Cannon Fodder – Chapter 20 – I Became Like This Because of You~

What should have been a sweet moment; clearing up misunderstandings, opening their hearts to each other, sharing warmth… shattered completely the instant Su Tao saw the crimson blood in the bottle.

Her mind flashed back to that scene in the basement.

Tied to the bed.

Her cheeks forcibly squeezed, her mouth pried open.

That same red liquid.

That same taste.

It was blood!

“Ugh… cough! Cough!”

Su Tao immediately threw the bottle aside, clutching the wall as she gagged.

It was definitely blood.

But the taste was wrong. Strangely sweet. Not exactly unpleasant, but her human instincts still triggered visceral disgust.

Between the gagging and the suffocating horror, her thoughts spun into chaos.

The icy raindrops stinging her skin kept her from losing her mind like she had in the basement.

A sliver of rationality remained, desperately trying to understand:

Why would Chi Xiaocheng do this?

Why give her blood to drink?

Where did the blood even come from?

What was the motive?

Then, she remembered something Chi Xiaocheng had said to her in the basement:

“Now we’re truly intertwined~”

Was feeding her blood just for that?

But what did “intertwined” even mean?

Countless questions flooded her mind, until another scent cut through the mud and blood.

A faint, sweet fragrance.

“Don’t you like it?”

A soft, delicate voice whispered in her ear.

Su Tao stiffly turned her head. Wet strands of hair clung to her face, partially obscuring the flicker of fear in her eyes.

A flash of lightning split the darkness once more.

For just that instant, Su Tao saw it.

Rеаԁ оո ΚаtRеaⅾіոgСаfе

Chi Xiaocheng’s already crimson eyes seemed to glow red under the lightning’s glare.

The gentle voice continued, utterly indifferent to her terror.

“You didn’t like the water I gave you this afternoon… and now you don’t like this either?”

“Oh, I see.”

Chi Xiaocheng’s expression brightened with sudden understanding.

That eerie, practiced smile curled her lips as her voice took on a sickly sweet tone.

“Tao-Tao prefers it fresh~”

Fresh?

What did she mean by fresh?

Before Su Tao could process it—

Shink!

A sharp, metallic sound. Like a blade slicing through flesh.

“Here, Tao-Tao~ Drink up.”

A warm, coppery scent hit her nose.

Another lightning flash—

A pale, slender arm, blood gushing from a deep cut.

Not an artery, but the wound was deep. The blood wouldn’t stop.

She’s hurting herself… to feed me blood?

As that bleeding arm inched closer, Su Tao’s gaze filled with fear.

All traces of her earlier gentleness vanished.

Only now did she truly believe—

The Chi Xiaocheng from the basement wasn’t a one-time thing.

This was who she really was.

And this version of Xiaocheng… terrified her.

“Tao-Tao… why are you looking at me like that?”

“You said you wouldn’t hate me.”

Blood still dripped from her wrist, yet Chi Xiaocheng showed no sign of pain.

Even in the dark, her eyes locked onto Su Tao’s, unblinking.

Reαⅾ οո ΚatRеаԁіոgСаfe

Her voice, soft and wounded, sent a chill down Su Tao’s spine.

A dreadful premonition gripped her—

If she doesn’t calm Xiaocheng down now… she’ll really jump off the 14th floor.

Gulping, Su Tao bit her tongue hard.

The pain cleared her mind, pushing back the nausea.

Forcing a shaky smile, she whispered, “Xiaocheng… I-I don’t like drinking this.”

“…I see.”

Chi Xiaocheng withdrew her bleeding arm.

Then, without hesitation, she raised the small blade again.

“How about the other hand, then?”

She didn’t wait for an answer.

Shlick!

Another cut. Deeper this time.

Fresh blood filled the air.

Even in the darkness, Su Tao knew that she had done it again.

And then, that bleeding wrist was offered to her once more.

A lightning flash illuminated the wound,

Wider. Deeper.

Su Tao didn’t know what to do.

When she didn’t move, Chi Xiaocheng pulled back again.

Her voice dropped, laced with despair.

“You don’t like this one either…?”

“Then… how about my neck?”

“!!!”

A cut to the neck would be fatal!

Panic surged through Su Tao.

She grabbed Chi Xiaocheng’s hand, shaking her head frantically.

“Xiaocheng, stop hurting yourself! I don’t need this, okay? Please, just stop!”

“We, we need to stop the bleeding first!”

Rеаԁ οո ΚаtReаdіոgСаfе

Fumbling, she turned on her phone’s flashlight, only to then see Chi Xiaocheng’s arm clearly for the first time.

Her pupils shrank.

Her hands trembled.

The phone clattered to the ground.

The light, shining upward, revealed Chi Xiaocheng’s left arm, which was covered in scars.

Pale skin marred by countless cuts, some stitched like fabric.

Horrifying.

Gruesome.

Su Tao’s breath came in ragged gasps.

Her mind short-circuited.

And then—

She met Chi Xiaocheng’s glowing crimson eyes again.

The blade rose once more.

“I….”

Rain dripped from Su Tao’s lips, yet her mouth felt bone-dry.

She had no idea where the next cut would land.

But she knew….

If she didn’t stop this, Xiaocheng would keep going.

Biting her tongue again, Su Tao seized Chi Xiaocheng’s wrist, her voice breaking.

“I’ll drink it… I’ll drink it! Xiaocheng, please… just stop hurting yourself. I’m begging you.”

Chi Xiaocheng didn’t seem to hear her.

Instead, she smiled—

A vacant, blissful smile.

And offered her bleeding wrist again.

Su Tao’s breathing grew erratic.

Her grip on Chi Xiaocheng’s arm shook violently.

When she looked up, those crimson eyes were watching her expectantly.

As if urging her:

Reаԁ οո KаtReаԁіnɡCαfe

“Hurry up and drink~”

“Or I’ll make another cut.”

Gritting her teeth, Su Tao squeezed her eyes shut.

Trembling, she lifted Chi Xiaocheng’s slender arm and pressed her lips to the wound.

A soft, hesitant suck.

Then another.

The taste was the same; cloyingly sweet, like orange juice.

But her stomach churned regardless.

Chi Xiaocheng watched, enraptured.

A flush of excitement colored her cheeks.

After tonight… no matter what, Su Tao would never ignore her again.

She’d want to know why Xiaocheng had become like this.

And in the process, even in front of those male leads, she’d protect her.

Yes… just like this!

Gone was the pitiful, heartbroken act.

Chi Xiaocheng leaned in, nuzzling Su Tao’s rain-soaked hair, inhaling her scent.

Her face flushed.

Her lips curled.

Finally, the third step of her plan was complete.

Physically and mentally, she had reached her limit.

Perfect timing to collapse into her arms.

“Tao-Tao… this time, I became like this because of you too~”

Her consciousness faded.

Her body went limp.

Thud.

She slumped against Su Tao.

The sudden weight startled Su Tao into looking up.

“Xiaocheng?!”

She frantically grabbed Chi Xiaocheng’s shoulders just as another thunderclap shook the sky.