The Cannon-Fodder Dragon Is Still Fighting to Survive Today - Chapter 3

After I was thrown out, I could not endure hardship, and the money in my account quickly ran dry.

In the end, I had no choice but to work at an upscale private club.

That was where I met Fu Yuan.

His face and the aura surrounding him made it impossible to look away.

Then a system appeared.

It told me that this world was a novel, and Fu Yuan was the male lead.

It bound itself to me and managed to leave only one instruction—get close to Fu Yuan—before it ran out of energy and went offline.

I naturally assumed that because the system had chosen me, I had to be the novel’s protagonist shou.

Fu Yuan was the male lead, so I was his destined one.

I did everything I could to get close to him.

Then I happened upon Fu Yuan being ambushed by a collateral branch of the dragon clan. I seized the opportunity, threw myself in front of him, and took a blow in his place.

With the life-saving debt he owed me, I finally had the perfect excuse to cling to him.

For the past year, I had raised hell and bossed him around.

Whenever I pushed him too far, he would glare at me and snarl through a cold expression,

“You’re impossible to please. If you hadn’t saved me, I’d kill you sooner or later.”

I took it as flirtation.

I even chased after him, asking why it had to be sooner or later. What was wrong with noon?

I thought I had finally found someone who would never leave me, no matter how much I acted out.

But now the system was back online, coldly informing me that I was nothing more than vicious cannon fodder.

The thought made me die a little inside.

Utterly miserable, I confronted the system.

【Then why did you tell me to get close to Fu Yuan in the first place?】

The system sounded guilty.

【I told you to get close to the male lead so you could build a good relationship with him and redeem yourself, not so you could make yourself his partner…】

Me: 【…】

The system went on.

【You were vicious cannon fodder in the original novel. You used the debt he owed you to make endless trouble and force the male lead to marry you.】

【Once the protagonist shou appeared, your vicious arrogance served as a foil for his goodness and beauty. In the end, the male lead tore off your scales, broke your bones, and chopped you into pieces.】

【I came here to help you escape that cannon-fodder ending. But I ran short on energy that day, and I went offline after transmitting only half the mission.】

I almost cursed it out.

How could it fail to tell me something this deadly?

Except…

I slowly closed my eyes, my heart turning to ash.

So I had never been some heaven-chosen dragon of destiny.

Once again, I had mistaken another person’s tolerance for love.

Late that night, I lay in bed, unable to sleep.

Habit was a frightening thing.

I used to cling to Fu Yuan and lay down rules for him like a tyrant.

He had to be home before eleven every night. If he was even one minute late, I would turn the whole place upside down.

Now the space beside me was empty, and I was already starting to miss him.

I even reached for my phone out of habit, ready to bombard him with call after call—one every minute until he came home.

Then I snapped back to my senses.

Wasn’t this exactly the sort of behavior that would get me killed?

I drew a deep breath and suppressed the agitation in my chest.

Closing my eyes, I forced myself to sleep.

Just then, the bedroom door suddenly opened.

My eyes flew open, and I looked over in the moonlight.

I nearly got a nosebleed on the spot.

Fu Yuan stood in the doorway wearing nothing but a thin layer of black mesh.

He shut the door behind him, climbed softly into bed, and wrapped an arm around my waist from behind.

My whole body instantly went rigid.

“W-what are you doing?”

Fu Yuan’s voice was low and husky.

“Didn’t you say a couple of days ago that you wanted to see me in black mesh?”

His hot breath spilled over my neck.

It was like a tiny electric current racing through my entire body.

I fought for control, chanting frantically to myself.

【Cannon fodder can’t touch the male lead. I’ll die if I touch him. I’ll die if I touch him…】

Fu Yuan gave a low laugh.

He caught my hand and placed it on the ties of the black mesh, his coaxing voice in my ear.

“Want to tear it open yourself? You’ll love it.”

My heart fluttered.

But the next second, the image of my scales being torn off and my bones broken in the original novel flashed through my mind.

Almost on reflex, I shoved him away.

“But I’m really tired today. I want to sleep.”

Fu Yuan visibly stilled.

He braced himself above me, brows drawn together, his gaze fathomless.

My scalp prickled under his stare. I forced out a smile.

“I was too immature before. You work so hard every day, and I was always making a fuss.”

“You won’t have to serve me anymore.”

My expression was gentle and considerate.

The system gave me a thumbs-up.

【Host, you’re amazeballs! That’s exactly how sensible you need to be. Keep it up, lie low, and you’ll survive!】

Fu Yuan did not move. He kept scrutinizing me.

I instinctively looked away and propped myself up on one arm, intending to turn over and sleep by myself.

He suddenly reached out and dragged me back into his embrace.

The force sent my entire body crashing into his warm chest. My nose struck the firm muscle beneath the black mesh, and it almost started bleeding on the spot.

He lowered his head, his voice wrapped in fire.

“Since you’re worried I’m tired…”

“Tonight, you can serve me.”

Me: “…?”