The Cannon Fodder Crazy Beauty Has Awakened [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 53.2

She was the first person to realize the host wasn’t the original.

But then again, it was the host’s fault, she hadn’t even bothered to pretend.

031 even suspected that the host had deliberately let Zhou Xinying sense something was off.

Hearing this, Jiang Mengyu turned her gaze back to Zhou Xinying, her expression unchanged. “Have you been infected by Xu Zeyan too?”

“Or do you still prefer the feeling of being crushed until you only dare to hide in a corner and cry and not even cry too loudly?”

She was admitting that she had done it all on purpose.

Even though Zhou Xinying was used to it, hearing these words still stirred up an unavoidable surge of anger in her heart. “I don’t understand.”

She took a deep breath. “You already have everything, and Dad likes you more. Why do you still have to target me?”

Jiang Mengyu’s tone was casual. “Why would you ask a villain for reasons?”

Did villains even need a reason to do bad things?

“I thought you’d grown up.”

Jiang Mengyu leaned back against the headboard, her body frail and sickly, yet her words sharp as a blade. “But you’re still as naive as you were as a child.”

Zhou Xinying clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms, lips pressed tightly together in silence.

Jiang Mengyu added lazily, “Just like that dog you raised.”

Zhou Xinying’s breath hitched. She snapped her gaze up. “What did you say?”

Jiang Mengyu met her eyes calmly. “Isn’t that so?”

“Dirty, skinny as a skeleton, wagging its tail at anyone who came near.”

“I thought you might finally be brave for it, but you’re still the same useless waste I remember, only daring to hide it away and sneak glances when no one was looking.”

Zhou Xinying stared at Jiang Mengyu for a long moment before finally speaking in a hoarse voice. “Was it you? The one who fed Biscuit?”

She had named the little yellow-furred dog Biscuit.

“If it weren’t for me, it would have starved to death long ago.”

Jiang Mengyu’s voice was indifferent. “You raised it so carefully, thinking it belonged only to you.”

“But all I did was toss it a couple of bones, and it wagged its tail at me ever since.”

“Zhou Xinying, do you still think you have what it takes to compete with me?”

Everything Zhou Xinying had ever gotten was just what Jiang Mengyu didn’t want, handouts thrown her way.

Zhou Xinying had never felt so powerless before. She knew Jiang Mengyu was cruel, foolish, and far from a good person.

As a child, she had hated her, resented her. But as she grew older, that hatred had turned into cold indifference, watching Jiang Mengyu make a fool of herself from the sidelines.

Zhou Xinying had always found Jiang Mengyu laughable someone who craved wealth and status more than anyone, yet pretended to be above worldly desires.

But now Jiang Mengyu was telling her it had all been an act, a performance. And now that Jiang Mengyu was done playing, she had kicked over the stage without a second thought.

How dare she?!

Zhou Xinying’s breathing grew ragged. “I don’t believe you!”

“Are you trying to trick me again?”

Jiang Mengyu coughed lightly, her voice muffled. “I’m tired.”

“Leave.”

She couldn’t even be bothered to explain further.

This was what Zhou Xinying hated most about her, that no matter what she did, Jiang Mengyu treated it as insignificant.

Wasn’t the reason she had endured Xu Zeyan’s games all this time just so she could one day expose the truth and crush Jiang Mengyu into the dirt?

Zhou Xinying just wanted to prove she wasn’t the same helpless waste from childhood, the one who could only suffer Jiang Mengyu’s bullying.

Why did Jiang Mengyu have to shatter her illusions again, stealing away her hope?

Looking at Jiang Mengyu now her eyes half-lidded, lips pale Zhou Xinying felt as though the woman before her was a demon wrapped in a beautiful shell, rotten to the core.

[Ding! Target Zhou Xinying’s favorability -10. Current cumulative favorability: 129.]

Zhou Xinying suddenly stood up, gritted her teeth, and said, “I won’t let this go so easily.”

Jiang Mengyu didn’t want to play anymore?

Well, that would depend on whether she agreed or not!

Who said she could just end things whenever she wanted?

She grabbed her bag and strode out, her retreating figure radiating anger.

The sound of high heels gradually faded into the distance. Jiang Mengyu lifted her eyelids again to watch Zhou Xinying leave, while the wails of System No. 031 echoed in her ears.

[Host, after the male lead, are you planning to thoroughly antagonize the female lead too?]

There were only four mission targets in total. If the favorability levels of two of them were too low, even maxing out the other two wouldn’t be enough to complete the mission.

System No. 031 couldn’t understand what its host was trying to do.

And those words Jiang Mengyu had said, if No. 031 hadn’t read the original novel, it might have actually believed her.

It had never met anyone more adept at spinning tales than Jiang Mengyu!

The host was especially skilled at weaving half-truths and outright lies from existing information, leaving others utterly bewildered.

Jiang Mengyu ignored it, letting No. 031 rage in her mind.

The doorway of the hospital room was silent, devoid of any sound, but Jiang Mengyu knew someone was outside.

It was Gu Lanqiu.

Gu Lanqiu was indeed outside.

In fact, she had arrived shortly after Zhou Xinying entered. It wasn’t that Gu Lanqiu had come specifically to eavesdrop, she had just left Xu Zeyan’s hospital room and thought she might as well drop by to see Jiang Mengyu.

Xu Zeyan had been traumatized, his spirit seemingly shattered. He couldn’t bear the slightest noise, especially the sound of knocking, it terrified him.

Gu Lanqiu found it pointless to stay long. She’d rather watch Jiang Mengyu paint than waste time observing Xu Zeyan’s breakdown.

Come to think of it, Gu Lanqiu realized that being around Jiang Mengyu had an oddly calming effect on her.

She wasn’t sure where Jiang Mengyu’s faint jasmine scent came from, but just breathing it in for a while eased her work fatigue considerably.

Just as she reached the door, however, she heard arguing inside. Gu Lanqiu stopped her bodyguard from knocking and stood quietly outside, listening.

When the voices finally died down and the hospital room door was pulled open from within, Gu Lanqiu met Zhou Xinying’s gaze head-on without a trace of embarrassment at being caught eavesdropping.

“Miss Zhou.”

“President Gu.” Zhou Xinying nodded politely.

Gu Lanqiu’s gaze swept over Zhou Xinying’s face. Her ears remained silent not a single sound.

Was Zhou Xinying’s mind truly free of distractions?

Or was it simply that she couldn’t hear Zhou Xinying’s thoughts at all?

Since gaining the ability to read minds, this was the first time Gu Lanqiu had encountered someone whose thoughts she couldn’t hear. Her eyes flickered with contemplation.

Zhou Xinying found her gaze unsettling like a cold, scrutinizing sweep, filled with probing assessment.

A shiver ran down her spine, and she instinctively averted her eyes. “President Gu, I’ll take my leave.”

“Mm.” Gu Lanqiu didn’t press further.

As Zhou Xinying brushed past her, she glanced back after a few steps. Gu Lanqiu was no longer there instead, the hospital room door had been left slightly ajar.

Gu Lanqiu seemed unusually concerned about Jiang Mengyu.

Just what was their relationship?

Gu Lanqiu didn’t mention running into Zhou Xinying at the door.

Jiang Mengyu didn’t tell her what she had discussed with Zhou Xinying either, as the two maintained an unspoken understanding between them.

The afternoon sun was just right, so the caregiver opened the window. She then took the water kettle out to refill it, leaving the space to the two of them.

A warm breeze carried a faint floral fragrance, and Gu Lanqiu suddenly thought of the scent that seemed to linger around Jiang Mengyu. Her heart stirred slightly.

“Are you wearing perfume?” she asked.

Jiang Mengyu, who was bending over to retrieve a book from the shelf, paused at the question. “What?”

Gu Lanqiu didn’t overthink it. “It smells like jasmine.”

Jiang Mengyu lifted her wrist and sniffed lightly. The scent was faint, so subtle she could barely detect it herself.

Could Gu Lanqiu really smell it?

Jiang Mengyu gave her a deep, lingering look.

For a fleeting moment, Gu Lanqiu felt as though Jiang Mengyu was seeing someone else through her.

She frowned. “What are you thinking about?”

Jiang Mengyu snapped out of her thoughts. “The you from my past life once said the same thing.”

Gu Lanqiu suppressed the strange, fleeting sensation in her chest.

She didn’t mind if Jiang Mengyu saw her as someone else after all, this game would only last a month.

“So, what is that scent?” Gu Lanqiu pressed again.

“Maybe it’s my pheromones,” Jiang Mengyu replied offhandedly.

Pheromones?

What was that?

Gu Lanqiu assumed Jiang Mengyu was brushing her off.

If she didn’t want to explain, Gu Lanqiu wouldn’t push. But the sudden indifference drained her patience entirely. She stood up abruptly. “I have work to do at the company. I’ll head out first.”

Without giving Jiang Mengyu a chance to respond, she turned and left.

Jiang Mengyu could only watch as her figure disappeared through the door.

After that parting, Gu Lanqiu didn’t visit Jiang Mengyu for days.

The caregiver had no idea what had happened between them, but she noticed Jiang Mengyu growing increasingly distracted, even losing interest in painting, which she had once loved.

Jiang Mengyu’s gaze would unconsciously drift toward the door, her dark eyes lighting up at the slightest sound, as if brimming with anticipation.

But the visitor was never Gu Lanqiu.

In just a few days, Jiang Mengyu seemed to grow even more haggard, sinking deeper into silence.

The caregiver couldn’t help but feel sympathy. When reporting Jiang Mengyu’s condition to Gu Lanqiu, she added a few kind words on her behalf.

[Ms. Jiang seems to miss you a lot.]

But Gu Lanqiu didn’t reply.

She rarely responded to Jiang Mengyu anyway. It was only through Secretary Zhao’s social media that Jiang Mengyu learned Gu Lanqiu had gone on a business trip.

The photo showed a crowd, yet Gu Lanqiu still stood firmly at the center.

She wore a crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal slender wrists, her neck elegant and fair beneath the collar. Her wavy hair cascaded naturally, exuding a poised, mature charm.

Jiang Mengyu switched back to their chat and sent a message:

[Lanqiu.]

[So, you’re on a business trip?]

[I didn’t know.]

Her tone carried a hint of barely concealed grievance.

The message was sent, but Gu Lanqiu didn’t reply.

It wasn’t until late at night that Jiang Mengyu’s phone finally buzzed twice.

A message from Gu Lanqiu.

[Gu Lanqiu: Ms. Jiang, I believe our relationship isn’t quite at the stage where I need to report my whereabouts to you.]

[Don’t you think?]

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