Cannon Fodder – Chapter 17 – Be Good, Come Down From the Rooftop First

No no no no no!

Su Tao’s breathing became rapid as she stared intently at the newly arrived WeChat message.

Waiting for her on the rooftop?

In such heavy wind and rain!

She desperately hoped this was just Chi Xiaocheng’s prank.

In weather like this, with Chi Xiaocheng’s frail health being exposed to the rain for so long… she didn’t even dare imagine the consequences!

At that moment, Ye Liang walked over and noticed Su Tao’s unusual expression. Concerned, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Su Tao glanced at him, her thin lips trembling as she made up an excuse, “Xiaocheng got caught in the rain outside and can’t get back. She wants me to bring her an umbrella.”

Ye Liang scoffed. “She should just wait it out. With this storm, forget about people, even cars can barely move. You want to go deliver an umbrella?”

He glanced at Su Tao’s slender figure hidden beneath her skirt. “The wind would blow you away along with the umbrella.” Shrugging, he added, “Just let her fend for herself. The event is about to start. Let’s head in.”

“You… wait for me a moment.” Su Tao still couldn’t relax. Holding her phone, she stepped aside. “I need to make a call.”

Without delay, she dialed Chi Xiaocheng’s WeChat voice call.

Before she could even hear Chi Xiaocheng’s voice, her ears were filled with the howling wind and relentless pounding of rain.

The occasional thunderclap made Su Tao realize that Chi Xiaocheng was definitely not indoors.

She was on the rooftop!

Su Tao panicked and urgently called out, “Xiaocheng! Xiaocheng, can you hear me?”

Meanwhile, under a makeshift shelter on the rooftop, Chi Xiaocheng heard Su Tao’s anxious voice and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

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This was the charm of the story’s female lead.

Even though she herself was just a cannon-fodder side character.

Even though she had done many terrible things to Su Tao.

Su Tao still embraced her with unconditional care and trust.

Having been betrayed twice by girlfriends in her past life, Chi Xiaocheng deeply cherished this storm-like outpouring of concern.

Her acting continued flawlessly as she replied in an eerily calm tone, “I can hear you, Tao-Tao. What’s wrong?”

Back in the cruise ship’s lobby, Su Tao exhaled in relief but still pressed urgently, “Xiaocheng, I can’t get back so soon. Please come down first, okay? The rooftop is dangerous with this wind and rain!”

Yet Chi Xiaocheng seemed to only latch onto one part of her words. “Come down?”

“Yes.” Su Tao missed the subtext and softened her tone, realizing her earlier urgency. “Go back to your dorm, take a hot shower, and rest. Whatever you want to talk about, we can discuss it when I get back, okay? I should be back by 11.”

“But we agreed I’d wait for you here. We made a promise, didn’t we?”

Su Tao immediately recognized that Chi Xiaocheng had slipped back into that strange state from the basement incident.

Whether this was her true nature or a temporary condition, perhaps even a mental illness, Su Tao didn’t have time to ponder.

Keeping her voice steady, she coaxed, “We can talk anywhere. When I get back, I’ll listen carefully to everything you want to say. We’ll have a proper conversation then.”

“What should we talk about?” Chi Xiaocheng asked again.

Su Tao bit her lip, stealing a glance at Ye Liang in the distance before lowering her voice. “About… how you like me. I have a lot I want to say too. So please, be good and wait for me inside.”

“Then I’ll wait here. After all, we promised.”

How was that the same in this downpour?!

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When gentleness failed, Su Tao had no choice but to be firm.

“Xiaocheng, listen to me. Come down from the rooftop first. If you don’t, I won’t come back, and we won’t talk at all.”

It had always worked when they were younger.

Whenever she adopted this stern tone, no matter how unruly Chi Xiaocheng was acting, she’d obediently comply.

Chi Xiaocheng was occasionally mischievous but mostly well-behaved. This time would be no different.

Hearing Su Tao’s serious tone, Chi Xiaocheng’s voice softened just like before, tinged with a hint of grievance. “Fine… I’ll listen to you.”

“Good girl! Come down first. I promise I’ll be back soon!”

Finally, Su Tao breathed a sigh of relief.

Over the past two months, constant conflicts with Chi Xiaocheng had kept them apart.

She had no idea what had happened.

It must have been those so-called “friends” of hers who corrupted Xiaocheng!

Once this banquet was over, she could finally sit down and talk properly with Xiaocheng.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Chi Xiaocheng’s voice came through the call again, now accompanied by the rain. “If I come down from the rooftop… will Tao-Tao really come back?”

“Of course.” Su Tao’s tone softened again. “I’d never lie to you.”

“Okay!”

Chi Xiaocheng’s voice brightened slightly.

The conversation seemed to end there, but the call didn’t disconnect. Su Tao wanted to confirm that the rain sounds would fade, signaling Chi Xiaocheng’s return indoors.

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Yet as she listened, the rain showed no signs of lessening.

There was no indication of moving inside.

After a long pause, Chi Xiaocheng’s voice returned, now devoid of emotion, yet still soft.

“If I come down from the rooftop, Tao-Tao will come back.”

“The 14th floor… is quite high.”

Su Tao froze.

“Xiaocheng!!”

Belatedly realizing, she screamed without care for her image.

“Beep—beep—beep—”

The call had already ended.

Frantically, she redialed, but the call wouldn’t connect.

“Su Tao, are you done? The event is starting. We need to head to the exhibition hall inside the cruise.”

Ye Liang approached but found Su Tao in disarray, her face etched with panic.

Unable to reach Chi Xiaocheng via WeChat or phone, Su Tao lost all composure.

Her mind conjured images of Chi Xiaocheng and her phone plummeting from the 14th floor.

The phone shattering into pieces.

And the person….

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She couldn’t bear to continue the thought and immediately turned to Ye Liang. “Ye Liang, I—I need to go back to campus. I can’t stay for the banquet. Can you take me back?”

Ye Liang frowned. The irritation that had been simmering since their car ride finally surfaced. “Su Tao, what are you saying? This banquet is crucial for me. I even invited my family for you. The main event is about to start, and you want to leave? For what?”

“Xiaocheng is in danger! I have to go back!”

Su Tao knew there was no time for lengthy explanations. She stated her purpose directly.

It would take half an hour to drive back to campus.

She needed help!

But—

Ye Liang’s displeasure erupted.

He had never liked Chi Xiaocheng. Her earlier antics had annoyed him endlessly. Then she kidnapped Su Tao to the basement, ruining his reputation at the last banquet and nearly getting Su Tao hurt.

Now she was causing trouble again.

His fists clenched involuntarily as he raised his chin imperiously, his face dark. “Chi Xiaocheng, Chi Xiaocheng, it’s always Chi Xiaocheng! After everything she’s done to you, why do you still care about her?!”

His tone was sharp, domineering ¹ I hate this word and I hate everything Liang stands for , and unyielding, as always.

The aura of a young master groomed by a powerful family, accustomed to authority, surged forth like the thunder outside.

This approach had cowed not just ordinary girls but even seasoned leaders who knew of the Ye family’s influence.

Many times, just a slight hardening of Ye Liang’s voice had been enough to make Su Tao shrink back in concession.

But this time, Ye Liang noticed something different.

The stubborn girl before him had eyes filled with unwavering resolve.