After the Paranoid Female Lead Lost Her Memory, She Insisted on Pursuing This Cannon Fodder - Chapter 54

Should I really walk back in my swimsuit? The distance from the beach to the hotel wasn’t far, but we’d definitely run into other people along the way.

The thought of Lin Zhaoyue’s alluring… her scandalous appearance being seen by others stirred a strange, inexplicable unease in Shen Yuan’s heart.

It’s just that she’s being indecent, she told herself. It’s definitely not possessiveness.

Shen Yuan’s gaze swept over the surrounding rocks, and suddenly she remembered something.

“You…”

She gathered her thoughts, trying to make her tone sound more like the “lovesick” character she was supposed to be playing, but her voice still came out a bit stiff.

“Didn’t you say earlier… you didn’t know where you lost your jacket?”

“Yeah…?” Lin Zhaoyue replied distractedly, her mind racing: Let’s just hurry back to the hotel. The jacket doesn’t matter.

Unexpectedly, Shen Yuan seemed to take this seriously, gently releasing Lin Zhaoyue’s hand.

“Wait here for a moment.”

With that, Shen Yuan turned without waiting for Lin Zhaoyue’s reaction and headed toward the rocky area where they had been resting earlier.

Under the bright moonlight, she meticulously searched the relatively small area.

Lin Zhaoyue: “……”

Lin Zhaoyue: Sister System, don’t you think the main heroine’s priorities are a bit odd? Why suddenly remember to look for her jacket now? Why didn’t she look for it earlier?

System: Whether the main heroine is odd or not, I can’t say. But you, Host, are definitely a bit slow on the uptake.

Lin Zhaoyue: Huh?

She stood rooted to the spot, watching Shen Yuan flit about like a diligent little bee—bending down to peer into rock crevices one moment, then scurrying to the sandy beach to rummage through the sand the next.

The amusement Lin Zhaoyue had felt toward Shen Yuan gradually dissipated, replaced by a… something she couldn’t quite name, a soft, tender emotion she couldn’t quite articulate.

Soon, Shen Yuan’s gaze fixed on an inconspicuous crevice in a distant rock.

There, carelessly tossed aside by Lin Zhaoyue earlier for “ease of movement,” lay the long black sun-protective jacket.

Shen Yuan hurried over and picked up the crumpled jacket. She carefully brushed off the sand clinging to it before returning to Lin Zhaoyue.

“Put this on quickly,” she said. “You’ll catch a chill.”

Lin Zhaoyue glanced at the wrinkled jacket, then at Shen Yuan’s stubbornly insistent eyes. The awkwardness in her heart finally gave way.

She reached out, but instead of taking the jacket, she tilted her chin and said in her usual spoiled tone, “My hands are wet. It’s hard to put on.”

Shen Yuan paused, then quickly understood. A complex emotion flashed through her eyes before she sighed helplessly.

“Such a Young Miss…”

Lin Zhaoyue puffed out her cheeks at the remark. How dare Shen Yuan push her luck like this? She never used to talk back when I gave her orders.

She pointed a finger at Shen Yuan’s collarbone. “What’s this? You’re tired of me being the Young Miss now? Back when I… uh, when I worked three jobs a day to pay for your schooling, you didn’t say things like that!”

Shen Yuan’s expression twisted for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.

“It’s nothing,” she said, stepping forward and naturally draping the sun-protective jacket over Lin Zhaoyue’s shoulders. She then patiently helped her slip her arms into the sleeves.

This process inevitably involved physical contact.

Shen Yuan’s cool fingertips occasionally brushed against Lin Zhaoyue’s bare arms, sending a subtle shiver of ticklishness through her. Lin Zhaoyue stiffened, her breathing becoming slightly unsteady.

Noticing her stiffness, Shen Yuan’s movements grew even gentler.

With her eyes lowered, she focused intently on adjusting Lin Zhaoyue’s jacket, zipping it up with an air of nonchalance.

But Lin Zhaoyue keenly observed that Shen Yuan’s entire face was flushing crimson again.

Today, Shen Yuan’s blush was far more pronounced than usual, her cheeks burning as red as a monkey’s backside.

Lin Zhaoyue felt a smug satisfaction, as if her mischievous plan had succeeded.

Finally, the jacket was zipped all the way up, once again enveloping Lin Zhaoyue completely.

She tugged at the collar and took the lead, striding forward.

“Let’s go.”

“Mm,” Shen Yuan murmured softly, hurrying to catch up.

The two walked side-by-side along the beach, slightly staggered.

Lin Zhaoyue’s hand hung loosely at her side, swaying gently with each step.

The hair at Shen Yuan’s forehead partially obscured her eyes as she stared darkly at the slender, pale hand.

It was fair and delicate, with evenly proportioned knuckles and neatly trimmed, rounded nails that glowed with a faint pink hue.

The hand simply hung there.

Neither tucked into a pocket nor folded across her chest… This posture clearly meant she was waiting for Shen Yuan to take it, right?

Of course, they’re definitely going to hold hands. If I don’t reach out, wouldn’t it seem unnatural?

With this thought, Shen Yuan gently took Lin Zhaoyue’s hand.

Soft, slightly cool, and with a delicate texture.

At the moment of contact, Lin Zhaoyue’s fingers seemed to curl slightly, but she didn’t pull away.

Shen Yuan glanced sideways at Lin Zhaoyue’s expression.

Lin Zhaoyue’s lips were pressed tightly together, her expression unreadable.

Could it be… this isn’t enough?

Shen Yuan’s gaze fell on their clasped hands, her eyes deepening with intensity.

Then, with the hand holding Lin Zhaoyue’s, her fingers began to move restlessly, agonizingly slowly.

Her fingertips lightly brushed against Lin Zhaoyue’s knuckles, then, tentatively, one by one, she slipped her fingers between Lin Zhaoyue’s.

Their fingers intertwined.

“!!!”

This time, Lin Zhaoyue was genuinely startled.

Though Shen Yuan had stopped with the flirty banter today, this slow, deliberate approach—as if she were planning to devour her whole—somehow felt even more aggressive than her usual impulsive behavior.

Lin Zhaoyue instinctively wanted to pull her hand away, but then she remembered she was still executing her seduction plan. How could she back out halfway?

They were just going to sit there for now; she couldn’t even be sure she’d be staying the night.

Endure it.

Maintaining their intertwined grip, they walked toward the hotel.

The hotel room wasn’t large, just a standard ocean-view suite.

It featured a soft, comfortable king-sized bed, a desk by the window, and a small seating area with a sofa. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she could still see the deep night sky and the distant, twinkling lights of fishing boats.

Lin Zhaoyue discreetly surveyed her surroundings.

The check-in process at the front desk had been as complex as interrogating a criminal. Fortunately, double occupancy was standard, so they had eventually been allowed in.

Yet, despite such stringent security measures, Zhang Wei had still met with an accident. As she was traveling with the company team and always accompanied, it was unlikely the incident had occurred outside the hotel.

Therefore, Lin Zhaoyue deduced that the root of the problem likely lay within the hotel itself.

While the hotel’s perimeter was heavily guarded, its internal security might have vulnerabilities.

They could keep an eye on Zhang Wei tonight, but what if they happened to be away at some point…?

Lin Zhaoyue frowned slightly at this thought.

Having finally managed to infiltrate the hotel, she needed to make some preparations in advance. For example… could she secretly install a camera in the hallway to monitor for intruders? She had just noticed there were no cameras in the corridor.

But where would she get the technical skills to install one?

Lin Zhaoyue mentally asked the System: Is there any good way to handle this?

The System, having resigned itself to being treated as a mere tool rather than a mission provider, swiftly analyzed the situation:

Though the Lin Family can’t directly target the hotel, Host, you can have your fox friends do the dirty work. For example, this person.

The System sent a name:

Su Zhiyun.

Lin Zhaoyue remembered her.

Su Zhiyun was the second villainess who would seamlessly take over after the first villainess, Lin Zhaoyue, was eliminated. Her methods were far more sophisticated than those of the cannon fodder Lin Zhaoyue.

Installing hidden cameras? That wouldn’t be surprising at all.

Lin Zhaoyue reassured herself: You’re actually useful for once. Contact her immediately.

Then, she began plotting how to “naturally” stay behind later.

Lin Zhaoyue released Shen Yuan’s hand, which she had been holding the entire time, and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She wrinkled her nose slightly, shook off her sun-protective jacket, and said:

“Ugh… After walking on the beach for so long, I feel all sandy and sticky. It’s so uncomfortable.”

As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward the bathroom door.

“I want to take a shower first.”

Shen Yuan had been discreetly observing the room, as this was her first time here.

Hearing Lin Zhaoyue’s words, she instinctively turned her head, her gaze landing on Lin Zhaoyue.

Even though the other woman had already put on her sun-protective jacket, the faint outline of her curves lingered in Shen Yuan’s mind.

Shen Yuan’s expression remained calm and impassive. She simply nodded slightly.

“Mm.”

One word: cold, distant, utterly devoid of any superfluous emotion.

The moment the word left her lips, Shen Yuan’s heart skipped a beat.

Damn it.