After Transmigrating Into A Cannon Fodder Character, I Only Want To Survive - Chapter 61

It was He Ziyan’s birthday very quickly.

It happened to be a weekend, and the weather was sunny.

Three hours before the start of the birthday banquet, Fang Bai carried Beibei up to the attic.

Ji Yuning’s bedroom door wasn’t closed. Fang Bai walked up a few steps and saw the person she was looking for sitting upright at her desk.

Wearing simple gray casual clothes, a short-sleeved shirt and long pants, Fang Bai then realized that she rarely saw Ji Yuning wearing shorts.

Not making a sound to disturb the person in the room, Fang Bai leaned against the door with Beibei in her arms, looking around the room while stroking Beibei’s fur.

The visible surfaces were free of extra clutter, clean and tidy.

Completely different from her own room. Right now, the quilt on her bed was still crumpled and unsightly.

This was also the reason Fang Bai didn’t enter the room. Besides being afraid of disturbing Ji Yuning’s studies, she felt that stepping inside would ruin the entire room’s aesthetic.

Unless the owner actively invited her in, barging in would cause displeasure.

Thinking of this, Fang Bai looked at the room’s owner, only to realize that the other person had looked at her at some point.

Ji Yuning knew when Fang Bai came upstairs. She had thought the woman had something to chat about, but she stopped at the door without saying a word.

Ji Yuning turned the pen in her hand. “Does Auntie need something from me?”

With the room’s owner taking the initiative to speak, Fang Bai lazily straightened up and stepped into the bedroom. “I wanted to ask what clothes you’re going to wear.”

If it was just a private invitation to dinner or something, anything casual would do, but a birthday banquet, for the He family, besides celebrating He Ziyan’s birthday, was also an occasion to network business. There would definitely be many people attending, all of them wealthy and powerful, so something formal was needed.

“Don’t know.” Ji Yuning’s attention returned to the test questions.

Fang Bai walked up to Ji Yuning, leaned her hip against the desk, and asked, “Then shall I choose for you?”

Fang Maozhou had sent a few formal dresses last time, and they were still untouched in the cloakroom.

Ji Yuning’s pen moved across the paper, and she said softly, “Mmm.”

“Then let’s go downstairs,” Fang Bai knocked twice on the tabletop with her knuckles. “Tit for tat, you help me choose.”

The two crisp sounds were like pebbles falling into water, ripples spreading across the calm lake surface.

Fang Bai, however, didn’t realize this. She just wanted to make Ji Yuning relax a bit.

After choosing an outfit suitable for Ji Yuning’s age, Fang Bai glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Ji Yuning standing still, constantly looking at her.

Fang Bai raised an eyebrow. Was she worried that her choice wasn’t good-looking?

Looking at Ji Yuning, Fang Bai held up the clothes in her hand. “I’ve chosen. What about you?”

Fang Bai thought that even if she was being casual, Ji Yuning would at least pretend to pick something for her, but she didn’t expect that Ji Yuning wouldn’t even glance at her when she asked the question, directly picking up a piece of clothing nearby. “This is fine.”

“…”

Fang Bai felt more than once that Ji Yuning was being perfunctory with her. Although that piece of clothing was also the first one she had liked, the problem was Ji Yuning’s attitude.

The smile on Fang Bai’s lips faded. She pointed to the clothes in Ji Yuning’s hand. “Why did you choose this one?”

Ji Yuning looked at Fang Bai and said, pursing her lips, “It will look very good on you.”

Fang Bai was taken aback, realizing that Ji Yuning had said “will look very good” instead of just “looks good.”

It was just one extra word, but Fang Bai was inexplicably pleased.

Her lips slightly curved up. Fang Bai walked up to Ji Yuning. “Although it’s very perfunctory, I accept it.”

Ji Yuning frowned slightly. “It’s not.”

“Not what?” Fang Bai asked.

“Not being perfunctory with you,” Ji Yuning said faintly. “Anything looks good on you.”

It’s just that wearing this one will look very good.

On the way to He Ziyan’s house.

Fang Bai turned her head towards the window. She wasn’t looking at the scenery; her mind was entirely on the person sitting next to her.

Two hours passed, and Fang Bai still hadn’t gotten over Ji Yuning’s compliment. She felt no joy at being praised, only a slight sense of unease.

What was it like to be praised as good-looking by someone who was going to make you cannon fodder?

Like a vegetable being bought in a market.

To be stir-fried, to be eaten.

Death was imminent.

Recalling Ji Yuning’s expression when she spoke, calm and serious, like she was studying how to cut vegetables and what seasonings to put in a stir-fry.

Fang Bai’s breath hitched. She didn’t even hear Ji Yuning call her.

“Auntie.” Ji Yuning called patiently for the second time.

This time Fang Bai heard her and turned her head. “Huh?”

Ji Yuning said softly, “We’re here.”

Fang Bai looked out the window. The receding scenery had stopped at some point.

Uncle Li opened the car door from the outside. Fang Bai composed herself, didn’t look at Ji Yuning, and said, “Then let’s get out.”

He Ziyan’s house was also a villa. Many people were standing scattered in the yard. Fang Bai saw Fang Maozhou and Chang Suyao in the crowd from afar. She took Ji Yuning forward to greet them and then separated from the group under the pretext of giving a gift.

The moment Fang Bai entered the yard, He Ziyan, who was standing on the second-floor balcony, saw her.

By the time Fang Bai and Ji Yuning reached the door, He Ziyan, who had rushed downstairs, had also arrived.

Fang Bai and Ji Yuning handed the gift to He Ziyan, saying at the same time, “Happy birthday.”

He Ziyan took the gift and said to Ji Yuning, “Thank you.”

Then He Ziyan turned to Fang Bai, lifted both sides of her skirt, showing the perfect side of the dress to Fang Bai, and asked with a hint of excitement, “Aunt Fang, do I look good today?”

He Ziyan was wearing a dark blue short princess dress with silver thread embroidery and a few scattered silver sequins.

Fang Bai nodded in praise. “Very beautiful.”

He Ziyan looked at the light blue formal dress Fang Bai was wearing and asked, “Are Aunt Fang and I wearing the same color scheme?”

One was dark blue, the other light blue, so not really.

But they were both blue, so it could be considered the same. It was He Ziyan’s birthday, so not wanting to spoil her fun, Fang Bai nodded. “Yes.”

Fang Bai added, “But yours looks even better.”

Just as He Ziyan was about to reply, a few newcomers came over to greet He Ziyan.

While responding to them, He Ziyan interjected to Fang Bai, “Aunt Fang, you guys go in first. I’ll find you in a bit.”

Two people, but she said she would find *you*.

Ji Yuning noticed He Ziyan’s choice of words and glanced at the other girl without any change in expression.

He Ziyan withdrew her gaze from Fang Bai, meeting Ji Yuning’s eyes.

The battle began silently.

But the person in the center of the battlefield failed to notice in time.

Fang Bai nodded in agreement. “Okay.”

After the two entered the hall, seeing the more than one-meter-high birthday cake piled in the center and the balloons and other decorations covering the walls, Fang Bai said softly to Ji Yuning, “How about I throw a birthday party like this for you when you turn eighteen?”

Ji Yuning only paused for a moment. “I don’t need it.”

“Then what do you want?” Fang Bai asked, wanting to satisfy her as much as possible.

What did she want?

The desire in Ji Yuning’s eyes flickered again and again before returning to normal. Finally, she said indifferently, “The same as last time.”

Fang Bai carefully recalled what “last time” meant, but all she could remember vividly was the bowl of noodles she had deliberately made in the early hours.

“Noodles?” Fang Bai asked tentatively.

Ji Yuning: “Mmm.”

Really?

Fang Bai chuckled softly. “That’s too easy.”

Ji Yuning remained silent.

Many people passed by the two of them. Many young people’s expressions when they saw Ji Yuning could be described as colorful, all sorts of reactions.

Surprise that Ji Yuning would appear here, doubt whether it was really Ji Yuning, and more were amazed by Ji Yuning’s appearance tonight, so different from when she wore her school uniform.

Fang Bai had a guess about those people. She asked, “Were those all your classmates just now?”

Ji Yuning hummed in acknowledgment.

“What about Xiao Mu?” Mentioning her classmate, Fang Bai realized she hadn’t seen Mu Xuerou. “Hasn’t she arrived yet?”

Ji Yuning glanced sideways at Fang Bai, suppressing a strange feeling in her heart. “She has things to do, she can’t come.”

Ji Yuning had heard Mu Xuerou tell He Ziyan she had things to do when He Ziyan invited them to the birthday party.

Fang Bai nodded slightly, thinking that indeed, the female lead understood the other female lead best.

People came and went around them. Relying on the original owner’s memories, Fang Bai could roughly name everyone, but she had no desire to communicate with them at all.

A bit boring.

Ji Yuning became Fang Bai’s main conversation target. “Did you ask Xiao Mu which university she wants to go to?”

The casual inquiry stirred up the strange feeling Ji Yuning had just suppressed.

Ji Yuning’s eyebrow twitched, her voice hoarse. “Why ask?”

Fang Bai said softly, “Just afraid you won’t be in the same university and then lose contact after college.”

Ji Yuning looked deeply at Fang Bai, then looked away, saying softly, “We have contact information.”

Was it useful?

When the time came to block and delete you, where would you contact her?

The original text didn’t mention Mu Xuerou blocking Ji Yuning, but not being able to contact someone for several years, besides being blocked, what else could it be?

Fang Bai didn’t continue talking to Ji Yuning because a few people suddenly came up to greet her.

After the first wave of people, came the second.

What she had said to Chang Suyao that day wasn’t a joke. This week, Fang Bai had gone to the company several times to make an appearance.

Because of this, the topics of conversation for the people who came to talk to her were either about Fang Maozhou or her going to the company, subtly probing whether she was going to take over the company.

Fang Bai had initially responded very politely, but after being asked by too many people, she became numb.

Finally, when she got a break, she made an excuse and left the crowd.

Fang Bai left alone; Ji Yuning wasn’t by her side.

Fang Bai didn’t even know when Ji Yuning had walked away from her and where she had gone.

Avoiding the crowd, Fang Bai called Ji Yuning, but no one answered.

Fang Bai frowned, thinking of the group of young people who had passed by them, many of whom had bullied Ji Yuning before.

Thinking of this, the image of Ji Yuning being ridiculed by others suddenly appeared in her mind.

Fang Bai put away her phone and walked towards a deserted corner.

After searching around, she couldn’t find Ji Yuning but ran into He Ziyan on the second-floor balcony.

Seeing this, Fang Bai stepped forward and called out, “Xiao He.”

He Ziyan’s facial features were a bit stiff, but when Fang Bai walked up to her, everything returned to normal. “Aunt Fang.”

Fang Bai nodded slightly and asked directly, “Have you seen Xiao Ning? I can’t find her.”

Ji Yuning, Ji Yuning.

Clearly today was her day to shine.

Why… couldn’t Fang Bai see her?

He Ziyan didn’t speak. Fang Bai assumed she hadn’t seen her either and picked up her phone, preparing to contact Ji Yuning again.

Seeing Fang Bai’s actions, He Ziyan interrupted her. “Aunt Fang.”

Fang Bai looked up. “What’s wrong?”

He Ziyan took a step forward and asked slowly, “Why are you so good to Ji Yuning?”

What kind of question was that?

Fang Bai smiled softly, her tone gentle. “She’s my family.”

Family?

A bitter feeling rose in He Ziyan’s heart, but her face remained proud on the surface. “But didn’t you hate Ji Yuning very much?”

“Hate?” The smile on Fang Bai’s lips disappeared, her voice calm. “Why would you think that?”

He Ziyan’s hand, which had been hanging by her leg, tightened. “If you didn’t hate her, why did you treat her like that before?”

The smile on Fang Bai’s lips completely vanished, the light in her eyes dimming. “That’s all in the past.”

After speaking, Fang Bai looked down at the time and said to He Ziyan, “The cake cutting is about to start. If there’s nothing else, let’s go downstairs first.”

Ji Yuning wasn’t upstairs, so she should be in the yard.

Fang Bai turned sideways, and just as her foot moved, her wrist was grabbed from behind.

Turning her head, Fang Bai saw He Ziyan looking at her with a tense face. “There, there’s something.”

The hand grabbing her was very strong, causing some pain in her wrist. Fang Bai couldn’t help but frown slightly. “What?”

He Ziyan looked at Fang Bai and slowly spoke the secret hidden deep in her heart, “I like you.”

Author’s Note:

“Stir-fried.”