Cannon Fodder – Chapter 18 – To Me, She Is More Important Than You

If it were any other time, Ye Liang would have admired Su Tao’s display of determination and her refusal to comply with unreasonable demands. It made her stand out from other girls in his eyes.

But now!

Her defiance was all for Chi Xiaocheng’s sake, and Ye Liang hated it.

Yet, because it was Su Tao, he suppressed his anger, though his voice grew colder. “Su Tao, do you even realize what you’re saying? For this banquet, I invited my parents from the capital. Countless family businesses are watching. Do you know why I asked you to dress so formally?”

“Because I wanted them to meet you. I wanted to pave the way for you, to lift you out of your ordinary civilian status so you’d never have to suffer disrespect because of your background again!”

“Time, effort, connections, money, countless resources went into this. And now you’re telling me that because of Chi Xiaocheng, you’re going to leave right as the event begins?”

His words grew heavier with each sentence, hoping to see Su Tao falter.

But the reaction he expected never came.

Su Tao’s gaze remained calm, utterly unmoved by his words. Her tone was firm. “Ye Liang, I appreciate everything you’ve prepared for me, and I understand what you’ve sacrificed. But have you ever considered whether I actually wanted any of this? I told you long ago. I don’t care about your money or power. Right now, Xiaocheng is in danger. I have to go back!”

“Heh!” Ye Liang pressed a hand to his forehead and laughed. “You know how much I despise that Chi Xiaocheng, yet you still want me to drive you back?”

“Heh… Hahahaha!”

Ye Liang burst into loud laughter before suddenly stepping closer to Su Tao, his presence oppressive like a mountain. “Have you forgotten how Chi Xiaocheng has treated you these past few months?!”

His voice was low, yet it carried the force of a roar.

“I’ve never treated you poorly, have I? I’ve given you everything you wanted, devoted myself entirely to you. And in your eyes, am I still not as important as Chi Xiaocheng?!”

Su Tao met his gaze without a trace of fear.

After exhaling softly and closing her eyes, she seemed to make a decision.

She took a small step back, lifting her skirt with one hand and pressing the other to the neckline of her dress before bowing slightly. “Ye Liang, I truly am grateful for everything you’ve done for me. I don’t know what the future holds, but right now—”

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She raised her head, her striking eyes filled with resolve. “To me, Xiaocheng is more important than you.”

“I’m sorry for embarrassing you today. I’ll apologize properly and make it up to you later. But for now, I won’t trouble you any further.”

Without hesitation, she turned away, her skirt swirling under the lights as she walked off.

Pulling out her phone, she prayed she could still hail a taxi in this storm.

But she had barely taken a step before Ye Liang grabbed her wrist.

She turned to see his darkened expression as he demanded, “Why… Why is she more important to you than I am?!”

She was just some worthless woman.

She had targeted Su Tao, spread rumors about her, humiliated her in public, even instigated others to hurt her. And in the end, she had gone as far as kidnapping her.

Who could possibly forgive that?

Why?

If it were Dongfang Yang or Si Chen, fine, Ye Liang could admit they were worthy rivals.

But Chi Xiaocheng? A woman? What right did she have to make Su Tao care so much?

Ye Liang stared intently into Su Tao’s eyes, desperate to understand her thoughts.

In response, Su Tao’s gaze softened with a trace of nostalgia.

Quietly, she said, “You’ve been by my side for a few months, and I’m grateful. But Xiaocheng has been with me for over a decade.” ¹ Yay for common sense!!!!!

Deep down, she still believed Chi Xiaocheng’s recent rebellious phase could be corrected.

With that, she shook off Ye Liang’s grip and hurried toward the exit.

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She dialed Chi Xiaocheng’s number again, only to hear the same automated message: The number you have dialed is currently switched off.

Just then, a whistle sounded nearby.

“You’re not seriously planning to go back like this, are you?”

Su Tao glanced over to see Dongfang Yang twirling a keychain around his finger as he approached. “I don’t know what’s going on, but having a car would help, right?”

Su Tao pressed her lips together, the tension in her face easing slightly. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. This banquet was boring anyway. There’s an umbrella by the entrance. Wait outside the yacht, and I’ll bring the car around from the garage.”

“Okay!”

Su Tao didn’t say more. Dongfang Yang’s help had already eased her worries.

She strode out of the hall without so much as a backward glance.

Unbeknownst to her, Ye Liang, after his burst of anger, stood frozen in place, as if his soul had left him.

Soon, she braved the storm and got into the car. Though the roads were slightly flooded, it didn’t hinder their movement.

Dongfang Yang, seated in the driver’s seat, asked, “Where to?”

“Back to school.”

Vroom—

The roar of the sports car blended with the thunder as they sped off.

“By the way, what exactly happened? Did something happen to Chi Xiaocheng?”

Dongfang Yang shared Ye Liang’s confusion.

After everything Chi Xiaocheng had done, how could Su Tao still care so much about her?

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What could have happened to make her so desperate to return?

Su Tao sat silently in the passenger seat, unsure whether to tell Dongfang Yang the truth.

Saying that Chi Xiaocheng had been waiting for her on the school rooftop in the rain for an hour and might now be attempting suicide was too shocking.

She had seemed completely normal during the afternoon basketball game. If Su Tao tried to explain her strange behavior now, people might think she was mentally ill.

After a moment of hesitation, she asked, “Dongfang Yang, what do you think could cause someone’s personality to change drastically and become extremely unstable?”

Dongfang Yang glanced at her but didn’t pry. After some thought, he replied, “Probably something traumatic. Or maybe an underlying mental illness, or something like a second personality.”

Su Tao nodded but said nothing more.

She pulled out her phone, messaging anyone she knew who might still be at school, asking if they could check the rooftop.

At the same time, she scrolled through the school’s forum. The fact that there were no posts about someone jumping off a building gave her some relief.

But her anxiety remained.

Ten minutes later, the car stopped.

Horns blared from all directions, and flashing headlights filled the windows.

Dongfang Yang frowned and hit the steering wheel in frustration. “Traffic jam. No idea what’s going on ahead, but with this rain, it’s probably an accident.”

The roads weren’t flooded, yet they’d still run into trouble.

Su Tao’s first thought was to turn around and take a different route, but a glance in the rearview mirror revealed a sea of headlights behind them through the misty rain.

They were completely stuck.

Dongfang Yang exhaled and turned to Su Tao. “Is it urgent?”

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Su Tao nodded seriously. “If I’m too late, Xiaocheng’s life might be in danger!”

For all she knew, it already was.

She just didn’t dare entertain the thought.

Dongfang Yang sucked in a sharp breath. He studied her face before asking, “Can you drive?”

“I failed my third road test.”

“As long as you can move the car, it’s enough. No one would dare hit this car with this license plate anyway. Wait here, I’ll grab a bike and go ahead.”

Given the urgency and the fact that Chi Xiaocheng couldn’t be reached, this was their only option.

Su Tao followed his gaze and spotted a few shared bikes parked by the roadside.

Pressing her lips together, she opened the car door and stepped into the rain. “I’ll ride back.”

“In this storm? Are you insane?!”

Su Tao wasn’t insane.

She knew that if Chi Xiaocheng was still on the rooftop, she would only want to see her.

Seeing that he couldn’t stop her, Dongfang Yang called out urgently, “Hey! There’s a raincoat in the trunk!”

“No need. Putting it on would waste time.”

Su Tao swept her rain-soaked bangs aside, her delicate face calm and resolute.

Scanning the QR code, unlocking the bike, and mounting it; she moved swiftly.

Xiaocheng, you have to be okay!