The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Gu’er was caught off guard when a bicycle came rushing toward her.

But with so many years of cycling experience, Gu’er didn’t panic. She swerved sharply, dodging the other bike, then squeezed her brakes and dismounted.

Whew. Gu’er let out a long breath. ’Thank goodness. I got off safely and wasn’t hurt.’

Just then, she heard a loud CRASH and turned to look at the person who had nearly hit her.

It was a girl, around fourteen or fifteen years old. Unable to stop in time, her bicycle had slammed into a wall, and she had fallen to the ground. When Gu’er looked over, the girl was still on the pavement, not yet getting up.

Gu’er quickly parked her own bike and walked over.

"Are you okay?"

The girl was young, and Gu’er worried she might be pinned under the bicycle or have broken something.

"Are you blind? Do you even know how to ride a bike? Didn’t you see me? Why didn’t you get out of the way? Oww, it hurts so much!"

The girl’s tone was awful; she started cursing at Gu’er right away.

Gu’er frowned. ’She was the one who came rushing out and couldn’t brake. If I hadn’t reacted so quickly, I would’ve been the one hit. And now she’s turning the tables and blaming me? If this were the future, I’d suspect she was trying to stage an accident for money. I should just ignore her.’

She looked at the girl’s young face. She was quite pretty, with lovely eyebrows, slanted phoenix eyes with slightly upturned corners, a high-bridged nose, and pink lips.

’She’ll be a real beauty when she’s fully grown. It’s a shame her skin is a bit dark.’

And something else... Gu’er found the face vaguely familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.

’But where?’ Gu’er couldn’t recall.

Then Gu’er saw that the girl’s elbows and knees were scraped in several places and bleeding. She couldn’t bring herself to just walk away.

"First, let’s get you up. Does anywhere hurt badly? Are you sure no bones are broken?"

’Forget it,’ Gu’er decided. ’This girl is almost young enough to be my own daughter. I don’t need to stoop to her level.’

"Where are your eyes? Can’t you see this bike is on my leg? How am I supposed to get up? Hurry up and move it!"

The girl’s tone was incredibly hostile.

Gu’er bit back her frustration and moved the bike. After all, if the girl’s leg really was fractured and she did nothing, her conscience would bother her.

Gu’er helped the girl up and had her try to take a couple of steps. The girl cried out in pain, tears welling in her eyes. She said her leg was fine, but she thought she’d sprained her ankle, and several places were scraped raw.

"Is your home far? Do you want me to take you back?"

Gu’er felt that since she’d already helped the girl up, she couldn’t just leave her there. She should at least get her home to her family.

"My house is Number 24, just over there."

The girl pointed. She didn’t refuse Gu’er’s offer, acting as if it was only right for Gu’er to take her home.

’Number 24... and I’m going to Number 28. It’s not far, and it’s on the way.’ Gu’er glanced at the girl again. She was well-dressed. This area wasn’t the most expensive part of the city, but the residents were all comfortably well-off. ’It seems her family is doing well. She must be spoiled, which explains her rotten attitude.’

"Lock your bike here, and I’ll use my bike to wheel you home. How does that sound?"

Gu’er decided to see her good deed through to the end.

"Hmph."

The girl snorted but winced in pain as she locked her bike, which counted as agreeing to Gu’er’s suggestion.

Gu’er helped her onto the back rack of her bicycle and started pushing it. Along the way, she asked for the girl’s name, but the girl just scowled and ignored her.

"We’re here."

When they arrived, the girl called out, and Gu’er helped her off the bike.

"Alright, you can go in now. I should get going, I have something to do."

Gu’er felt she had fulfilled her duty by getting the girl to her doorstep. She still had to get to the Cui Family’s house.

"You can’t leave."

But the girl suddenly grabbed Gu’er’s clothes and started shouting, "Mom! Mom, come quick! Someone hit me with their bike, and now she’s trying to run away! Come out and grab her! Oww, it hurts so bad! I think my bone is broken!"

The girl’s shouting stunned Gu’er. It was like watching one of those future scenes of a scam artist staging an accident to extort money. ’This kind of thing already happens in this era?’

’But this girl is so young, fourteen or fifteen at most. How could she do something like this?’

"Trying to run? Not a chance! You crashed into me, and if I let you get away, my name isn’t Lin!"

The girl with the surname Lin snarled at Gu’er. It was the first time she had ever seen Gu’er, but she already disliked her. She felt Gu’er was the reason she was hurt, and the pain made her angry. Besides that, she just didn’t like the look of Gu’er, though she couldn’t say why.

’What an unruly little girl. Her parents must not have taught her any manners.’

"What’s wrong? Sui’er, what happened?"

While Gu’er was lost in thought, a middle-aged woman came out. Seeing the girl, she asked anxiously.

’Lin Sui’er. Is that the girl’s name?’

Gu’er’s thoughts turned as she looked at Lin Sui’er’s mother.

At that one glance, Gu’er’s brows furrowed. She had seen this woman before, she was absolutely certain. Her features were so familiar, but she couldn’t remember from where. ’Did she buy vegetables or popsicles from me before?’

"Mom, she hit me! And she was trying to run away! Look at what she did to me! It hurts so much, I can’t even walk. Don’t let her go, make her pay!"

Lin Sui’er tugged at her mother’s clothes, speaking in a pitiful voice.

"Where does it hurt? Let me see."

Lin Sui’er’s mother had no time to even glance at Gu’er. Her full attention was on her daughter as she anxiously checked her over.

"Your ankle is sprained, and your arm and leg are all scraped up. The bones should be fine. But you... didn’t I tell you? You just learned how to ride, so don’t go so fast! Be careful not to hit people. You just wouldn’t listen. See? Now look what’s happened."

After examining her daughter, Lin Sui’er’s mother was filled with both pity and exasperation. She knew perfectly well what her daughter, a novice cyclist, was like. She understood that her daughter had probably been riding too fast, almost hit someone, and then crashed. Still, seeing her daughter in such a state made her heart ache, and she felt the other person must bear some responsibility too.

"She’s the one who rushed out and hit me! I only ended up like this because I was trying to avoid her! Instead of blaming her, you’re scolding me."

Lin Sui’er felt deeply wronged.

Lin Sui’er’s mother sighed inwardly. Supporting her daughter, she turned to look at Gu’er.

And at that glance, Lin Sui’er’s mother’s heart jumped in surprise.

’This young woman looks so familiar. Where have I seen her before?’

She thought hard, but couldn’t place her.

Gu’er was thinking the same thing. She remained silent, wanting to see what Lin Sui’er’s mother would say. If she was as unreasonable as her daughter, then there was nothing left to discuss. But if the mother was reasonable, then everything could be worked out.

"Mom, what are you staring at? I’m your daughter, the one who got hit, not her! Even if she looks like you, she’s not your daughter."

Lin Sui’er was secretly fuming. ’Why isn’t Mom standing up for me and yelling at this woman I can’t stand?’

But Lin Sui’er had no idea that her words had just sent a shockwave through both her mother and Gu’er.

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Thank you to yanyan0101 for the monthly ticket, thank you to 6763hs and Ning Zhihai for the likes, and thank you all for your support.