Chapter 41 - The Cannon Fodder Little Fulang [Quick Transmigration]

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Chapter 41

 

 

Xiao Zimo instructed his subordinates not to disturb him, yet they effortlessly tracked down his whereabouts. However, they adhered to his orders, refraining from appearing before him or disrupting his life. After confirming that his safety was assured, they silently withdrew from Haining Village and returned to Yangjiang Province to continue investigating the tasks Xiao Zimo had previously assigned them.

 

Ever since Wu Bai and the others returned from the provincial city last time, the Hai family had learned news about their son. Knowing that he was doing well put their hearts at ease. When they heard from Hai Zhu that their son would one day bring home a fulang from the city, they felt even more reassured.

 

Day by day, life passed peacefully and uneventfully.

 

Since learning that his elder brother would find him a ger even better than Wu Bai, Hai Zhu had completely let go of his previous resentment over Wu Bai rejecting his brother. However, he no longer sought Wu Bai out as frequently as before to share his thoughts.

 

One day, Wu Bai and Xiao Zimo went to the shore to deliver a meal to Father Wu and the others, only to coincidentally run into Hai Zhu and Hai Shi. They, too, were bringing food for Father Hai.

 

The two parties exchanged greetings as usual, but this time, after greeting Wu Bai, Hai Zhu did not linger to chat. Instead, he continued walking side by side with Hai Shi, even quickening his pace to leave Wu Bai and Xiao Zimo behind.

 

"Don't you think something's off between those two?" Wu Bai turned to Xiao Zimo and asked.

 

"Off?" Xiao Zimo mused. "Now that you mention it, maybe a little. But I wasn't really paying attention to them—I was too busy looking at you."

 

Wu Bai's face instantly flushed red.

 

Seeing his reaction, Xiao Zimo suddenly recalled something and said, "I know what's different about them. They're probably feeling the same way about each other as we do."

 

Wu Bai thought back to the way Hai Zhu's gaze had flitted nervously when he looked at Hai Shi, and how awkwardly tense he had been upon seeing them. Then he glanced at the two figures ahead, walking closer and closer together. There was no doubt—Xiao Zimo's guess was right.

 

But did Hai Shi truly care for Hai Zhu? Judging by Hai Zhu's reaction, he seemed to genuinely like Hai Shi. However, Wu Bai needed to make sure Hai Zhu wasn't being deceived, just as the original Wu Bai had been.

 

With that in mind, Wu Bai asked Xiao Zimo to help him observe Hai Shi's intentions.

 

Xiao Zimo recalled that Hai Shi had once harbored feelings for Wu Bai, yet when they visited the city, he had gazed at Tang Ling with infatuation. And now, he had seemingly set his sights on Hai Zhu? The whole thing felt unreliable. Without hesitation, Xiao Zimo agreed to Wu Bai's request.

 

Following closely behind, the two arrived at the shore, where Hai Zhu and Hai Shi had already set out food for and were seated nearby, eating their own meal.

 

Ever since learning that his eldest son would one day bring home a fulang from the city, Father Hai had stopped worrying about Hai Zan's marriage. His focus had now shifted to Hai Zhu's future. Lately, seeing how well Hai Zhu and Hai Shi got along, he felt at ease. With both his sons' marriages seemingly settled, he was in high spirits.

 

Wu Bai and Xiao Zimo each prepared a meal for Father Wu and Brother Wu, handing the bowls over so they could eat first.

 

Then Xiao Zimo scooped up another portion and passed it to Wu Bai, who took it without a second thought. Their movements were natural, harmonious.

 

This small exchange did not go unnoticed by those around them. Many villagers sighed inwardly—Wu Bai and Hai Zan had not been fated to be together. They had watched the two grow up side by side, always believing they would one day become a couple. But now, one had gone to the city for work, with Father Hai claiming he intended to find a fulang there, while Wu Bai seemed to have set his heart on the man he had saved, Xiao Zimo.

 

Wu Bai pretended not to hear the murmured gossip. Instead, he and Xiao Zimo continued eating while discreetly observing Hai Shi, trying to discern his true feelings for Hai Zhu.

 

However, at the moment, the other two were simply focused on their meal, revealing nothing.

 

Once everyone had finished eating, Hai Zhu took the bowls down to the water by the rocks to wash them. But as he stood up too quickly, he lost his balance and nearly fell. Luckily, Brother Wu reacted swiftly, catching him just in time. Otherwise, he would have fallen face-first onto the jagged rocks.

 

The rocks were uneven and sharp, and with the way Hai Zhu had been falling forward, he would have undoubtedly injured his face.

 

Realizing this, Hai Zhu instinctively turned to look at Hai Shi, only to find that he wasn't even paying attention. A flicker of disappointment crossed his expression, but he quickly brushed it aside. He hadn't actually been hurt, so why did it matter? Shaking his head, he pushed the thought away.

 

Wu Bai, however, saw everything. His heart sank.

 

Hai Shi had clearly witnessed Hai Zhu's near fall, yet he had deliberately looked away before Hai Zhu could meet his eyes, pretending not to have seen anything. And now, he was acting as if nothing had happened, walking home alongside Hai Zhu as usual.

 

On the way back, Wu Bai relayed what he had seen to Xiao Zimo.

 

"What do you think we should do?" Wu Bai asked, frowning. "We can't just let Hai Zhu keep being deceived by Hai Shi."

 

"Don't be too hasty," Xiao Zimo reassured him. "A person can pretend for a while, but not forever. If even we can see through him, then he's definitely not a patient man. He's staying at Hai Zhu's house right now, likely trying to gain something from him. We just need to keep an eye on that. I don't believe he won't slip up eventually."

 

"You have a point," Wu Bai admitted, "but I'm worried that he'll trick Hai Zhu into... you know..." His voice trailed off awkwardly.

 

Understanding his concern, Xiao Zimo smirked slightly. "Don't worry. Hai Shi is living under Hai Zhu's roof, and Mother Hai is still around. He wouldn't dare make a move. Besides, he's unfamiliar with the village. If he does something reckless and word gets out, the Hai Family will throw him out without a second thought. He won't take that risk."

 

Even so, Wu Bai still looked uneasy.

 

"Alright," Xiao Zimo added, "stop overthinking it. Our priority is to figure out what Hai Shi's real motives are and let Hai Zhu know the truth. That way, he can break free of Hai Shi's deception as soon as possible."

 

Hearing this, Wu Bai finally felt somewhat relieved.

 

A few more days passed, yet Wu Bai still had no solid leads. Meanwhile, he watched as Hai Zhu and Hai Shi grew ever closer—especially the way Hai Zhu gazed at Hai Shi, eyes filled with admiration and longing.

 

That day, Xiao Zimo suddenly proposed another trip to the city. He wanted to check at the bookstore where he had sent his last letter, to see if his family had responded or if they had sent someone looking for him.

 

No one objected to this reason. However, Father Wu and Brother Wu couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy. If Xiao Zimo's family really did come for him, what would become of Bai-ger?

 

So when Xiao Zimo suggested taking Wu Bai along, they all agreed. At the very least, they wanted the two of them to spend more time together.

 

Since they had already made the trip once before, Father Wu and Brother Wu felt relatively reassured and did not insist that Brother Wu accompany them this time.

 

As a result, unlike their previous visit, Father Wu did not inform the neighbors that the two were heading to the city.

 

The next morning, Wu Bai woke early and prepared a large breakfast. He also simmered a fish over low heat in the pot—this was for Father Wu and Brother Wu's lunch. Since he had made extra breakfast, they could simply reheat it later and pair it with the fish soup for a complete meal.

 

After breakfast, Father Wu locked the door and headed toward the shore with Brother Wu, carrying their fishing nets and tools. Meanwhile, Wu Bai and Xiao Zimo made their way to the village entrance.

 

Along the way, Wu Bai ran into a few villagers. They exchanged brief greetings before going their separate ways. None of them suspected that Wu Bai and Xiao Zimo were heading to the city—after all, Wu Bai had just gone a few days ago. Who would expect him to make another trip so soon? So, they didn't ask any questions and simply went about their day.

 

Since no one inquired, Wu Bai saw no need to bring it up himself. Announcing his trip would feel like boasting, and he had no interest in such trivial vanity.

 

In truth, Xiao Zimo's real reason for visiting the city was to check in with his subordinates—he wanted to see how his affairs were progressing and give new instructions.

 

As for why he insisted on bringing Wu Bai along?

 

Well, after spending this time together, he knew for certain—he had fallen for Wu Bai. Once he wrapped up his current business, he intended to marry him.

 

To avoid any resentment in the future, he decided to come clean about his identity. He trusted Wu Bai enough to believe he wouldn't expose his secret, though even he wasn't sure where this confidence stemmed from.

 

After revealing everything, Xiao Zimo nervously watched Wu Bai's expression, worried that he might be angry about the deception.

 

"So your name is actually Xiao Zimo, not Xiao Mo?" Wu Bai's face was filled with sudden realization.

 

Xiao Zimo was momentarily stunned—he hadn't expected Wu Bai's main concern to be his name. But regardless, as long as Wu Bai wasn't angry, he was relieved. He quickly nodded, "Yes, my real name is Xiao Zimo."

 

"Well, your naming skills leave much to be desired. Changing 'Xiao Zimo' to 'Xiao Mo' is barely an alias. Lucky for you, I was the one you fooled. If it had been an enemy, they'd have figured you out in no time," Wu Bai teased.

 

Xiao Zimo chuckled. "You're right, Bai-ger. Next time, I'll come up with something more elaborate."

 

"Oh? And what grand name do you have in mind?" Wu Bai asked with a smirk.

 

"How about Mo Zixiao?" Xiao Zimo looked at him expectantly, hoping for some praise.

 

Wu Bai pressed a hand to his forehead before sighing. "Have you forgotten you have another identity?"

 

Xiao Zimo blinked. "What identity?"

 

"A scholar! You're a scholar! And this is the best name you could come up with? Xiao Zimo and Mo Zixiao—what's the difference? Do you think people are fools?" Wu Bai said helplessly.

 

"There is a difference! I mean, I did manage to fool you before, didn't I? You really believed my name was Xiao Mo," Xiao Zimo teased, deliberately provoking him.

 

"Oh, so you tricked me, and now you're proud of it? Xiao Zimo, you get back here!" Wu Bai shouted, chasing after him.

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