The Cannon Fodder Alpha Who Made the Heroine Pregnant - Chapter 52

52:

Their night at the guesthouse passed uneventfully.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on Zhou Lan—her arms ached, her body protested every movement, and even keeping her eyes open required effort.

Chu Zhao, still battling pregnancy symptoms, had retired early.

Neither noticed how effortlessly Chu Zhao had let her guard down around Zhou Lan, or how the familiar presence in an unfamiliar space brought her unexpected comfort.

At precisely six the next morning, Chu Zhao woke up—her biological clock never failing.

Turning, she observed Zhou Lan’s sleeping face—features so striking they could launch a thousand idol careers even without talent. The entertainment industry’s so-called “god-tier visuals” paled in comparison.

Sunlight streamed through the window as Chu Zhao stood by the glass, watching Zhou Lan stir—first frowning against the light, then blinking awake with all the innocence of a newborn fawn.

That first glimpse of beauty colored Zhou Lan’s entire day bright. Sunlit Chu Zhao resembled nothing so much as a celestial being—her lowered lashes trembling slightly, striking Zhou Lan’s heart with deadly precision.

She’d never been one to deny attraction.

“Sorry I overslept,” Zhou Lan mumbled, though seven AM hardly qualified as late.

Chu Zhao barely glanced up from her phone. “Get ready. We’re leaving.”

Their matching white tees and casual pants purchased yesterday and dried overnight—drew admiring glances on the bus, particularly from two schoolgirls who whispered loudly about how “perfect” they looked together.

The shared embarrassment of being overheard sent them avoiding each other’s eyes.

As the bus emptied, Zhou Lan settled behind Chu Zhao, stealing glances at that flawless profile until inspiration struck.

Small-town life unfolding outside her window—unhurried, intimate—contrasted sharply with city rhythms. The dichotomy always sparked creativity.

Her fingers tapped rhythms on her thigh before she captured the melody in her phone’s notepad. Inspiration flowed unpredictably; some artists struggled for years while others, like Zhou Lan, channeled it constantly.

Beautiful people, tranquil villages, buoyant moods—all transmuted effortlessly into song.

……

Their journey proceeded uninterrupted, whether because pursuers never imagined their route or because Zhou Xianling’s crumbling influence hampered search efforts.

In the capital city, Chu Zhao visibly relaxed. A waiting car whisked her away without ceremony, leaving Zhou Lan standing alone on the platform.

Outside Jiangning, their marital pretense faded to nothingness. They weren’t even proper friends.

Back in her rented apartment—small but comforting—Zhou Lan surrendered to the sofa’s embrace before her piano called her to work through the morning’s inspiration.

Music consumed her completely, as it always had. Her life outside it consisted mostly of books, games, and lazy binge-watching—a deliberately uncomplicated existence.

A week passed without a word from Ling He’na. Only Chu Zhao kept her updated on Jiangning’s unraveling:

Ling He’na and Kang Kang’s alliance had yielded only evidence against Zhou Xianling personally, leaving Zhou Corporation intact. The Sang family insider possessed similar limitations.

Only Chu Zhao held the keys to Zhou Corp’s destruction.

So Ling He’na manipulated Zhou Xianling into learning of Kang Kang’s betrayal, framing it as personal vengeance for his sister’s forced pregnancy. With Kang Kang imprisoned and his sister rescued (Ling He’na having fulfilled that bargain), the assistant became the perfect scapegoat.

Zhou Lan sighed. The novel’s Kang Kang had received life imprisonment, no leniency for crimes that shattered countless families like his own.

Yet his sister Kang Le—a twenty-year-old university student, another of Zhou Xianling’s “carefully selected” surrogates deserved protection.

When Tong Kai reported Kang Le refusing Zhou Lan’s sponsorship offer (“already covered”), Zhou Lan instinctively knew.

Her fingers hovered over Chu Zhao’s contact before typing:

—Are you sponsoring Kang Le?

The question was unnecessary. She knew the answer.

More importantly, it was the first message she’d sent Chu Zhao unrelated to Zhou family affairs.

Zhou Lan had never been in love before, but this persistent urge to maintain connection felt significant.

Whether it qualified as love, she couldn’t yet say.