The Cannon Fodder Alpha Who Made the Heroine Pregnant - Chapter 51

51:

The original novel centered entirely on Chu Zhao as its female protagonist, a heroine who endured relentless suffering before her rise to power after toppling the Zhou and Chu families. Romantic subplots were conspicuously absent from her narrative.

By that logic, shouldn’t the current situation—despite differing processes—still lead to the same outcome of Zhou Corporation’s downfall? Did this truly constitute altering the plot?

Zhou Lan couldn’t be certain, but her objective remained clear: complete extraction from this storyline to begin anew.

……

After scouting the village, Zhou Lan located the bus stop near their guesthouse. Car rentals could be arranged through the front desk.

The attached farmhouse restaurant offered decent fare. She ordered several dishes tailored to both their preferences before returning upstairs.

Chu Zhao had just showered, damp hair cascading over her shoulders as she leaned against the desk texting. She glanced up at Zhou Lan’s entrance but remained silent.

“I checked transportation,” Zhou Lan said, averting her gaze from Chu Zhao’s disheveled beauty. “The bus stops right outside. For private cars, we’d need to book through the front desk tonight.”

“Bus is fine,” Chu Zhao decided immediately.

Fewer interception risks with public transit, their pursuers would never expect it.

“Dinner, here or downstairs?”

“Here.”

Exhaustion and persistent nausea made seclusion preferable.

Zhou Lan nodded. “I’ll bring it up later.”

With time before their meal, they occupied separate beds, absorbed in their phones.

Zhou Lan sorted through messages from The Rolling Eggs and Hua Qiao, her songs’ popularity had sparked industry interest. She deferred all inquiries, waiting for the band’s variety show to amplify her reputation further.

A notification from Tong Kai on the original host’s phone surprised her. Their transactional relationship—intel for payment—had lain dormant recently.

—Boss, your father’s assistant? He’s investigating your dad through multiple channels.

The revelation sparked rapid analysis: Kang Kang, having confirmed his sister’s imprisonment by Zhou Xianling but unable to breach the secure location, must be gathering leverage for an exchange—Zhou Lan for his sister.

Her earlier call with Ling He’na had inadvertently sabotaged that plan.

“If Kang Kang acts rashly now, he’ll expose himself,” she told Chu Zhao, outlining their new vulnerability.

Chu Zhao agreed. “His two-phase strategy using your disappearance to destabilize Zhou Xianling before negotiating the swap, failed when we escaped.”

The factory blueprints had been their unforeseen advantage; without them, Kang Kang’s single guard would’ve sufficed.

Three potential interceptors remained:

Zhou Xianling – The cunning patriarch fighting to preserve his empire.

Ling He’na – The presumed shallow antagonist now revealed as a schemer eliminating Zhou Xianling’s illegitimate heirs.

Kang Kang – The desperate assistant turned vengeful wildcard.

Notably, both Ling He’na and Kang Kang ultimately targeted Zhou Xianling rather than them. If these two forces could be maneuvered against each other…

“Would Ling He’na ally with Kang Kang if she learned his intentions?” Zhou Lan mused.

A wife and an assistant, two intimate betrayals amplified by the ongoing investigation. The perfect storm to sink Zhou Xianling without their direct involvement.

But who would Ling He’na trust for verification?

Meeting Chu Zhao’s gaze, Zhou Lan dialed Ling He’na again.

“What now? Done hiding?” came the caustic greeting.

“Kang Kang kidnapped me.”

Silence. Then: “…Which Kang Kang?”

“The one whose sister carried Dad’s child,” Zhou Lan snapped, feigning outrage. “He’s retaliating against Dad through me! Mom, you have to deal with him!”

She leaned into her spoiled persona: “Between Dad’s wrath and his enemies coming after me, I’m staying away from Jiangning!”

As anticipated, Ling He’na seized the opportunity—Kang Kang’s insider knowledge could supplement her own in pressuring Zhou Xianling.

“And how exactly did you escape?” Ling He’na demanded skeptically.

Zhou Lan glanced at Chu Zhao. “My wife got us out.”

“…Your wife? Chu Zhao?” Disdain dripped through the phone, but recognition of Chu Zhao’s competence undercut it.

After hanging up, Zhou Lan flopped onto the bed. “That should keep them occupied chasing each other instead of us.”

“Hopefully.” Chu Zhao’s tone cooled again.

The less entangled they were, the cleaner their exit from Jiangning would be.

Their conversation lapsed into silence, a comfortable pattern between them.

When dinner arrived, Zhou Lan served Chu Zhao first before retrieving her own meal.

Alone, Chu Zhao fought rising bile at the food’s aroma. Today’s exertions demanded nourishment, but her body rebelled.

Until she could terminate this pregnancy, self-care remained a necessary torment.