The Real Daughter Needs Saving by This Vicious Female Cannon Fodder? - Chapter 16

Seated in the driver’s seat.

Ning Anran reached out to set the navigation when Gu Xia tugged at a brown leather bag and pulled out a packed lunch.

“Ning Anran, eat first.”

“We can drive later.”

She carefully handed over the meal box after unwrapping the chopsticks, her eyes even carrying a hint of anticipation.

With the food practically at her lips, Ning Anran couldn’t bring herself to refuse—especially since she had been busy all afternoon and hadn’t eaten a single bite.

She was starving.

“Thanks.”

Though the gratitude was delivered coldly, a firework of joy burst in Gu Xia’s heart.

“Congratulations, Host. The female lead’s favorability has increased by +1.”

Hearing the system’s announcement, Gu Xia enthusiastically pointed out which sushi was the tastiest.

Thankfully, she had already sampled each piece at the Japanese restaurant—otherwise, if the female lead had taken a bite of something bad, she’d surely assume Gu Xia was up to her old villainous tricks, scheming against her for the male lead’s sake!

Gu Xia couldn’t afford to lose the favorability she had painstakingly built up.

As for the meal, Ning Anran had no particular thoughts—she just wanted to finish quickly, fill her stomach, and then escort this high-maintenance young lady back to the Gu family.

But the food wasn’t as unpalatable as she expected. Instead, it carried a faint sweetness.

Ning Anran assumed there was honey mixed in. She ate expressionlessly, then neatly packed the trash.

“Wait before driving.”

Noticing a smudge at the corner of Ning Anran’s lips, Gu Xia pulled out a tissue from her pocket. Her slender fingers unfolded it—

—and she gently reached to wipe it away.

Ning Anran froze for a moment, unmoving. Gu Xia’s fingers carried a trace of her perfume.

“I… can do it myself.”

Ning Anran had never been treated like this before—with such tenderness, a tissue brushing against her skin.

Her heartbeat quickened slightly.

And she refused to believe this was the same Gu Xia who had once stood against her.

“Female lead’s favorability +1.”

“Host, keep this up! You’re literally the best student this system has ever guided!”

“Other transmigrators either refused, acted awkward, or were tsunderes incarnate. But for our Villainess Survival System, we need someone like you—a true talent!”

The system’s flattery exploded like fireworks.

But Gu Xia didn’t register a single word—not even how much of Ning Anran’s negative favorability had dropped.

Staring into those dark eyes, Gu Xia felt her pulse race. No wonder she’s the female lead.

Her lashes are so long. Her figure is perfect. She smells faintly elegant.

This is what they mean by ‘unstained by the mud, unadorned by the waves’!

She’s so beautiful.

Lost in thought, she only snapped back when Ning Anran’s uneasy fingers twitched. Gu Xia withdrew the tissue.

“What? I’m not going to eat you.”

“Or hit you.”

“Is this really so shocking?”

Favorability had to be earned, but the young mistress persona couldn’t collapse either.

Gu Xia had been spoiled since childhood—if not for her fear of death, she’d never have lowered herself like this.

But in the face of so-called pride, life is indeed precious!

Without life, how could one spend all that money?

A wise man knows when to yield!

“Then I’ll start driving.”

Ning Anran didn’t say much more, simply starting the car.

The journey passed in silence.

The car was quiet, and Gu Xia noticed that Ning Anran’s mood seemed different today. She didn’t dare to strike up a random conversation, afraid she might accidentally step on the female lead’s landmine!

Don’t be fooled by Ning Anran’s gentle appearance—when she gets angry, her hits really hurt.

Unlike Gu Xia, who was like a flower raised in a greenhouse, Ning Anran had grown up weathering all kinds of storms.

Gu Xia clearly remembered a scene from this cheesy Mary Sue romance novel where a drunk man provoked Ning Anran.

She responded with an elbow strike, pinning him to the ground with a stomp. The man’s jaw hit the pavement so hard he lost two teeth.

At the thought, Gu Xia’s tongue instinctively pressed against her front teeth.

No way—her pearly whites must stay intact!

“Tomorrow, I’m starting my internship at the company.”

The Bentley pulled into the garage.

As she got out, Ning Anran casually tossed some trash into a nearby bin, then lifted her eyes to inform Gu Xia about her schedule for the next day.

She wasn’t sure whether Miss Gu’s investigation into her workplace today was out of genuine concern or just another prank like before.

These familiar words! This familiar plot!

Was this super cliché, ridiculously cheesy storyline about to unfold?

With memories from before her awakening, Gu Xia knew full well that during Ning Anran’s internship, she would be ruthlessly bullied by petty senior colleagues.

They’d corner her in the break room, mocking her as a clueless country bumpkin, before inevitably throwing hot tea on her.

At that moment, the male lead—who happened to be at the company with his brother for business—would witness the scene.

He’d use his position to help Ning Anran out of her immediate crisis, but in doing so, would plant even bigger troubles for her at the company.

The male lead was the Cheng family’s illegitimate son. To legitimize his entry into the company, his father specially appointed him as the senior assistant to his eldest son.

With this connection, rumors spread that Ning Anran was climbing the social ladder by cozying up to the Cheng Group’s executive assistant, bringing her endless trouble.

Of course, all this was just to push the two leads closer together later.

At this thought, Gu Xia’s fingers tightened.

A plan formed in her mind.

She had to stop the leads’ relationship from progressing further. The most direct method was to eliminate Ning Anran’s workplace troubles altogether.

She remembered the company Ning Anran worked for was called—Shengding Group.

“Alright.”

Gu Xia hopped out of the car, took two steps, then turned back.

Ning Anran, who had just closed the car door, raised a questioning brow, her expression seeming to say, “Miss Gu, what mischief are you up to now?”

“Ning Anran, if you’re not comfortable at that company, you can come work at my sister’s place.”

“She’s short on staff right now!”

Heh, whether her sister was actually short-staffed or not, Gu Xia had no idea. But since she’d made the offer, her sister’s company would have to be short-staffed now!

Even if it was just an entry-level position, the important thing was that Ning Anran wouldn’t be bullied.

Moreover, the female lead’s abilities were never lacking to begin with, and she would eventually become the head of the Yuanye Group. This could be considered his way of preparing for a rainy day.

The male lead was the real reason her family had gone bankrupt.

The Cheng Group had always been at odds with her family, and eliminating her would have been nothing more than a trivial matter for the male lead.

The survival plan officially begins!

In this life, she couldn’t afford to lose her life—nor her wealth and status!