I Just Want to be a Throwaway Character - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: An Unsettling Premonition

At the Xiao family estate, a crowd of prominent figures from all walks of life gathered to celebrate the seventieth birthday of the military general, Grandpa Xiao. In his youth, Grandpa Xiao had been a powerful figure, and after his son’s company found success, the Xiao family began to prosper.

Ji Wan and Xiao Zhu Yun tried on the custom-made gowns their mothers had prepared. As Ji Wan looked at the similar style of their dresses, she felt a sense of unease. If their relationship weren’t what it was, these would be the perfect “best friend” dresses. But… something just felt wrong. Her mother had also been looking at her with a strangely guilty expression, giving Ji Wan an unsettling premonition. She had no proof, however, and when she asked Xiao Zhu Yun, her friend just said she was clueless.

Soon, Ji Wan’s family and Xiao Zhu Yun arrived at the estate. Ji Wan followed Xiao Zhu Yun up a quiet staircase to find Grandpa Xiao first.

In his study, Grandpa Xiao, dressed in a festive red tang suit, looked kind and approachable. In the original owner’s memories, this old man had doted on her, treating her better than his own granddaughter.

“Happy Birthday, Grandpa Xiao!” Ji Wan said, giving him a big hug.

“Good, good, good,” the old man said happily, hugging Ji Wan and stroking her head, his white beard trembling with joy. “You little girl, it’s been a while since you came to see this old man. Did you forget me?”

“No way, here I am, aren’t I? I missed you so much,” Ji Wan said, feeling a little guilty.

“Oh, Grandpa’s old now. You only remember this old bag of bones now,” Grandpa Xiao teased.

“Grandpa, if you say that again, I’ll be mad!” Ji Wan said, pouting playfully, her face turning a little red.

“Grandpa, don’t tease Wan Wan anymore. We need to go downstairs. Many people are waiting for the birthday boy,” Xiao Zhu Yun said, exasperated.

“Alright. You two come down with me. Let everyone see my two wonderful granddaughters,” Grandpa Xiao said, stroking his beard.

“Okay,” Ji Wan and Xiao Zhu Yun replied obediently. After all, Grandpa Xiao was the star of the night.

…

The Shocking Announcement

Downstairs, the hall was filled with guests toasting each other. Besides celebrating the birthday, many people had an unspoken plan to win over the Xiao family’s young lady. Xiao Zhu Yun was of marriageable age, and they wanted to secure a spot for their sons in the powerful Xiao family. Ji Wan’s father looked at them with a hint of amusement. Tonight, they would all be disappointed.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed. A brilliant spotlight shone on the second-floor staircase. Ji Wan and Xiao Zhu Yun, dressed in identical elegant white gowns, descended gracefully. On either side of Grandpa Xiao, they walked down, one step at a time. The sight of the beautiful young women attracted everyone’s attention.

A beautiful and virtuous lady is a gentleman’s good match. All the single young men in the crowd stared at the two women. One was cute and lively, and the other was gentle and elegant. It would be a dream come true to have either one as a wife.

Grandpa Xiao reached the stage, and Ji Wan and Xiao Zhu Yun stood to the side. “Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to come to this old man’s birthday party. I want to express my gratitude…” His dignified but friendly voice filled the hall. As soon as he finished, a round of applause erupted.

Ji Wan, bored, grabbed a glass of juice and stood next to Xiao Zhu Yun, listening to Grandpa Xiao’s official speech.

“Tonight, I would also like to take the opportunity of my seventieth birthday to announce some wonderful news. My Xiao family has decided to officially announce the engagement between my granddaughter, Xiao Zhu Yun, and the Ji family’s cherished daughter, Ji Wan!”

The sound of the microphone echoed throughout the hall. Whispers quickly spread through the crowd.

“And I was just about to introduce my son to her. Now they’re keeping it all in the family.”

“Me too! My son is not bad either, but what a coincidence.”

“Sigh, if they join forces, they’ll become a super-powerful family.”

Hearing Grandpa Xiao’s shocking words, Ji Wan almost choked on her juice. Cough cough… She was so stunned she started coughing. My life is over! This is so sudden. Ji Wan was in despair. Is he trying to make me die early? Thank goodness Jiang Zhi Li isn’t here tonight, or I’d be completely finished. The thought of Jiang Zhi Li’s cold expression staring at her made Ji Wan shiver.

She looked at Xiao Zhu Yun, wondering if she had known. But Xiao Zhu Yun looked even more shocked than she did. She’s clearly in the dark, too. What are we going to do? Misery loves company.

Everyone’s attention was on Ji Wan and Xiao Zhu Yun. There was envy, curiosity, and jealousy in their eyes. Among them, a powerful gaze fixed on Ji Wan, filled with hostility. Is that jealousy?

Ji Wan looked over at the person with the hostile gaze. It was a beautiful, unfamiliar woman with long, wine-red wavy hair and a red dress. She looked both sexy and alluring. I haven’t offended this person, have I? Ji Wan was confused, but the woman quickly disappeared around a corner.

Ji Wan didn’t think much of it. She pulled Xiao Zhu Yun into a quiet corner. “Sister Zhu Yun, what are we going to do? What’s going on?” she asked. Even though she had a premonition, she didn’t expect this to happen so quickly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll figure something out,” Xiao Zhu Yun said, a serious expression on her face. She couldn’t understand why her grandpa had made this decision. She had always thought of the engagement as a childish joke, but now he had suddenly brought it up. It felt like he was using the engagement to stop something else.

“Should we try to convince Grandpa to call it off?” Ji Wan asked.

“I think Uncle and Auntie Ji know about this, so it might be hard to stop now. Let’s wait for a while,” Xiao Zhu Yun said after thinking it over.

“Okay,” Ji Wan replied, temporarily parting ways with Xiao Zhu Yun, who was going to talk to her grandfather.

Afraid of being scrutinized by the guests, Ji Wan hid in the small garden outside. She couldn’t stop thinking about the woman with the wine-red wavy hair. That woman gave her a strange, threatening feeling. The plot hadn’t even reached the critical point yet—where she would start to harass the female lead, and her father would start to get to know Jiang Zhi Li.

Ji Wan remembered that the novel hadn’t explicitly mentioned this engagement. It was only something the original owner had mentioned to the female lead. Later, it was revealed that her fiancé wasn’t the female lead after all. So what was happening now? Ji Wan sat on a rocking chair in the garden, getting more and more confused. The chair was in a secluded spot, hidden by dense flowers.

Suddenly, she heard an argument coming from the artificial fountain nearby. One of the voices sounded familiar. Is that Sister Zhu Yun? No, it couldn’t be. Sister Zhu Yun is so gentle and graceful; she wouldn’t argue. But the voices got louder.

Curiosity got the better of her, and Ji Wan peeked through the flowers. It was the woman with the wine-red wavy hair! And the other person… Wait. That familiar dress… isn’t that Sister Zhu Yun? The two of them were in a weird position. The wine-red-haired woman was holding Xiao Zhu Yun’s wrist, and they were struggling. It looked like Xiao Zhu Yun was trying to get away.

“Chu Fang, that’s enough, let go!” Xiao Zhu Yun said angrily.

“Xiao Zhu Yun! You can’t marry her!” the woman, whose name was apparently Chu Fang, said stubbornly.

“Hmph. Who are you to me? Who I’m with is none of your business. We’re over. I hope Miss Chu won’t bother my life anymore.” Xiao Zhu Yun’s eyes uncontrollably reddened. She held back her tears and pretended to be cold.

“A-Zhu, don’t be like this. I never agreed to end it,” Chu Fang said, her heart aching as she looked at Xiao Zhu Yun’s pained expression. Hearing the familiar nickname, Xiao Zhu Yun’s mind drifted back to the past. The girl in the blue school uniform had called her “A-Zhu” just as gently. But the cold letter had ended everything between them.

“I won’t believe you again, not after you left me behind.” Xiao Zhu Yun fiercely shook off Chu Fang’s hand, determined and resolute. But Chu Fang grabbed her even tighter, pulling her into a hug. She held Xiao Zhu Yun close, feeling her warmth just like in the past. Xiao Zhu Yun struggled, but Chu Fang’s embrace only tightened, as if she wanted to melt her into her own flesh and blood. Xiao Zhu Yun hit Chu Fang’s chest, tears streaming down her face, but she couldn’t break free. Finally, she stopped struggling and buried her face in Chu Fang’s chest, sobbing helplessly.

Chu Fang gently patted Xiao Zhu Yun’s back, her eyes filled with heartache and regret. She should have told her the truth back then. Why had they ended up like this? She had made the person she vowed to protect cry again.

The two were silent, embracing each other in a beautiful moment. But this clearly intimate scene looked completely different to Ji Wan.

“Holy crap, is that big-wavy-hair woman a pervert?!” Ji Wan was enjoying the drama when she suddenly saw the woman trying to hug Sister Xiao. Can I stand for this? No! When you see injustice, you must shout! Draw your sword and help! I’m a chivalrous hero today. She was going to stop this rascal.

“Hey! Let go of Sister Zhu Yun!” Ji Wan shouted, picking up a random twig and pointing it at Chu Fang.

The sudden shout shattered the moment between Xiao Zhu Yun and Chu Fang. Xiao Zhu Yun’s body went stiff. She quickly pushed Chu Fang away, wiping her tears. Despite her red eyes, she immediately regained her cold demeanor. Chu Fang felt the soft body disappear from her arms, and the warmth was gone. Her fists were itching. She turned to look at the culprit, her gaze sharp and dangerous.

Oh no, I’m having a heart attack. Ji Wan felt a chill run down her spine. But she didn’t back down, glaring at Chu Fang. She felt no guilt for ruining their intimate idol-drama moment. She was a hero from an ancient novel, ready for a fight, even though the stick she held was so small she looked like a little kid in a brawl.

“Get lost,” Chu Fang said coldly, wishing she could beat her up.

“Chu Fang, be respectful,” Xiao Zhu Yun said, wiping her tears and defensively standing in front of Ji Wan. She took Ji Wan’s hand. “Wan Wan is my fiancé, and we will be very happy, so don’t bother me anymore.” With that, she pulled Ji Wan and quickly walked away, not looking at Chu Fang’s reddened eyes.

Ji Wan was so scared she was in a daze. That woman looked like she wanted to beat me up. Then she realized… Did Sister Zhu Yun just use me as a human shield?!