After Transmigrating as a Scumbag Gong, I Ended Up with the Cannon Fodder - Chapter 18

Had Mei Xuying forgotten that she had already clashed with Yin Youxia the day she defended her? Having already shed her mask, why bother putting it back on?

Mei Xuying was far from an honest person.

It was best to keep her distance from them. The original plot and character settings had already deviated significantly. Yin Man couldn’t grasp where the story was heading, and Mei Xuying couldn’t decipher Yin Man’s hidden motives either.

Unlike the arrogant, self-satisfied, and malicious Original Host, Yin Man was an orphan who had grown up in the mud and walked through the darkness. To put it kindly, she was independent and solitary; to put it bluntly, she was a lone wolf. She had never possessed much affection and struggled to handle emotions, whether romantic or familial.

Once she lost the Original Host’s directives, she seemed to lose her superior’s aura. When she first arrived, she had been uneasy, lacking full control over her body. Now, she found herself fantasizing about possessing some of the Original Host’s charisma.

If the Original Host were here, she would have sneered at Mei Xuying’s hypocrisy, sizing her up with contemptuous eyes and humiliating her with disdainful words.

But Yin Man couldn’t bring herself to do any of that. She merely wondered if living behind a mask wasn’t exhausting. Mei Xuying weighed the pros and cons of every word she spoke, calculating for what seemed like an eternity.

The suffocating silence in the air made it hard to breathe. Yin Man groped for Liu Siyin’s hand and grasped it tightly. Everything she possessed belonged to the Original Host, except for Liu Siyin, whom she had saved. It was difficult to explain the peculiar sense of security she felt only when touching Liu Siyin, a strange possessiveness that had taken root within her.

The invitation, its cover embossed with gold lettering, stood out prominently. Yin Man asked, “Can I bring my wife?”

“Of course!” Mei Xuying stared at Yin Man in disbelief. “Cousin, you’re actually coming?”

“You sent me an invitation, but you don’t want me to come?”

“Of course I want you to come.” But Yin Man had never attended before. Though Mei Xuying was an illegitimate daughter, she had always been raised by the Mei Family, who treated her with a certain degree of importance. Her annual birthday banquets were a given, but they paled in comparison to Yin Man’s. In the past, Mei Xuying had personally delivered the invitations, knowing full well that Yin Man’s acknowledgment of her status would spare her much embarrassment. Yet Yin Man had never deigned to grace her with her presence.

It was astonishing that she had managed to secure Yin Man’s attendance at her twenty-sixth birthday celebration.

Yin Man didn’t give it much thought. Since Mei Xuying had personally delivered the invitation, she felt obligated to attend her birthday banquet out of courtesy. However, she wanted Liu Siyin to accompany her.

Mei Xuying had been sitting there for a while, and as it was mealtime, Yin Zhe invited her to stay for dinner.

Although Yin Zhe and Yin Man shared a common enemy, Yin Zhe harbored little animosity toward Mei Xuying, even treating her with a degree of friendliness. The book had described Yin Zhe’s attitude toward Mei Xuying this way: “In Yin Zhe’s eyes, Mei Xuying, who shared his bl00d and whom he called ‘Cousin’ daily, was far closer to him than Yin Youxia.”

As the dishes were brought to the table, Mei Xuying was surprised that Yin Man didn’t dismiss her. It was truly peculiar.

When she glanced up, Yin Man was already feeding Liu Siyin, who wore a pale blue dress that made her fair face appear even more delicate and charming. Liu Siyin’s beauty was undeniably exceptional; finding someone more stunning in their social circle would be a challenge. Yet Yin Man was surrounded by beauty, so this alone couldn’t explain her special treatment.

Liu Siyin, too, was taken aback by Yin Man’s personal attention, her cheeks flushing crimson.

Mei Xuying sighed, “Cousin treats Si Yin very differently.”

“He’s my only husband. Who else should I be good to?” Mei Xuying paused, as if a string in her heart had been tugged by Yin Man. She often felt ashamed for not being promiscuous enough, yet now this notorious womanizer, who reveled in tormenting others, was telling her that a wife could only have one husband.

Through Yin Man’s words, she actually felt the kind of love she had only read about in books—the so-called “devotion.”

“Is Cousin really going to marry Si Yin? What about Cousin’s former lovers?”

What former lovers?

Was Mei Xuying doing this on purpose?

Watching Liu Siyin’s eyes gradually redden, Yin Man felt an overwhelming urge to throw Mei Xuying out.

Before she could act, Yin Youxia’s arrival stopped her.

Wen Si had been recovering for a week and couldn’t bear staying in the hospital any longer, so she chose to be discharged. Yin Nanbai was nowhere to be seen, but Jiang Yan was now present.

Jiang Yan supported Wen Si carefully, saying, “Auntie, take it slow.”

Yin Man noticed the attentiveness, and so did Mei Xuying, whose gaze darkened slightly.

Wen Si greeted them warmly, “Manman, Xiao Zhe, you’re both home.”

“Hmm,” Yin Zhe replied with a nonchalant grunt.

Wen Si didn’t seem like an elder at all; Yin Man and Yin Zhe acted more like ancestral figures she was worshiping. Yin Youxia bristled with displeasure. “Mom.”

Wen Si ignored her, smiling sweetly as she murmured, “It’s so rare to have Xiao Zhe home.”

The smile faded when her gaze met Mei Xuying’s. Yin Youxia, however, brightened at the sight of Mei Xuying. “Sister Xuying, when did you arrive?”

“This morning,” Mei Xuying replied, rising to hand Yin Youxia an invitation. “I came to deliver this.”

Her peripheral vision caught Jiang Yan’s hand resting on Wen Si’s wrist. “Dr. Jiang is certainly attentive.”

“Xuying, I—” Wen Si seemed to have a thousand words pressing on her heart, but when she tried to speak, she couldn’t even manage a coherent defense. Jiang Yan lowered her gaze, avoiding Mei Xuying’s eyes.

Yin Man observed the entire scene.

There’s something going on between Mei Xuying and Jiang Yan, isn’t there?

How else could she explain the palpable tension between them? Though Mei Xuying addressed Yin Youxia, her sidelong glances kept drifting back to Jiang Yan. And Jiang Yan couldn’t even muster the courage to look Mei Xuying in the eye.

Mei Xuying clenched her fist and said, “Dr. Jiang is truly considerate. She’s already thinking about being a filial daughter-in-law before even marrying into the family.”

Her words grew increasingly sharp. Yin Man glanced at her several times. The Mei Xuying she knew was always smiling, radiating a false warmth and gentleness. To see her now, openly displaying her displeasure, felt strangely out of character.

Leaning closer to Yin Zhe, Yin Man asked, “Brother, are Jiang Yan and Mei Xuying close? I thought Mei Xuying only recently returned to the country.”

Yin Zhe, uninterested in the scene unfolding before him, continued texting on his phone, replying casually, “They probably met abroad. After you rejected Jiang Yan and humiliated her in social circles, the Jiang Family sent her overseas for several years of further studies.”

“Oh.” If they met abroad, it made sense that they might have developed feelings for each other.

Wait a minute, Yin Man thought. The original novel never mentioned Mei Xuying’s past relationships. It only said Jiang Yan was a close friend of Mei Xuying’s, but never specified how close.

Could they have been that close?

Then Yin Youxia might be getting a bit jealous.

One was her current fiancée, the other the woman she loved.

Yin Man was about to display her magnanimous spirit when Yin Youxia cut her off with, “It’s filial piety—much better than some people.” Her gaze locked fiercely onto Yin Man, who decided to stay out of the mess.

Yin Man stared at Yin Youxia with amusement. “Yin Youxia, who are you insulting?”

“Whoever responds to my insult.”

Yin Youxia clearly still resented Yin Man for hurting Wen Si. One had to admit she was a good daughter. Even when the Original Host had bullied her repeatedly, she had never been this angry. Yet, a mere accidental injury to Wen Si had driven Yin Youxia to sever ties with her.

“Youxia, don’t speak to your sister like that,” Yin Man said, not even bothering to retaliate. Wen Si, startled, quickly intervened. “Manman, Youxia is young and her words are unintentional. Don’t hold it against her.”

Yin Youxia was about to retort when Yin Zhe interrupted, “Family scandals shouldn’t be aired publicly.”

Yin Zhe rarely spoke, always deferring to Yin Man’s decisions at home. Yet his words carried immense weight. Suppressing her anger, Yin Youxia hurried Jiang Yan out. “Jiang Yan, thank you for today. You should head back now.”

Jiang Yan’s eyes widened as she stared at Mei Xuying, but before she could speak, Yin Youxia pushed her toward the door. Mei Xuying showed no intention of leaving.

Jiang Yan glanced at Mei Xuying, who refused to even meet her gaze. Jiang Yan clenched her fists slightly, her composure returning to its usual icy calm. “See you next time,” she said, her voice as cool as jade.

Though the words seemed directed at Yin Youxia, they were meant for Mei Xuying. Yet Mei Xuying’s indifference stung her deeply.

She didn’t look at her again.

“I treated her like a sister, but did she ever see me as her younger sister?” Yin Youxia’s voice grew increasingly agitated, her resentment barely concealed. “If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t have been hospitalized for so long!”

“No, that’s not true,” Wen Si protested, her eyes reddening. In her world, this family was dominated by two immovable forces: her husband and her stepdaughter. She couldn’t afford to offend either of them.

Yin Nanbai could strip her of everything she had with a word, while Yin Man could make her life a living hell. Yin Man’s methods of torment were numerous, and both Wen Si and Yin Youxia had witnessed them firsthand—Yin Youxia had even experienced them repeatedly, because she never understood how to be a proper puppet.

Yin Zhe always unconditionally sided with Yin Man, to the point of having no principles. This would end very badly.

Yin Youxia had clearly promised her, promised to be obedient, to act like a docile rag doll. That way, she wouldn’t anger Yin Man and wouldn’t suffer even worse consequences. But after Mei Xuying returned, everything changed. Youxia lost her meekness and docility.

Why couldn’t Yin Youxia understand? They were like mayflies trying to shake a giant tree.

Neither Mei Xuying nor they could ever defeat Yin Man. Xuying couldn’t even protect herself; how could she protect Youxia?

She herself had fled the country because she couldn’t afford to offend Yin Man and couldn’t bear the humiliation. What could she possibly offer Youxia in terms of protection or support?

She had witnessed it firsthand when she first married into the Yin Family. She had seen Yin Man humiliate Mei Xuying, making the proud Mei look like a street beggar. Xuying had been tied to a tree as a target, forced to endure Yin Man’s clumsy shooting practice.

“If Cousin doesn’t behave, I can’t guarantee where the bullets will land.”

“A bastard daughter will always be a bastard daughter. Even if you marry into the Mei Family, you’ll remain worthless and despised.”

Those words felt like a personal insult. Wen Si, too, lacked a noble birth. On the day Yin Nanbai married her, he stroked her cheek and said calmly, “You must obey me. Otherwise, I can take back everything you now possess. I won’t have only you as my woman, but as long as you obey, you’ll always be Madam Yin.”

Over the years, Wen Si had kept her end of the bargain. She had indeed been very obedient.

Not only to Yin Nanbai, but also to Yin Zhe and Yin Man.

Unfortunately, Yin Youxia refused to follow her example.