After Transmigrating as a Scumbag Gong, I Ended Up with the Cannon Fodder - Chapter 6

It was really possible.

After Yin Man gave her affirmative answer, Liu Siyin truly agreed to Yin Man’s proposal.

Having decided to give Liu Siyin hope, Yin Man stayed by her side in the hospital, hiring several private nurses. She waited for Yin Youxia to formally call off the engagement before approaching the Liu Family to propose marriage herself.

The Original Host had previously humiliated Liu Siyin over her background, and Yin Man wanted to give her some dignity. However, Yin Youxia remained silent. Over the past few days, Yin Man’s body had been subtly changing, especially after the initial pain appeared, which grew increasingly frequent.

The pain struck again now. Her chest felt congested, her breathing labored, and joint pain spread from her bones, forcing her to curl into a ball. Even gasping for air couldn’t alleviate the agony.

Yin Man’s eyes were swollen and red, on the verge of collapse, when she suddenly heard a bone crack. New, unfamiliar data flooded her mind—memories from the Original Host.

Ah—!

Yin Man screamed from the overwhelming, dull pain. She clenched her teeth, increasingly convinced that her current state resembled a post-transmigration fusion. As her memories grew clearer, the light around her dimmed, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

On the seventh day after transmigrating into the novel, Yin Man fell into a coma.

She remained unconscious for a week before finally waking up to find Yin Zhe at her bedside.

Yin Zhe sat by the hospital bed, his face pale, a deep ache in his dark eyes. “Manman, you’re finally awake.”

It seemed the torment that had plagued her had finally eased.

Yin Man took a long breath. “Brother, how long have I been asleep?”

“A week.” A week? Yin Man hadn’t imagined her slumber would stretch so long. The hospital room felt unfamiliar, and there was no sign of Liu Siyin. She tried to speak, but an itch in her throat forced her to cough softly twice. Yin Zhe’s heart ached even more. He couldn’t help but say, “It’s all Liu Siyin’s fault for passing her illness to you. You’re sick, while she’s recovered.”

Suppressing the itch, Yin Man asked, “Where’s Liu Siyin?”

“Discharged. The Liu Family took her home,” Yin Zhe said with a sneer. “Liu Mei is already selling herself in the industry, using the title of Yin Youxia’s former fiancée to command a high price.”

“Wh-what?!” Yin Man didn’t understand at first. Yin Zhe explained, “I never imagined Yin Youxia could be so cruel. Liu Siyin lost her sight saving her, yet she not only broke off the engagement but also accused Liu Siyin of having an affair with you, refusing to marry into the Liu Family. I understand her reasoning—she’s afraid the Liu Family will force another Liu Siyin on her. Our company has collaborated extensively with the Liu Family in recent years, and she fears I might agree to their demands.”

“She’s learned a few tricks, but she shouldn’t have dragged you into this. I’ve already locked her up, but the bidding outside is fierce. Everyone wants to try their luck with the woman who played both Miss Yin sisters.”

“……” Yin Youxia had not only broken off the engagement but also completely ruined Liu Siyin’s reputation.

She could roughly understand Yin Youxia’s motives: by destroying Liu Siyin’s reputation, Liu Siyin would be spared from a forced marriage. Moreover, by spreading rumors of an affair between herself and Liu Siyin, Yin Youxia could emerge completely unscathed.

She didn’t believe Yin Youxia would dare to act against her like this. It felt more like… she suddenly remembered Mei Xuying. It was entirely possible that Mei Xuying had instigated this.

She had considered various outcomes for Liu Siyin, but she never imagined the Liu Family would sell her as a public courtesan, putting her up for auction.

“Brother, take me to the Liu Family,” Yin Man said.

Yin Zhe froze for a moment. “Manman, you’re not really having an affair with Liu Siyin, are you?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to take her from Yin Youxia just the other day? Why did you let her go back to the Liu Family and allow those people to bid openly for her? I haven’t even had a chance to play with her!” she grumbled.

Yin Zhe heard every word perfectly, completely forgetting that Yin Man had denied the affair herself. He quickly reassured her, “Not yet. Liu Mei has already spread the word, but the engagement hasn’t been formally annulled. No one dares to make a move yet.”

“Wen Si didn’t agree to Yin Youxia breaking off the engagement. Wen Si felt that even if they had to break it off, they should wait until Liu Siyin’s condition improved, so Yin Youxia wouldn’t appear too heartless.”

Hearing this, Yin Man finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was all her uncontrollable body’s fault, fainting at such an inopportune moment. Given Liu Siyin’s current state, Yin Man worried she might do something rash.

Would she think I broke my promise?

The window was flung open, and Liu Siyin was dragged to the window. Unable to see, she could only hear the fierce rain and feel the wind’s icy blades stinging her cheeks. It was raining heavily, accompanied by a violent gale.

Liu Siyin’s tears, which she had been holding back, finally spilled down her cheeks. She took a deep breath, forced a smile, and felt her weariness deepen. “Aunt,” she said faintly, “if my face is ruined, I’ll be even more worthless.”

Liu Mei’s eyelids twitched slightly, but she still yanked Liu Siyin away from the window and shoved her roughly onto the bed. As the current head of the Liu Family and the younger sister of Liu Siyin’s biological father, Liu Mei had never shown any affection toward her illegitimate nieces.

Except for Liu Siyin. She had carefully cultivated her.

Liu Mei had placed all her hopes on Liu Siyin’s exceptional beauty. For years, she had been groomed as a lady of a prominent family, and Liu Siyin learned quickly. However, she lacked practical skills and possessed no talent for manipulating people.

Their initial target had been the Yin Family, one of the most aristocratic among the great clans. Given their existing cooperation, Liu Mei hoped to forge closer ties with the Yins to facilitate smoother collaboration. Liu Siyin seemed like an ideal choice, as the Yin Family was known for their appreciation of beauty, both internally and externally.

However, the two madmen of the Yin Family scorned Liu Siyin’s illegitimate birth. Had she known, she would have fabricated a more respectable lineage, even if only for appearances. A fabricated background would have been far better than the stigma of being a bastard child circulating throughout society.

Yin Youxia wasn’t an ideal choice, but she was still an option.

Yet this fool actually injured her eyes to save Yin Youxia. Liu Mei had misjudged her—Yin Youxia turned out to be ruthless. Not only did she break off the engagement, but she also tarnished Liu Siyin’s reputation. If Yin Man had truly been intimate with her, why hadn’t she acted sooner? Liu Mei knew all too well Miss Yin’s arrogance; how could she ever lower herself to touch a woman she so despised?

Still, Liu Siyin insisted that Yin Man would marry her.

Liu Mei didn’t know if it was true, but if she had a choice, she desperately hoped it was. During the past few days of bidding in the circle, she had realized that Liu Siyin would never marry into a respectable family. A woman who had been rejected by her fiancé and was no longer considered “pure,” no matter how beautiful, was worthless—especially since she had gone blind.

Most of the calls Liu Mei received were from men wanting Liu Siyin as a mistress. She understood their dirty intentions and didn’t mind, but after investing so many years in raising her, it stung to see Liu Siyin so devalued.

If Yin Man truly intended to marry her, that would be ideal. Yin Man was far more useful than Yin Youxia.

Behind Yin Man stood the Mei Family. Everyone knew Mei Huan was a notorious sister-complex, doting on his niece after his sister’s death. Yin Man’s lawless behavior was partly due to Mei Huan’s indulgence.

Still uneasy, Liu Mei pressed again, “Did Yin Man really say she would marry you?”

Liu Siyin now resembled a tattered rag doll, at the mercy of others to be manipulated and discarded. Liu Mei had just pushed her onto the bed, where she now lay prostrate, her tears soaking the pristine white sheets. Yet she insisted firmly, “Sister Man wouldn’t lie to me.”

Liu Mei found her unwavering faith utterly laughable. This was Yin Man, after all. How many people had Yin Man deceived?

Yin Man was notorious as the most ruthless villain in the circle.

Liu Mei recalled how Miss Li had once glanced twice at Yin Man’s crippled leg. That very day, Yin Man had praised Miss Li’s beautiful legs. The next morning, Miss Li was found at her doorstep with both legs broken.

“Liu Siyin, I’ve painstakingly taught you for seven years. Why are you still so naive?” Liu Mei said earnestly. She had invested considerable time nurturing Liu Siyin, but the girl’s intelligence had never been applied in the ways Liu Mei had hoped. Take this car accident, for example. If it had been her, she would have pretended not to see it and let the car hit Yin Youxia. Whether Yin Youxia was crippled or blinded wouldn’t matter; the more disabled she became, the less likely she would be to call off the engagement.

Even if Yin Youxia died, Liu Mei could still enter the Yin Family as a widow. But now that Liu Siyin had blinded herself, she was utterly worthless.

Suddenly losing all hope for Yin Man and Liu Siyin, Liu Mei remarked casually, “What kind of person is Yin Man? She’s far more terrifying than I am. How can you trust her words? Young Master Wang from Qiu Yu wants you as his mistress. You should consider it. His background is no worse than Yin Man’s, and his temper is much better.”

Most importantly, Young Master Wang’s offer was incredibly tempting. The Jiaonan land alone would sustain the Liu Family for years.

As the head of the family, she had to consider the Liu Family’s interests.

Liu Siyin trembled slightly, her pale lips parting weakly. “Sister Man… she’s good.”

As I said, Liu Siyin is too naive.

How could someone like Yin Man be considered good? She was a true monster. Yet seeing Liu Siyin’s unwavering faith in her, Liu Mei couldn’t help but wonder if there was something between them. If so, Yin Man—that madwoman—would never let go of something she hadn’t grown tired of.

Rumor had it that Yin Youxia once touched one of Yin Man’s dolls, and Yin Man had her hung up and beaten so severely she ended up hospitalized.

And that was Yin Man’s own sister.

Liu Mei was much older than Yin Man, yet she still felt a chill when dealing with her. That madwoman cared nothing for cooperation or social niceties; she only cared about her own amusement, acting recklessly and with brutal methods.

Liu Mei had no desire to experience the torment of that madwoman. But if there truly was something between them, why hadn’t Yin Man made a move during all this public bidding?

Could Liu Siyin be lying to me?

She would wait two more days. If Liu Siyin still hadn’t acted by then, she would accept Young Master Wang’s offer and formally break off the engagement with the Yin Family.

Liu Siyin was blind, but her mind remained sharp. She understood Liu Mei well enough to know she wouldn’t be given much time. Liu Mei had no patience for useless people; anyone who couldn’t generate profit was considered worthless in her eyes.

Yin Man had disappeared, yet Liu Siyin still clung to the belief that Yin Man would come for her. She had no other choice but to trust Yin Man; she had nowhere else to turn. Yin Man was her only hope. If she didn’t come… Liu Siyin’s hand slowly drifted toward the drawer. Inside lay a pair of scissors, prepared long ago. She had always sensed that Yin Youxia would break off their engagement, and she had never considered finding another match.

She knew all too well that being jilted made her even less desirable.

If not for Yin Man’s desire to spite Yin Youxia, Liu Siyin’s humble origins would never have secured such a prestigious match in the first place, let alone now.

As a child, she had witnessed firsthand how people mistreated her blind mother. The countless abuses she had seen had instilled in her a deep-seated fear. She was terrified of the dark, yet she had endured it for days on end.

She waited, longing for those warm hands to reach out and pull her away.

Yin Man was reviled as a scoundrel, but over the years, she had been the only one to offer Liu Siyin even a sliver of warmth. Liu Siyin gripped the scissors, whispering, “If you don’t come for me…”