Transmigrated as the Cannon Fodder Spouse of the Disabled Beauty - Chapter 9

The effect of a story compared to a soulless object is entirely different. As soon as the host shared the tale behind the “Mermaid’s Tear,” the guests’ enthusiasm for the auction surged instantly.

The attendees were all wealthy and influential; what kind of jewelry had they not seen before?

Well, they had never seen jewelry that could cure diseases.

Since they hadn’t seen it and didn’t lack the money, why not spend a little to buy something novel?

At this moment, the guests actually harbored considerable doubt regarding the miraculous properties the host claimed the “Mermaid’s Tear” possessed. However, they were willing to spend money to buy it and appraise it themselves. If what the host said was true, it would be a massive windfall! After all, this was the legendary object said to have cured the Yan family’s genetic disease!

For a time, the auction scene was incredibly heated.

Xu Luo looked around; everyone was scrambling to outbid one another. Only Song Yunran sat steadily, like a fisherman on a platform, without placing a single bid.

“Aren’t you going to bid?” She nudged the person beside her and asked.

Song Yunran was flipping through the promotional brochure of the auction items prepared by the Mo family. Hearing this, she looked up and smiled. “Luo Luo, do you also think my legs are an eyesore and need curing?”

“Uh.”

Xu Luo almost choked. This person was far too twisted how could she think that?!

She had only asked casually because she saw everyone else bidding.

Song Yunran’s response was also just a casual remark. Her real reason was: “I’m not bidding because the charitable funds the Song family prepared for this banquet were already used up when I bid on the previous item.”

Xu Luo asked curiously, “Don’t you have your own money?”

Public funds were gone, but was her personal wallet empty too?

Song Yunran replied, “I have no worldly possessions; my hands are empty.”

Xu Luo: “…”

Are you trying to deceive someone who holds the script to this story?

Seeing her skeptical gaze, Song Yunran smiled. “Luo Luo seems to think I’m lying?”

After saying that, she nodded and admitted frankly, “Alright, I did lie. I actually have a bit of private savings. If Luo Luo wants this ‘Mermaid’s Tear,’ I’ll bid on it for you.”

Xu Luo thought to herself that this lie was even more unreliable than the first. Would Song Yunran spend money on her?

She talked a better game than she played.

Fortunately, Xu Luo didn’t want that mermaid tear; it was useless to her, and she didn’t want Song Yunran to bid.

A mermaid’s tear did indeed possess miraculous healing effects for humans. One of high quality could cure all diseases except for bringing the dead back to life, everything else was possible.

However, the restrictions on mermaid tears were significant. Each tear only exerted its full effect when consumed by a specific person; if eaten by someone non-specific, the effect would be greatly diminished.

Judging by the quality of the mermaid tear on the auction stage, it wasn’t enough to restore Song Yunran’s legs.

Xu Luo hadn’t expected to see a clansman’s tear under such sudden circumstances. If the story was true, then her clanspeople had come to this world in the last century?

She wondered if there were any other mermaids still living in this world…

Her thoughts drifted slightly. Distractedly, she stated clearly to Song Yunran, “Don’t bid. I don’t need it.”

Even if she did bid, Xu Luo wouldn’t let the gesture be attributed to her; she wouldn’t acknowledge it.

“Luo Luo also thinks it’s not worth paying a high price for an ordinary pearl propped up by a third-rate story?” Song Yunran asked.

Whether it was worth it or not, Xu Luo didn’t want to calculate. What Xu Luo cared more about was—

“Third-rate?” She caught the word in Song Yunran’s sentence and stared. “In what way does this story fail to please you that you’d call it ‘third-rate’?”

It was clearly quite good. As far as she knew, her mermaid race hadn’t opened any “guardian projects.” The mermaid in the story was likely being kind to the head of the family out of personal affection. Looking at it that way, it was a poignant story of mutual love!

Song Yunran didn’t see it that way. She had a strong dislike for the story; it didn’t suit her taste at all. What she disliked most was that the Yan family head in the story fell in love with the mermaid but ultimately just let her leave. What a waste.

If it were her if she fell in love with someone even if she had to break their legs, she would tie them down.

Even if it were a mermaid from an otherworldly realm, it would be the same.

Having no intention of sharing her inner thoughts, Song Yunran simply said, “It’s just a difference in taste. If Luo Luo doesn’t like me saying so, I won’t say it anymore.”

No taste!

Xu Luo curled her lip, her complaints confined to her mind.

While the two were talking, the bidding for the mermaid tear became increasingly alarming. The scene grew somewhat out of control. Seeing this, the head of the Mo family immediately had the host stop the proceedings. After some thought, he proposed another solution: a “One Price” system.

This meant letting interested parties write their ideal price on stationery provided by the Mo family. The bids would be compared together, and the highest bidder would win.

Implementing a new plan was necessary because, during the bidding just now, several families had already become heated. If they didn’t stop, they might start fighting before the banquet even ended!

The entire audience agreed to this new plan.

The Mo family needed time to set up the new arrangement, and the bidders needed time to consider what price to offer. Thus, the Mo family suggested a halftime break.

Xu Luo had little interest in the subsequent bidding. She reached out for the teacup on the table in front of her, wanting some tea to refresh herself.

However, just as her hand reached out, her wrist was firmly grabbed by another hand.

It was Zhou Miao, who had suddenly rushed over.

Zhou Miao grabbed her wrist and pulled with force, leading her on a whirlwind run out of the banquet hall. She then pinned her against the wall outside and leaned in.

“Xu Luo, I’ve thought about it. Although I don’t like you that much anymore, I can’t bring myself to give up on you just like this.” Ms. Zhou performed as if she were the female lead in a tragic drama. “So, I’m going to make an effort. Xu Luo, let’s renew our relationship!”

Xu Luo was silent for a moment. She hesitated between “cooperating with this person’s acting” and “I don’t want to indulge in such a lackluster addiction to drama,” ultimately choosing the latter: “What kind of madness has possessed you?”

Zhou Miao said affectionately, “Yes, I have gone mad for you.”

Xu Luo: “…”

“Please, don’t make an effort. Let me go, thank you,” she said with absolute sincerity. “Be a good person. That way, if you happen to die before me in the future, I’ll remember today’s kindness and mourn you properly.”

Perhaps moved by her sincerity, Zhou Miao immediately dropped her tragic female lead act and changed her face. “Oh, alright then.”

She still kept her hand against the wall to block Xu Luo’s path, but this time she wasn’t trying to force Xu Luo to co-star in an idol drama. Instead.

“Help me find out how much Song Yunran is going to write,” Zhou Miao blurted out bluntly.

Hearing this, Xu Luo had a sudden realization. She understood why this Miss Zhou had been acting with her just now.

Zhou Miao believed Song Yunran would also participate in the bidding and viewed her as a formidable opponent, which is why she resorted to these convoluted tactics to win Xu Luo over.

But the transition was too fast!

One second it was so complicated, and the next she was being direct. It became excessively pure and unpretentious.

Xu Luo asked, “Do you really want to win that mermaid tear of unknown authenticity that badly?”

Zhou Miao laughed. “You’re wrong. I just don’t want Song Yunran to get it.”

Xu Luo’s ears perked up; her interest was piqued.

Could there be some sort of love-hate entanglement between these two?

Xu Luo transformed into a “melon-eating” spectator, striking the appropriate pose and listening intently. “How did she offend you to make you dislike her so much?”

Zhou Miao said, “She didn’t offend me. I just personally dislike people who act so socially adept at charity banquets. Aren’t regular banquets enough for them to show off?”

“Song Yunran,” Xu Luo suddenly called out in a certain direction.

Zhou Miao: “Are you tricking me?”

“Does Miss Zhou seem to have endless private secrets to share with my wife?” A voice came from behind Zhou Miao. The tone was cool and highly recognizable it was Song Yunran’s voice.

Zhou Miao: “…”

She froze, slowly turned around, and looked at the great beauty in the wheelchair behind her.

Xu Luo took the opportunity to tattle: “Song Yunran, she called you a hypocrite!”

Saying people like Song Yunran were “socially adept” at charity banquets was, translated, essentially calling her a hypocrite that they had no charitable heart and were only there for networking.

Zhou Miao: “…”

Her mouth twitched, and she looked at Xu Luo as if she were meeting her for the first time. “Wait, Xu Luo, are you the reincarnation of a tattle-tale?”

To this, Xu Luo felt no shame at all; she even grinned.

Song Yunran didn’t care about being labeled a hypocrite. Her gaze lowered, falling upon Zhou Miao’s hand gripping Xu Luo’s wrist, and flickered past.

“Does Miss Zhou have anything else to say to Luo Luo? If not, I’ll take her back,” Song Yunran said.

Now that the person involved was here, what was there left to say?

Zhou Miao gave a “tsks,” gestured toward Xu Luo, and said, “Tattle-tale, we…”

She called her a tattle-tale with every breath, and Xu Luo acted as if she didn’t hear it. Song Yunran, however, interrupted her, saying, “Her name is Xu Luo.”

“Of course I know her name is Xu Luo.” Zhou Miao looked at Xu Luo and mouthed the words “tattle-tale” at her.

She had been interrupted by Song Yunran, hesitated for a second, and without finishing whatever she was going to say, she left.

Xu Luo’s eyes followed her departing figure. The action had no real meaning; it was just a subconscious habit of tracking a moving object.

While she watched Zhou Miao, Song Yunran watched her.

“Luo Luo—” Song Yunran called out.

“Huh?” Xu Luo retracted her gaze. “What is it?”

Song Yunran was silent for a second before a smile appeared on her face. “Could you push me back?”

Xu Luo didn’t refuse.

It was a small matter, too trivial to bother declining.

She walked over to push the wheelchair.

Returning to the banquet hall, the task of assisting was over, and Xu Luo moved her hand away from the wheelchair. At that moment, Song Yunran grabbed one of her hands.

Song Yunran held her hand in her palm, squeezed it, then slid a bracelet off her own wrist and put it on Xu Luo’s left wrist.

“I thought so before this bracelet still suits you better, Luo Luo,” she said.

Xu Luo: “???”

Huh?

“Look, how beautiful,” Song Yunran said to herself.

Having said that, she began to rub Xu Luo’s wrist as if appreciating it.

For a long time.

So long that a row of question marks scrambled to appear on Xu Luo’s forehead. She looked down in confusion and found that Song Yunran’s eyes were unfocused; she was clearly lost in thought.

Yes, the eldest Miss Song was rubbing her wrist while simultaneously spacing out.

Xu Luo felt like her wrist was about to catch fire from the friction.

The scene was truly bizarre.

With Song Yunran spacing out like this, could she be thinking about how to skin her wrist?

A series of terrifying, bloody images flashed through Xu Luo’s mind.

She had behaved quite well tonight; where had she offended her to make her covet her fair, smooth, and tight mermaid skin?

This was going too far!

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