The Cannon Fodder Roles I Play All Become White Moonlights [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 13

When Lu Yaoqing went to find Ling Yuanbai, he still maintained the gentle and refined demeanor of the boy next door, as if unaware that she had eavesdropped on him the day before. Lu Yaoqing decided to cut straight to the chase, stating that she had come for Su Qingmeng’s sake. She hoped Ling Yuanbai would stop threatening Su Qingmeng and cease causing trouble for Fang Mo.

Ling Yuanbai listened and smiled, responding with his usual good temper, “The reason I did this is because Su Qingmeng previously deceived a friend of mine. I was somewhat upset about it. Additionally, since you used to like Fang Mo, I wanted to use Su Qingmeng to test him, which led to this situation. Rest assured, I won’t interfere further in this matter, nor will I make Su Qingmeng do anything else.”

Lu Yaoqing gave Ling Yuanbai a skeptical glance but then thought that he was indeed the type to stand up for his friends, after all, he had always been good to her, his childhood friend. So, she decided to trust him.

Later, she tactfully relayed his words to Su Qingmeng. Su Qingmeng responded with a noncommittal smile and gently patted her head, saying, “Yaoqing, you’re so adorable.”

Lu Yaoqing couldn’t help but feel that the word “adorable” wasn’t exactly a compliment. However, Su Qingmeng continued with a smile, “I really like this adorable side of you, Yaoqing. I hope you can always stay this way.”

People born into happy families often possess an innocent and cheerful nature, and Su Qingmeng genuinely enjoyed interacting with someone so transparent.

Blushing slightly, Lu Yaoqing said, “I like you too, Qingmeng. Let’s be friends for life.”

“Um… I’m not sure how to bring up breaking up with Fang Mo. Can we take it slow for now?” Su Qingmeng asked cautiously.

Lu Yaoqing immediately replied, “Qingmeng, no matter what you decide, I’ll stand by you. If you need anything, just call on your sister!”

Su Qingmeng smiled, and soon she was back to spending most of her time with Fang Mo, leaving less time for Lu Yaoqing. Lu Yaoqing couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret, she should have been more resolute back then. Men were definitely a major obstacle to sisterly bonds!

Fang Mo had wanted to ask Su Qingmeng several times if she had received any new tasks from Ling Yuanbai. Since he had quit his job at the restaurant, Su Qingmeng hadn’t made any further demands.

But since Su Qingmeng didn’t bring it up, he didn’t ask. He had grown accustomed to having this girl within reach, someone who was clearly calculating yet warm in a way that made it impossible to refuse. For the first time, he allowed himself to defy his inner rationality, sinking deeper and deeper into this entanglement.

On the day of the first snowfall in the capital, Su Qingmeng received news that the orphanage director had woken up and was scheduled for surgery. She went to the hospital alone and waited outside the operating room for what felt like an eternity until the doctor finally emerged and announced that the surgery had been successful. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

However, the doctor cautioned that the road to recovery would still be long. Su Qingmeng gazed out at the falling snow outside. Winter would soon pass, and the new year would arrive. She smiled faintly, thinking to herself that she needed to work even harder.

Soon after, Ling Yuanbai sent her a message saying, “Congratulations.” She understood the underlying meaning perfectly but still politely called him to express her gratitude, her voice so sincere that Ling Yuanbai coldly replied, “Su Qingmeng, keep your mask on.”

Su Qingmeng hung up the phone and, as she passed by the psychiatry department, once again encountered Mrs. Ling, Yao Jia. Yao Jia seemed to recognize her, pausing briefly before offering a faint smile. Her phoenix eyes were beautiful when she smiled, yet they lacked a certain vitality.

Partly to care for Su Xing and partly in hopes of running into Yao Jia, Su Qingmeng visited the hospital frequently. As expected, she encountered Yao Jia more and more often. They never exchanged a word, merely sharing a smile whenever they passed each other.

After encountering each other so many times, Su Qingmeng took the initiative to greet Yao Jia: “Hello, Auntie. My name is Su Qingmeng, and I’m in the same department as Senior Ling.”

Yao Jia nodded politely, showing no desire to engage in conversation. As they drew closer, Su Qingmeng finally noticed a necklace around Yao Jia’s neck, similar in design to her own ruby necklace. Though Yao Jia’s gemstone was larger and more beautiful, it was merely a facade.

She pondered this thoughtfully.

Soon after, Ling Yuanbai called her: “Su Qingmeng, don’t do anything unnecessary. Don’t provoke people you shouldn’t.”

“Senior Ling is quite well-informed,” Su Qingmeng said casually. After Ling Yuanbai issued another warning, she laughed fearlessly. “So, Senior Ling has people he cares about after all.”

“Su Qingmeng, you’d better learn to watch your words.” On the other end, Ling Yuanbai hung up abruptly.

Not long after ending the call with Su Qingmeng, Ling Yuanbai received another call, this time from Fang Tinglan. He smirked slightly before answering, his tone slow and gentle: “What is it?”

“I want to see you. Let’s meet at the usual place,” Fang Tinglan said.

Fang Tinglan had sought out Ling Yuanbai when he was sixteen, personally telling him that he was her biological son and that Fang Mo was actually Yao Jia’s child. Surprisingly, Ling Yuanbai accepted this without question. Every time Fang Tinglan requested a meeting, he cooperated fully and even gave her a considerable amount of money, making Fang Tinglan proud of her son and even more pleased with her decision to swap the children all those years ago.

The only regret was that Ling Yuanbai had never once called her “Mom.”

Ling Yuanbai arrived punctually at the agreed-upon location, a modest private restaurant with only two private rooms, one of which was where he always met Fang Tinglan.

As soon as she saw him, Fang Tinglan rushed into his arms, but Ling Yuanbai quickly pushed her away. She felt somewhat awkward but knew he disliked being hugged; she had simply lost control for a moment.

Standing there, she lowered her head and wept, recounting the unfortunate events of that night and resentfully adding, “If it weren’t for Xiao Mo and that, what’s-her-name Meng, I wouldn’t have encountered such a terrible situation!”

Ling Yuanbai towered over her, looking down from his height. From this angle, he couldn’t see the shape of her eyes, only her nose and lips, features strikingly similar to Yao Jia’s. This was likely the reason Ling Qin had cheated with Fang Tinglan in the first place. But the more he saw the resemblance, the more disgusted he felt, toward both Ling Qin and Fang Tinglan.

He offered a few perfunctory words of comfort and patiently listened as Fang Tinglan vented her frustrations about Fang Mo.

Fang Tinglan asked with concern, “Is the computer science department at your university very good? Xiao Mo recently took a job at an internet cafe and even got a girlfriend. I asked him to come work at the construction site, but he refused.”

Ling Yuanbai cast a cold, disdainful glance at Fang Tinglan through his glasses, once again feeling disgusted that he shared her blood. Yet, he smiled and said, “Ms. Fang, what are you worried about?”

Fang Tinglan opened her mouth but didn’t dare voice her fears. She was worried that as Fang Mo grew more outstanding, the Ling family would notice him. The older he got, the more he resembled Yao Jia, those phoenix eyes were exactly like Yao Jia’s.

Ling Yuanbai saw right through her but didn’t expose her. Instead, he spoke gently, “I’ve transferred the living expenses to your account. There’s no need to worry too much.”

Fang Tinglan grew even more anxious. “You’re too gentle-natured. You must be cautious of Fang Mo. He’s capable of cruelty. After all, a ten-year-old who could wield a knife, who knows if he’s a madman like Yao Jia.”

“Ms. Fang!” Ling Yuanbai raised his voice slightly, his imposing presence startling Fang Tinglan.

Only when she looked at him fearfully did he soften his tone. “No matter what, you should be grateful to Fang Mo. He saved you.”

Fang Tinglan fell silent, her worries deepening. Over the years, she had carefully maintained a fragile image in front of Ling Yuanbai, afraid that too much lecturing would drive a wedge between them. She meekly replied, “Yuanbai, you’re truly too kind-hearted.”

Kind-hearted? That was the biggest joke he had ever heard.

As soon as Fang Tinglan left, Ling Yuanbai glanced down at the clothes she had touched, wrinkled his brow in disgust, and instructed someone to prepare a new set for him.

After changing, he sprayed on his usual cologne but still felt he could detect the nauseating, cheap scent of Fang Tinglan’s perfume.

“Young Master Ling, here is the information about the family that adopted Su Qingmeng back then.” His subordinate not only brought him fresh clothes but also handed over a file.

Ling Yuanbai had initially thought Su Qingmeng was lying to Lu Yaoqing and had only casually ordered an investigation. He hadn’t expected the story to be true. He pulled out the documents and examined them carefully, his brow unconsciously furrowing.

The file included autopsy reports of young girls who had been tortured and killed by the man who adopted Su Qingmeng. The details were nothing short of horrifying.

And Su Qingmeng, at just nine years old, had not only escaped from that household but also managed to send the couple to prison, the man was sentenced to death, and the woman received a fifteen-year prison term.

Ling Yuanbai picked out a photo of Su Qingmeng at age nine from the file. It must have been taken shortly after her escape, with a bandage still wrapped around her forehead. Though her face was youthful, her beauty was already striking, especially those captivating peach-blossom eyes. But unlike the ever-smiling Su Qingmeng of today, the nine-year-old girl wore a cold expression, her demeanor far sharper than it was now.

He smiled. Even as a child, she had been terrifyingly composed and clever.

“Young Master Ling, the woman has been behaving relatively well in prison and might be eligible for parole next year.”

Hearing this, Ling Yuanbai’s smile faded. He said calmly, “People like her don’t deserve to leave prison.”

His subordinate immediately understood his meaning and nodded. “Understood, Young Master Ling. I’ll take care of it right away.”

Ling Yuanbai glanced once more at the nine-year-old photo of Su Qingmeng, his throat itching with a sudden urge to smoke. He sent her a message, instructing her not to leave the hospital and to wait for him to pick her up.

After picking up Su Qingmeng, he took her to the suburban wetlands, where he lit a cigarette in silence.

The desolate and cold winter wetlands were even less appealing than in autumn, somewhat mirroring Ling Yuanbai’s own disposition.

Su Qingmeng wrinkled her nose slightly and teased, “Does Senior Ling always spray on heavier perfume after doing something bad?”

Ling Yuanbai tugged at the corner of his mouth and took a deep drag of his cigarette. He retracted his earlier thought that Su Qingmeng was clever without being annoying, sometimes, her cleverness was truly irritating.

“Su Qingmeng,” he called her name directly. When she inadvertently turned to look at him, she was stunningly beautiful. Unlike the childishness of her nine-year-old self, every movement and expression of hers now exuded charm.

He found it hard to imagine how she would look, calling Fang Mo “husband” in that delicate tone. Unable to help himself, he took another harsh drag of his cigarette.

“Hmm?” Su Qingmeng responded casually. She was unusually unrestrained around him, as if expressing her dissatisfaction with his constant reminders to wear her mask properly.

“Whether your foster mother lives or not depends on the upcoming treatment,” he said, enjoying the anger that ignited in her eyes, a brilliant blaze of life that burned away the lifelessness around him. “Haven’t you been a bit too negligent lately?”

“I thought Senior Ling understood better than anyone that everything requires patience and careful planning. Even if you replace me now, it’s unlikely anyone else could not only lower Fang Mo’s guard but even become his girlfriend,” Su Qingmeng spoke with confidence.

Ling Yuanbai gave her a faint glance and scoffed. Su Qingmeng noticed he was already on his fifth cigarette, showing even less restraint than last time. It seemed he was indeed troubled by something.

From the passenger seat, she looked at him directly and said boldly, “Senior Ling, those glasses are plain lenses, aren’t they? Wearing glasses all the time isn’t good, they’re flattening your tall nose bridge.”

Her finger lightly tapped the tip of his nose, just as it had during their first meeting. He had no way to avoid it and felt the temperature of her fingertip, slightly cool but pleasant. However, she quickly withdrew her hand.

Ling Yuanbai turned to look at her. She had already resumed an innocent demeanor, as if she had done nothing wrong. Once again, he confirmed that her cleverness was irritating. He smiled faintly. “Being overly clever is just foolishness. Su Qingmeng, you can’t afford the consequences of provoking me.”

Su Qingmeng laughed. “But I’m already in your hands. What difference does it make whether I provoke you or not?”

Ling Yuanbai stared at her smile for a long time. Those peach-blossom eyes were indeed perfect for smiling, no matter the expression, they sparkled like a galaxy. He found himself smiling along.

He liked what she had said: she was in his hands.

“Remember, I sent you to deceive Fang Mo, not to actually date him,” he said calmly.

Su Qingmeng looked at him, a flicker of something unreadable passing behind her glasses. She replied leisurely, “Didn’t you seek me out precisely because you know what kind of person I am?”

What kind of person was she?

At first, he thought she was the same kind of person as Fang Tinglan. Later, he believed she was someone like him, wearing a mask. But now.

Ling Yuanbai looked at her smiling brightly before him, then turned his gaze out the car window. The curling white smoke blurred his vision, much like how he saw Su Qingmeng,

To capture a man’s heart, one must first catch his attention, whether through delight or disdain. Ling Yuanbai had to admit that Su Qingmeng was right.

“Where are you going? I’ll take you there.” Ling Yuanbai extinguished his cigarette, as if suddenly struck by a whim.

But Su Qingmeng knew he wasn’t the type to act on impulse. She eyed him cautiously, yet he didn’t ask again and drove her directly to the place where Fang Mo worked, timing it so perfectly that they “coincidentally” ran into Fang Mo.

Ling Yuanbai’s car came to a stop right beside Fang Mo.