The Short-Lived Cannon Fodder Is Haunted By A Gloomy Monster [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 7

Ever since the day Qi Qi declared her sovereignty before everyone, Shen Lu had been tacitly accepted as her personal toy. After all, no one dared to risk offending the heir of the Qi family, the top powerhouse in S City, just to bully an ordinary scholarship student.

However, this didn’t stop them from casting even more vicious and gloomy looks at Shen Lu whenever they encountered her, especially after she had caused them to lose face. They were like a pack of covetous ghouls.

The moment they confirmed that Qi Qi had grown tired of her, they would swarm forward to torment this insolent “ugly duckling” until she regretted ever coming into this world.

But Shen Lu, who used to be unable to suppress the resentment in her heart when met with such stares, no longer cared.

The inferiority, pain, and anger that used to feel like a constant fire burning through her internal organs had all transformed into an obsession with one person.

Since that day, her world had been divided into two categories: Qi Qi, and people who were not Qi Qi.

As long as Qi Qi liked her, the gazes of others were utterly meaningless.

The pale, gloomy girl came to a halt in front of the lounge door. She twitched the corners of her mouth, forcing a smile she had practiced countless times in front of the mirror, and pushed the door open with high expectations.

Would Qi Qi praise her, saying she looked beautiful when she smiled like this?

She scanned the room, and upon realizing the person she longed to see wasn’t there, the light in her eyes faded into disappointment.

The smile, still stiff from lack of habit despite the practice, gradually vanished. She reverted to her usual sullen, expressionless face, a testament to the sudden rise and fall of her mood.

She had… missed her again today.

But she didn’t turn around and leave. Instead, she walked into the bathroom and washed herself repeatedly, rubbing her pale skin until it was flushed and slightly stinging before finally nodding, she should be clean now.

Then, with practiced movements, she crawled into the messy bedsheets that Qi Qi had clearly slept in before she arrived.

The blanket was just rolled up randomly. So cute.

Regrettably, the original owner must have left quite some time ago. The bed was icy cold, without a trace of lingering warmth.

Shen Lu pulled the blanket over her head. A vibrant flush bloomed across her pale cheeks, spreading down to her neck. She took a deep breath, as if greedily inhaling the unique fragrance belonging to that person.

It was Qi Qi’s scent.

Would Qi Qi push the door open and walk in the next second? Then she would discover what I’ve been doing in secret while no one was around…

At the thought of Qi Qi’s potential reaction, her eerie green pupils constricted into slits, and she giggled obsessively.

“I’m so lonely. I hope Qi Qi comes back soon.”

She gripped the corner of the blanket tight, her eyes squeezed shut. The corners of her eyes were slightly red, glistening with fragmented tears.

She desperately wanted a kiss.

On the other side, Qi Qi was sitting on a bench by the lake, eating a freshly bought vanilla cone and staring blankly at the sky as the wind blew.

Time had slipped by, and it was now the summer of the second semester of her first year. Qi Qi felt she had done plenty of “bullying,” but the little monster’s reaction was somewhat different from what she had imagined.

Not only had the occasional flashes of hostility vanished without a trace, but the girl’s attitude toward her was sometimes bordering on clingy.

It was too strange.

Qi Qi felt a sharp sense of alarm regarding this. Consequently, while she used to seek out every opportunity to bully the little monster at the start, lately she preferred to spend more time alone.

And because she had given the little monster the key, she could only stay in her usual lounge for a short while.

It’s clearly my lounge…

Under the scorching midsummer sky, Qi Qi actually felt a sense of “the world is vast, yet there is no place for me” a tragic, lonely sentiment.

She leaned back on the bench and let out a deep sigh.

Just then, the rare quiet was broken by the sound of voices.

Qi Qi licked the cold ice cream, feeling the heat dissipate slightly, and looked toward the source of the noise.

Through the lush foliage of the bushes, she saw a group of ill-intentioned girls surrounding an exceptionally beautiful girl. The beautiful girl was smiling happily, seemingly unaware of what she was about to endure.

By all accounts, it looked like a commonplace campus bullying incident.

But thanks to heavy investment, the greenery in this school was exceptionally well-maintained. The group hadn’t realized that the “private” spot they had chosen was actually separated by a single hedge from a bored Qi Qi.

Qi Qi took another lick of her ice cream, switched her crossed legs, and contemplated when would be the best time to step out.

She didn’t notice that the girl who seemed “clueless” and was chatting with the others with a radiant smile had cast a swift glance in her direction the moment Qi Qi looked away.

In that instant, the girl’s mask-like, unchanging smile turned playful.

“Now that there’s no one else around, we can finally have a good talk.”

A girl with meticulously curled long hair stood at the front. Seeing her companions tactfully move away to keep watch, she turned to look at her target.

Qin Yue raised her chin triumphantly at the girl they had cornered.

The girl’s name was Bai Zhi. She had an exquisite face like a porcelain doll, and her temperament matched her name.

She was slender and beautiful like a flower, specifically, the constant innocent smile on her face gave her a unique aura that made people want to lock her away, the kind of trait that easily triggered dark possessive desires.

But in the eyes of these “proper” heiresses, she just had a “vixen” vibe that was constantly seducing people. It was obvious to them that she was just a canary raised by the Bai family who knew how to fawn over others.

She was quite popular among the opposite sex and some women who preferred women.

Although her treatment was better than that of the scholarship students, she was still someone the students at the top of the school’s social hierarchy could belittle at will.

“Sure. I’ve been wanting to talk to you all alone too. I didn’t expect you to invite me first. I’m so happy.”

Bai Zhi seemed not to notice the malice beneath their smiles, continuing to smile back at them amiably.

Qin Yue let out a disdainful cold snort. What a fool who can’t read the situation. I don’t know why so many people like her.

Even more disgusting to her were the people from her own social class who scrambled to protect Bai Zhi, acting foolishly loyal even after being rejected.

Despite being an illegitimate daughter of the Bai family, Bai Zhi was “lucky” enough to be valued by the head of the family because of her superior face. She was brought back and raised luxuriously as a tool for marriage.

Qin Yue couldn’t hide the jealousy in her eyes, though her voice remained mockingly critical. She stepped closer, invading Bai Zhi’s personal space.

“You’re only average-looking. Is this fawning, tail-wagging attitude something your family taught you? No wonder he was seduced by you and even argued with me because of you.”

Bai Zhi tilted her head, looking at Qin Yue and the girls with their contorted, grinning faces. She widened her eyes, looking innocent and confused. “Seduced? Who are you talking about?”

Qin Yue took a bucket full of water handed to her by a lackey and gave Bai Zhi a malicious smile before splashing the entire thing onto her.

She watched with satisfaction as the water soaked through the thin summer uniform shirt, the excess dripping from Bai Zhi’s hair.

If it weren’t for the fact that doing this in the school building’s restroom would be stopped by the fools who liked this illegitimate girl, she would have pushed her head directly into a toilet stall and made her drink the sewage that suited her status.

“Stop playing dumb! If it weren’t for you hanging around Liu You every day to seduce him, why would he ask his family to cancel our engagement?”

Qin Yue wasn’t gay, and she had long ago settled on a satisfactory engagement. Her attitude toward Bai Zhi had always been one of superiority mixed with disgust.

She truly hadn’t expected that one day her fiancé would have thoughts of breaking off the engagement because of Bai Zhi.

“Are you doing this to disgust me on purpose? Because my family snatched a big order from the Bai family last month? Or do you think marrying Liu You and becoming the matriarch of the Liu family will let you move up in the world?”

Bai Zhi seemed not to have processed what happened. She blinked slowly, water droplets clinging to her thick, curled lashes, shimmering in the sunlight and making her look even more ethereal.

She brushed back the wet hair clinging to her cheek. Since she was only wearing her white shirt without her uniform jacket, her bra and skin were vaguely visible through the wet fabric.

But that wasn’t why she was in a bad mood. She glanced at the nearby bushes again, still no movement.

The person she was interested in still hadn’t come out.

“Liu You? You came for him? Then you’ve got the wrong person. I don’t know him,” Bai Zhi pouted, the smile on her face fading as a hint of boredom crept into her expression. “Perhaps he’s just chasing after me unilaterally. As you know, I’m very popular. It’s impossible for me to know the name of every pursuer.”

The girl shrugged, looking troubled yet helpless.

Then, she said “considerately”: “If you need me to, I’ll go back and find out who this Liu You is and tell him to stop liking me.” Bai Zhi looked at Qin Yue, her eyes carrying a hint of a naive smile. “Otherwise, it would be too pitiful for you to go to all this trouble and get nothing in the end.”

Qin Yue looked at Bai Zhi in disbelief; she had never suffered such humiliation.

Some students hesitated on whether to stop Qin Yue, but others who had long disliked Bai Zhi egged her on, wanting to use this chance to teach this spotlight-stealing illegitimate girl her place.

“Don’t go too far! In terms of family background and status, you can’t even compare to a single hair on our Yueyue’s head!”

“That’s right, Classmate Liu is just momentarily deluded. A cheap thing like you who was raised only to please others is destined to be a bed toy. Yueyue, you can’t let this bitch suppress you!”

“Truly, it runs in the family. The way you seduce people is exactly like your slutty mother!”

Hearing these blunt slanders, the smile on Bai Zhi’s face didn’t disappear, it only grew brighter.

Qin Yue became more and more infuriated by the incitement. The heat of the moment made her forget her original goal of just warning Bai Zhi. Overcome by emotion, she did something she previously looked down upon.

She raised her hand high toward the girl who looked at her with pity and faint mockery.

But then she saw Bai Zhi smiling as she pulled a switchblade from somewhere. The blade glinted coldly in the sun, its tip aimed directly at the palm of the hand Qin Yue intended to slap her with.

Qin Yue’s eyes, filled with rage and anticipation, snapped shut as she saw the cold flash. Even if she wanted to pull back now, she was too close to avoid it.

“Ah!”

The surrounding girls screamed in terror.

But none were as loud as Qin Yue’s scream as the blade pierced through her palm.

Blood flowed slowly, dripping onto the ground.

Qin Yue clutched her pierced palm and fell to the ground, crying out in pain. Her expensive, well-tailored uniform was stained with mud and grass, losing all its previous luster.

Bai Zhi crouched down as well, tilting her head and resting it on one hand, watching with a smile as Qin Yue rolled on the ground in agony.

“It hurts, doesn’t it?” The curve of her lips remained innocent, as if she wasn’t the one who had committed such a bloody act. “That’s what you were trying to do to me. I would have been in a lot of pain too.”

Bai Zhi poked the girl whose body was still trembling from the unusual pain, staring at her with rage-filled eyes that hid a deep-seated fear.

Bai Zhi looked down at that expression, the same one everyone else had and suddenly felt bored.

She looked up at the “rabble” who had scattered the moment blood was drawn, and pulled the knife out of the pampered young lady’s soft palm, causing the blood to flow even faster.

“Some of them might have gone to find a teacher, but some just ran away in fear, thinking they’ll be fine if they just escape now.”

Bai Zhi casually traced the blade in the air over the girl’s pretty face, making Qin Yue who had finally managed to catch her breath and was hoping to find a chance to flee, dare not move.

“You’re doomed! You think it ends like this? Impossible! Even if we have to break ties with the Bai family, I’ll make sure you experience a hundred times the pain I’m feeling now…”

Having caught her breath, Qin Yue calmed down. She assumed Bai Zhi was just acting on a whim and must be panicking inside, merely putting on a brave face.

Bai Zhi couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Do you really think I’m a fool? Since that’s the case, wouldn’t it be quite a bargain for an illegitimate daughter like me to trade my life for the precious life of someone like you?”

The blade pressed against her throat. Qin Yue finally realized her situation was worse than she imagined, and she couldn’t see any sign that Bai Zhi was bluffing. Between life and death, her attitude softened instantly.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! Let me go! Don’t kill me, I’ll give you whatever you want! Please, if you let me go, I won’t pursue this!”

In the face of intense pain, Qin Yue no longer cared about face or being tough, she apologized through tears and a trembling voice.

“Hmm? What are you saying? It’s a bit late for an apology. Look, you’ve made my clothes dirty.” Bai Zhi pouted; the wet clothes clinging to her body were very uncomfortable.

“An Zichen, Gu Xiao, Ren Ze, Wang Meilin, Meng Zifeng… none of them will escape. Don’t worry, I was lying just now. I have a very good memory. Liu You? Of course, I remember him too.”

Under Qin Yue’s terrified gaze, Bai Zhi accurately recited the names of every member of the “sisterhood” who had come to find trouble with her.

“I just didn’t expect anyone to like such boring trash so much that they’d actively come looking for trouble with me.”

Watching the innocent smile that hadn’t changed since the beginning, Qin Yue felt a sudden chill. Even though Bai Zhi was smiling, there was no mirth in her large, dark pupils.

A sudden dread gripped her heart; under the pressure of the blade, even breathing became heavy.

Seeing her so scared she couldn’t speak, Bai Zhi laughed. “Just kidding. Why would I kill you? I’d be a real fool to throw away my own life for a stupid person.”

Humiliated and in pain, Qin Yue used her one good hand to tremblingly button her clothes and staggered away, her panicked retreat showing her desperation to get away from that monster.

Qi Qi waited until she had licked the last of her ice cream. She had even finished the waffle cone while hiding behind the sound of their voices. Finally, after a long while, the outside was silent.

Unlike what she had expected, this was a play where the bullied turned the tables on the bullies. It was a bit more refreshing than what she had seen before.

It was a good show.

Qi Qi stood up from the bench and stretched. She could finally leave this place. However, she’d have to find a new spot next time; this was no longer a secret base only she knew about.

But just as she was about to turn around, a familiar, lighthearted, and curious voice came from behind her.

“Why didn’t you come to save me?”

Qi Qi turned and came face-to-face with the beautiful girl she had just seen. Her exquisite features were stained with a few drops of dark red blood likely from when she pulled out the blade and she was smiling brightly.

She looked like a beautiful little bodhisattva with a cinnabar mole, yet the blood on her jade-like face gave her a sinister, unpredictable air. It didn’t, however, detract from her soul-stirring beauty.

Qi Qi’s gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds.

The distance was close, close enough that she could instantly smell the metallic scent of blood clinging to the girl.

She unconsciously frowned and took two steps back.

But the girl in front of her didn’t seem to notice her withdrawal and pressed closer, asking curiously, “Why? You saved that scholarship student before, so why not me?”

Qi Qi remembered that incident and realized this person must have been hiding somewhere and misunderstood. She pulled a wet wipe from her pocket, one she hadn’t used while eating her ice cream and wiped the blood off the girl’s face herself before handing her the rest.

“Hurry up and wipe your hands. It’s filthy.”

As an arrogant, bossy heiress who didn’t care about others’ opinions, Qi Qi naturally wasn’t afraid, even when facing a potential criminal who had nearly killed someone in front of her.

Bai Zhi was surprisingly obedient. She took the wipe and cleaned the blood from her hands, then looked up and asked persistently, “So, why didn’t you save me?”

She thought about the most obvious difference between herself and that scholarship student and had an epiphany. “Is it because she’s ugly? Do you have a thing for ugly people?”

Qi Qi didn’t want to get involved with someone who was clearly “trouble,” and more importantly, she didn’t want to waste her breath. She turned to walk around her and leave.

But she was blocked by Bai Zhi again.

“Did I guess right? You have very rare tastes.”

The girl frowned and touched her own cheek.

“Let me clear one thing up. I wasn’t saving that scholarship student last time. I was bullying her. Also, do I have any obligation to save you?”

Qi Qi asked back, seriously correcting her misconception to maintain her “persona.”

She wasn’t one to meddle in others’ business. Had it not been for the strange impulse she felt when she first saw that scholarship student, she probably wouldn’t have bothered interacting with anyone during her three years of high school.

Bai Zhi was stumped by the question and thought for a while. “Is that so? Then I misunderstood.” She had no interest in the scholarship student; knowing she wasn’t the only “special” one was enough to make her lose interest. She quickly put it out of her mind. “True, there’s no obligation. But you look like that kind of person. That’s why I put up with getting soaked. I thought you’d come to save me.”

Qi Qi didn’t know why this inexplicable girl was pestering her. She brushed her off impatiently. “Oh? Is that so? You thought too much. I have things to do. Can you move?”

“You saw everything I did just now, didn’t you?”

“Didn’t see a thing.”

Bai Zhi grabbed the hand of the girl who was about to brush past her and smiled mischievously, ignoring the obvious lie. “Since you saw it, I can’t just let you go. My name is Bai Zhi. What’s yours?”

“Really?”

Qi Qi felt as if her wrist had been touched by a block of ice. In the middle of a midsummer afternoon, she actually shuddered from the cold, causing her to instinctively shake off the hand and stride forward to get away from Bai Zhi.

“You’re so warm.”

“I know. Your name is Qi Qi, right? You’re so pretty, and you’re taller than me. Do you usually drink milk?”

Bai Zhi followed her of her own accord, chatting away.

“Let’s be friends. I don’t usually have many friends; it’s quite boring. You too, right?”

“What attracted you to that scholarship student? Why only bully her? Do you want to be friends with her? Why?”

Even if Qi Qi ignored her, she seemed perfectly capable of entertaining herself, as if she were enjoying the conversation.

“Don’t you have classes? And shouldn’t you go deal with what just happened?” Qi Qi finally couldn’t help but speak.

It was currently the first period of the afternoon.

“Is Qi Qi worried about me? I’m so happy.” Bai Zhi’s smile grew even more radiant as she pushed her luck and grabbed the hem of Qi Qi’s shirt.

“It doesn’t matter. I already know everything taught in class. As for what just happened… after a ‘friendly’ talk with Classmate Qin, she very reasonably said it had nothing to do with me. She’ll handle the rest.”

Qi Qi hadn’t really wanted to ask.

As they approached the center of the school, Qi Qi realized that Bai Zhi’s current state with her shirt practically see-through was far too conspicuous. With a look of impatience and annoyance, she took off her own jacket and draped it over Bai Zhi, then lowered her head to button it up for her, one by one.

“Wear this. You can keep it.”

Bai Zhi looked down at Qi Qi buttoning the jacket. Once it was done, she became unusually quiet, but she still followed closely behind.

Just as Qi Qi was thinking about whether to just go back to the classroom to get rid of her, she was suddenly grabbed by the collar. The sheer force yanked her down, forcing her neck into an awkward, steep curve.

She was so close that her lips were nearly touching the girl’s mouth.

“Do I look good?”

“Qi Qi, you actually really like my face, don’t you? Want to kiss?”

Bai Zhi’s expression was no different than usual, smiling brightly, her dark eyes full of pure innocence, making it impossible to tell what she was truly thinking.

Qi Qi slowly closed her eyes and then opened them again. Beneath her cold, rippleless exterior was a deep sense of regret.

Dammit. I couldn’t hide my weakness for a pretty face after all.