Fake Cannon Fodder A Becomes a Sensation in Romance Variety Shows - Chapter 54

The air was scorching hot.

Wen Huiyun pushed aside the damp bedding, letting the air seep in. That faint coolness was like a drop of water soaking into parched, cracked earth quickly evaporating.

Her throat burned with pain, craving water to soothe the discomfort. The base of her neck and behind her ears were also dry, as if on fire.

Wen Huiyun lightly patted her neck, pressing her palm against the dry skin.

In the sweltering darkness, a faint fragrance drifted by. Her head felt dizzy, her limbs weak, and she sensed a gentle breath brushing past her ear.

Haa?

Like an electric current surging through her, her soul seemed to detach, floating weightlessly in the air, dissolving into a wisp of ethereal cloud.

Huiyun. A soft voice tenderly called her name.

So gentle.

Wen Huiyun groped blindly in the dark, her fingers brushing against something soft.

A warm, orange-tinted glow faintly illuminated the space by the pillow.

She clutched the fabric, forcing her bleary eyes open just a slit. In her hand was a crumpled spaghetti-strap nightgown, the champagne-colored lace one that Ye Zhuoyan had worn before.

“…!”

“Huiyun, do you want some water?” Gu Rufeng’s voice.

Wen Huiyun’s eyes flew open. The sensor light on the bedside table flickered on, ordinary warm light, the kind that activated with a simple tap. Gu Rufeng had turned it on.

Taking a deep breath, she realized it had all been a dream.

Guiltily, she patted around under the covers everything was smooth and tidy, no suspicious clothing in sight.

Cough. How could she have such a dizzy, hazy dream? Covering her face in self-reproach, she blamed it on the aftereffects of reading too much CP fanfiction.

Gu Rufeng handed her a glass. “Have some water. I added salt and sugar.”

“Thanks.”

Her throat was just as parched as in the dream. The lukewarm water slid down her esophagus gulp, gulp the rhythmic sound of swallowing filling the quiet.

Gu Rufeng hesitated before speaking. “Your pheromones seem a bit off. Have you checked the dates?”

Wen Huiyun paused. What dates?

“I mean your rut cycle.”

In the original novel’s setting, alphas without permanent markers experienced one natural rut per year. However, an omega’s heat or other factors could trigger a special rut.

But the prerequisite for all that was being an alpha.

Wen Huiyun rested a hand on the base of her neck. She wasn’t an alpha yet could she still have a rut? That couldn’t be right.

It was probably just the stimulation from the CP fanfiction, combined with nearing her next pheromone injection cycle, throwing her hormones off balance.

She replied to Gu Rufeng, “No, I’ve just been too tired lately. Hormonal imbalance.”

Gu Rufeng nodded. “Take care of yourself.”

Mmm…

Gu Rufeng seemed like the tight-lipped, dependable type.

Wen Huiyun ventured, “Rufeng, how do you handle your rut?”

“Me? I just hole up in my studio for half a month. As long as I don’t go out and get near omegas, I can distract myself with work.”

Then, scratching her nose and the corner of her eye sheepishly, she added in a quieter voice, “If it gets really bad. I take care of it myself.”

“……”

Wen Huiyun didn’t dare ask any more. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

She said solemnly, “Thanks for sharing your experience.”

Outside the curtains, the sky was still dark.

3:20 a.m.

Wen Huiyun asked Gu Rufeng, “Why aren’t you asleep?”

The desk lamp was on, the surface covered in sheets of paper.

Gu Rufeng replied, “I dreamed of a melody and wrote it down. Inspiration fades fast if you don’t catch it.”

“Did I make any strange noises or say anything weird in my sleep?”

Wen Huiyun’s heart pounded nervously. If nothing had happened, why would Gu Rufeng ask about her rut?

Gu Rufeng jotted down a few musical notes and said softly, “No. Sleep well, don’t worry.”

The director sent over the New Year’s gifts from the production team.

The Love Mansion was completely refreshed.

Wen Huiyun hadn’t slept well the night before, so she got up early to make breakfast and then, unusually, went back to sleep. It was nearly noon when she woke up and saw the omega guests putting up window decorations together.

Ye Zhuoyan stood on a ladder, tiptoeing, her skirt swaying with her movements, her long legs straight and beautiful.

Yun look at me.

“!” Begone, demon of dreams!

Wen Huiyun bolted like a fox whose tail had been stepped on.

“Huiyun,” Ye Zhuoyan called out to stop her. “Help us hang these little lanterns. They’re too high, we can’t reach.”

“Okay.” Wen Huiyun didn’t dare to look at her directly.

Wen Huiyun moved the long ladder over, Ye Zhuoyan steadied it from below, and as Wen Huiyun climbed up, Ye Zhuoyan handed her the string of lanterns.

Their hands brushed, and Wen Huiyun flinched away abruptly.

Ye Zhuoyan glanced at her, puzzled, while Wen Huiyun kept her head tilted up, hanging the small lanterns.

Jiang Yining was laughing and joking nearby, surrounded by a few other guests chatting merrily.

Wen Huiyun climbed down the ladder and went to wash her hands.

Ye Zhuoyan followed her to the bathroom.

Wen Huiyun stepped back until her back pressed against the tiles. “Zhuoyan?!”

Ye Zhuoyan walked up to her, leaning in slowly. Wen Huiyun held her breath, unsure where to look.

A gentle hand touched the front of Wen Huiyun’s shirt.

“You!” Wen Huiyun’s heart pounded wildly.

Ye Zhuoyan plucked a loose thread from her shirt button, her voice soft. “Look at you, not even paying attention on a show.”

“Mhm, I’ll be more careful.”

“There.”

“Thank you, lao,” wife.

Wen Huiyun hastily corrected herself, “Thank you, Zhuoyan.”

Ye Zhuoyan’s bright eyes met hers.

As if they could melt her heart.

Wen Huiyun’s lips curved slightly, her gaze tender.

She opened the door, letting Ye Zhuoyan exit first. Just as they stepped into the empty hallway, Ye Zhuoyan’s cool voice suddenly spoke up.

Not loud, but like a small hammer tapping lightly against Wen Huiyun’s guarded heart: “What’s wrong? You seem a little afraid of me?”

“Not at all.” Besides, being afraid of one’s wife wasn’t exactly unusual.

“Really?”

Wen Huiyun nodded, fastening the top button of Ye Zhuoyan’s shirt, sealing away the last glimpse of snowy skin.

Ye Zhuoyan watched her complete the series of actions in confusion, catching the intensified caramel macchiato scent on Wen Huiyun, now mixed with a milky sweetness she’d never noticed before.

“Need an alpha to help hang the couplets!” Jiang Yining’s shout was nothing short of a lifesaver for Wen Huiyun.

“Coming!”

Ye Zhuoyan touched the button Wen Huiyun had fastened, pondering. What’s going on with her? She’s clearly acting strange, why won’t she admit it?

She even pulled away the moment our hands touched. When we kissed before, she wasn’t like this.

Ye Zhuoyan lowered her eyes, thoughts swirling, a glimmer flashing in her gaze.

Could it be because of the fanfic I read last night?

A light laugh escaped her lips. And here I thought she wasn’t the shy type.

＊

The rankings for the sixth task were calculated by team. Wen Huiyun and Jiang Yining came in first, earning the first pick for the third round of dates.

The subsequent rankings were as follows:

Ye Zhuoyan, Cheng Xiaoming

Mi Tao, Gu Rufeng

Ke Yuxin, Liang Yuan

Ke Yuxin, landing in last place, was seething with silent fury, so angry she couldn’t eat for two days.

Wen Huiyun and Ye Zhuoyan pulled all sorts of marketing stunts and even resorted to live-streaming gimmicks, yet not only did they fail to win, but on the third night, they were overtaken by that country bumpkin Mi Tao!

If it weren’t for Gu Rufeng, that silent blockhead, bringing in a band to hype up the crowd, would anyone even buy Mi Tao’s lousy barbecue? In the end, it’s all Liang Yuan’s fault, what good is he besides taking pulses and brewing medicine? Useless!

Ke Yuxin smashed the perfume bottle and viciously kicked the yoga ball by the chair.

What terrible luck sharing a room with a country bumpkin and being paired with a useless partner. She really ought to buy a 66,666-yuan fortune-attracting amethyst crystal to place by her bed and ward off the bad energy.

“Oh no, my perfume!”

The moment Mi Tao stepped into the room, she saw shattered glass everywhere.

Gu Rufeng had just gifted it to her the other day.

If she had bought it herself, fine, but this was a custom-made perfume Xiao Fengzi had learned to blend from a perfumer! T Plate T

Ke Yuxin glanced at her, confident that a country bumpkin like Mi Tao couldn’t possibly afford anything expensive.

“I accidentally broke it. How much was it? I’ll pay you double.”

Mi Tao was on the verge of tears, furious and wronged at Ke Yuxin’s dismissive attitude. “You broke it and can’t even apologize? Besides, some things can’t just be settled with money.”

“Oh wow, how precious is your perfume? A million a bottle? I already said it was an accident, and I’ll pay double. What more do you want?”

Mi Tao snapped, “You’re going too far! Ke Yuxin, I’ve put up with you for way too long since we started sharing this room!”

Ke Yuxin constantly mocked her in veiled words, calling her a tacky country bumpkin, frequently used her things without permission, complained about their quality, nitpicked everything, and even scolded her for turning pages too loudly while sleeping yet Ke Yuxin would blare videos when she slept!

Ke Yuxin rolled her eyes, crossing her legs with a scoff. “The show assigned the beds. If you don’t like it, move out!”

“Fine, I will! But you have to apologize for the perfume! As for how much, ” Mi Tao had no idea how much Gu Rufeng had spent, and now that the perfume was gone, she couldn’t even ask him. She’d have to check the custom brand first to estimate the cost.

“I’ll tell you later!”

Fuming, Mi Tao packed her suitcase and stormed out.

Ke Yuxin sneered, “Ugly people make the most fuss.”

Not long after, the door slammed open again.

Ke Yuxin barely looked up before a splash of chilled chrysanthemum tea hit her face.

“AHHH!”

“Oops, my hand slipped, on purpose.”

Jiang Yining tossed her bag onto the bed and pointed at Ke Yuxin’s spot. “I like your bed, sis. You move to this one.”

Ke Yuxin wiped the water from her face, chrysanthemum petals clinging to her hair. She shrieked at Jiang Yining, “Were you raised by wolves? No manners at all!”

Jiang Yining lifted her chin, her peach-blossom eyes icy. “That’s right, I wasn’t raised by parents. Move.”

“Why should I?!”

“Because I’ll slap you if you don’t.”

In the alpha lounge’s small sitting area.

Muffled sobs drifted intermittently.

“Wuwu, wuwu…”

Ke Yuxin sat in a little white dress, the front soaked, chrysanthemum petals still tangled in her hair.

Liang Yuan dabbed her face with a wet wipe. “Don’t cry. What happened?”

Ke Yuxin lowered her hands, revealing two bright red slap marks on her fair cheeks, swollen and puffy.

“Wuwu! I just accidentally broke Taozi’s perfume, and I don’t know what she told Yining-jie, but they both ganged up on me. Wuwu, I said I’d pay her back, but she splashed tea on me! Waaah!”

Liang Yuan comforted Ke Yuxin, “Alright, stop crying. Have you apologized to Mi Tao and compensated her for the perfume? Communicate properly.”

Upon hearing that Mi Tao’s perfume had been shattered, Gu Rufeng immediately headed to the omega lounge.

Wen Huiyun and Cheng Xiaoming sat to the side, listening in silence. Cheng Xiaoming stood up and left, with Wen Huiyun following suit.

Ke Yuxin suddenly grabbed Wen Huiyun’s sleeve, her tear-streaked face pitiful and delicate. “Sister Yun, I, hicI want some hot chocolate milk. Will you make me a cup? Wuwu.”

For the third round of invitations, Ke Yuxin was at the bottom of the list. If she didn’t act now, it would be too late.

Wen Huiyun stared at Ke Yuxin’s hand clutching her sleeve, her expression blank her disdain was practically written all over her face.

Cheng Xiaoming gave Wen Huiyun a sympathetic look before heading downstairs.

In this mansion, even the scallions growing in the kitchen knew that the freshly made hot chocolate milk every night was exclusively for Ye Zhuoyan. No one else was allowed to have it.

You had to admit, Ke Yuxin was something else.

In just half a month since moving in, she had turned the Love Mansion upside down, creating chaos everywhere.

Naturally, Wen Huiyun refused. But Ke Yuxin threatened her with a glare, mouthing the words: Secret. Marriage.

A vein throbbed at Wen Huiyun’s temple. This little devil.

The cameras in the small living room captured their every move, and now the entire internet knew the omega guests were ganging up on Ke Yuxin.

Wen Huiyun wanted to join the alliance against Ke Yuxin, but the ticking time bomb of their secret marriage held her hostage.

“Fine,” she had no choice but to agree.

Ke Yuxin followed Wen Huiyun to the kitchen.

She didn’t particularly like milk or chocolate. She just wanted to spite Ye Zhuoyan and snatch a bit of dating opportunity for herself.

Wen Huiyun checked the cupboard. Huh? There was chocolate this morning, but now it was gone.

She turned to Ke Yuxin. “We’re out of chocolate. How about plain milk?”

“Whatever.”

Ke Yuxin pressed an ice pack to her face, her eyes like poisoned daggers. It hurts so much, and now my face is ruined. Jiang Yining, you bitch, just wait till I get my revenge on you.

Heh, and Ye Zhuoyan too. Omegas there were plenty of ways to torment them.

Not long ago, she’d heard from Lai Batou, a fellow jade gambler, that Jade City was short on omega servants.

Ke Yuxin smirked, her smile cold and vicious.

“Here’s your milk.”

Wen Huiyun set the cup on the table. “If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.”

“Sister Yun, I’m not done yet.”

Ke Yuxin didn’t touch the milk. Instead, she hooked a finger around Wen Huiyun’s sleeve. “For the third date, you’re not allowed to pick Ye Zhuoyan.”

Wen Huiyun’s expression turned icy as she shook her off. “No. Ask for something else.”

Ke Yuxin smirked. “Fine, if she refuses you, that’s acceptable too. But you two are absolutely not going on a date.”

“If I invite her, why would she refuse?” Their relationship was nothing like before.

“Oh, wouldn’t she?”

Ke Yuxin leaned in, her words piercing like knives. “She’s been planning to divorce you all along.

“Ye Zhuoyan hates you so much.

“Right now, she’s just using you to boost her fame by shipping you two.

“Only you’re dumb enough to think she actually likes you, Wen Huiyun.”

Ke Yuxin slipped headphones over Wen Huiyun’s ears and played a recording.

Wen Huiyun’s pupils dilated abruptly.

In her ears, Ye Zhuoyan’s cold voice rang out clearly.

Don’t worry, I’ll divorce Wen Huiyun.

Stay calm. Wen Huiyun.

Ke Yuxin might lie, but the Transmigration Bureau’s system wouldn’t.

How could a female lead who deceives emotions and plans for divorce have such a high favorability rating?

Ye Zhuoyan’s talk of divorce must be a lie. It must be Ke Yuxin scheming to drive a wedge between them.

Time to prepare the evening milk.

Wen Huiyun opened the cupboard oh, the chocolate was back.

Ye Zhuoyan had changed roommates. Seeing Wen Huiyun arrive, Mi Tao smiled cheerfully and stepped out.

“Sit.” Ye Zhuoyan took a sip of chocolate milk and asked Wen Huiyun, “Is there anything you’d like to say to me?”

Like what wild thoughts she’d had after reading that CP fanfic or something similar.

Wen Huiyun’s heart pounded like thunder. Her mind blanked, her chest tightened, and with reddened eyes, she blurted out, “Are you planning to divorce me?”

“!” Oh god, oh god, how had she just asked that?!

Ye Zhuoyan paused briefly, then answered solemnly, “Yes.”

Wen Huiyun’s face crumpled, her heart aching as if pierced by a knife, struggling to breathe.

Ye Zhuoyan’s fingertips gently smoothed the furrow between Wen Huiyun’s brows, then she kissed the corner of her lips:

“Who was it that said the past doesn’t count and wanted a grand one?”