The Cannon Fodder Roles I Play All Become White Moonlights [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 14

Ling Yuanbai stepped out of the car like a perfect gentleman to open the door for Su Qingmeng. As he straightened up, his eyes met Fang Mo’s.

They were both aware of each other’s existence and had clashed countless times in the shadows, but this was the first time they had confronted each other face to face.

Fang Mo’s gaze was sharp as a blade, cutting straight through the air. Ling Yuanbai adjusted his glasses, masking the cold glint in his eyes, and responded with a gentle smile.

Pretending not to recognize Fang Mo, Ling Yuanbai turned to assist Su Qingmeng as she stepped out of the car, softly advising, “Be careful. The road here is uneven, and it’s not easy to walk in high heels.”

“Thank you, Senior Ling,” Su Qingmeng replied with a faint, ambiguous smile.

Fang Mo’s eyes darkened for a moment. So, “senior” wasn’t a title reserved solely for him.

He took a step forward, inserting himself between Ling Yuanbai and Su Qingmeng, and said in a low voice, “Thank you for bringing Qingmeng here.”

Ling Yuanbai paused, meeting Fang Mo’s pitch-black, phoenix-like eyes. They were indeed as unsettling as Fang Tinglan had described, and Fang Mo’s words seemed to carry an underlying meaning…

His lips tightened briefly before relaxing into a smile. “You’re welcome. I was happy to give Junior Su a ride, after all, I was just passing by.”

Ling Yuanbai emphasized the words “passing by,” as if implying to Fang Mo that he was nothing more than a fleeting presence in Su Qingmeng’s life.

Fang Mo’s gaze grew even darker.

Yet, right in front of Ling Yuanbai, Su Qingmeng proactively linked her arm with Fang Mo’s. The corners of Fang Mo’s phoenix eyes lifted slightly, and his presence intensified.

Ling Yuanbai’s smile faded. He gave Su Qingmeng a meaningful look and said, “Junior Su, let’s keep in touch.”

“Senior, don’t you have anything to ask?” Su Qingmeng asked Fang Mo with a playful smile after Ling Yuanbai had left.

Fang Mo’s dark eyes held a rare hint of accusation, as if reproaching her for feigning ignorance. He reached out and grasped the ruby necklace resting on her chest, pulling her closer. They had been this near before, but it had always been Su Qingmeng initiating it. This was the first time Fang Mo had deliberately crossed the boundary of social distance.

In that moment, their breaths intertwined, and Fang Mo could hear the frantic beating of his own heart. Restraining himself, he said, “Su Qingmeng, you’re feigning ignorance.”

It was unclear whether he meant those words for Ling Yuanbai’s benefit or as an indirect question to Su Qingmeng.

“Senior, I don’t understand,” Su Qingmeng replied innocently, blinking her eyes and deliberately letting her breath brush against Fang Mo’s face. Sure enough, the young man’s ears flushed red despite his tightly controlled expression.

For the first time since they had met, Fang Mo made a request of Su Qingmeng: “Don’t call me ‘senior.'”

He tried to keep his expression neutral, but a tinge of jealousy still seeped into his words.

“Alright, if I don’t call you ‘senior,’ what should I call you?” Su Qingmeng played along, as if coaxing him, but couldn’t resist teasing him further. “How about ‘hubby’?”

Fang Mo abruptly released the ruby necklace, turned, and strode toward the internet café. Su Qingmeng laughed and hurried after him, taking his hand.

Since winter had arrived, the girl’s hands had remained as cold as ice. Fang Mo frowned, pausing briefly to glance discreetly at her attire. Her wool coat seemed far too thin to withstand the harsh cold.

His fingers curled slightly, eventually clasping her hand, transferring the warmth from his palm to hers. Seeing her look up at him with a hint of surprise, Fang Mo’s reddened ears twitched, though his expression remained as impassive as ever. “Your hand is as cold as ice.”

“Isn’t that just like your face?” Su Qingmeng teased mischievously, rising onto her tiptoes and pressing her other hand against his cheek. She exclaimed with exaggerated surprise, “Oh! I thought your face would be as cold as my hand, but it’s actually so warm!”

Fang Mo immediately grabbed her mischievous hand and pressed it against his heated cheek. “I told you, don’t call me ‘senior.’ Call me by my name.”

“Oh, Ah Mo, let go of me. It’s hard to walk like this,” Su Qingmeng cooed, choosing an affectionate nickname as she playfully pleaded with him.

Fang Mo finally noticed how close they were standing, so close that if he leaned in just a little more, he could kiss Su Qingmeng’s lips…

His heart raced wildly, but in the end, he released her other hand, casually intertwining his fingers with hers as he led her into the internet cafe.

He opened a computer and typed directly into a TXT document: “Why did he bring you here?”

Su Qingmeng leaned in, resting her fluffy head naturally against Fang Mo’s arm. He allowed her to nuzzle against him like a cat as he slowly typed, “It really was just on the way. Did you know my employer is Senior Ling?”

Fang Mo’s gaze lingered on the words “senior” for two extra seconds. His fingers twitched, but he ultimately ignored the two words that displeased him and typed bluntly, “I know.”

His hand hovered over the keyboard, unmoving. He wanted to tell Su Qingmeng to stay away from Ling Yuanbai, to suggest they could continue like this. He wanted to tell her not to take Ling Yuanbai’s money anymore, to return the ruby necklace and the cash, he could give her money and jewelry himself.

These thoughts swirled in his mind for a long time. But when he lifted his eyes and met her clear, bright gaze, he hesitated. There were still many things he couldn’t let her know, and he couldn’t drag her into his hardships with him.

He wanted to hide his most wretched side, yet he also wanted to lay all the best things before Su Qingmeng.

So, the words that had been on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back by fear. Fang Mo, who had once feared nothing and thought his life was worthless enough to fight to the end, was now afraid. Afraid that laying everything bare would only make Su Qingmeng turn and walk away.

After much internal struggle and hesitation, he simply typed a stiff sentence: “What task did he give you this time?”

When she reached for the keyboard, he deliberately didn’t move his hand, letting his broad palm cover her slender one. Their skin tones were not too different, but Fang Mo’s fingers were distinct and slightly rough from long hours of labor.

Su Qingmeng lowered her gaze, glancing at their overlapping hands. She withdrew her hand and placed it over his, guiding his index finger to type out each pinyin: “Nothing. He was just passing by.”

Fang Mo asked, “Really, nothing at all?”

Su Qingmeng shook her head naturally.

Fang Mo nodded casually, though the tension in his knuckles betrayed the unease in his heart.

Su Qingmeng looked at him with a smile. In the original plot, this composed young man would later rise to prominence, single-handedly bringing down the Ling family and becoming the hottest new figure in the capital. His thoughts must run deep, but once he fell in love, many things could no longer be concealed. She reached out and took his hand. As he gazed at her intently, she slightly curved her index finger and traced it across his palm. Sure enough, the corner of the young man’s mouth twitched, wanting to curl upward but desperately holding back.

She thought for a moment and slowly typed a few words: “Ah Mo, could you do me a favor?”

It wasn’t until Ling Yuanbai returned to the Ling residence that he remembered he had once again forgotten to deal with the smell of smoke. He lowered his gaze. This was not a good sign. Every time he was with Su Qingmeng, his mask seemed to slip.

Coincidentally, Yao Jia followed him back. She called out to him, but her expression changed drastically when she caught the scent of smoke on him. Ever since she had been confined to the Ling family, Ling Qin had forbidden any trace of smoke in the house. For over twenty years, she hadn’t smelled it again and had almost forgotten that person. After all, nothing remained between her and that person, and she had even borne Ling Qin a child.

Her breathing suddenly became rapid, and she tightly grabbed Ling Yuanbai’s clothes, struggling to make a sound: “Medicine… medicine…”

She had to restrain herself. She couldn’t let Ling Qin see her in this state, or else Ling Yuanbai would be beaten again.

Ling Yuanbai immediately noticed her distress and skillfully retrieved the medicine from her bag, feeding it to her. But before she could fully swallow the medicine and stop her trembling, Ling Qin had already appeared before her.

The tall man was particularly sensitive to the smell of smoke. He caught the scent on his son almost instantly and flew into a rage. He punched Ling Yuanbai’s glasses, shattering the lenses. Fragments cut the corner of Ling Yuanbai’s eye, and blood immediately trickled down.

Yao Jia, disregarding her own condition, threw herself in front of Ling Yuanbai, trembling as she pleaded, “Don’t hit him… don’t hit him!”

Ling Qin’s expression darkened further, but the belt he had drawn out was not used. He coldly watched Yao Jia clinging to Ling Yuanbai and crying. “What kind of spectacle is this? Ling Yuanbai, help your mother up. Call Dr. Song to give her a sedative.”

Ling Yuanbai stood up and supported Yao Jia, meeting Ling Qin’s gaze directly. Only then did Ling Qin realize that his son had unknowingly grown taller than him. The eye no longer hidden behind glasses held a cold, mad glint, just like his own. Frowning, he looked again, but Ling Yuanbai’s eyes were half-lowered, appearing docile and obedient. That earlier glance seemed like an illusion.

Dr. Song arrived quickly. He skillfully administered a sedative to Yao Jia before turning to treat the wound at the corner of Ling Yuanbai’s eye. However, when he met Ling Yuanbai’s gaze, he paused momentarily. He had always thought Ling Yuanbai resembled Yao Jia, but without his glasses, he looked different…

“Thank you for your trouble, Dr. Song,” Ling Yuanbai said gently, interrupting the doctor’s thoughts. Dr. Song shook his head, deciding he must have overthought it.

After seeing Dr. Song off, Ling Yuanbai glanced at the sleeping Yao Jia before returning to his room. He entered the bathroom and looked at his reflection without glasses. Su Qingmeng was right, he wasn’t nearsighted, but he disliked revealing these eyes, which so closely resembled Fang Tinglan’s, to others.

He sneered, then took off his shirt, revealing a dense layer of scars covering his skin, one overlapping the other, all inflicted by Ling Qin since childhood.

To make Yao Jia submit, Ling Qin’s favorite method was to beat him, and every time, Yao Jia would yield to Ling Qin. The irony was that Yao Jia wasn’t even his son.

Ling Yuanbai curled his lips. Without the concealment of his glasses, his smile was truly unpleasant. He couldn’t help but think of Su Qingmeng’s laughter, hers came in many forms, but even when feigned, it was vibrant enough to captivate anyone’s gaze.

Suddenly, he longed to hear Su Qingmeng’s voice. He pulled the eavesdropping earphones from his pocket and let out a self-mocking laugh. He despised Ling Qin, yet he often resorted to Ling Qin’s methods to deal with others. But it didn’t matter, someone like him was already beyond redemption.

Soon, Su Qingmeng’s voice came through the earphones, but even faster, Ling Yuanbai’s eyes darkened.

It was past ten when they left the internet cafe.

Unnoticed, the sky had begun to let loose a flurry of heavy snow, blanketing the ground in a layer of white. Fang Mo’s bicycle was no longer an option, and at this hour, hailing a taxi was no easy task.

Fang Mo had been trying to book a ride on his phone for over ten minutes with no success.

“It’s so cold. Let’s just take the subway. If we walk to the station now, we can still catch the last train.”

Fang Mo glanced at the high-heeled boots on Su Qingmeng’s feet, then at the fresh snow on the ground. He crouched down in front of her and said, “Get on.”

“Huh?” Su Qingmeng seemed not to understand his meaning.

“Your shoes aren’t good for walking. I’ll carry you to the subway station.”

Su Qingmeng hesitated. “Carrying me in this heavy snow will make it hard for you to walk. You might slip.”

“I won’t. Get on.” Fang Mo’s words were brief but left no room for doubt.

Su Qingmeng stopped being polite and carefully climbed onto his back. The young man appeared slender but was surprisingly strong, lifting her effortlessly. He walked steadily through the snow as if carrying no one at all.

The dim streetlights softened Fang Mo’s sharp features, lending warmth to his cold brows. Su Qingmeng leaned against his back, watching the snow settle on his hair and shoulders, and asked with a smile, “Does this count as us growing old together?”

Fang Mo turned his face toward her. Her long hair, draped over his shoulder, was dusted with snow, making it seem as though they had truly aged together. His striking phoenix eyes unconsciously curved into a smile, and he heard Su Qingmeng say, “Ah Mo, your smile is so beautiful. You should smile more often.”

He froze for a moment, then pursed his lips and turned away, only to hear the girl on his back mutter softly, “So stingy, won’t even let me see you smile.”

Fang Mo ignored her and carried her all the way to the subway station before setting her down.

“It’s really so cold,” Su Qingmeng murmured, stretching out her hands, red from the cold, in front of him.

Fang Mo first held her hands, noticing how obediently she let him rub them. His eyes darkened slightly, and without hesitation, he tucked her icy hands inside his sweater, pulling her into his embrace in the process.

“Aren’t you afraid of the cold?” Su Qingmeng looked up at him. Under the dim light, her peach-blossom eyes seemed even more affectionate, and her slightly pouted red lips looked as though they were asking for a kiss.

Fang Mo’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he cast aside all restraint and self-control, slowly lowering his head.