The Cannon Fodder Roles I Play All Become White Moonlights [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 12

“Yaoqing, didn’t you say you were coming to the teahouse? Why haven’t I seen you?”

“I’m not feeling well, so I won’t be going. You all have fun.” Lu Yaoqing replied absentmindedly. She had agreed to meet someone at 5 p.m., but she had misread the time and arrived at the teahouse at 3 p.m. Unexpectedly, she ran into Su Qingmeng and Ling Yuanbai.

Her mind drifted back to the conversation between the two. Glancing down at the bag in her hand, the one Su Qingmeng had passed on to her, she realized it was the cheapest among all her bags, yet it was the one she had been carrying most often lately. It was because she genuinely admired Su Qingmeng.

In her heart, Su Qingmeng was the epitome of perfection, and Ling Yuanbai was the gentlest older brother figure. But the words they had exchanged completely shattered the images she held of them. Now, she had no idea what to do and didn’t want to see anyone.

【Yaoqing, are you free tonight? Can we meet? 】 She looked down at her phone. This message had been sent by Su Qingmeng two hours ago, and she hadn’t replied.

Just moments ago, Su Qingmeng sent another message, a photo of the school bus stop. Su Qingmeng wrote: 【I’m at the bus stop. Where are you now?】

Lu Yaoqing hesitated before replying: 【I’ve already gone home and don’t feel like coming back.】

Su Qingmeng quickly responded: 【It’s alright. Let’s meet another day.】

Around 9 p.m., a rich second-generation friend sent her a message: 【I saw Su Qingmeng waiting alone at the bus stop for a long time, and Fang Mo wasn’t with her. Did they break up? You’re close with her, could you ask for me?】

Lu Yaoqing froze, then immediately drove back to the school. From a distance, she could see Su Qingmeng standing alone under the dim light of the bus stop.

Winter was approaching in the capital, yet Su Qingmeng was still wearing a thin trench coat. She cautiously glanced around and, thinking no one was watching, cupped her hands to her mouth to warm them with her breath. Lu Yaoqing couldn’t help but smile. Having spent so much time with Su Qingmeng, she knew about the childlike quirks hidden beneath her elegant exterior.

Su Qingmeng cared about her appearance but dreaded the cold. In public, she maintained an elegant and poised demeanor, but when she thought no one was looking, she would sneak her hands into Lu Yaoqing’s pockets to warm them, earning herself plenty of teasing.

Lu Yaoqing’s smile faded as she pursed her lips tightly. She pulled the car into the bus stop, rolled down the window, and forced a stern expression. “Get in.”

Su Qingmeng’s eyes lit up at the sight of her. She swiftly got into the car and complained softly, “I’m freezing! Is winter coming early this year?”

“I told you the temperature dropped these past few days, and you still wore a trench coat. Serves you right!” Lu Yaoqing retorted, though her stern expression unconsciously softened.

“But it looks good! This trench coat makes my waist look especially slim.” Su Qingmeng shared a smile with her, but then Lu Yaoqing’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, and her expression hardened again.

“Yaoqing, I’ve deceived many people, but I’ve never lied to you.” Su Qingmeng gave a wistful smile and asked, “Would you like to come to my place for a while?”

Su Qingmeng usually didn’t wear designer brands, but her outfits were always trendy and tasteful. Lu Yaoqing never expected her to live in a slum. The stairwell of the dilapidated apartment building had no lighting, and she nearly stumbled. Su Qingmeng caught her and, perhaps worried she might fall again, held her hand all the way. Her palm was slightly cool but firm, inexplicably making Lu Yaoqing feel at ease, so she didn’t pull away.

Compared to the shabby exterior, the interior of the apartment, though small, was cozy and instantly gave off a warm feeling.

Lu Yaoqing asked, “Are your parents not home?”

“I’m an orphan.” Lu Yaoqing stiffened, but Su Qingmeng continued nonchalantly, “Don’t let the rundown appearance fool you, this is just a temporary rental. I grew up in an orphanage, and once I started university, I felt it wasn’t right to keep living there. This place was the only one with rent I could afford.”

Lu Yaoqing widened her eyes in surprise.

Su Qingmeng asked her, “Did you overhear my conversation with Senior Ling at the teahouse?”

Before Lu Yaoqing could process the question, she answered honestly, “I arrived earlier than you two and didn’t expect to hear such a conversation.”

Recalling the words exchanged, she frowned again, unsure of what to say next, and awkwardly turned her head away to avoid looking at Su Qingmeng.

So she had heard everything. Su Qingmeng nodded, offering a pained smile as she apologized, “I’m sorry, Yaoqing. I’m really not as good as you thought. What Senior Ling said is all true?”

She looked on the verge of tears but forced a smile, which made Lu Yaoqing feel even worse. Angrily, she snapped, “Can you just speak plainly? Stop pretending to smile!”

“Mm…” Su Qingmeng dropped the smile and lowered her head. “Yaoqing, I, did start dating Fang Mo because of a deal with Senior Ling, but I genuinely wanted to be friends with you. Even though the bag was bought with his money, I truly meant to give it to you.”

She lifted her eyes to meet Lu Yaoqing’s gaze and, sensing her hesitation, sighed softly. “I grew up in an orphanage. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been mocked for wearing old clothes and for not having parents. Although the headmistress was very kind to me, I still envied my classmates. When I was nine, I finally met a couple who wanted to adopt me. Yaoqing, I was so happy then. I thought I’d finally have my own mom and dad.”

She didn’t look at Lu Yaoqing, as if lost in memory or struggling to recall, but just from her expression, Lu Yaoqing could tell it wasn’t a good story. She wanted to say Su Qingmeng didn’t have to continue, but Su Qingmeng went on, “Yaoqing, sometimes having both poverty and good looks isn’t a blessing. The man in that family had a thing for pretty little girls. They had money and status but also cared about their reputation, so they chose to adopt from the orphanage. Before me, several adopted girls had already been… abused to death…”

“Qingmeng…” Lu Yaoqing instinctively gripped Su Qingmeng’s hand. Su Qingmeng, however, smiled. “I’m fine. I was quite clever as a child. As soon as I sensed something wrong, I acted obedient and fooled everyone. I escaped from that family and returned to the orphanage. Thankfully, the headmistress was willing to take me back.”

“Probably because of the bad habits I picked up back then, I despise these wealthy men. Deceiving them and gaining benefits from them brings me joy, but I don’t deceive girls. That’s why I didn’t talk much to you when we first started school. But Yaoqing, you were the one who approached me. When you spoke to me back then, I thought you were really cute…” Su Qingmeng wiped away the tears in her eyes and returned to her usual demeanor.

Lu Yaoqing pursed her lips. “But Senior Fang Mo isn’t like those rich playboys. How could you deceive him? And with Brother Yuanbai, I don’t understand.”

Ling Yuanbai and Fang Mo had no connection at all. Could it be because he had found out about her secret crush on Fang Mo? Did he not want her to pursue Fang Mo? But she was certain that Ling Yuanbai had no romantic feelings for her.

Su Qingmeng paused for a moment, mixing truth with lies as she said, “I’m not entirely sure. Senior Ling caught me in my past deceptions and used it as leverage to make me deceive Fang Mo. But I think there’s more to the story between them. Perhaps, Yaoqing, it’s best for you to stay away from both of them and not get involved in their affairs.”

“Brother Yuanbai…” Lu Yaoqing had known Ling Yuanbai for a long time, and this revelation about him was deeply unsettling. She believed Su Qingmeng’s words. “Forget it. Don’t deceive Senior Fang Mo anymore. I still have some influence with Brother Yuanbai. I’ll talk to him for you.”

Su Qingmeng looked at the naive Lu Yaoqing and smiled faintly. Before she could say more, she received a message from Ling Yuanbai: 【I heard Yaoqing went to see you. You should know what to say and what not to say.】

Su Qingmeng clicked her tongue inwardly and changed what she was about to say: “I’ve been dating Senior for so long,  I can’t bring myself to say it. Could you help me talk to him…”

“Say… say what?” Lu Yaoqing was stunned. If she weren’t Su Qingmeng’s friend, she would have immediately told Fang Mo everything she heard that afternoon. But Su Qingmeng was her friend. If such words got out, how could Su Qingmeng ever face others again?

People’s hearts are always biased. She waved her hand dismissively. “You don’t have to be completely honest with Senior Fang Mo. Honestly, I always thought he was too cold. Since you’re not serious about dating him, just find an excuse to break up.”

Hesitating for a moment, she added, “Not all wealthy people are bad. Let’s just put this matter behind us. And from now on, don’t deceive those men anymore. What if they harbor ill intentions? Thankfully, this time Brother Yuanbai only made you date Senior Fang Mo. If it had been something worse, it could have ended badly. If you need money, just come to me for help.”

“Mm, thank you, Yaoqing.” Su Qingmeng and Lu Yaoqing exchanged a glance, and Lu Yaoqing was the first to break into a smile, reaching out to hug Su Qingmeng.

In truth, she had heard the entire conversation. From start to finish, Su Qingmeng had insisted that her feelings for her were genuine. She had been angry and upset only because Su Qingmeng wasn’t as innocent as she had imagined. But after hearing about Su Qingmeng’s experiences, she felt deeply sorry for her friend. Su Qingmeng’s lack of innocence was merely a means of self-protection. From now on, she would do her best to protect Su Qingmeng.

Once things were out in the open, Lu Yaoqing relaxed and began looking around. Her eyes immediately landed on the photos hanging on the wall, reinforcing her belief that Su Qingmeng had been forced into many of her actions out of necessity. She decided she needed to have a serious talk with Ling Yuanbai.

“If you don’t mind, would you like to stay at my place tonight?” Su Qingmeng asked. Lu Yaoqing happily agreed. She had never stayed overnight at a friend’s house before, let alone shared a bed with one.

Just as the two girls were about to settle in, Fang Mo arrived. He froze for a moment upon seeing Lu Yaoqing, and she was equally surprised, suddenly recalling that Fang Mo also lived in the neighborhood.

“I bought some ingredients for breakfast and put them in the fridge,” Fang Mo said, carrying two large bags. It was enough for more than just one meal, it could easily last half a month. The bags were heavy, so he didn’t hand them to Su Qingmeng. Instead, he silently walked into the kitchen and stored everything in the refrigerator.

Lu Yaoqing nudged Su Qingmeng in the side. Su Qingmeng leaned in and whispered in her ear, “It’s so late already, and he was kind enough to bring these over. It wouldn’t be right to say anything now.”

Fang Mo cast a heavy glance at the two whispering girls and said expressionlessly, “I’ll come over tomorrow morning to make breakfast. Give me your key.”

Lu Yaoqing immediately spoke up, “Senior Fang Mo, it’s not really appropriate for you to have the key when two girls are staying here, is it?”

Fang Mo paused and turned to Su Qingmeng. “You let her stay the night?”

“Yes,” Su Qingmeng replied, blinking innocently.

Earlier, when Su Qingmeng had messaged Fang Mo saying she wouldn’t be visiting him that night, he had guessed she might have plans with Lu Yaoqing. But he hadn’t expected her to bring Lu Yaoqing home.

Lu Yaoqing added, somewhat inappropriately, “We’re planning to stay up late talking, so we probably won’t be able to get up tomorrow morning. Maybe I’ll ask someone to help us take the day off.”

“No,” Fang Mo quickly vetoed the idea. When Su Qingmeng looked at him, he kept a stern face and said, “Freshman classes are important. Don’t skip them.”

Early the next morning, shortly after Su Qingmeng had woken up, she received a message from Fang Mo: [“Come get breakfast.”]

She opened the door, and the stoic young man quickly handed her the breakfast. Seeing her yawning and looking drowsy, he hesitated before asking, “Are you going to school today?”

“Even if I do, I won’t take the bus. Yaoqing drove here yesterday, so you don’t need to wait for me, Senior,” Su Qingmeng replied, her voice soft and sleepy, tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes.

Fang Mo pursed his lips. “Rest at home this morning. I’ll ask for leave on your behalf.”

Su Qingmeng’s eyes suddenly lit up. Fang Mo thought she might be teasing him again, but just then, Lu Yaoqing’s voice called out from inside the room. Su Qingmeng hastily thanked him and closed the door.

Fang Mo stared at the locked metal door, then lowered his gaze to his phone, still open to his chat with Su Qingmeng. A trace of disappointment flickered in his cool, phoenix-like eyes. He had wanted to ask if she would come to his workplace that evening, but with Lu Yaoqing around, she probably wouldn’t.

“Did Senior Fang Mo bring breakfast?” Lu Yaoqing asked as she ate, her thoughts tangled. Fang Mo wasn’t a bad person, and it might be nice if Su Qingmeng continued dating him. But she swallowed those words. The decision to break up or not was in Su Qingmeng’s hands, and she wouldn’t try to persuade her either way. After all, if there was no man in the picture, her best friend would be all hers!

However, regardless of whether Su Qingmeng wanted to break up with Fang Mo, she still needed to have a talk with Ling Yuanbai, Lu Yaoqing thought.