I Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder, Only to be Desired by the Dragon King - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Experiencing Life — From then on, every time it was day to change the mountain spring water…

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was once again time to change the water in the pond.

Shen Youqing held a bowl of prepared fish food and squatted by the pond. He scattered a handful of fine pellets into the water first. Seeing Little Black rush over to snatch the food, he smiled and called out, “Little White, come and eat!”

But despite calling for a long time, the familiar silvery-white figure didn’t swim over as usual. Shen Youqing peered into the pond and saw Little White hiding near a patch of water weeds, only the tip of his tail showing. He didn’t even budge when a pellet drifted right in front of him.

He had noticed that Little White had been avoiding him lately, acting completely indifferent.

“What’s wrong, Little White?” Shen Youqing tapped the surface of the water with his finger, creating small ripples. “Talk to me. Don’t be so cold all the time. Who are you throwing a tantrum at?”

Just as he finished speaking, Little Black splashed over, circling his fingertip twice and nearly pecking his fingernail.

Shen Youqing couldn’t help but laugh. “Look how friendly Little Black is. You can’t even shoo him away.” Fearing that Little Black would hog all the food and leave nothing for Little White, he gently pushed the fish back. “Go on, go on. You’ve had enough. Leave some for Little White. Don’t forget, you’re eating his food and living in his house, and now you want to be a glutton…”

Hiding behind the weeds, Feng Xiuyan muttered to himself: A stupid, unawakened fish gets praised just because it knows how to rub against your finger? Hmph.

He flicked his tail and dove deeper into the weeds. Out of sight, out of mind. He certainly wasn’t going to compete for food with that black fish, and he definitely wasn’t going to approach Shen Youqing of his own accord.

“Sigh, hiding again?” Shen Youqing sighed helplessly as the tail tip vanished. “Aren’t you hungry?” He propped his chin on his hand, staring dizzily at the water. Suddenly, he murmured, “This mysterious ‘fish temper’ of yours is actually quite similar to someone I know.”

Little White’s recent coldness reminded him of Feng Xiuyan, who had vanished so abruptly that night. Shen Youqing frowned, feeling a bit hollow. “I wonder how he is. I haven’t seen him since that night he left.”

In the weeds, Feng Xiuyan’s tail stopped moving. He peeked through the gaps in the greenery, his silver scales shimmering in the sun.

This kid… is thinking about me?

Hmph. At least he has a conscience and hasn’t forgotten me entirely.

But a second later, Shen Youqing’s next words made him freeze.

The youth continued to mutter: “I don’t even know which courtyard he lives in. It would be great if I could find him… I wonder if I went to find him now, would he still be willing to help me carry water?”

Feng Xiuyan: “…”

I knew it! He’s not missing me; he just wants me to be his laborer and carry water for him! He felt like his brief moment of happiness had been a complete waste of emotion.

Shen Youqing stood up, shaking the water off his hands. “Fine, I’ll come back to feed you when you’re actually hungry.” He looked at the sun. Since he didn’t have a helper today, he had to head to the back mountain early. He needed to finish the water change before lunch so he wouldn’t miss a meal.

As he bent over to pick up the two empty wooden buckets, a “thud-thud-thud” sound came from the gate.

Hmm? Shen Youqing paused and walked toward the door with his buckets. When he opened the gate and saw who was standing there, he was stunned.

Yuan Yajun, in a green dress, waved at him with a smile. Su Yao stood beside her, also waving. Wen Shubai remained in his usual plain clothes, looking composed. Even the rarely-seen Third Prince, Li Beicheng, was standing at the back with a scowl.

Why were they all here together?

“Morning, Little Youqing,” Yuan Yajun took the lead with a warm greeting. Su Yao and Wen Shubai nodded as well. Only Li Beicheng twitched his lips and remained silent.

Shen Youqing shifted his buckets to the side, confused. “Do you… need something from me?”

Su Yao stepped forward and naturally took the two empty buckets from his hands. “You look like you’re struggling. We’re here to help you fetch spring water from the mountain.” She then passed the buckets to Wen Shubai and Li Beicheng.

Wen Shubai took his steadily, but Li Beicheng hesitated for a moment before taking his with obvious reluctance. Internally, the Prince was fuming: If it weren’t for the Dragon King’s bizarre trial, a Prince like me would never be doing such menial labor!

Shen Youqing was even more baffled and tried to take the buckets back. “No, no, why should I trouble you with this? You’re guests! I can do it myself.” He didn’t want these noble lords and ladies carrying water for him; if they got exhausted, he’d surely be the one punished.

Yuan Yajun stopped him, laughing. “Let us do it. You already work hard enough feeding that one every morning. This is nothing, and we’re doing it voluntarily.” She glanced significantly toward the pond.

“That one?” Shen Youqing scratched his head. Aside from Little White and Little Black, he didn’t feed anyone else. “You… mean Little White?”

“LITTLE WHITE?!”

At that name, everyone except Wen Shubai (who already knew the secret) had a total meltdown. Their eyes widened in shock.

Yuan Yajun stepped forward, her voice trembling slightly. “Little Youqing, you… the ‘Little White’ you’re talking about… is ‘That One’ in the pond?”

Shen Youqing backed away, startled by their reaction. “Uh, yeah. Why? Is it against the rules to give him a name? If it’s a taboo, I won’t call him that anymore.”

It’s just a nickname for a fish. Why the big deal? Wen Shubai acted the same way last time.

Yuan Yajun waved her hands frantically, her shock turning into envy. “No, no! As long as ‘That One’ doesn’t mind, you can call him whatever you like!”

She was floored. The Dragon King was so indulgent toward Shen Youqing that he even accepted such a casual nickname. Anyone else wouldn’t have dared to try that in a hundred years!

Li Beicheng’s temper flared. He gripped the bucket handle so hard his knuckles turned white. He wanted to interrogate Shen Youqing, but Wen Shubai grabbed his arm just in time. Wen Shubai shook his head, signaling him not to be impulsive. Since Shen Youqing didn’t know the fish was the Dragon King, questioning him would only cause trouble.

Li Beicheng gritted his teeth and swallowed his words, though his face remained dark.

The group then headed toward the back mountain with the buckets. Shen Youqing stood at the gate, watching them leave. “Tsk, they’re actually quite helpful…”

Feng Xiuyan: “…”

From then on, every time it was time to change the water, the group appeared punctually at Shen Youqing’s gate. Whether it was just after 8:00 AM or near noon, Su Yao or Yuan Yajun would snatch the buckets before Shen Youqing could even touch them, saying, “Leave it to us,” before heading off to the mountain.

At first, Shen Youqing refused vehemently. It wasn’t just out of politeness; he vividly remembered the first time they returned from the mountain.

Yuan Yajun’s pink dress was covered in mud, her hem was soaked, and her hair was a mess. Su Yao had torn her skirt, and grass was stuck to her face. Wen Shubai looked okay, but his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his arm had a small scratch.

The worst was Li Beicheng. His crimson silk robe was covered in dust, sweat dripped from his forehead, and his hair was plastered to his face. He held the bucket while glaring at Shen Youqing as if he wanted to eat him alive. The resentment was palpable from a mile away.

Shen Youqing had rushed over to take the buckets. “I really don’t need help! Look at the state of you! I can do this myself!”

He was especially terrified of Li Beicheng’s murderous gaze. This Prince was clearly used to being pampered; making him carry water was pure torture, so it was no wonder he was angry.

But no matter how he protested, the four remained firm. Yuan Yajun said it was fine, Su Yao claimed it was good exercise, and Wen Shubai would just silently deliver the water to the pond. Li Beicheng would just scowl and say nothing, but he never put the bucket down.

After a few attempts at stopping them, Shen Youqing eventually became numb to it. Fine, if they’re this persistent, let them be.

Maybe these rich kids, who have never lifted a finger in their lives, have truly found some ‘joy’ in the manual labor of fetching water? Maybe it feels fresh and fun to them?

Eventually, on water-change days, Shen Youqing stopped trying to block them. Instead, he would prepare hot tea, cool water, and towels for when they returned.