly dabbed the lipstick on the back of her hand, the mark about the size of a fingertip. Ji Yuning couldn’t name the colors. She could only visually distinguish the three different shades. From top to bottom, the colors were deep red, orange-red, and the last one… was also red.

Holding her hand up to Fang Bai’s face, Ji Yuning compared them and then pointed to the third one. “This one?”

She was asking for Fang Bai’s opinion.

“Okay,” Fang Bai said.

The makeup artist clapped her hands. “This color is also the one I initially wanted to apply to Miss Fang.”

“Then this one.” After Fang Bai finished speaking, she slightly tilted her chin and parted her thin lips slightly towards Ji Yuning.

Before the makeup, lip balm had been applied to Fang Bai’s lips. At this moment, under the light, her lips glistened, as tender and smooth as jelly.

This scene entered Ji Yuning’s eyes, and the hand holding the lipstick involuntarily tightened, her fingerprints imprinting on the smooth casing.

The two stylists around Fang Bai had gone to choose clothes for her, and the makeup artist’s position was behind Fang Bai, so Fang Bai’s alluring appearance at this moment was only seen by Ji Yuning alone.

“It’s best to support Miss Fang’s chin so she doesn’t shake,” the makeup artist, realizing that Ji Yuning didn’t know how to apply makeup, instructed when Ji Yuning didn’t move for a long time.

As she spoke, the makeup artist shifted her feet, wanting to walk to Fang Bai’s side to see how Ji Yuning was applying it.

Ji Yuning’s movements were a step faster than the makeup artist. By the time the makeup artist moved to Fang Bai’s side, Ji Yuning had already reached out and supported Fang Bai’s cheek with her ring finger hooked under Fang Bai’s jaw, while her other hand slowly brought the lipstick to Fang Bai’s lips.

Following the direction, she gently slid it across.

Ji Yuning held her breath, watching Fang Bai’s pink lips turn red because of her.

Author’s Note:

Adult Xiao Ji: I’d rather it was me who reddened them by sucking.