When the Cannon Fodder Meets the Love-Brained Female Supporting Character - Episode 39

“Sister, go ahead.”

Xiao Ran’s lips were pressed tightly together as she waited for Jiang Nan’s next move.

The latter peeled off her outer garment, revealing a light-colored undergarment and skin as fair and translucent as snow.

Both of them blushed furiously.

Jiang Nan tentatively brushed her fingertips against Xiao Ran’s slender waist, causing the girl to shiver involuntarily. Her moon-white skin flushed instantly, turning as pink and delicate as a carnation.

Though her aunt had warned her to uphold propriety, Xiao Ran couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming joy when Jiang Nan touched her. Her body yearned for that contact.

She couldn’t resist it at all.

Jiang Nan opened the medicine pouch and began applying the ointment.

Xiao Ran’s body was incredibly soft and tender, as if it could be squeezed to release water with the slightest pressure. Jiang Nan had to be extra careful, using only the pads of her fingers to gently rub and circle the medicine into her skin for absorption.

Xiao Ran kept her head lowered, her hands clenching and unclenching.

Before long, Jiang Nan finished applying the medicine.

When that warm hand withdrew, Xiao Ran felt an inexplicable reluctance.

Fine then, Auntie, what you asked of me, Ran’er can’t do it.

Steeling herself, she closed her eyes and whispered, “Sister, there are still wounds on my back.”

Jiang Nan quickly checked her back. Xiao Ran was facing the wall, and with her injuries, moving wasn’t advisable. Jiang Nan had no choice but to climb onto the bed to examine her wounds.

There were only a few dark bruises.

Jiang Nan sighed in relief. “Nothing too serious.”

Still, she didn’t take it lightly, carefully applying ointment to each bruise. Perhaps too much time had passed, because Xiao Ran murmured softly, “I’m a little cold.”

Jiang Nan touched the ointment near her ribs, it had dried. She pulled the blanket up to Xiao Ran’s neck and continued tending to her wounds.

Xiao Ran stole a glance at her, pursed her lips, and added, “Still cold.”

Jiang Nan looked around. Both blankets were already in use, so she had no choice but to move closer, wrapping her left arm around Xiao Ran while continuing to apply the medicine with her right hand.

Xiao Ran nestled obediently in her embrace.

This was the closest the two had ever been.

It felt as if the world had narrowed down to just the sound of their breathing.

Over the next few days, Jiang Nan personally tended to Xiao Ran every day, refusing to delegate the task to anyone else.

Qin Wan occasionally sent letters, several had arrived by now. The first one mentioned that she had gone to see her parents and younger brother one last time. They had been tortured beyond recognition, reduced to little more than bloodied figures. They seemed to have “regretted” their actions, kneeling and kowtowing to beg for mercy. She remained unmoved. She reflected on how she had finally learned not to be swayed by superficial familial bonds.

The subsequent letters updated Jiang Nan on Qin Wan’s recovery.

In the final letter, she wrote that her injuries were mostly healed and she was ready to set off again.

Jiang Nan was happy for her. Someone like Qin Wan belonged on the road.

Another day passed.

A-Jiu arrived, waiting quietly at the door.

Jiang Nan glanced back at Xiao Ran, who was sound asleep, then signaled for A-Jiu to step outside to talk.

A-Jiu clasped her hands and reported, “We’ve secured the shop in Qu City. Our people bought out all his tea stock at a price slightly above market value. Even if he suspected our intentions, his shop was struggling to stay afloat due to recent losses, so he had no choice but to sell to us. But after selling to us, his downfall accelerated. In the end, he had no choice but to quickly offload the shop. Master, your strategy was brilliant.”

“Tea drinkers always come in groups. Some want this type, others prefer that. If even one variety is missing, even if all the others are available, the whole group will leave together.” Jiangnan wasn’t surprised.

To them, it didn’t matter where they drank tea. Why ruin a friend’s enjoyment?

Running a business meant considering every angle.

Still, even without this incident, Wanbao Teahouse would have lasted only a few more months at most. They had merely accelerated the process.

A-Jiu nodded thoughtfully.

Xiao Ran’s injuries had mostly healed, so Jiangnan returned to the Jiang residence early today.

The Jiang household was bustling with a lively farewell gathering. The family chatted merrily over an extravagant afternoon tea spread, even the married eldest daughter had returned to see Jiang Huai off.

Jiang Huai was leaving for the capital to take the imperial exams. These were his last five days at the Jiang estate.

Jiangnan’s sudden return froze the cheerful atmosphere for a moment.

They looked at her with stiff expressions. Jiang Xueping forced a smile. “Nannan, you’re back! We were just about to send someone to fetch you. Come, sit and have some lychees. They were rushed here at great expense by the fastest horses.”

Jiangnan smiled faintly. “No need. Your niece has important matters to attend to and won’t intrude further.”

Jiang Xueping and the others visibly relaxed. “Ah, well, your business comes first. Go ahead.”

“Oh, and cousin,” Jiang Huai added with an easy smile, his eyes brimming with confidence, “this time, I’ll definitely earn a rank in the exams.”

The corner of Jiangnan’s lips curled slightly. “Best of luck.”

She returned to her courtyard, where A’Tuo was humming while watering the plants.

Spotting Jiangnan, A’Tuo grinned and came over to take her outer robe, seizing the chance to share some gossip.

“Young Miss rarely stays home, so you must not know what’s been happening in the estate, right?”

“What happened?”

Jiangnan’s shadow guards were formidable, but even they numbered only a few dozen. Recently, she had withdrawn some of the agents embedded in the Jiang household, reassigning them to escort the bronze mask. As a result, there were indeed things she didn’t know.

Fortunately, there were top-tier gossips like A’Tuo around.

“Miss Wang Feifei and Second Young Master Jiang are engaged. They’ll wed as soon as he returns with his exam results. Young Miss, what do you think of this?” A’Tuo studied Jiangnan’s expression covertly.

Jiangnan replied, “Good.” How utterly ruthless of the Jiang family.

If he succeeded in the exams, they’d likely discard Wang Feifei immediately. If he failed, marrying the magistrate’s daughter would serve as a convenient fallback.

As for whether Wang Feifei would be humiliated. They wouldn’t care.

________________________________________

Night fell, the stars sparse in the sky.

Jiangnan arrived under the moonlight to tend to Xiao Ran’s wounds. Her touch seemed even gentler and more skillful than before, applying just the right pressure as she massaged the injuries.

But at some point in the hazy darkness, the candlelight flickered out, the pervasive floral scent masking something more ambiguous. The flowers in the room folded their petals shut.

A dizzying, weightless sensation slowly roused Xiao Ran from her dreams.

She opened her eyes to the first light of dawn outside the window no one lay beside her. Jiangnan hadn’t come last night.

Xiao Ran noticed something unusual beneath her. She wondered if her monthly cycle had arrived.

A sticky discomfort clung to her.

Hesitantly, she lifted the covers. Her legs, she realized, were tightly entwined, as if unwilling to part. Xiao Ran separated them and found a damp patch on the sheets below her thighs.

But upon closer inspection, it wasn’t her period; not red, but somewhat translucent.

“This… what is this?”

Xiao Ran recalled the dream she had just had, and her little face instantly flushed red. Could it be related to that dream? Unconsciously, she clenched her legs together.

It must be because she had been in too much close contact with Sister Jiang recently.

After lying in bed for a while, Xiao Ran decided to get up and secretly wash the bedsheet.

But just as she got out of bed, Jiang Nan arrived.

She asked Xiao Ran what she was about to do.

Xiao Ran covered the damp spot with a handkerchief, smiling as she denied anything was wrong.

The more one tries to conceal, the more one reveals.

Jiang Nan naturally didn’t believe her. She stepped forward, lifted the handkerchief, and saw the wet patch.

“This is…”

Xiao Ran was so embarrassed she could barely speak: “It’s something from under me.”

Gynecological inflammation?

Jiang Nan understood. She was about to call a maid to wash the bedding, but Xiao Ran stopped her.

“Sister, I don’t want anyone else to wash it. I want to do it myself.” Xiao Ran said softly, her head nearly buried in her chest.

“Your injuries aren’t fully healed yet,” Jiang Nan refused. “If you don’t want others to wash it, then I don’t count as ‘others,’ do I? I’ll wash it for you.”

Xiao Ran panicked even more.

Jiang Nan didn’t give her a chance to refuse. She pulled off the sheet, boiled water, and prepared to wash it.

When Jiang Nan’s fair fingers touched the damp spot, Xiao Ran was too ashamed to look, but deep down, she felt a strange, secret sensation she didn’t even want to admit to herself.

That night, Xiao Ran said, “Sister Jiang, could you stay with me tonight? When I sleep at night, the sound of the wind and snow hitting the pine trees outside the window sounds like footsteps. It scares me a little.”

Jiang Nan thought for a moment and agreed. When it was time to sleep, she lay down beside Xiao Ran, still fully dressed.

Jiang Nan had a bad habit since childhood. She was picky about beds.

After transmigrating to this world, it had taken her a long time to adjust to sleeping in a new bed. Previously, she would lie awake for hours before finally falling asleep.

Xiao Ran’s home was no exception.

She lay stiffly on her back, staring at the ceiling. Fortunately, Xiao Ran’s ceiling was adorned with floral patterns, so she could count petals to pass the time.

When Jiang Nan reached the 301st petal, she accidentally murmured the number aloud.

Xiao Ran, too excited to sleep, noticed Jiang Nan was still awake. After asking why, she said earnestly, “Why not try hypnosis?”

With that, she took Jiang Nan’s hand and closed her eyes.

Jiang Nan was surprised.

She hadn’t expected Xiao Ran to know hypnosis.

So, she closed her eyes too.

Xiao Ran began reciting slowly and solemnly, “You’re about to fall asleep… you’re already asleep…”

Jiang Nan: “…”

Pfft.

A muffled laugh escaped her throat.

So, this was hypnosis?

Hearing her laugh, Xiao Ran felt a little annoyed. She had learned this from her aunt, who said hypnosis worked by making the subject firmly believe in something, and then it would become reality.

Apparently, it was fake.

She lay back down and pulled the covers over her head.

________________________________________

Under Jiang Nan’s care, Xiao Ran’s body recovered quickly.

After assigning two maids to her, Jiang Nan busied herself with preparing tea shipments to Qu City.

Knowing Jiang Nan was busy, Xiao Ran didn’t disturb her. But after a week without seeing her, she missed her terribly and went to the Hidden Fragrance Pavilion to visit. She went three times, and each time, Fang Rui told her Jiang Nan wasn’t there.

Though disappointed, she understood. Running a business was important. Making money was important.

She left a letter with Fang Rui and returned home.

The letter expressed her wish to spend the last day of the year with Jiang Nan.

The shop in Qu City opened successfully, just as planned.

With the experience from the Hidden Fragrance Pavilion, the people Jiangnan had sent over performed exceptionally well. In less than two days, business was booming.

Money poured in relentlessly.

Xiao Ran waited and waited, and finally, the day arrived.

She dressed up early and waited under the willow tree as agreed in the letter. But as people came and went in waves, there was no sign of Jiangnan.

The sky grew darker. On this last day of the New Year, many were eager to join the festivities and watch the fireworks.

She waited and waited, for what felt like an eternity.

It’s alright, Sister Jiang must be too busy.

Unbeknownst to her, the crowd behind her had grown. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she spotted two figures walking side by side in the distance. One of them, dressed in familiar attire, looked like Jiangnan, while the other turned their face slightly and smiled at her.

It was Yu Qian…

The two chatted and laughed, drifting further and further away.

Xiao Ran’s heart ached with bitterness.

Had Sister Jiang forgotten about her?

No, surely she hadn’t forgotten on purpose.

She followed them, but the streets grew increasingly crowded. Everyone jostled forward, and Xiao Ran found herself swept into the chaos, the disorder around her making her feel uneasy.

Still, she struggled to push forward, yet she couldn’t catch up to the two figures. Behind her, an argument seemed to break out, and in the shoving, someone fell, knocking Xiao Ran down as well.

Her old wounds throbbed faintly. Frantically, she looked up, watching as the two figures moved further away. Jiangnan didn’t even glance back. Her heart swelled with sorrow.

Had she been deluding herself all this time?

But then again, Jiangnan had never actually promised her anything.

If she chose to celebrate the New Year with someone else… well, she couldn’t blame her. It just hurt so much.

Behind her, someone’s foot was about to step on Xiao Ran.

Unable to move, she closed her eyes, bracing for the pain.

Suddenly, a warm hand lifted her up.

Dazed, Xiao Ran met a pair of angry peach-blossom eyes.