Who Wants to Be the Affectionate Cannon Fodder?! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 33

Yu Lin spent the final two minutes snapping off a tree branch and using his folding knife to flatten one end, creating a very simple harpoon.

The cold pond water rose past his calves, making his muscles shiver from the shock. Yu Lin’s trouser legs were rolled up to his thighs, and under the sunlight, his legs appeared thin, straight, and so white they seemed to reflect light.

With the sound of a whistle, the four of them simultaneously moved toward the center of the pond where the schools of fish gathered. Yu Lin held the branch, spotting a plump white-blade fish, and lunged with quick eyes and a steady hand. The churning water startled the fish, and the white-blade quickly darted to the side.

“This scene reminds me of the illustration of Run Tu stabbing the Zha in my Chinese textbook. Sorry, I’m reflecting on myself, but it is really funny, hahahahaha.”

“Xingzhuo is just stabbing fish. Baby is really cute, haha. He looks so careful in the water, like he can’t walk steadily.”

The bottom of the pond was scattered with jagged rocks, and the oddly shaped stones made the soles of his feet ache. Some stones were covered in moss, and one wrong move would send a person sliding into the water.

Pei Yixing fell victim once again, his body half-kneeling into the pond and splashing a large amount of water. Yu Lin instinctively dodged to the side, bumping right into Ning Jinghe, who was backing up.

“It is fine if you can’t catch any. You can just disrupt their movements instead,” Ning Jinghe whispered, leaning close to Yu Lin’s ear.

The latter raised an eyebrow and shot him a surprised look. He had not expected Ning Jinghe to have such a devious side.

However, that was exactly what he intended to do.

“Sure, but you have to give me a bigger share of the spoils,” Yu Lin said. Like a squirrel, he hopped and scurried until he appeared beside Jiang Shiyan. He raised his hand and thrust downward, successfully scaring away a fish that had been swimming blindly into Jiang Shiyan’s trap.

Jiang Shiyan had been eyeing that fish for a long time. He looked up and glared at Yu Lin with gritted teeth, his lips moving silently to mouth a curse.

But that was only the beginning.

Soon, he realized that Yu Lin would always strike suddenly just as he was about to succeed, using various methods to drive away his targets. Once, the meddling branch even despicably and coincidentally pierced a white-blade fish through the eye, successfully snatching the prey that should have been his.

Jiang Shiyan’s anger was nearly uncontrollable. His beautiful features began to twist in places the camera could not see.

Ning Jinghe also noticed how Yu Lin was targeting only one person. Although Pei Yixing, who was stumbling and splashing nearby, posed no threat, Ning Jinghe still hinted: “Shen Xingzhuo, don’t take the joke too far.”

007 also reminded him: “Aren’t you being a bit too obvious? It is as if you are afraid people won’t know you hate Jiang Shiyan.”

Yu Lin looked back, acting innocent. “I told you, I am acting out of deep-seated hatred.”

He then said to 007: “How could I be? I just feel that with a current boyfriend and a white moonlight both here, Jiang Shiyan should be more than willing to go easy on us so we can have a full meal.”

However, the man standing behind him, Jiang Shiyan, now had a face as dark as charcoal.

Perhaps Yu Lin’s targeting was too blatant because as he “accidentally” stabbed Jiang Shiyan’s prey once more, he started to curl his lips to give a fake “sorry.” Before a single sound escaped, his foot slipped, and he fell directly into the water. His knee scraped against a sharp stone and knocked into another.

The cut skin stung. Yu Lin’s eyes grew hot, and an uncontrollable tear fell. He looked up at Jiang Shiyan pitifully, speaking with a choked but happy tone: “Brother Shiyan, I didn’t mean to steal your prey. Can this fish still count as yours?”

As he spoke, he reached into the water, searching until he held up the white-blade fish with pierced gills, preparing to hand it to Jiang Shiyan.

“No! My fish!”

Yu Lin watched as his own hand reached further and further out against his will. Just as Jiang Shiyan was feeling confused by the sudden change and was hesitating whether to take it, the whistle for the end of the match suddenly blew.

Yu Lin let out a sigh of relief.

Ning Jinghe had just tossed the last fish onto the shore. He rushed over and grabbed Yu Lin’s arm to pull him out of the water. “Are you alright?”

Yu Lin’s phoenix eyes swept over Ning Jinghe’s face with a touch of arrogance. He wrenched himself away in a few movements and limped forward two steps. Realizing he couldn’t keep up with Jiang Shiyan’s pace, he stood in the pond and cried out aggrievedly: “It hurts so much.”

His voice was light and soft, sounding like he was acting spoiled and waiting for someone’s response.

“Affection points +10. Contributor: Ning Jinghe.”

Jiang Shiyan did not look back. He looked at the fish they had caught on the shore with a blank expression and rubbed his hair in frustration.

Meanwhile, Ning Jinghe looked at his empty palm and lowered his eyes, his thoughts unknown.

“Damn, I knew he hadn’t let go of Jiang Shiyan yet. Everything before was just an act.”

“Ning Jinghe was kind enough to help him, and he didn’t even appreciate it. I’m speechless. I feel bad for my idol.”

“But falling like that actually looks quite painful. Maybe he just wanted to get to shore quickly to treat the wound.”

The next second, Yu Lin, who had regained control of his body, sat down on a large rock. He looked at Ning Jinghe in the water and repeated what he had just said: “Brother Ning, it hurts.”

A red mark was sliced across his pale thigh. Aside from the wound on his knee, which was slightly deeper at about the size of a pinky nail, there was no bleeding elsewhere, only some slight swelling. On his originally clean, white skin, such a wound looked rather startling.

Ning Jinghe tightened his palm, picked up the fish Yu Lin had left behind, and waded over.

The program crew had finished announcing the results. Jiang Shiyan and Pei Yixing were about to leave their catch and depart when Ning Jinghe said: “We can’t finish all these fish ourselves. Stay and join us, but you are responsible for grilling them. If there isn’t enough, you’ll have to go catch more.”

Yu Lin gave him a dissatisfied glare. Ning Jinghe tossed the fish aside and pulled a medical kit from his bag. “I need to treat your wound. Once they finish grilling, you can have something to eat.”

Yu Lin thought about it and decided it made sense.

Ning Jinghe dropped to one knee, keeping his back straight. He supported Yu Lin’s leg, letting him rest his foot on his kneeling leg. He snapped an iodine cotton swab and began to gently disinfect the wound.

“Tell me if it hurts.”

The iodine seeped into the cut, bringing a needle-like sting. Yu Lin merely knit his brows slightly and replied in a light tone: “It hurts like hell.”

Ning Jinghe glanced up at his expression and knew at once that he was playing tricks. He didn’t respond and continued applying the medicine.

“I’m screaming! What kind of suggestive pose is this? I feel like if the baby’s foot shifts even a little, he’s going to step somewhere else!”

“Ning Jinghe is truly cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He wasn’t even angry after how Shen Xingzhuo acted just now. As soon as he heard him cry in pain, he ran back to give him medicine. If this isn’t love, what is?”

“Get a grip. CP fans really will ship anything. Can you not ruin the livestream for me?”

“Brother.”

Ning Jinghe didn’t look up. “Hmm?”

“Just now…”

Ning Jinghe’s hand stopped while applying a bandage. When he looked up, his eyes met Yu Lin’s downward gaze. There was no ripple in those cool phoenix eyes, but Yu Lin somehow felt something.

Ning Jinghe interrupted him: “I won’t blame you for going easy on your idol.”

He actually attributed the series of actions where the system forced Yu Lin to repair his persona as Yu Lin being unable to bear it and wanting to let Jiang Shiyan win. For no reason, the corner of Yu Lin’s mouth quirked. He swallowed the excuses he had been overthinking.

But what about the part after? Ning Jinghe must have known that sentence was Shen Xingzhuo trying to get Jiang Shiyan to soften his heart and look back, otherwise the affection points wouldn’t have increased.

So, was he actually deliberately making up excuses for Yu Lin’s abnormal behavior?

After a while, Yu Lin took the fish Pei Yixing had grilled. He used a small knife to slice it into pieces and stuffed them into his mouth one by one. He ate until only the bones were left, still unable to figure out Ning Jinghe’s illogical reaction.

However, he didn’t dwell on it too much because after devouring the fish, the four of them were to go their separate ways according to the map.

The fragment they received for the “Final Destination” was a coordinate like (x, y, z). The corresponding point on the map should be the top of a certain tree. Ning Jinghe guessed there would be three other fragments, and by connecting the four coordinates, they could find the final location.

Yu Lin wasn’t very interested, but he still put on an act, saying things like “Wow, so that’s how it is” and “Brother Ning, you’re so amazing.”

Though Ning Jinghe, who saw through the act, seemed to hide a small smile behind his hand.

Towering trees and tangling vines surrounded the two of them. Drones began to fly at a low altitude, sometimes behind them and sometimes to the side, the noise annoying Yu Lin. Squirrels that weren’t afraid of humans scurried across the lush branches as if performing parkour, making every leaf they touched tremble.

Yu Lin looked up sharply and saw a fluffy tail. He had just started to ask: “Will it throw pine cones at us?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, his wish was granted as he was hit square on the head by an unknown fruit. Yu Lin picked up the fruit, and before Ning Jinghe could stop him, he popped it into his mouth and bit down with his canines. The bursting juice filled his mouth, incredibly sour.

He frowned and stuck out his tongue, rinsing his mouth several times before the sourness washed away.

As evening approached, a sudden clap of thunder echoed in the sky. Warm rain poured down without warning, drenching both of them.

The weather on the deserted island was fickle and unreasonable.

Ning Jinghe followed the map and led Yu Lin at a jog until they found a dilapidated open-sided wooden hut.

The hut had only three walls left, and the roof was narrower than a bus stop. Standing under it was incredibly cramped for two people. Rainwater blown by the wind drifted in from time to time, forcing them to retreat step by step.

The rain fell diagonally. Ning Jinghe pressed against the wall and pulled Yu Lin, who was still peering outside, further in.

Their bodies bumped together. Yu Lin’s shoulder pressed against his chest. Those phoenix eyes shifted their attention back from the rain, first fixing on his Adam’s apple for a moment, causing Ning Jinghe to swallow instinctively. Then, the gaze moved to the bridge of his nose and slowly fell upon his eyes.

Ning Jinghe lowered his eyes uncomfortably and noticed Yu Lin’s nose twitch, as if he were sniffing something.

“The scent of cedar,” Yu Lin said slowly. “Brother Ning, do you like using this perfume too?”