The System Put Me in the Wrong Cannon Fodder Role—So I Ran Off with the Heroine - Chapter 5

“But Sister, I’m just so reluctant to let go.” Ji Antang placed her hand on Xu Nanqiao’s. “Even though I know he won’t be like he used to be, I’m still clinging to the memory of who he was. The thought of leaving him makes me feel like I’ll truly have no chance at all.”

“I think the person you actually liked was the one who could put your needs first,” Xu Nanqiao said.

“Yes… So, can people really change their hearts so easily?”

“He never changed.” Xu Nanqiao let out a mocking laugh. “He simply needs a female figure by his side to anchor his affection. It doesn’t matter who that person is—it could be you, or it could be Xu Wanxuan.”

Before him stood two women: one, the “white moonlight” who had saved him as a child; the other, a fiancée from a family of equal social standing.

Before the white moonlight appeared, he could treat his flawless fiancée well. But once she did, he convinced himself that this new, fated encounter was something he couldn’t miss.

In truth, he was never someone who considered others’ feelings. Whenever he felt a spark of attraction, he could conjure endless justifications to convince himself that betraying one person to love another was perfectly reasonable.

So there was no such thing as a destined “right person.” It was all just a facade. Gu Yunzhou’s “right person” wasn’t Ji Antang, nor was it the current Xu Wanxuan, nor would it ever be anyone else.

Because from the very beginning, his only priority had been himself. He had never included anyone else in his life plans. That was why he could love so intensely yet leave so freely. He had an endless capacity for emotional failure; if things didn’t work out, he’d simply move on to the next. He was fine without anyone.

As for how the betrayed Ji Antang should cope, that was a problem she had to figure out on her own—a tribulation she had to endure.

The choice was hers alone. Xu Nanqiao had only helped her analyze the situation. How to handle their relationship and what path to take in the future still depended on the parties involved.

“You’re here.” Xu Nanqiao interrupted her thoughts. “Go home and get some rest.”

Watching Ji Antang’s retreating figure as she walked toward the door, Xu Nanqiao sighed.

Might as well see this through to the end, she thought.

Xu Nanqiao had a good impression of Ji Antang and wanted to help her if she could.

She rolled down the car window. “Ji Antang, remember what I said.”

Ji Antang turned around, and Xu Nancqiao advised her, “Just do what you need to do. You have the right to be excellent. But first, you must isolate yourself from others’ opinions and truly affirm your own worth.”

Ji Antang didn’t fully understand, but she nodded obediently. “Okay, I’ll remember that.”

This is all I can do for now, Xu Nancqiao thought. The rumors about Ji Antang were a key plot point in the script, and she couldn’t change that. Besides, shielding Ji Antang from the storm would be less effective than letting her experience it firsthand. Only by facing it and reconciling with herself could she learn to handle future troubles with greater composure.

Having successfully navigated half a plot point, Xu Nancqiao decided to reward herself.

Now that I’m living the life of a wealthy heiress, it would be a shame not to spend money, right?

The original owner of this body hadn’t been very materialistic, leaving behind a substantial amount of pocket money. With a grand gesture, Xu Nancqiao bought herself a new car.

Being rich is truly amazing!

Xu Wanxuan, perhaps fearing that Xu Nancqiao would reveal her plan to Ji Antang, didn’t make her move at night. Instead, she sent someone to harass Ji Antang in broad daylight. After the attacker was pushed away by bodyguards, Xu Wanxuan spread malicious rumors about Ji Antang.

In an instant, Ji Antang was thrust into the eye of the storm. While many were merely watching the drama unfold, the power of public opinion was uncontrollable. The online backlash caused the Ji family’s stock prices to plummet.

Emmm… Xu Nancqiao was speechless.

It was one thing for the public to get caught up in a wealthy family’s drama, but for the entire internet to be buzzing with mindless gossip, with people practically munching on sunflower seeds and throwing their brains away—well, that was just typical.

Is the Ji family dead or something? Why aren’t they saying anything?

Where’s their PR team? Can’t they sue? What about the thunderous response of filing lawsuits, issuing statements to shut people up, and sending lawyer’s letters to anyone spreading rumors?

Did the original novel really make things this difficult but leave them unresolved?

[System, bring up Ji Antang’s current status.] Xu Nancqiao immediately activated the System’s remote surveillance function.

On the screen, Ji Antang lay curled up on her bed, exhausted, scrolling through her phone. Gone was the composure she’d shown that day; now, she was the picture of fragility and self-reproach.

Her eyes were red as she stared at the trending topics, the room so dark not a single sliver of light could penetrate.

Great, a waste of breath.

While it was true that any normal person would struggle to recover from such a sudden, inexplicable disaster and would need time to process it, this kind of thing was common in both novels and real life—especially for female protagonists and daughters of wealthy families. This was a lesson Ji Antang had to learn.

If she didn’t quickly pull herself together and deal with it, the situation would only escalate, bringing even more trouble.

Moreover, the fact that she could easily encounter such a situation also meant she could easily handle it. She had too many resources at her disposal. If she just tapped into her own initiative, this matter wouldn’t be hard to resolve.

Xu Nanqiao threw on a trench coat and floored the accelerator, driving to the place where she had dropped Ji Antang off that day.

[Open the curtains now.]

She sent the message to Ji Antang.

[What’s wrong, Sister?]

[Just do as I say.]

The curtains in Ji Antang’s room were pulled open. The moment she saw Xu Nanqiao, she froze in place.

[Get your things together and come down for a drive with me. Do you want to go or not?] Xu Nanqiao didn’t say anything else, simply presenting the choice.

Ji Antang’s eyes, already shimmering with tender emotion, grew even redder. [Yes, wait for me.]

Once again, Xu Nanqiao had whisked her away without question.

[I thought Sister would never speak to me again after seeing the comments online!] Ji Antang was still trembling with emotion as she got into the car.

[Do I look that brainless to you? Fasten your seatbelt.] This was Xu Nanqiao’s passenger seat, after all!

[Okay.] After seeing her fasten the seatbelt, the corner of Xu Nanqiao’s mouth curled up. She slammed her foot down on the accelerator, and Ji Antang’s screams filled the air the entire way, louder and more terrifying than the speeding Porsche.

Fortunately, they were on a private track with no one around. She wouldn’t dare drive like this on a public road; otherwise, it would have been a real spectacle.

“Sister, slow down, I—” Ji Antang couldn’t help but throw up as soon as the car stopped.

Xu Nanqiao, with her mischievous streak, stayed by Ji Antang’s side as she finished vomiting by the roadside, watching her with an amused expression.

“You’re really pranking me like this!” Ji Antang said, puffing out her cheeks. “I was so upset!”

“Do you feel better now?” Xu Nanqiao didn’t explain, only raising an eyebrow.

Ji Antang paused. “I… I think I do feel better.”

Xu Nanqiao hadn’t been messing around. When your thoughts are too cluttered, psychological suggestion is useless—you need some physical disruption.

If she’d ever driven like that in her old world, someone would have chopped her up and turned her into minced meat.

“What are you afraid of? There’s no one here. Say it. Seize the opportunity.” Xu Nanqiao had brought her to the seaside, a place with great light and perfect for clearing one’s mind.

“My family has already been affected by this. I’m too scared to go online now,” Ji Antang said, her voice trembling with grievance. “They’re saying such horrible things, Sister. It feels like everyone is pointing fingers at me, even though I didn’t do anything! Once you’ve been smeared with mud, no matter how you explain, they just laugh louder and make up even wilder stories… because they’re not the ones suffering, they have no qualms at all. But how can my one voice ever compete with so many of them?”

“That’s exactly why you haven’t done anything,” Xu Nancqiao said with a smile. “If they insult you, you have to insult them back. What’s the point of explaining when they’re just here for the drama? Online accounts are all real-name verified. We can drag them out from behind their screens. If they don’t suffer some losses, they’ll never learn. So, we’ll hold them accountable. Anyone who keeps insulting you gets sued. Anyone who spreads the rumors gets sued too.”

“But people will say I’m trying to silence them, that I’m guilty and afraid of what they’ll say.”

“Did you do it? Are you guilty?”

“Absolutely not!”

“Exactly.” Xu Nancqiao concluded. “If you didn’t do it, you didn’t do it. The facts and justice are on your side. Defending yourself is the right thing to do. The burden of proof lies with the accuser. What evidence do they have to prove what they’re saying? If they have none, it’s slander. And since they’re slandering the daughter of the Ji family, they’ll be held responsible for any damages caused to the family as well. Your mental distress damages and the Ji family’s economic losses will be enough to bankrupt them. If anyone still has money left to keep spreading rumors, we’ll clean them out too. I’d like to see who’s still stubborn enough to let everyone see how it’s done.”

Ji Antang’s eyes lit up. “Alright, sister, I know what to do now.”

Good. As expected of the female protagonist, she catches on instantly.

“By the way, sister, how are we getting back?” Ji Antang’s face suddenly paled. “Don’t tell me you’re still…”

“Hmm? Or you want to do it?”

“I can’t…” She looked like she wanted to die.

Then, she was pitifully hoisted into the passenger seat by Xu Nancqiao. Seeing Ji Antang happily close her eyes and start reciting her last will and testament, Xu Nancqiao gratefully floored the accelerator.

Support