Chapter 163: The Cannon Fodder Who Can’t Survive Three Chapters (6)
When they found Chu Yinxi, she was lying beside Bei Xing’s suitcase, seemingly having fallen asleep in the wilderness. Upon waking, she was disoriented and confused.
Bei Xing didn’t mention the cave or the snake demon, only saying that she had also fainted and woken up at the foot of the mountain, terrified, and had called for help.
Chu Yinxi looked at her suspiciously, but since she herself had fainted first, she had no reason to doubt Bei Xing. Guilt washed over her. “I’m sorry, I insisted on coming here, and then this happened…”
“It’s okay, you were only trying to help me,” Bei Xing replied quickly.
She had learned her lesson, some opportunities were only for protagonists, cannon fodder characters shouldn’t try to steal their thunder. Relying on Chu Yinxi for protection was less effective than buying more copies of Mao Gai.
After confirming that they were both unharmed, the police lectured them about the dangers of hiking at night, making them promise not to do it again, and even contacting their families to pick them up.
Seeing her family’s car arrive, Bei Xing knew she couldn’t leech off the protagonist’s aura tonight. She reluctantly bid Chu Yinxi farewell and went home.
She had a vague idea of her family’s wealth from the original owner’s memories, but as the car entered the vast estate, she was still stunned, especially when her parents and sister greeted her warmly, each transferring a six-figure sum into her account.
Bei Xing: “…”
The novel only mentioned her short life, not her family’s wealth!
Her hand trembled slightly as she checked her bank balance, thinking she could endure this kind of suffering, “dying with money unspent.” Back in her room, she propped herself up in bed with her Mao Gai textbook and started online shopping, a bout of revenge spending.
After filling her cart with four-figure worth of items, she lay down, her hands folded on her stomach, a peaceful expression on her face, feigning sleep.
Even as the room grew colder, the ghost, previously scared away by the national anthem, returning, she only opened one eye, glancing at the red-clad figure, noticing that it seemed… less terrifying, almost… beautiful.
“Has anyone ever told you—” she said, her voice a dramatic, operatic tone, “that you’re truly beautiful?”
Su Mingxiu: “…?”
As if afraid Su Mingxiu wouldn’t believe her, Bei Xing sat up and leaned closer, her earnest brown eyes fixed on the ghost. “Being able to come to this world, to meet you, I feel truly honored.”
Thinking about her bank balance, she smiled, this transmigration a wonderful dream, and to keep it going, if this ghost could extend her luxurious life, she wouldn’t mind falling in love with it.
Seeing the genuine emotion in her performance, Su Mingxiu, amused, pushed her forehead away with a fingertip. “Oh?”
Bei Xing suppressed her excitement, her rationality returning. She had noticed that the ghost wasn’t following her out of affection or malice, but its persistence was strange.
She didn’t know what it wanted.
And although she shouldn’t be the one worried, a ghost’s yin energy was harmful. She dropped the act, her voice curious. “That snake demon in the cave today, she looked exactly like you, what’s your relationship?”
“I don’t know.”
Su Mingxiu had wanted to tease her, but remembering their previous encounters, the little one’s hostility or ulterior motives, this obedient and communicative attitude was a welcome change. She decided not to hold a grudge for the national anthem incident and answered honestly.
Bei Xing shifted into a more comfortable position. “Oh,” she said, staring at Su Mingxiu, then, unable to resist, she asked: “Then why are you following me?”
Su Mingxiu chuckled, a playful glint in her eyes. “Didn’t you say you loved me, that you wanted to confess but didn’t have a chance?”
Bei Xing: “…”
If she had known this would happen, she would have changed the script at the funeral.
As she was contemplating rewriting her own story, Su Mingxiu, remembering her online shopping spree and the rain of gold ingots at the funeral parlor, countered with a question: “You love money so much, I gave you good luck at the mahjong table, why weren’t you happy then?”
“That’s different,” Bei Xing replied without hesitation.
Money from her family was hers to spend, her continued existence in this body already a miracle, but money from a ghost… could be deadly.
Su Mingxiu looked at her intently, making Bei Xing wonder if she had been too obvious, then said suddenly: “If you want more protection, you don’t have to waste money online, I can teach you.”
Even a fraction of Su Mingxiu’s knowledge from her cultivation world would be enough to make anyone successful in this world, let alone… a reincarnated protagonist, even with her memories lost.
Bei Xing was wary, her gaze lingering on Su Mingxiu’s red dress. She knew that her escapes had been due to luck and Su Mingxiu’s lack of malice. The power difference was vast, she had no bargaining chips. She relaxed slightly and asked casually: “What do you want in return?”
Remembering the snake demon, Su Mingxiu knew that as a ghost, cultivating immortality was difficult, it was better to train Bei Xing as an ally.
She smiled. “I want you to love me more.”
Bei Xing: “…”
After a moment of thought, she replied slyly: “As long as my heart is beating, my love for you will never die.”
Having made a deal with Su Mingxiu, Bei Xing, using her Mao Gai textbook as a pillow, finally felt at peace. But whether it was from studying too much, or her newfound love for learning, the knowledge seemed to seep into her dreams, and she dreamt of exams all night.
The next day, back at school, she was still slightly dazed, a feeling that intensified when she saw a new student in Chu Yinxi’s department.
“Have you heard?”
“It’s unbelievable, I’ve never seen such identical twins… if it weren’t for the earlier announcement, I would have thought I was dreaming.”
“And this new student is so lively, completely different from Su Mingxiu, she must have picked it up during her exchange program abroad… many people mistook her for Su Mingxiu earlier, but they’re used to it now.”
“I still can’t tell the difference between Su Jin and Su Mingxiu…”
Bei Xing, hearing these conversations, saw the familiar figure walking with Chu Yinxi, just like in the original owner’s memories.
But as the person beside Chu Yinxi turned, a mischievous smile on her face, the resemblance was shattered.
It was… the snake demon.
Remembering the attacks in the cave, Bei Xing took a step back, not wanting to get involved.
But the snake demon, after saying something to Chu Yinxi, walked towards her.
In the crowded hallway, Bei Xing’s shadow deepened, a wisp of grey mist shooting towards Su Jin, a warning easily dispelled. Su Jin reached Bei Xing and asked, her voice casual: “I heard you used to like Chu Chu, then you switched to Su Mingxiu?”
Bei Xing, hugging her books, shook her head vehemently. “Rumors.”
Su Jin, surprised by her denial, watched as Bei Xing opened her Mao Gai textbook, pointed at a question, and asked, her voice innocent: “You’re Su Mingxiu’s sister, you must be as smart as her, I have a question—”
Su Jin, remembering the sonic attack from the burner phone, scoffed, reaching for the book. “You think these little tricks will work on me again…”
Her voice trailed off.
Because Bei Xing had attached a paralysis talisman to the back of the book, a simple spell Su Mingxiu had taught her this morning.
Wow, it actually works!
Maybe she could sell these.
Seeing Su Jin frozen, Bei Xing, satisfied, turned and went to get her lunch. Even as she sat down, the sight of Su Jin still immobilized made her food taste better.
A playful voice by her ear: “You’re quite brave, haven’t even learned how to walk, and you’re already provoking the demon lord.”
Bei Xing replied matter-of-factly: “You’re protecting me, aren’t you?”
Besides, it was self-defense, the snake demon had attacked her first.
And Su Mingxiu was a supporting character, Su Jin? A nobody. A cannon fodder character couldn’t fight the protagonist or the supporting character, but she could fight another cannon fodder, right?
That evening, Bei Xing was driven home in her family’s car. After a luxurious dinner, she looked at her textbooks, thinking about tomorrow’s quiz, and clutched her stomach.
“Ow,” she moaned, even calling out for Su Mingxiu.
The red-clad ghost, watching her performance with amusement, leaned against the desk. “What’s wrong?”
“My stomach hurts,” Bei Xing said, leaning against the table, starting her elaborate lie. “Maybe that snake demon poisoned me, I might have to skip my exam tomorrow…”
Then, remembering Su Mingxiu’s earlier instructions to memorize some ancient texts for tomorrow’s quiz, she glanced at the beautiful ghost and added: “I even… forgot what I memorized today.”
Su Mingxiu had been thinking about how to punish her for being lazy,
But looking at Bei Xing’s eyes, she frowned slightly and grabbed Bei Xing’s wrist, a bright red line appearing on her veins, as if drawn with blood.
Bei Xing stared, speechless, her eyes wide with shock.
Su Mingxiu, glancing at her expression, chuckled softly. “Congratulations, you seem to be… poisoned.”
Bei Xing: “?”
She felt a sudden heat spreading through her body, as if the poison was taking effect. “Master, you can’t just leave me to die—” she said dramatically.
“Stop calling me that,” Su Mingxiu said, annoyed by her attempt to avoid the quiz.
She released Bei Xing’s hand, a smile flickering in her eyes, her figure bathed in the warm lamplight.
“You won’t die,” she said casually, “it’s just a little… lust poison, you’ll be fine, just memorize your texts, and I’ll teach you a cleansing mantra later.”
Bei Xing: “??”
Her expression froze, then turned blank, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Are you even human? Can’t you offer some normal advice?
After a long moment, she started pulling at her clothes, then, as if that wasn’t enough, she reached for Su Mingxiu’s belt, as if wanting to drag the ghost down with her.
Su Mingxiu caught her wrist, carefully controlling her strength, not wanting to leave any marks.
“What are you doing?”
Bei Xing’s face was flushed, whether from the “poison” or her own acting.
Her eyes hazy, her hair dishevelled, she leaned against Su Mingxiu.
“Master… Susu…”
“I feel so unwell, I can’t breathe, I’m burning up… help me…”
Su Mingxiu knelt down, her gaze level with Bei Xing’s, her eyebrows raised slightly, as if assessing her words, then she asked, her voice soft and melodious: “Oh? How can I help?”
Bei Xing rubbed her face, looking at Su Mingxiu with feigned affection. “If Master could help her disciple overcome this difficulty, I would be eternally grateful.”
As if afraid Su Mingxiu would change her mind, she continued quickly: “And if Master could also help me with tomorrow’s quiz, I’ll have the strength and courage to fight this terrible poison!”
Su Mingxiu’s dark eyes seemed to swirl, then calmed down. After a moment, she chuckled softly. “Heh.”
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