Fake Cannon Fodder A Becomes a Sensation in Romance Variety Shows - Chapter 34

The news of Ye Zhuoyan being Wen’s official wife sent the Yun fan support group into a frenzy.

Group messages dinged incessantly. Ye Zhuoyan glanced at them before switching tabs, waiting for Evan to reply.

Come to think of it, she had once used the English name “Evan” during a robotics competition borrowed from an alpha friend. But aside from her and that friend, no one else knew about it.

Midway, Ye Zhuoyan took a break to practice her posture. When she returned to her room, she noticed an unread message on her alt account.

Ye Zhuoyan narrowed her eyes. Alright, the big shot finally graces me with a reply.

Chat with Group Leader Evan—

Evan: 【Okay.】

Ye Zhuoyan stared at the single, succinct word, momentarily dazed. Huh?

She had expected this group leader to engage in a heated debate over her “Wen’s Official Wife” username.

Seems this big shot has remarkable composure.

Wen’s Official Wife: 【Thank you so much for your generosity in taking care of my wife.】

Evan: 【We’re all fans of Yunyun, let’s support each other!】

Evan: 【How long have you been a fan of Yunyun?】

Ye Zhuoyan wasn’t about to let herself be cornered.

Wen’s Official Wife: 【I followed her before she founded Solace Eatery. Back then, her cooking was terrible, she couldn’t even boil noodles properly.】

Evan: 【You knew Yunyun before she joined the dating show? What did she do before?】

Wen’s Official Wife: 【She was a civilian.】

Evan didn’t reply further.

The group chat was buzzing.

Ye Zhuoyan switched tabs. Evan was active in the group.

A poll had been posted to elect new group moderators.

The criteria were simple: whoever had the most exclusive resources of their idol would win. Resources included but weren’t limited to derivative works, collected materials, and best of all private photos.

The group was flooded with messages. The forum was a battlefield some posted edited clips, others shared fan art and fiction, and a few uploaded candid street photos. The competition was fierce.

Most of the fanworks were tagged #WenYeShip. Ye Zhuoyan skimmed through some fanfics and had to admit, some were quite well-written. She left likes as a courtesy.

A handful were tagged #YunTaoShip. Ye Zhuoyan checked those out too, even correcting typos and grammar for the writers.

Then, out of nowhere, the pinned masterpieces assaulted her eyes:

-“AA Tragic Love Must Have HE, No BE: How Could I Bear a Lifetime of Missed Love? In the Next Life, I’ll Become an Omega for You”

-“Attention, This CEO Alpha Named A-Ming Fell in Love with a Cloud”

-“She Was Once a Warmhearted Alpha, So Why Did She Turn into a Delicate Wife Overnight? The Answer Lies in This One Trick”

The garish, chaotic titles felt like ingesting a cocktail of psychedelic mushrooms.

This is their taste? Evan, the big shot, was most likely a queer alpha.

Unfazed, Ye Zhuoyan created her own thread with a simple title: Things Yun Doesn’t Know. Just a few ordinary photos.

-[On a gloomy, rainy day, Wen Huiyun, wearing a mask and sunglasses, tilted her white coat-clad figure slightly, angling her umbrella to shelter a rain-beaten daisy.]

-[Under the bright lights of a convenience store entrance, Wen Huiyun, her hood pulled low, revealing only her sharp nose and smiling lips, fed a stray dog a piece of ham.]

-[At a crosswalk, a distant silhouette of Wen Huiyun waiting patiently at the traffic light as a line of kindergarteners crossed. One child stumbled, and Wen Huiyun quickly steadied them.]

These were candid shots taken during Ye Zhuoyan and Wen Huiyun’s dates and outdoor missions, all distant views where Wen Huiyun was dressed conservatively, ensuring no privacy was compromised.

Jiang Yining had taught her many photography techniques, and Ye Zhuoyan often practiced with her phone in her free time. She never deliberately photographed Wen Huiyun, yet in many of her pictures, Wen Huiyun always seemed to appear in a few.

Ye Zhuoyan’s thread quickly blew up on the forum, soaring to the top of the board.

Group members flooded the comments.

Yunyun Jiayou: “Masterpiece! As expected of the official wife!”

I Love Yunbao: “A newcomer rising fast! Future admin material!”

Nightly Yun Dreams: “Oho, looks like Evan’s getting overshadowed.”

Group System Notification: Congratulations to “Wen’s Official Wife” for becoming the group’s newest admin!

Staring at the green admin badge next to her username, Ye Zhuoyan snapped back to reality what childish thing had she just done?

“…”

Well, what’s done is done.

Just as Ye Zhuoyan was about to log out of her alt account, a little penguin icon blinked with a “Ding-ding-ding!”

Evan: “How did you get photos of Yunyun?”

Wen’s Official Wife: “I’m a high-quality sasaeng fan.”

Logging off the alt, Ye Zhuoyan decided she’d check in on the group every night to see what nonsense they were up to.

The first phase of the love nest renovation inspection was approaching.

“Huiyun.”

“What’s up, Ming-jie?”

Cheng Xiaoming lowered her voice mysteriously. “Keep an eye out when you’re outside, you’ve got a sasaeng fan.”

Wen Huiyun: “?!”

No way. She was just a foodie, not a celebrity. Did going on a dating show really earn her a sasaeng?

Cheng Xiaoming warned her, “Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone.”

The warning left Wen Huiyun unsettled all day.

While inspecting the renovation site in the old district, she kept glancing over her shoulder, searching for any signs of a stalker.

Nothing.

The “Worry-Free Eatery” operated as usual, serving only legitimate customers and fans.

As Wen Huiyun sorted through her prop cards, she recalled Zhuoyan mentioning her recent progress time was relatively flexible. Why not summon her to the eatery for a visit?

No sooner thought than done. Wen Huiyun used a summoning card to invite Ye Zhuoyan to co-build their love nest.

Winter sunlight bathed the scene.

A gentle breeze fluttered the little triangular flags on the food cart.

Wind chimes tinkled softly.

The cart’s sign read “Worry-Free Eatery,” with the day’s specials hanging below.

An elderly woman, leaning on a cane and holding her grandson’s hand, approached. “Xiao Wen! Two boxes of sesame crisps, please!”

Wen Huiyun, who had been supervising the electrician’s wiring inside, hurried out. “Coming!”

A figure emerged from the alley, walking straight to the cart. After a brief glance at the offerings, she wrapped two boxes of sesame crisps in oiled paper and handed them to the old woman. “That’ll be 38 yuan. Thank you for your patronage.”

Wen Huiyun paused at the doorway, watching as Ye Zhuoyan dressed in a white cashmere blouse with lantern sleeves and a black dress stood gracefully, smiling as she handed over the treats, like a crane greeting an elder.

The old woman grinned at Wen Huiyun. “Xiao Wen, is this the omega you like? She’s helping you now? How wonderful!”

Flustered, Wen Huiyun fiddled with her apron before nodding earnestly. “Yes! She’s amazing the best girl, the best omega.”

The old woman grew serious. “Then you must treat her well, understand?”

Wen Huiyun nodded vigorously.

The elderly woman walked over to Ye Zhuoyan and whispered to her, “Xiao Wen is a good one, I have a sharp eye for people.” The old lady even gave a playful wink.

Ye Zhuoyan smiled and waved as she saw the elderly woman and the child off.

“Thank you, Zhuoyan, for coming over. I didn’t expect you to end up helping with the business.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’d sell your shop at a loss?”

“How could that be? They’re all neighbors giving a little extra doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t worry, I checked the prices carefully. It wasn’t me who always lost money at the company before.”

Wen Huiyun smiled helplessly, the one who lost money wasn’t really her either.

Ye Zhuoyan chuckled, “But now you can handle things on your own. See? When you put your mind to it, you’re quite impressive, aren’t you?”

Wen Huiyun looked at her, a shimmer in her eyes, warmth rippling through the lake of her heart.

Ding!

Wen Huiyun and Ye Zhuoyan both opened their Lianlian phones at the same time. Wen Huiyun didn’t receive any message, so she glanced at Ye Zhuoyan.

Ye Zhuoyan was silent for a moment, then her brows and eyes relaxed.

Though winter had just arrived, her aura was like the first breath of spring in March bright, radiant, soft, and beautiful.

“Would you like to see?”

Ye Zhuoyan showed her Lianlian phone to Wen Huiyun, Guest Cheng Xiaoming has used a Summon Card to invite Ye Zhuoyan to build a love nest together. Accept?

Wen Huiyun frowned. Of course, the official Alpha pairing would try to steal the female lead! Not a chance! Whether for survival or love, she had to defend Ye Zhuoyan firmly.

“Zhuoyan, I was the first.”

“Wen Huiyun, what do you think? Do you want me to go, or not?”

Was that even a question?

“I want you by my side.”

Ye Zhuoyan nodded, took a photo of the food cart, and replied: Thanks for the invite. But I’d rather have yam and red date cake. [Logo of Jieyou Eatery.jpg]

Wen Huiyun instinctively packed the last portion of yam and red date cake and carried it into the inner room.

Ye Zhuoyan glanced around the room, a blend of natural and creamy tones, warm and relaxing.

Wen Huiyun pulled over a cushion for her. “Have a seat.”

Ye Zhuoyan asked, “What are you looking at?”

On the movable side table sat a laptop, its screen displaying a grid of nine surveillance feeds.

“Oh, these are security cameras.”

“Security cameras? Is there a thief or something?”

Wen Huiyun brewed a cup of rose tea to pair with the yam and red date cake.

“Not really, just keeping an eye on the surroundings to prevent trouble before it happens.”

Ye Zhuoyan hummed in agreement. “Mhm.”

Wen Huiyun didn’t plan to tell Ye Zhuoyan about the harassment from the nasty neighbor. These things had nothing to do with Zhuoyan as long as Zhuoyan hadn’t encountered any trouble, she was relieved.

As dinnertime approached, Ye Zhuoyan leaned close to Wen Huiyun’s ear and whispered, “Huiyun, I know a place nearby that serves amazing fried wontons and vermicelli soup.”

Wen Huiyun’s first reaction: “Great, let’s go now!”

Second reaction: “Wait, fried wontons? Zhuoyan, carbs are one thing, but fried food is off-limits for you!”

Ye Zhuoyan couldn’t help but laugh, her expression mischievous. “Then, you have the fried wontons, and I’ll have the vermicelli soup?”

“Deal!”

Between Jieyou Eatery and the narrow-alley house was another small lane home to Li’s Fried Wontons.

The owners were a short Beta couple. The husband was about to step out, while the wife, upon seeing Wen Huiyun, paused briefly before warmly welcoming them in.

After finishing their meal and returning, they found the windows of both the storefront and the back room of Jieyou Eatery smashed again, shards of glass scattered everywhere. The door was defaced with menacing red graffiti: “Shameless cutthroat competition!”

Ye Zhuoyan’s face turned ashen, while Wen Huiyun quickly tried to lighten the mood, saying, “I’ve heard there are troublemakers around here. I was hoping we wouldn’t run into them, but I guess we weren’t lucky enough.”

“How many times has this happened before?”

“Huh?”

Ye Zhuoyan’s voice was laced with anger. “Isn’t this why you checked the surveillance footage? Did you really think you could hide it from me? The graffiti accuses you of cutthroat competition, don’t you realize you’re being bullied by competitors? How can you still act like a peacemaker, laughing it off?”

Having run a major restaurant for years, Wen Huiyun was well aware of the underhanded tactics used in the industry.

But the more ambitious one was, the less they should indulge in petty retaliations. If others blew ill winds her way, she would counter them with the midday sun.

Taking out one or two troublemakers wouldn’t solve anything there would always be more. Only by growing stronger could she truly suppress the malice.

She wasn’t foolishly enduring the bullying; she was biding her time to address the root of the problem once and for all.

“I’ll handle this. It’s fine, Zhuoyan.”

Ye Zhuoyan furrowed her delicate brows and pulled up the surveillance footage, scrutinizing it frame by frame until she spotted a few masked individuals. She called Wen Huiyun over. “Do you recognize any of these people?”

“Huh.” Ye Zhuoyan pointed at one of the shorter figures. “Isn’t that the owner of the fried wonton shop?”

Wen Huiyun sighed. It wasn’t just the wonton shop owner, the surrounding snack vendors had formed a “Green-Eyed Alliance.”

Neighborhood disputes were best resolved through reconciliation, turning foes into friends. Wen Huiyun had spent two weeks gathering evidence, preparing to negotiate with these small business owners. If that failed, she had the police reports as a backup.

Lately, she’d been preoccupied with her memories and hadn’t gotten around to dealing with this until her wife caught her red-handed. QAQ

Ye Zhuoyan grabbed Wen Huiyun’s wrist and pulled her out of the shop. “Come with me.”

Wen Huiyun’s gaze dropped to their intertwined hands.

Ye Zhuoyan’s expression was icy, her every step radiating cold fury.

Hand in hand, she led Wen Huiyun under the astonished stares of onlookers straight to Li’s Fried Wonton.

The couple running the shop trembled at the sight of them, hastily gathering their things and retreating inside.

Wen Huiyun stepped forward, ready to proceed with her original plan of negotiation, when she suddenly noticed Ye Zhuoyan picking up a brick used to prop up an outdoor umbrella.

?!

“Calm down, Ye Zhuoyan!!!”

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