Who Wants to Be the Affectionate Cannon Fodder?! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 11

Since that day, Xu Ze’an never came looking for Xie Zhizhang again. However, word around school was that shortly after returning to class, he trashed everything on his desk, terrifying the students around him.

007 also stopped telling Yu Lin that Xie Zhizhang was supposed to live a “happily ever after” life with Xu Ze’an.

“Xie Zhizhang is with Lin Zhou.” This news spread like wildfire to every corner of Luchuan High School.

And Lin Zhou, the second-generation heir who had been labeled a “profligate” and a “slacker” since enrollment, actually started studying seriously for Xie Zhizhang’s sake, aiming for a top-tier university in City A.

The first to notice the change was his friend Xu Yi, who casually asked one day during class, “Why have you been studying so hard lately?”

He received a soulful, devoted answer from Yu Lin: “I like him. I hope his future will always have me in it.”

Yu Lin had found that line in some romance novel. After discovering that answering this way harvested a significant amount of Affection Value, he used similar lines whenever anyone asked about his transformation with doubt or teasing. He would then watch the rising data in the background with great satisfaction.

No one truly believed Lin Zhou would get into A University, but watching him act so determined, following Xie Zhizhang everywhere, and then looking at the defeated Xu Ze’an next door, things became quite interesting.

Time flew, and December arrived.

The cold wind blew fiercely, and the damp, chilly air seemed to pierce through to the bone.

Yu Lin was wearing a white lamb’s wool coat. Under the morning light, his face looked almost transparently pale. His sleepy eyes held a faint shimmer of moisture, and his eyelids drooped as he let out a drowsy yawn from time to time.

The Monday morning assembly was forever his most hated moment, even if today was a little different.

After the teacher on stage finished a long-winded speech, the playground fell into a brief silence. Then, amidst a wave of whispers, Xie Zhizhang stepped onto the podium.

A month ago, Xie Zhizhang participated in the Chemistry Olympiad and won first prize in the finals. The day after the winners were announced, the school specially allocated an extra scholarship for him, and his homeroom teacher notified him to prepare a speech for the morning assembly.

Yu Lin yawned again, unwrapped a fruit candy, and popped it into his mouth. He looked nonchalantly at Xie Zhizhang, who was dressed in a thick black coat, adjusting the standing microphone.

The Xie Zhizhang of today was worlds apart from the one Yu Lin first met. After two months of training, he had grown taller, and his shoulders had broadened significantly. Although the genetic limitations of an Omega remained, he was no longer a shriveled, thin bamboo pole, but rather a tall, upright green pine.

He no longer lowered his eyes or looked at people timidly. His hair had been cut into a neat buzz cut, revealing a clean forehead and innocent, calm eyes. When he looked at people properly, his eyes held a bright light that made people feel an instinctive liking for him.

His tone was still steady, but he no longer stuttered. His voice was like a mountain spring melting in spring—gentle, soft, and refreshing. Only from the way his fingers tightly gripped the mic stand could one see the nervousness he was trying his best to suppress.

“I take back what I said before. Xie Zhizhang really is a gem; it just depends on whose hands he’s in.” Xu Yi sidled up to Yu Lin, intending to nudge him with his elbow. But halfway through the motion, he saw Yu Lin’s cold almond eyes shoot a sharp look his way, and he froze in mid-air.

Yu Lin only gave a brief glance before looking away. Xu Yi rubbed his hands awkwardly and continued, “When he was with Xu Ze’an, he was like a stray dog no one wanted, completely inconspicuous. But look at him now—to put it a bit sourly, he’s like a peacock. He’s definitely worth fighting Xu Ze’an over. I see those Alphas from the other class looking at him with glowing eyes; you’d better be careful.”

Yu Lin remained noncommittal.

But in his mind, he was calmly bragging to 007: 【See? Without Xu Ze’an, he can live a much better life.】

007 was speechless, only able to let out bursts of data noise as it scurried around in Yu Lin’s head.

When Xie Zhizhang returned, he was carrying a pink envelope and a box of gummy candies.

The sharp-eyed Yu Lin spotted them immediately. He raised an eyebrow curiously and asked, “What’s that?”

Xu Yi, never one to miss a chance to stir up trouble, said, “Do you even need to ask? It’s a love letter.”

Xie Zhizhang’s ears turned red instantly, the blush spreading like wildfire across his neck and cheeks. He glanced at Yu Lin, and his speech began to stumble again: “A girl gave it to me… it was hard to refuse.”

Yu Lin gave an emotionless “Oh.”

Xie Zhizhang handed the gummies to him, looking very much like a devotee presenting an offering: “I don’t eat sweets. You take them.”

A spark of light flickered in Yu Lin’s eyes. He accepted the jar of gummies without hesitation, unscrewed the lid, and tasted a few.

The liquid-filled ones. The taste was quite good.

“Was the person who gave them an Alpha?” Yu Lin asked casually.

Xie Zhizhang replied, “A Beta.”

“Mm, the candy is good. Are you going to say yes to her?”

“What?” Xie Zhizhang didn’t quite understand.

“She wrote you a love letter. Are you going to be with her?”

Xie Zhizhang shook his head immediately. “I can’t think about those things right now.”

Xu Yi asked curiously, “If you aren’t thinking about that at this age, what are you thinking about?”

Xie Zhizhang looked at Yu Lin and whispered, “I’m thinking about how to counter that grappling move from yesterday.”

Xu Yi: “?” Is this some kind of new, strange pose?

Yu Lin replied ruthlessly, “Then you’ll have to think for another hundred years.”

Xie Zhizhang: “…” Tears were shed.

“Even if you don’t know how to write an essay, you can’t draw on it! You drew so many figures fighting—it’s easy for the teacher to think you’re targeting her.”

Xie Zhizhang took three steps at a time, panting as he followed the fast-walking Yu Lin. He was holding Yu Lin’s latest monthly exam paper in his hand.

Yu Lin’s ranking had improved by leaps and bounds, but the distribution of his scores was truly shocking. His Physics and Math scores were nearly perfect, with the only lost points being due to messy handwriting that led to a forced deduction for presentation.

As for English and Chinese, the multiple-choice questions were clearly guessed at random. The essay section had become his drawing board, covered in messy stick figures fighting. Xie Zhizhang recognized several of the grappling moves Yu Lin had recently taught him. The “victim” in the drawing was being soundly defeated; it was hard not to mistake it for a deliberate provocation of the teacher.

“Didn’t know how to write it, had nothing better to do,” Yu Lin replied indifferently. He ran to the front door in a few strides, unlocked the code lock, and ducked inside.

Xie Zhizhang had just been forced to run five laps downstairs and then climb twenty floors without stopping. Being able to find the energy to look at a test paper was already a testament to his endurance.

He leaned against his legs on the landing, gasping for breath. Finally, he rushed upstairs and grabbed the doorknob, only to be pulled by a sudden force—

The world spun, and he was painfully pinned to the foyer floor.

Xie Zhizhang reacted instantly, knowing this was one of Yu Lin’s impulsive tests. He recalled the moves demonstrated yesterday, hooking his legs around Yu Lin’s waist and trying to use the momentum to flip him over. However, Yu Lin’s slender body felt as heavy as a mountain pressing down; he had no power to resist.

So Xie Zhizhang switched tactics, choosing to attack proactively to force Yu Lin back. This move did create some distance, but whether it was his kicks or his palms, Yu Lin neutralized them all in an instant.

“Thirteen, fourteen…” Yu Lin was still counting the moves. “Twenty, twenty-one. That’s enough. I’m…”

“Tired.”

The light in the foyer was suddenly switched on.

Yu Lin turned back in surprise, seeing a beige lounge suit. Looking up, he saw Lin He’s cold face.

Perhaps because of the overhead lighting, his brother’s expression seemed somewhat unpredictable. His cold eyes were incredibly dark, like an abyss.

“Brother?” Yu Lin called out.

Lin He glanced at Yu Lin’s exposed calves.

Because they had gone out to exercise, Yu Lin had specifically changed into shorts that only reached his knees. After the physical activity, his smooth muscle lines were distinct, and a faint pink flush was spreading over his pale skin, making it look like delicate porcelain. He was half-bent, his knee pressing down on Xie Zhizhang’s thigh. The blue veins tracing over his fair skin looked like tangled branches growing on porcelain.

Lin He’s face turned cold, finding this scene extremely eyesore.

He bent down to pick up the Chinese test paper that had fallen from Xie Zhizhang’s hand. He scanned Yu Lin’s messy handwriting and the stick figures on the essay page expressionlessly, then let out a scoffing laugh.

“Brother! Don’t look at that!”

Yu Lin sprang off Xie Zhizhang and lunged at Lin He to snatch the test paper away. He hooked his other hand behind him, signaling Xie Zhizhang to hand over the other papers.

The latter obediently took out the Math and Physics papers from his bag. Yu Lin tilted his head and gave Lin He an insincere, charming smile, then stuffed those two papers into his arms.

“Rank 480. Can we have hot pot tomorrow?”

Lin He scanned the scores on the papers, then looked at Yu Lin’s expectant face. He averted his gaze and looked at Xie Zhizhang. “Where is his report card?”

Xie Zhizhang looked at Yu Lin hesitantly. Yu Lin tugged on Lin He’s sleeve and softened his voice, sounding a bit aggrieved, “I wouldn’t lie to you. Why do you need a report card?”

Lin He stiffened and tried to pull his arm away, only to find Yu Lin’s fingers tightly hooked onto his sleeve, unmoving.

He raised his other hand to push Yu Lin’s face away, coughed dryly, and said coldly, “Don’t act cute. I don’t fall for that.”

Yu Lin had to honestly hand over his report card: Chinese: 17, English: 26… combined, they weren’t even a fraction of his Math score.

Lin He had never seen such disastrous scores.

He stared at the report card for nearly ten seconds in disbelief before saying to Xie Zhizhang, “You’ve worked hard.”

Xie Zhizhang rubbed his nose awkwardly and said sheepishly, “It was nothing.”

“What ‘hard work’? So, are we having hot pot tomorrow or not?”

Yu Lin was still wondering when Lin He turned and walked into the living room.

Yu Lin followed him relentlessly, muttering “hot pot tomorrow” over and over. Then he saw the dining table piled high with ingredients.

It was as if a fire had been lit in his eyes. He lunged at Lin He’s back with excitement, hooking his arms around his neck and wrapping his legs around his waist.

Lin He stumbled from the impact. Looking down, he could see the two fair arms and the slender, powerful calves.

“Brother, you’re the best!”

Yu Lin rested his chin on his shoulder. The boy’s light, soft voice drifted into his ear, his warm breath fanning against his earlobe, and the scent of orange blossoms filled his nose.

Even though it was winter, it felt as if he had been struck by a spring breeze.