Cannon Fodder And The Protagonist Are A Perfect Match [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 14

Yu Yan was already familiar with wearing Xu Yansheng’s school uniform, but riding in the Xu family’s luxury car was a new experience. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he chose to get out at a curve just before the school gates.

On this Monday morning, the early sunlight filtered through swaying tree shadows. Students converged from all directions, and Yu Yan blended in among them like a stream joining the sea, natural and ordinary.

As he walked, a slender and graceful figure suddenly stepped in front of him. Without a word, she thrust a pink envelope into his hand and fled. The envelope was light and carried a sweet, fruity scent that Yu Yan guessed was a mix of citrus and lemon.

The girl’s gesture caused a small stir in the crowd. Xu Yansheng, who had arrived earlier and was hidden behind the security booth, witnessed the entire scene. When Yu Yan stopped in front of him with the pink letter, Xu Yansheng narrowed his eyes and spoke with a sarcastic tone. “You really are popular, aren’t you, Mr. Handsome?”

“Indeed,” Yu Yan replied. He held the envelope flat so Xu Yansheng could see the recipient’s name. Watching Xu Yansheng’s face turn awkward, Yu Yan teased him by repeating, “You really are popular, aren’t you, Mr. Handsome?”

Seeing his own name written in elegant script, Xu Yansheng turned red with embarrassment. He lunged to grab the letter, intent on destroying the evidence, but Yu Yan dodged him. His cheerful laughter carried on the gentle spring breeze, reaching the ears of Jin Fei nearby.

Jin Fei felt a pang of bitterness, his eyes dimming as he watched them. Yu Yan noticed the somber gaze and looked back calmly. After identifying the figure as expected, he shifted his eyes away. He had promised Xu Yansheng he would not see Jin Fei again. Although he did not know why Xu Yansheng insisted on this, he felt that listening to his lover was the right thing to do.

Jin Fei seemed to sense the distance. Within the confines of the campus, the two never crossed paths again. There were only distant glances across the crowd. Returning his focus, Yu Yan patiently soothed Xu Yansheng, who was sulking because of the letter. While Yu Yan went to dispose of the note, Xu Yansheng shot Jin Fei a triumphant smile. Jin Fei lowered his eyes and vanished into the crowd.

Life in the third year of high school was busy and urgent. The week after Xu Yansheng’s birthday brought the second round of mock exams, followed closely by the third. Yu Yan and Xu Yansheng spent their first May 20th together in the examination hall. Under the high pressure of intense study, Yu Yan’s grades improved rapidly. Even without any leniency from the teachers, he consistently took first place in his grade.

On June 3rd, during the final mobilization meeting before the college entrance exams, Yu Yan took the stage as the biggest dark horse of the year. The sky was overcast that day. Standing on the same playground where the hundred day oath had once been held, Yu Yan stood where Wang Shan’s father had once stood and recited the speech Xu Yansheng had written for him.

A youth should have aspirations that reach the clouds, competing for excellence across ten thousand miles of sky.

When the host asked what motivated his progress, Yu Yan looked into the crowded audience. He accurately located Xu Yansheng and said seriously, “Because only the first place can be worthy of the second place.”

Xu Yansheng, who had been bested by Yu Yan in the last three mock exams, felt a flush of embarrassment at the hidden meaning. Yu Yan became famous overnight, and his examination room information was spread by gossips. When Jin Fei heard they were in the same room, his first reaction was doubt, followed by a secret joy. He was grateful that fate gave him one last reason to find Yu Yan before he went abroad.

On June 7th, the day of the college entrance exam, a light rain fell. Yu Yan and Xu Yansheng were in different locations; Yu Yan was at their own school, while Xu Yansheng was across the city. Yu Yan declined the offer for a ride from Xu Yansheng’s mother and went alone.

After passing security, Yu Yan entered the classroom and immediately saw Jin Fei in a black T shirt, sitting in the fourth row. He froze for a second before walking past without looking back to take his own seat in the first row. The morning exam was Chinese, Yu Yan’s weakest subject. When the bell signaled the end, he put down his pen with a sigh of relief.

Outside, the rain grew heavier, drumming against the ground like falling beans. From his first floor classroom, Yu Yan could see a century old tree. Through the rain, he thought he saw a young figure flash behind the thick trunk. He glanced at the proctors still collecting papers and assumed he had imagined it. Students were not allowed to leave until all papers were counted, so it seemed impossible for anyone to be outside yet.

A few minutes later, the proctor dismissed the class. Yu Yan found his umbrella in the hallway and stepped into the rain. Jin Fei, who had been delayed by the crowd, gathered his courage and chased after him. Feeling a bump against his umbrella, Yu Yan turned to see Jin Fei’s bright eyes.

He looked away and asked, “How did you do?”

Jin Fei was overwhelmed by the attention. “It was fine, I guess.”

Yu Yan hummed in response but said nothing more. After a moment of silence, Jin Fei spoke again. “I am going to Country A after graduation. I won’t be attending university here.”

Yu Yan nodded. “That is good.”

As they walked near the old tree, a figure moved against the flow of the crowd. It was a girl with long, wet hair and no umbrella. She stepped in front of him, and Yu Yan moved to let her pass. Instead of moving, she pulled a hidden hand from her pocket, and a blade flashed.

Jin Fei acted on instinct, his years of fighting experience taking over. He grabbed the sharp blade before it could enter Yu Yan’s abdomen. Only when the pain hit did he realize that with Yu Yan’s reflexes, his intervention might have been unnecessary. Blood dripped from his fingertips, mixing with the rainwater and flowing into the gutter.

Smelling the blood, Yu Yan grabbed the girl’s wrist before she could pull the knife back. He applied pressure until the joint dislocated. The knife fell to the ground with a sharp clang, shocking the onlookers. Amidst the screams and the rain, security arrived to control the scene.

The girl, Wang Ning, remained strangely calm. She looked at Yu Yan with hollow eyes and murmured, “Why is your life so good? Why?”

Yu Yan recognized her while checking Jin Fei’s injury. “I think you can ask the police that question.”

Regardless of her reasons, her future was ruined. Attacking someone at a national exam was an unforgivable offense. By the time Xu Yansheng heard the news, Yu Yan was at the hospital with Jin Fei. He told Xu Yansheng over the phone, “I am fine. Someone blocked the knife for me.”

Xu Yansheng asked, “Who was it? I want to say thank you.”

Yu Yan looked at Jin Fei, who leaned against the wall with his hand bandaged and shook his head. Yu Yan understood. “It was a student from another school. He already went back for the afternoon exam.”

“That is a pity,” Xu Yansheng said. “We will find him to thank him properly after the exams.”

Yu Yan hung up and looked at Jin Fei. “The doctor said you cannot hold a pen for a while. Are you still going to the afternoon exam?”

Jin Fei smiled with relief. “No. I was going abroad anyway; the exam was just a formality.”

Yu Yan knew it was not that simple, but he did not feel right calling out the lie. He simply said, “Thank you.”

Jin Fei tried to wave it off but winced as he pulled his wound. He then teased, “You should go. If you miss your exam, you won’t get into the same university as Xu Yansheng.”

“I am going. I will visit you after the math exam,” Yu Yan said.

“Do not come to see me,” Jin Fei interrupted firmly. “Not after today, either.”

He wanted this to be their final meeting, a moment where Yu Yan’s heart was finally stirred because of him. They stared at each other for a long moment before Yu Yan said, “Goodbye.”

As Yu Yan left the hospital, a man passed him in a hurry. Jin Fei stood in the hallway and finally cried in front of his older brother. Unrequited love is a lonely battle and a chaotic war.

After the exams, the police interrogation revealed that Wang Ning had suffered a mental breakdown after being bullied by Gao Da and Sun Hao. Her tragedy began when Wang Shan’s parents abandoned her, leading her to hate Wang Shan and anyone who helped her. Since Wang Shan was in another city, Yu Yan became her target. All three of her bullies were eventually arrested.

Before the results came out, Xu Yansheng was more nervous than Yu Yan. The moment the portal opened, he entered Yu Yan’s ID. After a slow load, the number appeared: 713. Out of 750, it was a score that every university would fight for. Yu Yan checked Xu Yansheng’s score simultaneously: 707.

On the first day of university, Xu Yansheng’s mother drove them to Q University. One was in Finance, the other in the College of Engineering and Power. Their assigned dorms were far apart, so Xu Yansheng persuaded his mother to take them to a top floor apartment nearby. She handed Yu Yan the key card with a stern warning. “Even in university, you are still students. Academics come first!”

Yu Yan did not listen. That very night, he brought Xu Yansheng to bed. Under the moonlight, a long night of passion followed. Afterward, Xu Yansheng looked at the man above him and hissed, “You are so skilled. Have you been doing something bad behind my back?”

Yu Yan kissed the corner of Xu Yansheng’s eye and replied in a husky voice, “No. I learned it from a book.”

“What book?”

“The Human Anatomy Atlas.”

Yu Yan swallowed Xu Yansheng’s cry of surprise. The moon was high, and the night was still young.