The Real Daughter Needs Saving by This Vicious Female Cannon Fodder? - Chapter 17

“Thank you for your concern, Miss Gu.”

“If I need anything, I’ll be sure to reach out to you.”

Ning Anran didn’t reject the olive branch extended by Gu Xia, nor did she have the luxury to be picky.

Her top priority was repaying her student loans—where she worked wasn’t of immediate importance.

Jobs were hard to come by these days, and Ning Anran couldn’t guarantee with absolute certainty that she’d secure a position at Shengding Group.

“Female Lead’s Favorability +1!”

Hearing the system’s favorability prompt in her mind, Gu Xia finally confirmed that Ning Anran didn’t hold any grudges against her. She then took a step forward.

Gu Xia extended her pinky finger.

“Then it’s settled.”

“If you run into any trouble, you have to message me…”

“No, no, no—!”

“What if I’m asleep and miss your message? That won’t do… Ning Anran, do you have my number saved?”

Previously, they had only communicated through social media calls. Gu Xia found that unreliable—what if Ning Anran got hacked? What if she got hacked?!

And what if she missed Ning Anran’s distress call?!

Wouldn’t that give that scheming male lead the chance to swoop in first?

Hah! Not a chance in hell!

“No, I don’t.”

“Don’t we have each other’s accounts?”

“You can just message me if anything comes up.”

Ning Anran didn’t quite understand Gu Xia’s frantic demeanor, but she still pulled out her phone.

An ancient model.

This… this was a freaking… iPhone 7…!

Good heavens, she was practically holding a relic!

She knew Ning Anran was poor, but facing this iPhone 7 that looked like it had survived World War II was too much.

“Your phone is way too old. Nope, we’re going out right now—I’m buying you a new one!”

Her initially extended pinky finger shifted, and instead, she grabbed Ning Anran’s wrist.

The warmth from Gu Xia’s pocket-warmed hand was noticeably hotter than her own. Ning Anran froze in place.

Her previously calm heart began to flutter again.

What was wrong with her? She was supposed to hate Gu Xia—the very person who had bullied her.

So why did she feel this inexplicable softness toward Gu Xia’s unpredictable sincerity? Why did she want to accept her kindness, even accompany her shopping?

“There’s no need. This phone may be old, but it was my father’s hand-me-down.”

“It still works fine. Miss Gu, you shouldn’t waste your money.”

Ning Anran lowered her lashes, feeling, for the first time, an urge to defy Gu Xia.

If Gu Xia had treated her the same as before—giving her sweetness only to slap her down—

then she could’ve accepted these gestures without guilt.

“I said I’m buying you a new one. Ning Anran, are you refusing my order?”

“And what if you can’t answer my calls later with this piece of junk? Will you take responsibility?”

Gu Xia grew more agitated, forgetting to maintain her gentle facade.

“What if I get drunk and call you, but you don’t pick up? I’d be the one in danger then…”

Faced with Gu Xia’s suddenly close proximity, the usually unshakable Ning Anran instinctively took two steps back.

She averted her gaze, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

“I won’t ignore your calls, Miss Gu.”

“You’ve always been drunk before, and I was the one who picked you up without fail…”

Seeing Ning Anran still being so stubborn, Gu Xia simply pulled her into the car, and the two sat back inside.

“Then I’m worried now that this crappy phone of yours won’t receive my calls. I insist on getting you a new one.”

Crossing her arms, Gu Xia slipped back into her role as the villainess.

Right now, more important than raising favorability points was getting Ning Anran a decent phone. Otherwise, carrying this piece of junk around, Gu Xia was afraid it might overheat and explode.

“You—”

Ning Anran clearly wanted to say something more, but Gu Xia deliberately ignored her. She looked straight ahead, her voice still huffy.

“Drive to the nearest phone store.”

“Buying a phone isn’t a big deal for me. Ning Anran, my family hasn’t gone bankrupt yet. I can afford to buy you a little toy!”

The second young miss’s willfulness was as unyielding as ever.

…

Back home again, Gu Xia watched smugly as Ning Anran carried the phone she’d bought for her, finally at ease.

She’d gotten the one with the largest storage.

No need to worry about running out of space!

“Do you know how to use the new model?”

“If you don’t, I can teach you.”

There was quite a difference between the new and old models, and Gu Xia was a little worried Ning Anran wouldn’t know how to use it.

She raised her fingers, instinctively about to bite her nails, when Ning Anran’s slender hand caught hers.

“Don’t bite. You’ve got manicured nails.”

It wasn’t that Ning Anran had never handled a new phone before. At the shopkeeper’s store, she often helped elderly customers who weren’t tech-savvy with their devices.

Though her own phone was outdated, that didn’t mean she hadn’t used others.

As for the second young miss’s concern,

Ning Anran didn’t refuse.

Gu Xia had always been like this—whenever she passed something to her, she had to show off a little.

For example, “You’ve never had wine this good before, have you? Let me tell you how to drink it properly. Pay attention now, this is what real flavor tastes like~”

“Maybe you’ll never get to drink wine this good again.”

Ning Anran had lost count of how many times she’d heard such remarks. Since the second young miss was graciously buying her a new phone, there was no harm in staying to listen to her lecture.

With her hand caught, Gu Xia started like a frightened rabbit, glancing down.

She looked at Ning Anran’s fingers, a ripple of emotion stirring in her heart. The wounds on her hands had healed considerably, her skin once again smooth and fair like congealed fat.

Truly the protagonist, always blessed with that halo effect.

“What are you staring at my hand for?”

“Weren’t you going to teach me how to use the phone?”

Ning Anran turned the tables, curious to see what insights the young miss would impart about the phone.

“I—I wasn’t staring at your hand!”

As if scalded, Gu Xia quickly averted her gaze, slightly embarrassed. Her face flushed instantly, her ears burning too.

“Take out the phone. I’ll show you.”

Sitting cross-legged on the sofa, Gu Xia eyed the distance between them, then scooted closer to Ning Anran with narrowed eyes.

Her warm breath brushed against Ning Anran’s neck as her arm reached over her shoulder, fingertips tapping the screen.

“Here, let me show you.”

“First, we need to download some software. None of the ones you normally use for work can be missing. Are there any mandatory programs your company requires?”

The rambling continued, but Ning Anran only noticed how soft and sweet Gu Xia’s voice sounded, speaking at such a leisurely pace.

It was as if she was afraid Ning Anran wouldn’t understand.

Their bodies were pressed together, the distance between them far too intimate.

Ning Anran wasn’t accustomed to such an ambiguous position, but since it was Gu Xia lying on top of her, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

It definitely wasn’t for any other reason that she didn’t push Gu Xia away.

If it had been anyone else, Ning Anran was certain she wouldn’t have been nearly this accommodating.