Chapter 35 - The Cannon Fodder Little Fulang [Quick Transmigration]

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Chapter 35

 

 

Wu Bai spent a long time explaining to his elder brother, finally convincing him that he had no feelings for Hai Qing. Wiping away nonexistent sweat from his forehead, he let out a silent sigh of relief.

 

Xiao Zimo and Father Wu, who had been listening from the side, also quietly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Bai-ger didn't fancy that Hai Qing, all was well.

 

Father Wu had raised Wu Bai on his own ever since his fulang passed away two years after giving birth to the child. If Wu Bai had truly set his heart on Hai Qing and insisted on marrying him, Father Wu wouldn't have known what to do. If he refused, he feared ruining Bai-ger's happiness. If he agreed, and Bai-ger later lived an unhappy life, how could he ever face his late fulang in the afterlife?

 

Because of Hai Qing, the conversation drifted to other topics. Neither Father Wu nor Wu Bai's elder brother pressed him further about whom he actually liked. To them, as long as it wasn't Hai Qing, any other young man in the village would be a decent choice.

 

Though Hai Zan was more capable than most, Bai-ger had made it clear he wasn't interested, and they couldn't force it. Still, it felt like a bit of a shame.

 

At noon the next day, Father Wu and his elder son came home for lunch. Wu Bai took the chance to ask about Hai Zan and learned that he, too, would be home for his midday meal.

 

The sun was scorching at midday, so after eating, most people would rest until the heat lessened before going out again.

 

After finishing his meal and tidying up, Wu Bai headed out. He had decided to clear things up with Hai Zan as soon as possible—dragging it out wasn't a solution.

 

Inside the house, Xiao Zimo glanced up from his medical book, watching through the window as Wu Bai left. His gaze flickered, then dropped back to the pages, though his thoughts were elsewhere.

 

Upon arriving at Hai Zan's house, Wu Bai found the courtyard gate open. He called out to Hai Zhu, who quickly came to meet him with a bright smile.

 

"Bai-ger, what brings you here today?" Hai Zhu asked cheerfully.

 

"I'm here to see your brother. Can you call him for me?" Wu Bai replied.

 

"Sure! Wait here, I'll get him right away," Hai Zhu said happily, hurrying back inside to find Hai Zan.

 

As soon as Hai Zan heard that Wu Bai was looking for him, he rushed out of the house, barely able to contain his excitement.

 

"Bai-ger…" He greeted Wu Bai, his voice carrying a hint of shyness.

 

Seeing that Hai Zan had come out, Wu Bai got straight to the point. "I need to talk to you. This isn't a good place for it—let's go over there." He gestured toward a large tree not far away.

 

With that, he turned and walked toward the tree.

 

Though the tree stood near Hai Zan's house, its surroundings were open, not exactly a secluded spot. There was little risk of anyone misunderstanding their meeting.

 

"What did you want to talk about?" Hai Zan asked once they were beneath the tree's shade.

 

Unbeknownst to them, two people were watching from the Hai family's courtyard—Hai Zhu and Hai Shi.

 

Wu Bai didn't beat around the bush. "Brother Zan, I came here today to be clear with you. There is no fate between us. I hope you can move on and find your own happiness instead of placing your hopes on me."

 

Hai Zan was stunned into silence.

 

"Why?" he asked after a moment, disbelief in his voice. "Am I not good enough?"

 

"No, Brother Zan, you don't need to doubt yourself," Wu Bai replied gently. "It's not about you. It's about me—I already have someone I like. I don't want to lead you on or waste your time. You deserve to be with someone who truly reciprocates your feelings."

 

Hai Zan fell silent again. After a long pause, he murmured, "Can you tell me who it is?"

 

If the man Wu Bai liked was truly better than him, then he would give up.

 

Wu Bai hesitated briefly but then nodded and told him.

 

When Hai Zan heard the name "Xiao Mo," his mind immediately conjured up the image of the man he had once seen at the Wu family's house. Indeed, the man was handsome, refined, and well-educated—far superior to himself. No wonder Bai-ger liked him.

 

Still, Hai Zan couldn't help but ask, "But Xiao Mo doesn't seem to have lost his memory, and his background must be exceptional. Are you sure he would ever like you back? What if he doesn't? What will you do then? Stay single for the rest of your life?"

 

On this matter, Wu Bai had no doubts. He and Xiao Zimo had already shared two lifetimes together. He had complete confidence in the man. Meeting Hai Zan's gaze, he answered firmly, "You don't need to worry about that."

 

Seeing how much trust Wu Bai had in Xiao Mo, Hai Zan felt bitter. Dazed, he turned and walked back home.

 

Hai Zhu noticed that something was off with his brother and hurried over to ask him what had happened. In his distraction, Hai Zan didn't see that Hai Shi had quietly slipped out the door.

 

Meanwhile, Wu Bai watched Hai Zan leave, knowing the other man needed time to process everything. With nothing more to say, he turned to head home.

 

As he walked along the path back, a figure suddenly stepped out, blocking his way.

 

It was Hai Qing.

 

With a grin, Hai Qing strolled toward him, his voice dripping with familiarity. "Bai-ger, long time no see."

 

Wu Bai had no interest in entertaining him. He immediately took a step back, putting distance between them, and turned to walk home via another route. This was a village, after all—there was no fixed path one had to take, and any of the small roads would lead home.

 

Seeing Wu Bai avoid him as if he were some venomous creature, Hai Qing's face twisted in anger. His false smile vanished instantly, replaced by a furious scowl. He strode forward, reaching out to grab Wu Bai's wrist.

 

But Wu Bai had been on guard. There was no way he would let Hai Qing touch him so easily. Without hesitation, he turned on his heel and bolted.

 

However, his body was naturally more delicate, and it wasn't long before Hai Qing, with his longer strides, caught up to him.

 

Just as Hai Qing closed in, ready to corner him once more, a shadow lunged from the side. A fist came flying straight at Hai Qing's face. Taken completely by surprise, Hai Qing had no time to react. The punch landed squarely, sending pain exploding across his jaw.

 

Wu Bai blinked in shock. When he looked closely, he realized the one who had struck Hai Qing was none other than Hai Shi.

 

Hai Qing reeled from the blow, touching his bruised lip with a dark expression. His shock quickly morphed into rage. With a curse, he launched himself at Hai Shi, and the two men began brawling.

 

Wu Bai rolled his eyes at the ridiculous scene and promptly turned to leave. He had no intention of interfering. Let them tear each other apart for all he cared.

 

Hai Shi had originally stepped in hoping to earn some favor from Wu Bai, perhaps leaving an impression of heroism. But when he saw Wu Bai walking away without a second glance, he panicked. He wanted to shake off Hai Qing and chase after Wu Bai, but Hai Qing, now furious at being punched out of nowhere, refused to let go. Taking advantage of Hai Shi's distraction, Hai Qing landed several blows to his face.

 

With his face aching from the punches, Hai Shi quickly abandoned thoughts of Wu Bai and focused entirely on his fight with Hai Qing. The two men wrestled and tumbled across the dirt, neither willing to let the other go, until they were both exhausted.

 

By then, the villagers of Haining began emerging from their homes, taking advantage of the cooler afternoon sun to head toward the shore for fishing.

 

As Hai Qing and Hai Shi dragged themselves home, still covered in bruises, they encountered several villagers along the way. Many stopped to ask about their battered appearances.

 

Of course, Hai Qing and Hai Shi lived in different parts of the village, so they encountered different groups of people.

 

Hai Qing, knowing full well that he had been beaten because he had tried to harass Wu Bai, didn't dare to tell the truth. When he arrived home, his family bombarded him with questions, but he only muttered that he had fallen. He knew that if anyone found out the real reason, they would blame him. He may have been a troublemaker, but he wasn't stupid—at least, not when it came to saving his own skin.

 

On the other hand, when Hai Shi returned to Hai Zhu's home, the family also asked about his bruises. He didn't dare tell the truth either. If the Hai family found out that he had dared to covet Wu Bai, it would spell disaster for him. He was well aware of Hai Zan's feelings for Wu Bai.

 

Since Hai Shi had been too far away to hear Wu Bai's earlier conversation with Hai Zan, he remained completely oblivious to the fact that Wu Bai had already rejected Hai Zan.

 

Faced with the Hai family's questioning, Hai Shi chose to lie. He claimed he had fallen by accident, fearing that the truth would get him kicked out. After all, with his amnesia rendering him a man without a past, he was entirely dependent on the Hai family for shelter.

 

However, despite both men choosing to lie, Hai Shi was nowhere near as fortunate as Hai Qing.

 

Hai Qing was his family's only son, the cherished heir. When his parents saw his swollen face, his ger-mother immediately killed a chicken to prepare a nourishing meal for him.

 

Hai Shi, on the other hand, received no such treatment. On the contrary, the Hai family scolded him for wandering about recklessly—if he had stayed put, he wouldn't have gotten hurt. Since his rescue, he had already cost the family a significant sum in medicine, and now he had managed to injure himself again. Was he trying to squander their wealth?

 

As a result, Father Hai merely gave him a leftover bottle of bruise and injury ointment that the family usually used for themselves. He simply applied some to Hai Shi's face and considered it enough.

 

Seeing how distressed they were over even that small amount of medicine, Hai Shi gritted his teeth and bore the sting of the balm in silence. But deep in his heart, resentment toward the Hai family began to take root.

 

Once Hai Shi had applied the balm, Hai Zan finally returned to his room. He had been in low spirits ever since Wu Bai had rejected him, his face clouded with frustration and unhappiness.

 

But in Hai Shi's eyes, Hai Zan's sullen mood wasn't because of Wu Bai's rejection—it was because of him.

 

Hai Shi clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. He would make Wu Bai his, no matter what.

 

Before, he had harbored a sliver of guilt toward Hai Zan. But now, that guilt had vanished entirely.

 

He wanted nothing more than to see Hai Zan's face twisted with regret and pain when he took Wu Bai for himself.

 

The thought alone made the pain on his face seem trivial. After all, these wounds had been sustained for Wu Bai's sake.

 

Hai Shi brushed his fingers over his bruised face and smirked. He had already thought of the perfect excuse to get close to Wu Bai.

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