After Becoming a Cannon-Fodder Lackey, I Swore to Protect the Young Lady to the Death - Chapter 24

The moment they cleared the mountain pass, Li Gangjiao felt a blinding flash of white light explode across her vision, completely obscuring her sight.

A roar erupted in her ears, mingled with the sharp, crackling hiss of static. It felt like a violent storm was tearing through her mind, battering her skull from the inside. Every nerve ending throbbed with a rhythmic, explosive intensity, as if a bomb were detonating within her cranium. The pain was so agonizing that she began to slam her hand against the car door in a desperate attempt to find a distraction.

“Puppy? What’s wrong?” Lu Jiaoyue’s voice was as soft as a clear spring, but Li Gangjiao was deaf to the world. She could only gasp for air, her chest heaving like a drowning woman.

Fortunately, the blinding agony lasted only a few seconds. After a moment of stunned silence, her consciousness snapped back into clarity.

“What happened?” Su Momo asked, clutching her towel with a look of helpless concern. Li Gangjiao’s reaction had looked like she was being tortured; her face had twisted in agony, and several small whimpers had escaped her lips.

“It’s nothing… just a sudden headache,” Li Gangjiao panted, gulping down the surrounding oxygen as if she had just returned from deep space.

“I’ll have a doctor look at you when we get back. Do you need a painkiller? There’s some in the car,” Lu Jiaoyue added.

“I’m really fine. It only hurt for a second.” Li Gangjiao waved them off, her trademark grin returning to her face.

The drive into the mountains had felt endless, but the journey out was light and carefree. With the voice changer active, the three of them chatted without restraint. Li Gangjiao and Su Momo did most of the talking, marveling at the beauty of the scenery passing by, while Lu Jiaoyue nodded along.

“I’m telling you, that beach we went to was incredible. You absolutely have to go!” Li Gangjiao gushed.

“Really? Tell me more,” Su Momo said, her chatterbox side finally emerging now that she was relaxed. Living in that villa, she had spent her days facing silent housekeepers and cold bodyguards. After being thrown into the basement, conversation was out of the question. Su Momo was a natural sunbeam, but a sunbeam can’t shine in a basement.

“There are all these scattered islands, and people sit out there drinking beer and eating barbecue. You probably wouldn’t like the beer, but the coconut juice is great…”

“The sunset turns the whole sky a deep crimson, and it reflects off the water until the sea itself looks like it’s been dyed. We sat on the sand together, and when the moon hit the lake, we…” Li Gangjiao suddenly cut herself off.

“And then what? What happened next?” Su Momo asked eagerly, leaning into the cool breeze blowing through the window.

“And then I confessed,” Lu Jiaoyue answered for her, a small smile playing on her lips.

“That sounds so romantic,” Su Momo said, her smile never wavering. I’m sorry, Shen Nanshu. I hurt you so much in my last life. But now that I’ve finally found my freedom in this one, I want to share my joy with you. You big blockhead… I guess I’ll have to be the one to confess. I wonder if you’ll like the ceremony I plan for you?

“Remember to have flowers ready for the confession,” Lu Jiaoyue advised, passing on her “expertise.”

“I can’t. He’s allergic to pollen. I loved flowers when I was little, and he used to pick them for me all the time, but he’d always end up covered in red hives…” As she reminisced, Su Momo seemed to have an endless supply of stories, chirping away like a little sparrow.

“I think I should prepare a pair of rings instead. I’ll just propose right then and there,” she added. “When I was bored, I used to think about the designs all the time. I have so many ideas…”

“How do you want to design them?” Li Gangjiao asked. In the original novel, the female lead was a world-class designer. The rings she created, known as “The Deep Blue Caged Bird,” were famous worldwide and appeared at her and Gu Yan’s wedding.

“They have to be open-ended; those are easier to wear. The center should be a heart with tiny stars around it—we both love stargazing. The stars should be lava-colored, and our names should be engraved on the inside.”

Wait, Li Gangjiao thought. That description sounds nothing like the ‘Caged Bird’ rings.

“I’ve already picked the name: ‘Devoted Heart,'” Su Momo said, blinking playfully at Lu Jiaoyue. “The Lu family is in the jewelry business, right? I have the money ready. Can I commission you to make them?”

“Are you sure? Our custom work is quite expensive,” Lu Jiaoyue said, holding up two fingers. 200,000 yuan.

“Would 100,000 work? Even if they’re just silver,” Su Momo asked, pressing her hands together in a plea.

Li Gangjiao: Wait… what happened to the ‘impoverished, pure white lily’ trope? What kind of poor girl drops 100k like it’s pocket change? Author, you are being way too ridiculous!!

“I used to work as a freelance artist online,” Su Momo explained, seeing the shock on Li Gangjiao’s face. “After I was imprisoned, I had nothing but time. I drew from morning till night every day and ended up saving quite a bit of money.”

“I…” Li Gangjiao was speechless.

“Fine. I’ll give you a discount of 50,000. It is enough,” Lu Jiaoyue agreed, then pointed at Li Gangjiao. “Just transfer it to her card. Consider it her bonus.”

Li Gangjiao hadn’t even recovered from the first shock before being hit by the second. Ugh, Jiao Jiao is the best. A golden opportunity had just dropped out of the sky and smacked her right in the face; she was scrambling to catch it.

“Thank you! My down payment for my future renovation is all on you now!” Li Gangjiao said, solemnly shaking Su Momo’s hand. Then she turned to Lu Jiaoyue, clinging to her arm like a koala. “Jiao Jiao, I love you so much!”

“Oh? You love money that much? Your love can just be bought?” Lu Jiaoyue asked, raising an eyebrow with a teasing smirk.

“Of course not! Only your money can buy my love!” Li Gangjiao quickly corrected herself, her survival instincts kicking in. A partner is like a boss—they need constant “management.”

Su Momo: Is it just me, or was I just fed a massive mouthful of ‘dog food’ (public displays of affection)?

They happened to pass a clothing store along the way. Lu Jiaoyue handed Su Momo a bank card, but Su Momo waved it off and “fled” into the shop.

“Do you want some new clothes too?” Lu Jiaoyue asked her girlfriend as she scrolled through her phone.

Li Gangjiao shook her head. “No, I’m good. I have clothes.”

Lu Jiaoyue let her gaze wander over Li Gangjiao for a moment. After two seconds of silent deliberation, she said, “Actually, let me style you.” She added, “What kind of look do you like?”

Li Gangjiao looked down at her white T-shirt. “Simple, cool… something that’ll make you fall head-over-heels for me.”

“Pfft.” Lu Jiaoyue laughed at the joke and opened WeChat. “Alright. I’ll give it a try.”

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