The Beautiful Cannon Fodder Coveted by the Protagonist - Chapter 2

Zhou Zhou’s vision snapped into focus, his eyes widening in even greater shock.

Helpless, he stared at the male lead standing before him. The man’s chest muscles were clearly defined beneath his thin undershirt, and his pupils constricted as he realized the guy was more than a full head taller than him!

Wait, wait, wait… you’re telling me that I—a guy who isn’t even 1.8 meters tall and has to flex just to find a bicep am supposed to “physically brawl” with this 1.9-meter-tall mountain of a man with eight-pack abs?

Sending him to fight this guy wasn’t a mission; it was a death sentence.

Host, please complete the task immediately. 031’s voice cut through his thoughts like a cold blade, counting down the seconds of Zhou Zhou’s life.

Are you serious? You’re starting me off with a mission this hard? Zhou Zhou looked at Shanda’s wide, staring eyes. He swallowed hard, his entire being recoiling in protest.

System, let’s talk about this. I’m out! This is too much, I’ll die!

Almost the instant he rejected the task, a sharp, numbing current of electricity surged through his body. His legs gave out instantly, and he collapsed to his knees, his laundry scattering across the floor.

Shanda, who was still riding the high of the “pleasant surprise” that this beautiful boy was his roommate, hadn’t expected him to collapse. Startled, he reached out quickly, grabbing Zhou Zhou’s slender wrist. His voice was deep, gentle, and laced with genuine concern. “What’s wrong?”

The heat of Shanda’s skin transferred through the touch. Zhou Zhou couldn’t help it; a broken whimper escaped his clenched teeth, making him sound incredibly pitiful.

Damn this system! It really shocks me!

Host, please complete the task immediately. 031’s soulless voice repeated.

Complete my ass! I don’t even have the strength to stand, let alone fight him!

Breaking out in a cold sweat, Zhou Zhou felt his body suddenly go airborne just as he thought he was about to be electrocuted to death. Shanda had hooked one arm under his knees and the other around his back, lifting him in a princess carry. The big man looked frantic. “Are you okay? I’ll take you to the hospital. Is it the injury from earlier?”

Host, please complete the task immediately, or the current intensity will be increased.

Tears pricked his eyes from the stimulation, and the stinging electricity made it hard to breathe. His soft lips glistened with moisture, his tongue trembled, and his small face crumpled in pain. Damp strands of hair clung to his forehead, leaving him looking like a beautiful, disheveled mess.

Shanda’s grip tightened slightly. As the man’s hand squeezed his waist, Zhou Zhou let out a soft gasp. His red-rimmed eyes looked up at Shanda.

Fine. I’ll just throw a punch… struggle a bit. Sorry, man.

Zhou Zhou knit his brows.

As Shanda began to run, the movement became a bit bumpy. Zhou Zhou gritted his teeth, summoned every ounce of strength he had left, and swung his hand.

Slap!

The crisp sound echoed through the hallway, and for a moment, the world went silent.

The electrical sensation vanished instantly. Though his body still felt weak and numb, he found himself leaning against Shanda’s firm, heaving chest, feeling the man’s rapid breathing and the frantic thudding of his heart beneath the muscle.

Congratulations, Zhou Zhou! You have completed the “Physical Brawl” task. Plot progression: 1%. The system suddenly chimed in, its tone turning lively as if it hadn’t just been torturing him.

Congratulations? For what? Zhou Zhou regretted it the moment he did it. Even though a slap had somehow counted as a “brawl” and cleared the task, he flinched when he saw the look in Shanda’s eyes. The fire of intensity in the man’s gaze looked like it could swallow him whole.

Was it his imagination, or was Shanda’s face getting redder? The blush seemed to be darkening even faster than the faint mark of the slap.

Was I really that strong? His whole face is turning red!

“I didn’t mean to do that. I just… I don’t like people touching me. Put me down first,” Zhou Zhou stammered. He struggled weakly, and Shanda steadily set him on his feet. He could have sworn that as the man let go, his hand lingered on the soft flesh of his waist, giving it a light, ticklish squeeze.

“What happened back there?” Shanda asked, touching his own cheek, his eyes fixed intently on Zhou Zhou.

Zhou Zhou lowered his head and muttered, “Nothing.”

He tried to brush it off, but Shanda’s brow furrowed. “Maybe we should still go to the hospital and get you checked out?”

“No, no need! I probably just stayed in the shower too long,” Zhou Zhou said, putting his hands up to block Shanda from leaning in to pick him up again. He swallowed hard. “Thanks. I’m going back to rest now.”

With that, Zhou Zhou bolted.

But in a dormitory, you can run, but you can’t hide. Zhou Zhou had officially gained a “tail.”

Shanda followed closely behind him, striking up conversations and trying to win him over.

“My name is Shanda. I’m in the PE department. I’m 191cm tall and weigh 96kg. There are five people in my family: my parents, my brother, my sister, and me. I’m healthy with no bad habits. I’ve never had a girlfriend. I love doing chores, and I’m actually great at massages shoulders, feet, hands, I can do it all. By the way, you’re from a different department, right? I heard this was a mixed dorm. Do you have a girlfriend?”

Shanda’s gaze never left him. If one looked closely, they would see he was staring fixedly at Zhou Zhou’s open collar specifically at the red marks near the back of his jaw.

Zhou Zhou felt incredibly uncomfortable but couldn’t exactly kick him out. He picked the last question to answer: “No.”

His clothes were still scattered on the floor. Blushing, Zhou Zhou rushed over to scoop up his underwear first, hiding them away. When he looked up, he saw Shanda watching him intensely.

Does this guy still care about the slap? he wondered. After all, the progress was only at 1%. He had already taken his first step toward the grave, and there was no turning back.

“Don’t you have your own things to do?” Zhou Zhou asked, avoiding eye contact as he picked up the rest of his laundry.

“You still haven’t told me your name.”

“Zhou Zhouo,” he blurted out, annoyed by the persistence. Go ahead, memorize your enemy’s name. You’ll probably be grinding it between your teeth later, he thought.

He shook out his clothes and looked up, only to see Shanda muttering something with a goofy grin on his face. As he got closer, he heard his own name.

“Zhou Zhouo… Zhouo… Zhouo.”

Zhou Zhou: “…”

As he set his dirty laundry on a chair, the man behind him said, “That’s such a cute name. If you say it fast, it sounds like ‘Zhou Zhou’.”

Zhou Zhou felt like the system was shocking him again—how else could he explain the sudden pins and needles all over his body? He blamed the system for calling him by that nickname too. He wondered if 031 had gone back into hibernation; it always went quiet after a task.

Shanda turned to him, his eyes bright and shimmering like blue ink under a glaze. “Zhou Zhou, can I call you that?”

Zhou Zhou gave a vague nod just to get it over with, planning to climb into bed and end the conversation entirely.

Shanda was puzzled by the sudden retreat. Is he sleepy already? It’s not even dark. But the faint scent of milk lingering in the air seemed to melt the memory of the “slap” back into his cheek, making it burn again.

Zhou Zhou looks a bit frail, but he’s actually got some strength. At least I don’t have to worry about him being bullied without fighting back when I take him home. My only worry is that others might start eyeing my beautiful roommate too.

Thinking this, Shanda’s gaze intensified. He had to keep a close watch; he couldn’t let anyone else have the chance to be “hit” by him. He wasn’t about to let anyone snatch his roommate away.

Shanda sat back at his desk. From his position, he realized he had a perfect view of the sliver of snow-white skin peeking out from under Zhou Zhou’s cow-print pajama top as he moved.

A deep crimson stained the tips of Shanda’s ears.

City folk really are delicate, he thought. They’re nothing like us rough-and-tumble types who can go out and harvest a thousand pounds of corn even when we’re sick.

The ladder between the bunks was narrow and the rungs hurt his feet. Zhou Zhou struggled to figure out the best way to climb up.

After fumbling for a while, he finally flopped onto his soft mattress, his muscles instantly relaxing.

With the view of the soft skin gone, a hint of regret flashed in Shanda’s eyes. He turned back to his desk and downed the rest of his water to soothe his dry throat.

However, before Zhou Zhou could even get comfortable, 031 was back to pester him.

Huh? Zhou Zhou, why are you in bed? Where’s the male lead?

Exasperated, Zhou Zhou ignored 031 and opened a mini-game on WeChat.

Why are you playing ‘Screw Puzzle’ again? Gosh, you’re right next to the male lead! Can’t you think about the mission progress?

No.

Zhou Zhou didn’t like it, so he flat-out rejected the system’s suggestion.

Oh, look, look! There’s a yellow screw you can unlock without watching an ad!

Zhou Zhou: “…”

He seriously doubted if the “Mission System” and the “Casual System” were two different personalities sharing one brain.

“Hey, Old Chen, do you think anyone’s at the dorm yet?” Voices and the sound of rolling luggage came from the hallway.

“Stop talking nonsense and open the door.”

“Yeah, yeah~ After you, Boss Chen.” The voices grew clearer as the door unlocked, and two guys one chubby and tall, one short and lean—walked in.

The tall, chubby one saw the lights on and called out, “Oh, someone’s here! High! I’m Zuo Zhu. Zuo as in ‘left,’ Zhu as in ‘blessing.’ Nice to meet you guys!”

Zhou Zhou poked his head out from behind his bed curtains. The U-shaped rail gave his bunk a bit of a “princess bed” vibe.

Zuo Zhu caught sight of him immediately and gasped. “Whoa, Chen Yuqi! We’ve got a real beauty in our dorm!”

The shorter guy who followed him in shoved his back. “You’re blocking the way!” He followed Zuo Zhu’s gaze and froze.

“Old Chen? You stunned or something?”

Chen Yuqi rolled his eyes and told Zuo Zhu to “piss off” in a very articulate manner.

Zuo Zhu’s gaze dropped to the lower bunk. In the shadows, another pair of eyes was staring back. He jumped, startled. “Holy crap, there’s someone else here too!”

The light hit Shanda’s brow bone as he stood up from the bottom bunk.

Shanda was significantly taller. Zuo Zhu had to look up slightly to meet his eyes. “Damn, did this dorm recruit all the school hunks? Old Chen, look! This one’s a hottie too!” He pointed a finger at Shanda’s face.

Chen Yuqi glanced over and nodded in agreement.

“Hey bro, what’s your name? I’m Zuo Zhu. Your face and build are exactly my type,” Zuo Zhu said excitedly, ignoring his suitcase. Noticing Shanda’s expression, he quickly corrected himself. “No, no—not that kind of type! I’m an art student. I just really admire this kind of physique. Man, if I brought you to the studio, my art teacher would make us sketch you from every single angle. It’s freaking perfect!”

Shanda nodded and offered a hand with a shallow smile, though his tone remained somewhat cool and distant. “I’m Shanda.”

Zuo Zhu was flattered. “Nice to meet you! Knowing a guy this handsome gives me so much ‘face.’ If you ever need anything, just let me know. I’ll help if I can. We’re roommates now, haha!”

Zhou Zhou had been eavesdropping quite happily until he realized all three sets of eyes were suddenly on him. He sat up straight.

“Hey classmate, what’s your name?” Zuo Zhu asked.

Before Zhou Zhou could open his mouth, someone answered for him. “Zhou Zhouo. His name is Zhou Zhouo.”

Wow, the male lead remembered your name so quickly! Looks like that ‘physical brawl’ really left a lasting impression.

The mechanical voice appeared at the worst possible time. Zhou Zhou’s lip twitched. You call that a brawl?

“I see. Like the seagull?”

Zuo Zhu’s interpretation made Zhou Zhou chuckle. “You could look at it that way.”

Suddenly, the air went still. Sensing the three pairs of eyes—especially Shanda’s—fixed on him, Zhou Zhou swallowed hard.

“Wh-what’s wrong?”

Zuo Zhu said, “Whoa, you look so good when you smile. I’ve never seen a girl whose smile made my heart flutter like that.”

The words had barely left Zuo Zhu’s mouth when he felt a gaze as cold as ice pierce his profile, as if it wanted to carve a piece of meat off him. When he looked over, Shanda had picked up a knife. The cold steel gleamed, making Zuo Zhu take a step back.

“Does anyone… want an apple? I’ll peel some for you.” Shanda curved the corners of his eyes. He was technically smiling, but Zuo Zhu felt like his back was against a wall of thorns.

Chen Yuqi said, “No thanks.”

Zhou Zhou said, “I’m good.”

Zuo Zhu started, “Then I’ll—?” But he stopped when he saw the man standing by the trash can. Shanda seemed to be radiating a dark aura, with a dangerously sharp smile on his face.

With magnificent knife skills, Shanda peeled a single, long, unbroken spiral. Then, with a few flashes of the blade, the apple was perfectly sliced and presented in the palm of his hand.

Watching the whole process from his bunk, Zhou Zhou suddenly found himself wanting a piece.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the apple appeared in front of his face.

Staring at the snowy-white fruit, Shanda said, “Want some? They’re home-grown. Very sweet.”

“Um, thanks.” As if possessed, Zhou Zhou took a piece and ate it.

It was crisp. As he bit down, the sweet juice followed immediately.

Zuo Zhu made a confused sound and went back to laying out his suitcase, deciding it was better not to crave that particular apple.

To his surprise, Shanda wasn’t stingy and handed him a piece too.

“Th-thanks, Big Bro.” Zuo Zhu paused his unzipping. He popped the apple into his mouth; it was so sweet it was almost astringent. “Let’s start a WeChat group. We can keep each other posted on stuff.”

The group of four was formed. A moment later, three friend requests appeared in Zhou Zhou’s notifications.

He accepted them one by one. First, he clicked on Shanda’s profile. Know thy enemy, know thy self, he thought. Even if I can’t escape my doomed ending.

Pigs… feeding pigs… pork…

This guy’s feed was all about pigs. Was he some kind of “Pig Brother”?

The latest post from a few hours ago said: “Don’t want to go back to school.” Shanda smiled and gave Zhou Zhou’s profile a “Like” before continuing to scroll. He saw a photo of a beautiful face holding a trophy and a violin, standing in the center of a stage in a suit, looking radiant.

The corners of Shanda’s mouth curled up. He saved the photo and hit the “Like” button again.

Another competition photo, but this time it was a three-person shot. A couple had their hands on Zhou Zhou’s shoulders, smiling at the camera.

Shanda’s gaze only lingered on the parents for a few seconds before sliding past.

So that’s what my father-in-law and mother-in-law look like.

Support The Beautiful Cannon Fodder Coveted by the Protagonist