Chapter 35 The Cannon Fodder Ex-Boyfriend's New World
[Host, what do we do?! They're making you choose again!]
In the dimly lit room, the Alpha, whose head was buried under the covers, slowly turned over, making no response to the system's advance warning.
In his mind, 888 was going crazy with anxiety: [Host! Host! Wake up! They're coming in soon!]
“…Just coming in,” Li Qingran rubbed her ears, her eyes still closed. “It’s not like we’re setting this place on fire, there’s no need to be in such a hurry.”
Besides, even if it's burned, he can't escape. Since there's no way to change the current situation, it's better to make yourself more relaxed and comfortable within the limited conditions and environment.
Li Qingran felt he had nothing to be anxious about, since he couldn't stop those people from coming in anyway.
As for what they want to say to him and what choices he will make again, that's something they'll find out once they come in. His wild guessing and creating tension for himself is just loan anxiety.
All the anticipated anxiety and internal conflict are just like eating poop.
Li Qingran does not have this hobby.
So, no matter how nervous 888 was in her mind, Li Qingran simply lay quietly on the bed, closed her eyes to rest and recharge.
Just then, a crisp sound of a lock being opened came from the doorway. The chain slid off the doorknob inch by inch, and the door creaked open. As a figure slipped into the room with the sunlight, Li Qingran, who was lying on the bed, finally opened her eyes.
He sat up from under the covers.
As soon as he looked up, Jiang Siran staggered towards him.
It was summer, but the Alpha who was grabbing his wrist looked like he had just returned from a trip to Antarctica, his whole body icy cold.
Jiang Siran pressed Li Qingran's palm against his face, rubbed it affectionately, and kissed it several times before his voice trembled as he said:
"Qingran, I've got everything sorted out... Over there... the Jiang family, no one will harm you, Qingran, so—"
How did you guys come up with this plan?
Before Jiang Siran could finish speaking, Li Qingran interrupted him and asked softly.
Jiang Siran paused for two seconds before realizing Li Qingran's question, and stammered:
“Because we used to always argue with each other when we got together, and never tried to understand your own thoughts, this time, I made an appointment with them to meet with you one by one, so that everyone can have a good talk with you and know more about your true thoughts and feelings.”
“That’s a good idea.” Li Qingran nodded, then withdrew her hand.
It's too cold.
My hands are a little cold.
In fact, Li Qingran simply felt that Jiang Siran's body temperature was too cold, but Jiang Siran thought that Li Qingran's action of withdrawing her hand was an expression of her displeasure.
As the warmth in his palm disappeared, Jiang Siran felt an emptiness in his heart, and his body temperature grew colder and colder.
He knelt on one knee on the bed, looking up at Li Qingran. His dark green pupils trembled slightly, and then large tears welled up in his eyes.
"Qingran... is it because I'm late that you're angry...?"
Jiang Siran reached out, wanting to touch Li Qingran's fingers resting on the blanket. Countless crazy thoughts flashed through his mind, but in the end, his fingertips only landed beside Li Qingran's hand.
"I've actually wanted to find you for a long time, but you said you didn't want to be in danger, so I've been holding back. I didn't mean to not come to you, believe me, Qingran!"
"Of course I believe you." Li Qingran reached out and touched his cheek, her fingertips lightly touching his pale skin, making Jiang Siran squint his eyes comfortably. However, her quick withdrawal afterwards made the emptiness in his heart even more intense.
He wanted Li Qingran to continue gently stroking him, watching him, and staying with him...
The silver chain was still on Alpha's wrist, sliding back and forth along his forearm as he rose and fell, but Jiang Siran had already mentally replaced it with another color, or even another kind of chain used to bind someone...
However, before he could act on the crazy idea in his mind, he suddenly felt Alpha gently rub his head twice.
"Let's play a game," he heard Li Qingran say to him.
Jiang Siran blinked blankly.
Li Qingran continued, "Let's do it again. If you're the first one to stand in front of me next time, I'll choose you."
Jiang Siran's fingers, which were resting beside Li Qingran, twitched. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but in the end, his long-winded explanation to persuade Li Qingran to leave with him now amounted to just one sentence.
"If I'm the first one to find you, will you choose me?"
"As long as you're the first one to find me." Li Qingran smiled at Jiang Siran.
Tears were still welling up in the latter's eyes, and his sharp canine teeth pierced his soft lips. Li Qingran could even see his lips trembling slightly.
In the end, Jiang Siran didn't say another word. He nodded heavily to Li Qingran, then slowly got out of bed, turned around, and left the prison that was neither Li Qingran's nor his own.
Gu Shiyu, who was waiting at the door and was in the second position, was startled when Jiang Siran came out.
"Why are you crying so hard? Did you get rejected?"
Gu Shiyu said, half curious and half gloating.
Jiang Siran ignored him, walked straight back to the living room, greeted the people he brought, and then left.
His crisp and decisive back view was almost no different from that rainy night before.
Su Jingyi and Qi Ziyan, who were waiting in the living room, exchanged a glance, a hint of doubt in their eyes. However, due to the awkwardness of the situation, they did not huddle together to analyze and chat as usual. Instead, they pursed their lips and then looked away at the same time.
When Gu Shiyu entered the room, Li Qingran was stretching.
Alpha's long arms stretched upwards, causing the hem of his white short-sleeved shirt to rise slightly, revealing the white rope on his black sweatpants and a small section of his fair, narrow waist that flashed past Gu Shiyu's eyes.
Gu Shiyu's breathing became slightly erratic, "Aran..."
Li Qingran lowered her arm, smiling as she finished speaking for Gu Shiyu, leaving him with the unfinished sentence.
"haven't seen you for a long time."
“…Long time no see.” Gu Shiyu bit her lip, quickly walked to the bedside, paused, and then continued:
"Actually, I know that in your heart, I should be at the bottom of the list of options, but Ran, I've already resolved all the issues with the Gu family, and my marriage to Su Jingyi has been completely canceled. I have absolutely no connection with him now, and we won't have any further contact in the future. So, I want to ask you, could you give me a chance to formally pursue you..."
Clearly, Gu Shiyu is very clear about her own position.
If they were to compete in a normal way that Li Qingran wouldn't mind, he would have no advantage whatsoever. He would not only be inferior to Jiang Siran, but even Su Jingyi, whom Li Qingran had always wanted to stay away from, might be ranked ahead of him.
After all, Li Qingran doesn't like him now, but the two of them have at least dated for a period of time. The feelings may be gone, but the memories remain. Li Qingran is a gentle and kind person, and she might be held hostage by those memories and agree to get back together with Su Jingyi.
And now, he wants to reserve an opportunity to be with Li Qingran before she recalls those memories.
Moreover, as long as Li Qingran agrees to his request, Gu Shiyu can guarantee that he will never let Li Qingran recall even a single memory of being with Su Jingyi during the subsequent pursuit.
Li Qingran listened quietly until he finished speaking, then blinked and said, "It's possible."
Gu Shiyu's lips curled up slightly, but before his smile could fully form, he heard the alpha add,
"But before that, you need to be the first to stand in front of me."
Gu Shiyu was stunned.
Li Qingran noticed the confusion in his eyes and patiently explained:
"My choice today is the same as before, but next time, I will choose whoever stands in front of me first."
Alpha looked up at him, his gray eyes seemingly glowing even in the dim light.
"Gu Shiyu, can you do it?"
“Look, this time, you weren’t the first one to kidnap me, nor were you the first one to come in…” Li Qingran straightened up, beckoned to Gu Shiyu, and then, as the Alpha uncontrollably lowered his head and offered his chin to his hand, she gently stroked his cheek with her fingers, her voice muffled:
"So, next time, can you be the first one to find me? Gu Shiyu..."
“I…” Gu Shiyu opened her mouth.
Li Qingran withdrew her hand.
"You didn't choose either of them?" Qi Ziyan asked Li Qingran curiously as he entered.
Li Qingran smiled: "What do you think, Mr. Qi?"
"Of course I hope you reject them all." Qi Ziyan sat down next to Li Qingran, his light brown eyes shining brightly as he looked at her, as if sprinkled with starlight.
"So, what exactly did you tell them?"
"Did you come in just to gossip with me?"
"Let's learn about it," Qi Ziyan said matter-of-factly. "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated!"
Li Qingran laughed out loud, "Your idea..."
"What's wrong?" Qi Ziyan tilted his head and looked at him.
"It's nothing, I'm fine." Li Qingran coughed lightly twice before answering Qi Ziyan's question.
"It wasn't a rejection; I was just playing a game with them."
Qi Ziyan became even more curious, "What game?"
"One, whoever finds me first next time, I'll choose their game."
Inside the closed room, the icy pheromones gently stirred the thick syrup. Li Qingran smiled and tilted her head at Qi Ziyan.
So, do you want to participate?
"……want!"
The blue of the sky gradually faded, leaving only the deep black of night.
Su Jingyi was the last to enter the room.
At this moment, just as he had expected, the shackles on Alpha's wrists had been removed.
But he did not leave; instead, he sat quietly in his original spot, patiently waiting for his arrival.
Su Jingyi slowly walked to the window, pursed her lips, curled her fingers at her side, then unfolded them, and then tightened them again.
“Brother…” he couldn’t help but call out.
"You already know, right?" Li Qingran said, "About that game."
Su Jingyi nodded.
"So what do you think? Do you want to participate?" Li Qingran asked softly, her tone as calm as if she were just a customer service representative for the competition, routinely asking the Omega in front of her whether she wanted to participate in this game where the winner would be decided in one round.
“I…” Su Jingyi moved his lips.
He meant that he didn't want to participate!
He had already found Li Qingran, taken him away, and hidden him. Why did he release him again?!
He can't do it!
But looking at Alpha's empty wrist and the various behaviors of the other three before they left, he knew that if Li Qingran hadn't volunteered, he wouldn't have been able to keep her here at all.
Alpha is a person, not an object that can be manipulated at will.
Although he could turn Li Qingran into an object, that wouldn't be what he wanted...
Su Jingyi bit her lip hard.
Just then, he heard Li Qingran say, "If next time, you're the first one to appear in front of me, then I'll let you hide me away."
Su Jingyi suddenly looked up and found that Alpha had walked up to him at some point.
He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead with his warm lips, his deliberately lowered voice seemingly filled with seduction.
"If you're the first one to show up, I'll go with you. You can hide me away as you like and never see anyone again... How about it? Want to join?"
"...I...I want to participate!" In the dimly lit room, Li Qingran heard the Omega say resolutely.
Li Qingran curled her lips into a smile.
[So, host, which of the four do you think will be the first to find you?]
Inside the airport terminal, a long line of people waited to board their planes.
Li Qingran handed the ticket to the staff member, and after the staff member returned the remaining half of the ticket to her, she stepped into the passage.
He bought a business class seat, which was spacious and comfortable. After he sat down, a flight attendant even handed him a hot towel and champagne.
Li Qingran took a sip of wine, feeling the bubbles burst in her mouth, before lazily replying to 888:
What do you think?
888 seems to be a bit addicted to betting, and immediately replied upon hearing this:
I think the main character is the bottom (uke).
After all, this Omega is truly insane, and he's even more daring to take action than the other three!
In the game that Li Qingran posted, 888 had a very high opinion of him.
[Host, who do you think will be the first to find you?]
"I feel..." Li Qingran turned to look out the window, watching large swaths of clouds drift past in the golden sunlight. He felt as if he were falling into the clouds, and even his voice became ethereal.
I think it's Jiang Siran.
【Why? 】
【because……】
Li Qingran bent down and picked up a stone, then threw it forcefully, watching it splash across the water until it fell into the lake. Only then did he turn around and look at the figure that had been waiting behind him.
The mountains and forests were quiet, a stream flowed, and amidst the lush greenery, the dark green in Li Qingran's eyes became even more vivid and obvious.
Because the puppy will always be the first to find its owner.
Li Qingran raised her lips and waved to the puppy.
At the same time, the long-blank blue pillar of light finally came to its final period...
"So, you mean that the final mission world was ended by that cannon fodder mission participant?!"
Inside the Time and Space Administration's staff canteen, an employee from the villainous department wore a shocked expression, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Are you kidding me?! How could cannon fodder possibly—"
If the devoted male supporting character or any member of their villainous department were to disrupt the plot after entering the small world, causing the timeline to reorganize and revolve around them, then he could barely believe it.
After all, they have more screen time and a deeper bond with the main characters.
But how can a cannon fodder character... someone who only appears in two episodes and then leaves the world, eventually become the only protagonist in the world?
Even ghosts wouldn't believe that!
The colleague sitting opposite him, seeing that he didn't believe him but wasn't angry, even casually tossed a peanut into his mouth, before slowly saying:
"If you don't believe me, go ask other people. It's basically spread throughout the bureau now. That world had so many bugs that the main system even opened a special window to monitor them in real time. You think I'm kidding you?"
As she spoke, her colleague scoffed, "If I'd known, I wouldn't have gossiped with you. I was thinking of chatting with you about the big things that's been happening in the bureau lately since you just finished your mission, but you're starting to doubt me!"
The villainous character hurriedly said, "Look at what you're saying! I mainly thought it was unlikely to happen, too fantastical... So, he really did become the protagonist in the end?"
"Otherwise, how could it be fake? I heard from the older members of our department that if he hadn't made the final choice, the story might have continued to unfold."
"That's incredible?!" The villainous tasker was so shocked he stopped eating and immediately grabbed his colleague, asking:
"Has the mission taker who altered the world line returned yet? What's their name? What do they look like? Have you seen them?!"
"Stop, stop, stop—don't get so agitated! I'm not running away, why are you asking so urgently!"
His colleague pulled his hand away, took a sip of water, and then spoke under the urging gaze of the villainous taskmaster:
"As for your questions, I can answer them all with one answer, which is—I don't know."
Villainous mission taker: "..."
"It's not that I deliberately didn't tell you," the colleague explained.
"The main reason is that, as you said, this kind of thing is too bizarre. So, in order to prevent that mission taker from being disturbed or used by people with ulterior motives, all his information, including that world, has been directly blocked by the main system. No one can find out who that cannon fodder is."
"So, does he still need to do missions now?"
"Of course he has to do it! Even if he doesn't want to, the people above will definitely push him into the new world."
"After all, those people above probably want to see if this cannon fodder mission taker can still twist the timeline in the new world, just like before..."
"In that case, he won't have an easy time in the new mission world!" the villainous missioner couldn't help but sigh.
After all, no matter where you are, once you become a key monitoring target, you'll face more restrictions...
"Splash—"
Another flushing sound rang out.
Li Qingran sat on the toilet, glancing down at the ice cream she had just thrown into the trash can.
The cold cream slowly slid down the black plastic bag, leaving a white trail that looked incredibly sticky, just like the cream on his hands…
Li Qingran shifted her gaze to her left hand.
Her fair, slender fingers, with distinct knuckles, were speckled with white paste. When the fingers were joined together and then separated, they could even be pulled apart into silvery threads.
This is a masterpiece that 888 just guided him to create by spreading ice cream.
Li Qingran pursed her lips, her expression appearing quite hesitant.
【888, are you sure this is the kind of photo the cannon fodder in the original post sent to their idol?】
Strictly speaking, no—
Li Qingran's eyes lit up.
But before his emotions could even begin to build, he heard 888 continue:
[After all, in the original text, the cannon fodder actually engaged in a real hand exercise, and what they smeared on their hands were all real offspring.]
Li Qingran: "..."
[So host, I'm really working on the bug. The ice cream is a bit sticky, but at least you don't have to actually take it off—]
Alright! That's all.
Li Qingran stopped 888 from uttering those lewd words, then looked at her left hand again, struggling internally, before slowly taking out her phone.
One?
Just one is enough!
only……
888 paused, thought about the plot, glanced at Li Qingran who was still struggling on the toilet, and couldn't help but give Li Qingran a heads-up in advance.
[But host, there might be more filming later, and the content will be... even more explicit.]
Li Qingran: "..."
888 continued, "[So, host, you need to get used to it in advance. Compared to the ones in the future, today's photo is nothing more than child's play.]"
Li Qingran: 【…Then I should thank you?】
Hehehe, then no need.
888 scratched its head shyly.
[Host, all you need to do is take the photos. We need to hurry, otherwise Qin Yanyun will cause trouble for you again.]
"……All right."
Li Qingran sighed again, and then, urged by 888, closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, took a picture of her left hand, opened Weibo, clicked on the pinned profile picture, and entered the private message interface between the two.
Are you sure he hasn't already read it?
[Confirmed, host. You don't know, but these celebrities' Weibo accounts are usually logged in by their assistants or agents. Even if they used it themselves, with so many private messages every day, they wouldn't bother to open and read them one by one. Besides, in the plot, the fact that the cannon fodder sent Chu Yu private photos only came to light when he was offline. Go ahead and send them; I guarantee that before then, no one else will see these photos!]
That's good.
Li Qingran relaxed a little and then clicked send.
Just then, an anxious shout came from outside the cubicle.
"Brother Li, are you going to be gone for much longer? Brother Qin, he's..."
"I'm coming right away!" Li Qingran said, getting up and symbolically flushing the toilet.
He casually stuffed his phone into his pocket.
The off screen hid the notification that the photo had been sent successfully. At the same time, Li Qingran couldn't see that the small green checkmark turned into a bright read confirmation the very next second after the photo was sent…
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Author's Note: Bye-bye: Daily promise, daily face-slapping [heart emoji]
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