Transmigrated into the Villain's Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife (Transmigrated into a Book) - Chapter 30

Lin Chu was used to writing with hard-tipped pens and had never learned to use a brush. Thus while holding the soft brush in her fingers, she found it difficult to control. If her hand paused for even a moment, the ink would bleed into the paper, forming an unsightly blot. Still, as long as she wrote lightly and kept her strokes smooth, she could manage to form characters.

After copying down the account entry Jing He had read out, Lin Chu straightened her back and glanced at her own handwriting. It wasn’t great, but at least it wasn’t completely awful.

A cool voice suddenly came from above.

“Your characters… they look like defeated soldiers, barely standing upright.”

Startled, Lin Chu turned around, only to be met with the infuriatingly handsome face of Yan Mingge.

She was about to respond when he picked up the account book. His expression turned unreadable.

“And… do you only recognize half the characters? Some of these are missing entire radicals or strokes.”

Lin Chu followed his gaze and saw that he was pointing at the simplified character for “one” (一). Her face heated up with embarrassment.

“That’s how our teacher taught us!” she said defensively.

She had completely forgotten—people here used traditional characters!

Yan Mingge stared at her for a long moment before breaking into a wry chuckle.

“I’ve never seen someone as unreasonable as you. Sloppy handwriting, and instead of admitting it, you blame your teacher.”

Lin Chu was too embarrassed to reply.

Yan Mingge, however, wasn’t done.

“But you’re still impressive in a way. Jing He can only record accounts using black and red marks, but you’ve managed to come up with your own set of… ‘characters.'”

Even the usually serious Jing He couldn’t help but laugh at that.

Lin Chu shot him a glare, huffing in annoyance.

Yan Mingge seemed to be in a good mood today. He picked up a brush and gestured for Lin Chu to come over.

“Enough. Let’s see if I can teach you properly.”

As a villain, Yan Mingge excelled in both strategy and combat. He had once been the heir of Marquis Yong’an, and his calligraphy had been taught by the best.

Lin Chu felt awkward about letting him teach her in front of Jing He, so she hesitated before stepping forward.

Thankfully, Yan Mingge didn’t comment on her reluctance. He simply handed her the brush and corrected her grip.

“You were holding it wrong. You need to follow the proper techniques—press, rest, hook, frame, and support. Keep your wrist suspended.”

He stood behind her, leaning forward as he spoke. His warm breath brushed against her ear, sending an odd, tingling sensation down her spine. His voice was deep and smooth, making it even harder to focus. Lin Chu forced herself to concentrate on his hands instead.

His hands were rough from years of exposure to the northern winds, with cracked skin along his knuckles. But despite their calloused appearance, his fingers were long and well-defined, like bamboo segments—strong, structured, and strangely pleasing to look at.

If he hadn’t just picked up a brush, who would have remembered that these hands had once written poetry and painted delicate landscapes?

“Focus.” Yan Mingge’s voice was calm yet firm.

Lin Chu, caught staring at his hands, felt her embarrassment deepen.

Under his guidance, she wrote the character “壹” (one). Traditional characters had more complex strokes, but Yan Mingge’s writing was structured and balanced, each stroke falling neatly into place. Even though he had restrained his usual style, his brushwork still carried a faint sharpness—like the hidden edge of a sword.

“I won’t be here for the next few days,” he said suddenly. “Practice writing this character while I’m gone.”

Lin Chu looked at him in surprise. “You’re leaving? Where to?”

“Yao City is difficult to breach, so the enemy has focused their forces on Jintong Pass. The imperial reinforcements haven’t arrived yet. If the pass falls, their cavalry will sweep south, and the people in the Central Plains won’t make it through the winter.”

Though his voice was calm, Lin Chu could sense the gravity of the situation.

She frowned. In the original novel, most of the story revolved around the male and female leads. The villain’s past and struggles were barely mentioned.

“So you’re heading to Jintong Pass?” she asked.

Yan Mingge released her hand and walked over to a chair, pouring himself a cup of tea.
“Compared to waiting for the imperial reinforcements, it’ll be faster for us to go from Yao City and break the siege.”

Lin Chu put down the brush and followed him. “When are you leaving?”

Yan Mingge paused mid-sip before replying, “This afternoon.”

Lin Chu’s brows furrowed. “Jing He, get everything my husband needs to be packed up.”

Yan Mingge interrupted her. “It’s not my first time on the battlefield. There’s nothing to pack.” He glanced at Jing He. “Just serve the meal. I’ll head to the camp after I eat.”

Jing He quickly nodded and ran to the kitchen.

Han Xiaobao studied Yan Mingge for a moment, his expression oddly unreadable.

Meanwhile, Lin Chu’s feelings were complicated. Did this villain really rush back from the military camp… just to have one meal with her?

During dinner, everything seemed normal. Lin Chu ate as usual, Yan Mingge was still a big eater, and Han Xiaobao, after sipping half a bowl of lamb soup, nibbled on some vegetables. When Lin Chu gave him a piece of braised pork, he hesitated, looking torn between wanting to eat it and feeling guilty about taking it. His conflicted expression was both pitiful and strangely amusing.

The meal felt ordinary, yet there was an unspoken heaviness in the air.

After Jing He cleared the dishes, Lin Chu sat with Yan Mingge in the hall. He remained silent, and so did she. The only sound was Han Xiaobao playing with Little Gray.

After some time, Lin Chu glanced at the clock. Yan Mingge should be leaving soon, yet he showed no sign of moving. She finally spoke up.
“Husband, you should head to the camp before it gets too late.”

Yan Mingge looked at her, saying nothing.

Lin Chu felt puzzled under his gaze. Had she done something wrong?

After a moment, he withdrew his gaze and gave a faint “Mm”—yet still didn’t move.

Was he waiting for her to say something nice?

Lin Chu wasn’t good at that. After struggling for a while, she finally said,
“Don’t worry, Husband. I’ll practice my writing diligently.”

Yan Mingge gave her another glance and responded with the same indifferent “Mm.”

Lin Chu was completely lost. What did this man want?

Han Xiaobao, who had been playing with the dog, rolled his eyes before quickly putting on an innocent face. He grabbed a pastry from the table, deliberately crushed it in his hands, then waddled over to Yan Mingge.

“Peace,” he said solemnly, holding out the crumbled mess.

He had no intention of actually giving it to him. He just wanted to make a show of it.

Yan Mingge stared at the child in surprise, while Lin Chu suddenly understood.

In ancient times, soldiers would set out on expeditions hoping for good luck. Yan Mingge cared about appearances and wouldn’t ask for a token himself, but how did she not realize this sooner?

Yan Mingge glanced at the crumbled pastry in Han Xiaobao’s little hand but didn’t take it. Instead, he pinched the boy’s chubby cheek. 

“I’ll take your good wishes, little fatty.”

Han Xiaobao: “……”

He must have lost his mind to try helping this big villain!

Since even a child had given something, Lin Chu couldn’t just pretend not to notice. She stood up and said, “Husband, wait a moment! I have something for you too!”

Yan Mingge’s expression remained calm, but his eyes lit up instantly.

Han Xiaobao shot the villain a disdainful look. He wanted his aunt to give him a keepsake before he went off to battle but was too embarrassed to ask. What a useless villain!

As Han Xiaobaozi thought about it, he became worried. He also missed his wife, but he was only five years old… and his wife was still in his mother-in-law’s belly!

Lin Chu hurried back to her room and looked around but couldn’t find anything suitable as a lucky charm for Yan Mingge.

Technically, since she was his wife, giving him a hairpin or a piece of jewelry wasn’t inappropriate, but that felt too sentimental.

Her gaze swept across the dressing table and landed on the thick copper mirror. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

She removed the mirror’s stand, keeping only the sturdy, plate-sized copper piece.

Battlefields were dangerous, and there was no guarantee of survival. So why not give him this copper mirror as a heart protector? That would be more practical!

When Yan Mingge saw his little wife rushing back, his eyes revealed a fleeting trace of joy. But when she proudly handed him the heavy copper mirror, his eyelid twitched.

Lin Chu noticed his lack of enthusiasm and explained, “Husband, use this as a heart protector. It’s thick enough—no sword or blade will cut through it.”

Yan Mingge stared at her for a moment before silently accepting the mirror. 

“…Thank you, dear wife.”

He left on horseback. Lin Chu walked him to the front gate. His armor was thick, and with the copper mirror tucked inside, he still looked as dignified and handsome as ever.

“Husband, the battlefield is dangerous. Be extra careful!” Lin Chu reminded him.

Hearing this, Yan Mingge’s expression finally softened with a hint of happiness. He looked at her and said, “Practice your handwriting well. If I come back and see no improvement, I’ll have to enforce the family rules.”

Family rules?

What family rules?!

Lin Chu was utterly confused.

She wanted to ask, but before she could, Yan Mingge had already flicked his horse’s reins and ridden away. She watched his departing figure, unaware of the subtle smile in her eyes.

With Yan Mingge gone, household chores like grocery shopping were handled by Jing He. Lin Chu rarely went out and spent most of her time practicing calligraphy.

She had assumed the battle at Jintong Pass would be over quickly, but ten days passed without any news from Yan Mingge.

Calculating the distance between Yao City and Jintong Pass, a round trip should take no more than three days.

On the eleventh day, she asked Jing He to gather news while out shopping.

But before Jing He returned, unexpected trouble arrived.

Li Jianye led a squad of soldiers, surrounding the estate. He shouted from the courtyard, “Capture all of Yan’s wives and concubines!”

Lin Chu had been practicing her writing when she heard the commotion. She immediately scooped up Han Xiaobao, hid him inside a cupboard, and rushed to the dressing table to grab a sharp hairpin, pinning it securely into her hair.

With a loud BANG!, the door was kicked open.

Li Jianye and his men barged in. Lin Chu glared at them and snapped, “Who are you? Barging into someone’s home like this—do you have no respect for the law?!”

Li Jianye’s eyes lit up when he saw Lin Chu. His gaze roamed over her face and figure several times before he licked his lips and sneered, 

“That Yan bastard is sure lucky—what a beautiful wife he has!”

Lin Chu’s grip on the hairpin tightened. “Since you know who my husband is, you’d better behave yourself!” 

She hoped Yan Mingge’s high standing with the city’s general would make Li Jianye hesitant to act.

But instead, Li Jianye threw his head back and laughed. “Your husband? That traitor who sided with the barbarians? The general is going to flay him alive! Little lady, you’d be better off following me and living a life of comfort!”