Transmigrated as the Cannon Fodder Marked by the Villain (GL) - Chapter 35

“Ruan Bao, don’t be afraid. Tell Sister where you are right now, and I’ll come find you.”

Fu Qingyun calmed herself down, sprinted outside, and almost bumped into a student carrying a tray.

The situation was urgent. Fu Qingyun hadn’t expected Ruan Jiyan’s heat cycle to arrive precisely at this moment. She hadn’t brought inhibitors, nor did she have anything for an emergency.

“I’m in the Music Room in Building B… Sister, hurry up. I’m so scared.”

The Music Room was indeed quite far from the cafeteria. Fu Qingyun didn’t have time to ride a bike. She held her bag and ran all the way, rushing up to the fifth floor in one breath.

“Hoo—”

Finally reaching the door of the music room, Fu Qingyun’s throat burned. With no time to catch her breath, she pushed the classroom door open and saw Ruan Jiyan hiding behind the curtains.

“Sister…”

A strong scent of sweet tea filled the entire classroom. Fu Qingyun locked the door from the inside, tightly closed the windows, and then pulled the curtains shut.

“Ruan Bao!”

She helped Ruan Jiyan sit on a chair. There was no single dose of inhibitor in her backpack. The only solution for now was a temporary mark.

“Sister, I feel so awful. Could you mark me?”

“Then bear with it for a moment.”

Fu Qingyun gently brushed aside the fine hair scattered on the back of Ruan Jiyan’s neck, then bent down and leaned in.

Sharp canine teeth pierced the scent gland. The hands Ruan Jiyan used to grip Fu Qingyun’s arm tightened, and her entire body suddenly went limp.

After an unknown period, the rich aroma of red wine thoroughly soaked her. Ruan Jiyan leaned weakly against Fu Qingyun’s chest, taking deep gasps of air.

“It was my oversight. I forgot to bring an inhibitor with me.”

Fu Qingyun was full of self-reproach. However, a temporary mark was indeed much more effective than an injection. Ruan Jiyan rested against Fu Qingyun for a while and soon felt better, though her face remained flushed.

“Let me fix you up.”

Fu Qingyun tidied Ruan Jiyan’s hair and adjusted the collar of her turtleneck sweater. The two waited until the scent of pheromones in the classroom had completely dissipated before opening the doors and windows.

“You’re not feeling well. Let’s go home first. We’ll take the afternoon off.”

“Okay.”

Ruan Jiyan’s nose was red, and she held Fu Qingyun’s hand tightly. She was starving after the two morning classes.

“Sister, I’m hungry.”

“There’s still food in the cafeteria. I’ll take you to eat.”

Ruan Jiyan felt a dizzying sensation as the elevator descended. She felt very uncomfortable in the confined space and only felt she had returned to the real world after exiting the elevator.

Ruan Jiyan inhaled the air outside, finally clearing the rich red wine scent from her nasal cavity.

“I just saw the message you sent me,” Ruan Jiyan opened the unread message on her phone, saw the words “sweet and sour pork ribs,” and suddenly felt ravenous.

“I’m so hungry. I want sweet and sour pork ribs.”

“They shouldn’t be sold out yet. I’ll take you on a bike.”

The shared bikes on campus had back seats. Fu Qingyun scanned the code and pushed one out, then had Ruan Jiyan sit behind her.

“Hold on tight to me.”

Even though it was lunchtime, there were still many people on campus. If the teaching building hadn’t been far from the cafeteria, Fu Qingyun wouldn’t have bothered riding a bicycle.

Ruan Jiyan’s stomach rumbled. She wrapped one arm around Fu Qingyun’s waist, pressing close against her back.

If only she didn’t have the memories of her previous life, how wonderful would it be to be an enviable couple with Fu Qingyun in this life?

Ruan Jiyan kicked a small pebble by the roadside into the lake. She watched the ripples spread across the water and tightened her arms around Fu Qingyun.

She already knew the person she was hugging wasn’t Fu Qingyun, so Ruan Jiyan could feel at ease dating her. However, the humiliation she suffered in her past life remained ineradicable in her heart.

“Sister, ride a little faster. We’re going to be late.”

“Okay.”

Feeling Fu Qingyun start to accelerate, the smile on Ruan Jiyan’s lips grew deeper.

“Zhou Wan, what a coincidence. You’re here too.”

Lin Lesheng was carrying a baked-rice dish and happened to bump into Zhou Wan, who was also carrying rice.

“Mhm.”

Her main course today was scrambled eggs with tomatoes. In contrast, Lin Lesheng’s baked dish was almost entirely high-calorie food.

Zhou Wan turned to look for a seat, but Lin Lesheng followed her.

She liked sitting alone in a corner to eat quietly, but today, she had an uninvited guest.

Because Lin Lesheng was sitting across from Zhou Wan, she felt a little unnatural even while eating. Moreover, the other person kept trying to talk to her. Each time, Zhou Wan only responded with a nod or a shake of her head.

“By the way, with so many amazing talents at our school, is there anyone you like?”

“No.”

“Then what type do you like?”

Zhou Wan put away her chopsticks and spoon, pausing when she heard Lin Lesheng’s question.

“I like mature people. I don’t like those who are rash and self-important.”

“Mature?”

“Then what do you think of me? Am I mature enough?”

Lin Lesheng smoothed her golden, wavy hair and said to Zhou Wan in a joking tone.

Zhou Wan looked calm: “Lin Lesheng, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I guess your sudden feelings for me are just a fleeting interest.”

“I…”

Lin Lesheng stared into Zhou Wan’s clear, glass-like eyes. All the words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat.

How did she know what she was thinking?

Zhou Wan was right. In her eyes, Lin Lesheng was like a child who always wanted to firmly grasp anything she felt good about, eventually forgetting why she liked it in the first place.

“Think carefully about whether that’s true.”

“It’s not,” Lin Lesheng suddenly stood up. She was taller than Zhou Wan, but she crumbled when looking down at the other person.

“I’m sorry…”

“We are not close. You don’t need to apologize to me.”

Zhou Wan took her tray and left. Lin Lesheng stared at her retreating back and sank into the chair, deflated.

The taste of rejection was unpleasant, especially being rejected before even saying the words. This was the first time Lin Lesheng experienced the pain of a mission failing before it even began.

This was her fault. It was all because she didn’t maintain proper boundaries and spoke too hastily.

She thought about what Zhou Wan had just said to her, and she lowered her head in frustration, poking the pork loin in her baked rice with her chopsticks.

“Hey, Lesheng, let’s share a table.”

Fu Qingyun looked around for a long time and couldn’t find a seat. Only Lin Lesheng’s spot had three empty chairs, so Fu Qingyun brought Ruan Jiyan over.

It was extremely difficult to find a two-person, “romantic” couple’s seat in the school cafeteria. Fu Qingyun swore that next time, she would occupy a seat with her backpack first before queuing.

“You guys eat. I’m leaving.”

“You barely ate anything,” Fu Qingyun looked at the almost untouched lunch in front of Zhou Wan, thinking she might be feeling unwell and unable to eat.

“I don’t have an appetite. I can’t eat.”

Lin Lesheng took her tray and left, allowing Fu Qingyun and Ruan Jiyan to finally have their couple time.

“You don’t look well. We’ll take the afternoon off.”

Ruan Jiyan’s counselor was Cen Yin. Fu Qingyun didn’t know how much the counselor was afraid of Ruan Jiyan now.

“Okay.”

“I won’t go either. I’ll stay home and take care of you.”

“Sister, you still have classes.”

“You are more important than class. Besides, I’m at the bottom of the class. With my grades, those teachers would be happy if I didn’t show up.”

Ruan Jiyan continued the act: “But Sister, you can’t abandon your studies.”

“It’s okay,” Fu Qingyun decided to tell Ruan Jiyan her true thoughts: “Ruan Bao, I plan to withdraw from school in a few days.”

“Withdraw? Why?”

This was unexpected for Ruan Jiyan. Fu Qingyun actually thought about dropping out.

“With my dull mind, being advised to withdraw is only a matter of time. I might as well apply to withdraw myself. At least it looks better.”

Ruan Jiyan didn’t really care whether Fu Qingyun attended school or not. The Fu family was wealthy and influential; getting a diploma for Fu Qingyun would be easy enough.

Ruan Jiyan’s constant worry was whether Fu Qingyun would betray her. School was always filled with “blinding flowers and seductive willows.” So many young and beautiful Omegas—it was too dangerous.

It’s good that she’s withdrawing. That way, it won’t be so troublesome.

When Lin Lesheng returned to the dorm, Xuan Yu was cleaning. Since Fu Qingyun moved out, only the two of them were left in the dorm.

Although Fu Qingyun hadn’t been with them for long, Xuan Yu knew deep down that the other woman was a good-tempered person, a friend worth having.

“Xuan Yu, did you eat? Why are you back so early?”

“I ate instant noodles. I’m going to take a nap soon,” Xuan Yu looked at Lin Lesheng and thought her face didn’t look right: “What’s wrong? You look unhappy. Who upset you?”

“No one.”

Lin Lesheng’s voice was muffled. She sat down on the chair, deflated: “It’s just… never mind. I won’t talk about it. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Then I won’t ask,” Xuan Yu wasn’t the type to press for details. Seeing Lin Lesheng didn’t want to talk, she didn’t ask: “Go take a nap. I have class this afternoon.”

“I don’t have class.”

The music department had few classes. Lin Lesheng planned to sleep until dark and then get up for dinner.

She took off her shoes and climbed onto the bed, then opened her phone to WeChat.

Zhou Wan.

She had gotten Zhou Wan’s WeChat on the subway last time and added her as a friend.

Since her “mission failed before it began,” maybe Zhou Wan hated her and had already deleted her as a friend.

Lin Lesheng looked at her contacts list, then opened Baidu and typed in the search bar.

How to tell if someone has deleted you as a friend.

It turned out she could test it by transferring money. Lin Lesheng copied the method others had used.

The result…

She accidentally transferred one yuan.

Lin Lesheng gasped, her heart pounding like a drum.

She stared intensely at the phone screen, waiting for nearly five minutes, but still, no message came.

Just as she thought Zhou Wan would ignore the message, the WeChat notification sound suddenly rang.

Lin Lesheng fumbled to open her phone, only to see Zhou Wan’s reply with a question mark.

【Sorry, I sent it to the wrong person.】

Lin Lesheng quickly lied.

Obviously, her little trick didn’t fool Zhou Wan, but at least it proved that Zhou Wan hadn’t deleted her as a friend. This meant their relationship hadn’t completely fallen apart.

The unpleasantness today was, frankly, all because of Lin Lesheng’s immaturity. In short, if she saw Zhou Wan again, she would definitely not be so talkative.

Lin Lesheng was a natural at socializing. She always categorized everyone who talked to her as “acquaintances” but often failed to consider others’ feelings.

Zhou Wan was different from her.

Introverted and steady. Lin Lesheng’s personality was the exact opposite.

She wanted to apologize to Zhou Wan again but was afraid of causing more trouble, so she held back.

Zhou Wan was busy catching up on homework when she received the transfer from Lin Lesheng. Seeing the one yuan transferred, she knew the other person was testing whether she had deleted her.

On the other side, Lin Lesheng was still feeling smug. On this side, Zhou Wan was already calculating when to delete her.

But after some thought, she decided against it. After all, Lin Lesheng was the roommate of Ruan Jiyan’s girlfriend. They might run into each other again, and it would be awkward if they met.

Ruan Jiyan told the class monitor she wasn’t feeling well and needed to take a leave of absence, and then Fu Qingyun took her home.

It seemed that as long as she wasn’t going to school, everything felt like a weight had been lifted.

Fu Qingyun knew she wouldn’t be staying here for long. Going to school or not made no difference to her.

The inhibitors prepared for Ruan Jiyan were all in the freezer. Since Ruan Jiyan had taken sick leave, Fu Qingyun didn’t need to inject her with inhibitors these few days. Using the Alpha’s own pheromones to soothe her could achieve a better effect.

During the heat cycle, the Omega’s desire for the Alpha would far exceed the usual. Of course, this was also the time when the Omega was most vulnerable and needed the Alpha’s careful attention.

Fu Qingyun planned to stay home with Ruan Jiyan for these few days. She wouldn’t feel comfortable otherwise.

During these few days of the heat cycle, Fu Qingyun was practically drained, but her Omega seemed to not know what exhaustion was, clinging to her, cooing, and asking for more.

Although the scent gland on the back of her neck was already red, swollen, and mottled, Ruan Jiyan felt immense physical satisfaction and comfort. This was the happiness Fu Qingyun brought her.

“You lie down for a while. I’m going downstairs to make you some preserved egg and shredded pork congee.”

“Sister, you know how to make preserved egg and shredded pork congee?”

Ruan Jiyan leaned lazily on the soft pillow. Fu Qingyun’s fox tail was completely exposed, yet she seemed not to have noticed she had given herself away.

“Yeah, I learned it online. I haven’t tried it yet. I’ll make a pot for you to taste today.”

Ruan Jiyan put on her pants while throwing on a down jacket.

Although it was already spring, the weather in the Imperial Capital was still gloomy, with temperatures not exceeding ten degrees Celsius. It was easy to catch a cold if one wasn’t careful.

The flu was rampant these days, and many people had been infected. Fu Qingyun added some Chinese medicine to the soup she stewed every day for prevention. It wasn’t a bad thing, though Ruan Jiyan was so greedy she often got nosebleeds from drinking too much.

“Okay, I’ll wait for Sister’s delicious food.”

Fu Qingyun closed the door and went downstairs. She left her phone on the bedside table and didn’t take it with her. Ruan Jiyan was about to pick it up to play a game when it rang.

Who would be calling so late at night? Ruan Jiyan picked up the phone and saw it was Song Nanyan again. She glanced at it and ruthlessly hung up, then opened a match-three game to play.

The Alpha named Song Nanyan seemed not to give up. She called Fu Qingyun again. This time, Ruan Jiyan planned to ignore it, but her finger accidentally hit the answer button.

“Yun’er, where did you go? Why aren’t you answering my call?”

“Hello, Fu Qingyun is not available right now.”

Song Nanyan heard a different voice and knew it must be her girlfriend, Ruan Jiyan.

“You must be Ruan Jiyan. Is Fu Qingyun with you? Could you please pass the phone to her for me?”

Ruan Jiyan was expressionless. She said, “Sister went out. She’s not home right now. Is there something you need?”

“It’s nothing important. I’ll talk to her when she gets back.”

The other party hung up. Ruan Jiyan’s expression was not good because she could tell that Song Nanyan was genuinely in a hurry, and it was the kind of urgent matter that wasn’t convenient for outsiders to know.

What urgent matter did she have that she had to call Fu Qingyun, and it had to be her in person to talk? This clearly smelled fishy.

Ruan Jiyan scrolled through Fu Qingyun’s phone contacts. She kept scrolling and found Qiao Yunjin’s phone number, and they even had a call log.

Qiao Yunjin in her previous life was a nightmare for her. She was the one who pushed her to the brink, forcing her to die with her.

She thought she had instantly died after jumping from the hundred-meter-tall building, but she hadn’t expected to be reborn.

Since she was reborn, and Qiao Yunjin fell from the building with her, there was a chance Qiao Yunjin might also have been reborn. Ruan Jiyan had to make sure the other person didn’t have memories of the previous life to feel safe.

But how should she test her?

Fu Qingyun had practically fallen out with Qiao Yunjin now, and Qiao Yunjin still had intentions toward her.

Ruan Jiyan slapped her head. How could she forget that Qiao Yunjin liked female Alphas?

If she let Fu Qingyun test her, what if she fell into Qiao Yunjin’s trap…

No way. Fu Qingyun belonged to Ruan Jiyan. No one else could touch her.

“Ruan Bao, I forgot we don’t have any preserved eggs at home. I’m going out to buy some.”

Ruan Jiyan handed her the phone: “Sister, a friend of yours called just now and said they had something to talk to you about.”

“Let me see,” Fu Qingyun took the phone and saw it was Song Nanyan. She didn’t know what she wanted, and she had called twice, letting Ruan Jiyan answer.

“Okay, I’ll call her back later. If you’re tired, sleep for a while. I’ll wake you up when the food is ready.”

Fu Qingyun zipped up her jacket and went out in her slippers.

Outside was a misty scene. The smog was quite heavy today. Fu Qingyun took out a mask and put it on, afraid of inhaling too many particles and contracting pneumonia.

She didn’t dare go to crowded places anymore. The flu was rampant lately. Fortunately, she had bought plenty of vegetables, fruits, and meat and stored them in the fridge. Fu Qingyun wouldn’t have bothered coming out if it weren’t for the preserved egg and shredded pork congee.

As the saying goes, to win a person’s heart, you must first satisfy their stomach.

Although Fu Qingyun was not a master chef, she was already skilled at making everyday dishes. As for the simple preserved egg and shredded pork congee, it was no problem at all.

Ruan Jiyan loved sweets, especially sweet animal cream. Fu Qingyun had searched for many cake recipes online these days and planned to show off her culinary skills over the weekend.

When she lived alone before, she barely ate, often skipping meals. This led to her developing a stomach illness, and even when busy with work, she could only swallow a few pills and endure it.

Her current body was different, incredibly healthy. Her lifestyle was a little irregular, but it wasn’t a major problem.

“Nanyan, what did you need?”

Fu Qingyun dialed Song Nanyan’s number.

“I have some bad news for you,” Song Nanyan sighed on the other end: “Ruan Jiyan’s mother, whom you asked me to look after last time, has taken a serious turn for the worse. The doctor said she has less than three months left.”

She had called today to tell Fu Qingyun about this, but Ruan Jiyan had answered the phone. Song Nanyan didn’t know whether she should say anything or not.

Ruan Jiyan’s mother had been transferred abroad. Fu Qingyun had initially thought there was hope for treatment, but even the best doctor was not God, and ultimately, they couldn’t fight against the Grim Reaper’s call.

“Is there really no other way?”

Fu Qingyun was also a doctor. She had witnessed too many partings of life and death. She thought she was used to this atmosphere, but when she heard such tragic news again, she still felt a pang of sorrow.

“I may not understand medicine, but anyone can see it.”

Song Nanyan paused, then continued: “Yun’er, should you tell Ruan Jiyan soon and bring her mother back to a hospital in the country? At least let the mother and daughter reunite one last time.”

“Okay.”

Fu Qingyun felt a severe blockage in her throat: “I will tell her, and I will comfort her.”

She had thought she could successfully save Ruan Jiyan’s mother in this life. Ruan Jiyan had already lost her father and only had her mother left as her last relative.

Fu Qingyun only hoped for a miracle, that her aunt could hold on a little longer, at least until Ruan Jiyan graduated.

What a pipe dream she was having.

The world’s top oncologists had said she had three months at most. That meant for those three months, they would desperately try to save her, maintaining the patient’s vital signs until her life force was completely exhausted.

Living this way was painful. It was both physical and psychological torment, worse than death.

Fu Qingyun bought a bag of preserved eggs and returned. She was absent-minded along the way and was nearly grazed by a passing electric scooter.

Back at the house, Fu Qingyun peeled the preserved eggs, washed them with water, and cut them into small pieces. Then, she took out the thawed pork and shredded it.

“Hiss…”

She cut her hand.

Blood flowed freely.

Fu Qingyun put down the knife, covered the wound with a tissue, and after the bleeding completely stopped, she quickly bandaged it and continued cutting the meat.

She had something on her mind, and the cutting wasn’t going smoothly. As a result, she accidentally cut another finger.

Misfortunes never come singly.

“Sigh.”

Ruan Jiyan didn’t eat scallions, ginger, or garlic, so there were none in the kitchen.

How should she tell Ruan Jiyan about this…

Fu Qingyun thought for a while. She decided to keep it a secret for now, but the person still needed to be brought back soon. At least Ruan Jiyan should spend more time with her mother in her final moments.

“Dinner’s ready.”

Fu Qingyun’s two left fingers were wrapped in gauze. Ruan Jiyan saw it immediately. She threw off the covers and asked: “Sister, what happened to your hand? Did you get hurt?”

“It’s nothing. I was careless when cutting the meat and accidentally nicked it.”

“Did you put on medicine? Let me see if the wound is deep. It must have bled a lot.”

“It’s really nothing,” Fu Qingyun smiled, seeing Ruan Jiyan’s anxious look: “I have thick skin. I often cut myself while cooking. I’ll learn my lesson next time.”

“The congee is ready. Let’s go down and eat.”

The heat cycle was when an Omega needed the most nutrition. Fu Qingyun changed her recipes every day to make delicious food for Ruan Jiyan. Sometimes she took her out, but most of the time, they ate at home.

She cooked it herself.

“Delicious.”

Ruan Jiyan’s appetite was greatly boosted. Fu Qingyun’s cooking always suited her taste. Even things she didn’t used to like became delicious once Fu Qingyun made them.

“It’s good, isn’t it? Be careful not to burn yourself.”

Seeing Ruan Jiyan eating with relish, Fu Qingyun found it hard to bring up the matter of her mother.

“Ruan Bao,” Fu Qingyun waited until Ruan Jiyan finished eating before speaking: “Auntie’s condition is quite stable now. It’s time to bring her back. How about I have my friend bring her back in a few days?”

“Is my mom doing well?”

Fu Qingyun took a small sip of the shredded pork congee, but didn’t dare look into Ruan Jiyan’s eyes. She nodded and said:

“Quite well.”

Ruan Jiyan knew Fu Qingyun well. When she made that kind of subconscious move, it meant she was lying. So, she put down her bowl, looked at Fu Qingyun’s slightly dodging eyes, and asked:

“Sister, tell me the truth. How is my mom’s condition, really?”