Who Wants to Be the Affectionate Cannon Fodder?! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 4

Xie Zhirang hesitated for a long time, his voice as thin as a mosquito’s hum. “Is that… even possible?”

It was unclear whether he was asking Yu Lin or himself.

What kind of person was Xu Ze’an? He was a high-and-mighty young master, a second-generation rich kid who could live a life of luxury without lifting a finger. A single wristwatch on his hand was worth a year’s income for an ordinary family. Xie Zhirang’s refusal and resistance were like a mantis trying to stop a carriage in front of him.

Yu Lin stared into his eyes, his tone flat. “How will you know if you do not try?”

Xie Zhirang knew he should not believe him. Although Lin Zhou’s background could not compare to Xu Ze’an’s, his family was still influential in City A. If Xu Ze’an were provoked, Lin Zhou might escape through his family connections, while Xie Zhirang had no idea what kind of situation he would fall into.

Yet, inexplicably, he heard a trace of absolute certainty in Yu Lin’s voice.

He gripped the trash bag tightly and lowered his head to stare at the pitted concrete ground. He brooded for a long time, biting his lower lip until it nearly bled, yet he did not utter the sentence that had been circling in his heart for ages.

Yu Lin did not pressure him. He boredly ground a pebble under his foot, feeling the system’s turbulent data stream jumping around angrily in his head.

“The script for every world is pre-designed! How could the protagonist possibly leave the lead hero? Just do your job and get out of here. Why are you making extra trouble!”

Yu Lin said nonchalantly, “Did I not tell you? I do not like that script.”

The system’s data turbulence lashed out again before eventually suppressing its anger. It snapped back petulantly, “Fine, just you wait and see. It is absolutely impossible for the protagonist to leave the lead hero!”

As if on cue, Xie Zhirang, who had been hesitating, finally spoke. “Let me… think about it more. Is that okay?”

“…” The system was ready to die of sheer frustration.

Yu Lin’s eyes curved. His tone rose with a hint of smugness that even he did not notice. “Sure.”

As if he had not provoked 007 enough, he added, “I will wait for your answer.”

Xie Zhirang nodded. “I will… find you once I have decided. It is almost time for my part-time job. I have to go now.”

Yu Lin blinked without saying a word. Xie Zhirang was not sure if this counted as “suit yourself,” so he hunched his shoulders and moved aside. Seeing that Yu Lin had no intention of stopping him, he left in a hurry.

After walking a few meters, he instinctively glanced back. The stray cat from earlier had returned at some point, rolling around on its back and rubbing against Yu Lin’s shoes. Yu Lin stared at it with narrowed eyes for a while before swiftly giving its soft belly a rub and turning to leave with a light step.

The red sun sank in the west, painting the horizon with a streak of brilliant gold.

Yu Lin walked out of the narrow alley, thinking about how to get back. While in Lin He’s car, he had memorized the route, but with Lin Zhou’s below-average physical fitness, it would take at least two hours on foot.

He wanted to ask 007, but because of his recent behavior, the system had unilaterally blocked him. Aside from the occasional flicker of current, Yu Lin could barely feel its existence.

However, as soon as he turned the corner, he saw Lin He standing under a streetlight playing with his phone. This “cheap brother” of his was a natural clothes-horse—broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. Standing there straight as a rod, he looked as elegant as jade or bamboo.

Hearing Yu Lin’s footsteps, he glanced over. His naturally cold peach-blossom eyes looked a bit more affectionate under the warm glow of the sunset.

Yu Lin’s mood improved now that he had a ride. He approached and asked, “Brother, why haven’t you left yet?”

Lin He put away his phone and glanced at the SUV parked across the street. “If I left, would I just leave a directionally challenged person like you to wander the streets?”

“Mhm.” Just how many flaws did this Lin Zhou have that he did not know about?

“What are you standing there for? Am I wrong?” Lin He opened the driver’s side door and called out again when he saw Yu Lin still standing still.

Yu Lin spoke the truth. “I was waiting for you to turn around and pick me up.”

But he still followed obediently under Lin He’s sharp gaze.

As soon as Lin He sat in the car, he noticed the cat hair on Yu Lin’s trousers. He pulled open the glove compartment. “There is a lint roller in here.”

“Brother, you are so fussy.”

This earned him another glare. Yu Lin made a symbolic effort to roll the lint roller over his pants before tossing it back and ignoring it.

The car drove back the way it came, passing a nearby supermarket. The colorful shelves and dazzling array of goods made Yu Lin’s eyes light up. He grabbed a shopping cart and dove into the crowd.

007 had never imagined that the Alliance’s terrifying humanoid weapon would have the curiosity of a child who had never seen the world. He even picked up candies filled with artificial coloring to ask if they tasted good.

The twenty-minute buffer was enough for 007’s anger to subside. “They are… okay?”

It just did not know if an eighteen-year-old body could get cavities.

Yu Lin was hesitantly studying two different colors of candy to figure out the flavors when Lin He, who was supposed to be in the fresh produce section, appeared behind him. He took several packs of the same candy and tossed them into the cart. “If you want them, buy them. I am not poor. Why deliberate for so long?”

007 “glared” at him, and the data turbulence began to screech in Yu Lin’s head again.

But Yu Lin did not notice. With a childlike tone, he said, “Brother, you really are a good person.” Then he pushed the cart toward the next shelf.

Once he started, Yu Lin’s hand never stopped reaching for things. The result was only one bag of dinner ingredients and four large bags of snacks. He lugged the heavy bags toward the car while Lin He followed behind with a steady, leisurely pace.

Lin He was almost indulgent. He paid for everything Yu Lin picked up. 007 felt he looked exactly like a nouveau riche “sugar daddy” throwing money at a young lover.

The red and white broths in the split pot bubbled, filling the air with the pungent aroma of chili. The sound of a knife hitting a cutting board came from the kitchen, followed by the clatter of bowls and chopsticks.

Yu Lin leaned his upper body against the back of his chair, tipping it back and forth playfully. He stared intently at the boiling soup for a while until Lin He finished preparing all the ingredients. He took his seat with great enthusiasm.

It was his first time having hotpot. He guessed that in his original world, resources were scarce and food was only for survival, not flavor. That was why he was so curious about new snacks and the rare scent of hotpot.

Lin He ladled a piece of duck blood from the spicy side into Yu Lin’s bowl. Seeing Yu Lin reach for it immediately, he nudged it aside with a serving spoon. “Careful not to scald your throat.”

Yu Lin obediently waited five seconds. Seeing Lin He get up to grab more ingredients, he impatiently shoved it into his mouth.

Sure enough, he was scalded. He was also choked by the spicy broth until tears welled up in his eyes.

“You…” Lin He turned back and saw the tears at the corners of Yu Lin’s eyes, which were stained a beautiful red. He stopped mid-sentence and poured some cola for him. “Eat slowly. No one is fighting you for it.”

Yu Lin’s tongue was numbed by the spice. He tried to deny it, but his words were unintelligible. He had no choice but to down a large glass of cola. He thought he might not be able to handle this flavor—his tongue hurt. But he also felt a strange sense of excitement and wanted to try again.

Lin He had likely lived abroad for many years and did not know his brother could not handle heavy spice. He did not suspect anything as Yu Lin kept fishing for food from the spicy side. He even proactively put a large ladle of cooked beef into Yu Lin’s bowl.

Even with a numb tongue, Yu Lin ate with tireless joy, taking a moment to bash Xu Ze’an to the system. “Both are Alphas, so why is there such a huge difference between people?”

“You were bought over by just one dinner?”

Yu Lin ate the squid Lin He had served while asking in his mind, “Do you not like him very much?”

007: “Do you not think he is being a bit too good to you?”

Yu Lin replied simply, “He is Lin Zhou’s brother. Is it not normal for him to be good to me?”

007 emphasized word by word: “Adopted.”

Yu Lin: “?”

007: “Meaning, technically, if he had any improper thoughts, it is not like it would be impossible.”

Yu Lin made a “Mhm” sound. Whenever he made that sound, it usually meant trouble was brewing.

Sure enough, in the next second, 007 heard him ask Lin He, “Brother, have you considered coming back to inherit our family business?”

Lin He was surprised. His hand holding the chopsticks froze in mid-air for a fraction of a second before he silently withdrew it. He asked neutrally, “Why do you ask that?”

Yu Lin replied casually, “I just think you could probably lead the family business to greatness.”

He had just finished a piece of gizzard. His lips were dyed a deep red by the chili, looking moist and soft under the glisten of his drink.

Lin He moved his gaze away subtly. “I am not biological.”

His face remained expressionless, as if he were discussing someone else’s story. There was even a hint of a teasing smile in his tone, as if he treated Yu Lin’s question as the innocent remark of a naive younger brother.

Unexpectedly, Yu Lin said, “But I am a brainless idiot.”

Lin He: “?”

“I only got an eight on my math test after all. I would probably lose the family fortune before I even finished inheriting it.”

The “eight” on the math test was not made up. Yu Lin had found a crumpled monthly exam paper in Lin Zhou’s desk drawer that afternoon. It was covered in red marks, with a massive “8” written on it. Even guessing randomly on the multiple-choice section might have yielded a higher score.

Lin He suddenly fell silent. Yu Lin did not know if he was shocked that his brother was such a poor student or amazed that he was so honest.

“So…”

“The test.”

“Huh?” Yu Lin looked up blankly.

“Where is the test?” Lin He looked at him expressionlessly. “Did I not hear you tell Mom and Dad a few days ago that you ranked in the top ten of your class? Is your school’s grading system out of ten points?”

“Stop eating. Show me your test first.”

Uh-oh. He had played himself.

Yu Lin hurriedly fished out the last piece of shrimp paste from the pot, swallowed it whole, and prepared to bolt. However, Lin He was faster. He grabbed Yu Lin by the waist and pulled him back.

“Why are you eating so fast? Are you trying to burn yourself?”

While Yu Lin struggled to break free from Lin He’s grip, he put on a charming smile to act spoiled. “It is fine, I have an iron stomach.”

As it turned out, his words came back to haunt him that very night.