Cannon Fodder – Chapter 88 – Do You Know What a Yandere Is?

Chi Xiaocheng recalled this little follower’s background.

She had attended the same high school as the original body’s owner. During their first year, like the original owner, she had been bullied by Liu Guijia, Huang Limei, and others.

But she and the original owner were polar opposites.

When the original owner was bullied, Su Tao would appear like a hero, protecting her, standing up for her, even confronting Liu Guijia.

This little follower, however, after enduring a year of bullying, had joined Liu Guijia’s group for some unknown reason.

She became Liu Guijia’s personal lackey, occasionally borrowed by the other two members of the trio.

Whenever Liu Guijia and her gang bullied the original owner or extorted money from weaker students, this follower was always present.

She was beaten alongside their victims.

Afterward, she would still have to work for Liu Guijia, cleaning up the mess.

Though part of the delinquent group, she never truly belonged.

The original owner remembered her precisely because, during bullying sessions, this follower never participated. She just stood timidly to the side, often becoming a target of misplaced anger.

Since Chi Xiaocheng’s transmigration, she had seen this follower twice, and indeed, she lived up to her title.

Just a follower.

But why was she here?

In this heavy snow, freezing to death wasn’t out of the question.

Chi Xiaocheng crouched down, meeting the follower’s eyes. “Where’s Liu Guijia? Aren’t you cold out here alone?”

“Cold.” Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “Liu Guijia abandoned me.”

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This cold seemed insignificant compared to the pain of being discarded.

A flicker of curiosity crossed Chi Xiaocheng’s face. “What happened?”

The follower remained curled up but answered. “Someone with the surname Dongfang took Liu Guijia and the others away. Said they were cracking down on delinquency.

“Then… Liu Guijia threw this coat at me and told me to get lost. That she didn’t need me anymore.

“She locked me out of the backyard. I… I have nowhere to go.”

Her tone remained detached, starkly at odds with the words.

The words suggested she cared, yet her voice held no trace of sorrow or anger.

Bullied for three years, yet willingly following Liu Guijia… even now, speaking of abandonment like this….

Was this… Stockholm Syndrome?

Chi Xiaocheng frowned, suddenly feeling this was complicated.

“Do you remember me?”

The follower glanced up. A flash of admiration crossed her hollow eyes. “I remember. You’re Chi Xiaocheng.”

Her voice wavered slightly. “At your home last time… You hit Liu Guijia. Scared her. I… I’ve always wanted to be like you!”

After the outburst, she shrank back. “Sorry.”

Chi Xiaocheng studied her. “If you know me, you must know Su Tao too?”

The follower paused. “That cool girl with gray-black hair and peach-colored highlights?”

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“Yeah.”

“I remember her.”

Chi Xiaocheng’s eyes lit up. “Do you like her?”

“…What’s ‘like’?”

Seeing her blank expression, Chi Xiaocheng suddenly had an idea.

She stood and extended a hand. “If no one wants you, come with me.”

After three years with Liu Guijia, she was still untainted. Her nature wasn’t bad.

Letting her freeze to death here was impossible.

In high school, she and the original owner had shared similar suffering.

The only difference was that the original owner had Su Tao.

But unexpectedly, the follower hesitated mid-reach.

She withdrew her scarred, grimy hand and looked away. “…No. I’ll just be a burden.”

Chi Xiaocheng sighed. “Seriously, how much trouble could you possibly be?”

“You’re not like Liu Guijia. She’d use me and throw me away, so it’s fine. You won’t.”

Chi Xiaocheng almost laughed. “Are you a masochist or something? You’d rather get beaten than inconvenience someone?”

Without waiting for refusal, she grabbed the girl’s wrist. “First you say no one wants you, then you hesitate when someone does.”

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Pulling her up, Chi Xiaocheng declared, “From now on, you’re my follower.”

She dragged the girl toward her home without another word.

The frostbitten girl stumbled behind her. “…Why?”

Chi Xiaocheng stopped.

She turned, her hair fluttering in the wind.

‘What a hassle.’

‘Hmm… What would a protagonist say in this cliché moment?’

She met the follower’s gaze and said flatly, “Because I need you.”

The wind swept aside the girl’s tangled bangs, revealing a dirty but youthful face. Her lips parted slightly.

The emptiness in her eyes slowly filled with a tea-colored glow.

A look of pure adoration.

The snow… seemed to stop.

Stumbling into Chi Xiaocheng’s home, she was promptly shoved into the bathroom.

A set of clean clothes flew in after her.

“Wash up properly. The clothes are new, and they should fit. Soak in the tub so you don’t catch a cold. And scrub thoroughly.”

Only when the hot water hit her skin, warmth replacing the cold, did the follower finally react.

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She was in Chi Xiaocheng’s home.

Warm air conditioning. New clothes gifted to her.

And the feeling of being… needed.

Closing her eyes under the shower, she murmured, “So warm.”

Her voice was still monotone, but her lips curled unconsciously.

About thirty minutes later, Chi Xiaocheng saw her emerge, drying her hair with a towel.

The orange-patterned T-shirt hung slightly loose on her frame. With her face no longer hidden by hair, Chi Xiaocheng could finally see her clearly.

Two words summed her up:

Pathetically small.

Delicate but gaunt features. Old scars not just on her arms but her face too. Only her tea-colored eyes held any vitality.

Even Chi Xiaocheng’s smallest clothes seemed slightly big on her.

Height… around 148 cm?

Thin everywhere, including her chest. Clearly severe malnutrition. She seemed slow but wasn’t stupid, immediately finding the hairdryer.

But her hair was absurdly thick, reaching her hips. It must be a nightmare to maintain.

Once settled, Chi Xiaocheng motioned for her to sit.

“Hey kid… do you know what a yandere is?”