After Transmigrating as a Scumbag Gong, I Ended Up with the Cannon Fodder - Chapter 23

Just moments ago, Yin Man had been worried about Liu Siyin’s injuries. Now, their fingers were intertwined, and the air in the room gradually grew strange.

The exposed skin flushed a delicate pink, like peach blossoms blooming across her skin. Yin Man unconsciously swallowed hard, clearing her throat twice to mask her fleeting thoughts. Even though Liu Siyin couldn’t see, she instinctively tried to hide her reaction.

“Put your clothes back on,” Yin Man said, urging Liu Siyin to dress. Liu Siyin sat up and slipped back into her long robe.

She doesn’t seem to have any romantic interest in me at all, Liu Siyin thought sadly. That’s right, Yin Man doesn’t like me yet. She said so herself.

How can I make Yin Man like me? This is so difficult.

None of her fiancées seemed to like her. Yin Youxia and Yin Man were both the same. She had tried to make Yin Youxia develop even a tiny bit of affection for her, but Youxia only wanted to annul the engagement. Yin Man didn’t want to annul it, but she didn’t like her either. Am I just that unlikable?

Her wandering thoughts were interrupted by Yin Man’s voice: “If I find out who kicked that ball, they’re going to regret it.”

Was Yin Man worried about her injuries?

Just as she finished speaking, Aunt Zhang knocked on the door. “Miss, I’ve brought them back.”

Seven children stood in a row in the living room: six boys and one girl. The girl was clutching a large pile of clothes and had a plastic bag hanging from her shoulder, filled with bottled water. The sight made Yin Man frown. Most of the clothes were men’s jackets, likely belonging to the boys, and the water probably belonged to them too. Why were so many boys making a single girl carry all their things?

Yin Man studied the girl more closely. She was thin and looked only six or seven years old. Her head was bowed, revealing only her delicate eyebrows and eyes. Her small frame was nearly buried under the mountain of clothes.

The other boys stood empty-handed, their gazes mostly fixed on the soccer ball lying in the corner, the one that had suddenly appeared in Yin Man’s yard.

Aunt Zhang pointed to the tallest boy. “Miss, they were the ones who kicked it!”

The boys exchanged glances, looking at each other. Finally, the tallest boy spoke up. “Give me back my ball.”

“Your ball? So you’re the one who kicked the ball that broke my window and hit my wife, right?” Yin Man asked with a smile, but her naturally villainous features—sharp, flamboyant features—made even her questioning tone intimidating to the group of young boys. The tallest boy shrank back. “No, it wasn’t me!”

Just a moment ago, you said it was you.

Yin Man wanted to single out the culprit and punish him properly, but the boys were clearly protecting each other.

“Yeah, yeah, it wasn’t He Yang!”

“Exactly! You can’t just be unreasonable!”

“Yeah, you’re not even a cop! What right do you have to interrogate us?”

“…”

One by one, they chimed in, making her feel like the villain.

These little brats! Who kicked the ball through my window and accidentally injured Liu Siyin, anyway?

As a self-proclaimed “big villain,” she couldn’t let herself be bullied by children. “If none of you confess, I’m calling the police.”

“It’s just a broken window! The cops won’t care.”

“Exactly! You’re an adult—can’t you just let it go?”

“My mom says disabled people are always petty!”

Could she just drag these kids outside and beat them? Yin Man’s gaze turned increasingly menacing.

Aunt He decisively closed the door and waited for her instructions.

He Yang, the ringleader, sized her up before suddenly darting to a corner to retrieve a ball. He sprinted toward the door, but Aunt Zhang grabbed him by the collar, hoisting him like a chick. “Trying to run away because you’re scared? Then you’re the one who kicked the ball! Call your parents over here—”

“Let go of me! Let go of me!” He Yang struggled violently. Yin Man pointed at the ball, and Aunt Zhang immediately understood. She released He Yang, who fell hard on his rear. The ball slipped from his grasp, and Aunt He snatched it up, plunging a knife deep into its center.

A deafening explosion startled Yin Man. It was clear the two women had spent too much time with the Original Host; they handled such matters with practiced ease. If that had been a person instead of a ball, Aunt He would likely have stabbed them without hesitation.

Yin Man unconsciously reached for Liu Siyin’s hand. “Did that scare you?”

Liu Siyin’s face remained calm, showing no signs of unease from the loud noise. It seemed only Yin Man had been startled. As Yin Man pondered this, Liu Siyin suddenly gripped her hand tightly. “Man, Sister Man, what’s happening?”

See? she thought. I knew I wasn’t the only one who was startled. Liu Siyin wasn’t scared at all. She’s so delicate and helpless.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Yin Man said, patting the back of Liu Siyin’s hand. Her protective instincts surged. Liu Siyin followed her hand down to the wheelchair armrest, then knelt beside her, burying her face in Yin Man’s lap. “Sister Man, I’m scared.”

I understand, but there are so many people here.

Yin Man patted Liu Siyin’s back, her face a mix of awkwardness and pity. Aunt Zhang glanced at Aunt He. If she wasn’t mistaken, Miss Liu had remained perfectly composed when everyone else instinctively covered their ears. It was only after Yin Man took her hand that she began to show fear.

Is she faking it?

Aunt Zhang wisely kept her suspicions to herself. She had finally seen Yin Man genuinely care about someone, and there was even a chance her violent tendencies might improve. This Miss Liu could be her ticket to retirement—she wasn’t about to sabotage her own future.

The children’s fear, however, was far more genuine. The sudden, deafening noise had startled them into silence. They stared blankly at the shattered balloon before bursting into tears, one of them blurting out, “He Yang kicked it! He Yang kicked it!”

“He Yang said a pretty blind girl moved in here and wouldn’t dare do anything to us,” one of the children piped up.

“Yeah, yeah! He Yang said if we broke the window, we could sneak in and steal snacks!”

Truly, human malice knows no age. Some children are even more wicked than adults. If Liu Siyin had moved in alone, she might have been genuinely terrified. Fortunately, she had Yin Man.

Yin Man gently stroked Liu Siyin’s hair, glaring at He Yang with undisguised hostility.

“No, I didn’t!” He Yang, now thoroughly frightened, stammered, “The ball is mine, but she kicked it!” He shoved the little girl forward with such force that she stumbled, her arms full of belongings, and crashed to the floor.

Yin Man jumped at the sound, her heart racing with concern for the girl’s safety. The other children, however, only cared about the scattered clothes.

“The clothes! My clothes!” The boys snatched up their garments, one of them yanked open the door, and they surged out, trampling each other’s feet and kicking off shoes in their frantic escape. The air filled with shouts and heartrending cries.

They fled in disarray.

Aunt Zhang asked Yin Man, “Miss, shouldn’t we do something?”

“The real culprit has already been caught,” Yin Man replied, her gaze fixed on He Yang. Startled by her piercing stare, He Yang clutched his soccer ball and hastily nudged the girl forward. “Admit it was you!”

“But it wasn’t…” He Yang looked displeased. “Do you want to play with me again?”

“Yes, it was me,” the girl whispered, her voice barely audible. He Yang didn’t even bother to help her up. Hearing her confession, he immediately declared, “She kicked it! If you want compensation, go after her.”

The girl snatched her clothes from the floor and darted out of the room.

Only the little girl remained. Aunt Zhang scooped her up, but the girl kept her head bowed in fear. Her timid, gentle voice trembled with terror: “Big sister, you can hit me, but please don’t tell my dad.”

Her voice was soft as drifting clouds, not quite like a child’s. It had a maturity beyond her years, lacking the playful sweetness of youth, yet it was undeniably beautiful.

“Lift your head,” Yin Man said. When the girl finally looked up, Yin Man could see her clearly. Her delicate features suggested that her overall appearance wouldn’t be lacking. The girl’s small face resembled a drifting cloud—thin yet surprisingly round, promising a soft, pinchable texture. Her features were subtle, but it was clear she would grow into a striking young woman.

However, there seemed to be something wrong with her eyes. They appeared unfocused, lacking vitality.

Yin Man waved her hand in front of the girl’s eyes. “Sister, I’m not blind,” the girl said. “I can see.”

That was strange. Before Yin Man could figure it out, Aunt Zhang leaned in and whispered, “Miss, given her age, it’s likely congenital visual impairment.”

Then why hasn’t she been treated?

And why isn’t she wearing glasses? It must be so uncomfortable to see so poorly.

Yin Man’s heart softened. I wonder if those boys bully her. She sighed. “Alright, hurry along. You don’t need to pay for the window, and I won’t tell your father.”

“Thank you, Sister,” the girl said, finally smiling. The corners of her lips curved upward, reminding Yin Man of someone she couldn’t quite place.

Snapping back to reality, Yin Man patted Liu Siyin, who was still lying on her lap. Has she fallen asleep after all this time? Just then, she heard intermittent sobs. Did I scare her into tears?

Surely not.

“Si Yin, what’s wrong?”

Liu Siyin looked up. “Is that girl very pretty?”

“She’s quite lovely,” Yin Man replied honestly. Among children, she was definitely a top-tier flower bud. Hearing this, Liu Siyin grew even more aggrieved. She couldn’t understand. Aunt Zhang leaned in with a smile. “Miss Liu, that girl looks only six or seven years old.”

Liu Siyin stopped crying, her expression frozen in shock. Suddenly, her face flushed crimson as she buried it against Yin Man’s legs, hugging them tightly.

Yin Man suddenly realized: Liu Siyin was jealous!

No, even if I were a complete beast, I wouldn’t have any thoughts about a child.

But the girl’s voice had sounded unusually mature for her age. Being blind really does have its inconveniences, like causing misunderstandings. Could Liu Siyin have imagined I let the girl go because she was pretty, not wanting to lower myself to her level? And then, remembering her injured back, she felt doubly wronged?

The more Yin Man thought about it, the funnier it became. She couldn’t resist ruffling Liu Siyin’s hair. “Is your little brain just filled with these kinds of thoughts?”

Still, this made her feel much more alive.

The Liu Siyin who only listened to her, so cautious and obedient, was like a dull piece of wood.

How adorable it was to see him jealous, even if he was jealous of the wrong person. It proved the success of her teachings—she wanted to mold Liu Siyin into someone who could only love one person, and who also had a bit of a temper. That’s what real romance was all about.

Liu Siyin’s reaction wasn’t strong enough. If she were truly heartbroken over another girl, she should have slapped her.

As she thought about it, she actually laughed out loud.

On a whim, she asked Liu Siyin, “Want to go out for a walk?”