Chapter 56 Cannon Fodder Substitute Lover 4 Are the pastries delicious?
Inside the restroom, Xu Luo was even more nervous than Li Qingran.
[Host, what do we do now?! The main character is about to walk in, what if he suspects we're having an affair with the cannon fodder?!]
The system's voice was so loud in Xu Luo's mind that it felt like his brain was about to explode.
[Now you're scared? Why didn't you agree when I told you to keep an eye on him while I slept, to not go along with him and act on his whims?!]
system:【……】
Isn't it also curious about what that cannon fodder character, whom the protagonist never even thought of throughout the entire book, looks like?
They had come just to watch the show, but who would have thought this cannon fodder would be so good-looking?
It not only amazed one of its systems, but also captivated its other host.
All he wanted was to drink the black tea the other person had brewed; he couldn't even be bothered to answer the call from his mission target...
So why didn't you persuade him to answer the phone in the first place?!
Xu Luo's anger flared up instantly, and he coldly said to the system, and even more so to his other self:
[You didn't answer the phone when you should have, and now that things are about to be exposed, you're asking me what to do? How should I know what to do?!]
He can't just block the door and prevent the protagonist from breaking in to use the toilet!
The other party really knows how to cause him trouble. Knowing that he has access to the shop and backpack, they suddenly released him, leaving him without any way to escape. He can only stay in the sealed-off bathroom, quietly waiting for the protagonist to find him.
I don't know if we can even complete this mission...
Xu Luo's face grew increasingly grim. He leaned against the wall beside the door, listening to the footsteps getting closer and closer—
Her fingers deftly rested on the gilded doorknob, the latch snapping open with a crisp sound. Then, a split second before the door was pushed open, Xu Luo held her breath, hearing the boy's gentle yet slightly sharp voice again through the door.
"Mr. Gu."
The door, which had been slightly ajar, suddenly stopped. Xu Luo bit his lip, listening to another set of footsteps approaching. The footsteps were calm and slow, a stark contrast to his increasingly rapid heartbeat.
He heard Li Qingran say to Gu Qingyan, "The pipes in the bathroom here have been leaking, and the water valve is off. If Mr. Gu would like to clean it, would you mind going to the bedroom?"
Xu Luo pressed himself tightly against the wall, his body heat seeping through his thin clothes onto the cold porcelain plate. Similarly, the coldness of the porcelain plate seeped into his body through his skin, flowing into his blood and penetrating his bones, making him tremble uncontrollably.
He didn't know what Li Qingran's intentions were in inviting Gu Qingyan to change restrooms.
To help him?
Or is it simply that she wants to get closer to Gu Qingyan?
Xu Luo didn't know that he was freezing. He only knew that if the person outside didn't leave soon, he would start to make a sound even before the other person pushed the door open.
Fortunately, Gu Qingyan listened to Li Qingran's advice.
The fingers that had been gripping the doorknob tightly gradually loosened, and the frosted glass door panel disappeared as the force pulled on it disappeared, turning slightly inward. The black gap widened, letting in the orange light from outside, causing Xu Luo, who had been in darkness for a long time, to unconsciously squint.
"Of course, Mr. Gu, this room has always been reserved for you to rest. The bathrobes inside are all brand new and unopened. You can take a shower first, and I will wash and dry them for you and put them on the armrest of the sofa by the bathroom door. Is that alright?"
The boy's voice rang out again, but this time it wasn't approaching Xu Luo; instead, it was moving further and further away from him.
His voice sounded very gentle.
This is quite normal.
After all, Gu Qingyan is now his sugar daddy, so it's normal for him to want to get closer to him.
But... Xu Luo lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips unconsciously touching her chest.
Why does it feel so stuffy here?
Is it because there's a problem with the romance quest? The romance target who should be in his house, getting close to him and increasing their affection, is now preparing to rest here with some cannon fodder character who barely appears in the story. This is all 'his' doing!
[Actually, Host Number 1 didn't do it on purpose. He didn't expect that the protagonist, after not answering his call, would change his mind and go to another lover's place. It just so happens that he chose the lover where we happened to be...]
Should I give you two another compliment?
Upon hearing this, Xu Luo let out a cold laugh.
[He's naturally playful and hasn't done many missions. He's neither sensitive to nor proactive about mission objectives, which is one thing, but as a system that's guided several hosts, don't you know how important it is to cultivate the target's favorability in the early stages of a mission?]
[What do you mean he didn't expect the protagonist to go to another lover after not answering the phone? Let's not even talk about the fact that the protagonist's affection level with us is only 10, still in the 'Oh, this is someone who looks a lot like Jiang Ming' stage. Even in the later stages of the conquest, you can't stop the protagonist from going to other people, right? Are you the one wooing the other person, or are they wooing you?]
Xu Luo was practically driven mad by this unreliable system and 'himself'. His heart, instead of calming down after Gu Qingyan left, was pounding even harder.
[You know how dangerous this world is. The protagonist has already begun to develop a vague sense of self, otherwise so many mission takers wouldn't have failed. So, put away your playful nature and your desire to joke around with Number 1. This isn't the world where you could complete missions with a flick of your wrist anymore. Everything must prioritize the mission objective. I hope that things like this, where you disregard the mission objective for the sake of others, will never happen again while I'm asleep. Understand?!]
"I understand, host..." the system replied, sounding aggrieved.
It has learned its lesson in this regard.
Even without Xu Luo saying anything, Gu Qingyan's behavior when facing Li Qingran just now made it clear how serious the problem was.
According to the information provided, before the protagonist (the bottom) appeared, the protagonist (the top) never ate or rested at the stand-ins' places, let alone took a bath or spent the night there. He only treated those stand-ins as ornaments for him to remember, and the houses where the stand-ins lived were essentially boxes for him to store those ornaments.
Who would rest in a box?
This rule was originally supposed to be broken by the protagonist after he appeared. However, the rule has indeed been broken now, but the place where Gu Qingyan is resting is not Xu Luo's house, but a cannon fodder who lives next door and who never got to see Gu Qingyan in the original plot until he was dismissed.
This is an extremely serious bug in the plot, and if it cannot be fixed, then their mission will be impossible to complete.
So, while being scolded by Xu Luo, the system secretly made up its mind that next time, it must remind the host to take over the protagonist's electric kettle and focus most of its energy on the mission!
However… thinking of how Xu Luo's eyes lit up when he saw Li Qingran today, the system hesitated for a moment, and just in case, it asked one more question.
[Host, what if the next host comes looking for cannon fodder? Should I stop them or not?]
Should we stop Xu Luo from meeting Li Qingran?
The system's voice was still echoing in Xu Luo's mind.
This is actually a very simple question. After all, Li Qingran is now in a competitive relationship with them. This time, the other party took advantage of her because 'Xu Luo' forgot about the mission because he was attracted by her beauty and abandoned the main character. Therefore, in order for the mission to be turned around and proceed smoothly, the best and easiest way is to stay away from all people and things that are not related to the plot and just focus on the target.
But……
But……
Xu Luo clenched her fingertips, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, and even the shadows cast under her eyelids seemed to hesitate.
Should we stop it?
But what did Li Qingran do wrong?
In the end, he was just quietly staying in the room. The door that was originally closed, preventing the two of them from interacting, was pushed open by 'Xu Luo' himself.
Besides, even if he wanted to stop her, would 'Xu Luo' listen to him?
That person is used to doing whatever they want. Would they really restrain themselves for a task?
Xu Luo didn't know.
All he knew was that a door seemed to have appeared before him.
A tightly closed door.
He didn't know whether he should push open the door or knock on it.
He stared at the door with its frosted glass, letting in a faint light from outside, and then looked at his disheveled hair and flushed face in the mirror beside it. Suddenly, he felt more like someone having an affair.
As for whose favor he stole, only he himself knows.
Xu Luo's Adam's apple bobbed twice; he realized he should leave.
There was no sound outside. Gu Qingyan had gone to take a bath, while Li Qingran was helping him do his laundry.
With no one in the living room, it was the perfect opportunity for him to quietly leave.
However, just as Xu Luo tiptoed towards the entrance, he passed through the living room and saw the opened pastry box and the two half-finished cups of black tea next to it. For some reason, he suddenly stopped.
[Host?] The system's questioning voice rang in his mind, but it couldn't bring Xu Luo back to his senses.
He remembered that when he first regained consciousness, he was holding a steaming cup of black tea.
So, among the two cups of black tea on the coffee table that have both been drunk from, is one of the cups he was originally holding?
Did someone else drink his black tea?
Originally, Xu Luo probably came in for this cup of black tea.
Unfortunately, he didn't have time to taste it then, so now when he suddenly feels thirsty, he doesn't even have a cup of tea to quench his thirst.
It's just a cup of tea; he can easily make it himself when he gets back.
Xu Luo told himself this in his heart.
Let's go quickly.
If we don't leave now, we'll really be discovered once Gu Qingyan comes out after his shower.
Xu Luo gritted his teeth, a faint metallic taste of blood rising in his throat from the dryness. He took a deep breath, finally managing to convince himself to keep going, when suddenly a soft voice came from behind him.
"Mr. Xu?"
Perhaps out of consideration for Gu Qingyan in the bedroom, the boy deliberately lowered his voice, making it sound slightly hoarse, like sand rolling on a beach in the sea breeze, landing on Xu Luo's eardrums and causing a ticklish sensation.
Xu Luo subconsciously raised his hand and pinched his ear. His lips were tightly pursed, and a hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes. But in the end, out of politeness, he stiffly turned around and gave Li Qingran a forced smile.
"I'm sorry, I just heard that you had guests, so to avoid any misunderstanding, I thought I'd leave first and come to apologize later."
Li Qingran was holding a black bathrobe in her arms, probably just taken out to be washed, and in her right hand she was holding the tag that had just been removed. Hearing this, she chuckled and said:
"There's nothing to apologize for. I just wanted to ask if you were feeling any better."
He thought for a moment, seemingly realizing the question was a bit inappropriate, since Xu Luo had gone straight to the restroom. A hint of embarrassment appeared on his face, and when he spoke again, his speech quickened considerably due to the awkwardness.
"I'm not saying you stayed inside for a long time, I just... well, I just wanted to ask if you're still feeling unwell?"
Feeling that the more she explained, the more confused she became, Li Qingran chose not to explain.
He tightened his robe around his neck, remained silent for a moment, then, under Xu Luo's gaze, cleared his throat and changed the subject:
"Wait a moment, I'll put the clothes in the washing machine and then take them out to you."
"No need!" Xu Luo refused. "I live right next door, it's just a short walk away, I can go out by myself."
“How can that be?” Li Qingran smiled at him. “After all, he is a guest. There’s no reason not to see him off.”
If it were Gu Qingyan, would you also be so polite in seeing him off?
Xu Luo moved his lips, because a strange question suddenly popped into his mind because of Li Qingran's polite words.
It's because Gu Qingyan is his target that he cares so much about how Gu Qingyan and Li Qingran get along!
Yes, that must be it!
Otherwise, he would have no reason to care about how a substitute lover and her sugar daddy interact in private.
It was all because of 'Xu Luo' that the plot deviated from its course. The protagonist was resting with the cannon fodder, and he had no choice but to pay attention to the cannon fodder's every move because of the mission.
Yes, it's all because of the mission! It's all for the mission...
For some reason, Xu Luo's breathing suddenly became erratic, and his heart, which had finally calmed down, started beating rapidly again.
Especially when Li Qingran came out of the laundry room, her heart pounded even harder.
"Mr. Xu, are you alright?"
Li Qingran shook the water droplets off her hands, looked at Xu Luo who was standing stiffly in the living room staring at her, and asked.
"Huh? Oh. No, it's nothing. I'm just not feeling well, and my mind isn't quite right."
As Xu Luo spoke, he lowered his head and shook it, as if a golden retriever had just taken a bath and was shaking off the water droplets. When he raised his head again, his already messy hair became even more agitated.
Li Qingran smiled and said, "Then you must get a good rest when you get back. The most important thing for a person is to have good health."
"Yes, I will." Xu Luo licked his slightly dry lips, forced a smile at Li Qingran, and said as if trying very hard to remain calm:
"I'm so sorry to have bothered you today, staying until now..."
"How could it be an intrusion?" Li Qingran said politely, going along with his words. "If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me. I invited you in for tea, but now we haven't even had a cup. It's really—"
"Then why don't you buy me a drink now?"
Before Li Qingran could finish speaking, Xu Luo suddenly interrupted him.
Actually, Xu Luo didn't do it on purpose; he was just too thirsty.
His throat was dry and itchy, giving him the feeling that he would die of thirst if he didn't drink a sip of tea soon.
Li Qingran noticed that Xu Luo's Adam's apple seemed to twitch slightly. While the corners of his mouth maintained a polite upward curve, his gaze suddenly became urgent.
"I remember you poured me a cup of black tea earlier..."
Xu Luo licked her lips again, and before Li Qingran could speak, she continued softly, "I'm not picky, I'll just drink that one, okay?"
[...So, he stood in the living room for so long just to get his cup of black tea?] 888's head was spinning from listening to Xu Luo's words.
Why didn't he take a sip when he wanted to leave? It's all cold now, isn't it?
My stomach was already upset, and I spent so long in the bathroom. Now I have to drink herbal tea. Can my body handle it?
Out of a desire to tease, or perhaps just out of simple curiosity, 888 expressed concern for Xu Luo's health. However, Xu Luo didn't see it that way. After all, the reason he ran into the bathroom wasn't really because he was feeling unwell, and besides, he was incredibly thirsty, which made his gaze towards Li Qingran much more urgent.
"Is that not possible, Mr. Li? Has the tea already been poured out? Or has it been mixed with something else—"
"OK."
Li Qingran interrupted Xu Luo and beckoned to him, "Come with me."
Xu Luo was a little agitated just now, his heart was beating fast, and a light layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. When Li Qingran interrupted him, he was still a bit dazed and didn't even react to what she said for a moment.
But his feet obediently led him to Li Qingran's side.
"Look here." Li Qingran patted his shoulder, making him look down at what was beside him.
Xu Luo blinked, obediently lowered her head, but still didn't understand what Li Qingran was doing. "You—"
"Smack—"
Li Qingran pressed the switch on the box beside her, and as the lid opened, a cup of still steaming hot black tea appeared before Xu Luo's eyes.
“I was worried that you would be dehydrated if you went in for too long, so I put the tea in the insulated box in advance. I thought we wouldn’t need it since you were leaving quietly.”
The boy's gentle voice rang in my ears.
Xu Luo thought he should say something, such as thank you, or something polite like "thank you for your trouble."
In fact, his mind was completely blank at that moment, and he couldn't say a word.
Why, why did he preserve this cup of tea? Why did he put it in the insulated box?
Was it just out of politeness? Didn't he realize that his behavior was inappropriate? At the very least, it shouldn't have happened between two competitors.
He could still think of Gu Qingyan when Gu Qingyan came.
Why would he think of him?
Too many questions popped into Xu Luo's mind, but he couldn't utter a single one. He could only let the red tea soak his lips, flow into his throat, and warm his once-cold stomach.
It turns out that his stomach really was upset just now.
Xu Luo realized this belatedly.
"I put your shoes in the shoe cabinet for a while because of some reasons. Please don't mind."
Her slender, long fingers hooked his shoe and placed it in front of him. Xu Luo watched as Li Qingran straightened up and smiled at him.
Goodbye, Mr. Xu. It was a pleasure chatting with you tonight.
Yeah?
When are you happiest?
Before, or now—he's truly obsessed!
Realizing who she was comparing herself to, Xu Luo bit her lip hard.
He didn't speak, but quickly bent down to put on his shoes, then simply reached out and opened the door to walk outside. However, just as he was about to completely leave Li Qingran's house, he hesitated, but couldn't help turning back.
"Was that pastry delicious?"
"Hmm?" Li Qingran was taken aback for a moment, then immediately smiled and said, "It's delicious."
"So, do you like it?"
"I like it."
“Then…” Xu Luo pursed his lips, hesitated, and spoke again:
"Then tomorrow, I—"
"Li Qingran?"
A hoarse voice suddenly came from behind Li Qingran, followed by footsteps and a deep voice.
"What are you doing at the door? Who are you talking to—Xu Luo?!"
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Author's Note: The author, who loves a good show: Do you know what this is called? It's called what's bound to happen! [shy][shy][shy]
Happy New Year in advance to all the little ones! May everyone be healthy, happy, and joyful every day! [heart emojis]
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