The Infatuated Cannon Fodder Has Completely Moved On - Chapter 17

“Sister, what time are you coming to the set tomorrow? I am cooking lunch tomorrow. If—if it is at noon, I can…”

Raindrops fell on the roof of the car, bringing a sense of restless agitation. Fu Jiao looked back, her heart racing with unease. For a long while, she did not know what to say.

Cen Shu was not even holding an umbrella. When the driver told her to get back into her own car, she refused sternly. Obviously, she was waiting for Jin Yuzhen to soften her heart. Fu Jiao was afraid she would succeed.

The social circle in Taozhou was small; once something happened, news would spread as if it had wings. Although Jin Yuzhen had not said much, the clarity in her eyes showed she no longer had any lingering obsession with Cen Shu, just as the rumors suggested. As for what had happened between them, it remained unknown.

Fu Jiao hesitated for a moment before asking, “What happened between you two?”

At that moment, the car turned a corner, and Cen Shu was no longer visible. Jin Yuzhen replied indifferently, “It is not worth talking about.”

Fu Jiao was surprised. “I have a whole new level of respect for you. I thought you were going to stay in her fishpond forever.”

Jin Yuzhen sighed. “The way you speak is really hurtful.”

Fu Jiao laughed out loud. “I am just telling the truth; how is that hurtful? Then again, after being played by her for so many years, are you really going to do nothing? You supported her for so long; you must know some gossip. Just leak it and make her quit the industry.”

Jin Yuzhen said, “I have more than just gossip; I have dirt on her. But now is not the time.”

Over the past few years, Cen Shu had not suffered at all. She could not just quit the industry and enjoy life without experiencing any hardship. There was another reason. Perhaps she was overthinking, but she felt as if the people around her were being orchestrated. Previously, she suspected the Jin family, but now she thought it was unlikely. Zhuhuai would not treat her like this, and her grandmother was even less likely. Jin Hong and Jin Ke were not capable of such delicate work.

She had not yet figured this matter out, so she could only keep an eye on Cen Shu’s actions for now. Seeing that Jin Yuzhen already had a plan, Fu Jiao said no more, fearing that speaking too much would be like poking at old wounds. After all, Jin Yuzhen had truly given her heart and soul to Cen Shu.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Fu Jiao said. “I am available at a moment’s notice.”

Jin Yuzhen agreed. The rain grew heavier, and the car drove steadily. Both leaned back against their seats and fell asleep. Fu Jiao’s sleeping posture was ungraceful, and her back cushion fell near Jin Yuzhen’s feet. Being a light sleeper, Jin Yuzhen woke up instantly.

The sky was dim, and outside the car window was a dense curtain of rain. When she opened her eyes, they were tinged with a moist redness, and her body felt exceptionally heavy. She wanted to reach down and pick up the cushion at her feet, but she could not move at all, feeling as powerless as if she were struggling in a nightmare.

At the same time, a bizarre and urgent thought appeared in her mind:

You will not have the heart to see Cen Shu sad.

She is still waiting for you.

You will go back to find her.

Everything is leading you to her.

You exist for her.

You must go back to find her.

Gradually, she seemed to hallucinate; these lines of text appeared before her eyes. Jin Yuzhen blinked, trying to clear her vision. However, the lines did not disappear.

Is being able to use the Enter key supposed to be impressive?

What was this?

Before she could think, she spoke uncontrollably to the driver, “Go back to find Cen Shu.”

The driver was stunned. Go back where? Home? Were they not already heading home? Suddenly thinking of Cen Shu blocked at the orchard gate, the driver understood something but still asked uncertainly, “Do you mean go back to the orchard?”

Jin Yuzhen looked confused and gazed around blankly. Go back to find Cen Shu? This felt like an order. The lines of text before her eyes vanished, and she calmed down. Why would she go back for Cen Shu? It was not important, yet she felt she had to.

The car slowed to a stop. The driver repeated uneasily, “Then back to the orchard.”

Just as Jin Yuzhen was about to nod, her phone suddenly vibrated. It was a voice call. Her hand trembled as she pressed the answer button. Nie Feiyin’s gentle voice reached her ears:

“Sister, what time are you coming to the set tomorrow? I am cooking lunch tomorrow. If it is at noon, I can…”

Jin Yuzhen’s entire back sank into the seat. She was dazed for a long while before answering in a hoarse voice, “Noon.”

Nie Feiyin softened her voice but could not hide her joy. “Okay, okay. I will go prepare the ingredients as soon as I finish my scenes.”

Jin Yuzhen said softly, “Thank you for the trouble.”

After hanging up, she realized her forehead was covered in sweat. The car was still parked on the side of the road. Just now, she had felt an urgent desire to go back to Cen Shu. Why? And those lines of text! She had actually seen text that did not exist on paper.

It was happening again! Similar things had occurred back in Yangon. She closed her eyes, feeling a sense of lingering fear. If that was not a hallucination, she might truly have to believe in the supernatural.

The driver noticed her abnormality and asked, “Second Miss, are you feeling unwell?”

Jin Yuzhen took a long breath and whispered, “I might have caught a cold. Let us go home first.”

The driver asked no more, and the car continued forward. In the driver’s view, Jin Yuzhen’s behavior was perfectly reasonable. After all, she had liked Cen Shu so much; now that the other party had sought her out, it was natural to feel a bit soft-hearted. However, after deep thought, her reason had regained the upper hand.

The car drove smoothly. Looking out the window, one could see the raindrops falling like threads. Throughout the journey, Jin Yuzhen fell into deep thought, and old memories were unexpectedly triggered.

In her memory, her mother, Jin Xiu, was a very bold and straightforward person. She had been independent since childhood and was very decisive. Even during the Jin family’s most difficult years, Jin Yuzhen had never seen her indulge in self-pity.

When Jin Yuzhen first learned to speak, she called her “Xiuxiu.” Her grandmother said her mother had changed her name herself, meaning “beautiful and elegant.” As the child grew older and knew she could not call her mother by her name, she called her “Xiuxiu Mama.”

When Jin Xiu chose a husband, her primary conditions were that he be virtuous, industrious, and good-looking. She was marrying a man, not taking someone in to provide for. It was best to marry someone delicate and charming who was pleasing to the eye. After much searching, she chose Jin Bing. She did not care about Jin Bing’s inner self; as long as the man could serve in the hall, manage the kitchen, and be a bit pretty, that was enough. She did not have high demands. She had her own ambitions.

Six months after Jin Yuzhen was born, Jin Xiu went to the Malay Peninsula to do pearl business. That was also the turning point when Jin Yuelan decided to go to Yangon. Her grandmother later said that Xiuxiu’s fearlessness woke her up. Merchants traveling to the west coast knew that the Jin family had a Boss Xiuxiu, and her pearl boat was often seen among the waves, which made people curious and led them to visit their home often.

When Jin Yuzhen was six, Jin Yuelan decided to move the entire family to Yangon. Life was not easy when they first arrived; her grandmother often met with obstacles. When Jin Yuzhen woke up at night, she often saw her grandmother reading under the lamp with a furrowed brow. Fortunately, they persevered. In today’s world, no matter how hard-working or ambitious one is, it would be impossible to start a business like that from scratch.

Eight years passed in a flash. The Jin family could be said to have regained their glory. Her grandmother missed home, so she left a trusted aide in Yangon and arranged to return to her homeland. At that time, the Jin family was the center of attention. Their jade was excellent, and only the prominent could wear it; they could not afford to make a single mistake.

However, Jin Bing picked up bad habits and tarnished the family reputation. Her mother had passed away; otherwise, Jin Yuzhen would not have had to resolve the matter herself. It was then that Jin Yuzhen encountered the “ghost.” She had arranged to meet Jin Bing with the intention of forcing him to leave the Jin family, and she had made foolproof preparations.

But on the way to the appointment, a voice suddenly appeared in her mind: Kill him.

She forgot what the weather was like that day; she only remembered that the voice seemed to grow out of her brain, repeating incessantly: Kill him, make him disappear. She was certain she had no mental illness. After meeting Jin Bing, she was in a bad state, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. She could not remember whether she had executed her plan perfectly.

The next day, she woke up on a boat. Jin Zhuhuai was by her side. Ning Fang and the others were avoiding her. Upon inquiry, she learned that Jin Bing had lost an arm and a leg, nearly losing his life, and had become mentally unstable. Because he had been indecent lately, it was very likely he had provoked desperate criminals. Since the last person he saw was Jin Yuzhen, and she was only fourteen at the time, it became an unsolved case.

After hearing Zhuhuai’s explanation, Jin Yuzhen had a splitting headache. Also on the boat was Fu Jiao’s family. When Fu Jiao came to see her, she brought a letter, saying it had been received last night, but Jin Yuzhen had fainted from a fever, so she had kept it for the time being.

Jin Yuzhen suddenly remembered the voice from the previous night. When she opened the envelope, her hands were trembling. Unexpectedly, the letter did not contain the killing she had anticipated. There was only one line of text: The disasters you face are all tests; as long as you cross them, you are the master.

It was written in neat regular script. The language seemed gentle, yet it felt chilling. Jin Yuzhen tried hard to remember. What had she said after meeting Jin Bing? How did she get home? How did she get on the boat? She could not remember. Everyone assumed she had harmed Jin Bing. Jin Hong and Jin Ke would dodge her gaze whenever they saw her. She did not care. She was just worried. Was it really her doing? If so, why could she not remember it? And what was the deal with the voice in her head and the letter she received? She needed to find out.

When her grandmother came to see her, she was deeply worried and asked, “You have woken up but still seem lost. Are you sick or seasick?”

Knowing her grandmother would grant her anything, she looked at her with a determined gaze and said, “Grandmother, I want to go back to Yangon.” She wanted to go back and investigate.

But the words reached her lips and uncontrollably turned into: “I want to go back to Taozhou.”

Her grandmother hugged her pityingly. “Our Zhenzhen has been wronged. We will go back to Taozhou.”

Jin Yuzhen’s consciousness was chaotic again. She could not speak anymore and could only lean against her grandmother and close her eyes. Returning to Taozhou, Jin Bing became the unspoken subject of the Jin family. She knew the reason: everyone thought she had done it. Some feared her, and others wanted to protect her, resulting in this situation.

After moving into the mansion, the events in Yangon came to an end, and the resentment in Jin Yuzhen’s heart seemed to subside. She was only fourteen and had a long life ahead of her. The event had already happened, and the outcome was good, was it not? Just as she was prepared to accept this, her third uncle, who was staying at the mine, contacted her. Although the third uncle was not her grandmother’s biological child, they all shared the surname, Jin. She replied to his message out of politeness. After receiving a reply, the third uncle called her.

“Is everything okay at home?”

Jin Yuzhen gave a formal answer, “Everything is fine.”

“Is Suisui okay?”

“Very well.”

“That is good. I was worried about them.”

“Aunt has hired an early childhood teacher; Suisui is learning very well.”

Then the conversation shifted. “Zhenzhen, I saw the knife you hid in the house. The blood has already dried.”