After Transmigrating Into A Cannon Fodder Character, I Only Want To Survive - Chapter 70

“That sounds so good!”

“Aunt Fang is so amazing~”

Facing Mu Xuerou and He Ziyan’s praise, Fang Bai smiled faintly and said no, then handed the microphone to He Ziyan. “You guys sing.”

He Ziyan didn’t say anything else this time. After taking the microphone, she said, “Okay.”

Then she discussed with Mu Xuerou what to sing.

He Ziyan’s singing state was somewhat different from her usual demeanor. Fang Bai listened very seriously.

Halfway through, Mu Xuerou joined in the harmony.

Hearing Mu Xuerou and He Ziyan’s voices blending together, Fang Bai dazedly realized that Mu Xuerou would be a star in the future.

Fang Bai unconsciously looked at Ji Yuning, who was entirely enveloped in shadow, making her expression unclear.

But Fang Bai noticed that Ji Yuning was looking at her.

The moment their eyes met, Fang Bai was stunned.

Then Fang Bai realized that Ji Yuning’s arm was reaching towards her. She lowered her head and saw the hand tugging at her clothes.

“What’s wrong?” Fang Bai asked.

Her voice was covered by the music, and even she couldn’t hear what she was saying.

Fang Bai had no choice but to remove the arm beside her, leaning her body towards Ji Yuning.

Her wrist was held, the warm touch burning her skin. Ji Yuning’s eyes flickered. Could this be considered Fang Bai taking her hand first?

Fang Bai didn’t know what Ji Yuning was thinking. After moving a little closer to Ji Yuning, she let go of her. “Are you uncomfortable?”

This should be Ji Yuning’s first time at a KTV, so it was inevitable she would feel out of place.

Smelling the familiar faint fragrance, Ji Yuning’s heart calmed down, and she answered Fang Bai’s question, “…Mmm.”

Ji Yuning naturally took Fang Bai’s hand.

“It’ll be fine in a bit, they’re all acquaintances, relax.” After comforting her, Fang Bai suddenly raised an eyebrow at Ji Yuning, her tone smiling. “Why don’t you sing a song too? Maybe you’ll feel better?”

Ji Yuning pursed her lips. “I can’t.”

She had no musical talent, and singing would only scare Fang Bai.

Fang Bai smiled and didn’t force her. “Then what do you want to hear? Auntie will sing it for you.”

Ji Yuning curled her fingers. “…That song from just now.”

Fang Bai wanted to say that song had already been sung, but seeing that Ji Yuning didn’t seem to be saying it casually, the words that reached her lips changed to, “Okay.”

After Fang Bai finished speaking, she looked down at Ji Yuning holding her hand and chuckled softly.

In Ji Yuning’s slightly puzzled eyes, Fang Bai leaned close to her ear and said, “Holding hands to seek comfort is a child’s behavior, right? And you still say you’re not a child?”

Warm breath brushed her ear, making Ji Yuning’s earlobes burn.

But the hand holding Fang Bai’s suddenly tightened.

Afraid that if she let go, Fang Bai would disappear.

••••

The next day.

The school arranged for participating students to first gather at the school, and then be led by teachers to the station.

Fang Bai refused Uncle Li’s offer to drive them, driving Ji Yuning to school herself.

During the journey, besides the lively car music, the two in the front seat were silent.

It wasn’t until they vaguely saw the school that Fang Bai asked, “How many days will you be gone?”

Two seconds after the question, she received a reply, “About a week.”

Fang Bai looked at the road ahead and said, “Then send me a message when you come back, and I’ll pick you up at the station.”

Ji Yuning glanced sideways at Fang Bai, the coldness that had been between her brows since last night slightly dissipating.

“Okay,” Ji Yuning replied.

“Although you don’t want to participate in this competition, Auntie thinks that since you’re going, you should do your best.”

Near the school, the car stopped by the roadside.

Fang Bai looked at Ji Yuning, took out a piece of candy from her pocket, and handed it over. “Get Auntie first place again~”

Seeing Ji Yuning pause for a moment, Fang Bai said, “I know you don’t like sweets, this is for you to play with.”

A lucky charm, Ji Yuning thought.

Ji Yuning took the candy and said softly, “Thank you.”

The sudden politeness surprised Fang Bai for a moment. It felt like a long time since she had heard those two words from Ji Yuning. After reacting, Fang Bai said, “You’re welcome.”

Ji Yuning nodded, didn’t speak again, and got out of the car after clutching the candy in her hand.

Then Ji Yuning turned and walked towards the school. The moment she stepped into the school gate, Ji Yuning’s heart suddenly beat faster, her steps stopping in place. She turned her head towards the direction she had come from, but the car was already gone.

••••

After leaving the school, Fang Bai didn’t drive to the company as usual but went to a coffee shop.

Pushing open the coffee shop door, she nodded to the waiter who approached her, then walked towards the person she had spotted at a glance outside the shop.

It was a window seat, where a woman in a camel coat with curly hair and heavy makeup sat. Every casual movement exuded charm.

Seeing Fang Bai arrive, Lu Raomei forced a smile and said, “You’re here.”

“Mmm.”

Their conversation was like that of old friends who hadn’t seen each other for a long time.

But it was just an act.

Fang Bai sat down opposite Lu Raomei. “Ms. Lu has asked me out several times. I wonder what you wanted to say?”

Starting five days ago, Fang Bai had been receiving text messages signed by Lu Raomei, and she had also received Lu Raomei’s friend requests on WeChat several times, but Fang Bai had deleted them all along with the text messages.

Blacklisting didn’t work either; Lu Raomei used a different phone number each time she sent a text message.

After waking up in the morning, Fang Bai received another text message from Lu Raomei, and the reason Fang Bai had come to the appointment this time was that Lu Raomei had mentioned Ji Yuning in the text message.

Lu Raomei wasn’t as eager as Fang Bai. She picked up her coffee, took a sip, and said with a smile, “So direct right off the bat? I was hoping to reminisce with you.”

A waiter walked over. Fang Bai had no intention of having a long chat with Lu Raomei and didn’t order anything.

After the waiter left, Fang Bai said calmly, “I don’t think Ms. Lu and I are very familiar.”

“That’s a bit hurtful,” Lu Raomei said, feigning sadness, but the smile on her face didn’t diminish. “My partnership with Chairman Fang is all thanks to your kind words.”

Fang Bai was silent for a moment.

What Lu Raomei was talking about was the project she had discussed with Fang Maozhou in the office last time. As expected, Fang Maozhou had finally announced that Lu Raomei was his partner.

Fang Bai leaned back, saying languidly, “Ms. Lu is overthinking it. I recommended another partner company.”

Of course, Lu Raomei knew. Hearing what Fang Bai said, her gaze fell on Fang Bai’s face, and she asked slowly, “Then do you know who the behind-the-scenes boss of that company is?”

Seeing that Fang Bai’s expression didn’t change and there wasn’t a hint of doubt on her face, Lu Raomei smiled and said, “Looks like you do.”

Lu Raomei leaned forward, as if interrogating. “Fang Bai, I’ve always been curious, how did you find out about me back then?”

She had clearly done everything perfectly. If that person hadn’t clumsily been discovered, she wouldn’t have had to waste her efforts on Ji Yuning now.

And the current Ji Yuning was no longer an obstacle she could easily eliminate.

The trouble the other party had caused her after the last banquet had only been resolved recently. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have deliberately stood up Fang Maozhou, causing the project with the Fang Corporation to be delayed until now.

It had almost fallen through.

Fang Bai’s eyelids drooped slightly. “Does it matter?”

Since it was already done, what did it matter how she found out?

Lu Raomei tapped her fingers on the table and raised an eyebrow. “No, it doesn’t matter.”

The air was silent for a few seconds.

Lu Raomei looked at the person in front of her, someone who intrigued her even more than the information she had found.

She not only knew the relationship between the Lu family and Ji Yuning but also knew what Ji Yuning had done.

Fang Bai was far from being as stupid as the information suggested.

“Since you know everything, I won’t beat around the bush with you. Whether you’re being nice to Ji Yuning to get money from the Lu family, or you have other motives, I advise you not to interfere in the matters between me and her,” Lu Raomei said. “Of course, it would be even better if you stayed away from Ji Yuning.”

Fang Bai’s lips curled into a faint sneer. “I don’t need Ms. Lu to tell me what to do, do I?”

“I’m being kind.” Lu Raomei stared into Fang Bai’s eyes, saying word by word, “Considering what you did to Ji Yuning in the past few years, do you think she sincerely calls you Auntie? Doesn’t she hate you?”

Although Fang Bai’s expression remained unchanged, Lu Raomei’s words echoed repeatedly in her mind.

If there was anyone besides Fang Bai who understood Ji Yuning, it would be Lu Raomei.

Every word the other woman said verified Ji Yuning’s thoughts.

Lu Raomei’s gaze remained fixed on Fang Bai’s face. Although she couldn’t tell what Fang Bai was thinking, she still continued, “Do you know the saying ‘raising a tiger cub is asking for trouble’? Fang Bai, it’s fine if she doesn’t hate you, but if she always remembers what you did, when she comes into her own, she might eventually turn on you.”

“Oh.” Lu Raomei suddenly seemed to realize something. “She’s turning eighteen tomorrow. I remember the old man saying he’d give her a gift when she comes of age. Any guesses what it is?”

It was shares of the Lu Corporation.

Fang Bai thought to herself.

Lu Raomei chuckled softly and said, “It’s 5% of the Lu Corporation’s shares.”

She had worked hard for more than ten years and only had 13%.

What did Ji Yuning deserve? Just because she was Lu Xia’s daughter?

Taking a sip of coffee, the bitterness slightly sobered Lu Raomei.

The next second, she returned to her smiling and chatting demeanor.

“Perhaps I can tell you one more thing.” Compared to Fang Bai’s silence, Lu Raomei felt she had the upper hand. She said, “Yuan Yizhen will be going to the Li Corporation today, and I think you know what partnership they’ll be discussing.”

Fang Bai was startled. Of course, she knew, but not from any information she had gathered, but from what was written in the book.

The Li Corporation and the Fang family had always been in opposition. After Ji Yuning partnered with the Li Corporation in the book, several of the Fang family’s businesses suffered severe blows, and Fang Maozhou also focused all his attention on work at that time, showing much less concern for the original owner.

It was also then… that the original owner was killed off.

But all of this should have happened half a year later. Why was it happening so much earlier…?

With the partnership with the Li Corporation happening earlier, did that mean the original owner’s demise would also happen earlier?

Fang Bai didn’t forget that there was still a watchful person sitting in front of her. She lowered her eyes, concealing all her guesses. When she looked up at Lu Raomei again, Fang Bai asked with a blank expression, “Why is Ms. Lu telling me all this?”

Lu Raomei crossed her legs, considering Fang Bai’s question.

A few minutes ago, she had been thinking of sowing discord, but now she had a better idea.

Lu Raomei smiled charmingly. “Partner with me.”

Partner in what?

Lu Raomei’s goal from beginning to end had only been one: to get rid of Ji Yuning.

Fang Bai’s brow furrowed, her tone containing a rare hint of disgust and incomprehension. “She’s your cousin.”

Lu Raomei smiled faintly, retorting, “So what?”

The phone on the table vibrated.

Lu Raomei glanced at it, reached for it, looked at it, then raised her eyes to Fang Bai. “That’s all for today. I still have work to do, I’ll leave first. Call me anytime after you’ve thought it over.”

Finally, Lu Raomei added, “I’ll send you my number in a bit.”

Fang Bai looked at the person who had already walked up to her. At the same moment, the other person smiled and said, “Or you can add me through my friend request.”