After Transmigrating as a Scumbag Gong, I Ended Up with the Cannon Fodder - Chapter 3

The woman was indeed Mei Xuying, the female lead’s official partner and the one who broke the “everyone is a Scum Gong” rule of this world.

Mei Xuying and the Original Host had a strained relationship. In Mei Xuying’s eyes, the Original Host was a madwoman, while the Original Host saw Mei Xuying as hypocritical. This discord explained why Mei Xuying had spent years abroad, minimizing contact. According to the timeline, she was just about to return to settle down in the country.

Her gaze gradually shifted upward. The original text described Mei Xuying as an exceptionally gentle and warm woman, like a ray of sunshine. The woman before her wore a lake-blue dress, its hem stained crimson from comforting Yin Youxia. The bl00d on both of them belonged to Liu Siyin, the vivid red searing her eyes. She leaned back in her wheelchair and closed her eyes.

Mei Xuying held Yin Youxia’s hand, soothing her in a gentle tone, “Don’t worry too much.”

Just as the book described, she seemed to illuminate Yin Youxia like a ray of warm sunlight.

Yin Youxia was still just a nineteen-year-old girl. Even after enduring Yin Man’s torment, she had never seen so much bl00d. Still shaken, she clutched Mei Xuying’s hand like a lifeline. “Thank you, Sister Ying.”

Mei Xuying gave her a gentle smile. “We’re all family. There’s no need to thank me.”

For Yin Youxia, who had never been acknowledged by the Mei Family, this evoked a strange mix of emotions.

Yin Man knew this was how the plot was supposed to unfold—a logical progression of the story. Yet she still felt uneasy. Even though she had read about it in the book, witnessing it firsthand left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Their budding affection, their burgeoning romance, was stained with Liu Siyin’s bl00d.

According to the book, Liu Siyin’s death was the catalyst that deepened Yin Youxia and Mei Xuying’s relationship. Though Yin Youxia had no romantic feelings for Liu Siyin, he had lost his sight saving her and ultimately taken his own life after she broke off their engagement. Haunted by guilt over Liu Siyin’s death, Yin Youxia had only found solace in Mei Xuying’s gentle care.

Every detail served to highlight Mei Xuying’s virtuous nature.

Yin Man couldn’t tell if it was the Original Host’s lingering emotions influencing her or something else entirely. A character she had once admired now repulsed her. The air even seemed to carry the metallic tang of Liu Siyin’s bl00d, a coppery taste that clung to her throat. Yin Man struggled to suppress the rising agitation in her chest.

“Hmph,” Yin Man exhaled sharply. “Mei Xuying, be quiet.”

Mei Xuying’s gentle smile nearly froze. “It’s been a while, Cousin. You’ve become quite impolite.”

Yin Man, normally a patient person, found her patience wearing thin, perhaps influenced by the original host’s temperament. Her face hardened. “There’s a life hanging in the balance inside! Don’t lecture me about manners right now!”

Mei Xuying chuckled as if hearing a joke. “Are you still Yin Man? When did Miss Yin start caring about the lives of ants?”

Ants. Mei Xuying referred to Liu Siyin as an ant. She was nothing like the compassionate bodhisattva depicted in the novel.

No, perhaps she was a bodhisattva, but one who only saved Yin Youxia.

A cannon fodder character like Liu Siyin wasn’t worth her salvation.

To them, Liu Siyin’s life was insignificant. If Yin Man hadn’t transmigrated, the original Yin Man would have seen Liu Siyin as nothing. She had no close family, no dear friends, and even her death would have been silent and unnoticed. Her departure would merely serve as a stepping stone for others’ romances, quickly forgotten.

Just like her own life before, utterly devoid of meaning.

Now that she had transmigrated into the novel, had her original body died? Would anyone shed a tear for her, or even claim her remains?

The suffocating thoughts nearly choked Yin Man. She pressed her hand against her chest, glaring at Mei Xuying. “Then what about you? Are you still Mei Xuying? My cousin Mei Xuying was practically a saint—the kind of person who’d feel guilty for stepping on an ant!”

Mei Xuying choked, unable to respond. Yin Man pressed her advantage. “Cousin, there’s a life hanging in the balance inside!”

Despite the familial terms they used, Yin Man sensed that Mei Xuying didn’t see her as a sister, and she felt no sisterly respect in return. There was some deep-seated animosity between them.

Yin Man’s inherited memories were fragmented. Piecing together fragments from the book’s plot, she had a rough idea of their timeline and identities. She couldn’t recall the specifics of her conflicts with Mei Xuying, only that their relationship had been strained since childhood. This likely contributed to Mei Xuying’s ruthless support of Yin Youxia against Yin Man later on.

Warm sunshine? Saintly compassion? What a load of bull!

Before Mei Xuying could reply, Yin Zhe arrived. Instantly, Yin Man’s demeanor shifted, becoming docile and obedient. “Elder Cousin.”

“Younger Cousin,” Yin Zhe responded casually, his attention immediately snapping to Yin Man. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

He had rushed over in a panic the moment he heard about the car accident.

Their mother had died in a car accident. If Yin Man were to die in another, Yin Zhe’s world would collapse.

Yin Man shook her head, her gaze fixed on the emergency room light. “It’s okay. Liu Siyin saved us.”

She deliberately used the word “us.” Yin Youxia’s eyes flickered, her hands clenching tightly as if making a decision. Yin Man suspected she was already planning to break off the engagement. According to the timeline, Youxia had long harbored thoughts of ending the engagement; the car accident and subsequent blindness were merely excuses. As the plot progressed, Youxia and Mei Xuying were destined to develop feelings for each other, their bond forged on Liu Siyin’s sacrifice. Upon discovering Mei Xuying’s kindness, goodness, and ability to rival Yin Man, Youxia would succumb to her own twisted desires and begin seducing Mei Xuying.

Yin Man had witnessed the entire future plot from a godlike perspective, which only made Liu Siyin’s fate seem even more tragic. In the meager strokes of the narrative, Liu Siyin served as the foundation for others’ romances.

She was only twenty-one, such a beautiful age.

The wait for news stretched endlessly, making Yin Man repeatedly question whether her arrival had altered the story’s course, causing Liu Siyin’s death to come sooner.

She prayed for Liu Siyin’s life to be spared.

Yin Zhe glanced at the operating room. “Let me take you to rest first,” he said. “I’ll tell you the results when they come out.”

“No!” Yin Man refused to go anywhere.

She didn’t want to cause someone’s death due to the butterfly effect so soon after arriving in this world. Liu Siyin could die, but absolutely not now.

Clutching the wheelchair armrests tightly, she showed her resistance. She looked up at Yin Zhe and said, “Brother, I want her to live!”

Yin Zhe froze. “Manman, do you think she’s pretty? Then—”

His gaze instinctively shifted to Yin Youxia, but before he could finish speaking, Yin Man understood his implication.

Yin Zhe likely believed Yin Man had taken a liking to Liu Siyin. His meaning was clear: if she expressed interest, he would have Yin Youxia hand her over. In this world teeming with scum gongs, Yin Zhe was no exception. He indulged in both men and women, surrounded by countless fresh-faced beauties. To him, Liu Siyin was just another disposable plaything. If Yin Man wanted her, she could become a docile toy.

The implication was unmistakable. Everyone present was intelligent enough to understand.

Yin Man had barely interacted with Liu Siyin, having only recently arrived. Her memories of Liu Siyin were still fragmented. Yet, as Yin Zhe’s suggestion hung in the air, Liu Siyin’s excessively delicate face, faint fragrance, and smooth skin involuntarily flashed through Yin Man’s mind. She felt a pang of longing.

Beast!

Yin Man was acutely aware of the constant influence from the original host’s lingering consciousness and the world around her. Yet she couldn’t fully grasp the original host’s desires. Her fragmented memories revealed a possessiveness toward beautiful women, but not the kind one might expect. Due to her own crippled legs, the original host harbored a dark, twisted psychology.

Her extreme methods involved binding girls, stabbing their legs with needles, and whipping them while they were restrained. She derived twisted satisfaction from their pain and contorted expressions, using their suffering to fuel her twisted desires.

The rumors of her nightly debauchery were entirely unfounded. She had never once slept with anyone.

Thus, when Yin Man chose women, her first criterion was their legs.

Only by torturing a pair of perfect legs until they were completely immobilized could Yin Man find satisfaction. She never cared for beauty itself; she simply wanted to cripple others, to drag them down to her level. Yin Zhe understood this perfectly, yet he still intended to offer Liu Siyin to her.

To him, Liu Siyin’s feelings were irrelevant. Yin Youxia’s opinions mattered even less. The only thing that mattered was Yin Man’s desire.

If Yin Man wanted it, he would give it to her—not just Liu Siyin’s legs, not just his sister-in-law, but even his stepmother if that’s what she craved. Yin Zhe cared only for Yin Man, and the former Yin Man had cared only for Yin Zhe.

But she wasn’t the Original Host anymore. She couldn’t control the Original Host’s thoughts, nor could she bring herself to compromise with them. At her core, Yin Man was a kind person. She would consider Liu Siyin’s wishes and care about her life and death, even if Liu Siyin was just a cannon fodder character.

Liu Siyin was still undergoing emergency treatment.

Whether she would survive was uncertain, making this an inappropriate time for such discussions. However, Yin Zhe’s attitude had become increasingly clear. Seeing Yin Man’s silence, he took it as tacit agreement and began, “Then Youxia, you—”

“Brother, I have no interest in illegitimate daughters.” The words burst out almost without conscious thought. Yin Man froze, realizing this wasn’t her own sentiment.

Having only just arrived, Yin Man already felt a growing sense of unease. While this world offered everything she had struggled for—familial affection and wealth—it seemed to lack respect for life. She couldn’t even control her own thoughts, compelled to follow the world’s laws of conservation and the Original Host’s mindset.

To the Original Host, no matter how beautiful Liu Siyin might be, she was merely an illegitimate daughter.

If Liu Siyin were just someone to be used for amusement, that would be one thing. But if she tried to cling to Yin Man, she would never be considered.

The moment Yin Man spoke, the expression on Yin Youxia’s face became a sight to behold. Mei Xuying grasped her hand. “Youxia, what’s wrong? Your hand is ice-cold.”

Yin Youxia silently shook her head. “What could be wrong? I’m not an illegitimate child.”

As she spoke, her gaze locked fiercely on Yin Man, as if issuing a warning. Yin Man’s fleeting glance carried unconscious disdain. “Illegitimate children are filthy.”

Yin Man successfully broke Yin Youxia’s composure. Youxia stood up and roared at her, “Yin Man, I’m not an illegitimate child!”

How am I supposed to explain to the female lead that my earlier contempt wasn’t my true feelings? I just couldn’t control the Original Host’s bodily instincts.

Yin Youxia was, of course, not illegitimate. Yin Man’s mother had died in a car accident when Yin Man was three and a half years old. Two years later, Wen Si entered the family. Perhaps because Wen Si conceived so quickly, gossiping old women whispered about whether she and Yin Man’s father had been having an affair all along. Yin Man overheard them. She despised Wen Si for being a pushover, hated the child she bore, and loathed Yin Youxia’s perfect health even more.

They were half-sisters, both girls, but Yin Man had been unable to stand since childhood due to weak legs, while Yin Youxia was healthy and happy. This drove Yin Man mad with jealousy, so she tormented Yin Youxia relentlessly, humiliating her with the label of “illegitimate child,” even naming her puppy after the female lead.

No wonder the female lead hated the Original Host. If I were in her shoes, I’d hate her too.

Of course, Yin Man had bullied her at every turn, treating her unfairly.

But had she been fair to Liu Siyin? Because of the faint affection she harbored for Mei Xuying, because she saw Liu Siyin’s blindness as the perfect excuse to “return” her to the Liu Family, she had driven a girl who had blinded herself for her sake to her death. She was no saint either.

One could sympathize with the female lead for having such a sister, and with Liu Siyin for having nothing.

Yin Youxia at least had loving parents, a younger brother, and the promise of Mei Xuying in the future. Liu Siyin had nothing but a life that would end at twenty-one.

As her life counted down, would she remember any beautiful things? Surely she wouldn’t be so pitiful as to have no good memories at all.