I, A Loyal Dog, Awaken to My Fate as Cannon Fodder - Chapter 3

On weekends, both Cheng Wanqiu and Shen Yinan had to return to the Cheng family estate to stay for two nights, heading back to school only as dusk approached on Sunday.

The Cheng estate wasn’t very far from A University, about a thirty-minute drive.

If comparing school to the Cheng house, Cheng Wanqiu much preferred the school. Although the beds there were a bit harder and couldn’t compare to the grand beds at the Cheng estate, the environment at school allowed her to relax and breathe.

Ever since her parents died in an unexpected car accident ten years ago, Cheng Wanqiu no longer felt the Cheng house was her home. Her home had been taken over by her younger uncle, along with those distant relatives who had brought their entire families to live in the massive European-style villa.

Shen Yinan stood dutifully behind Cheng Wanqiu. Seeing an elite man dressed in a suit approaching, the two of them bowed and greeted him.

Cheng Wanqiu called this man “Uncle,” while Shen Yinan called him “Master.”

The man’s hair was meticulously combed back with styling oil. He was in his thirties. He cast a cold glance at Cheng Wanqiu and Shen Yinan, then checked the emerald watch on his wrist worth 10 million, holding a black briefcase in his hand.

He looked up, adjusting the buttons on his cuffs.

He spoke to Cheng Wanqiu.

“Wanqiu, I’m going abroad for a trip. Don’t cause any trouble while I’m gone.”

Cheng Wanqiu responded immediately, “Understood, Uncle. Have a safe trip.”

The car arriving to pick the man up arrived quickly. He frowned, looking as if everyone he saw owed him 100 million. Finally, he exhorted one more time, “Don’t cause trouble.”

Cheng Wanqiu responded tirelessly, “Understood, Uncle.”

The man got into the car. Cheng Wanqiu and Shen Yinan didn’t look up until the car taking him to the airport disappeared from sight. Both let out a sigh of relief simultaneously. The next black Maybach sedan was the one to take them back to school.

Back at school, the senior who hadn’t been seen for half a month appeared again, though in a different manner.

Just as they got out of the car, Shen Yinan and Cheng Wanqiu were walking side by side when a man wearing a mask suddenly walked over and blocked their path.

The man’s voice was somewhat low, the “duck-like” rasp of a teenager. He pulled a pink letter out of his pocket and handed it to Cheng Wanqiu with one hand, saying, “Senior Hu is sick. Can you go to the infirmary to see him?”

Hu Ying must have spent some money, hiring a delivery boy to send the letter.

Cheng Wanqiu opened the envelope and glanced at it for a few moments before pulling it back. A look of interest appeared on her face, like a cat that had found a ball of yarn.

She gave the delivery man her answer: “I will go see Senior Hu.”

The man looked as if he had completed an order; even with the mask on, one could see the smile on his face.

“Then I’ll be going. Senior Hu has caught the legendary ‘lovesickness.’ Without you, Junior, he might have to stay in the infirmary forever.”

“Mm,” Cheng Wanqiu replied indifferently.

The delivery boy left, leaving only Shen Yinan as the most unsettled one.

Her expression was complex; she gripped the hem of her clothes with one hand and then let go. She knew that Miss going to see the senior who supposedly had lovesickness in the infirmary was just a whim, a way to tease her.

But her heart was conflicted.

She kept telling herself in her mind: I am just a dog, I just need to fulfill the duties of a good dog.

The thoughts in her eyes were seen clearly by the Young Lady. Cheng Wanqiu waved the pink, ambiguously charged envelope in front of her.

She was provoked by that letter.

“Shen Yinan, I’m going to see the Senior. You can go back to the dorm by yourself, right?”

Shen Yinan wanted to say, “Of course I can.”

But the words got stuck in her throat, and she didn’t say them. She lowered her head, showing not a hint of unhappiness on her face, though her eyes were gray and cloudy.

“Then I’m leaving.”

After saying that, Cheng Wanqiu moved like a person in a slow-motion video, slowly retracting the envelope in her hand and then swinging her arm to take a slow step forward.

It wasn’t until Shen Yinan grabbed her arm from behind that the time of the world seemed to return to normal. She turned back and looked at Shen Yinan in confusion.

Shen Yinan made a clumsy excuse with a blank expression, “I am Miss’s pet. I must protect Miss.”

“And so?” Cheng Wanqiu said with a sly look.

“So I must stay by your side, no matter what it is.”

She spoke like a dutiful and responsible good dog. Shen Yinan knew the Senior wanted to hit on her Young Lady; she couldn’t let Miss suffer the tragic fate described in those books.

Cheng Wanqiu, of course, also knew what Hu Ying’s intentions were. She just wanted to tease this dutiful dog.

And she claimed it wasn’t love? If the sick person had been anyone else, Shen Yinan probably wouldn’t have said such things about needing to follow her.

“Fine, but don’t cause any trouble,” Cheng Wanqiu said arrogantly.

Shen Yinan nodded. Being a person of few words, nodding was all she did.

The infirmary of A University was in the student apartment area, very close by. It was lined up with the cafeteria—go to the cafeteria when hungry, go to the infirmary when sick—it didn’t delay study time at all.

Neither Shen Yinan nor Cheng Wanqiu had eaten dinner. Both knew in their hearts that this Senior Hu Ying was not an important person; it wouldn’t be too late to visit him after eating.

Hu Ying, having received word that Junior Cheng was coming to see him, sat up from his hospital bed for a long time. In reality, he just had a slight cold and fever this morning and only needed to hang a bottle of saline in the infirmary. After sending a picture of himself on the IV drip to his poor girlfriend and receiving a series of caring words from her, he suddenly thought that if Cheng Wanqiu knew he was sick, she would surely soften her heart.

Girls, especially those whose material needs were already satisfied but whose spiritual needs were not, were the easiest to pursue. He had spent 2 dollars to buy the pink envelope that young girls liked most, wrote some words, and Cheng Wanqiu had softened and agreed.

Originally thinking he could conquer Cheng Wanqiu in half an hour, in reality, half an hour passed, and Hu Ying’s buttocks were almost sore from sitting, yet he hadn’t seen Cheng Wanqiu come to visit. He was starting to suspect the delivery boy had lied to him just to complete the order and that Cheng Wanqiu hadn’t received the letter at all.

“Senior, I’m here.”

With a whoosh, the door to the infirmary opened. Cheng Wanqiu and Shen Yinan saw Hu Ying, who was boredly picking at his toes.

Hu Ying was startled and immediately sat up straight. He took his feet off the stool, placed his hands gently on his thighs, and kept his waist perfectly straight, exactly like the sitting posture required in military training.

The scene was momentarily awkward. Hu Ying pinched his own thigh as if he had made a mistake, his face remaining calm as he pretended nothing had happened.

He called out to Cheng Wanqiu with a smile, “Junior Cheng.”

Cheng Wanqiu nodded. She pulled Shen Yinan to stand in front of her and said, “Senior, it’s okay that I brought a friend, right?”

Shen Yinan cut in, saying, “Hello, Senior Hu Ying.”

Seeing the “little animal” who had splashed wine all over his face at the opening ceremony, the muscles at the corners of Hu Ying’s eyes twitched.

He gritted his teeth, yet still had to pretend to be indifferent, saying, “Of course. I’m already very satisfied that Junior could come to see me.”

“Please sit, both of you,” Hu Ying gestured for them to sit.

In front of his bed, a wooden chair with a cushion had been specially placed. Cheng Wanqiu sat down gracefully, her every move exuding a noble aura.

She smelled of money from head to toe. Her clothes and bag were all famous brands worth over a hundred thousand; Hu Ying wished he could cling to someone like her and take a few bites.

Cheng Wanqiu sat there like a painting. Her slender fingers tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Her hair reached her waist. She had no bangs. When she didn’t speak or have any expression, she looked very formidable—a cold and glamorous beauty at first glance.

Even a man like Hu Ying, who prided himself on being more rational than emotional, couldn’t help but daze at Cheng Wanqiu’s beauty.

Shen Yinan followed Cheng Wanqiu. Seeing there was no place for her to sit, she went to another bed and pulled over a backless stool with rollers.

Her position happened to be right between her Young Lady and Hu Ying. No one would believe it wasn’t intentional.

Hu Ying’s expression changed drastically, the teeth in his mouth grinding audibly.

Is this little animal doing this on purpose?

The person in question sat obediently, legs together, manifesting her most well-behaved side.

Clearly a man-eating wolf, yet she insisted on pretending to be the most harmless creature in the world. Hu Ying was inwardly frantic.

Facing the gaze Cheng Wanqiu threw his way, he forced a smile, indicating he was doing well and wasn’t angry at all.

Whether Shen Yinan did it on purpose or by coincidence, every time Hu Ying tried to tilt his head to catch a glimpse of her Young Lady, she would move the stool, giving Hu Ying a cold view of her back.

Shen Yinan was always facing her Young Lady, her back to Hu Ying. Her actions caused the corners of Cheng Wanqiu’s mouth to curl slightly.

The “Phoenix Man” finally couldn’t hold out any longer and planned to use another tactic. He actually had the thick skin to ask Cheng Wanqiu to buy him food.

He put it quite nicely: “Junior Cheng, I haven’t eaten since this morning. Could you help me buy some food? Let’s add each other on WeChat, and I’ll send the money to you.”

So, he wanted her contact information.

It wasn’t that Cheng Wanqiu couldn’t hear the meaning behind those words. Thinking that she had nothing better to do anyway, using the Senior to tease Shen Yinan was also fine.

She didn’t believe Shen Yinan wouldn’t be jealous for her.

“Sure,” she said, taking out her phone and opening her WeChat QR code.

Shen Yinan’s pupils dilated for a moment, and her fingertips twitched as if they had been struck by electricity.

the word “Don’t” circled in her throat, only to be swallowed back into her stomach in the end.

She truly was a person of few words; she couldn’t even find a reason to say “don’t.”

Knowing that the Young Lady was just watching her being anxious and helpless, she felt restless, as if she might grab the phone the next second to stop Hu Ying from adding her.

“Scanned. Junior, please accept,” Hu Ying said, unable to suppress his joy.

Shen Yinan looked up, her puppy-like eyes staring straight at Cheng Wanqiu. It was a look that made one’s heart soften, making one want to immediately delete and block the person in a single stroke.

But she held back. One had to know that Shen Yinan was quite fond of using this trick; those eyes seemed to speak, surely saying at this moment in a pouting, rolling-around way: Is Miss going to make the puppy unhappy? Please don’t add him, okay?

Do you know how much determination it takes to break a puppy’s heart?

“Okay.”

Cheng Wanqiu felt as if half of her heart had been carved out. She cruelly looked away from those eyes that made one’s heart soften and accepted Hu Ying’s friend request.

The clock pointed to 7:30 PM. The infirmary door was pushed open once again, and everyone was drawn by the loud sound of the door opening.

The person who opened the door was a very plainly dressed girl. She was carrying a lunch box and looked timid, giving off an immediate impression of being afraid of everything. She kept her head low, lacking confidence.

She glanced at Cheng Wanqiu and Shen Yinan, said nothing, and lowered her head even further.

She walked over, stopped in front of Hu Ying, and said softly, “Senior, I brought you food.”

The voice reached Cheng Wanqiu’s ears. Cheng Wanqiu didn’t care; in her heart, she even felt a slight relief at being spared a chore.

But when it reached Shen Yinan’s ears, her eyes brightened.

Coming at the right time is better than coming early; this girl was someone she could get along with.

“Since someone has brought the Senior food, then I don’t need to make a trip. I’ll be going now.”

Cheng Wanqiu stood up. She had no further interaction with Hu Ying, not even a wave goodbye.

Shen Yinan also stood up immediately, acting smug beyond belief. One could see from her back that her shoulders were shaking as she stifled a laugh. Seeing this, Hu Ying’s eyes almost bulged out. He instantly felt a tightness in his chest and coughed several times on the bed in anger.

Outside the infirmary were various beautiful flower beds with places to sit. The floor tiles were also of the grass-brick type that felt close to a forest, with lush grass planted.

As night fell, the warm yellow fairy lights hanging on every tree lit up. The small garden was quite beautiful under the illumination of the lights; the environment was elegant. Perhaps because it was at the infirmary entrance, no couples came here for dates; the beautiful ornaments at the entrance could be said to be wasted.

Cheng Wanqiu and Shen Yinan came out of the infirmary. Cheng Wanqiu’s phone vibrated. She stopped to look at it, and Shen Yinan stopped as well.

By pure coincidence, she bumped into the Young Lady’s back with her body.

[Junior Cheng, how about we go to the amusement park together this weekend?]

It was a message from Hu Ying. Cheng Wanqiu was bumped and stumbled two steps forward. She put away her phone. She was originally going to take out her frustration on Shen Yinan for being bumped, but seeing the words “amusement park” on the phone, she suddenly remembered that she had never been to such a place with Shen Yinan.

It was also because the Cheng family’s upbringing was strict, not allowing Cheng Wanqiu to waste time on any “low-level” entertainment. What the nobility played were “high-minded” recreations like skydiving or yachting.

A smile appeared on Cheng Wanqiu’s face that clearly signaled something was up.

Shen Yinan was still shaken, and seeing Cheng Wanqiu turn around with that wicked smile, she had a bad premonition.

And sure enough, it happened. Her chin was tilted up by the Young Lady’s index finger and thumb. That stunningly beautiful face approached her, and she had no choice but to keep backing up until there was nowhere left to go, her feet hitting the edge of a circular flower bed.

She wanted to say her usual line: “Miss is teasing me again.”

But this time, Cheng Wanqiu spoke with a rare tone of command, cold and sharp: “Sit down.”

Shen Yinan’s heart skipped a beat. Scared, she sat down on the flower bed.

When Miss told her to sit, she had to sit. Tilting her head up, she could only wait for judgment with an upward gaze.

It must be because I accidentally bumped into Miss just now.

Cheng Wanqiu’s majesty was still there, learned from a lifetime of being immersed in a wealthy and noble household.

At this moment, she looked down at Shen Yinan as if scrutinizing her, seemingly dissatisfied with being bumped earlier.

Actually, she wasn’t. Changing the subject, she returned to her usual approachable self, but her tone was not approachable at all as she spoke, leaving Shen Yinan no choice: “Go to the amusement park with me this weekend.”

Is it because of Senior Hu?

Shen Yinan endured it and didn’t ask. She nodded, helplessly agreeing.