Who Wants to Be the Affectionate Cannon Fodder?! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 40

The weather in Lu City was exceptionally humid and hot. The moment Yu Lin stepped off the plane, the damp air rushed at him, filling his lungs with the briny scent of the sea breeze.

In Tang Mo’s words, it felt like the moment SpongeBob SquarePants escaped from Sandy Cheeks’ house and returned to the ocean.

Yu Lin didn’t quite understand that sentiment. His only thought was that the airport was far too crowded. Groups of young girls surrounded them in thick layers, carrying long lenses and cameras while shouting various names. If not for the ample security, even with his skills, it would have taken quite an effort to break free.

007 explained that this was a type of culture that existed in their original world as well. For instance, when his boss was studying at the Silver Military Academy in the First Galaxy, every appearance was a grand occasion like this.

Although Yu Lin felt 007 was exaggerating, he didn’t say much.

In the chaos, someone stuffed a pair of dolls into his arms. The two dolls were smaller than a fist, round and shaped like potatoes with tiny dot eyes. They were sewn together chest to chest, and a heart-embroidered scarf was wrapped around their non-existent necks, bearing the names “Shen” and “Ning.”

Yu Lin examined them curiously for a few seconds, squeezing them firmly with his fingers. Finding nothing special about them and unable to locate the owner, he simply tucked them into his bag.

Since reaching adulthood, Shen Xingzhuo lived in his own residence, a famous luxury apartment in Lu City, a high-rise flat with one unit per floor.

When Yu Lin arrived at the apartment in the car sent by the company, Shen Xingzhuo’s manager, Zhou Yao, was huffing and puffing as he moved two stacked cardboard boxes from the stairwell into the house.

Seeing Yu Lin return, the breathless Zhou Yao didn’t even have time to say hello before Yu Lin lifted the two boxes, which Zhou Yao had barely been able to drag across the floor, and carried them straight inside.

“What are these?” Yu Lin asked casually.

Zhou Yao caught his breath. “Gifts from fans. Don’t worry, I’ve checked them all. They’re safe.”

Yu Lin set the boxes down and shot him a puzzled look. “Are there unsafe ones?”

007: “Of course. Razor blades, threatening letters, used tissues, anything you can’t imagine.”

“Mm, understood.”

Yu Lin blinked and began wandering thoughtfully around the living room.

Shen Xingzhuo’s home was decorated very warmly, with cream-colored sofas and carpets. Pillows printed with chibi character art were piled together, and bags of snacks were scattered across the coffee table. Green plants grew quietly in front of life-sized standees.

Past the living room were two sun-facing bedrooms. The walls were covered in posters, and the cabinets were filled with albums, photobooks, acrylic standees, and countless slogan cards, all printed with the face of the same person.

Yu Lin instinctively covered his eyes, feeling as if he had experienced a bout of visual pollution.

“Xingzhuo,” Zhou Yao walked up behind him, his eyes crinkling with joy. “I watched the livestreams these past few days. You performed well, and the public feedback has been great.”

Yu Lin didn’t know how to respond, so he gave a simple “Mm” and perfunctorily added, “I think so too.”

Then, he trotted off to the fridge to find a bottle of cola.

“I was originally afraid this kind of livestream program wouldn’t suit you. I even wrote several versions of a PR plan,” Zhou Yao rambled like an old mother. “Especially during the archery segment. I was worried for nothing. I wanted to sign you up for classes before but you refused; turns out you already knew how. You didn’t even say anything.”

Shen Xingzhuo’s agency, Lingxiao Media, was partially owned by his eldest brother, Shen Xinghe. Although the Shen family generally let him do as he pleased, they had paved the way for him when he chose to enter the entertainment industry. However, Shen Xingzhuo had rejected the top-tier manager his brother arranged, choosing the more sidelined Zhou Yao instead.

Perhaps he disliked aggressive people, or perhaps he had a greater voice and more freedom under Zhou Yao. Regardless, this manager had always been indulgent, accompanying him all the way to the end of his career.

Yu Lin took a large gulp of cola and said indistinctly, “Forgot.”

“And I saw that you got along well with Tang Mo and Ning Jinghe. You should interact more with those from the academic school; it’ll help your career. Otherwise, you’re always revolving around Jiang,” Realizing he had misspoken, Zhou Yao quickly shut his mouth.

“Sorry, I spoke too much again.”

Yu Lin glanced at him, thinking this probably wasn’t the first time. It seemed the people around Shen Xingzhuo also had a lot of grievances against Jiang Shiyan.

“Brother Zhou Yao.” Yu Lin tapped the cola bottle on the table. “Help me pack up everything in the room related to Jiang Shiyan.”

Zhou Yao: “Huh?”

“Pack his things and notify him to have someone pick them up as soon as possible.” Yu Lin glanced toward the room filled with merchandise. “The stuff in that room? Take it down and stuff it in boxes. Put them anywhere, just don’t let them take up space.”

Zhou Yao didn’t react for a moment, asking tentatively, “Did the two of you, have a falling out?”

When Shen Xingzhuo had asked him to secure a spot on the island survival show, he had repeatedly warned him not to leak the news, saying he wanted to give Jiang Shiyan a surprise. Zhou Yao had been frustrated by his lack of ambition but didn’t stop him. Later, seeing their tense interactions on the livestream, he guessed that Shen Xingzhuo’s unannounced appearance had displeased Jiang Shiyan. But this wasn’t the first time; Shen Xingzhuo would usually find ways to coax Jiang Shiyan afterward, so Zhou Yao hadn’t bothered to ask.

He hadn’t expected it to reach the point of packing things up. But then again, he had never seen Shen Xingzhuo truly get angry at Jiang Shiyan before.

Yu Lin leaned back on the sofa. A Weibo notification popped up at the top of his phone screen, “Your special following @JiangShiyan has posted.”

Yu Lin looked away in disgust and immediately unfollowed him. But a second later, remembering the purpose of his alt account, he had to follow Jiang Shiyan back.

“No falling out. We broke up,” Yu Lin said lazily.

“Falling out is normal, don’t be too, Wait, what?” Zhou Yao’s eyes widened in disbelief. He lunged forward and grabbed Yu Lin’s shoulders. “Broke up? For real?”

Yu Lin smoothly brushed his hands away. “For real.”

The corners of Zhou Yao’s mouth instantly split into a grin reaching his ears. However, because he was worried about Shen Xingzhuo’s feelings, he didn’t dare show his joy too clearly. His facial muscles twitched, making him look extremely mentally unstable.

“It’s okay, Xingzhuo,” Zhou Yao comforted him with mock solemnity while covering his mouth. “A two-legged toad is hard to find, but isn’t a three-legged man easy to come by? Packing things, right? I’m going now!”

Zhou Yao stood up and swaggered into the Jiang Shiyan ‘itasha’ room Shen Xingzhuo had carefully decorated, humming a distorted version of “Today is a Good Day.”

In just one minute, he ruthlessly tore down all the posters on the walls. Yu Lin even suspected that Zhou Yao had wanted to throw the things in this room away for a long time.

“By the way, the crew of ‘The Song of Breaking the Array’ contacted me this morning to discuss your schedule,” Zhou Yao said. “You might not like hearing this, but that director is incredibly strict. Plus, since we previously rejected the request to join the crew early for training, his impression of you isn’t great. Spend the next few days at home getting familiar with the script. Even if your acting can’t improve in a short time, at least show a good attitude, right?”

Yu Lin: “What is ‘The Song of Breaking the Array’?”

007 replied: “The second encounter between Shen Xingzhuo and Ning Jinghe. They play brothers in this drama. It’s the one where netizens compared their acting and dragged Shen Xingzhuo through the mud after it was released.”

Yu Lin seemed to have some memory of it.

It was the drama where Shen Xingzhuo had arrogantly declared, “Why do I need to join the crew early for training? Anyone can do fight scenes with a stunt double.”

No wonder Zhou Yao said that.

Shen Xingzhuo was arrogant and hated hardship; most high-intensity movements during filming were performed by stunt doubles. In his words, “They get paid to do exactly that” and “If I don’t use a double, how will they have food to eat?”

“The Song of Breaking the Array” was a large-scale production intended to be a hit historical IP. Zhou Yao had worked very hard to get Shen Xingzhuo a supporting role. The script was only a few pages long, but the story arc was complete; if played well, it would surely attract many fans. However, Shen Xingzhuo had refused the fight training because the role was minor and had talked back to the director after numerous NGs.

Naturally, the result was him being scolded mercilessly on set by Ning Jinghe and that strict director. He was then edited into fragments in the final product and faced boycotts from original fans, drama fans, and fans of other actors. Negative trending topics lingered on Weibo for days.

“Also, Director Li might say some harsh things on set. That’s just his personality; even the Movie King has been scolded by him. So don’t overthink it, don’t argue with him, and definitely don’t mention ‘just finding a stunt double.’ I’ll talk to the assistant director and ask him to say some good words for you.” Zhou Yao cleared the acrylic stands and cards from the desk, filling a cardboard box to the brim. “I saw that you got along well with Ning Jinghe on the show. Look for opportunities to seek him out; after all, he’s someone who won awards at the age of seventeen.”

Yu Lin: “Understood.”

Zhou Yao turned his head to examine Yu Lin’s face, saying with a touch of melancholy, “Xingzhuo, I don’t know why, but I have a very strange feeling now that I know you broke up with Jiang Shiyan.”

Yu Lin: “?”

“It’s like, my family’s ‘love-brain’ has suddenly gained enlightenment and ascended. Can you understand? It’s like you’ve been blessed. Are you going to become career-focused? Cultivating the ‘Way of Heartlessness’ is fine too. Honestly, as long as you aren’t with Jiang Shiyan, anything is fine. I feel like he jinxes you.”

Yu Lin: “…”

Yu Lin turned and walked away.

Zhou Yao chased after him to give more instructions, but accidentally bumped into Yu Lin’s suitcase. The suitcase fell over, and the bag on top tumbled down. The dolls given by the fan at the airport rolled across the tiles, landing right at Zhou Yao’s feet as he regained his balance.

Zhou Yao picked them up and looked at them, his pupils instantly shaking. “Xingzhuo, you didn’t break up with Jiang Shiyan because you shifted your affections to Ning Jinghe, did you?”