Transmigrated as the Cannon Fodder Boss of the Disabled Heroine - Chapter 13

“Our boss organized this ridiculous team-building event…”

Yu Zhiwan actually started venting to her.

The woman’s voice was gentle, neither too loud nor too soft, her words logical and clear, and even her complaints were laced with humor. Honestly, listening to her rant was quite entertaining, if only she weren’t ranting about her.

From an ordinary employee’s perspective, dragging people to that kind of club for a party was already an unappealing idea unless the organizer had ulterior motives or was the type who loved wild fun.

Moreover, forcing Yu Zhiwan, a disabled Omega to participate in such an event, even drugging and abducting her, was downright despicable.

From an “outsider’s” perspective, Pei Yujiang could easily empathize with Yu Zhiwan, so she chimed in:

“Your new boss really is awful. You’ll have to be careful at the company someone with such a fondness for beauty…”

Who knows when they might target you again.

Pei Yujiang couldn’t bring herself to say that last part out loud, because she might very well be the one to target Yu Zhiwan again in the future. Even if the system forced her, she still had to carry out the mission.

“So,” Pei Yujiang carefully chose her words, trying to think of how a normal, well-meaning friend would comfort and warn her, “is there anything I can do to help?”

Yu Zhiwan could tell her tone wasn’t just polite but sincere. After a quiet pause, she finally spoke softly:

“I don’t have many friends. Just having someone to talk to makes me happy.”

Hearing this, Pei Yujiang’s hand, holding the teacup, paused mid-air, her expression tinged with sorrow.

Her mind conjured an image of Yu Zhiwan fragile, with a faint shimmer in her eyes, her delicate frame unable to shield her striking beauty, like a delicate flower trembling in the wind and rain.

A beautiful Omega like Yu Zhiwan, whether pursued for ulterior motives or simply admired for her looks, shouldn’t be lacking in friends. Besides, her personality was gentle, approachable, and not overly socially anxious, why couldn’t she make friends?

A long-buried question in Pei Yujiang’s heart began to surface. She wasn’t sure if “Xiao Yu” and Yu Zhiwan’s relationship had reached the point where she could ask, or if it would be too intrusive, but her curiosity was overwhelming.

After a long silence, Pei Yujiang finally asked in a hushed voice:

“Can I ask you something?”

“Hmm?”

“When did your condition start?”

The night breeze carried a faint chill against her cheeks. The warmth of the white porcelain teacup in Pei Yujiang’s hand slowly faded, and her breathing unconsciously slowed as silence stretched over the call.

Her heartbeat grew heavy and sluggish.

Disabled individuals were often sensitive about such topics. She didn’t know Yu Zhiwan’s boundaries, and this was just a tentative probe not meant to upset her, but driven by sheer curiosity.

As the female lead, Yu Zhiwan was shrouded in mystery. The original plot hadn’t revealed anything about her family or background, and guessing was futile. Besides, Yue Rong wouldn’t bother digging into an employee’s personal history.

Was Yu Zhiwan’s disability congenital or acquired? And why would she end up with someone like Liu Huanran in the future, tolerating her numerous flaws and even the harm inflicted upon herself?

Though their time together hadn’t been long, Pei Yujiang instinctively felt that Yu Zhiwan wasn’t some delicate, overly romantic flower weak and love-struck.

But Yu Zhiwan wasn’t an enemy to be interrogated either, so there was no need for an overly stern approach. Had she been too harsh with her questioning right off the bat?

An awkward silence stretched between them, thick in the air. Just as Pei Yujiang’s nerves were about to snap and surrender, Yu Zhiwan suddenly spoke.

“The blindness is congenital. The leg disability was acquired later.”

The words seemed to drain her. A faint sob trembled in her voice, and the moment she spoke, Pei Yujiang sensed the woman’s sorrow and unease. Guilt gnawed at her for reopening old wounds.

Comforting others wasn’t her forte, but she still said earnestly:

“Don’t be sad. I was just curious. Anyway, in my eyes, you’re really, really, really great!”

She emphasized each “really,” her urgency palpable even over the phone.

For some reason, Yu Zhiwan pictured a long-tailed Alaskan malamute she’d once owned clumsily licking her hand, pressing its large body against her to seek affection.

Back then, even when in a good mood, she’d pretend to sigh and act reluctant, just to keep the silly dog by her side a little longer, letting it nuzzle her for more pets.

Yu Zhiwan’s voice deepened, drawing out her words with hesitant uncertainty:

“Really? Then… can I talk to you anytime?”

Pei Yujiang thumped her chest. “Of course! If you ever need to vent, come find me! I’m—”

She nearly blurted, “I’m free,” but caught herself just in time.

In Yu Zhiwan’s eyes, “Little Fish” was a struggling worker orphaned young, lacking academic talent, barely scraping by on menial jobs. Being “free” wasn’t part of the persona.

Lowering her voice, Pei Yujiang softened her tone with a smile:

“I’d be happy to talk with you.”

That much was true. She’d always been curious about the female lead, and now, with her alternate account’s mission to prevent Yu Zhiwan’s descent into darkness, Pei Yujiang felt duty-bound for the world’s stability.

**

Pei Yujiang realized she’d chosen the right alias with “Little Fish.”

After that day, Yu Zhiwan often messaged her. Later, since typing was inconvenient for Yu Zhiwan requiring her to listen to each voice message one by one delays in replies gradually led to phone calls instead.

Meanwhile, Pei Yujiang had slowly adapted to Yue Rong’s work rhythm. Though she hadn’t made sweeping changes and was still feeling her way, she’d become far more diligent. Pei Jinhuai could tell she was genuinely committed now and assigned a good-natured mentor to guide her.

The mentor, though kind, didn’t go easy on her. It was clear Pei Jinhuai had begun grooming her as a potential successor.

Through this period of work, Pei Yujiang had gained a profound understanding of this. Yet despite working under the veteran master, she never complained about hardship or exhaustion. Even when she occasionally followed the original owner’s character by glaring at the old master, the latter never said anything and instead developed a much-improved impression of her.

Last weekend, Pei Yujiang had been working overtime with the executives to discuss solutions for new products and stagnant inventory. She had been busy for most of the week before finally making some headway.

Then, on Thursday noon, she received a call from Yu Zhiwan.

“I want to eat at a lakeside restaurant in Lakeside Park this weekend. Would you like to join me?”

Pei Yujiang instinctively asked:

“Just the two of us?”

Yu Zhiwan softly hummed an “Mm” on the other end of the line.

It was currently lunch break, and Yu Zhiwan’s voice wasn’t loud, she was likely speaking softly to her in the hallway. The Bluetooth earphones had excellent sound quality, and in the quiet, Pei Yujiang could even catch the faint echo from the other side.

After Yu Zhiwan’s “Mm,” Pei Yujiang keenly picked up the sound of footsteps somewhat chaotic followed by a lowered voice. Though it wasn’t loud, Pei Yujiang’s sharp hearing caught it clearly.

It was Liu Huanran.

The woman must have arrived at some point. Upon hearing Yu Zhiwan was going out with someone else, she let out a “Hmph” before asking:

“Who are you talking to?”

Yu Zhiwan ignored her.

Liu Huanran repeated the question, raising her volume this time, and her tone inevitably turned harsh. Yu Zhiwan paused for a moment before replying in an equally displeased tone, her voice lowering:

“A friend.”

Her answer was brief, and she quickly hung up. Pei Yujiang heard the “beep…” of the disconnected call and imagined Yu Zhiwan’s patient, restrained demeanor, stirring a sense of dissatisfaction within her.

As the villainous superior, such dissatisfaction naturally translated into immediate action.

Pei Yujiang promptly gathered her things and headed to the product department.

Pei Jinhuai had doted on the original owner, fearing his daughter would suffer even the slightest grievance at the company. While he didn’t openly flaunt Pei Yujiang’s status, at the very least, the management all knew about the young Miss Pei.

Thus, even though Pei Yujiang had resigned and started over, no one dared to look down on her. At Yuerong, she still held the status of a little tyrant though she had toned down considerably, at least no longer throwing tantrums or giving arbitrary orders, much to the relief of most.

The planning department had ties with the product department, so the deputy head of planning visiting the product department was well within her duties.

Pei Yujiang didn’t announce her arrival, aiming to catch the other party off guard. At that moment, Liu Huanran had just returned to her workstation. Though she was only a minor official, she put on quite the authoritative air with her subordinates.

The one submitting the proposal to her was a young woman who had just been hired, with a few freckles on her face and a round, plain appearance that could barely be considered delicate. Liu Huanran skimmed through it before criticizing the girl’s work without specifying what was wrong, speaking in riddles. The girl didn’t dare to ask, her eyes already slightly reddening.

“Liu Huanran,” Pei Yujiang walked in silently, calling her name directly as Liu Huanran was flexing her authority, “the last batch sent for quality inspection had some failures. Even if the pass rate for cosmetics is 98%, the remaining 2% causing customers’ faces to break out would still have a significant impact.”

“I saw your signature on the handover form approving that batch of products. You’ll need to work overtime to ensure they pass inspection before sending them to the next stage. Just don’t let it delay other projects.”

The implication was clear, she’d have to work through the weekend. Liu Huanran’s face darkened momentarily before she quickly composed herself, not daring to argue.

Pei Yujiang gave her a measured glance before casually turning her gaze to Yu Zhiwan, who sat quietly in the office corner holding documents. Her eyes lingered on the woman’s striking features as she asked with genuine concern:

“After all, our makeup test model has such a beautiful face. Surely you wouldn’t want to see any skin issues arise on our model?”

Yu Zhiwan had come to get documents stamped and was waiting for today’s shoot. She could go directly from the product department with the team, someone would escort her.

The woman seemed surprised to encounter Pei Yujiang but showed no reaction, maintaining an indifferent silence. Yet Pei clearly noticed her phone screen displayed a call interface with the contact name “Zhao Manlin.”

Pei Yujiang couldn’t help but wryly twist her lips.

Had the female lead interpreted her earlier tone as flirtatious?

And so Liu Huanran’s weekend overtime was neatly settled.

Early Saturday morning, after washing up and applying minimal makeup, Pei prepared to leave. On her way downstairs, she nodded at the housekeeper:

“Auntie Zhou, I won’t be back for meals today.”

The housekeeper paused mid-step, momentarily confused by the address. After a beat, she muttered to herself:

“The young mistress seems,  happy about something?”

Indeed, good fortune brightens one’s demeanor. Everyone knew Pei Yujiang used to have a terrible temper, constantly picking fights and making unreasonable demands. Now she not only refrained from causing trouble but had even occasionally miraculously, thanked her.

Suddenly enlightened, Auntie Zhou hurried to her gossipy friend group chat:

“[Smiley.jpg] The young mistress must have gotten herself a girlfriend!”

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