When the Cannon Fodder Meets the Love-Brained Female Supporting Character - Episode 15

Xiao Ran had been holed up at home making wine for several days without stepping outside. Yue Xue, who usually kept close company with her, grew restless and visited her twice.

Yue Xue was the daughter of the Yue family, another fallen noble house. As a result, the two had bonded over their shared circumstances and become close friends.

Yue Xue dragged Xiao Ran out of the house.

“Why do you hole up in that shabby place fiddling with wine all day? Aren’t you bored to death?”

Xiao Ran shook her head lightly. “I don’t find it boring.”

Yue Xue was speechless.

“Alright, you need to get out for a bit. Just keep me company. How about we go to that newly opened Cangfang Teahouse in the northern part of the city?”

Xiao Ran asked, “Not your favorite Jiuxiang Teahouse?”

“I’m sick of it. Lately, everyone’s been talking about Cangfang Teahouse, and I’m curious! Besides, I heard the owner is a woman, stunningly beautiful, and the teahouse itself is quite elegant.”

Xiao Ran reluctantly agreed.

On their way to the teahouse, they encountered a group of men. Initially walking in the opposite direction, the men changed course upon spotting them, trailing behind at a distance. They muttered crude remarks among themselves, their raucous laughter reaching Xiao Ran and Yue Xue’s ears.

Yue Xue turned and glared at them, rolling her eyes.

Instead of backing off, the men laughed even more brazenly.

One of them even whistled at them, calling out in a lewd tone, “Where are you beauties headed? Let us tag along, we’ll foot the bill!”

The pleasant mood of their outing was instantly ruined.

As they neared the teahouse, it became clear that it was indeed as unique as Yue Xue had described. The eaves were freshly painted in vermilion, with a flock of dozing pigeons perched atop, their white feathers contrasting against the dark red. The signboard bore flamboyant gilded calligraphy, and beneath it stood tall, straight bamboo, giving the establishment a distinct air compared to the surrounding shops.

Xiao Ran suddenly slowed her pace.

Yue Xue glanced back and saw the men still following at a leisurely distance. With their reduced speed, the men were now dangerously close.

Confused, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Ran lowered her gaze. “Didn’t you say the teahouse owner is a woman?” And a breathtakingly beautiful one at that.

Yue Xue looked back again. “Yeah?”

Xiao Ran stopped walking. “We can’t bring trouble to her. Let’s take a detour to the magistrate’s office.”

Yue Xue smacked her forehead. “How could I forget how stubborn you are! Do you really think a teahouse that big has only the owner inside?”

Xiao Ran didn’t understand her exasperation. “But what if?”

“There’s no ‘what if’! She has plenty of servers, not to mention five or six burly men twice our size. They wouldn’t be afraid of these creeps.” Yue Xue tugged her along as she explained.

Before Xiao Ran could hesitate further, Yue Xue pulled her into Cangfang Teahouse.

The moment they stepped inside, two towering men by the entrance scrutinized them before finally looking away.

Yue Xue exhaled in relief. “See? Big, strong men. And let me tell you, the way they stared was downright intimidating.”

Xiao Ran frowned disapprovingly. “…Didn’t you just swear they’d be here?”

Yue Xue shrugged. “I’ve never been here before. Of course I couldn’t be sure. I just wanted to get you inside quickly.”

Xiao Ran was even more disapproving, her slender eyebrows arching high at the ends.

Yue Xue huffed, “Alright, alright, I won’t trick you anymore, okay?”

Not long after they entered, the seven or eight men followed, laughing and joking as they stepped inside. They were still talking about footing the bill for the girls, but their cocky demeanor wilted the moment their eyes met the stern gazes of the two burly men at the front.

They endured another round of intimidating stares from two more brawny men halfway through the room. Then another pair…

Earlier, the first floor hadn’t been so crowded with tough-looking men. It was just that the second floor was under repair today, and with few customers around, they had all come down to wait on the first floor instead.

The group of men, now as deflated as frostbitten eggplants, quickly found a table and sat down.

Yue Xue cradled her freshly served tea, smiling. “Coming to this teahouse today was the best decision I’ve made.”

Xiao Ran’s gaze drifted past the hall to the window outside, where a large flock of pigeons suddenly took flight in unison, forming a beautiful silhouette against the emerald-green lake.

She lowered her head. The tea leaves floated and sank in the water, much like the kite from that day.

For the past six months, Xiao Ran had been weighed down by one thing after another, and moments of peace like this were rare.

She hadn’t known a new teahouse had opened here.

She had visited this place before. Even then, she had thought it was the most beautiful spot in Yangcheng, perfect for a teahouse. Who would have thought someone would actually open one here just as she had imagined.

But their peace was short-lived.

Those men had followed them here without turning back, unwilling to give up so easily.

As long as they didn’t cause trouble, the burly men wouldn’t interfere, right?

In that case, a polite invitation for tea should be fine.

They sent one man over. Steeling himself under the watchful eyes of the brawny men, he approached the two young women.

“Fair maidens, might I have the honor of treating you to tea?”

Yue Xue glared at him.

Xiao Ran’s hands, resting on her knees, clenched and unclenched. Slowly, she raised her head to meet his gaze, forcing herself to maintain eye contact. “Rather than spending your time and silver on tea, young master, why not repay the debt you owe Uncle Xia in the east city first?”

The man was momentarily stunned. “Huh?”

Xiao Ran’s voice grew firmer. “Didn’t you borrow money from Uncle Xia to buy this outfit?”

When the man finally processed her words, his ears turned red, and he lowered his voice. “Who told you that? Don’t spread nonsense!”

The fabric of his clothes was indeed fine. He had bragged about it to his friends for ages after buying it.

How did this woman know…?

Xiao Ran waited a moment before speaking again, her words deliberate. “I’m not spreading nonsense. Xia Dongchen of the north city mentioned lending a tael of gold to a young master for a new outfit. He didn’t name names, so I didn’t know who it was. But once, while passing by Liang’s Tailor Shop, I overheard the owner mention an order he’d received that day.”

“A young master came in with a tael of gold to buy the newly arrived patterned silk robes, yet the most expensive garment at Liang’s costs only nine taels.”

“That day, the owner had an emergency and had left his silver at home, so he couldn’t make change. He asked the young master to pay nine taels, but the young master refused. He then suggested paying two taels as a deposit and settling the rest later, but again, the young master refused. He insisted on paying the full tael and demanded change.”

This was the first time Xiao Ran had spoken so much to a stranger. Her face burned with embarrassment, and she quickly took a sip of tea to steady herself.

“Is this ‘young master’ you?” Yue Xue sneered, eyeing his new silk robes. “Can’t even spare two taels of silver!”

Someone in the teahouse burst into laughter, the sound piercingly loud in the quiet space.

The man’s face turned a spectacular shade of green and yellow.

Xiao Ran added softly, “Actually everyone in the northern part of the city knows about this. Though they don’t yet know who the Liang Family Shop owner was referring to.”

The man suddenly felt as if his clothes were burning his skin, itchy and painful, and the floor beneath his feet scorching hot. He hastily retreated.

Yue Xue said cheerfully, “That’s great, you drove him away.”

Xiao Ran shook her head and sighed faintly. “No. Even if he leaves, there will be another. This is his own disgrace, but it has nothing to do with others.”

Hearing this, Yue Xue let out a heavy sigh.

Sure enough, as soon as that man left, two others arrived.

These two were burly and bolder.

They gruffly invited the women to share tea, but Xiao Ran and Yue Xue ignored them, sipping their own drinks in silence.

The two men grew increasingly irritated at being ignored.

Then, another man entered the teahouse. Dressed in luxurious robes, he held a fan and strode in with a loud laugh. “Hahaha! With methods like yours, how could you ever win over such beauties? Watch me!”

The finely dressed man walked forward, paying no heed to the glowering brutes around him.

When he caught sight of Xiao Ran’s lifted face, he was momentarily stunned.

Snapping his fan shut, he struck a pose of self-proclaimed charm and said, “I’ve heard that Cangfang Tower has just acquired a batch of rare, exclusive tea leaves still in the drying process. With extra silver, one can taste them early. This tea carries a fruity aroma, perfect for ladies like you. How about I treat you both?”

Yue Xue refused outright. “No need, thank you, sir.”

The man’s lips twitched at the rejection. “I suggest you reconsider. Don’t be so quick to refuse.”

Xiao Ran said, “Really, it’s unnecessary.”

Hearing the beauty he fancied reject him so plainly, his tone turned sour. “If you went on your own, you could never afford this ‘Half-Day Enchantment.’ I’m offering to treat you, and you still refuse?”

Jiang Nan had intended to sleep a little longer, but Fang Rui rushed upstairs again.

“Boss, there’s a commotion downstairs!”

Jiang Nan looked up, listening.

Fang Rui recounted the events in the teahouse’s main hall. Nothing more than beauties attracting unwanted attention.

Jiang Nan immediately headed downstairs.

From the second-floor corridor, she surveyed the scene below at a glance.

With the finely dressed man leading the charge, the other men had grown bold, crowding around the two women.

Through a gap in the crowd, Jiang Nan caught a clear glimpse of one of the women.

Xiao Ran was glaring at the men, trembling with anger.

Jiang Nan paused on the second floor and said to Fang Rui, “Go and chase those men away.”

Fang Rui blinked. “Huh? Oh.”

She rushed down and barked at the burly men, “These people are disturbing the other guests. Get them out!”

The air froze for a moment before the men erupted in protest.

“Why should we leave?”

“Yeah, what gives you the right?”

The burly men flexed their muscles, their eagle-like gazes locking onto the troublemakers. “You ask why?”

The men shrank back under the sight of their bronzed, bulging muscles.

Before leaving, they were still talking tough.

“Fine, we’ll leave. Who wants to stay in this dump anyway?”

They walked away but not too far, lingering just outside the door. It seemed they thought that once they were outside, the Hidden Fragrance Pavilion couldn’t control them anymore.

Just then, a broom suddenly appeared at their feet, its bamboo bristles scraping painfully against their skin.

Along with the broom came a woman’s fierce voice: “What are you standing here for? You’re in the way of my sweeping. Get lost! Move it!”

The woman swung the broom with force sometimes striking their exposed ankles, other times hitting their backsides.

The man who got the worst of it glared furiously. “What’s your problem, woman?”

Unfazed, she planted the broom on the ground and pointed at him. “Can’t you see I’m sweeping?”

Rolling up her sleeves, she radiated an intimidating aura.

The men, taking in her aggressive stance, worried that she might have a group of burly men inside the shop, ready to rush out and teach them a lesson.

After shooting her a resentful look, they slowly shuffled away. Only then did the woman put the broom aside.

This woman was Wei Su, owner of Wei’s Tea Shop.

Few people came for tea at noon neither the Hidden Fragrance Pavilion nor Wei’s Tea Shop had any customers.

She had been lounging on the second-floor balcony, enjoying the breeze and reading a book, so she had a clear view of everything happening at the teahouse across the way.

That was why, when these men loitered beneath her shop, she didn’t hesitate to grab her broom and go sweep away the “trash.”

After walking a short distance, the men stopped at a corner.

They still hadn’t given up.

Their plan was to lie in wait along the path and ambush Xiao Ran and the others.

The weather had darkened without warning, thick clouds rolling ominously across the sky.

The man who had first approached Xiao Ran rubbed the goosebumps on his arm.

“Does anyone else feel something off?”

“Yeah, it suddenly got colder. Maybe it’s about to rain?”

“No, no look over there! Is that a person?” one of them suddenly cried out.

They all turned their gazes upward to the eaves, where a pair of cold, unblinking eyes stared back at them, making no effort to hide.

“Who are you?” the men demanded, trying to sound brave.

The figure in black didn’t answer, silently watching them.

“Look over there, there’s another one!”

“And here too!”

“So many! How are there so many?!”

Only then did they realize that the rooftops surrounding them were lined with black-clad figures, all staring down at them like predators eyeing prey. The men erupted into panicked shouts.

In perfect unison, the figures drew their swords and stood, looming over them.

The heavy clouds gathered tightly, and without warning, a fine drizzle began to fall.

In their terror, the men couldn’t tell whether the scent in the air was blood or damp earth.

“RUN!”

They scattered in every direction.

With the troublemakers driven out, it was the richly dressed man’s turn next.

He quickly distanced himself from the others. “They were the ones causing trouble, not me. I only said one thing the entire time. Just wanted to invite the ladies for tea.”

The man successfully stayed behind, taking a seat at a nearby table.

Xiao Ran stood and bowed to Fang Rui. “Thank you, Manager, for your help.”

She assumed that only the manager could command those burly men.

Fang Rui laughed. “Oh, I’m not the manager. But it was indeed our manager who sent me down to assist you.”

Xiao Ran said, “Could you take me to see the proprietor? I’d like to thank them in person.”

Fang Rui looked up toward the second floor behind them, where someone gave her a slight shake of the head.

She turned back and replied, “The proprietor isn’t available to meet right now, but I’ll introduce you if there’s a chance later.”

Xiao Ran seemed to sense something and turned to glance behind her.

A few pale blue fish-shaped lanterns swayed gently, but beneath them was nothing but empty space.

Perhaps she was overthinking it. She turned back around.

Before long, the man’s premium tea arrived. He sipped it while casting sidelong glances at Xiao Ran and Yue Xue’s tea.

With a mocking smile, he remarked, “Some people refuse free, high-quality tea and settle for inferior brews instead.”

After saying this, he blew on his cup, took a sip, and feigned an exaggerated expression of delight.

Just then, a waiter approached and placed a teapot on Xiao Ran’s table.

Bowing slightly, he said, “This is our proprietor’s gift. A complimentary pot of Bantianyao tea. They said you were startled in our teahouse and deserve some compensation.”

The finely dressed man nearly spat out his tea.

He hadn’t even been willing to order Bantianyao himself, yet the proprietor was giving it away for free.

Yue Xue brightened and nearly reached for the teapot.

But Xiao Ran shook her head. “No, we were the ones who caused the disturbance. Those people only came because of us…”

Yue Xue pouted, shooting Xiao Ran a displeased look before withdrawing her hand.

The waiter chuckled. “The proprietor said it wasn’t your fault.”

“Such an expensive tea. We can’t accept it,” Xiao Ran insisted.

The waiter set the teapot down. “Please spare me, miss. We’re just following orders.” With that, he hurried off before she could refuse again.

Xiao Ran gazed at the golden tea, its surface swirling gently. The proprietor truly was a kind person.

Yue Xue couldn’t resist and eagerly took a sip of the Bantianyao.

Her face lit up. “Wow, this tea is amazing! It has a chestnut-like fragrance!”

________________________________________

The setting sun cast its glow, and the evening clouds stretched across the sky like a gradient ribbon, softly veiling its true colors.

Xiao Ran and Yue Xue headed back the way they had come.

Yue Xue suddenly stopped, remembering something. “Oh! There’s a lantern festival in the southern district tonight! Nan Nan and the others are waiting for me there! Bye!”

Xiao Ran tightened her grip on the lantern’s handle and murmured, “Alright.”

A light rain had just fallen, leaving the air misty. Before Xiao Ran could finish speaking, Yue Xue dashed off with her lantern, disappearing into the fog in moments.

The ground was damp and sticky. Xiao Ran stood still for a moment before carefully stepping into the mist herself.