The Real Daughter Needs Saving by This Vicious Female Cannon Fodder? - Chapter 8

The elegant sound of piano music filled the air, but Gu Xia had no mind to appreciate it.

“Here you go, miss. This is the French lobster bisque you ordered.”

The waiter placed the plate on the table.

Finally, someone had broken the awkward silence. Gu Xia exhaled slightly in relief, picking up her spoon as she addressed Ning Anran sitting across from her. “Ning Anran, are you hungry?”

Looking at the heroine’s gaunt face, she couldn’t help but recall all the terrible things she had done before.

But there was no helping it—back then, Gu Xia hadn’t awakened yet. She hadn’t realized she was merely following the author’s predetermined script, dutifully playing the role of the utterly vicious supporting antagonist.

What a headache!

“I’m fine.”

Ning Anran remained motionless for a long moment, mainly because she was completely unfamiliar with this kind of place.

In the past, she had only ever worked part-time at street food stalls and barbecue joints. The wealthiest people she had ever interacted with were her mother’s employers—Uncle Fu and the Xu family.

She was afraid of making a fool of herself in front of Gu Xia, only to be mocked publicly again.

Fortunately, Gu Xia didn’t pay much attention to her. She was clearly starving, taking a sip of the soup before closing her eyes in satisfaction—like a lazy cat.

The restaurant was well-heated, filled with a faint floral fragrance.

It was indeed a high-end establishment. Having worked at a flower shop before, Ning Anran recognized the expensive potted plants lining the walls—each one meticulously maintained.

The two of them ate in silence.

Soon after, the waiter brought out dessert.

This time, Gu Xia obediently pushed the plate toward Ning Anran.

She had noticed earlier that Ning Anran hadn’t eaten much—hardly anything, really.

No wonder she was so thin.

“I’m full.”

Ning Anran didn’t pick up the silver spoon beside her. Instead, she lowered her gaze, pressing her slender fingers against the plate as if to push it back.

Due to the stress of her part-time jobs, Ning Anran had long grown accustomed to irregular meals. When she was starving, she would gorge on greasy takeout boxes—only to vomit it all back up late at night from the pressure, leaving her sleepless for hours.

Eventually, she learned to eat very little, even when famished.

“Just one bite. Their specialty is the pastry chef from France.”

“Try it~”

Gu Xia thought to herself—while she couldn’t cook, the saying went: To win someone’s heart, you must first win their stomach.

She might be a disaster in the kitchen, but money could solve anything. Maybe she should hire a nutritionist later to tailor proper meals for the heroine.

She needed to restore Ning Anran’s health!

“Isn’t this your favorite? Won’t you regret giving it to me?”

Unable to refuse the Second Young Miss’s insistence—politeness allowed one rejection, but a second would be outright disrespect—Ning Anran finally relented.

Seeing her feigned indifference and cautious movements only deepened Gu Xia’s guilt.

But she couldn’t show it outright. Instead, she tilted her chin up and scoffed, “I’ve had this too often lately—it’s lost its appeal. So I’m sharing it with you. Don’t be ungrateful, Ning Anran.”

The chocolate dessert would do well to replenish her depleted energy.

Ning Anran scooped a spoonful into her mouth. Indeed, the texture was incredibly smooth—a rare find among desserts.

For some reason, her usually poor appetite had improved slightly today, adding a bit more desire to eat.

Ning Anran managed to finish half a small bowl before she couldn’t eat any more.

The pastries weren’t plentiful to begin with, and Gu Xia had hoped to coax the female lead into eating as much as possible.

She was genuinely afraid a gust of wind might knock Ning Anran over.

……

Stepping out of the restaurant, the cold wind grew stronger.

Withered yellow leaves drifted down as Ning Anran asked Gu Xia to wait by the entrance while she went to fetch the car from the restaurant’s parking lot.

“Miss, you’re really beautiful.”

“Mind exchanging contact info?”

A tall, androgynous woman with short hair approached, flashing Gu Xia a flirtatious smile.

“I just lost a game of Truth or Dare with my friends, so I’m getting their numbers for them.”

Glancing at the small group of people gathered under the streetlights in the distance, the woman leaned in closer, practically shoving her QR code in Gu Xia’s face.

As if afraid she might be rejected.

“By the way, pretty lady, you just finished dinner too, right? This new French restaurant is really good. Since we’ve got nothing else to do, how about hitting a bar together?”

Her tone left no room for refusal, but Gu Xia crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“She’s taken.”

Ning Anran appeared behind the woman at some point, car keys still in hand.

After eating, Ning Anran’s complexion was less pale, regaining a bit of color.

It seemed the lack of sugar and energy from not eating properly had really left the female lead this frail.

Her long hair fluttered against her snow-white down jacket, the pristine fur accentuating her pure and delicate aura.

Hearing the voice, the androgynous woman turned to look at Ning Anran.

After a long pause, she shook her head.

“Seriously? You’re already taken?”

Ignoring the woman’s ambiguous remark, Ning Anran stepped forward, shielding Gu Xia.

Since she had brought Gu Xia out, she was responsible for getting her back safely.

Realizing Ning Anran wasn’t someone to be trifled with, the woman quickly raised her hands, her sneakers squeaking as she backed away.

“Alright, alright! I won’t mess with your girlfriend!”

Ning Anran didn’t bother correcting the misunderstanding. She had already shouted far more embarrassing things in front of Gu Xia—this was nothing new.

But hearing the word “girlfriend,” Gu Xia’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“Let’s go.”

Reaching back, Ning Anran hooked her hand, worried Gu Xia might get harassed again by those shady characters.

Having worked odd jobs for years, she had seen plenty of drunkards bold enough to grope passersby.

Whenever she couldn’t stand it, Ning Anran would step in.

Her fighting skills had been honed since childhood. Back then, she had learned that without reliable parents or relatives to depend on,

she could only rely on herself.

“Oh…”

“You weren’t scared, were you, Ning Anran?”

Seeing even the slightest kindness from the female lead warmed Gu Xia’s heart.

Sigh… If only I weren’t the villainess in this cheesy romance novel, but Ning Anran’s best friend instead—maybe our relationship would be completely different?

Her fingers wrapped around it, and then Ning Anran immediately clasped back as if afraid she might run away.

“Still worried about me?”

“They weren’t after me—they were after you.”

Ning Anran’s tone gave nothing away, so Gu Xia couldn’t tell whether she was angry or annoyed.