The Cannon Fodder Roles I Play All Become White Moonlights [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 4

After exchanging a glance with Ling Yuanbai, Su Qingmeng lowered her head nonchalantly, revealing her graceful and slender neck.

Ling Yuanbai adjusted his glasses and said, “Chen Li can’t handle the Cui family, and the evidence you’ve gathered doesn’t impress them either. Come in and sit for a while. I might be able to help you.”

“L-Ling Shao…” Chen Li’s face instantly turned pale. He had only followed Ling Yuanbai’s instructions to invite Su Qingmeng out but hadn’t expected Ling Yuanbai himself to show up.

Ling Yuanbai’s tone was gentle but firm: “Since you’re here, Chen Li, you can go back now.” The underlying message left no room for argument.

Compared to the nervous Chen Li, Su Qingmeng remained composed. She nodded at Ling Yuanbai and entered his private room.

Ling Yuanbai felt a flicker of interest in Su Qingmeng’s calm demeanor. He locked the door and sat directly opposite her, his posture impeccably straight, as if measured with a ruler.

“You know me,” he stated, for it was the only explanation for her composure. He stared into her eyes, searching for greed but finding only tranquility. Her eyes were clearer than anyone else’s, unlike what he had heard or seen in photos. His fingers unconsciously tapped against the back of the chair.

“Ling Xuezhang and I are both in the finance department. It’s only natural that I know you,” Su Qingmeng said, leaning forward slightly, making her appear even more sincere and harmless.

Yet Ling Yuanbai sensed something dangerous about her and scrutinized her almost sharply.

He remained silent, and Su Qingmeng was in no hurry to speak either. After a moment, she glanced at her phone. “If Ling Xuezhang has nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

“I came to you for a reason,” Ling Yuanbai said calmly. “Take a look.” He gestured to a folder on the table.

Su Qingmeng opened the folder and pulled out a stack of photos, images of the original host with various men, each one suggestive and provocative. Inside the folder was also a list of expensive gifts the original host had received. Even if she hadn’t ended up in the same predicament as the original host, Ling Yuanbai still held leverage over her, indicating he had planned this all along.

She lowered her eyes and chuckled softly, showing no sign of being cornered. Instead, she tilted her head innocently and looked at Ling Yuanbai. “Ling Xuezhang, if you want me to do something, just say it directly. There’s no need to beat around the bush.”

Ling Yuanbai stared at her intently for a long time before slowly breaking into a smile. “You seem like a smart person. Why would you provoke Cui Minmin?”

“Perhaps I misjudged the character of your wealthy people before,” Su Qingmeng replied with a careless smile, unembarrassed by the exposure. “Didn’t Ling Xuezhang say earlier that you would help me deal with Cui Minmin? Have her delete the post and publicly apologize to me. That doesn’t seem like an unreasonable request.”

She spoke as if she were certain he would do these things for her.

“Delete the recording,” Ling Yuanbai said without refuting her but pointed out bluntly the issue with her phone.

Su Qingmeng showed no embarrassment at being caught. With poise, she deleted the recording in front of him and praised, “Ling Xuezhang, you’re so impressive.”

When she praised him, her eyes sparkled like stars. Even such an exaggerated remark didn’t sound unpleasant coming from her lips.

Ling Yuanbai’s scrutinizing gaze swept over Su Qingmeng’s face. The lively girl before him was hard to associate with the “green tea bitch” Cui Minmin had described, especially her eyes, clear like Lu Yaoqing’s yet carrying a slyness that Lu Yaoqing lacked, shimmering like a mountain spring in the afternoon sun, evoking delight in anyone who saw them.

“You can have Cui Minmin do as you say, and these things can be destroyed. You might even gain more,” he spoke slowly, his voice steady and naturally persuasive.

After a brief pause, he asked, “If you wanted to make a man fall for you, how would you do it?”

Su Qingmeng stared at him as if pondering the true meaning behind his words. After a moment, she stood up and slowly approached him.

The girl carried a faint, delicate fragrance, not one of the perfumes he was familiar with, but unexpectedly pleasant. Ling Yuanbai instinctively straightened his posture, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his glasses. His expression remained largely unchanged, a faint smile still playing on his lips, but his tense knuckles betrayed him.

Su Qingmeng stopped just a foot away from Ling Yuanbai, then suddenly crouched halfway, looking up at him from below. Ling Yuanbai, glancing down slightly, could see her fluttering long lashes, delicate nose, and crimson lips.

As the future head of the Ling family, such cheap seduction couldn’t sway his heart. Still, Su Qingmeng did have eyes that could easily lead one astray, enough to entice Fang Mo, who also came from the slums, Ling Yuanbai thought.

Su Qingmeng suddenly lowered her head and laughed softly. “Does Ling-senpai think this is enough to make a man fall for you? Far from it.”

She stood up as if to return to her seat but abruptly turned back, her slender finger firmly tapping the tip of his nose. As he widened his eyes and leaned back to avoid her touch, she withdrew her finger, her eyes curving into crescents as she said, “To make a man fall for you, you must first capture his attention, whether it’s through delight or disdain.”

She had discovered his aversion to being touched!

Ling Yuanbai stared at the slyness in her eyes, pursing his lips tightly before quickly regaining his composure. He straightened up and said lightly, “Those who think they’re clever often end up losing more than they gain.”

Su Qingmeng returned to her original seat, maintaining an absolute safe distance from him, like a cunning cat pretending to be well-behaved after provoking its owner. “It’s just that Ling-senpai’s methods are too roundabout. You have leverage over me, and I still want to keep going, so why not just get straight to the point?”

Ling Yuanbai tapped the armrest of his chair a few times before speaking leisurely, “You know Fang Mo. Do what you’re best at, become his girlfriend.”

After a long wait, Su Qingmeng still hadn’t heard him continue. She looked at him in apparent surprise. “That’s it?”

Seeing Ling Yuanbai nod reservedly, she hesitated for a moment before asking quietly, “Are you secretly in love with him? Do you want me to become his girlfriend, then cheat on him so he becomes afraid of women? Or is it that since you can’t have him, you want to find him a girlfriend, and as long as he’s happy, you’re content, a devoted, unrequited love?”

“…” Ling Yuanbai’s face turned completely cold. “No one would mistake you for mute if you kept your mouth shut.” He was starting to doubt whether Su Qingmeng could even complete the task.

Su Qingmeng opened her mouth as if to say something provocative again. Ling Yuanbai frowned tightly, the chill in his eyes unmistakable even behind his glasses, and his fingers tapped the armrest a little faster. In the next moment, he caught a fleeting glimpse of slyness in Su Qingmeng’s eyes,

A deliberate and obvious calculation.

“Alright, no problem, but…” Su Qingmeng’s eyes sparkled as she spoke with a bright smile, “To seduce a man, clothes and bags are essential…”

In her gaze, Ling Yuanbai saw blatant greed, overlapping with the image of Su Qingmeng in the photos, hypocritical, foolish, materialistic, and possessing nothing but beauty.

Such a woman was the easiest to control. Yet, for some reason, Ling Yuanbai felt an inexplicable irritation stir within him. He responded with a detached tone, “My driver is waiting outside. He’ll take you to a nearby mall later. Buy whatever you want, and you’ll receive additional compensation once the task is completed.”

“Great, thank you, Senior Ling.” Su Qingmeng’s smile brightened even more as she nodded at him, stood up, and approached him again. “Senior Ling, shall we exchange WeChat? It’ll be easier to report updates to you.”

She smiled warmly, but he replied coolly, “No need. I can find you whenever I want.”

Ling Yuanbai expected her to persist, but she simply said “Okay” and left without a trace of hesitation, leaving behind a faint, lingering fragrance in the air.

As she opened the door, he inexplicably called out to her.

Su Qingmeng turned back. The dim, yellowish light from outside scattered delicately across her brows and eyes, and her gaze, untainted by greed at that moment, was as gentle as water.

Ling Yuanbai paused for a moment before saying, “Su Qingmeng, the task I’ve given you.”

“Only you and I will know about it, and I won’t take it lightly. I’m aware you have countless ways to ruin my reputation at Jing University and in your social circle. Don’t worry,” she finished his sentence directly.

Ling Yuanbai was momentarily taken aback. Had he been the one to say it, he wouldn’t have been so blunt, but that was essentially what he meant.

He watched her retreating figure, slender and graceful, her steps swaying like a willow in a gentle breeze. Ling Yuanbai narrowed his eyes. Su Qingmeng… was a person full of contradictions, and he found himself unable to fully understand her…

Not long after Su Qingmeng left, Ling Yuanbai received a call from his driver: “Young Master, she’s taken a liking to a bag worth 300,000.”

Ling Yuanbai almost laughed in disbelief. She hadn’t even started the task and was already treating him like a fool. He replied calmly, “Tell her not to push her luck.”

“How stingy…” Su Qingmeng’s voice came through the phone, her soft tone almost sounding like a coquettish complaint. “What about 30,000? Is that okay?”

“Fine.” Ling Yuanbai hung up the phone, adjusted his glasses, and couldn’t help but recall the moment Su Qingmeng had touched the tip of his nose. How had she noticed that?

He suddenly remembered her words: To make a man fall for you, you must first capture his attention.

It seemed he had unwittingly stepped into her trap. Ling Yuanbai curled his lips slightly. “Thinking you’re so clever…”

As soon as Su Qingmeng stepped out of the car, she heard the system’s prompt again: [Host, please become Fang Mo’s girlfriend within three months.]

“Is there a detailed plot and dialogue for this part?” Su Qingmeng asked.

[No.]

Su Qingmeng recalled the original host’s memories, but the details about how she became Fang Mo’s girlfriend were too vague. It seemed as though she hadn’t pursued him much before he agreed. Even after becoming his girlfriend, the original host’s memories were limited to his aloofness, with no specific recollections beyond that.

The memories in her mind felt as though they were generated based on the plot: clear when the plot was detailed, but hazy when the plot glossed over things. Just like the original host’s memories of her time in the orphanage, they were blurry and indistinct, neither significant nor tied to love or hatred, as if the original host had no emotions and only cared about money.

Lost in thought, Su Qingmeng took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts. Only at the very end did she find a number labeled “Mom (Orphanage Director).” Without hesitation, she dialed it.

“Qingmeng, what made you think of calling me? Aren’t you supposed to be in class at this hour?” The voice on the other end sounded older, with a slight southern accent, yet it was achingly familiar.

Tears instantly welled up in Su Qingmeng’s eyes. She had listened to this voice for nearly ten years. Over that decade, she had proven herself, standing under the spotlight and earning everyone’s admiration. But among the crowd, the stooped, gray-haired director she called “Mom” was no longer there.

“What’s wrong? Are you crying? Did something happen?” The voice on the other end was filled with concern and urgency.

“No, I just suddenly missed you, Mom. I really, really miss you.” Su Qingmeng let the tears roll down her cheeks, unabashedly pouring out her longing.

She inadvertently looked up and, through her tear-blurred vision, saw Fang Mo standing not far away. Hastily, she ended the call, wiped away her tears, and smiled as she asked, “Are you waiting for the bus back too, Senior?”

If not for the faint redness at the corners of her eyes, no one would have guessed she had been crying or that she had shown such vulnerability, as if she were about to be abandoned.

Fang Mo’s gaze shifted from the corners of her eyes to the shopping bag in her hand, and he finally replied with a quiet “Mm.”

The bus ride back was much more crowded than the earlier one. Without any effort on Fang Mo’s part, the two were separated by the crowd. It wasn’t until they got off the bus that Fang Mo saw the brightly dressed girl squeeze her way out of the throng, looking somewhat disheveled. Her long-braided hair had come slightly undone, and a few stray strands fell over the redness at the corners of her eyes.

The traces of her tears were still there, but the vulnerability had long been concealed. Still, it had nothing to do with him.

He turned to leave but was once again stopped as she tugged at the corner of his shirt. “Senior, I need to talk to you.”

“Let go. I don’t have time.” He still had to go to work.

“Someone paid me to be your girlfriend. Want to split the money? Seventy-thirty.” Su Qingmeng’s eyes curved into a smile, her expression brimming with playful cunning.

“…” Is this something you can just say outright?

Fang Mo’s usually indifferent eyes flickered with complexity. He didn’t know whether to call this girl’s actions overly simplistic or overly opportunistic.