The Cannon Fodder Roles I Play All Become White Moonlights [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 10

Ling Yuanbai’s car was so immaculate that not a speck of dust could be seen, a clear indication of its owner’s obsessive cleanliness.

Su Qingmeng wasn’t surprised by his fastidiousness, but she was taken aback to see him smoking. After pulling her out of the pawnshop, he had driven to this remote wetland area, parked by the side, and lit a cigarette.

In such a desolate wilderness, even disposing of a body would go unnoticed.

Ling Yuanbai had actually started smoking in middle school, though he had never done it in front of others. No matter the situation, he always maintained the image of the flawless and outstanding heir to the Ling family. But over the past two days, listening to Su Qingmeng’s meaningless conversations and irritatingly ambiguous exchanges with Fang Mo, as well as her unrestrained soliloquies, he found himself tempted to break his own rule and smoke in her presence.

He glanced sideways at Su Qingmeng, noticing no trace of surprise in her eyes. He let out a derisive chuckle, realizing she must have seen the scar on his hand that day.

Su Qingmeng was far too clever, so much so that he couldn’t help but want to probe deeper into her thoughts.

After finishing his cigarette, he took out a car vacuum cleaner to tidy up, then sprayed himself with perfume to mask the lingering scent of smoke.

Su Qingmeng laughed without a care for her image. Ling Yuanbai glanced at her again; her laughter shook her entire frame, yet it didn’t come across as unrefined. Instead, it carried a wild kind of beauty, more striking than the demure facade she usually wore.

Once her laughter subsided, she propped her head up with one hand, like a languid cat, and asked, “Aren’t you tired of living like this, Senior Ling?”

Ling Yuanbai ignored her question and countered, “Thinking of selling the ruby necklace?”

Su Qingmeng’s eyes darted cleverly as she put on an earnest expression. “Cui Minmin recognized this necklace and said you were the one who bought it. If I keep wearing it, people might misunderstand…”

Ling Yuanbai chuckled softly, as if he had anticipated her response. He pointed out matter-of-factly, “Didn’t you tell her it was a fake? Fang Mo wouldn’t know the difference.”

“But I’m close with Yao Qing, and she can tell,” Su Qingmeng had already prepared her excuse.

Ling Yuanbai gave her a fleeting glance and extended his hand. Obediently, she retrieved the necklace from her bag.

“Come closer,” Ling Yuanbai invited her near, catching a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. It reminded him of the coy, soft tone she had used when asking Fang Mo to fasten the necklace for her.

She was far more at ease with Fang Mo than with him. With him, there was always a moment of calculation, however brief. If he hadn’t witnessed her demeanor toward Fang Mo, he might not have noticed the subtle distinction.

Ling Yuanbai didn’t particularly like that distinction.

Su Qingmeng obediently leaned her neck forward. Her fragrance was faint, yet it overpowered the perfume he had just sprayed. His hand paused slightly before deftly clasping the necklace back into place.

“Don’t take it off again,” Ling Yuanbai said coolly. “I have the gemstone appraisal certificate and the auction receipt for this necklace. If you dare try to sell it, the Ling Corporation’s legal team will ensure you’re convicted of theft.”

It was a blatant threat.

“Since it’s so valuable…” Su Qingmeng hesitated, intending to return the necklace to him.

“It belongs on you. Don’t make me unhappy again,” Ling Yuanbai stated.

Su Qingmeng looked at him, trying to find any clues on his face. Using such valuable jewelry as a bug and tracker, she couldn’t fathom Ling Yuanbai’s thought process. In any case, it wasn’t quite normal.

In fact, she had sensed his abnormality the first time she met him. Whether it was because he had learned about his background early on or something else…

Her gaze inadvertently swept over his wristwatch. Ling Yuanbai noticed it keenly and glanced outside. The wetland was bordered by tall reeds, even if someone were killed here, no one would ever find out.

“Su Qingmeng,” he suddenly called her full name, then turned to look at her with unusual seriousness, “Wear your mask properly in front of others. Don’t take it off.”

Be like him, someone who wears a mask, and descend into the darkness with him. Don’t put it on so casually and take it off so easily, making his pretense a joke. That would only breed jealousy and a desire for destruction in him.

Su Qingmeng knew it would be difficult to get rid of this necklace. Once you provoke a venomous snake, it’s never easy to shake it off.

She flashed Ling Yuanbai a carefree smile, unrestrained and unmasked.

Ling Yuanbai saw her provocation and responded with a subtle smile of his own. He knew Su Qingmeng was clever and knew how to read the situation.

Their meeting ended quietly. After confirming that Su Qingmeng continued to wear the necklace, Ling Yuanbai made no further contact with her.

Su Qingmeng went on with her life as usual, taking the bus to school with Fang Mo every day and returning with him to the tenement building late at night. Almost everyone at school knew she was Fang Mo’s girlfriend.

Lu Yaoqing felt a little jealous. She wanted the whole school to know that Su Qingmeng was her good friend. She protested to Su Qingmeng, “You can’t only have lunch with me when Fang Mo isn’t at school. How can a guy compare to sisterhood?”

Su Qingmeng thought she made a good point, so she dedicated her lunchtimes to Lu Yaoqing. The two became inseparable at school. Occasionally, when they ran into Fang Mo, Su Qingmeng would smile at him before dragging Lu Yaoqing away.

“I feel like you’re eloping with me,” Lu Yaoqing said, pleased.

Fang Mo, on the other hand, felt somewhat unaccustomed to it. He had always eaten alone before, but when he saw Su Qingmeng and Lu Yaoqing laughing and chatting together during lunch, a faint bitterness lingered on his tongue.

Seizing an appropriate opportunity, Fang Mo had a talk with Shen Yue, and soon after, he publicly resigned from his job at the Western restaurant.

When Fang Tinglan saw Fang Mo staying home in the evening, she was surprised. “Xiao Mo, aren’t you going to work?”

Fang Mo replied, “I quit the restaurant. I’m looking for a new job these days.”

Fang Tinglan immediately grew enthusiastic and brought up the construction site job again. Fang Mo stared coldly at her beaming face and abruptly asked, “Do you know that construction site belongs to the Ling Group?”

Fang Tinglan was left speechless, stammering and unable to form a response.

Ling Yuanbai also received the news of Fang Mo’s resignation from the Western restaurant. Calculating the time, it had only been half a month since he tasked Su Qingmeng with this matter. The ease of it all made him suspicious. He arranged to meet Su Qingmeng again, in the same KTV private room.

From Su Qingmeng’s eyes, he could discern nothing. If she wasn’t an exceptionally skilled actress, then Fang Mo must have noticed something.

He never underestimated Fang Mo. As for Su Qingmeng, Ling Yuanbai smiled faintly and, as agreed, arranged a comprehensive physical examination for the orphanage director before settling her into a private hospital under the Ling Group.

The orphanage director, Su Xing, was aware of her illness, but being poor, and Su Qingmeng even less well-off, giving up treatment seemed the best option. Suddenly being admitted to such a high-end private hospital left her deeply uneasy.

Su Qingmeng lied to her, claiming the private hospital was recruiting volunteers to test new medication and had coincidentally selected her.

Su Xing was half-convinced, repeatedly insisting on abandoning treatment. Seeing her like this, Su Qingmeng felt a pang of sorrow. She coaxed Su Xing into staying by explaining that they had signed an agreement upon admission and leaving now would incur a penalty for breach of contract. Only then did Su Xing give up the idea of leaving.

After lulling Su Xing to sleep, Su Qingmeng stepped out of the ward and saw Ling Yuanbai standing at the end of the corridor. Leaning against the window, the breeze tousling his bangs, he looked clean and crisp in his pristine casual wear, deceptively respectable.

She walked up behind him, but Ling Yuanbai didn’t turn to look at her. He had overheard her gentle reassurances in the ward. The more Su Qingmeng cared for Su Xing, the easier she would be to control, yet hearing her tender, soothing voice inexplicably irritated him.

“Su Qingmeng,” he called out without turning, his gaze fixed on the distance, “I’m not a philanthropist. Don’t make me wait too long.”

He was tired of listening daily to the intimate whispers and ambiguous sounds between Su Qingmeng and Fang Mo, especially those that sparked endless speculation.

Su Qingmeng lowered her gaze and asked softly with a smile, “What matters most to you, Senior Ling?”

Naturally, Ling Yuanbai didn’t answer.

“Yuanbai!” Someone called from behind. Both of them turned quickly. At the other end of the corridor stood a woman who appeared to be in her early thirties.

Her skin was unnaturally pale, and even with makeup and lipstick, she couldn’t conceal her bloodless complexion. Her striking phoenix eyes, slightly upturned, didn’t look fierce but instead held a hazy allure.

Her eyes and brows resembled someone’s. No, it was more accurate to say Fang Mo’s features closely mirrored hers, especially the eyes.

Madam Ling, Yao Jia.

Su Qingmeng recalled the plot. Yao Jia’s role wasn’t extensive. Later, when Fang Mo officially entered the business world, most of his conflicts were with Ling Yuanbai and Ling’s father. The few times mother and son crossed paths, they acted like strangers. It wasn’t until Fang Mo sent Ling Yuanbai to prison that Yao Jia suddenly sought him out, revealing he was her son and pleading for him to spare Ling Yuanbai. Yet now, the way Yao Jia looked at Ling Yuanbai was strange and complex.

Something felt off to Su Qingmeng, or perhaps there were elements in these swapped identities plot that the storyline hadn’t mentioned.

Ling Yuanbai visibly stiffened and quickly walked over to Yao Jia. “Mom, why did you come alone?”

“Why are you at the hospital? Did he hit you again?” she asked anxiously.

“No…” Ling Yuanbai’s expression softened momentarily, but he quickly glanced back at Su Qingmeng. Taking the hint, she politely greeted them and left.

Fang Mo quickly found a new part-time job, this time working as a network administrator at an internet cafe. Compared to the restaurant, this was much more convenient for Su Qingmeng. While he worked, she could sit right beside him.

During his free moments, he would type something on the computer, strings of characters Su Qingmeng couldn’t understand. She simply sat there playing on her phone. Through her efforts over this period, she had doubled the number of people under the “backup” label left by the original host. Compared to the original, her conversational skills were far more refined, skillfully enticing a group of hopefuls who were eagerly waiting for her to break up with Fang Mo. Some even tried to play the “green tea” act around her, subtly criticizing Fang Mo.

Fang Mo glanced briefly and saw someone had sent Su Qingmeng a message: [Mengmeng, you’re so gentle, but as a guy, I’m telling you, men shouldn’t be spoiled. Especially someone like Fang Mo, who always puts on a sour face. You really shouldn’t indulge him.]

Su Qingmeng replied with a smiling emoji, then looked up to meet Fang Mo’s shadowed expression. She only laughed more delightedly.

Fang Mo pursed his lips, then turned and set up a computer for her. “Let’s play a game.”

Su Qingmeng looked at him. He pointed expressionlessly at her gemstone necklace, as if all of this were merely to deceive Ling Yuanbai.

Once in the game, Su Qingmeng couldn’t help but laugh. Watching Fang Mo’s clumsy movements, it was clear he rarely played games, yet he still wanted to carry her. But genius was genius; Fang Mo quickly grasped the mechanics and effortlessly carried Su Qingmeng to victory.

During a team dungeon, everyone turned on their mics for convenience, except Fang Mo and Su Qingmeng. One girl in the team clung to Fang Mo, incessantly calling him “Gege” in an overly sweet tone.

Su Qingmeng let out a soft tsk. The moment the girl called Fang Mo “Gege” again, Su Qingmeng suddenly turned on her mic and called out, “Hubby, come help me!”

Her voice was melodious, and with the delivery of a voice actor, that single word “hubby” sent shivers down everyone’s spines. The other guys in the team went wild, some even boldly asking who Su Qingmeng was calling “hubby.”

Resting her chin on her hand, Su Qingmeng glanced teasingly at Fang Mo.

Fang Mo’s character faltered slightly, but he was the first to step in and take damage for Su Qingmeng.

Deliberately using a cutesy voice, Su Qingmeng said, “Thank you, hubby!”

Fang Mo’s Adam’s apple bobbed violently. He pressed his lips together expressionlessly, but the tips of his ears flushed red, betraying his calm.

After the game, Su Qingmeng seemed addicted to calling him “hubby.” She continued, “Hubby, you’re in computer science, how come I’ve never seen you use a laptop?”

Fang Mo turned and gazed at Su Qingmeng for a long moment before answering, “I don’t have one. I use my advisor’s at school.”

“Then, does your wifey need to buy one for you?” Su Qingmeng said with a laugh.

Seeing her grow more and more carried away, Fang Mo, unusually flustered, called her name: “Su Qingmeng.”

The sound of her bright laughter filled his ears. Fang Mo glanced sideways at the gleeful girl and found himself smiling unconsciously.

“Su Qingmeng…” Ling Yuanbai sat in his car, removing the eavesdropping headphones. Even without seeing her, he could recognize the joy in Su Qingmeng’s laughter.

She’s really enjoying dating Fang Mo.

He pulled a cigarette from the glove compartment, took two deep drags, and out of habit, he almost tried to mask the smell of smoke but abruptly stopped. He drove back to the Ling residence just like that and went to the study to see his father, Ling Qin.

Upon seeing him, Ling Qin furrowed his brows, pulled out a leather belt, and lashed it fiercely across Ling Yuanbai’s back. “I’ve said it before, the Ling family does not tolerate the smell of cigarettes.”

The whip continued to fall, stroke after stroke, each one tearing open the flesh on his back. The thin autumn clothes were soon stained with blood.

Ling Yuanbai silently curled the corner of his lips. Su Qingmeng, you see, this is the price of not wearing a mask.