Transmigrated as the Cannon Fodder Boss of the Disabled Heroine - Chapter 84

Jiang Wenxiu dashed a few steps away, then hesitated when she realized no one was chasing after her.

Shen Jiayu remained seated on the steps, her clothes billowing in the wind, making her slender frame appear even more fragile. The iPad resting on her knees remained unopened, and she was enveloped in the shadows of the night, looking frail and pitiful.

Pei Yujiang arrived late, unaware of what had transpired between the two earlier. All she could tell was that Jiang Wenxiu seemed furious. But now, standing at the entrance, Jiang Wenxiu didn’t go inside. She kept glancing back, clearly reluctant to leave Shen Jiayu alone outside.

Yet, from start to finish, Shen Jiayu neither offered an explanation nor tried to stop her. Jiang Wenxiu, who had been pampered since childhood, couldn’t bear having to coax someone over and over again. The fact that her patience had lasted this long was already a miracle. With a huff, she finally turned and walked away without a second thought.

The autumn night wind was strong, and the temperature difference between day and night was no longer like summer, it was chilly now. Even Pei Yujiang, standing silently for a while, began to feel the cold, let alone Shen Jiayu. The girl’s delicate figure looked as if it could be toppled by a gust of wind, and her feet were still submerged in the pool. Though the water was clear and clean enough to swim in, staying in it for too long would surely be uncomfortable.

Pei Yujiang hesitated, wondering if she should step forward and urge Shen Jiayu to get up before she caught a cold.

But before she could decide, she heard hurried footsteps. Jiang Wenxiu came clattering down the stairs, clutching a jacket, which she tossed into Shen Jiayu’s arms.

“Hey!” she shouted. “Are you stupid? Don’t you care about catching a cold?”

Shen Jiayu blinked in surprise as she caught the jacket.

Jiang Wenxiu didn’t linger after delivering the jacket. With another cold snort, she turned to leave, as if the one who had just shown concern wasn’t her at all. But then, as if snapping out of a daze, Shen Jiayu quickly caught up and gently grabbed Jiang Wenxiu’s wrist.

“I was… practicing swimming just now.”

Her words came slowly and haltingly, but once she started, it became easier. Seeing Jiang Wenxiu listening intently, Shen Jiayu gradually grew bolder. There was a shy nervousness in her, but also a sense of relief, as if she had finally let go of something, no longer maintaining that uncharacteristically detached demeanor from before.

“I was practicing swimming because… I wanted to go into the water with you tomorrow. I’m not as good a swimmer as you, so I couldn’t practice in the lake. I had to use the hotel pool. I learn fast, but… I was worried about you going alone…”

From Shen Jiayu’s fragmented explanation, Pei Yujiang, whose legs had gone numb from crouching pieced together what had happened.

Jiang Wenxiu was mischievous. That afternoon, she had joked about sneaking into the swimming area tomorrow while the teacher wasn’t looking. Though the season still allowed for water activities, it was easy to catch a cold if one wasn’t careful. Shen Jiayu knew she couldn’t talk Jiang Wenxiu out of it, so she didn’t try. Instead, she decided to join her, if the teacher punished them, they’d be punished together. At least she could keep things under control.

But Shen Jiayu hadn’t told Jiang Wenxiu any of this. From Jiang Wenxiu’s perspective, she had remained aloof and indifferent the whole time.

It wasn’t until the afternoon when Jiang Wenxiu saw Shen Jiayu sitting by the water and went over to her, accidentally knocking a woven grass ring from her hand into the water. The ring, wrapped layer upon layer, quickly sank beneath the surface. Shen Jiayu didn’t say anything at the time, but when Jiang Wenxiu looked again later, she found her swimming in the water.

Who would swim in this weather? Shen Jiayu wasn’t in the best health either. The thought that the grass ring had been a gift from another girl made Jiang Wenxiu wonder if Shen Jiayu had feelings for her.

When she asked with a hint of jealousy, Shen Jiayu didn’t deny it, just gave her a strange look. At that moment, Jiang Wenxiu felt her silence was as good as an admission, and it hit her like a thunderbolt. Unable to hold back, she lashed out at Shen Jiayu.

“But you clearly know—”

“I know you like me. And I like you too. Now that I’ve admitted it, is that okay?”

Shen Jiayu suddenly spoke up, cutting off Jiang Wenxiu’s stammering. The girl standing in the doorway was startled by this blunt confession, her ears burning red as she stuttered in disbelief:

“What did you say?”

Shen Jiayu grabbed her hand, gripping it so tightly it hurt as if to steel her own courage. But Jiang Wenxiu’s heart swelled with joy, her happiness written plainly across her face. She leaped up in excitement, pulling Shen Jiayu toward the stairs.

From inside, Shen Jiayu’s voice faintly carried:

“What are you doing?”

“I’m recording this! Say it again, I’m afraid you’ll take it back or say it was just a joke!”

Pei Yujiang couldn’t help but laugh.

She had been holding the same position for so long that only now did she realize her circulation had been cut off. As soon as she set Yu Zhiwan down, she hissed in discomfort.

Yu Zhiwan, too engrossed in the drama, hadn’t noticed. “Am I too heavy?”

“No,” Pei Yujiang shook her head. “I held it too long. Guess I’ll have to switch positions more often next time.”

Unaware of the unintended implication of her words, she began stretching when suddenly the Omega pulled her backward into an embrace. The shift in posture eased the strain on her waist, and Pei Yujiang relaxed into Yu Zhiwan’s warmth, giving a slight shake of her head.

Truthfully, her first instinct had been to shake her head more vigorously, but Yu Zhiwan arched a brow and immediately leaned back.

Pei Yujiang nearly toppled over, but her strong core saved her. Confused, she looked at Yu Zhiwan, who stated matter-of-factly, “You rubbed against my chest. Taking advantage of me.”

Pei Yujiang protested, “I didn’t! I just moved my head!”

Yu Zhiwan let out a soft hum.

Pei Yujiang teased, “Oh yeah? Then why don’t you rub against mine? Even the score?”

She meant it as a joke, but Yu Zhiwan actually leaned in, pressing her face against Pei Yujiang’s torso slowly, deliberately, from collarbone to waistline. The familiar warmth of the Omega’s cheek through the fabric felt unexpectedly thrilling in the dim light.

Pei Yujiang couldn’t take it anymore. Before she could stop Yu Zhiwan, she cupped her face, then released her, sliding her hands up to her shoulders to lift her slightly.

Her voice dropped low, laced with an unspoken allure in the darkness:

“What are you trying to do, hm?”

It was already past midnight when they returned. Pei Yujiang tiptoed ahead, moving quietly to avoid waking the girls.

But as soon as she pushed open the door upstairs, she was met with cheerful laughter.

“We can’t play with Shen Jiayu, she’s basically a bug! If she’s the ghost, the rest of us don’t stand a chance!”

The loud voice belonged to Jin Duo, easily heard even from the doorway. Startled, Pei Yujiang pulled out her phone to check the time nearly 3 AM.

These young people seemed even more energetic than she had imagined.

Her first thought was relief, thankfully, the pool water could be refreshed anytime, so the girls probably wouldn’t realize what they had done.

At first, Pei Yujiang thought they were playing the same card game from earlier, but then she realized the girls had turned off the lights and were playing a horror-themed board game.

The classic Japanese tabletop game Hako Onna (The Box Woman).

Someone had even turned on eerie background music from their phone, intensifying the chilling atmosphere. The dim light cast shadows over their youthful faces as Pei Yujiang crept past, trying to slip upstairs without disturbing them until Ding Fang suddenly shrieked:

“Ah, what the hell?!”

“Big Sis Pei, you scared me to death!”

“I thought the Box Woman had actually come, hahaha…”

Girls who dared to play horror games in the dead of night with only a small lamp on definitely weren’t the timid type. Ding Fang, who had screamed first, patted her chest dramatically as if genuinely frightened, then joked:

“You two sneaking back from your midnight date, I almost threw this prop at you!”

Hako Onna was about a little girl whose limbs were broken before she was locked inside a box, eventually turning into a vengeful spirit that haunted the living. One player took on the role of the Box Woman, moving stealthily between boxes, while the others played as unlucky visitors who might find useful items when opening them.

In this immersive boxed game, the “props” weren’t just simple cards. Pei Yujiang noticed Ding Fang clutching a miniature teddy bear no bigger than half her palm adorable in daylight but unnervingly sinister under the dim, yellowish glow.

“Big Sis Yujiang and Big Sis Zhiwan went out on a date without us and didn’t even bring anything back? How unfair.”

Pei Yujiang and Yu Zhiwan were both easygoing, so the girls had quickly warmed up to them. Jin Duo stuck out her tongue teasingly, pretending to scare them, prompting Pei Yujiang to plop the golden pomelo onto the table.

“Who said I didn’t bring anything?”

While the others gathered around the fruit, Jiang Wenxiu studied them curiously.

“Why are you two all wet? Did it rain outside?”

The sky outside was clear, stars glittering brightly.

Pei Yujiang stammered, unsure how to explain, but Yu Zhiwan smoothly lifted her damp hair and replied with ease:

“The lights at the entrance went out, and I accidentally stepped into the pool.”

The girls were naturally inquisitive, but their attention shifted quickly as they began discussing the villa’s poorly designed entrance. The lights turned off automatically at midnight, and with the door centered between two pools one a shallow decorative pond, the other a swimming pool, it was an accident waiting to happen.

Stepping into the ornamental pond might mean crushing the fish inside, but falling into the swimming pool would be even worse, the water was about 1.2 meters deep. While not enough to drown an adult, it would still be an unpleasant experience.

At this thought, the group shot sympathetic glances at the two of them. Jin Duo even earnestly advised:

“Be more careful next time. If you’re going to be out late, just call Xiuxiu and have her bring a flashlight to meet you, or go turn on the central control.”

The careless culprits, Pei Yujiang and Yu Zhiwan: “…”

Fortunately, no one pressed them about why they had returned so late, and they soon went back to their horror game. The two went upstairs to shower and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, the school organized a tour of the island. After a full day of fun, Pei Yujiang rented an automatic grill and bought fresh ingredients, pre-skewered on metal sticks to save effort.

A few students, having skipped dinner, quietly slipped away from the teachers and joined Pei Yujiang and Yu Zhiwan on the beach. Seeing the neatly arranged setup, Jin Duo gasped in amazement:

“The service here is amazing! No wonder it’s a tourist island!”

“Nope,” Pei Yujiang shook her head, glancing at some people playing in the water nearby before deadpanning, “It’s because I have the power of money.”

She had bought the freshest ingredients, prepped and ready to grill, with seasoning to be added to taste. Pei Yujiang had also rented a few beach chairs. With the sun gone, there was no need for umbrellas. Nearby, someone was approaching with a tray of drinks for them.

Pei Yujiang had arranged everything perfectly now all that was left was to sit back and enjoy.

A gentle breeze swept across the lake, carrying the crisp freshness of autumn. In the distance, the lighthouse had already lit up, its snow-white tower adorned with colorful lanterns that cast shimmering reflections on the calm water.

The rhythmic sound of waves filled the air, stirring Pei Yujiang’s memories of last night’s intimate moment. It had also been by the villa’s pool the water clean and disinfected daily with Yu Zhiwan lying on the tiled edge while she stood in the water…

Pei Yujiang blinked, shaking off the strange thoughts.

Somewhere in the distance, a vendor was chattering loudly, haggling with someone. Pei Yujiang closed her eyes, savoring the peaceful moment, until Jin Duo suddenly called out:

“Yujiang-jie, I’m going to grab some fish buns over there!”

Pei Yujiang waved her off, signaling that she could go. These high schoolers weren’t kids, yet they seemed to treat her like a parent, reporting every little thing.

Jin Duo dashed off like an arrow toward the lakeside, Pei Yujiang realized. Vendors by the lake mostly sold fresh pomelo juice, so a bun seller would stand out.

The lamb skewers on the grill slowly turned golden, their rich aroma filling the air even without seasoning. Yu Zhiwan prepared a dipping sauce both paste and powder, along with some ponzu, planning to grill some fish later to sample the local specialty.

Before long, Jin Duo returned, looking disappointed.

Shen Jiayu, who had been whispering with Jiang Wenxiu, noticed her expression and turned to ask, “What’s wrong?”

“The fish bun seller said they’re sold out today, the catch was unusually poor, with only a few tiny fish fry. He even asked if I wanted to buy salted fish buns instead, which are pre-preserved,” Jin Duo sighed. “Who’d eat stinky salted fish buns anyway? They reek!”

Pei Yujiang had only heard of fish maw hotpot in Ningxiang but never encountered fish buns. Though initially curious to try them, Jin Duo’s update dashed her hopes for the day. She comforted:

“No worries, we’re here for four days and three nights. We can come back tomorrow evening.”

“He mentioned the fishery nets were sabotaged, even their prized thirty-pound ‘fish king’ meant for exhibition disappeared! They’re checking surveillance now, suspecting someone might’ve dived in to damage the nets. Some even absurdly blamed our students.”

“Nonsense,” Pei Yujiang laughed incredulously. “What student would dive to steal fish or wreck nets? Those aquaculture nets must be sturdy, impossible to break without special tools.”

“Ridiculous!”

Amid complaints, the group finished dinner. Afterward, students volunteered to clean and return the grill equipment while Pei Yujiang and Yu Zhiwan strolled along the lakeshore, savoring the refreshing breeze.

Holding Yu Zhiwan’s hand, Pei Yujiang suddenly giggled. When asked why, she composed herself:

“I was imagining once life settles, maybe we could become digital nomads? Would you enjoy that?”

The nomadic lifestyle meant transient stays in cities, absorbing local culture. Pei Yujiang knew many writers lived this way, and since her tenure at Yuerong wasn’t permanent, perhaps she too could embrace freelance freedom someday. Unconsciously, she’d already woven Yu Zhiwan into her long-term plans.

But recognizing Yu Zhiwan might prefer stability, she backtracked:

“If not, we could just retire in Yicheng, buy a nicer duplex, relocate whenever we fancy…”

Yu Zhiwan, amused by her whimsy, playfully swatted her:

“Since when are you so restless?”

They were still young, yet Pei Yujiang was already planning their golden years.

“Seeing all those married couples today got me thinking!”

Earlier, they’d met other parents, all nearly forty and married, starkly contrasting their under-thirty duo. However, most were open-minded, striking up conversations and even inviting them to forage wild greens tomorrow while the kids had activities.

In high spirits, Pei Yujiang considered livestreaming upon returning but opted instead to organize photos for a future travelogue.

On their third sunlit morning at Qianshui Island, the group ascended the mountain. Pei Yujiang and Yu Zhiwan took the cable car, the latter’s legs still unfit for prolonged hikes, especially in the heat.

The two stood on the mountain enjoying the view. Pei Yujiang was sightseeing with binoculars when she suddenly spotted a tall iron tower that looked completely different from the White Pagoda, causing her to frown.

As she studied it carefully, Yu Zhiwan asked what she’d found. Pei Yujiang simply handed her the binoculars.

Yu Zhiwan took a look through them:

“Oh, that should be a signal transmission tower.”

“Signal transmission tower?”

This was somewhat outside Pei Yujiang’s knowledge.

She knew such things existed but had never seen one before, as this tower was quite old-fashioned in design – completely enclosed, looking like an unremarkable abandoned observation tower.

Yu Zhiwan explained:

“It was used long ago to transmit signals and maintain WiFi networks. Nowadays we use AG networks that don’t require WiFi connections everywhere, so these were gradually phased out.”

Pei Yujiang nodded.

After walking through the mangrove forest for a while, Yu Zhiwan grew tired and decided to wait for the rest of their group at a nearby rest area. The main group was hiking up the 300-meter mountain, which wouldn’t take too long, and some people were already sitting in the pavilion waiting.

Pei Yujiang bought two bottles of cold water, first twisting open a cap to hand to Yu Zhiwan before drinking her own. She drank slowly, letting the cool water trickle into her mouth refreshingly.

Within minutes, Pei Yujiang heard a commotion. At first she thought it was the main group arriving, but it sounded different than expected. A vendor selling oden in the pavilion saw people coming up carrying large bags and long forks, exclaiming in shock:

“Holy shit, what are you doing with that?”

The long iron forks were covered in seaweed and carried the fishy smell of aquatic life. These tools were rarely used nowadays – even fishing mostly employed nets rather than spears.

“Something’s wrong by the sea! I ran up here. Damn it, is this really some kind of apocalypse?”

Pei Yujiang stopped drinking and turned to look. Her sharp ears seemed to catch faint noises coming from below. Yu Zhiwan reacted quickly, immediately putting away her bottle, standing up from the stone she’d been sitting on, and looking downhill through the binoculars.

Through the dense forest foliage, visibility was poor. The binoculars weren’t astronomical or military grade, lacking clarity. Yu Zhiwan could barely make out people gathering their belongings, though the sky was perfectly clear with no sign of impending rain.

As waves surged rhythmically, Yu Zhiwan couldn’t spot anything unusual yet and asked if Pei Yujiang wanted to go investigate. After consideration, Pei Yujiang declined. If alone she’d definitely choose to go down now, but she couldn’t leave Yu Zhiwan by herself or risk taking the Omega into potential danger.

Yu Zhiwan continued observing. Some people who’d heard the commotion came over curiously, asking to borrow the binoculars, but Pei Yujiang refused.

“Stingy.”

The person left after this remark, but Pei Yujiang ignored the comment, staying focused beside Yu Zhiwan.

“Ah!”

A piercing scream erupted from the seaside, like a spark igniting. The echoing sounds reaching them were indistinct. Yu Zhiwan adjusted the binoculars to maximum zoom, squinting to make out what appeared to be a dark gray fin in the water.

“Shark! There’s a shark at Qianshui Island!”

The lookout by the sea blew a sharp whistle, and the tower guards quickly reported it. The surrounding staff desperately used loudspeakers to shout, urging the crowd to evacuate and move inland.

Jiang Wenxiu faintly heard the staff’s announcement. She was currently hiking up the mountain, having fallen slightly behind the group. Most people weren’t particularly interested in climbing and were moving lazily.

At the sound of the broadcast, Jiang Wenxiu jolted upright in alarm.

Sharks could only survive in freshwater lakes. If sharks were coming, did that mean seawater had invaded too? Could this trigger a flood? Startled, Jiang Wenxiu immediately grabbed Shen Jiayu and urged her friends to quickly head for higher ground.

The previously orderly crowd panicked at the sudden turn of events, crying out in fear as they surged forward. The mountain path became instantly packed. The cable cars were slow-moving, with one end connected near the lake, taking nearly a full loop to arrive. Amidst the jostling crowd, Jiang Wenxiu had to hold onto Shen Jiayu tightly to prevent her from being swept away by the human tide:

“Let’s take a shortcut, hurry!”

Support