I Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder, Only to be Desired by the Dragon King - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: A True Friend — Shen Youqing is so pure-hearted, he likely doesn’t…

Wen Shubai’s hand holding the skimming net froze abruptly. His knuckles turned white from the force, and his shoulders tensed into a rigid, straight line. His gaze was pulled uncontrollably toward Shen Youqing and the “Dragon King” who was currently being herded around by a net…

Could it be… that the “Little White” he keeps talking about is actually the Dragon King!!!?

Wen Shubai missed a heartbeat. That is the Dragon King!!!

He stole a glance at Shen Youqing and saw the boy wearing a completely oblivious smile, using the net to gently shoo away the Dragon King, who was currently in the form of a Phoenix Ling fish.

As for the Dragon King in the water… he simply flicked his tail to dodge, showing no sign of anger whatsoever??

Wen Shubai’s head began to throb. The movements he had just managed to stabilize started shaking again.

Meanwhile, Shen Youqing was entirely unaware of the storm he had stirred in Wen Shubai’s heart. He was still focused on “Little White.”

“Look, Little Black is smarter than you; he knows to stay far away,” Shen Youqing chided gently. “You keep swimming so close. It’ll be bad if I accidentally catch you!”

The moment Feng Xiuyan heard him mention “Little Black,” he felt a surge of annoyance. Worse, he’s comparing me to that stupid fish?!

In a huff, he flicked his tail and swam lazily to the opposite side of the pond.

Wen Shubai was still drowning in shock when he saw Feng Xiuyan swimming toward his side. His hands began to shake like a sieve; the net swiped aimlessly through the water, stirring up ripples but failing to catch a single leaf.

Feng Xiuyan: “…” Just as stupid as that other fish.

“Are you afraid of water?” Shen Youqing finally noticed something was wrong. He set down his net and walked over. “How about you stay on the side and hand me things? I can handle the leaves myself.”

“No need,” Wen Shubai refused quickly. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stop overthinking. “I… I will try again.”

This time he managed to steady his hands. Though his movements were still stiff, he finally began to successfully scoop up the debris.

Seeing him get into the rhythm, Shen Youqing returned to his spot. He had thought the pond was small and wouldn’t take long, but it actually took the two of them nearly forty-five minutes to clear the surface and the bottom!

…

“All done!”

Shen Youqing stood back with his hands on his hips, a satisfied smile on his face as he looked at the clear, sparkling water.

He turned and saw Wen Shubai quietly leaning the net against the wall and walking over to pick up the heavy bucket full of wet leaves. As Wen Shubai gripped the handle, the muscles in his forearms tensed.

Shen Youqing thought: This guy is actually great to hang out with. No ‘noble young master’ ego at all. He helps with the work and even takes initiative to clean up. He’s a keeper!

He hurried forward and grabbed the other side of the bucket. “Hey, let’s carry it together. This is heavy; it’s too much for one person.”

Wen Shubai blinked, letting go of some of the weight as Shen Youqing took half. He whispered, “Thank you.”

As they walked toward the gate, Shen Youqing’s repressed chatterbox nature finally exploded. Words tumbled out of his mouth like a broken string of pearls.

“Say, Young Master Wen, once we dump these, why don’t you come to my room for some tea and snacks? I still have some Lotus Crisps that Lady Yuan brought yesterday.”

Wen Shubai paused and waved his hands. “That is too much trouble. I should head back to my room once we’re done.”

“What are you going back for?” Shen Youqing pressed, sounding disapproving. “Weren’t you going to read? Reading is so boring—tiny cramped words making your eyes sore.”

He swung the bucket slightly as he continued to coax: “Look, I have nothing to do, you have nothing to do, why don’t we just chat? I’m telling you, in my yard…”

From the trash pile back to the courtyard, Shen Youqing didn’t stop talking. He even brought up the “thief” who had stolen his snacks and fruit the day before.

Unable to withstand such enthusiastic persistence, Wen Shubai eventually nodded. “…Then, I shall impose on you.”

“Aha! That’s the spirit!” Shen Youqing beamed. His steps with the empty bucket became noticeably lighter. “Let’s go, I’ll brew some tea for you right now!”

Wen Shubai followed behind, a trace of helplessness flitting through his eyes as he watched the boy’s joyful gait. I didn’t expect Young Master Shen to be so lively. He’s quite different from the rumors.

…

Shen Youqing led Wen Shubai straight into his bedroom.

“Try these Lotus Crisps. I haven’t even had a chance to try them myself because a wild monkey stole two.” He placed the box in the center of the table. The sweet floral scent mingled with the aroma of flaky pastry.

Wen Shubai sat down. Looking at the three remaining pieces, his lips twitched imperceptibly. He tapped his finger on the table and asked slowly, “How are you so certain it was a wild monkey? Perhaps it was…”

Before he could finish, Shen Youqing leaned in, his expression dead serious. “It also stole two of my peaches! If it’s not a monkey, who else could it be?”

Seeing the genuine sorrow in the boy’s eyes for his lost fruit, Wen Shubai swallowed his words. Shen Youqing is so pure-hearted; he likely still has no idea about the Dragon King’s identity.

“You eat, I’ll go pour some tea.”

As Shen Youqing stood up and headed for the cabinet, his eyes caught the two jars of Pear Blossom White wine on top. He had an idea.

Wen Shubai sat politely, waiting for the tea, but when Shen Youqing returned, he wasn’t carrying a teapot. Instead, he was hugging a sealed jar of wine.

Wen Shubai’s brows rose in surprise.

Shen Youqing set the jar down with a thud. He rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining. “Eating dry pastries is a bit boring. Why don’t we have a drink? I have some salted roasted peanuts; they’re perfect for wine.”

He bent over to rummage through the cabinet again. Wen Shubai stared at the unopened jar, his fingers unconsciously tracing the table’s edge.

Finally, as Shen Youqing returned with a cotton bag of peanuts, Wen Shubai spoke in a voice tinged with subtle testing: “Did… did the Phoenix Ling not drink the Pear Blossom White I brought?”

“Huh?” Shen Youqing paused mid-action, blinking in confusion. A moment later, he clapped his hands. “You mean Little White?” He leaned in close to Wen Shubai, eyes full of curiosity. “Should we pour a cup for him later to see? But… can fish actually drink wine? Would he end up floating belly-up?”

Looking at his innocent face, Wen Shubai’s Adam’s apple rolled. He finally said softly, “It is no matter. When he wishes to drink, he will drink.”

Inside, Wen Shubai felt a bit dejected. The Dragon King tried Yuan Yajun’s pastries and ate Su Yao’s fruit, but he hasn’t touched the wine I specially prepared. Is the wine not to his liking?

“What’s wrong?” Shen Youqing noticed the slump in Wen Shubai’s mood.

Wen Shubai looked up and forced a smile. “Nothing. Didn’t you say we were drinking?”

“Right, right! To drinking!” Shen Youqing didn’t pry. He grabbed two tea cups—he didn’t have proper wine cups, but anything that held liquid would do.

He opened the jar, and a crisp scent of pear blossoms mixed with alcohol filled the air. “This smells amazing,” he said, pouring the amber liquid. “I’ve been wanting to taste this since you brought it.”

…

Using tea cups for wine led to the inevitable: both of them drank too much while chatting. By midday, Shen Youqing had the servants bring lunch to the room to serve as extra side dishes.

Wen Shubai sighed as Shen Youqing refilled his cup. He had been depressed about the Dragon King ignoring his wine and had ended up drinking more than intended. His head felt light, but he wasn’t drunk. Shen Youqing, however, had cheeks as red as ripe fruit and eyes that were starting to wander.

“Brother, you have no idea…” Shen Youqing mumbled around a piece of braised pork, grabbing Wen Shubai’s sleeve. “Back where I came from, I had to squeeze onto subways every morning, stare at a computer screen… the boss always promised ‘big cakes’ [lies]… I was a total corporate slave! An animal!”

He got so animated he almost knocked over the wine jar. “It’s better here… good food, good drink, no job…”

Wen Shubai caught the jar and took the cup from the boy’s hand. “Stop. You’re drunk.”

Shen Youqing tried to argue, but he just let out a wine-scented hiccup and slumped down like a tired kitten.

Wen Shubai helped him to the daybed in the inner room, removed his shoes, and covered him with a thin quilt. He returned to the outer room to clean the mess, wiping the table and packing the food boxes. Finally, he moved a stool to the edge of the daybed. If the boy rolls over in his sleep, the stool will stop him from hitting the floor.

“Young Master Shen, rest well. I am leaving,” Wen Shubai whispered.

Hearing only a mumbled groan, he shook his head and left the room quietly, leaving the door cracked slightly for air.

As he passed the pond on his way out, he saw a white shadow on the surface. The silvery Phoenix Ling was staring at him with dark, bead-like eyes, scales shimmering in the sun.

Wen Shubai’s heart jumped. He paused, bowed deeply in a flustered hurry, and then fled the courtyard with the food boxes.