When the Cannon Fodder Meets the Love-Brained Female Supporting Character - Episode 17

Outside the courtyard.

Jiang Huai toyed with his jade flute, smiling as he looked toward Jiang Nan.

Jiang Nan immediately snapped the shutters closed.

Early in the morning, what terrible luck.

A’Tuo anxiously reminded her, “It’s the Second Young Master!! Didn’t you see him, Miss?”

Jiang Nan shook her head. “No, I didn’t. I’ve been feeling nauseous since last night and this morning, and my vision is all blurry.”

A’Tuo froze. “Nauseous this morning too? Why didn’t you tell me, Miss?”

“I only just realized it myself.”

“Ah?”

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Jiang Nan finally stepped outside. Jiang Huai had been standing under the sun, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

“Cousin!” Jiang Huai stepped forward.

Jiang Nan asked him, “What is it?”

Jiang Huai opened a box, revealing a pair of delicate golden bracelets inside. Beaming, he said, “I bought these gold bracelets for you, cousin. Try them on quickly.”

His attendant chimed in at an inopportune moment, “The Young Master personally picked these out for you.”

Jiang Nan laughed.

“Thank you for your trouble, cousin, but…” Jiang Nan flicked her sleeve, revealing the massive gold bracelet on her left wrist, three times the size of the delicate ones Jiang Huai had brought and said regretfully, “I already have one much bigger than these.”

Jiang Huai was about to say something else when Jiang Nan showed her right wrist, adorned with two exquisite jade bracelets. “Sorry, my right wrist is occupied too.”

“I have things to attend to today, cousin. We’ll talk another time.” With that, she left the courtyard, leaving Jiang Huai standing there, looking thoroughly deflated.

The moment Jiang Huai arrived, she had guessed his intentions and deliberately adorned herself with more expensive bracelets.

A-Jiu drifted past him expressionlessly, following closely behind Jiang Nan.

Jiang Huai, seething with frustration, blocked her path.

Lately, he had often seen this unfamiliar maid accompanying Jiang Nan.

He took out the gold bracelets and said, “Take these to your mistress. They weren’t cheap. Don’t let her miss out.”

A-Jiu’s calm face finally showed a ripple of emotion, her eyes widening in what seemed like shock. “But the bracelets Miss is wearing could buy fifty of these gold ones!”

With that, she sidestepped him and walked away.

Jiang Huai was so angry his vision darkened. Both mistress and maid ignored him one after another. And he couldn’t even vent his anger at A-Jiu because her contract of servitude wasn’t held by the Jiang household. It belonged solely to Jiang Nan.

.

After inspecting her main shop and branches, Jiang Nan let A-Jiu go about her own business while she went to enjoy the scenery by the nearby lake.

Along the way, she casually bought a plain gauze veil hat to shield herself from the increasingly harsh sunlight.

Green Lake was the largest lake in Yangcheng, its waters so clear you could see the bottom, teeming with aquatic plants. At a glance, it was a deep, jewel-like green, with budding lotus flowers floating on its surface.

A stone bridge spanned the center of the lake, allowing passersby to cross and admire the view.

She walked onto the bridge, turning her back to the breeze, occasionally feeling the cool wind brush against her face.

A few people stood behind her, seemingly captivated by the lake’s beauty, pausing for a moment.

Then, a soft, feminine voice called out from behind her, “Miss, please look back.”

A young girl hurried over, placing her delicate, boneless hand on Jiang Nan’s waist.

A wave of floral fragrance rushed into Jiang Nan’s nose.

Jiang Nan turned her head and, through the sheer gauze, saw a fair-skinned girl with an anxious expression. Pressed against the stone bridge, the warmth of those soft palms seeped into her waist, sending a tingling sensation through her heart so much so that she momentarily forgot to react.

The girl who had approached her was Xiao Ran.

A moment later, Jiang Nan realized that Xiao Ran wasn’t just holding her waist. She was also gripping the money pouch that was about to be snatched away.

Jiang Nan turned her head and saw two men and a woman standing behind her, their eyes darting nervously. When met with Jiang Nan’s questioning gaze, they offered no explanation, simply slinking away with their arms around each other’s shoulders.

Xiao Ran’s breath brushed against Jiang Nan’s chin, sending a shiver of goosebumps across her skin.

Blushing, Xiao Ran quickly let go and bent down to pick up the fallen pouch. “Those three are notorious thieves in this area. Many passersby have fallen victim to them. I acted on impulse…”

Jiang Nan glanced subtly at the hidden guards lurking in the shadows and gave an imperceptible nod.

A dark figure vanished from the trees.

Jiang Nan softened her voice. “Thank you, miss.”

“You’re welcome.” Xiao Ran plucked a freshly picked, fully bloomed flower from her basket and handed it to Jiang Nan. “I gathered these today…”

She seemed to want to say more but faltered, unable to find the right words.

Jiang Nan looked at her cheeks, flushed even redder than the flower, and took it graciously. “It’s truly beautiful. I’ll accept it, then.”

Xiao Ran nodded hastily, bid farewell, and hurried off the bridge.

The peony in Jiang Nan’s hand was lush and full, its deep pink petals tinged with white, a genuinely stunning bloom. Its fragrance wasn’t overpowering but carried a light, fresh elegance, much like Xiao Ran herself.

Jiang Nan watched her retreating figure.

Xiao Ran had given her the flower, likely thinking the theft had upset her, hoping the beauty of the bloom might lift her spirits and help her forget the incident.

Xiao Ran really was a kind-hearted girl.

To have once dismissed her as merely “love-struck” was far too simplistic. Now, Jiang Nan genuinely wished for her to break free from the male lead and live a better life.

And then there was the memory of those soft hands pressing against her waist. Jiang Nan found herself replaying the moment over and over.

Delicate fingers… that sweet, lilting voice… those dark, pearl-like eyes shimmering with life…

Each thought sent ripples through Jiang Nan’s heart, leaving her unsettled. She touched the spot where Xiao Ran had held her.

Wait. What was she thinking?

A sudden mechanical buzzing filled Jiang Nan’s ears.

“Host, long time no see.”

It was the system. After bringing Jiang Nan to this world, it had traveled to another timeline. Now, it had returned to check on her mission progress.

Reading Jiang Nan’s thoughts, it said, “Host, completely removing a key supporting character from the plot isn’t as simple as you think. She’s tied to the romantic development of the main leads. There are still several plot points ahead, she can’t avoid them.”

Jiang Nan knew that all too well.

Before the Dragon Boat Festival, when the lotus flowers bloomed, the Jiang family as the most prominent noble house in Yangcheng would invite young masters and ladies from all clans to admire the blossoms in their estate.

Preparations were already underway to expand the viewing pavilion, ensuring it could accommodate more guests.

Nearly every family would be invited. There was no reason Xiao Ran wouldn’t attend.

The system suggested, “There is a way to resolve this permanently. You could try finding her a better man, someone she could fall in love with and marry. That would naturally sever her ties to Jiang Huai. For example, the young master from the neighboring city…” It listed several outstanding bachelors from the original plot.

Jiang Nan shook her head. “No.”

“This is just how the world works,” the system insisted in its mechanical tone.

“Given this, marrying her off would be no different than jumping from one pit of fire into another, let alone the fact that I would be the one facilitating it,” Jiang Nan insisted firmly.

Seeing her reject the proposal, the system actually let out an emotional sigh. “There are still nine and a half years left in the mission’s validity period. Host, please keep working hard.” With that, accompanied by a couple of static noises, it vanished.

Meanwhile, Jiang Huai was busy touring scenic spots with Wang Feifei.

Leaning against him, Wang Feifei subtly hinted that she wanted him to give her a proper status.

At first, Jiang Huai would offer a few reassuring words, but eventually, his responses became increasingly perfunctory.

In his heart, the rightful wife had always been Yu Qian, his childhood sweetheart.

Until he could marry Yu Qian, he had no intention of bringing any concubines into his household.

After finding an excuse to shake off the chattering Wang Feifei, Jiang Huai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

His mind was in turmoil. The thought of Yu Qian’s recent sarcastic remarks and her repeated rejections filled him with frustration.

He had already promised her the position of his principal wife, why was she still so unreasonable? Why couldn’t she tolerate others?

Besides, she was practically an orphan now. Why wasn’t she clinging to him for security?

Both the Yu and Jiang families were among the elite, century-old clans of Yangcheng. The Yu family had once risen to prominence when one of their daughters became an imperial consort, leading to promotions and a move to the capital. But after the consort was framed and died, the Yu family’s fortunes plummeted, their former glory fading.

Jiang Huai had long since investigated these matters.

Now, the Yu family was struggling to stay afloat, which was why they had sent their youngest daughter, Yu Qian, back to Yangcheng hoping she could live a peaceful life.

Then, the shadow of another girl flickered through Jiang Huai’s mind.

It suddenly struck him that Xiao Ran hadn’t come looking for him in a long time.

Xiao Ran the girl who had silently cared for him, followed him around, and never pressured him for status.

Thanks to Jiang Nan’s interference, Xiao Ran and Jiang Huai had made no progress in their relationship, and she had stopped orbiting around him.

Surrounded by beauties and preoccupied with handling Yu Qian, Jiang Huai had completely forgotten about Xiao Ran. But now, after being worn down by women clamoring for recognition, he found himself reminiscing about Xiao Ran’s quiet devotion.