After Transmigrating Into A Cannon Fodder Character, I Only Want To Survive (GL) - Chapter 28
After Ji Yuning left the side hall, she didn’t go to the bathroom. Instead, she walked to the backyard.
Compared to the crowded front yard, the backyard was almost deserted.
Ji Yuning took out her phone and checked the five new messages brought by the vibrations.
Three of them were from Mu Xuerou, asking her a math question.
Ji Yuning took a look and simply explained the solution to Mu Xuerou via voice message, then went to read the other two unread messages.
[The capital is the most suitable place for you.]
[If you want, I can send someone to pick you up tomorrow.]
The capital…
Ji Yuning narrowed her eyes, a cold smile flashing across her eyes.
The capital was a place many people yearned for, but not her. Although she would eventually go, it wasn’t now.
…She still had some unfinished business in Hu City.
The sweetness of the cream fermented in her mouth, and Ji Yuning frowned unconsciously.
There were many cakes on the table in the hall, all of them with cream. The one Fang Bai handed her had less cream. She didn’t like sweets, but hunger drove her to take the cake.
The cake was only three or four bites big. In the side hall, Ji Yuning almost finished the cake with a frown.
In the backyard, there was only a table a few steps away from the pool, with drinks to rinse her mouth. Ji Yuning endured the discomfort and typed on the screen: [As I said before, I’ll go to the capital after the college entrance exam.]
After sending the message, Ji Yuning had already walked to the table. She poured half a glass of cola, and the bubbles danced in her mouth, driving away most of the sweetness on her taste buds.
The few people who were secretly watching Ji Yuning in the hall had been paying attention to the movement in the side hall after Fang Bai and the others entered. When Ji Yuning walked out alone, they followed her at a distance.
Seeing Ji Yuning alone at the table, the three leaders walked up to Ji Yuning:
“I didn’t dare to recognize you at first. Is this really our class’s top student who wears worn-out shoes, braids her hair, and studies with a straight face all day?”
Another person chimed in, “Of course it is. Did some people really think that wearing decent clothes and a more expensive necklace could turn them from an ugly duckling into a swan? Some ducks, no matter how well they dress, are still just wearing a few pheasant feathers.”
Ji Yuning was expressionless and tilted her head slightly to drink the last sip of cola in her glass.
Ji Yuning’s disregard stirred up a thin layer of anger in the three people’s hearts.
Lu Lili, who hadn’t spoken among the three, couldn’t stand Ji Yuning’s attitude the most. She frowned, “Top student, why aren’t you saying anything? Did we hit a nerve?”
Ji Yuning put the glass and her handbag on the table and turned her head, her voice indifferent, “Say what?”
Lu Lili shook the wine glass in her hand and asked arrogantly, “What do you think?”
With the taste of cream still lingering in her mouth, Ji Yuning ran her tongue over her lower teeth, a sneer on her lips. “Talking about your dress that costs less than a thousand? Or your messy and ugly hairstyle? Or this… titanium steel necklace around your neck?”
Ji Yuning’s first two sentences made Lu Lili blush with shame. Hearing the last sentence, she quickly retorted, “Do you have any taste? This is pure silver!”
“Oh.” Ji Yuning said, “Then I was right about the first two.”
Lu Lili’s cheeks flushed red.
At this moment, a boy standing next to Lu Lili spoke, “Since when did a top student become so eloquent? And even fight back?”
“Fight back?” Ji Yuning raised an eyebrow. “Anyone would.”
Ji Yuning looked at the boy. “Are you saying I should smile and nod if you insult me like trash?”
While speaking, Ji Yuning poured herself another half glass of cola and drank it in one gulp under the gaze of the others.
This time, the taste of cream in her mouth finally faded. The disgust in Ji Yuning’s eyes slowly receded, and her gaze swept over the others silently.
Ji Yuning returned to her coldness.
When Lu Lili and the others saw Ji Yuning like this, they felt that the unfamiliar Ji Yuning had turned back into the familiar one, the one who never retorted no matter what they said.
Lu Lili exchanged a look with the boy next to her, seeing the same thought in each other’s eyes. To verify this guess, Lu Lili stopped Ji Yuning, who was about to leave.
Lu Lili said, “I know you deliberately let us see Fang Bai holding your hand.”
Lu Lili said, “Do you think Fang Bai accepts you just because she held your hand? People like them are best at playing along. You’re just an outsider. You’ll never enter the Fang family and never catch Fang Maozhou’s eye.”
In Lu Lili’s view, Ji Yuning was just trying to please Fang Bai to gain benefits from Fang Maozhou.
Ji Yuning glanced at Lu Lili, a hint of pity rising in her indifferent eyes.
Lu Lili was puzzled by Ji Yuning’s eyes. Even when Ji Yuning bumped her arm and walked past her, Lu Lili was still wondering what Ji Yuning was pitying?!
At this moment, the boy who walked up to Lu Lili muttered unintentionally, “She just now, looked like she was looking at an idiot.”
Lu Lili reacted instantly: “!”
Lu Lili turned around and shouted, “Ji Yuning! Stop right there!”
Lu Lili’s voice was loud and sudden, startling the waiter who had just walked into the backyard. The waiter looked at the people by the pool and, realizing that something was wrong, immediately turned to find the butler.
Today’s guests were all rich and powerful. Although they looked like students, it was not something a waiter like her could handle.
Ji Yuning stopped. The phone in her bag vibrated again.
Just as Ji Yuning opened her bag and took out her phone, Lu Lili walked up to Ji Yuning and asked, “What did that look just now mean?”
Ji Yuning looked down and tapped on WeChat, “Nothing.”
Lu Lili didn’t believe Ji Yuning’s words. After a moment of silence, she chuckled, “Do you think I’m wrong? Do you know what day it is today? It’s the second young master’s birthday party. Do you know what that means? It means that everything in the Fang family in the future belongs to the second young master alone. Fang Bai can only take a small share, so it’s useless for you to please her.”
Ji Yuning raised her eyelids and said bluntly, “Does He Ziyan know that you’re causing trouble for me to curry favor with her?”
Lu Lili was stunned. “What does it have to do with Sister Yan? I just don’t like you.”
Ji Yuning chuckled and said slowly, “Then do you know that He Ziyan now wants to have a good relationship with me?”
Ji Yuning slowly raised her phone, and Lu Lili subconsciously looked at Ji Yuning’s screen.
A person with the contact name “He Ziyan” had sent Ji Yuning a message: [Where are you? I’ll find you.]
Ji Yuning knew that He Ziyan’s approach had another purpose, and she had to use her in return.
If she kept causing Ji Yuning trouble just to stay by He Ziyan’s side, knowing that He Ziyan’s relationship with Ji Yuning had improved, she would only feel like a clown.
Lu Lili felt that way now.
Her eyes were full of disbelief, but that was the reality. He Ziyan’s profile picture, He Ziyan’s tone, He Ziyan wanting to find Ji Yuning…
Seeing that her goal was achieved, Ji Yuning slowly put her phone back in her bag.
Lu Lili clenched the hands on her side, licked her lips, and asked, “What does Sister Yan want from you?”
After asking, Lu Lili self-deceptively said, “Oh no, don’t think you can fool me by randomly finding someone with Sister Yan’s profile picture and changing the contact name to Sister Yan.”
Lu Lili’s tone gradually lowered as she spoke, and even she didn’t believe what she was saying.
What was it like to lose face in front of someone you hated?
Lu Lili felt ashamed and angry.
Lu Lili’s eyes fell on the shimmering pool behind Ji Yuning.
Because of the banquet, the pool had been filled with fresh water today. It was clear and clean, as if it could reflect the true nature of people’s hearts.
A thought flashed through Lu Lili’s mind. If someone fell into the pool, could it wash away something?
Lu Lili stared at the glistening pool, then shifted her gaze to Ji Yuning’s face. “Do you think an ugly duckling pretending to be a swan will return to its original form if it falls into the water?”
Ji Yuning sensed the danger and moved to distance herself from Lu Lili.
But when Ji Yuning made a move, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure swaying in the corner of her eye. Ji Yuning stopped moving and said in a voice only she and Lu Lili could hear, “You can try.”
The flat, emotionless sentence completely enraged Lu Lili.
The boy saw Fang Maozhou, Chen Xiandong, and others in the distance and wanted to warn Lu Lili, but it was too late.
Lu Lili raised her hand and pushed Ji Yuning hard.
With a “plop,” Ji Yuning was pushed into the pool, splashing a small but noticeable amount of water.
Fang Bai walked out from behind Chen Xiandong and happened to see Ji Yuning fall into the water.
Unlike the scene in the original story where Ji Yuning was held underwater, Ji Yuning’s hands and feet were not restrained.
But…
Ji Yuning still couldn’t swim.
Fang Maozhou, seeing Ji Yuning pushed into the pool and remembering his conversation with Fang Bai in the side hall, was about to call for help when a figure rushed past him. It was so fast that Fang Maozhou couldn’t react, and by the time he reached out to grab them, they were already gone.
Chen Xiandong shouted, “Miss!”
Fang Bai, having taken off her shoes at some point, ran barefoot to the edge of the pool. The water where Ji Yuning had fallen was still rippling. Without hesitation, Fang Bai jumped into the pool.
Author’s Note:
Xiao Ji’s diary:
*Month* *Day*, Aunt Fang and I went for a swim in front of everyone (not that kind of swim).