Fake Cannon Fodder A Becomes a Sensation in Romance Variety Shows - Chapter 19

The warm, moist breath tickled Ye Zhuoyan’s ear, sending shivers down her spine. She hastily turned her head away to escape the sensation.

Taking the apron strings from Wen Huiyun’s hands, she muttered, “I’ll do it myself.”

Wen Huiyun’s eyes were soft, like clear water reflecting moonlight. She noticed the faint pink flush spreading across Ye Zhuoyan’s earlobes.

Omegas possessed sharper senses than alphas and betas, but few were as sensitive as Ye Zhuoyan. Wen Huiyun took a small step back, giving her some space to avoid making her uncomfortable.

The volunteers provided other equipment too. Wen Huiyun handed Ye Zhuoyan a pair of waterproof boots and sleeves. “There’s a small office over there where you can change. Turn the latch to the right to lock the door.”

Ye Zhuoyan stood frozen, boots in hand, watching a volunteer scrub a large dog as soap bubbles flew everywhere. Seeing her hesitation, Wen Huiyun grew concerned.

She’d brought Ye Zhuoyan to this stray animal shelter for their date, thinking the omega loved animals. But she’d forgotten how cleanliness-conscious omegas were Ye Zhuoyan might dislike this place.

“I’m sorry,” Wen Huiyun said apologetically. “It’s a bit dirty here. You can just watch from the side, or—”

“I never said it was dirty.” Ye Zhuoyan shot her a glance before heading to the office. “Wait for me.”

Never underestimate an omega.

The fierce dog Wen Huiyun couldn’t hold transformed into an obedient pet under Ye Zhuoyan’s touch. The wild cat Wen Huiyun couldn’t catch became clingy in Ye Zhuoyan’s arms. Even the ducks the volunteers kept for soup waddled after Ye Zhuoyan, quacking happily.

Seated on a small stool, Ye Zhuoyan’s satin-black hair was tied back. Sunlight illuminated her rosy cheeks as water sprayed from the hose in her hands, refracting into rainbow colors. The white puppy Feifei jumped around her feet, barking excitedly, while a tabby kitten climbed onto her back, licking her hair. The kitten’s tail brushed Ye Zhuoyan’s face, making her giggle.

“Wen Huiyun!”

“Here! Need help?”

Ye Zhuoyan suddenly changed her mind. “Never mind,” she said, asking a nearby volunteer to remove the kitten instead.

Puzzled, Wen Huiyun wondered why she couldn’t help with such a simple task.

When Wen Huiyun offered to show Ye Zhuoyan the stray cats’ shed, the omega declined again, insisting a volunteer take her instead. Rejected twice, Wen Huiyun’s spirits sank as she trailed behind, careful not to get too close in case Ye Zhuoyan felt uncomfortable.

The volunteer handed Wen Huiyun some frozen meat treats when they arrived. As the shed door opened, hundreds of stray cats swarmed them, meowing loudly. A chubby orange cat dashed straight at Wen Huiyun, sending fur flying everywhere.

Wen Huiyun instinctively spread her arms to catch it, but a flash of white intercepted Ye Zhuoyan grabbed the cat first and quickly set it aside.

“Zhuoyan?”

Ye Zhuoyan immediately pulled out disinfectant wipes to clean Wen Huiyun’s face, then led her out of the shed. “Wen Huiyun, are you okay?” Her expression was tinged with worry.

Suddenly, they stood closer than ever. Wen Huiyun’s heartbeat quickened; she could even see the delicate curve of Ye Zhuoyan’s eyelashes. Why was Ye Zhuoyan being so affectionate all of a sudden?

” I’m fine,” Wen Huiyun stammered. “What’s wrong? Nothing’s wrong.”

Ye Zhuoyan quickly released Wen Huiyun’s hand, her eyes filled with reproach.

“Forget about saving the kitten last time kitten fur isn’t that severe. But this time, there are so many adult cats, and the shed is full of fur!”

Huh?

Wen Huiyun was baffled, scratching the back of her head in confusion.

Kittens, adult cats, cat fur?

What did any of this have to do with her?

Ye Zhuoyan rummaged through her pockets for allergy pills.

“Honestly, you’ve forgotten everything about yourself.”

She didn’t want to care about Wen Huiyun, but if cat fur triggered an allergic reaction, it could lead to shock in severe cases!

Ye Zhuoyan had suffered anaphylactic shock once as a child and nearly died, so she knew just how terrifying severe allergies could be.

She resented Wen Huiyun for the past harm she’d caused, but she couldn’t let personal grudges interfere when lives were at stake.

Wen Huiyun had no idea why Ye Zhuoyan was acting this way. She racked her brain, trying to figure out what she’d done wrong, but nothing made sense.

Under Ye Zhuoyan’s watchful eye, she took two allergy pills, was ordered to wear a mask, and kept away from the cat shed.

Wen Huiyun sat in the open air, grooming the dogs with extra enthusiasm.

She felt cared for by Ye Zhuoyan, and her mood brightened like clouds parting.

But then it suddenly hit her, the original owner’s body was allergic to cat fur.

Oh no.

She wasn’t allergic to cats, and allergies were hard to fake.

Sigh. She’d have to ask Liang Yuan later if there was any medical explanation to cover this.

For now, she’d fake some coughs and sneezes when she saw Ye Zhuoyan every little bit helped.

Wen Huiyun bathed and groomed the dogs while Ye Zhuoyan helped volunteers deworm the cats. The morning passed in the blink of an eye.

By noon, Wen Huiyun had set up a large iron pot outside the office, cooking a hearty meal over a wood fire.

“Potato rice, plenty to go around.”

She even specially grilled a freshly caught crucian carp for Ye Zhuoyan.

Leaning in, she whispered, “The fish is tender, won’t make you gain weight.”

Ye Zhuoyan glanced at her with lowered lashes. Seizing the moment, Wen Huiyun turned toward the window, still wearing her mask, and let out an exaggerated.

“ACHOO!!!”

The sound was deafening.

Ye Zhuoyan’s eyes filled with concern. “What’s wrong?”

Wen Huiyun rubbed her nose through the mask, sniffled twice, and coughed softly.

“Maybe I took the medicine a little too late.”

Ye Zhuoyan remained expressionless, but suspicion stirred inside her.

She observed Wen Huiyun’s neck and arms, no rashes.

In the past, Wen Huiyun would always break out in hives after a while if exposed to cat fur.

Ye Zhuoyan’s gaze darkened, her mind sinking into deep doubt.

What was going on with Wen Huiyun?

Brain damage could explain drastic personality changes, memory loss, and even suddenly acquiring cooking skills but it couldn’t alter her physical constitution.

Moreover, ever since Wen Huiyun returned from her disappearance, her pheromones had been unstable, sometimes so faint they were almost undetectable. That was strange too.

Ye Zhuoyan’s sidelong gaze followed Wen Huiyun with suspicion.

A bizarre sense of absurdity rose within her.

Was she…

even the same person as the Wen Huiyun before the disappearance?

Wen Huiyun poked her head out of the office window and called to Ye Zhuoyan, who was playing with Feifei:

“Zhuoyan, we got a call for help. Would you come with us to the city to rescue a kitten?”

Ye Zhuoyan snapped out of her thoughts and nodded.

A kitten was stuck in a narrow wall crevice, and none of the tools the volunteers brought could reach it.

The cat was wedged too high up, so they had to form a human pyramid, letting the person on top reach in and pull it out.

After several people tried, only Ye Zhuoyan’s slender arm could fit into the gap with enough room to maneuver.

After discussion, everyone decided to have Ye Zhuoyan climb onto Wen Huiyun’s shoulders to rescue the kitten.

It had been a long time since Ye Zhuoyan had any physical contact with Wen Huiyun, the last time was when Wen Huiyun (the original host) had attempted to force herself on her.

“……” She hesitated slightly, but upon hearing the kitten’s desperate meows from within the wall, her heart softened. Gritting her teeth, she climbed onto Wen Huiyun’s shoulders.

Wen Huiyun carefully slipped protective sleeves onto Ye Zhuoyan’s arms, holding them open with both hands.

“I got these from a volunteer earlier. They’ll protect your arms from scratches.”

The rubber material of the sleeves felt cool against her skin.

Ye Zhuoyan stiffened as Wen Huiyun adjusted the sleeves, her breathing growing shallow.

Wen Huiyun let go. “All set.”

She leaned against the wall, steadying herself as she wrapped an arm protectively around Ye Zhuoyan.

Ye Zhuoyan clung to her, soft and warm like a kitten.

Wen Huiyun could feel every slight movement Ye Zhuoyan made, the brush of her chest against her shoulder, the gentle graze of her calf against her waist.

The sweet scent of vanilla cotton candy enveloped her, wrapping her in a tender haze.

“Got it!”

Ye Zhuoyan suddenly cheered, lifting the kitten high above her head.

The soft warmth on Wen Huiyun’s back shifted slightly.

As Ye Zhuoyan’s mood brightened, her pheromones burst forth like fluffy vanilla cotton candy, sweetening even the clouds above.

The volunteers formed a circle, clapping and smiling, while onlookers joined in, filling the air with applause.

Ye Zhuoyan beamed, her crescent-moon eyes sparkling as she cradled the kitten, radiating pure joy under the sunlight.

Her laughter sent an electric jolt straight to Wen Huiyun’s heart.

In this moment, Ye Zhuoyan seemed to glow in Wen Huiyun’s eyes.

The usually aloof and untouchable “flower on the high peak” now bloomed with a warm, genuine smile.

Everyone was captivated by her happiness, mirroring her smile.

A young student in the distance spotted Ye Zhuoyan and gasped in excitement. “Ye Zhuoyan! It’s really her, my treasure idol, Ye Zhuoyan!”

Dragging her friend along, the girl shyly asked for a photo together.

A flicker of delight crossed Ye Zhuoyan’s eyes, it had been so long since she’d encountered such enthusiastic fans.

After debuting in the Magnolia Cup, Ye Zhuoyan had struggled with poor opportunities. When the Ye family’s cosmetics brand was exposed for mercury contamination, she, as the spokesperson, bore the brunt of the backlash, enduring relentless cyberbullying that left her career in shambles.

Thankfully, Manager Li never gave up on her, securing her a spot in this dating show.

Understanding the emotion in Ye Zhuoyan’s gaze, Wen Huiyun stepped forward. “I can take the photo for you, if you’d like?”

Ye Zhuoyan snapped out of her thoughts and nodded gently. “Okay.” She stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her fan, flashing a radiant smile at the camera.

Click!

Dressed in casual sportswear, Ye Zhuoyan looked vibrant and sweet, holding the kitten as she posed affectionately with her young fan.

When the photo was posted online, it quickly went viral.

#LoveAndNest4 Ye Zhuoyan Fan Photo soared into the top ten trending topics.

As a bonus, Wen Huiyun’s new dish at Worry-Free Eatery also gained unexpected popularity.

Viewers flooded the comments:

[Ugh, jealousy is tearing me apart! Where can I bump into Goddess Ye? T_T]

[Me! I want a photo with Handsome Lady Ye! QAQ]

“I want to be sandwiched between Handmaid and Goddess Ye, who understands me!!!”

Returning to Lianlian Mansion by car in the evening.

Ye Zhuoyan was exhausted and had fallen asleep.

Hugging her pink plush toy, she rested peacefully against the car window, her long, silky hair cascading gently over her shoulders, her fair skin so delicate it seemed translucent.

Graceful and elegant, like a crane resting on a sandy shore.

The car radio was playing softly until Wen Huiyun quietly reminded the driver to turn it off. When she turned back, she suddenly noticed a tiny tuft of fluff atop Ye Zhuoyan’s head.

Probably left behind from rescuing the kitten earlier.

So adorable.

Wen Huiyun couldn’t help but smile.

She leaned in slowly, inching closer to Ye Zhuoyan.

As her breath brushed against Ye Zhuoyan’s exquisite face, Wen Huiyun’s heart skipped a beat, her gaze fixed intently on her.

A passing car honked outside, startling Wen Huiyun back to reality. She reached out toward the fluff.

Ye Zhuoyan kept her eyes shut, barely daring to breathe.

She had woken up earlier but stayed silent to avoid the awkwardness of being alone with Wen Huiyun, pretending to sleep against the window.

With her eyes closed, her other senses sharpened.

Wen Huiyun’s scent. And her hand.

Slowly, gently.

A tender touch brushed against her hair.

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