I, A Loyal Dog, Awaken to My Fate as Cannon Fodder - Chapter 24

On weekends, it was a habit for Shen Yinan and Cheng Wanqiu to return to the Cheng residence.

This time, with Luo Yejun added to the mix, there were three people in the car.

Luo Yejun had already made his calculations; since they were returning to the Cheng house today, he was determined to lodge a formal complaint against Shen Yinan.

Shen Yinan had long anticipated this move. She wasn’t afraid; if she were, she wouldn’t have refused to help this “Young Master Luo” out of his predicament back at school. Instead, she acted as if absolutely nothing had happened.

The Cheng family was dining at one table. As the meal neared its end, Luo Yejun set down his utensils, preparing to speak up about how Shen Yinan had bullied him at school.

However, Shen Yinan was one step ahead and spoke to Cheng Xian first.

“Young Master Luo has a very good reputation at school. You don’t need to worry, sir.”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xian felt relieved and set his mind at ease.

“That’s good. Yejun is a clever child.”

Luo Yejun’s pride was at stake. If he admitted to being bullied at school, his image as a “clever child” in Cheng Xian’s heart would vanish instantly. He swallowed the words he had prepared.

“Uncle, I’m having a lot of fun at my new school.”

Hearing this, Cheng Xian praised him with a smile. “I’m relieved to hear that. A clever child like Yejun should be a leader in his social circle.”

Without missing a beat or blushing, Luo Yejun accepted the praise. “Of course.”

The more he spoke, the more excited he became, completely forgetting his original intention of complaining about Shen Yinan’s bullying.

Shen Yinan picked up her chopsticks again, lowering her head to eat while hiding the curl of a smile at the corner of her mouth. Internally, she cursed, “Idiot.”

“I heard Yejun joined the Student Union. How long do you think it will take for you to reach the position of Vice President?” Cheng Xian asked, seizing the moment of Luo Yejun’s high spirits to offer some encouragement.

Luo Yejun froze on the spot, his peripheral vision darting toward Shen Yinan, who was diligently eating with her head down.

No one knew that Shen Yinan was the Vice President; only Luo Yejun knew. He felt like he was sitting on a bed of needles, with a sword at his back. The real Student Union Vice President was sitting right next to him…

As the saying goes, one must tell countless lies to cover up a single one. Now, Luo Yejun was lying to the elder sitting at the head of the table right in front of the actual person.

“Uncle, I can reach the Vice President position within one semester.”

As he said this, he kept glancing sideways to gauge Shen Yinan’s reaction. But Shen Yinan showed no reaction at all.

He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, “She’s just a paper tiger. I bet she doesn’t dare expose this lie.”

Cheng Xian was delighted and said repeatedly, “Good, good, good.”

Even a three-year-old understands the logic Luo Yejun failed to grasp: a lie creates expectations, and when those lies fall through, that expectation turns into deep disappointment.

Shen Yinan said nothing. She had no interest in dealing with a fool. It wasn’t worth it; it wasn’t necessary.

Shen Yinan set down her chopsticks, finishing her meal. Just as she was about to rise and bow politely to leave, Cheng Wanqiu spoke up.

In an unhurried tone, Cheng Wanqiu said, “Uncle, tomorrow I’ll take Shen Yinan to visit the Shen family. She has been with the Cheng family for so long, yet we have never once paid a visit to the Shens.”

The statement sounded convincing, as if it were truly just a simple courtesy visit.

It was well known that Shen Yinan had been brought into the Cheng family under the guise of being “sponsored.” To outsiders, the Cheng family was simply performing an act of charity.

Shen Yinan’s expression remained unchanged. She suppressed her movement to stand and sat quietly, listening to the arrangements.

“Wanqiu, she’s just a dog—”

Cheng Xian interrupted Luo Yejun. “Enough, Yejun. Stop talking. Wanqiu, bring some gifts tomorrow when you visit the Shen family.”

Cheng Wanqiu was naturally happy, but like Shen Yinan, she learned to hide her emotions and showed nothing on her face. Only Luo Yejun was confused; he truly believed Shen Yinan was merely a dog kept by the Chengs.

In the back garden of the Cheng residence, Cheng Wanqiu leaned against a corner wall to take a phone call. Specifically, she was answering one.

It was the voice of Shen’s father demanding money; in this moment, he acted like a high-and-mighty creditor. He believed he held Cheng Wanqiu’s weakness—and that weakness was Shen Yinan.

“Miss Cheng, I hope you can deposit the money into my card on time. Otherwise, I will take Shen Yinan back.”

Cheng Wanqiu had a headache. Leaning against the red brick wall, it wasn’t that she didn’t want to pay, but rather the Shen family’s attitude—their attitude toward Shen Yinan.

“Uncle Shen, I will come to the Shen house tomorrow to personally transfer the money to you.”

“What?” On the other end of the line, Shen’s father lost his bravado and swallowed hard. “It would be such a trouble for you to come to the Shen house, Miss.”

“It’s no trouble. I’ll be bringing Shen Yinan with me.”

Cheng Wanqiu’s voice was flat and emotionless, leaving Shen’s father unable to discern her intent. When people act out of self-interest, they often waver and inadvertently reveal their true thoughts.

“Miss Cheng, is it that Shen Yinan isn’t working hard enough, or has she upset you?” Shen’s father paused, then continued, “The five million can be delayed. If it’s Shen Yinan’s fault, tell me, and I will discipline her.”

Shen’s father feared that Cheng Wanqiu wasn’t falling for it. He worried he had guessed wrong—that Shen Yinan wasn’t actually her weakness.

“Uncle Shen, don’t worry. I’ll transfer the money to you tomorrow.”

“No, no, no, Uncle was just joking with you…”

Cheng Wanqiu didn’t listen to the rest; she hung up the phone. All she could think about was how Shen Yinan was being exploited by the Shens and was still effectively “helping them count the money.”

She felt nothing but heartache. Tomorrow, she would personally shatter the illusion of “family” that Shen Yinan clung to. She wondered how heartbroken Shen Yinan would be when the time came.

What Cheng Wanqiu didn’t know was that this conversation had been overheard by Luo Yejun, who was hiding in the shadows.

Eavesdropping from the corner, Luo Yejun was filled with excitement because he had finally caught Shen Yinan’s “handle.”

“Well, well, Shen Yinan. So you’re making Wanqiu spend all that money just to redeem you. If Uncle finds out Wanqiu is wasting money, a dog like you will have to crawl back to that Shen family of yours.”

“Hehehe.”

“Who’s there?” Cheng Wanqiu heard a laugh that sounded like a petty man who had just gotten his way.

Luo Yejun instinctively bolted from the bushes. The commotion was so loud that Cheng Wanqiu turned her head just in time to see his retreating back.

“Luo Yejun?”

Cheng Wanqiu’s impression of Luo Yejun was simply that he was annoying and usually stayed quiet. She didn’t pay it much mind, tucked her phone away, and left. She was going to the mall with Shen Yinan that afternoon to pick out gifts for the visit to the Shen family.

Shen Yinan walked slowly into the back garden and called out softly, “Miss.”

“Miss, the car is ready.”

The corners of Cheng Wanqiu’s lips curved upward when she heard Shen Yinan’s voice. “Mhm, okay.”

In April, the weather in City A was characterized by a continuous, drizzling rain. It rained all day during the trip back to the Shen house.

Raindrops clung to the car windows. Cheng Wanqiu leaned against the glass, looking at the scenery outside through the droplets. Meanwhile, Shen Yinan sat upright, looking every bit the obedient student.

“Why isn’t Miss talking today?” Shen Yinan wondered to herself.

The atmospheric pressure in the car today was extremely low. Everything had been fine yesterday when they were buying gifts at the mall.

Cheng Wanqiu was merely thinking about how to let Shen Yinan know that the Shen family were not good people—that they weren’t the “real family” who treated her well.

“Shen Yinan.”

Cheng Wanqiu spoke softly, still leaning against the glass.

Shen Yinan’s nerves tightened. “What is it?”

Looking at the reflection in the car window, Cheng Wanqiu let out a sigh. She sat up listlessly and leaned her head against Shen Yinan’s shoulder.

“Shen Yinan, you aren’t alone. The Cheng family can be your family, too.”

“Miss, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Shen Yinan was terrified. She was the child of a mistress; her very birth was a sin born from destroying someone else’s relationship. This identity was her original sin—she had carried it since birth.

“Shen Yinan, you don’t need to be nervous.”

Cheng Wanqiu’s breath brushed against Shen Yinan’s neck. In the past, Shen Yinan’s ears would have turned beet red and she would have pulled away. Now, her mind was occupied by only one thing: she could not let Cheng Wanqiu find out about her lowly status. She didn’t even register the intimacy of the gesture.

“…”

Cheng Wanqiu finally saw it—the “Little Dog” Shen, who usually kept her expressions hidden, now wore a look of deep worry. She didn’t feel like laughing or teasing the “puppy”; she only felt heartache. What on earth had the Shen family done to Shen Yinan to make her look so miserable?

The two of them didn’t speak again until the driver broke the silence by saying, “We’ve arrived.”

The Shen house was an old-fashioned European-style villa with a rusted wrought-iron gate. From the outside, one could see symmetrical flower beds, but they hadn’t been tended to in a long time and were overgrown with weeds.

Hearing the car horn, the members of the Shen family came out one by one to greet them.

“Oh my, Miss Cheng, coming all this way, really…”

Shen’s father was a middle-aged man with few wrinkles; he clearly lived a comfortable life. The entire Shen family seemed cheerful. The older brothers and sisters who had bullied Shen Yinan in the past were already married with children, and there were many nephews and nieces running around. The large population made the old European building feel somewhat cramped.

“Uncle Shen, long time no see. You look just as you did years ago.”

Cheng Wanqiu greeted him with a smile, carrying four gift bags in her hands. When the Shen children saw the gift boxes, their eyes went wide.

“Shen Yinan, why aren’t you greeting your family?”

Standing behind Cheng Wanqiu, Shen Yinan’s hands shook uncontrollably. She stole a glance at the father who terrified her so much. The fears of her childhood still resided in her body; she had forgotten that she was an adult now, no longer the helpless child she was before the age of ten.

“Dad…”

Shen’s father’s face twitched slightly. Shen Yinan had only called him that on the day she was taken by the Chengs—and now.

Cheng Wanqiu noticed this exchange, and her heart grew more certain of the fact that the Shens had mistreated Shen Yinan.

“…You’ve grown up.”

The man’s voice was deep and heavy; it made Shen Yinan’s ears ring. They all said she had grown up, but Shen Yinan still felt like that ten-year-old child with no power to resist. Faced with adults, she could neither win in a fight nor outmatch them in wits.

Shen Yinan’s hand was shaking visibly, but it was suddenly grasped by Cheng Wanqiu. A warm palm held her wrist, as if telling her, “It’s okay. I’m here. I will always be by your side.”

Shen’s father tried to cover the awkwardness by finding a topic of conversation.

“Ah, Little Yinan hasn’t been back in many years, has she?”

Many years…

Every year, during winter and summer breaks, the Cheng family allowed Shen Yinan to go back to the Shen house for a visit. Even the driver who had dropped her off at the Shen residence (only for her to stay elsewhere) couldn’t bear to look up.

“That’s why I brought her to see you this time.”

Cheng Wanqiu covered the awkwardness well, smoothing over the years of lies Shen Yinan had told.

To tell one lie, one must tell countless others. From the very beginning, Shen Yinan had lied to Cheng Wanqiu about her birth and her relationship with her family. But Cheng Wanqiu was peeling them all away, one by one; she wanted to see the most authentic version of Shen Yinan.

She had already decided: from now on, the Cheng family would be Shen Yinan’s home.

Meanwhile, Luo Yejun had told Cheng Xian an exaggerated version of the five million dollar matter. He claimed that Cheng Wanqiu was being swindled by Shen Yinan in collusion with the Shen family.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xian was furious.

“Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid.”

Those were the last words Cheng Wanqiu whispered into Shen Yinan’s ear.