After Becoming a Cannon-Fodder Lackey, I Swore to Protect the Young Lady to the Death - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Under the Influence

Li Gangjiao was floored. She never expected that this was how she would get caught.

“I want to know how you got here. And where did the real Li Xi go?” Lu Jiaoyue asked, nuzzling into the crook of Li Gangjiao’s neck.

“I honestly don’t know. I just woke up and I was here,” Li Gangjiao replied. The nuzzling tickled, and she instinctively tightened her arms around Lu Jiaoyue’s waist. “I know this sounds insane but this world is actually a novel…”

She proceeded to recount the entire plot of The Demon Young Master’s Runaway Sweetheart. Since she had only skimmed the book originally, she could only provide a rough outline, leaving out most of the finer details.

“So… I’m the vicious villainess?” Lu Jiaoyue pointed to herself, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

“I never thought Gu Yan’s behavior was right, and besides, you aren’t bullying the female lead anymore…” Li Gangjiao shook her head firmly.

In the name of “love,” Gu Yan had coerced the female lead, crippled the second male lead, and slaughtered anyone in his way.

“In my eyes, you’re a righteous villain, and Gu Yan is the truly vicious protagonist,” Li Gangjiao declared.

“Haha! A righteous villain? A vicious protagonist?” Lu Jiaoyue couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the paradoxical titles.

“Mhm.” Li Gangjiao nodded, her eyes filled with a rare, burning sincerity. “There’s a saying: ‘A toxic romance might be dramatic, but a healthy one is a rare treasure.'” She couldn’t come up with any grand philosophical wisdom, so she simply quoted a line she’d seen on a short video.

“Li Gangjiao, I’m drunk,” Lu Jiaoyue said suddenly. She took the empty beer bottle from Li Gangjiao’s hand and gave it a sniff.

“Huh?” Li Gangjiao blinked, confused.

“…Would you be willing to join the ‘Righteous Villains’ and start a healthy relationship with me?” Lu Jiaoyue gripped Li Gangjiao’s hand, her voice a mix of tenderness and vulnerability.

“You like money, don’t you? Well, I have plenty of it. And you’re always dazing off while staring at me in class, so you must like my face, too.” Lu Jiaoyue kept a smile on her lips as if it were just casual conversation, but the trembling of her hands betrayed her nerves.

It’s true… the Eldest Miss is rich and gorgeous…

Li Gangjiao’s already fuzzy brain went into a complete lock. It took a long time for the meaning of Lu Jiaoyue’s words to actually sink in.

What do I do? What do I do? Accept or decline? Should I pretend to be asleep? But Jiao Jiao is so wonderful, and yet…

“But…” Her sluggish mind whirred, but she couldn’t find a single “but” to finish the sentence.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you this now,” Lu Jiaoyue said, suddenly realizing she had been reckless. “When you’re sober tomorrow, think it over and tell me your answer then, okay?”

How could I say this while she’s tipsy? Even if she says yes, it might not be from the heart; it might just be because her brain hasn’t caught up… I should respect her choice when she’s clear-headed.

In the end, Lu Jiaoyue had to help Li Gangjiao back to the hotel. The original Li Xi had never been a drinker, and it seemed this body was a total lightweight.

Beyond the clouds, the night fell into a deep silence, yet two neighboring stars blinked incessantly, refusing to close their eyes.

Both Lu Jiaoyue and Li Gangjiao were wide awake.

For Lu Jiaoyue, this strange “variable” represented a glimmer of hope for a different future. She was desperate to catch it, yet she agonized over her own impulsiveness.

A confession should start with a bouquet of flowers. This thought wouldn’t leave her. She spent the night tossing and turning, even resorting to searching the internet for the best ways to ask someone out. She hoped for a “yes” tomorrow, but she was prepared to respect a “no.” That was her pride, and the way the Lu family had raised her.

In the room next door, Li Gangjiao was a mess of tangled emotions.

Aaah, I’m going crazy! I want to say yes so badly! I want to be Jiao Jiao’s girlfriend!

But… Jiao Jiao is so perfect. Why would she like me? She lets me copy her homework, showers me with cash, and stands up for me. Can I really be the person she deserves?

Li Gangjiao had never been in love. Growing up in the gambling dens, she had spent every day hovering between life and death. She had no family, but she craved one.

If we date… does that mean I become her family?

Li Gangjiao felt more intoxicated than before. She buried her face in her pillow, her ears turning a bright, glowing crimson. But how do you even ‘date’ someone?!

The moment that question hit her, her goofy grin froze. She grabbed her phone and spent the rest of the night scouring the internet for answers.

******

Far away from their pink bubble of romance, the original Li Xi’s face was a mask of pure numbness.

“At this rate, it’ll take two hundred years just to reach the Core Formation stage. Exactly how far do we have to go to finish this mission?” she asked, sensing the incredibly thin spiritual energy in the air.

【Theoretically, you just need to successfully transcend the heavenly tribulation.】

Isakana, the system, had been lounging in Li Xi’s consciousness since they started, so bored it was practically growing moss.

“And how long will that take at my current pace?” Li Xi tried to condense her Qi one more time, failing once again.

【Let me check… uh… the panel says that at your current rate, it will take… about twenty thousand years?!】 Isakana’s jaw metaphorically hit the floor. This host had the least talent for cultivation the system had ever seen in its entire existence!

“That long?! How long did the last person take?” Li Xi asked in shock.

【Five years.】 Isakana had officially given up hope. It looked like they were going to be stuck here for twenty millennia.

Five years versus twenty thousand? The gap was astronomical. Li Xi looked at the sky and let out a tear of pure regret. If she had known, she would have picked any other option. But there was no medicine for regret.

【I can’t take it. If this keeps up, my entire career will be buried here. I’m going to the Shounen department next door to borrow some cultivation boosters!】

With a whoosh, Isakana vanished.

Li Xi: “???”

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