Fake Cannon Fodder A Becomes a Sensation in Romance Variety Shows - Chapter 77

While moving the moisture-proof mat, Liang Yuan also brought out a sleeping bag from the RV.

Liang Yuan and Wen Huiyun exchanged a glance, their smiles tinged with awkwardness. But Wen Huiyun couldn’t figure out why Liang Yuan felt awkward.

“Are you two sleeping in the tent?” Liang Yuan tried to ease the tension with small talk.

Wen Huiyun glanced at the moisture-proof mat in her hands. “Oh, Zhuoyan said she’s never spent a night in a tent before and wanted to try it out. If she doesn’t get used to it, we’ll go back to the RV.”

“That’s nice.”

Noticing Liang Yuan carrying a lot of things alone with no one helping her at the tent, Wen Huiyun asked, “Are you also sleeping in the tent?”

“I wanted to experience the tent, but Ke Yuxin doesn’t like it. She’s staying in the RV.”

“The activity rules require partners to stay together. Can you split up?”

Liang Yuan gave a weary smile. “The production team didn’t say it wasn’t allowed.”

The sleeping bag was a bit long, dragging in the mud. Liang Yuan was also carrying other bags and couldn’t manage everything. After a moment’s thought, Wen Huiyun reached out to help steady it.

Liang Yuan looked at her gratefully. “Thank you, Huiyun.”

Wen Huiyun noticed Liang Yuan’s clumsy handling of the outdoor gear clearly not someone who enjoyed outdoor activities.

A large blister had formed on Liang Yuan’s ankle, likely from a poisonous insect bite. She really should be resting in the RV.

Yet despite this, she insisted on sleeping alone in the tent. It was obvious how much she disliked Ke Yuxin.

After thanking Wen Huiyun, Liang Yuan sat on a folding stool, sterilizing a needle to drain the blister.

Wen Huiyun suddenly felt like talking to her.

It wasn’t out of some saintly compassion, if Ke Yuxin’s malicious tendencies flared up, she might very well endanger Liang Yuan’s life.

Besides, Liang Yuan had been with Ke Yuxin all this time. There might be clues about the Jade City members hidden in their conversations.

“Liang-jie, did something unpleasant happen between you and Ke Yuxin?” Wen Huiyun pulled over a folding stool and sat beside her.

Earlier, Wen Huiyun had handed the moisture-proof mat into the tent where Ye Zhuoyan was setting up. She’d told her to take her time chatting and not to rush back.

Liang Yuan downplayed it. “Just minor friction.”

“At first, it was fine, but after spending more time together, we realized our personalities didn’t mesh well.”

Just an excuse to save face.

Wen Huiyun understood.

She decided to approach the topic subtly.

“We’re here for the show, to meet new people. No one said we had to leave with a girlfriend. Right, Liang-jie?”

Liang Yuan nodded. “Exactly. That’s been my mindset from the start.”

Wen Huiyun continued, “Since it’s not working out, why not relax and enjoy the rest of the activities? They’re still pretty fun.”

She tried to gently probe for details about Liang Yuan’s third date.

Where they went, what was fun or not, any memorable moments.

The conversation flowed smoothly. Liang Yuan was open to sharing, and the more she talked, the more she revealed.

In the end, Liang Yuan asked a question that left Wen Huiyun puzzled, lost in thought.

The stove’s flames burned brightly, the firewood crackling warmly.

Liang Yuan held her hands over the heat to warm them. The swelling on her injured foot had subsided a bit, and she rummaged through her bag for cotton swabs to apply medicine.

“What’s wrong, Huiyun?”

Liang Yuan dabbed the medicine slowly, glancing at Wen Huiyun, whose gaze had drifted into space.

“Nothing. Go on.”

“Alright. Earlier, I mentioned how Ke Yuxin and I coincidentally attended a jewelry auction, right?”

“Mhm.”

“After dinner, Ke Yuxin suddenly said there was a family emergency and she had to leave. She even told me not to inform the production team.”

“It would have been too late by then, the crew photographer would have already clocked out. I figured it’s better to avoid unnecessary trouble if someone else has an issue, help if you can.”

“But she didn’t seem genuinely in a hurry. After leaving, she went to a pharmacy first. If it were really urgent, shouldn’t she have left immediately?”

Wen Huiyun: “True.”

Liang Yuan thought for a moment and said, “The more I think about it, the weirder it seems. Especially what happened at the auction house.”

“It’s rare for a VIP section attendant to mistake a guest. Later that night, I went back to ask the attendant what kind of cigarettes my friend had bought. The attendant said it wasn’t a purchase, a guest had specifically sent them to Ke Yuxin, but Ke Yuxin claimed it was a case of mistaken identity.”

Then she showed Wen Huiyun a photo.

Liang Yuan said, “I couldn’t find anything about it online, but it looks expensive.”

The faint sound of the waterfall upstream at Mingyue Creek drifted into the campsite.

The stream meandered down the valley.

Camping by the water was a bit damp.

Ye Zhuoyan said, “Let’s just use the sleeping bag.”

She pulled out a double sleeping bag and unrolled it.

The two of them nestled inside, wrapped up like a sandwich.

The sleeping bag was quite snug.

Ye Zhuoyan pressed against Wen Huiyun’s chest, looking up at her like a kitten. “How did the talk with Sister Liang go?”

Pressed close, they whispered.

“Liang Yuan was too proud to say much at first, but I guess she was too lonely. Once she opened up, she told me everything.”

Wen Huiyun slipped her arm under Ye Zhuoyan’s neck, letting her rest on it. “She asked me a really strange question.”

Ye Zhuoyan’s intuition was sharp. “It must’ve been about Ke Yuxin.”

“Mm.”

Wen Huiyun reached for her phone with her other hand, but it was awkward. Ye Zhuoyan propped herself up to help, but as she lay back down, her hair got caught in the sleeping bag’s zipper ring.

“Ow!” Ye Zhuoyan winced, tears welling up.

“Hold still.” Wen Huiyun’s heart ached as she carefully freed the strands of hair.

She kissed Ye Zhuoyan’s forehead and lightly smacked the zipper, muttering, “Bad zipper, bullying our Zhuoyan. Take that.”

Ye Zhuoyan quickly grabbed her hand and tucked it back into the sleeping bag to warm it. “So childish. The zipper doesn’t understand you.”

Wen Huiyun said, “But you do.”

Leaning closer, she whispered, “My wife knows I care about her.”

“Hmph.” Ye Zhuoyan gently nipped Wen Huiyun’s nose.

After a bit of playful banter, they returned to the earlier topic.

Wen Huiyun pulled up the photo Liang Yuan had sent her. “Liang Yuan asked if I recognized this.”

Ye Zhuoyan peered at it. “Cigarettes?”

Frowning, she studied it closely. “A cigar.”

She pointed to the cigar’s tip. “There’s a ring here. And some letters.”

Wen Huiyun zoomed in. “Couldn’t find anything about this brand online.”

“Liang Yuan said their third date was at a jewelry auction.”

Another auction.

At the mention, both Wen Huiyun and Ye Zhuoyan tensed.

Wen Huiyun: “The auction attendant said a guest had specifically sent this cigar to Ke Yuxin.”

“Ke Yuxin told the attendant it was a mistake, but shortly after, she went to the restroom. That night, she claimed a family emergency and left.”

Ye Zhuoyan was stunned. “So on their third date, Ke Yuxin left Liang Yuan hanging all night?!”

Wen Huiyun sighed. “Yep. And Liang Yuan even covered for her, breaking the show’s rules.”

“…”

Well, no comment. Some people are just made for each other.

Ye Zhuoyan thought for a moment and said, “Ke Yuxin definitely recognizes this cigar. She didn’t have family matters to attend to, she went to meet the person who gave her the cigar.”

Wen Huiyun: “That’s what I think too.”

Suddenly, Ye Zhuoyan sat up and glanced outside the mesh screen. Beyond a cluster of bushes, the purple tent on the other side was lit, casting two silhouettes onto the fabric as they pushed and shoved, though it was unclear what they were doing.

“Never mind, let’s leave it for another day,” Ye Zhuoyan murmured, nestling back into Wen Huiyun’s embrace.

Wen Huiyun also looked over. “What’s ‘another day’?”

“I don’t think we’ll be able to trace this cigar. It’s probably a handmade import. Jiang Yining might know, she’s well-traveled and well-connected.”

“That’s true. I’ll ask her tomorrow when I have time.”

Meanwhile, inside the purple tent.

Jiang Yining: “Alphas are naturally stronger. Arm wrestling with me isn’t fair.”

Cheng Xiaoming: “Then what do you want to compete in?”

“How about a dice-shaking contest?”

“No drinking allowed.”

“I don’t care. There’s only one single sleeping bag here, and I’m claiming it.”

“Who are you calling ‘big sister’? I’m three years older than you.”

“I’m centuries older than you.”

“Fine, you’re my ancestor then. =x=”

Nearby, by the RV, Gu Rufeng sat strumming a tune with Mi Tao.

Hearing the commotion from the tent, Gu Rufeng paused and led Mi Tao to a quieter activity area.

The mountains and fields buzzed with the chorus of insects.

The babbling brook accompanied the sounds of singing, dancing, bickering, and laughter from the campsite.

Sleep was impossible.

Ye Zhuoyan turned over, adjusting herself into a comfortable position in Wen Huiyun’s arms.

Wen Huiyun was scrolling through food videos.

Her current transmigration mission was to rank among the top three internet-famous food influencers of the year.

She had accepted the task last year, meaning she had to make the list by the March evaluation.

It wasn’t an impossible challenge, but it wasn’t easy either.

Popularity took time to build.

She needed to find a way to create a major viral moment.

“Huiyun, I can’t sleep. Keep me company and chat with me.”

Wen Huiyun set down her phone. “Sure.”

Ye Zhuoyan lightly touched the base of Wen Huiyun’s neck, a sensitive spot making her flinch. “Yanyan, why do you always touch there?”

Ye Zhuoyan leaned in closer, sniffing. “I’m observing its scent.”

Wen Huiyun asked, “Is there something different about it?”

Though the truth about her transmigration had been revealed, she hadn’t mentioned faking her pheromones.

Ye Zhuoyan replied, “Yes. It’s turning into a scent I like.”

“I don’t like coffee.”

“Ah!”

Wen Huiyun silently prayed: Please don’t let it be anything coffee-related after differentiation.

Ye Zhuoyan wrapped her arms around Wen Huiyun’s waist. “I don’t like coffee. I like you.”

Wen Huiyun felt a little lightheaded.

“Huiyun, when you first arrived in this world, where were you? Who did you see?” Ye Zhuoyan suddenly asked.

Wen Huiyun tilted her head, resting it against Ye Zhuoyan’s shoulder-length hair. “When I first got here.”

“I was in your bedroom. The first person I saw was you. You were asleep, and there was a divorce agreement on the nightstand.”

Ye Zhuoyan said, “I was so cold to you back then.”

Her eyes flickered with emotion. “I treated you so poorly, why did you still dote on me?”

“Well!”

“You couldn’t have liked me at first sight, could you?”

Wen Huiyun couldn’t explain. At first, it was for the mission, but then she gradually became enchanted.

But it was true that she had felt something from the very first moment.

To be precise, she had felt it even before they met.

Wen Huiyun whispered, “I knew about you before I came here. I had a strong liking for you and even kept your portrait on my desk to look at every day.”

“Do you believe me?”

Yes, Wen Huiyun had bought the physical copy of the original book, which came with a Q-version acrylic standee of the female lead.

Wen Huiyun thought the Q-version Ye Zhuoyan was beautiful and adorable, placing it on her desk as a lucky charm.

Who would have thought that one day, 2D would turn into 3D, and she would become her beloved wife?

Ye Zhuoyan was incredulous: “In your world, could you see me?”

Wen Huiyun nodded, “You can imagine it as traces of your soul left in another world.”

Ye Zhuoyan’s cheeks flushed pink, “I can’t quite imagine it, but I think it’s so romantic.”

Wen Huiyun hugged her tightly, “I know the original Wen Huiyun hurt you over and over, and you suffered a lot. That’s why I want to protect you.”

“I also know that your coldness toward me at first was just self-defense. It broke my heart, so I wanted to be extra good to you.”

Of course, there was also the mission to gain favorability but she couldn’t say that.

It wasn’t that Wen Huiyun didn’t want to, but she simply couldn’t.

Ye Zhuoyan murmured, “Then, you must have been hurt, right?”

She had rejected Wen Huiyun time and again, hurling harsh words and cold indifference.

Even though she had mistaken Wen Huiyun for the original at the time, she had genuinely wounded her heart.

Wen Huiyun buried her face in Ye Zhuoyan’s neck, taking a deep breath. “Mhm. I was.”

“I’m sorry, Huiyun. I’ll make it up to you double from now on.” Ye Zhuoyan’s voice was filled with remorse.

Ye Zhuoyan kissed Wen Huiyun’s lips.

Wen Huiyun deepened the kiss.

She held Ye Zhuoyan tighter, her hand slipping under the hem of her clothes soft and warm, so comfortable.

Ye Zhuoyan shivered, tender and pliant, squirming slightly when tickled.

Wen Huiyun asked, “So when did you stop disliking me so much?”

Ye Zhuoyan pressed closer to her chest, listening to her heartbeat. “I don’t know.”

But before she knew it,

she was already in Wen Huiyun’s arms.

“No, you have to tell me one moment when your heart fluttered for me.”

Wen Huiyun refused to let it go. “It can’t just be me talking about how much I like you. I want to know how you came to like me too.”

“Ah, well!”

Ye Zhuoyan whimpered.

Why was she relentless not just with words but also with her hands?

So, mean!

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