Fake Cannon Fodder A Becomes a Sensation in Romance Variety Shows - Chapter 72

It was unclear who had asked whom or if it was just a coincidence, but Mi Tao and Liang Yuan ended up talking alone in the woods.

Wen Huiyun and Ye Zhuoyan remained frozen in their tightly pressed positions, afraid to make any noise that might alert them.

If they were discovered, it would be a small-scale social disaster.

“During the Spring Festival, I went fruit-picking in the orchard,” Mi Tao said with a smile.

Liang Yuan replied, “That must have been really fun.”

“I remember you mentioned during our date that your graduation thesis was almost ready. Would you have a chance to show it to me?”

Mi Tao said, “Oh, my thesis? It was done last month. It’s probably in supermarkets by now.”

As the latest developed variety, the Shuangjiao strawberries were prominently featured as a star product for the Spring Festival at Isa Mall, selling out completely on the first day.

Liang Yuan let out a somewhat helpless laugh. “What a shame.”

Mi Tao said, “It’s really no big deal, Liang Yuan-jie.”

“They’re just crops, nothing special.”

“Ke Yuxin says I’m uncultured, and I admit it.”

Liang Yuan hurriedly said, “Don’t listen to her nonsense.”

Mi Tao didn’t wait for her to explain further and continued,

“Ke Yuxin does know how to dress well, and she comes from a good background, a scholarly family, after all.”

“Feelings are personal matters, and there’s no logic to them. I respect everyone’s wishes and hope everyone can follow their hearts.”

“So, Liang Yuan-jie, good luck.”

“It’s not what you think, I’ve always liked you, Taotao!” Liang Yuan tried to say more, but Mi Tao had already walked away, called by Gu Rufeng.

So awkward.

Hiding behind a tree, Wen Huiyun listened, feeling guilty for eavesdropping but also thinking how undignified Liang Yuan was acting.

Her toes were practically digging trenches in the ground.

The woods rustled as footsteps crunched over fallen leaves, then silence returned.

Wen Huiyun glanced back they were all gone.

Ye Zhuoyan exhaled in relief, her expression turning cold. “What’s Liang Yuan’s deal? Did Ke Yuxin poison her, so now she’s circling back to Taotao?”

She grew angrier. “What gives her the right? What does she think Taotao is someone to smile at when she’s happy and push away when she’s not?”

Wen Huiyun said, “It’s not just Ke Yuxin’s influence.”

“Then what else?”

“You left early on the last day of the break. Taotao’s family sent two cars, a butler and servants came along, bringing a lot of gifts. Remember the Himalayan salt you ate? And the monkfish liver and farmed giant salamander?”

Ye Zhuoyan: “…”

So, Liang Yuan had finally realized that Mi Tao wasn’t just any ordinary farmer’s daughter, she actually came from substantial means.

Which made it even more ridiculous.

Turns out, when she said their lifestyles didn’t align, what she really meant was their financial situations didn’t align.

Ye Zhuoyan was speechless. “Thank goodness Taotao sees things clearly.”

Wen Huiyun nodded. And that wasn’t all Liang Yuan had even told Gu Rufeng that Mi Tao liked her. =_=

What could she say?

Well, there was nothing to say.

People come in all shapes and colors.

After the New Year, the eight guests inspected the final touches on their renovated homes their love nests were nearly complete.

To mark the occasion, the show’s production team planned a romantic journey of love.

The seventh event was about to begin.

On the eve of the event, the director held private interviews with each guest.

Director: “If you were to spend the next month traveling with one of the guests, who would you choose?”

“Please think carefully, this is important.”

“Then tell me your answer.”

The next day, all the guests were gathered for a meeting.

The director wrote the names of the AO guests in two columns on the whiteboard, then drew connecting arrows based on the collected answers.

The results of these connections determined the groupings for the seventh event.

The director emphasized, “Only mutual selections count. If mutual selection fails, we’ll move to the second phase of choices.”

Wen Huiyun stared intently at the whiteboard, not daring to relax for even a moment.

After the disappointment of the third date, she no longer had complete confidence.

It wasn’t until the director drew Ye Zhuoyan’s arrow pointing toward her that she finally felt at ease.

This activity was entirely confidential even Ke Yuxin had no idea how the groups would be formed, so she couldn’t pester Wen Huiyun in advance.

Not that Wen Huiyun was afraid of her now.

She just needed to find a way to extract information about A-Jie from her.

The director drew Ke Yuxin’s arrow pointing toward Cheng Xiaoming.

Cheng Xiaoming: ?

Wen Huiyun raised an eyebrow damn, Ming-jie had attracted quite the troublesome parasite!

Next, the director drew Cheng Xiaoming’s arrow.

Wen Huiyun watched the director’s hand closely, please don’t let it be Zhuoyan again.

The arrow pointed toward Cheng Xiaoming also stared at the whiteboard, her fingers gripping the armrests of her chair, knuckles tense, her forearm muscles tightening.

She seemed worried about something too, her body language betraying nervousness.

Cheng Xiaoming’s name connected to Jiang Yining.

Wen Huiyun relaxed, but Cheng Xiaoming’s grip on the armrest only tightened further.

Next was Jiang Yining’s arrow.

Jiang Yining leaned lazily on the armrest, propping her chin on her hand.

Her answer had taken a winding, hard-won path.

Based on eight lifetimes of experience, as long as she had no connection with Cheng Xiaoming, Cheng Xiaoming wouldn’t be assassinated.

So the farther she stayed from Cheng Xiaoming, the better.

Aside from Wen Huiyun and Ye Zhuoyan, she could choose Gu Rufeng or Liang Yuan. But picking Gu Rufeng would break up Mi Tao’s pairing.

That left Liang Yuan.

Jiang Yining’s gaze swept past Cheng Xiaoming.

After the incident on Little New Year’s Eve, Cheng Xiaoming was likely already on A-Jie’s radar.

That bastard A-Jie in the scrapped draft world, he had been her fierce rival in the Youth Division, and she’d only managed to take him down at the very end.

He. Held. Grudges.

Once, over a piece of buttered bread the throne had awarded her, he’d stuffed black mud into her mouth in the middle of the night.

Rumor had it his father was a serial killer and his mother a fraudster.

That dog would definitely seek revenge.

Jiang Yining buried her face in her arms.

No, she had to keep an eye on Cheng Xiaoming, protect her at all times.

Who knew when that imitation bullet might suddenly pierce Cheng Xiaoming’s heart.

The director drew Jiang Yining’s arrow pointing toward Cheng Xiaoming.

Wen Huiyun and Ye Zhuoyan were pleased with this outcome.

Both wore approving, motherly smiles.

Liang Yuan’s arrow pointed toward Mi Tao.

Ke Yuxin bit her lip slightly, eyes wide, looking like a puffed-up blowfish.

Mi Tao’s arrow pointed toward Gu Rufeng, and Gu Rufeng’s connected back to her.

Liang Yuan remained expressionless, though the smile in her eyes seemed forced.

The director was inwardly delighted perfect, three mutual pairs, leaving the remaining two guests as a group. Saved them the trouble of another round.

The director announced, “Groupings are complete. Time to draw lots.”

Wen Huiyun, seeing the director pull out a folder, asked, “Why draw lots if the groups are already decided?”

“This isn’t for grouping, it’s a secret for now! You’ll find out soon.”

“Each of the four groups, please send one representative to pick a folded paper from my folder.”

Ye Zhuoyan took one with a pink label.

Jiang Yining took a purple one.

Gu Rufeng took blue.

Liang Yuan asked Ke Yuxin if she wanted to draw, but Ke Yuxin turned away. “Whatever.”

After a brief pause, Liang Yuan went to pick one herself.

Director: “Next, our guests will split into small groups to take action. The preparation time is 24 hours.”

“Starting now, everyone must depart promptly at 8 AM tomorrow morning.”

“Wishing you all a wonderful journey of love!”

Unfolding the paper reveals a pale pink cartoon map.

A heart is marked on the map, with a pink note in the upper right corner:

Please collect clues based on the marked heart location.

The final clue will guide you to begin your journey of love.

Hurry and get ready to set off.

After studying the map, Wen Huiyun and Ye Zhuoyan recognized it as the amusement park near the city’s highway exit.

The heart was marked on the roller coaster.

Seeing the roller coaster, Wen Huiyun’s palms broke out in a cold sweat.

One of the things she didn’t want Ye Zhuoyan to know:

She was terrified of roller coasters.

Actually, it wasn’t just roller coasters she was scared of all thrilling rides, like the giant pendulum and pirate ships.

Please don’t let my wife find out.

Ye Zhuoyan: “Wow! It’s the roller coaster!!!”

She looked thrilled.

Wen Huiyun: 0-0|||

Ye Zhuoyan folded the map, excited:

“Great, Yunyun, we’re going on a trip. What should we call this? A rehearsal for our honeymoon.”

Wen Huiyun: “Ah, yes!”

Ye Zhuoyan nudged her: “Go get ready.”

Wen Huiyun headed to her room. She had just unpacked her luggage and now had to pack it again.

That evening, while heating milk, Wen Huiyun ran into Cheng Xiaoming coming downstairs for hot water.

Turning around, Wen Huiyun noticed the medicine in her hand.

Oh right, Gu Rufeng mentioned Mingjie got hurt.

“Mingjie, taking medicine?” Wen Huiyun leaned against the table with her arms crossed, smiling at her.

A concerned smile.

Cheng Xiaoming: ?

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“I heard you were injured.”

“Just a minor injury.”

“Where? How did it happen?”

“My stomach. Got scratched accidentally.”

Wen Huiyun eyed the white pills in her hand. “Are these anti-inflammatory meds?”

Cheng Xiaoming flipped the blister pack, no instructions or manufacturer info.

Jiang Yining had told her to take them, so she did. They helped with pain and inflammation.

“Yeah,” Cheng Xiaoming replied curtly.

But Wen Huiyun froze.

On the silver back of the blister pack were tiny characters reading “Xi Yue” and the emblem of the Transmigration Bureau Wen Huiyun’s exchanged items also bore “Laura” and the same emblem to distinguish which system spirit’s exchange privileges they belonged to.

Wen Huiyun’s eyes darkened. Using the system’s special medicine and still calling it a minor injury?

After completing her favorability mission, Wen Huiyun unlocked the second phase of tasks and gained access to the system store, where purchases were made with Transmigration Coins earned from missions. Only then did she realize how vast and complex the Transmigration Bureau’s system was.

The system store had multiple counters based on the host’s level. The higher the level, the more counters unlocked, granting access to more advanced items.

Wen Huiyun had only glanced at the locked sections special medicine required a high level and was extremely expensive.

For Jiang Yining to exchange a box of special medicine, it must’ve cost her dearly, huh? 0.0

Tsk tsk tsk…

Could Wen Huiyun resist prying a little?

And maybe ask Jiang Yining what happened between her and Cheng Xiaoming on New Year’s Eve.

Wen Huiyun strongly suspected they’d also run into A Jie and his gang.

After delivering milk to Ye Zhuoyan, Wen Huiyun took a cup of mulled apple wine and sought out Jiang Yining.

Jiang Yining, draped in a red coat with her hair cascading down her back, lowered her lashes, exuding charm: “Changed your mind?”

Wen Huiyun walked with her to the third-floor garden. “No, I saw the special medicine you gave Cheng Xiaoming.”

Jiang Yining lowered her head, took a couple of steps, and curved her lips into a smile: “Ah~~~~~”

She looked up, her smile radiant: “A beautiful and kind-hearted girl like me would never stand by and watch someone in need without helping.”

Wen Huiyun nodded.

She understood.

There were other painkillers or hemostatic drugs available in the system store, but the special medicine could both alleviate pain and rapidly heal wounds. Was saving lives and aiding the injured really this extravagant?

They leaned against the railing of the rooftop garden.

Chatting quietly.

“You finished the beginner mission and unlocked the store.”

“Yes. That’s when I truly understood what you meant by the system not being a good thing.”

Wen Huiyun let out a long sigh, “Earning transmigration coins is so hard.”

The coins earned had to be handed over to the Transmigration Bureau, and the system only gave the host a cut of the profits =_=

Jiang Yining twitched her lips and patted Wen Huiyun lightly, “It’s okay, take it slow. Every host goes through this; it’s part of the process.”

“But when will I finally see the end of it?”

“What do you mean by ‘the end’?”

Wen Huiyun said, “When can I finish my tasks and live out my life as an ordinary person in this world?”

“Hmm…”

Jiang Yining thought for a moment and replied, “If I can get a happy ending in this lifetime, then I can tell you.”

Wen Huiyun suddenly felt a pang of sadness and grabbed her wrist:

“Jiang Yining, you must never leave.”

“You’re the only person in this world I can confide in about the system.”

“You’re my most important friend!”

Jiang Yining was silent for a moment before laughing brightly, “Don’t worry, I’m tough as nails.”

Jiang Yining was the only person Wen Huiyun could confide in about the “system.”

Ye Zhuoyan averted her gaze from them.

Clutching the jelly, she slowly walked downstairs.

Ye Zhuoyan squeezed the plastic jelly container until it deformed.

What about her?

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