The Beautiful Cannon Fodder Coveted by the Protagonist - Chapter 5

The man’s peach-blossom eyes seemed fixed on a single point. As his gaze drifted over from a distance, the slight tremor in his pupils made him look like a young deer encountering a predator unable to dodge, unable to hide, and unable to escape.

Shanda tapped politely on the glass window and waved his phone.

–Shanda: Want to grab dinner with me?

Zhou Zhou frantically called for the system, his lips moving soundlessly: “What is going on?”

Why is the male lead here? How long has he been standing there?

Zhou Zhou, I tried to tell you earlier, but you interrupted me and told me not to disturb you, so I shut up.

Zhou Zhou: “…” Next time, you don’t have to be quite so obedient about things like this.

It wasn’t that he felt embarrassed about someone hearing him play the violin; it was because that “someone” was Shanda the male lead, his designated bullying target. Furthermore, just last night, this man had announced to their other roommates that he was washing Zhou Zhou’s underwear, and this morning, he had left a breakfast that Zhou Zhou had promptly tossed into the trash after one bite.

All these factors combined made Shanda the last person Zhou Zhou wanted to see at the moment.

So what now? Why was he here? Did the Music Academy even allow students from other departments in? Wait, there should be surveillance in these practice rooms, right? In case any… uncontrollable behavior occurred…

Zhou Zhou looked around and finally spotted a camera tucked in the corner.

Perhaps because he had been waiting so long, Shanda’s gaze was intense. He tapped the glass again and blinked at Zhou Zhou, looking exactly like a puppy abandoned by its owner.

Zhou Zhou, go open the door first.

Zhou Zhou obeyed and walked over to unlock the door, though he felt uneasy. The next second, Shanda lunged forward and hugged him. His pleasant voice was right against Zhou Zhou’s ear, and his warm, damp breath tickled his earlobe. “Sorry… I stood out there so long my legs went soft. You play so beautifully, Zhou Zhou.”

Faced with this massive “dog” leaning on him, Zhou Zhou didn’t sense any romantic tension. Instead, he guarded his violin, eyes wide with panic. “Let go! Let go! You’re crushing my violin! The violin, the violin, the violin!”

Shanda let go instantly. Zhou Zhou scrambled away, picking up the instrument to inspect it carefully. This violin had practically watched him grow up; it was the first one his father had given him and held immense sentimental value.

Mission alert: Force the male lead to buy you dinner. Failure will result in electrocution.

The system’s playful voice suddenly echoed in his mind. Zhou Zhou’s shoulders shook, and he suppressed a curse under his breath.

Great. So this is what you were waiting for? No wonder the system wanted me to open the door.

“Zhou Zhou, do you want to go eat with me?” A warm body pressed up behind him. Zhou Zhou’s hand tightened around his violin case. “How did you find me?”

Seeing that Zhou Zhou was finally talking to him, Shanda confessed everything: “I happened to be passing by and heard the music, so I came up. You’re playing is so good, He seemed unable to come up with any more small talk, his face turning red from the effort.

Zhou Zhou glanced at him and zipped up the case. “Mm. How did you know I played the violin?”

Shanda grinned, his blue eyes resembling a vast ocean with whales leaping through the waves. “I checked your WeChat moments. There are photos of your competitions. Ah, sorry—if you don’t like me looking, please don’t block me.”

If a stunningly handsome, blue-eyed angel blinked at you like a pathetic puppy and begged you not to block him, what would you do?

Zhou Zhou’s answer was: Obviously, I won’t block him.

He suppressed the urge to pat Shanda on the head and instead consulted 031 to see if the male lead had some ulterior motive.

I believe the male lead is still looking for revenge after your nonsense last night.

Think about it. If someone you’ve known for less than a day forced you to wash their feet, their socks, and their underwear… what would you do?

Stop, stop, stop! I didn’t make him wash the underwear!

Regardless, the male lead has always been a petty person. I must warn you: everything he sets his sights on eventually meets its retribution.

The system’s words hit Zhou Zhou like a heavy hammer. Was the revenge starting already? The man certainly knew how to hold a grudge.

Zhou Zhou discreetly increased the distance between them, failing to notice the flicker of loneliness that crossed Shanda’s face.

Keeping the mission in mind, Zhou Zhou cleared his throat. “Let’s go. Weren’t we going to eat?”

The moment he said it, Shanda visibly came back to life and stuck to his side again. “Right! Dinner!”

On the way there, the back of Shanda’s hand kept brushing against his in a seemingly accidental way. Every time Zhou Zhou moved away, they would somehow end up walking like conjoined twins again within minutes.

“What do you want to eat?” Shanda asked, his gaze dropping to Zhou Zhou’s face as the boy dodged him once more.

Zhou Zhou pursed his lips. “Whatever. I’ll eat anything.”

I’m not here for the food anyway; I’m here for the mission.

“Oh,” Shanda licked his dry lips, staring at a small mole on Zhou Zhou’s ear that was partially covered by his hair. “What time do you have to be at the opening ceremony tomorrow?”

Recalling the counselor’s words, Zhou Zhou repeated them exactly: “Meeting at Gate 2 of the East Sports Field around 6:00 AM.”

“The East Field? I just came from there. If you don’t know the way, I can take you. It’s a bit far, though maybe a thirty-minute walk. If your legs get tired, I can carry you.” Shanda’s breath was so close it practically stirred Zhou Zhou’s eyelashes.

Zhou Zhou stopped in his tracks and looked up in disbelief. “You walked all the way here from there?”

Seeing him turn around, Shanda straightened his back and nodded. “Yeah. The PE department trains at the East Field.”

Zhou Zhou frowned, confused. “Isn’t there a cafeteria over there?”

If Zhou Zhou were more familiar with the campus map, he would realize that the sports field, the Music Academy, and the dorms did not sit in a straight line. In fact, they were scattered in three separate corners of the university.

“Ahem… I don’t really get along with the guys over there.” Shanda’s ears turned a deep scarlet.

Did he come all this way just to mess with me? Maybe when he helps me get my food, he’s going to dump the tray on my head.

The male lead would definitely do that.

Zhou Zhou took a deep breath, braced himself for a face full of food, and pushed open the glass doors of the cafeteria.

It wasn’t very crowded, perhaps because it was still early. A few students were scattered about, and the cafeteria staff were chatting among themselves.

Don’t forget the mission.

Received.

Zhou Zhou lifted his head and turned around, but in his distracted state, he walked straight into a wall of solid muscle.

Clutching his throbbing nose, tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. “Ow…”

“Are you okay, Zhou Zhou?” Shanda was frantic, reaching out to touch his face, but Zhou Zhou dodged him nimbly. Despite the pain in his nose, he stayed “in character”: “Go get my food for me. I’ll go find a seat.”

“Okay, okay, okay. Sit down and rest.” Shanda placed a hand on his shoulder, firmly guiding him into the nearest seat.

Watching Shanda run off, Zhou Zhou looked down at the spot on his shoulder where he’d been touched. Was Shanda faking it, or…

Later, you have to reject his food. Tell him it’s not fit for a dog and make him get a new portion. If you can provoke him enough to dump the food on your head, there’s a bonus reward. 031’s voice suddenly appeared.

Zhou Zhou froze. The difficulty was spiking! Dump it on who? Me?

Complete the task, and your progress will jump to 10%. This is a major turning point in the novel the fuse that triggers the conflict between the real and fake young masters. Please handle this carefully and take the mission seriously.

Fine. I’ll do it. For the sake of a hundred million.

Shanda came back toward him, happily balancing two trays. Zhou Zhou bit his lower lip, bracing himself.

“This one’s yours.” Shanda placed a tray in front of him: tomato and eggs, grilled chicken steak, braised pork almost all meat. Shanda’s own tray was filled with green vegetables, cabbage, and red amaranth entirely vegetarian. It looked incredibly unappetizing.

Zhou Zhou felt a sudden pang of guilt. All the nasty insults he had prepared dissolved into nothing.

System… he’s being so nice. Do I really have to say those horrible things? He gave me all the meat.

Mission. Otherwise, electrocution.

Those three words were so cold they made the hair on Zhou Zhou’s neck stand up. He pouted, not knowing where to look. He opened his mouth, but only a tiny sound escaped before he pulled back.

Shanda came back with chopsticks and soup to share, just as he sat down.

Zhou Zhou pinched his own thigh hard and blurted out: “Dogs… wouldn’t eat this.”

“What?” Shanda froze, his hand stopping mid-air as he reached for a vegetable.

Zhou Zhou continued to mumble, his lowered head muffling his volume. “Your food is…”

Before he could finish, someone interrupted. The voice was dripping with sarcasm. “What’s this you’re eating? Oh, isn’t this our dear classmate Zhou Zhouo? You’re here too?”

It was the “Gay Purple” guy from this morning.

Zhou Zhou shifted away in disgust, wanting to ignore him.

Why is he here again? This character isn’t even in the novel.

Ignoring the system, Zhou Zhou took a bite of the tomato and eggs. It was surprisingly delicious.

“Hey, Classmate Zhou, I’m talking to you.” The guy slapped a hand onto Zhou Zhou’s back. The force made Zhou Zhou’s spine snap straight, and he let out a soft groan of surprise.

Wait, what is he doing? Hold on, Host, let me check the logs and see what went wrong. Before 031 could finish, the person sitting opposite Zhou Zhou—Shanda—snapped to his feet.

Shanda instantly grabbed the guy’s wrist. Before Zhou Zhou could even process what was happening, the purple-shirted guy was on the ground, clutching his wrist in agony.

“Who gave you permission to touch him?”

Zhou Zhou felt a phantom pain. Looking at the guy’s twisted expression, he looked up at Shanda. This man was truly massive when he stood up, and he was ruthless. He thought he’d heard the sound of a bone snapping.

Clutching his own wrist, Zhou Zhou shrunk back. Through the lens of the purple-shirted guy, he saw his own future. No—his end would probably be even worse.

Zhou Zhou looked at Shanda, unable to understand why he would stand up for him.

The guy in purple scrambled up and caught sight of the tray on the table. He reached out, intent on throwing the food at Shanda. Zhou Zhou’s pupils contracted; in the blink of an eye, he threw himself in front of Shanda. But the expected splash of soup didn’t fall on him.

In a total backfire, the soup and rice were dumped right onto the purple-shirted guy’s head, while Zhou Zhou found himself tucked safely into Shanda’s protective embrace.

While he was still dazed, the system let out a ding.

Congratulations, Zhou Zhou! You have completed the ‘Provoke the Male Lead’ mission. Progress: 10%.

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