I, A Loyal Dog, Awaken to My Fate as Cannon Fodder - Chapter 20.1

After the New Year came Shen Yinan’s birthday. The Cheng family’s affection for Shen Yinan went without saying; they treated her like one of their own.

Rising early in the morning, she saw several servants blowing up colorful balloons. As luck—or perhaps ill-fate—would have it, Shen Yinan and Luo Yejun shared the same birthday.

When Luo Yejun came downstairs and saw the decorations, he assumed the Cheng family had prepared them specifically for him. A slight smirk played on his lips.

Having arrived only recently, he seemed to have no self-awareness. He ate the Cheng family’s food and used their resources, yet expected someone to throw him a birthday celebration without having contributed anything in return.

He even smugly believed that Cheng Wanqiu cared for him.

Watching the servants take a break, he barked at them, “Don’t slack off. I want to see the entire living room filled with balloons when I get back.”

The servants cast a sidelong glance at him. Though they didn’t understand why the “Young Master” was speaking this way, they figured agreeing was the safest path.

“Yes, Master Luo. You will see the house full of balloons when you return.”

A long while later, after Luo Yejun had left, Shen Yinan came downstairs and saw the maids blowing up balloons.

They didn’t try to hide anything. Seeing Shen Yinan, they greeted her with smiles and said, “Happy Birthday.”

Shen Yinan joined them, picking up a balloon to blow up alongside them.

In the eyes of the Cheng family servants, Shen Yinan was approachable. She didn’t become arrogant or show a “villainous success” face just because the eldest miss, Cheng Wanqiu, favored her.

A slightly plump maid nudged her. “Shen Yinan, go out and play for a bit. If the Eldest Miss sees you’re still here from her room, she won’t be able to show off her skills. How is she supposed to give you a surprise?”

Shen Yinan tied the balloon she had inflated, put it down, and replied with a mix of helplessness and a hint of joy, “Alright, alright, I’ll head out. You all carry on.”

Closing the door behind her, she suddenly felt adrift. It seemed that once she stepped outside the gates of the Cheng residence, she didn’t know where to go.

The only person she could think of was the class monitor, Tao Ye.

No sooner thought than done.

She called Tao Ye, who immediately agreed to meet. They chose a small park relatively close to both of them.

When Shen Yinan arrived, she saw Tao Ye leisurely exercising on the park’s fitness equipment.

“Xiao Ye.”

Shen Yinan called out, and only then did Tao Ye look up.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“No, I just got here myself.”

Shen Yinan breathed a sigh of relief.

Tao Ye climbed down from the equipment. Her bag was hanging on the pull-up bar; she reached in and pulled out a small hair clip.

It was pale yellow, plain, and clearly bought from a two-dollar shop.

There was no exquisite gift box when she handed it to Shen Yinan.

“Happy Birthday, Shen Yinan.”

“The gift might be a bit simple, but I spent a long time picking it out.”

Shen Yinan didn’t show the slightest hint of disdain. She took the clip and used it to pin back the hair that had grown long enough to cover her eyes.

Her clean forehead was beautiful. Usually, her hair obscured her eyebrows; once revealed, she looked like a different person.

Looking at Tao Ye, she tilted her head and smiled.

When she smiled faintly, shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks, and her eyes seemed to hold stars.

For a moment, Tao Ye was stunned. Like a mother looking at her own child, the more she looked, the more she liked what she saw.

“Shen Yinan, how can you be so cute?!”

Wrapped in an embrace, Shen Yinan turned her face away, smiling helplessly. “Xiao Ye, let go.”

Tao Ye planted a loud kiss on Shen Yinan’s cheek before finally releasing her.

“By the way, how are things progressing with that Eldest Miss?”

Shen Yinan gave a confused “Huh?”

“What progress?”

Tao Ye poked her in the chest with her elbow.

“What else? Your relationship with the Eldest Miss, of course.” She continued, “You read that manga, right? You really are like the little dog in there. Cheng Wanqiu keeps teasing you because she likes you.”

Shen Yinan patted Tao Ye’s hand away and sat down dejectedly on a long bench.

“How could there be a possibility between the Eldest Miss and me? Xiao Ye, stop joking.”

Shen Yinan wore a down jacket that reached her thighs. She tucked her hands into her pockets, sitting on the bench with a bleak, “homeless” vibe.

Tao Ye sat down closer and said softly, “Did something happen?”

“Shen Yinan, you didn’t used to be this sentimental.”

“Did Cheng Wanqiu bully you too much?”

After the barrage of questions, Shen Yinan looked up and asked, “What was I like before?”

“…”

The air went silent for a moment.

“Uh…” This question completely fried Tao Ye’s brain.

She thought for a moment, tapping her chin with her index finger and squinting her eyes as she gave her answer.

“You weren’t sentimental like this. You were much sillier, following Cheng Wanqiu around like a shadow every single day.”

Hearing this, Shen Yinan frowned, wanting to laugh but unable to.

“What kind of answer is that? I still follow the Miss around.”

“It’s different.” After more thought, Tao Ye finally pinpointed the change. “You seem to care much more about other people’s opinions now.”

Shen Yinan remained silent for a long time.

She knew exactly what had turned her into this contradictory version of herself.

It was a single sentence from one of Cheng Wanqiu’s suitors: “What kind of thing are you to think you deserve to be with Cheng Wanqiu? You’re nothing but a dog raised by someone else’s family.”

Cheng Wanqiu had countless suitors, most of them powerful and wealthy. Someone of Shen Yinan’s status could only ever harbor a secret crush.

From then on, she gradually saw the clear status gap between her and Cheng Wanqiu. The closer she got to adulthood, the more she understood it.

At Cheng Wanqiu’s coming-of-age ceremony, the guests were all elite potential fiancés handpicked by her uncle. Every attendee held significant status.

It became even clearer to Shen Yinan: a dog is a dog, and a master is a master.

The gap between their identities was like heaven and earth.

“Xiao Ye, there is no possibility for the Miss and me.”

Unbeknownst to her, saying those words out loud made her feel afraid.

That sense of desolation and helplessness was like being a stray dog abandoned in a cardboard box.

Tao Ye seemed to sense something too, and she didn’t push the subject further.

“Oh, why are we talking about this? It’s your birthday, be happy.”

She poked Shen Yinan’s cheek with her finger.

The late winter weather was no longer so cold; the snow that was meant to melt had already vanished.

“The sun is out! Shen Yinan, lie down and soak up some rays.”

As she spoke, Tao Ye flopped onto the park bench like she had no bones. The gentle, non-piercing sun felt warm against her skin.

Shen Yinan stood up, giving the seat of the bench to the class monitor.

Watching the monitor act like a child, Shen Yinan could only smile helplessly.

“Shen Yinan, quick, go lie on that bench! We can consider ourselves people who have ‘slept on the streets’ together.”

Shen Yinan gave a soft “Mm.”

She wouldn’t actually lie on a park bench like Tao Ye. The Cheng family had many rules, similar to the protocols of an ancient imperial court.

She simply sat upright, tilted her head toward the sky, and closed her eyes to feel the lingering winter breeze.

The chill it carried was no longer biting; it was because spring was coming.

After sitting quietly for the afternoon, as the sun began to set, Shen Yinan prepared to head back.

Suddenly, Tao Ye sat up and said to her:

“Shen Yinan, take a rose back with you. Cheng Wanqiu gives you a gift every year; you should return the gesture, shouldn’t you?”

The “motherly” friend gave a kind smile and added, “Whether you give it or not is up to you.”

Shen Yinan took a deep breath and looked back. “Mm, I know.”

She didn’t explicitly tell Tao Ye she would buy a rose for Cheng Wanqiu, so Tao Ye didn’t know if she would actually do it.

“Xiao Ye, I’m going back. Get home safely.”

“Right, you too. Have a happy birthday, bye!”

On the way back, it felt as if she encountered a flower shop every ten meters.

Shen Yinan had never realized there were so many flower shops by the roadside.

As evening fell and the streetlamps flickered to life, she paused in front of a shop selling roses for 5 yuan each.

She looked at them for a few moments.

The roses were in a red bucket outside the shop, with a sign saying “Scan to Pay, 24h.”

No one was specifically tending the roses; you just took one and paid.

“The Miss probably wouldn’t like it.”

Shen Yinan muttered to herself, suppressing the impulsive urge to buy. Giving a rose carried a romantic connotation, and she didn’t want Cheng Wanqiu to misunderstand.

She averted her gaze, hardening her heart not to look further.

She hailed a taxi and returned to the Cheng villa.

The villa was still dark when she arrived, but Shen Yinan knew just by looking that it was full of surprises.

Her phone vibrated; it was a message from Cheng Wanqiu.

Cheng Wanqiu: [Shen Yinan, you can come back now.]

Looking at that single line of text, she couldn’t help but smile from the bottom of her heart.

Shen Yinan gripped her phone, opened the door, and stepped in to meet the surprise.

Pop—! The sound of streamers exploding.

In the pitch-black living room, she heard familiar laughter and low whispers.

Before her eyes could adjust to the dark, a faint candle flame appeared.

Accompanied by the “Happy Birthday” song, the light gradually drew closer.

“Happy Birthday to you…”

“Happy Birthday, Shen Yinan!”

Even without looking closely, Shen Yinan knew the person holding the cake was her Eldest Miss.

“Happy Birthday, Shen Yinan.”

Amidst the chorus of blessings, Shen Yinan could keenly pick out Cheng Wanqiu’s voice.

“Make a wish and blow out the candles, Shen Yinan.”

For some reason, hearing the Miss’s gentle voice made her want to cry.

A sense of guilt for being unable to reciprocate the other’s affection flooded her heart. The better Cheng Wanqiu treated her, the guiltier she felt.

“Okay,” Shen Yinan said, her voice choked.

She had her pride; her pride wouldn’t allow her to shed tears in front of others.

Shen Yinan fought back the hot tears, acting as if nothing was wrong, and blew out the candles in one breath.

Whoosh.

The room plunged back into darkness for a second.

Then the living room lights flickered on, illuminating everyone from the sixty-year-old butler to the nineteen-year-old Miss Cheng, all gathered around to celebrate her.

“Sit down, everyone. It’s been a while since we all gathered like this.”

The speaker was Cheng Xian, the head of the Cheng family.

He signaled for everyone to take a seat.

“Shen Yinan, close the door and come cut the cake. Don’t forget the etiquette you were taught.”

“Yes, Master.”

A long table was laden with rich food—lobsters, abalone, everything you could imagine.

Cheng Wanqiu handed the cake to Shen Yinan, whispering in her ear, “Congratulations on growing a year older.”

Instantly, the tips of Shen Yinan’s ears turned a deep red.

She rubbed her shoulder against her ear to soothe the itch and took the cake from Cheng Wanqiu.

Suddenly, the front door burst open.

It was Luo Yejun.

His initially happy expression soured instantly when he saw the streamers on the floor.

They were celebrating his birthday?

The cake in Shen Yinan’s hands made the reality clear to him.

“Today is my birthday! How can you be celebrating a dog’s birthday?!”

Shen Yinan turned to see a red-eyed, roaring Luo Yejun.

Luo Yejun cast a look of disdain at Shen Yinan, then checked his temper, assuming a “piteous little flower” act.

“I… I thought you all remembered my birthday.”

Silence filled the room. No one had actually remembered that someone shared a birthday with Shen Yinan.

“Uncle, I saw the servants blowing up balloons today… I thought they were for me…”

Tears soon welled in Luo Yejun’s eyes. He had youthful features, and his crying was quite pity-inducing.

Compared to a stubborn child like Shen Yinan, the crying child was always more likable.

“Master Luo, don’t cry. We’ll make it up to you,” a middle-aged servant said.

Cheng Xian stood up and comforted him. “Yejun, don’t cry. Come here, come to Uncle. All of this was prepared for you.”

The head of the Cheng family personally walked over to lead Luo Yejun in. “Sit next to Uncle.”

Luo Yejun sobbed out a forced “Uncle, is this really okay?”

Cheng Xian immediately understood the boy’s meaning. He was a strict patriarch. “Shen Yinan, give the cake to Yejun. You’ve had plenty of birthdays in the Cheng family over the years. Yejun has just arrived…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear: Shen Yinan was to hand over her birthday to Luo Yejun.

“Why should she?!”

The first to object was Cheng Wanqiu, who slammed her hand on the table in anger.

The plate in front of her cracked from the impact, the sound of porcelain shattering echoing sharply.

The air froze for several seconds.

Cheng Xian glanced at his niece. “Why? Because Shen Yinan is a dog, and Yejun is a guest of the Cheng family!”

Secretly, Shen Yinan took a sharp breath, pretending not to care, and stepped in to de-escalate.

“Miss, it’s fine. I’m an adult now; I don’t need a birthday celebration.”

Shen Yinan bit the tip of her tongue, her expression perfectly controlled. She handed the cake to Luo Yejun.