Fake Cannon Fodder A Becomes a Sensation in Romance Variety Shows - Chapter 67.1

Wen Huiyun walked up to Ye Zhuoyan, positioning herself between the delivery rack and Ye Zhuoyan’s line of sight.

Ye Zhuoyan’s gaze flickered momentarily before settling on the TV screen, as if she hadn’t just been staring at the pile of packages.

Yet her heart pounded like a drum.

“Yanyan, check your Moments,” Wen Huiyun said, sitting down beside her.

Ye Zhuoyan joked, “What’s up with Moments? Did Sister Ming ‘rise from the dead’ again?”

“Not Sister Ming your dear roommate.”

Jiang Yining?

Ye Zhuoyan opened her Moments.

@GlobalPhotographyGionaJiang:

[It’s Little New Year’s Eve tomorrow! Any handsome guys or pretty girls wanna treat me to a meal? Private photoshoots available~ 🌹😘]

Ye Zhuoyan grinned. “Great! I’ll call Yining right now and invite her to dinner.”

She paused, then asked Wen Huiyun, “Should we eat at home or book a place outside?”

Inviting someone was easy, but she had to consult the chef first.

Wen Huiyun said, “I have an idea. How about we gather the cast from our dating show for Little New Year’s Eve? We can cook and eat together at Jieyou Eatery.”

“Perfect! But let’s skip Ke Yuxin.”

Wen Huiyun ruffled Ye Zhuoyan’s hair. “Obviously.”

Ye Zhuoyan chuckled and dialed the number. “I’ll tell Yining first get the jump on her and score a private photoshoot~”

Beep, beep.

“Yining, dinner’s on me. Huiyun and I are hosting a Little New Year’s Eve gathering at Jieyou Eatery for everyone.”

“Awesome! I’ll bring plenty of good booze!”

“Just show up. And go easy on the drinks, who’s gonna take you home if you get wasted?”

“Sis here can drink a thousand cups without falling, no escort needed! Hahaha~”

Jiang Yining hung up and turned around.

“Mom, I’m heading out.”

On the table, a vase of white chrysanthemums stood before a black-and-white photograph of a woman in her early thirties strikingly beautiful, a camera slung around her neck, fireworks blooming brilliantly behind her.

Jiang Yining shut the door, locked it, and wedged a thin plastic film into the door crack.

Hands in her pockets, a baseball cap pulled low, she vaulted over the railing, landing on the rooftop of a two-story flat, then descended a steel ladder beside a drainpipe to the ground.

This was an old, forgotten corner unit, wedged into a dilapidated building that had escaped demolition. The entire structure housed only Jiang Yining, with the space opposite her room sealed off by concrete and the stairwell barricaded with junk.

A shantytown of chaos and shadows.

The streets were a mess crooked utility poles, walls plastered with flyers.

Jiang Yining casually sucked on a cartoon-shaped lollipop, her peripheral vision sharp, absorbing every rustle and movement around her.

Her phone buzzed. She stepped over a narrow gutter and pulled it out.

Caller ID: Hello, Ms. Jiang Yining.

“Hello.”

She answered as an electric scooter zipped past at the intersection.

Caller: Low-interest microloans available. Do you currently have any financial needs.
The scooter passed behind her. The masked man on the backseat lunged for her crossbody bag strap.

Jiang Yining sidestepped, swung her leg, and kicked him off. The driver lost control, and the scooter skidded, metal scraping pavement.

The crash, the screams, the gasps of onlookers erupted instantly.

Jiang Yining held her phone toward the scene, capturing the two thugs howling: “F*ck you! Agh, I’m dying!”

Caller: ?

The scam call promptly disconnected.

Jiang Yining whistled sharply at the thugs, kept her phone to her ear, and ducked into an alley.

The winding path led to the underground parking lot of a high-rise by the main road.

Jiang Yining entered the building from the parking lot and emerged from a clothing store.

She removed her hat, changed her outfit, and altered her hairstyle.

She boarded a bus, switched routes a few times, then scanned a shared bike.

Riding to a hotel, she sat in the lobby and waited.

Before long, a Lamborghini arrived.

The driver stepped out and bowed slightly. “Hello, President Gu sent me to pick you up.”

Jiang Yining got into the car, watching the scenery as they gradually left the city behind.

The Gu residence.

Servants greeted her along the way: “Good afternoon, ma’am.”

Jiang Yining paused to take in the sight twin staircases spiraling upward, a massive oil painting hanging on the central wall of the grand hall: a jade beauty cradling fiery red poppies amidst blazing fireworks.

“Yi Yi, you’re here.”

Gu Rufeng walked beneath the painting.

In the vast hall, human figures seemed minuscule.

“Ah Feng.”

Jiang Yining smiled and embraced her.

Gu Rufeng returned the hug lightly before pulling away, glancing upstairs. “Auntie is waiting for you. She’s missed you.”

“Alright, I’ll go see Auntie Gu.”

Jiang Yining took the elevator upstairs.

The door was made of multicolored stained glass, forming an image of the Virgin Mary.

She knocked, but the door wasn’t fully closed, it swung open with a gentle push.

“Auntie Gu?”

The room was filled with warm mist. By the expansive floor-to-ceiling window, a woman sat in the bathtub, eyes closed.

Her long, wavy hair was half-dry, half-wet, the ends floating on the water’s surface.

The pool was clear, with only a few scattered rose petals veiling her delicate curves.

Her jade-like skin was serene, as still as a sculpture.

Jiang Yining slowed her steps.

Gu Lin murmured, “Am I dreaming again?”

She straightened slightly, revealing a stretch of snow-white skin along her waist adorned with a large, bewitching tattoo of poppies.

Jiang Yining curved her lips. “Am I imaginary, then?”

“I only ever see my Yi Yi in dreams.”

“Auntie Gu, if you keep teasing me, I’ll leave.”

“You little imp.”

Gu Lin opened her eyes, her gaze tender. “Help me scrub my back.”

“Huh?”

“Come.” Gu Lin stood and sat on the edge of the tub, water droplets trickling down her bare back.

Jiang Yining’s expression cooled. After a brief hesitation, she forced a smile and gently wiped Gu Lin’s back.

Gu Lin said, “Last week, I lit incense for Teacher Ning and Officer Jiang. The offerings were plentiful.”

“Thank you, Auntie Gu.”

Jiang Yining turned her head. Above Gu Lin’s bed hung a portrait, a woman framing a camera gesture with her hands, photographing another girl holding flowers.

The woman in the painting bore a striking resemblance to Jiang Yining, though her eyes were sharp and phoenix-like, while Jiang Yining’s were soft and peach-blossom-shaped.

“Beautiful, isn’t she? Teacher Ning in her youth,” Gu Lin remarked.

Jiang Yining’s expression softened. “Mom was always beautiful.”

“How I miss those days. I’ve always regretted not stopping her from getting married.”

Jiang Yining’s eyes darkened. “That’s all in the past, Auntie Gu.”

Gu Lin leaned back, resting against Jiang Yining’s chest.

“At least I can protect you, Yi Yi. After Teacher Ning left this world, you were the only memory she left me. Seeing you eases my heart a little.”

Jiang Yining set down the towel and stepped back.

“Auntie Gu, are you trying to persuade me again to give up my mission and take the Gu name?”

“Yi Yi, it’s too dangerous. Come back to me, please?”

Jiang Yining took a jewelry box from her bag and placed it on the bed. “A gift for you. Auntie Gu, I have things to do. I should go.”

Gu Lin smiled bitterly. “Fine, I won’t say things you don’t want to hear. Stay for dinner, alright? Ah Feng will be here too.”

“Alright.”

Gu Lin’s smile returned.

She picked up the jewelry box on the bed and opened it. Lying on the velvet was an opal with a sunset-like texture.

“Thank you for searching for beautiful stones from all over the world for me, Yi Yi.”

＊

Downtown, Old Street.

The key slid into the hollow, and with a gentle lift, the rolling shutter door slowly rose.

“Xiao Wen, still coming to check on your love nest even during the holidays?”

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