Fake Cannon Fodder A Becomes a Sensation in Romance Variety Shows - Chapter 38
If three gift mystery boxes were placed before you, how would you choose?
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- Cube. A colorful checkered gift box with no decorations, resembling a Rubik’s cube from afar.
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- Red Velvet. A very gentle pale pink gift box, the wrapping paper embossed with feather patterns, tied with a white ribbon folded into a rose.
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- Brocade. A lake-green fabric gift box with embroidered flowers and birds, fastened at the top with a traditional knot and adorned with apricot-yellow tassels.
“Please make your choice. The keyword tags for the gift boxes will be revealed in three seconds.”
Wen Huiyun chose the “Cube.”
At first glance, she thought of Ye Zhuoyan.
Before joining the variety show, while sorting through the original host’s clues at home, Wen Huiyun found two Lego instruction books in the study. Combined with Ye Zhuoyan’s participation in robotics competitions, she deduced that Ye must enjoy puzzle-like items hence the Rubik’s cube-shaped gift box was likely hers.
Cheng Xiaoming was the first to eliminate the “Cube.”
The flashy design screamed Jiang Yining’s style.
She hesitated between “Red Velvet” and “Brocade,” eventually choosing “Red Velvet.”
This one felt gentle, it had to be Ye Zhuoyan, right?
Jiang Yining was annoying, Mi Tao a bit childish. Among the three omegas, Cheng Xiaoming admired Ye Zhuoyan the most for her quiet elegance.
Liang Yuan picked “Brocade.”
The combination of keywords and fabric craftsmanship reminded her of custom-made clothing.
During a date, Mi Tao had mentioned that her grandmother was a seamstress who promised to make her a beautiful dress when she came of age. Sadly, her grandmother passed away before that day came.
“Brocade” was undoubtedly Mi Tao’s.
The director smiled. “This time, it’s harmonious, no fighting or abstentions.”
“Through the sands of time, gold will love you on their behalf. This dating journey is exclusively sponsored by ‘Gulin Jewelry.’ Thank you, Gulin Jewelry.”
“Please enjoy your romantic two-day, one-night getaway~!”
Inside “Brocade” was a lake-green fringed cheongsam, fitting Liang Yuan perfectly.
Given the winter chill, the cheongsam was made of thick fabric, and Liang Yuan paired it with a fur cape.
Following the address in the gift, Liang Yuan arrived at the train station, where Mi Tao was waiting at the ticket counter.
“Did you ever consider that if someone else got this gift, it might not fit them?”
“Nope.”
Mi Tao’s smile was innocent as she pulled Liang Yuan through security.
Watching the train move farther from City A, the scenery outside growing desolate with withered grass, Liang Yuan grew increasingly puzzled.
She patted Mi Tao’s head and asked, “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere fun! And meaningful!”
Agricultural Pilot Base A.
Mi Tao helped Liang Yuan into farming overalls and handed her a sickle. Not far away stretched endless golden wheat fields.
Liang Yuan gazed at the undulating waves of wheat, her expression complicated.
“These are winter wheat.” Mi Tao rested the sickle on her hip, shielding her eyes from the glaring sun with her hand.
“Many city folks have forgotten the sound of wheat. I wanted to bring Sister Yuan to hear Mother Earth’s joyful voice, hehe~”
Mi Tao got along well with the farmers at the base, chatting and laughing happily.
Cutting wheat, husking corn, pulling peanuts.
For the first time, Liang Yuan felt her stamina was no match for an omega’s.
Covered in dust and dirt, she regretted wearing the cheongsam.
They set up a large oil drum, lit charcoal beneath it, and placed a grill on top, sitting by the field ridge to roast sweet potatoes and cornbread.
Mitao had smudges of ash on her face, and Liang Yuan wiped them off for her, saying, “Look at you, like a little kitten.”
Mitao giggled, skewering the roasted sweet potatoes with chopsticks and handing them to Liang Yuan to eat.
She pointed to the greenhouse across the ditch and said, “That’s my graduation thesis over there.”
Liang Yuan glanced at the hazy white greenhouse. She had heard that many assignments in the agricultural college involved tangible projects seemed like it was true.
She asked, “What is it?”
Mitao puffed up with a hint of pride. “A newly cultivated strawberry variety. They’ll ripen by early spring next year. I want you to be the first to try them, Yuanyuan-jie~∩_∩”
“Thank you.”
“Yuanyuan-jie, do you grow medicinal herbs?”
“Not me, but some of my classmates who studied pharmacology are now in the herb business they do cultivate them.”
Mitao beamed like a little sun. “That’s amazing too.”
Though farm work was exhausting, it gave Liang Yuan a unique sense of fulfillment.
Night fell early, and the moon was already out by five or six in the afternoon.
They lit a bonfire and lay on a pile of wheat stalks, gazing at the sky.
Liang Yuan asked, “Mi Tao, how did you come to like agronomy?”
Mi Tao answered straightforwardly, “Because my family are farmers. I love the land, I love harvests. The land isn’t like luck, if you sow seeds and treat it right, no matter what, you’ll reap something. But so many other things depend on luck, unpredictable and elusive. The land is something you can see, touch, and stand on firmly.”
Liang Yuan was surprised. “Farmers?”
It was rare to hear of an AO family engaged in farming.
AOs made up a small fraction of the population. Alphas had exceptional physical abilities and mental buffs, while omegas had the strongest fertility and shared a pheromonal attraction with alphas. As a result, societal resources naturally skewed toward AOs, while the majority of mundane jobs were handled by the most numerous yet unremarkable betas.
AO children were usually also AOs, with a certain chance of producing betas, the more exceptional the parents’ lineage, the more exceptional the child.
Beta children were also betas, but there was an exceedingly rare chance of them bearing AOs.
Liang Yuan’s parents were betas, but she hit the genetic jackpot as an alpha, becoming the pride of her family and elevating the Liang household’s status in the entire county.
Because of her family background, Liang Yuan wanted to court an outstanding omega, one with both lineage and resources.
Mitao scratched her head sheepishly. “Yeah.”
Liang Yuan asked carefully, “And your parents are?”
Mitao laughed heartily. “Hahaha, it’s fine! Most of my agronomy classmates are betas, and they ask me the same thing. My dad’s an alpha, and my mom’s an omega. AO families usually live in big cities, but our whole family prefers the countryside. Weird, right? But what someone loves to do has nothing to do with their family. My dad says as long as you don’t cause trouble, if you want to do something and can do it, then go for it.”
“As for me, I don’t care what others say or how they see me.”
Mitao’s eyes sparkled, the bonfire’s glow dancing in her pupils.
“If someone looks down on me because of what I study or what work I do, then it’s just the heavens filtering them out for me.”
Liang Yuan smiled faintly. “You’re right.”
Mitao asked her, “Yuanyuan-jie, what does your family do? Are they doctors too?”
Liang Yuan gave an awkward smile, thinking of that isolated small county town and her ordinary family. “No, my family are just regular working-class folks,” she said.
She picked two oranges from the bamboo basket and placed them on the grill. “Let’s roast two oranges, Peach’s favorite.”
“Thanks, Yuanyuan-jie!”
Liang Yuan watched the orange-red flames, her eyes deep and unfathomable like an ancient well.
Pay for your own cable car ticket?
Climb a near-vertical 90-degree hiking ladder?
Buy two grilled giant squid skewers one original flavor, one with chili powder and scallions thanks, mwah?
What kind of nonsense is this?!
Cheng Xiaoming felt like she’d picked the wrong blind box. But how could that be? It was a perfectly delicious apple turnover wasn’t it made by Ye Zhuoyan?
No!
“Hello!” A gorgeous woman blinked, leaning in close, her breath sweet like orchids, carrying a rich floral scent. “You must be feeling pretty down, huh? Mmm?”
Cheng Xiaoming expressionlessly handed the plastic takeout box to Jiang Yining. “Chili powder and scallions.”
“Thanks, Boss Cheng.” Jiang Yining handed her back one without spice. “This one’s for you. I know you can’t handle heat, so I made sure this one’s mild.”
“?” Cheng Xiaoming took it. “I’m the one who paid for these, you know?”
“Exactly. You paid, I treated, no problem!”
Cheng Xiaoming: “…”
If she listened to Jiang Yining again, she’d be an idiot.
“Let’s go!” Jiang Yining tugged at Cheng Xiaoming’s sleeve and broke into a jog. Ahead was a cliff.
A massive billboard loomed: EXTREME BUNGEE JUMPING UNLIMITED THRILLS!
Screams echoed through the valley.
Cheng Xiaoming was no stranger to extreme sports paragliding, skydiving, deep-sea diving, she’d done them all. Bungee jumping was child’s play to her.
But here’s the thing: Jiang Yining was holding a ticket for a tandem jump.
Cheng Xiaoming raised a skeptical eyebrow, glancing at Jiang Yining’s delicate frame. Could someone like her even handle this?
They queued up, reaching the prep area where staff checked their harnesses. “Please store your personal belongings in the lockers here.”
“Wait a sec.” Jiang Yining tossed her backpack into a locker, then swiftly shed her down jacket, revealing a form-fitting red bodysuit underneath curves in all the right places, with a stunning waist-to-hip ratio.
A few men in line whistled.
Cheng Xiaoming frowned in disgust, turning to glare. “What’s with the whistling?”
The whistles only grew louder. Puzzled, Cheng Xiaoming glanced back to see Jiang Yining pointing finger-guns at the men, playfully miming shots.
Cheng Xiaoming strode forward, grabbing Jiang Yining’s wrist and pulling the harness over her.
“Jiang Yining, you’re a woman.”
“No kidding.”
“And an omega.”
Jiang Yining lifted her eyes. “Are you hearing yourself? Since when do I need you to remind me of my own gender?”
Cheng Xiaoming lowered her voice. “Then maybe take a look at what you were just doing? You knew they were staring, and you still put on a show?”
“And may I ask in what capacity you’re warning me?”
“Yours.”
Cheng Xiaoming yanked the buckle tight, tilting her chin up to look down at her.
“Your date.”
Staff: “Ladies, get ready jump in ten seconds!”
10, 9, 8…
Jiang Yining wrapped her arms around Cheng Xiaoming’s back.
“Hold me.”
“Huh?”
“I’m scared!”
4, 3, 2…
Jiang Yining hooked her fingers into Cheng Xiaoming’s belt, pulling her close. Cheng Xiaoming leaned in, strong arms encircling Jiang Yining’s slender waist.
1—
JUMP!!!
Wind roared past.
The world spun.
“Wahahahahaha!” Jiang Yining’s demonic laughter echoed.
Cheng Xiaoming couldn’t detect a trace of fear in Jiang Yining.
Whether she was genuinely scared or not was unclear, but one thing was certain she was holding on tight.
Jiang Yining clung to her tightly.
On the way up the mountain, she paid for her own cable car ticket. On the way down, she paid for two.
Cheng Xiaoming smirked. Good.
Jiang Yining was very considerate: “If we don’t let the big CEO flex her financial power, her money would surely be heartbroken.”
Let’s take a look at the hotel Jiang Yining booked.
After winding through the small town at the foot of the mountain, they finally found it tucked away in a corner of an alley.
Bin Peng Guesthouse.
A plain white signboard.
Festive red paint on the peeling cement wall declared: No urinating or defecating here.
But the corner of the wall was damp.
“…”
“Uh, should we go in? Maybe it’s better inside?”
Cheng Xiaoming furrowed her thick brows and turned to Jiang Yining with a sidelong glance. “How much did you spend on this? Doesn’t the sponsor cover it?”
“The budget wasn’t enough! This place is 280 yuan a night. The others cost at least a thousand or two. It’s the weekend, and Christmas this is a popular tourist spot.”
“Enough! From now on, don’t say another word!”
“Oh.” Pout.
At a certain chain luxury hotel in the scenic area.
“Presidential suite.”
“Just a friendly reminder, madam, our presidential suite is 80,000 yuan per night. You could also consider the executive suite.”
Cheng Xiaoming placed the brand’s exclusive black-gold card on the counter. The receptionist’s eyes nearly popped out of her head, as if she wanted to slap herself. “Apologies, esteemed Black Gold guest! We’ll provide you with the most exceptional service!”
Jiang Yining touched the black card shimmering with golden light, the glow was real gold!
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Jiang Yining fluttered her bright, charming eyes coyly. “CEO Cheng, I want to kiss you.”
Cheng Xiaoming’s expression turned horrified.
Heavens.
This street felt familiar.
The corner café, the book rental shop charging fifty cents a day.
And the old bus stop under a plane tree.
Wen Huiyun wore a simple white shirt and trousers, a beige knit vest, and a thick overcoat.
She wasn’t checking her GPS because the gift blind box didn’t include an exact address just a hand-drawn map.
I’ll be waiting for you at the starting point.
Yes, the starting point of everything.
Our starting point.
Wen Huiyun spotted the old bus stop under the plane tree, where leaves occasionally drifted down. A graceful figure stood quietly beneath it.
“Zhuoyan!”
Wen Huiyun ran over.
Ye Zhuoyan wore a beret, a fluffy knit dress, a light pink coat, and knee-high boots that accentuated her long, slender legs.
She waved with a smile. “Huiyun.”
The two sat on a weathered old bench, waiting for Bus No. 001.
Ye Zhuoyan said they used to take this bus to school, and the route covered many of their shared life memories.
The starting point was near the kindergarten they attended, and the terminus was A University, where they studied together.
“This is a journey to rediscover memories,” Ye Zhuoyan said.
After buying two cups of taro milk tea, Wen Huiyun handed the sugar-free one to Ye Zhuoyan.
“Thank you.”
“Since when are you so polite with me?”
Ye Zhuoyan took a sip, the sound of her drinking soft and rhythmic. “Habit, I guess.”
Ye Zhuoyan asked Wen Huiyun, “How did you know the ‘block’ was mine?”
Wen Huiyun smiled proudly. “Because I saw your Lego book at home. Look, I even brought the little kitty cat with me.”
She showed Ye Zhuoyan the assembled Lego toy, a Hello Kitty.
Ye Zhuoyan’s gaze softened like water as she gently stroked it.
Wen Huiyun suddenly asked, “Are there cameras following us here too?”
“Of course, the director said there are drones filming the whole time.”
Ye Zhuoyan let go of her straw and huffed, “Why are you asking? Don’t tell me you’re planning something naughty?”
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