When the Cannon Fodder Meets the Love-Brained Female Supporting Character - Episode 1

Jiang Nan woke up, her mind flooded with orderly yet rapid streams of unfamiliar memories that took root in her consciousness.

The sheer volume of memories overwhelmed her, and her head throbbed as if it might explode. Jiang Nan’s hand, resting on the armrest of the grand chair, clenched imperceptibly, leaving faint red marks.

The increasingly urgent calls by her ear made her feel as though she had stepped into an abyss, the sudden weightlessness yanking her wandering soul back with a jolt.

“Jiang Nan, Jiang Nan! Are you too tired?”

A woman in her forties, seated in the host’s position, gazed at her with warmth and kindness.

She was the matriarch of the Jiang family—Jiang Xueping.

Jiang Nan’s thoughts raced.

She swiftly sorted through the information the system had provided, picking out the most useful details. After a moment’s consideration, she replied, “Perhaps the carriage ride was too long. I feel a bit dizzy.”

Jiang Xueping’s expression softened with concern. “Of course, I’ve kept you talking for so long without considering your exhaustion from the journey, I’ve already had a room prepared for you. You can settle in comfortably from now on. If there’s anything else you need, just ask. Go and rest now.”

“Thank you, Aunt,” Jiang Nan replied with a smile, addressing her affectionately.

A maid hurried in, bowing her head as she reported.

“The Second Miss of the Xiao family has arrived.”

Jiang Xueping’s smile faded slightly as she exchanged a glance with another woman seated below, as if to say, Why is she here again?

“Just send her away casually.”

Jiang Nan remembered that the Second Miss of the Xiao family was her mission target—Xiao Ran.

She inquired politely, “Aunt, if you dislike her so much, why not bar her from entering the estate entirely?”

The book hadn’t elaborated on these details. If Xiao Ran could never set foot in the Jiang residence again, the subsequent plot would be derailed, wouldn’t that solve everything at once? She could complete her mission effortlessly, without any mental strain.

Jiang Xueping explained dismissively, “Xiao Ran’s maternal grandfather once had some ties with your great-grandfather and offered assistance to the Jiang family. Back when her grandfather was alive, the Xiao family still held some influence. Alas, our Jiang family is not one to forget kindness and repay it with ingratitude.”

Jiang Nan understood that the Jiang family cared about their reputation.

She glanced toward the gate, where a faint shadow lingered at the entrance.

In the original plot, the downfall of the Xiao family was triggered by Xiao Ran’s stubborn insistence on marrying the second son of the Jiang family, Jiang Huai.

To her, Jiang Huai’s words carried more weight than an imperial decree.

The Xiao family had declined over the past two generations and was eventually annihilated by enemies the Jiang family had provoked. Meanwhile, the male lead responsible for the incident avoided the fallout entirely by moving his family to the capital after his promotion.

The ancestors of the Xiao family were so furious that they managed to drift into the System Hall, pleading to exchange their accumulated merits across lifetimes for the survival of their lineage.

The main system agreed and issued the mission, assigning it to Jiang Nan, who had died just minutes before.

Outside the courtyard stood a young woman dressed in a moon-white gown, layered with a dark blue overcoat, her hair adorned with a simple pearl hairpin.

Her jet-black tresses were gathered together, tied with a milky-white ribbon. Tiny raindrops clung to her hair and the fan-like lashes framing her eyes.

Silently, she stood in the rain, holding a food box.

Jiang Nan studied her for a moment. She was indeed a stubborn girl.

“Miss, this servant is a newly arrived maid in the household. Madam has sent me to attend to you,” a petite maid approached, holding up a paper umbrella for Jiang Nan. “It’s been raining often lately. Please don’t catch a chill from the rain, it wouldn’t do you any good.”

Jiang Nan had had maids before, but according to the randomized backstory the system had assigned her, she and her maid had gotten separated before entering the city.

Jiang Xueping also stepped out and, seeing Xiao Ran still standing there, pressed a hand to her forehead in exasperation.

“What are you still doing here?”

Xiao Ran kept her head lowered. “…The Second Young Master often buys pear blossom pastries from Drunken Life Pavilion, so I learned to make them and brought some…”

“Take them back,” Jiang Xueping said flatly. “The Jiang household doesn’t lack for food.”

“Young Master Jiang—”

Xiao Ran’s words were abruptly cut off.

Thud—

A sharp pain shot through her arm, her fingers going numb. The food box she had been holding fell into the muddy ground, its lid flipping open to reveal the still-steaming pear blossom pastries.

Jiang Nan stood just a foot away, glancing at her sidelong with disdain.

“Don’t come here again. Jiang Huai already has a girl he likes!” The woman’s melodious voice carried a hint of arrogance, but she wasn’t lying.

Xiao Ran looked up in a fluster, meeting the gaze of the person who had bumped into her, and froze for a moment.

The woman wore an emerald-green narcissus dress with a thin golden-patterned cloak draped over it. Her skin was as white as snow, her beauty ethereal, and a trace of cold pride lingered at the corners of her eyes.

Xiao Ran lowered her lashes, masking the emotions in her eyes. Slowly, she crouched down and silently picked up the food box. The knuckles of her fingers gripping it turned faintly white.

Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Xueping said, “This is Jiang Nan, the only daughter of the Jiang family from Nie City. She grew up with Jiang Huai and is two years older than you. You can call her Sister Jiang from now on.”

Childhood sweethearts…

Xiao Ran responded softly, the bitterness in her heart slowly spreading.

“Sister Jiang,” Xiao Ran murmured, her voice gentle with the distinctive lilt of the south.

As expected, she was met with a disdainful scoff in reply.

Not daring to look at her again, Xiao Ran bid a quiet farewell before clutching the food box and fleeing in disarray.

Perhaps she moved too quickly. She hadn’t gone far before she tripped and fell, the food box tumbling even farther away. Its contents spilled out, soaking in the rainwater.

No one stepped forward to help.

Though Jiang Xueping wanted to preserve the Jiang family’s reputation for kindness, she had long grown impatient with Xiao Ran. A sharp glare from her stopped Aunt Li from moving to assist.

It’s just one public fall…

If she still doesn’t wake up, she’ll only suffer worse and more painful falls in the future.

Jiang Nan soothed her restless hands and feet, forcing herself to stay rooted in place.

Xiao Ran seemed to have hurt her leg. She pushed herself up awkwardly, her already thin clothes now drenched.

She placed the mud-stained pear blossom pastries back into the food box and slowly disappeared into the rain and mist.

Jiang Nan watched her go, an unreadable emotion in her heart.

Xiao Ran boarded the carriage. As the scenery outside slowly passed by and the Jiang estate faded from view, she finally allowed her eyes to redden in secret.

Just then, someone stopped the carriage and hastily handed the coachman a bottle of medicine before leaving without a word.

The medicine bottle was cool to the touch. Xiao Ran held it, staring blankly at the Jiang character engraved on its surface.

Did Jiang Huai send this?

Jiang Nan lay on the bed, sighing with a pang of guilt as she recalled the limping figure.

In the memories transmitted by the system, Xiao Ran had always obeyed Jiang Huai without question. Whatever he asked, she did. There was even one time when the female lead…

Xiao Ran would never give up so easily after today’s humiliation.

After much deliberation, Jiang Nan decided to stick to her villainous persona and continue sabotaging the relationship between Xiao Ran and Jiang Huai.

The bed was too hard. She turned over, her thoughts drifting back to her own predicament.

In modern times, Jiang Nan was a small businesswoman who lived a comfortable life. She was accidentally hit by a car and had just died when she encountered the system, a classic two-option scenario. She chose to complete tasks in exchange for rebirth and was thus dragged into this world.

She opted to take on the mission.

After all, she still had millions in savings back in the modern world. Every penny earned through her own hard work. Dying would mean all that effort was for nothing!

Her parents had stopped caring for her after having a second child, and the few times they contacted her were only to ask for money. She had no intention of leaving her wealth to them.

Now, she found herself in the world of a novel.

The male and female leads had been childhood neighbors, growing up carefree and innocent, their affection for each other blossoming over time. Later, due to the female lead’s family circumstances, they were forced apart for five years. When she returned, everything had changed. The male lead had caught the favor of the capital’s nobility, later becoming the top scholar in the imperial examinations and rising swiftly through the ranks. His entire family relocated to the capital, and several young women now surrounded him. He even began doubting the female lead repeatedly because of them. Just as she was ready to give up on their relationship, the male lead suddenly learned the truth behind her departure. Realizing his mistakes, he embarked on a fiery pursuit to win her back. After countless displays of affection, he secured her position as his official wife, while the other women all became concubines. Happy ending.

Had Xiao Ran not died blocking a blade meant for the male lead, she would likely have become one of his many concubines.

Xiao Ran was often treated as little more than a spice to flavor their romance. Whenever the male lead was angry with the female lead, he would summon Xiao Ran to make her jealous, only to later coax and embrace her, whispering sweet nothings about how much he loved her. And just like that, the matter would be forgotten until the next time Jiang Huai needed Xiao Ran.

Even knowing she was just a tool, Xiao Ran accepted it willingly.

Jiang Nan recalled that today was cold and drizzly, yet Xiao Ran had still come to deliver some pastries.

No doubt Jiang Huai hadn’t even informed Xiao Ran about his trip to the temple for prayers.

The person she cared for didn’t spare her a second thought, yet she still acted like this.

Verdict: Terminal lovesickness.

Jiang Nan sighed before moving on to other parts of the plot.

Many side characters’ stories were glossed over, including Jiang Nan’s.

“In the 35th year of Yuanfeng, Jiang Xueping married Jiang Nan to a local merchant. In the 4th year of Yuanqing, when the merchant refused to pay for medicine, Jiang Nan struggled for five days before dying in regret.”

Jiang Nan: ?

Her parents in Nie City might have passed away, but they had left her over a dozen shops and a considerable dowry. Moreover, the Jiang family’s wealth in Nie City was at least twice that of the Jiang family in Yang City. She was rich! How could she not afford medicine?

Jiang Nan found it odd, but her dizziness made her stop dwelling on it.

She sat up and glanced at the maid.

The maid immediately stepped forward, bowing respectfully. “Does the young miss have any orders?”

“What’s your name?”

“…A Tuo.”

“A Tuo, from now on, whenever Xiao Ran comes to the Jiang residence, inform me.”

“Yes.”

Jiang Nan added, “Also, if Jiang Huai returns, let me know as well.”

A glimmer of understanding flashed in A Tuo’s eyes. “Understood.”

Seeing the maid still hesitating nearby, as if she had more to say, Jiang Nan shifted her posture and looked at her. “Is there something else?”

“This servant once heard Madam mention that the Second Young Master will return from Puguang Temple in five days.”