Turned out I am a Scheming Little Cannon Fodder

This was the first day he arrived at the Chu family, and the dinner was quite rich.

When he was in the living room before, Shen Ruo saw the steward bend over, and the Old Lady Chu whispered a few words in his ear, so it should be the Old Lady’s order.

Ever since they arrived at the Chu Mansion to the present, they had not been neglected, and Chu Xiao and the Old Lady had taken care of them. More or less, Shen Ruo’s uneasy heart had been relaxed at last.

Summer nights came late, and after dinner, the sky was not completely dark.

The flowers that could be seen outside the main building were blown and moved by the wind. The orange sunset was obliquely reflected on the windows, and the wind slowly blew in from the outside with the coolness of early summer, which was very comfortable and enjoyable.

Old Lady Chu was the elder and she was going to rest in a while, so she told Chu Xiao to take Shen Ruo around for a while, and then asked him to take them to their rooms. They came all the way from the Colossal Star, and they must be tired.

After the Old Lady left, Shen Ruo glanced at Chu Xiao. For a moment, he didn’t know where to put his hands and feet. He tried to calm himself down, and pressed his lips slightly, not knowing what to say.

Shen Ping saw this. The reason he brought Shen Ruo over this time was he wanted to ask the Chu family’s idea (on the marriage). Seeing that Chu Xiao was there, he thought about it, and decided to let Xiao Ruo get along with Chu Xiao first. It was not suitable for him to stay here.

So, Shen Ping said that he was a little tired, and Chu Xiao naturally wanted to take him to the room, but Shen Ping was slightly embarrassed and refused.

The Steward was very good at taking the hint. He opened his mouth at the right time, and took Shen Ping to the arranged room.

Before leaving, Shen Ping looked at Shen Ruo with a not-so-good-looking smile, uneasy and constrained, and the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes were obvious.

The meaning of that smile was obvious, because he wanted Shen Ruo to get along well with Chu Xiao.

After seeing it, Shen Ruo lowered his head slightly and covered his eyes with slightly longer bangs. It seemed that he was reluctant, but he couldn’t refuse, so he could only respond with silence.

Chu Xiao had a full view of the movements and expressions of the two men, but did not show any emotions, as if he didn’t know.

He smiled and asked Shen Ruo: “After dinner, you can go for a walk in the garden outside, which is good for your health.”

A magnetic voice with a smile, Shen Ruo raised his head subconsciously, and saw Chu Xiao looking at him, waiting patiently for an answer.

That peerless handsome face was full of gentle smiles, with a very patient appearance. Chu Xiao was very gentlemanly when they got along just now. He seemed to have a good temper and it seemed that he would not even be displeased even if he rejected him.

But Shen Ruo didn’t do that, he nodded slightly and agreed.

Perhaps, when looking at Chu Xiao, Shen Ruo clearly noticed that the smile on Chu Xiao’s face seemed to be bigger than before, and he seemed to be very happy.

The eyes of the two met for only a short time, but Shen Ruo knew that he was right.

Wearing a suit, Chu Xiao, who looked tall and thin, walked out together beside him.

Because of the obvious change in Chu Xiao’s smile just now, Shen Ruo had such a different emotion in his heart. Chu Xiao, he looked like a very good person.

Others had been radiating kindness to him. Shen Ruo naturally noticed it, and he responded, but he seemed to be silent all the time and didn’t laugh.

In this way, would Chu Xiao think that he was giving him attitude?

Thinking of this, Shen Ruo, who followed Chu Xiao to the garden, paused and suddenly was at a loss. He didn’t want this.

He raised his head nervously and looked at Chu Xiao who was two or three centimeters taller than him. Although he was two months younger than him, Chu Xiao was taller than him.

“What’s the matter?”

Seeing that Shen Ruo suddenly stopped, Chu Xiao also stopped, and asked him with a smile.

“It’s nothing.” Shen Ruo shook his head and replied in a relatively small voice. It was just that he was thinking too much just now. Chu Xiao probably didn’t look at him that way and he misunderstood him.

“The dinner is very good, thank you.”

Seeing Chu Xiao was still a little confused, Shen Ruo had to find a reason, but that was also what’s on his mind.

As he said, he raised the corners of his lips, his eyes were also unconsciously bent slightly, and he smiled gently towards Chu Xiao.

The breeze blew Shen Ruo’s long bangs to the side, revealing a little smooth white forehead, but what attracted Chu Xiao’s attention the most was that pair of his eyes. 

His eyes were clean and clear. They were slightly bent with a slight smile, and there seemed to be broken stars hidden in his eyes, with a little bit of radiance.

A pair of very beautiful eyes, the end of the eyes was slightly lower, it was that kind of dazzling beauty, but not aggressive.

Regardless of Shen Rou’s facial features or his face shape, it was actually not aggressive, even the kind that was able to withstand careful appreciation, delicate and beautiful, and he looked very soft and obedient with a smile.

“As long as you like it. There will be something more delicious tomorrow.”

Chu Xiao also smiled, and the slightly lower magnetic sound was very pleasant.

After taking Shen Ruo for a walk around on the path in the garden, Chu Xiao sent him back to the room very intimately.

Before leaving, Chu Xiao also told Shen Ruo that if there was anything in the room that he didn’t know how to use, he could directly ask the voice-controlled light brain in the room, or he could also find him.

After speaking on this topic, Chu Xiao remembered that they hadn’t exchanged light-brain contact information. He turned his head slightly, looking at Shen Ruo with a questioning look. He looked very good, and this kind of action was unexpectedly handsome.

Shen Ruo quickly looked away, but still lowered his head, and obediently turned on the light brain on his wrist, and exchanged contact information with Chu Xiao.

After Chu Xiao left, Shen Ruo watched the handsome and tall figure leave and gently closed the door.

Shen Ruo was indeed a little tired. After entering the bathroom, he fumbled and tried, and the ceiling of the bathroom sprinkled soft hot water.

After almost fumbling around for a while, Shen Ruo took a shower and put on clean pajamas and came out.

Even the guest room was much larger than his room, and the things inside looked brand new, clean and tidy.

After a glance at the layout, Shen Ruo went to bed.

The hair was already dried in the bathroom by hot air that was blown from the wall and ceiling at the same time. Not only the hair, but also the water drops on the body were dried, and there was no need to wipe it with a bath towel.

Lying on the bed, Shen Ruo turned off the headlight, leaving only the small lamp beside the bed, and the light in the room dimmed.

Looking at the ceiling, Shen Ruo slowly blinked his eyes, and his long bangs moved apart as he lay down, revealing his white forehead again.

In fact, the second aunt bought him new clothes before coming, but he didn’t wear them.

This year, Second Uncle’s family did not let him do the work on the farm, and Second Uncle smiled so constrained and uneasy at him throughout the journey. Shen Ruo knew that Second Uncle was guilty, guilty about sending him in such a hurry because there was no money at home.

Shen Yi recovered from a serious illness. Although there was a subsidy, they still had to spend a lot of money to see a doctor and Second Aunt had to go to take care of her after she became ill. There was no manpower to work at home, and their life was a bit difficult in the first half of the year.

Moreover, this year’s harvest was not good. The Ailuo cattle they raised got sick, and the entire herd was infected. It cost a lot of money to cure them.

Originally, they planned to depend on the harvest of the red rice to overcome the difficulties, but they didn’t expect a thunderstorm to make their efforts in the first half of the year to no avail. Only after the thunderstorm, the harvest would be whatever amount they collected.

In the second half of the year, Shen Yi and Shen Hong’s tuition fees were still to be paid, which was also a large sum of money. Shen Yi’s health was not good, and her nutrition could not be short of. When all these factors added up, Shen Ping and his wife finally thought of the Chu family, which was far away from Emperor Star.

Shen Ruo knew the plans of Second Uncle’s family. When he was ten years old, not only was Grandpa Chu gone, but his parents were also gone. The second uncle’s family raised him. Although sometimes they didn’t care about him as much as Shen Hong and Shen Yi, whether it was either food, drink, clothing or shelter, they provided him with all basic human needs   and had never treated him badly.

The two brother and sister, Shen Hong and Shen Yi also had a good relationship with Shen Ruo and they grew up together. So, even though he felt sad and had grievances about the matter of Second Uncle wanting to send him away, Shen Ruo didn’t say anything in the end.

However, Shen Ruo also had a temper. After living in the Colossal Star for so many years, he was a little reluctant to leave. It was also because of this reason that he needed money.

Actually, it was not that Shen hadn’t thought about Chu Xiao, who Grandpa Chu told about back then, but for eight years, the Chu family hadn’t contacted them. After growing up, Shen Ruo would naturally wonder that maybe the Chu family didn’t have this intention at all.

Rationally, Shen Rou could understand what and why his Second Uncle was doing. But, he would still be sad in the end. However, the resistance that an eighteen-year-old young YaRen that just came of age could make was that he did not wear the new clothes his second aunt bought for him and wore the clothes he usually wears and came here.

When he left the farm and got in the car, he saw in the rearview mirror that Second Aunt was covering her mouth, as if crying, but the car drove very fast. After turning the corner, he could no longer see the figures of Second Aunt and Shen Hong.

The small lamp beside the bed was turned off by Shen Ruo, and the room plunged into darkness. He rolled over very lightly, curled up under the quilt, found a more comfortable position for him, and told himself that it was time to sleep.

——

During the two days stay in the Chu family, the Old Lady Chu was kind and gentle. Chu Xiao also was a very patient gentleman, but he still had to go to school, and there was a month left before graduation.

However, after returning from school, he would always eat dinner with Shen Ruo and Shen Ping, together with the Old Lady Chu.

The other members of the Chu family were not there. The Old Lady Chu said that Chu Xiao’s father and mother happened to go to the frontline military headquarters, and it would take two months to come back.

Shen Ping became even more anxious when he heard this. So, after dinner the next day, Chu Xiao took Shen Ruo to the back of the Duke’s Mansion for a walk, and he went to find the Old Lady Chu.

Knowing that the situation in the Shen family was a bit difficult, the Old Lady Chu sighed, but she couldn’t make decisions. What’s more, since last year, the Chu family had already started preparing for the marriage of Chu Xiao. They just didn’t release the news or talk about it publicly. That’s it.

She couldn’t tell this to Shen Ping, so she could only call the steward and transferred Shen Ping a lot of credit points*. She could not be the master of the marriage, but when it comes to money, she could use a lot of money, which was enough to solve the Shen family’s current predicament.

*(T/N: 信用点 - Credit point, the currency in this novel) 

As for Shen Ruo, the Old Lady Chu hesitated and discussed with Shen Ping that if both Shen Ruo and Chu Xiao were willing, maybe they could get married.

After thinking about it, Shen Ping took such a large sum of money from the Chu family. Although the money was nothing in the Old Lady Chu’s eyes, it was not known if Shen Ping was uneasy, in the end, he left Shen Ruo in the Chu family.

If Xiao Ruo and Chu Xiao get along well for a period of time, both of them would be willing to follow the verbal contract of the old Duke Chu back then, maybe it would be just like the Old Lady said.

On the third morning, Shen Ping was about to leave. There was still work to do at home.

“Xiao Ruo, Second Uncle is leaving.” Shen Ping didn’t have the face to look at Shen Ruo’s eyes; his face was full of apologies. He hesitated, but still whispered, “If you don’t like Chu Xiao and want to go home, just send a message to Second Uncle, and Second Uncle will come to pick you up.”

Shen Ping felt guilty, and his wrinkled face looked older.

“I know, Second Uncle. You must pay attention to safety on the road.”

Shen Ruo was silent for a while before speaking. When he looked at Shen Ping and said that, there was a pale blue color under his eyes and his face looked a little tired. He seemed like he didn’t sleep well last night.

“Second Uncle knows. You go back, Xiao Ruo. Remember not to treat yourself badly.”

The more Shen Ping said, the guiltier he became, and his eyes became sore. After he finished talking to Shen Ruo, he got into the car that the Chu family prepared for him.

The hover car drove away, getting farther and farther, and Shen Ping saw Shen Ruo’s figure in the rearview mirror, standing there for a long time without moving.

Shen Ruo was thin, standing alone on the side of the road, looking a little lonely.

Shen Ping couldn’t hold back, lowered his head and rubbed his eyes.

XXXXX

T/N: Hi, everyone!

How have you been?

I'm really sorry about not being able to update or notify you about it last month.

I was really unwell and didn't even have energy to care about it. But I'll be able to slowly start updating new chapters. So, please be patient with me!

Also, I have decided to make a 'Message Board' page and will post messages there if I were to be absent for a long time like this time in the future. I'll surely leave a message there. So, please check there if I were to disappear or absent for a long time  and feel free to leave messages and suggestions there. (Though there is nothing there now.)

Anyway, I am sorry for making you wait and thank you for reading this. 

I hope you enjoy the translations here and remember to support the original authors.

Everyone, please take care and rest well.

Health is indeed Wealth, especially at times like right now.

I wish you all the best.

Have a nice day.

MiokiMidori.