The Cannon Fodder Stole the Male Lead’s Script GL - Chapter 40

The little incident did not take long. By the time the two girls finished their self-heating hot pot, the movie still had a significant portion left. Zhan Rao sat beside Jiang Yun, but neither had any real interest in the film. Zhan Rao spent the entire time watching Jiang Yun from the corner of her eye.

Every time Jiang Yun leaned a little closer, Zhan Rao’s heart would start pounding uncontrollably.

When their hands touched while reaching for the popcorn, her heart skipped a beat.

When Jiang Yun drank her cola and the sound of her swallowing echoed softly, it inexplicably made Zhan Rao blush.

When Jiang Yun reclined lazily, the curve of her waist and thighs visible under the theater lights, Zhan Rao became so nervous she had to swallow hard.

Whenever she was close to Jiang Yun, Zhan Rao felt completely incapable of controlling herself.

Two hours passed by gradually.

Jiang Yun watched the movie attentively.

Zhan Rao, however, watched only Jiang Yun.

She was completely immersed in this quiet, shared moment.

If only…

If someday, she and Jiang Yun could sit curled up together on a sofa, with her arms around Jiang Yun as they watched a movie, wouldn’t that be even more wonderful? If she could feed Jiang Yun every piece of popcorn, wouldn’t she feel so happy that her heart would bloom with joy?

That thought made Zhan Rao laugh to herself.

Even the idea felt overwhelmingly sweet.

She found herself longing to grow up. Once she was older, she would stay by Jiang Yun’s side. She wanted to live with her every day and sleep beside her every night. She wanted to be there for everything, doing all of it together.

If Jiang Yun decided to become a painter, then she would learn how to be a talent manager and support her career.

If Jiang Yun wanted to open a store or start a company, then she would study business management to keep everything organized and successful.

If Jiang Yun did not want to work at all, then she would strive to earn money so Jiang Yun could live comfortably at home.

At that moment, Zhan Rao felt as if she had found a purpose worth striving for.

Maybe her natural talent for learning was given to her just so she could meet Jiang Yun and devote herself to her.

Resting her chin in one hand, she looked over at Jiang Yun and noticed something. A moment ago, Jiang Yun had been lounging back, but now she had straightened up and was taking out her phone to record the screen.

Zhan Rao followed her gaze and realized this must be the film’s climax. The two female leads, after enduring so many hardships, finally accepted their feelings for each other. Caught in a downpour, they could no longer suppress their emotions. They embraced passionately and kissed, ultimately retreating indoors.

Though the scene flashed by quickly, the intensity and beauty of their performance lingered.

The scene pulsed with tension, where each movement and glance carried a restrained passion that threatened to spill over at any moment.

When released, it exploded like brilliant fireworks lighting up the sky.

Even Zhan Rao, who had not paid any attention to the movie before this moment, could not help but be moved.

“Do you like Qin Meng or Yang Ningxue more?” Zhan Rao asked Jiang Yun.

Yang Ningxue and Qin Meng were the two female leads. One played the father’s girlfriend, the other portrayed the daughter.

Yang Ningxue was twenty-eight years old and had been in the industry for fifteen years. She was already an internationally acclaimed actress, a winner of countless awards, and beloved by fans around the world. Qin Meng, in contrast, was only eighteen and had risen to fame through a talent competition. Initially criticized for her lack of singing ability despite her looks, she became infamous online. Her agency dropped her from the girl group, but she pivoted into acting, using her notoriety to land roles.

Most people assumed she would flop badly and eagerly awaited her failure. However, she stunned everyone with genuine acting talent and staged a powerful comeback, rapidly accumulating millions of fans.

In less than a year after debuting as an actress, she had become a leading figure in the entertainment scene and had already won multiple newcomer awards.

Still, she was considered a relatively minor celebrity. Making a name in a television drama was impressive enough. Nobody had expected her to land a major movie role, especially opposite someone as established as Yang Ningxue in such a controversial film.

Two actresses with such vastly different backgrounds starring in a forbidden romance was enough to stir enormous buzz.

Their fans, predictably, were already at each other’s throats.

Zhan Rao genuinely wanted to know whom Jiang Yun liked more.

“I like Yang Ningxue,” Jiang Yun said flatly, not looking up. “But I reserved the theater for Qin Meng.”

Zhan Rao was stunned into silence.

Was this… supporting both sides at once?

She glanced over and saw Jiang Yun seriously selecting photos she had just taken, editing and combining images of the two actresses into a collage for Weibo. Her face looked blank and expressionless, as if she were doing homework rather than celebrating.

@RichGirl: Both goddesses are amazing. Such a beautiful performance! I will love you both forever! Mwah mwah~ heart.jpg @YangNingxue; @QinMeng. Photo attached.

Zhan Rao felt speechless.

She was clearly supporting both sides, but with such mechanical disinterest that it felt more like a formality than genuine admiration.

“Jiang Yun, let’s follow each other on Weibo,” Zhan Rao suggested, suddenly excited.

Jiang Yun nodded. “Okay.”

Zhan Rao reached into her bag for her phone. She fumbled for a while and then realized something dreadful. Her phone was broken. It must have happened earlier, when she had gotten into a scuffle with some thugs. She had not even noticed until now. Staring at the cracked screen, she suddenly remembered something much more urgent.

“Oh no. I forgot to call my mom and tell her I’m not coming home tonight.”

She had injured her hand and been hospitalized. Now it was nearly 11:30 PM, and she still had not gone home. Her phone was broken, and her mother could not reach her. She must be frantic with worry by now.

It was all her fault. She had been so happy after waking up and realizing she was with Jiang Yun that she completely lost track of everything else.

Seeing Zhan Rao’s teary, regretful face, Jiang Yun was taken aback.

She had not considered this problem either.

She was already used to staying out without telling anyone.

“Should I drive you home then?”

Zhan Rao quickly shook her head. “No, no. Just let me borrow your phone so I can call my mom and explain.”

“Alright. But let’s go outside. It’s too noisy in here.”

Zhan Rao nodded. If her mom heard she had gone to the movies at this hour without checking in, she would be even more upset.

The two of them left the theater. Zhan Rao borrowed Jiang Yun’s phone to call her mother. While she was on the phone, Jiang Yun crossed the street.

After Zhan Rao reassured her mother she would return the next day, she turned and saw Jiang Yun walking back from across the road. She was holding a brand-new phone box in her hand.

“Here.”

Zhan Rao was completely stunned.

“What’s this for?”

“Your phone’s broken, isn’t it? You can use this one.”

Jiang Yun tossed it over without a second thought. Zhan Rao rushed to catch it. She looked down and saw it was the newest model, and the price tag on the box read 10,888 yuan.

“This is way too expensive. I can’t accept it.”

She tried to hand it back immediately, but Jiang Yun frowned. Her expression suggested that if Zhan Rao refused, she would be very upset.

Zhan Rao had no choice but to accept the gift.

She inserted her SIM card and turned on the phone. As the screen lit up, a warmth spread through her heart.

Jiang Yun truly was so considerate.

Watching Jiang Yun walk ahead, she lifted the new phone and took a photo of Jiang Yun from behind. She set it as her lock screen.

On the display, the silhouette of a girl in a black cheongsam with her hair pinned up looked elegant and distant.

Zhan Rao could not stop herself from smiling.

The two walked together toward the parking lot.

Zhan Rao felt like her heart was overflowing with joy.

Jiang Yun reached the car first and got into the driver’s seat. Just as Zhan Rao was about to open the passenger door, a sudden commotion erupted nearby.

“That’s Qin Meng! It’s really her! I can’t believe she’s here! Hurry, follow her!”

“Qin Meng! Qin Meng, wait for us!”

The crowd surged forward, their voices rising in a chaotic chorus of excitement and desperation. Some held phones and glowing support sticks, while others clutched popcorn, clearly having just come out of the movie.

Leading the charge was a girl wearing a large black hat, sunglasses, and a mask. She was dressed in a black women’s suit that covered her completely, except for a glimpse of legs in tall black boots.

Could that really be Qin Meng? The same actress from “Secret Lovers”?

Zhan Rao barely had time to process what was happening before the girl’s eyes lit up. She changed direction abruptly and sprinted toward them. In a flash, she leapt into Jiang Yun’s car like a monkey.

“Hurry, hurry! Drive now!”

She pounded the back of Jiang Yun’s seat in panic.

Zhan Rao was rooted to the spot, utterly stunned and unable to move as the events unfolded in front of her.

The car door slammed shut before she could react. The swarm of fans caught up and surrounded the vehicle, shouting and taking pictures.

“Qin Meng! Qin Meng!”

Some fans even banged on the windows.

The crowd grew denser. Zhan Rao, stuck outside and already injured, was jostled by the surge.

They paid no attention to her small frame or the cast on her arm.

In under a minute, she was pushed out of the group and fell to the ground. Her hurt hand hit the pavement, and tears welled up instantly from the pain.

Inside the car, Qin Meng kept urging loudly.

“Why are you just sitting there?! Drive! If we don’t leave, they’re going to devour me!”

Jiang Yun’s face darkened as she looked in the rearview mirror.

“Why did you lock the doors?”

Qin Meng looked bewildered. “What was I supposed to do? Let them jump in after me? Can we please just go?”

“My friend is still outside.”

Jiang Yun turned off the engine and reached for the door handle.

Qin Meng froze. “You can’t be serious! If you get out now, they’ll rush the car. Your friend can wait! Just come back for her later! Please, can’t you get me out of here first?”

“Absolutely not,” Jiang Yun snapped. “Qin Meng, watch your mouth. Otherwise, get out right now.”

Qin Meng’s eyes widened. “You tagged me on Weibo, called me a goddess, said you loved me, and now you’re tossing me out like garbage? Rich Girl, this is ruthless!”

She yanked off her hat and mask, revealing a porcelain-doll face full of frustration.

Jiang Yun was unmoved.

“Either wait quietly or get out.”

She stepped out of the car.

The crowd hesitated when they saw her. It was not Qin Meng, but someone even more striking, whose presence commanded immediate attention.

If Qin Meng was a doll, then this girl had a commanding, untouchable beauty.

She wore a black cheongsam made of fine fabric. Her skin was luminous and her delicate features exuded authority. Her star-like eyes sparkled with cold displeasure.

Everyone fell silent.

They instinctively made way as Jiang Yun strode through.

She quickly reached Zhan Rao, who was still struggling to get up.

“Can you stand?”

Zhan Rao clenched her jaw and nodded.

She grabbed Jiang Yun’s hand for support, but as she tried to rise, her legs gave out. She collapsed again, her face turned deathly pale and beads of cold sweat clung to her skin as waves of pain coursed through her body, leaving her too weak to rise.

Jiang Yun’s expression darkened further. She bent down, slipped her arms around Zhan Rao’s waist, and lifted her easily.

Zhan Rao’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Inside the car, Qin Meng’s sunglasses slid off as she pressed her face to the window in shock.

“Don’t move. Put your arms around my neck,” Jiang Yun instructed quietly.

Zhan Rao’s face turned crimson. She wrapped her arms around Jiang Yun’s neck carefully.

The pain in her hand and leg seemed to vanish. All she could feel was her heart thudding wildly.

Jiang Yun carried her to the car, gently fastened her seatbelt, and closed the door. She climbed into the driver’s seat from the other side.

Before pulling away, she looked out at the stunned crowd.

“I’m taking my friend to the hospital. If her leg is injured, none of you will be able to walk away from this.”

She pointed to the parking lot’s security camera.

The crowd’s expressions changed, and they quickly stepped back.

The car exited the parking lot smoothly.

Inside, the atmosphere turned tense.

Zhan Rao blushed furiously while Jiang Yun’s face remained frozen in a storm of cold anger.

Qin Meng sat in the backseat with a look of curious fascination, her eyes shifting back and forth between them with growing interest.

She leaned forward between the seats and extended her hand to Zhan Rao.

“Hi there. Let’s get acquainted. I’m Qin Meng, Jiang Yun’s friend. You probably know me already. What’s your name? How do you know her? Are you her girlfriend?”

Zhan Rao was clearly overwhelmed.

The same person she had just seen on the big screen was now talking to her face-to-face. As an ordinary schoolgirl, this was almost too much.

And who even begins a conversation by asking something like that? Was she seriously being asked if she was Jiang Yun’s girlfriend?

Zhan Rao blushed and shook her hand politely. “I’m not her girlfriend. I’m her classmate. My name is Zhan Rao.”

Even though I desperately want to be her girlfriend… now’s not the time.

“Zhan Rao? That’s a great name! I’ll remember it,” Qin Meng said cheerfully. She winked at Jiang Yun in a teasing way.

Zhan Rao had no idea what was going on between them but felt awkward.

Jiang Yun’s expression darkened further. She slammed on the brakes.

Qin Meng was nearly thrown forward.

Before she could speak, Jiang Yun snapped, “Get out.”

Qin Meng gawked. “Seriously? Are you mad now?”

“Out.”

Qin Meng tried to act cute. “Come on~ I was just being friendly…”

“Then I’ll call Qin Changrou.”

The moment the name left her mouth, Qin Meng grabbed her things and bolted from the car. She shut the door and stood properly, waving.

“Goodbye, rich lady Jiang! Safe travels.”

She was terrified of Qin Changrou.

Jiang Yun gave a cold snort, locked the doors, and drove off without hesitation.

As she pulled away, she dialed Qin Changrou’s number and told her exactly where to find Qin Meng.

Sorry, goddess, she thought. As a fan, I truly worry for your safety.

Ten minutes later, Qin Meng was apprehended and dragged home by the fearsome Qin Changrou.

Qin Meng: …

Jiang Yun, you beast!