The Cannon Fodder Crazy Beauty Has Awakened [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 62.1

“So, in your heart, I don’t even qualify as a lover?”

Gu Lanqiu’s evening engagement wasn’t a particularly formal dinner,just a casual meal with a few business partners.

She hadn’t planned on going, but one of them had been especially insistent, repeatedly urging her to attend.

This person was something of a mentor to her, having helped her a great deal in the past few years, so Gu Lanqiu didn’t want to refuse out of courtesy.

As she stood in front of the mirror adjusting her collar, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind.

Jiang Mengyu embraced Gu Lanqiu from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder, her voice whispering close to Gu Lanqiu’s ear, “Lanqiu.”

[Don’t go…]

Warmth spread from her back, and Gu Lanqiu felt the faint, teasing breaths against her neck. Her body tensed before relaxing, her gaze shifting to meet Jiang Mengyu’s in the mirror.

Jiang Mengyu was also watching her through the reflection.

Their eyes locked, and the air between them seemed to grow warmer.

Gu Lanqiu didn’t consider herself the clingy, sentimental type, but whenever she was with Jiang Mengyu, she found herself easily stirred by emotion, and kissing became an almost inevitable occurrence.

Sometimes, just a shared glance was enough for their lips to unconsciously meet.

Jiang Mengyu was a skilled kisser gentle and probing at first, then deepening with an intensity that made Gu Lanqiu feel as though she might be devoured whole.

Gu Lanqiu never asked why she was so practiced.

Some things were better left unspoken, and dwelling on them would only make her feel worse.

Even if, deep down, there was still a faint, lingering discomfort.

Jiang Mengyu was clingy.

It was only today that Gu Lanqiu realized Jiang Mengyu had actually been holding back before.

The two of them had barely been apart all day.

Gu Lanqiu pressed her lips together, still feeling the lingering numbness and faint sting.

Seeing that the woman behind her still refused to let go, Gu Lanqiu exhaled softly. “You…”

Do you want to come with me?

The words nearly slipped out before she swallowed them back.

Their relationship wasn’t defined yet, and bringing Jiang Mengyu to such an occasion wouldn’t be appropriate especially since Jiang Mengyu was still injured.

Gu Lanqiu changed course. “Don’t drive yourself tonight. I’ll have Old Liu pick you up.”

The reckless way Jiang Mengyu drove still left Gu Lanqiu uneasy.

“Mm.” Jiang Mengyu murmured in agreement.

Her lips brushed lightly against Gu Lanqiu’s neck and earlobe, her embrace tightening as if trying to envelop her completely.

Perhaps Gu Lanqiu couldn’t smell it herself, but she was practically steeped in the scent of jasmine by now.

“Stop kissing me.” Gu Lanqiu pushed Jiang Mengyu away.

She still had to go out and meet people.

Her tone was neutral, but her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she was struggling to hold back.

Jiang Mengyu paused. “You don’t like it?”

It wasn’t about liking or disliking.

Gu Lanqiu thought to herself, if they kept this up, she wouldn’t be able to leave tonight.

Her lower back and legs still ached faintly. When she had showered earlier, she’d seen the sheer number of love bites covering her body, enough that if anyone else saw, they’d think she’d been abused.

“Let go first.” She didn’t pay attention to the question Jiang Mengyu had asked.

Jiang Mengyu slowly released her grip. She watched as Gu Lanqiu fastened the buttons on her blouse and put on her wristwatch. Only after everything was properly arranged did Gu Lanqiu turn to face Jiang Mengyu.

“Wait for my message.”

“Okay.”

Seeing Jiang Mengyu’s obedient demeanor, Gu Lanqiu’s heart softened a little. She leaned in and kissed Jiang Mengyu on the lips. “I’m leaving.”

The gesture was tender enough, but once she turned away, she walked off without looking back.

Jiang Mengyu watched Gu Lanqiu leave.

Her phone buzzed twice in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw a message from Zhou Xinying.

[When are you free to meet?]

[There’s something I want to talk to you about.]

There wasn’t a trace of surprise in Jiang Mengyu’s eyes. She casually replied with “tomorrow” before putting her phone away.

Zhou Xinying’s reaction was within her expectations.

From the moment Zhou Xinying’s favorability points increased last night, Jiang Mengyu had guessed she would take the initiative to reach out.

A romance novel’s female lead? A straight girl?

Not necessarily.

It wasn’t until Gu Lanqiu arrived that she understood why Old Chen had insisted on her coming.

“Lianxi?”

The woman standing with her back to her turned around, revealing a face that was all too familiar to Gu Lanqiu.

Fu Lianxi had been Gu Lanqiu’s college roommate. The two had been quite close during their university years and had stayed in touch even after graduation.

But later, Fu Lianxi chose to teach in rural areas, and their opportunities to meet gradually dwindled.

Seeing Fu Lianxi here so suddenly filled Gu Lanqiu with a fair amount of surprise.

“Lanqiu.” Fu Lianxi gazed deeply at her. “Long time no see.”

The woman standing before her was just as radiantly beautiful as she had been ten years ago, though compared to their college days, she now carried a more composed and steady air.

Fu Lianxi’s eyes grew slightly warm, but she skillfully masked it by lowering her gaze.

“Well, Lanqiu? Didn’t I say I had a surprise for you?” Old Chen said with a smile.

Gu Lanqiu snapped out of her thoughts. “Yes.”

The corners of her lips curled slightly.

The room was crowded, and the murmurs of thoughts in her ears were chaotic.

Ever since gaining the ability to read minds, Gu Lanqiu had avoided crowded places too noisy, too overwhelming for her ears.

She exhaled softly and was about to sit beside Fu Lianxi when Fu Lianxi’s voice suddenly echoed in her ears.

[Lanqiu is still so beautiful.]

[So good.]

Gu Lanqiu paused and turned to look at Fu Lianxi.

Compared to their last meeting, Fu Lianxi seemed a little darker and thinner, but her spirit was brighter, her eyes sparkling with vitality.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?” Gu Lanqiu asked casually as she sat down.

“It was a last-minute decision. I wanted to surprise you,” Fu Lianxi replied with a smile. “Here, have some tea to soothe your throat.”

As she spoke, she handed a teacup to Gu Lanqiu.

When Gu Lanqiu reached out to take it, she instinctively cupped the bottom of the cup, avoiding any contact with Fu Lianxi’s fingers.

Fu Lianxi’s movements faltered almost imperceptibly.

[What does Lanqiu mean by that?]

Gu Lanqiu was also taken aback. Was there something unusual about her behavior?

Why would Fu Lianxi react this way?

Frowning slightly, Gu Lanqiu paid closer attention to Fu Lianxi’s reactions, but from then on, Fu Lianxi behaved entirely normally, showing no further signs of anything amiss.

The meal wrapped up around 9:50, just as Gu Lanqiu had anticipated.

After seeing Elder Chen and the others off at the door, Gu Lanqiu lowered her head to send a message to Jiang Mengyu when someone suddenly tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

“Lanqiu.”

Fu Lianxi asked softly, “Are you heading back now?”

From her tone, Gu Lanqiu sensed there might be more to it. “What’s up?”

“I invited Lingyi. How about we go grab a couple of drinks later?”

Gu Lanqiu frowned. She had promised Jiang Mengyu that she would pick her up at ten.

Noticing the hesitation in her eyes, Fu Lianxi’s gaze subtly flickered over Gu Lanqiu’s phone screen. “Don’t worry, it won’t take too long.”

“Actually, I’m here on business and might be leaving in a couple of days.”

Gu Lanqiu lowered her eyes slightly. “Alright.”

She didn’t refuse again.

Fu Lianxi exhaled in relief. “Lingyi said she booked our usual spot. Shall we head over now?”

“Mm.”

Gu Lanqiu seemed somewhat distracted. Fu Lianxi noticed but didn’t comment.

Old Liu had driven Gu Lanqiu here earlier, but she had already sent him back to pick up Jiang Mengyu. Now, the two could only take a cab.

Once in the car, Fu Lanqiu noticed Gu Lanqiu typing continuously. After a while, her phone suddenly buzzed someone was calling.

It was Jiang Mengyu.

She was already on her way.

The partition between the seats was raised, and the car was so quiet that only Jiang Mengyu’s breathing could be heard. She was resting with her eyes closed when her phone, lying on her lap, unexpectedly buzzed twice.

Jiang Mengyu picked it up and saw a message from Gu Lanqiu:

[Something came up last minute. You can head back first.]

Jiang Mengyu lowered the partition and asked Old Liu, “How much farther?”

Old Liu replied, “Just a few kilometers from the restaurant where Director Gu had dinner.”

Jiang Mengyu typed quickly: [Did something happen?]

Gu Lanqiu wouldn’t go back on her word without reason. Even during her busiest work trips, when she barely slept for days, she had always made time to visit Jiang Mengyu in the hospital. There was no way she’d suddenly ask her to turn back now.

Gu Lanqiu replied almost instantly.

Since they had first added each other as contacts, this was the first time Gu Lanqiu had responded so quickly.

[Ran into a friend. Going out for a few drinks.]

A friend?

Someone who could make Gu Lanqiu change her plans on the spot—definitely not just any friend.

In the original story, Gu Lanqiu didn’t have many friends mentioned. Wen Lingyi had the most scenes, but there was another person who left a deep impression on Jiang Mengyu.

Gu Lanqiu’s college roommate, Fu Lianxi.

In the original story, she appeared only after Gu Lanqiu’s car accident. Though Gu Lanqiu was fine now, timing-wise, it seemed about right.

Jiang Mengyu called directly, but Gu Lanqiu declined the call.

Gu Lanqiu: [Someone’s here.]

Jiang Mengyu: [Oh.]

Her displeasure was obvious, and Gu Lanqiu knew she was in the wrong.

In the past, she wouldn’t have bothered explaining to Jiang Mengyu, but now she patiently typed:

[College roommate.]

[Haven’t seen her in years.]

So it was Fu Lianxi.

Jiang Mengyu’s expression grew even colder.

[I’m almost there.]

When she had sent the earlier message, there were only a few kilometers left. Now, it was probably just a few hundred meters.

Seeing this, Gu Lanqiu’s frown deepened.

She replied: [Go back first.]

She didn’t know how late she’d be drinking tonight, and Jiang Mengyu was still injured, she shouldn’t stay up late. Besides, hadn’t she mentioned feeling unwell earlier today?

Gu Lanqiu thought this to herself but didn’t bother explaining further.

Her words didn’t sound particularly caring if anything, they carried a hint of impatience and annoyance.

Jiang Mengyu’s expression was unreadable. It took her a long moment before she replied: [Okay.]

She always spoke like this.

Seeing Jiang Mengyu’s response, Gu Lanqiu didn’t think much of it.

She felt she had already made herself clear, it was just a gathering with her college roommates, not some unfamiliar crowd.

The fact that she even bothered explaining to Jiang Mengyu was already a sign of patience on her part.

Gu Lanqiu: [You should rest early.]

After sending this message, it took a full two minutes before she received Jiang Mengyu’s reply.

[Mm.]

Only then did Gu Lanqiu realize that Jiang Mengyu might still be upset.

Because she had stood her up?

Thinking of the anticipation in Jiang Mengyu’s eyes, Gu Lanqiu’s fingers paused briefly over the screen.

But she was already on her way to the bar, with Fu Lianxi sitting beside her, occasionally glancing her way.

After a moment’s hesitation, Gu Lanqiu decided not to say anything else.

She’d make it up to Jiang Mengyu when she got back.

To her, this wasn’t a big deal.

It never crossed her mind that Jiang Mengyu might not forgive her.

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