Transmigrated as the Cannon Fodder Spouse of the Disabled Beauty - Chapter 25

The butler moved the luggage out of the seaside villa and into the trunk of the car. After placing one piece, he turned back to fetch the next.

Xu Luo took a breath of the salty sea breeze and raised her phone toward the ocean, intending to take a panoramic shot of the coastline to mark the end of this trip.

The afternoon sun on Green Island was bright, falling upon the azure sea like a layer of dazzling gold powder scattered across the water.

Xu Luo adjusted her angle and was about to press the shutter when a running figure suddenly burst onto the shore and into her lens. Before she could adjust, she captured a blurred afterimage of someone running frantically with hair flying wildly.

Xu Luo: “…”

She let out an “ah” and exclaimed: “A wild person! There are indigenous wild people on this island, and they run so fast!”

Song Yunran, who was watching the butler load the luggage, looked toward the coast upon hearing this. Seeing the “wild person,” she calmly evaluated: “Nice legs.”

They really were running fast.

Xu Luo choked for a moment. She glanced at Song Yunran’s legs and then at her expression. Fortunately, Song Yunran’s expression hadn’t changed; there was no sign of envy or similar emotions.

Xu Luo scratched her head.

She turned back to look at the shore, and what she saw gave her a fright. The “wild person” sprinting on the coast was actually running toward them, and was already quite close!

Because they were so near, the “wild person’s” true face was revealed.

It was Song Zhenzhen.

Song Zhenzhen was carrying a gunny sack and running at high speed. It wasn’t long before she reached Xu Luo. Without catching her breath, she threw the sack in front of Xu Luo: “For you!”

Xu Luo almost had her legs hit by the sack. She hopped back on one foot to avoid it, then kindly examined the bag on the ground and asked, “What is this?”

Song Zhenzhen panted: “Dried sea kale I bought from the island residents.”

She said, “You’re leaving, right? A gift for you.”

Giving sea kale?

The meat-loving Xu Luo was a bit dismissive of “grass,” but she accepted it anyway, grinning: “Thank you.”

Song Zhenzhen looked like a stoic girl. She nodded and then placed the sack of sea kale into the trunk. Her strength was immense; she lifted the heavy sack as if it were a feather.

Reciprocating the gesture, since Xu Luo had received a bag of sea kale, she felt she had to give something back. But she hadn’t prepared anything in advance, so… she sent the photo she had just taken.

Song Zhenzhen: “…”

A hint of disdain flickered across her lack of expressive features.

But she accepted it nonetheless.

The two exchanged contact information to facilitate sending the photo.

And so, amidst mutual disdain, the two politely finished their exchange of parting gifts.

A few minutes later, the villa butler finished moving the luggage. Xu Luo and Song Yunran got into the car and departed.

As the car started, the fast-running Song Zhenzhen began to chase after it. Xu Luo saw this in the rearview mirror and, thinking the girl had something more to say, called for the car to stop.

She rolled down the window, poked her head out, and said to the chasing Song Zhenzhen: “Hey, don’t run! Take it slow, we’ll wait for you!”

She added, “Is there anything else?”

The car hadn’t gone far, so Song Zhenzhen caught up quickly. Her expression remained minimal even after the sprint. She looked directly at Xu Luo and asked instead of answering: “Xu Luo, are you moved?”

Xu Luo didn’t react: “Huh?”

Moved by what?

Song Zhenzhen said: “I’m chasing the car to see you off. Are you moved?”

Xu Luo: “…”

Song Zhenzhen said: “I was quite moved when you saved me back then. If you are moved now, then we are even.”

Xu Luo: “…”

The corner of her mouth twitched violently.

She rolled up the window, let the driver continue, and typed a reply on her phone: I’m moved!!!

Moved to tears!

Classmate Song Zhenzhen didn’t seem to understand the meaning of the multiple “!” in the reply, as she replied formally: That’s good.

Xu Luo: “…”

She burst out laughing, her body going soft from the hilarity. She tilted her head and leaned against Song Yunran’s shoulder.

Song Yunran didn’t push her away. Not only that, she adjusted her posture to make her more comfortable and asked: “So happy?”

Xu Luo couldn’t stop laughing, her body shaking as she said: “Because someone is just too cute!”

“Song Zhenzhen?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

Song Yunran rubbed the decorative ring on her index finger.

When they arrived in A City by plane, dusk had already fallen, but the heat of the city had not receded. Stepping out of the airport, Xu Luo was hit by the sweltering air and let out a hiss of discomfort.

The Song family driver had been waiting outside the airport and immediately drove them toward the Song family villa.

Sitting in the car, the air conditioning relieved the heat of A City. Xu Luo lowered her head to look at her phone while enjoying the cool breeze; she was checking her inbox.

Ten minutes ago, she had sent a message to Granny Fu, hoping she could ask Auntie Li to prepare some plum soup to beat the heat, but ten minutes had passed and Granny Fu hadn’t replied.

Did she not see it?

Xu Luo speculated, wondering if she should send another message.

Before deciding, she thought to ask the person sitting next to her Granny Fu’s employer.

“Song Yunran, after we went to Green Island, did Granny Fu stay at the villa instead of going home?”

Song Yunran was using her laptop to handle company business accumulated over the past two days. Hearing the question, she answered distractedly: “She should be.”

Xu Luo said: “Then isn’t she staying in the villa all alone?”

Song Yunran’s villa was quite large. It felt lonely for an elderly person to stay there by themselves.

Song Yunran glanced at her and said: “She would be alone even if she went back to her own home.”

“Eh?”

“Granny’s parents have passed away, and she never married, so she is alone at home too.”

Xu Luo: “…”

It was the first time she had heard of this.

Seeing her stunned, Song Yunran knew she didn’t know much about Granny Fu’s background and added casually: “Her hometown isn’t in A City either. She is from G City. She left her hometown when she was young and wandered through many places until she took the job of taking care of me ten years ago. That’s when she settled in A City. She bought a house in the suburbs now, but she doesn’t spend much time there.”

“G City?”

Xu Luo heard a familiar place name.

In the original book, Granny Fu was only an eighteenth-tier minor character; there was even less description of her than the cannon fodder Xu Luo. However, the name of Granny Fu’s hometown, G City, appeared frequently because it was the birthplace of the female lead, Song Zhenzhen. The orphanage where Song Zhenzhen stayed before she became an adult was also in G City.

Speaking of which, Granny Fu once mentioned that her home was very close to an orphanage and that her friend was a child from that orphanage.

Could the orphanage Granny Fu mentioned be the same one Song Zhenzhen stayed in?

It wasn’t impossible, as G City wasn’t a large city.

Xu Luo’s thoughts wandered. She asked Song Yunran curiously: “Has Granny ever told you about a friend of hers?”

“You Mei?” Song Yunran casually spoke a name.

Xu Luo had never heard that name, and Granny Fu hadn’t told her.

Song Yunran said: “It’s that friend from the orphanage who once lived in Granny Fu’s house, right?”

Xu Luo nodded.

Song Yunran said: “That would be You Mei.”

Xu Luo looked like she had discovered something new: “It seems Granny has talked to you about it!”

Song Yunran gave an “um” in response.

Xu Luo was curious: “Did that You Mei never go back to G City to find Granny after going home? Their relationship seemed so good; it would be a pity if they just lost touch like that.”

Song Yunran calmly finished processing a document and moved to the next, saying: “No.”

No?!

Xu Luo’s eyes widened, finding it somewhat hard to accept.

A pair of best friends, a friend whom Granny had missed for so long…

Xu Luo wanted to ask what happened, but the car slowed down. They had arrived home.

Song Yunran packed up her laptop and prepared to get out.

At this moment, the Song family villa was silent. Only the headlights illuminated a small area in front. When the car entered the underground garage, Xu Luo was still looking toward the yard through the window. The excessive silence and darkness in the yard felt strange to her. She muttered: “Is Granny not here?”

Song Yunran didn’t think much of it and asked Xu Luo to turn on the lights.

The lights flickered on, and the garage was flooded with brightness.

Xu Luo helped Song Yunran out of the car, and the two took the elevator upstairs.

The elevator reached the first-floor living room. When the doors opened, Xu Luo was the first to turn on the living room lights. As the light dispelled the darkness, Xu Luo’s gaze swept across the room and saw Granny Fu leaning against the sofa, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.

“So she fell asleep…” Xu Luo realized. “No wonder the lights weren’t on…”

As she spoke, she pushed Song Yunran out of the elevator.

Song Yunran’s eyes remained fixed on the grandmother on the sofa.

“Luo Luo—”

“At your service.” Xu Luo’s inner actress flared up as she bowed slightly to Song Yunran. “What are your orders?”

Song Yunran said: “Push me over to see Granny.”

“Hmm?”

Xu Luo’s relaxed mood suddenly tightened upon hearing those words. Song Yunran wouldn’t say that for no reason, so did something happen to Granny?

Her heart began to race abnormally. Xu Luo pushed Song Yunran to the front of the sofa. Song Yunran reached out and held one of Granny Fu’s hands resting on her lap.

Xu Luo didn’t know where Song Yunran pressed on Granny Fu’s hand, but Granny didn’t wake up. Instead, her brows furrowed deeply, appearing to be in extreme distress.

“Call 120.” Song Yunran put down Granny Fu’s hand.

Xu Luo: “!!!”

Granny Fu was taken away by an ambulance; she was ill.

When Granny Fu was rushed into the emergency room, Xu Luo learned from Song Yunran that Granny Fu had an underlying condition. According to Song Yunran, Granny Fu suffered from congenital heart disease and had undergone a major surgery at the age of 18. The surgery was successful, and her recovery had been good, with very few relapses over the years. It was only in the last two years that her health began to decline, which was why Auntie Li had taken over the kitchen duties.

Watching Granny Fu being pushed into the ER, Xu Luo felt as if her own heart were being squeezed. She didn’t want anything to happen to Granny. She liked this old woman.

Standing guard outside the ER, refusing to leave, Xu Luo felt her body go weak, likely from the shock.

Her breathing became heavier and heavier. She was unaware that a faint flush was appearing on her face.

At the same time, Song Yunran was settling the hospital arrangements with the nurses. When she finished and returned, she saw Xu Luo curled up on a chair outside the ER, her lips slightly parted like a fish gasping for air, her breathing rapid.

Song Yunran’s brows twitched, and she called Xu Luo’s name.

But Xu Luo didn’t hear her. Her heart was pounding like a drum, making it difficult to notice external sounds.

“…Luo…”

“You… have a fever.”

In a blur, Xu Luo heard Song Yunran’s voice. However, she was more concerned with the hand Song Yunran placed on her cheek. That hand was cool and the touch was delicate, making her instinctively lean in to nuzzle against it.

She nuzzled with great delight.

On the other side, Song Yunran was gauging Xu Luo’s temperature. Xu Luo had developed a fever in front of her several times before, so Song Yunran was fairly experienced and didn’t panic. After feeling with her hand, she quickly concluded it was a fever.

They were in a hospital, which was convenient; she could call a doctor at any time.

Thinking this, Song Yunran saw a nurse passing by and was about to call out. Suddenly, she felt something wrong with the sensation under her fingertips.

Her hand slid across Xu Luo’s cheek. Near the bone of the ear, she seemed to touch something… hard and slippery. That texture was too peculiar; it didn’t feel like something that belonged on a human body.

She froze. Just as she tried to feel it more closely, she could no longer find it.

A strange fragrance drifted out. It was very familiar, like the scent of a sea breeze, refreshing and soul-stirring.

Song Yunran had smelled this fragrance before, but this time it was far more intense. Song Yunran only needed a light sniff for her own breathing to suddenly become much more hurried.

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