He is Too Stingy, This Sand Sculpture Cannon Fodder

Not long after, Lin Mingxu returned to his office. The building was empty, and it was already past ten in the evening.

The man picked up his phone and dialed an unfamiliar number.

“Ring, ring, ring.”

The call connected, and the voice of his bodyguard came from the other end. “Boss.”

Lin Mingxu made a sound of acknowledgment and listened as the bodyguard reported every detail of what Shu You had done today.

Finally, there was a hesitation on the other end. “Boss, you asked me to pay special attention to a conversation between Mr. Wu and Mr. Shu, but they were at a distance, and I couldn’t hear it clearly.”

Lin Mingxu furrowed his brows slightly. “What did they say?”

“Um.”

The bodyguard hesitated for a moment, slightly embarrassed. “I only heard Mr. Wu telling Mr. Shu to take care of his health.”

Take care of his health.

Lin Mingxu hung up the phone, his brows deeply furrowed. Could it be that Shu You was sick?

Thinking of how Shu You insisted on breaking up, refused to give a reason, and left without a word,

His thoughts were still unsettled, and then he heard the bodyguard stammering, “I think I heard a few sentences, but I didn’t catch them clearly.”

“Something about Mr. Shu being pregnant or something.”

Lin Mingxu “…”

He looked at the screen of his phone again to make sure he hadn’t dialed the wrong number.

But then he realized, it was Shu You on the other end.

Lin Mingxu sighed.

Well, after dealing with some matters, he could go and find Shu You.

This time, no matter what means or methods he had to use,

He wouldn’t let go.

Shu You followed the staff of the program and entered the buffet restaurant.

The feeling of being able to eat casually without spending money was truly irresistible.

He stood by the table, struggling to choose between crayfish and roast duck, unable to extricate himself.

In the end, he filled his plate with grilled meat.

After eating his fill and returning to the room, Shu You couldn’t help but burp. “Oops.”

Wu Youzhe followed him in and asked curiously, “Why did you eat so much? Have you not been eating well these past few days?”

“Um.”

Shu You indeed hadn’t been eating much these past few days, but it didn’t hinder his performance. He immediately answered, “That’s right, I have no appetite. I’m fully focused on my career.”

Wu Youzhe was taken aback. “Are you really pregnant?”

Shu You “…”

Why did everyone around him suddenly become strange?

What was the reason behind all this?

He could only cough awkwardly and say, “Brother Wu.”

“Are you eager to have a child?”

Wu Youzhe blushed again. “Well, I do want to, but the problem is I can’t bear children.”

“Indeed.” Shu You agreed wholeheartedly. “So you have to remember, men can’t give birth.” The original book didn’t mention anything about giving birth, so why talk about it?

Wu Youzhe understood.

It was still early, and the two of them sat in the room, staring at each other, with nothing to do. Shu You couldn’t resist and picked up his phone.

Then, unintentionally, he entered Lin Mingxu’s chat interface.

Hmm.

He didn’t know what to say.

He didn’t know if he should say anything.

But he clicked on it anyway.

He was inexplicably

hesitant, his finger pausing here, and his inner struggle began again.

He wasn’t that foolish.

If Lin Mingxu had already realized something, but Shu You wasn’t sure what exactly he knew.

He was just feeling guilty, particularly guilty.

So he pretended to be clueless every time he faced himself.

If Lin Mingxu found out that he was just trying to save his own life, that’s why he confessed his love to him, wouldn’t he be driven crazy with anger?

If Lin Mingxu went crazy with anger, wouldn’t Shu You’s legs be broken?

If his legs were broken, considering the average lifespan, what would he do with the remaining fifty years?

As soon as he thought about not having legs, being locked in a basement, crawling around like Sadako, or being directly killed by Lin Mingxu in a fit of rage, the images were either too exciting or too bloody. Shu You didn’t dare to imagine further.

Lin Mingxu’s words at the airport shocked Shu You, making him even more afraid to tell the truth.

But not telling the truth was something he couldn’t get past.

And what was even more shameful was that he felt like he had some feelings for Lin Mingxu.

After spending so much time together, it would be a lie to say that there were no feelings involved.

From the character he initially liked in the book to the high-quality romantic partner right in front of him, the words of liking and love confused Shu You at times, blurring the line between truth and fiction.

After all, he wasn’t a professional actor, and even professional actors sometimes found it hard to separate themselves from their roles.

Thinking back and forth, he had no idea what to do. Shu You sighed softly, “Brother Wu, how are you and your wife doing?”

Wu Youzhe looked up at him, “Just the same.”

The two of them exchanged glances and sighed in unison.

In their frustration, Shu You’s phone rang.

Visibly, his face turned red, but he casually picked up the phone and went into the inner room.

Wu Youzhe “…”

He appeared, in a world where only he was hurt.

It was Lin Mingxu’s call.

Shu You answered, and a deep, pleasant male voice came from the other end, calling his name just like countless times before.

“Shu You.”

Shu You couldn’t help it, “Lin Mingxu.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he startled himself. Was that the voice he could produce?

Soft, gentle, almost like coquetry.

On the other end of the phone, Lin Mingxu’s lips curved with a hint of a smile. “Missed me?”

Shu You “…”

For some reason, he used to be able to say all sorts of shameless words, but ever since he broke through that barrier, he could no longer speak recklessly without reservation.

He stumbled over his words, unable to say anything, his mind going blank. “Do you miss me?”

“I do.”

Lin Mingxu immediately responded, “I miss you a lot.”

That’s what a boyfriend would say.

Sweet nothings.

Shu You couldn’t help but feel a flutter in his heart. “Since you put it that way, I’ll reluctantly admit that I also miss you.”

Lin Mingxu raised an eyebrow, “Are you really that reluctant?”

“Cough,” Shu You quickly changed the subject, “Is there something you need?”

“No, nothing.”

Lin Mingxu’s voice turned gentle. “So when there’s nothing, I can’t call my boyfriend?”

Shu You “…”

He made a mistake. He regretted not sticking to his words about not breaking up.

But at that moment, under the circumstances, he couldn’t even see the sun outside the room without changing his stance.

So Shu You also complained, “Because I’m scared.”

Lin Mingxu asked softly, “Scared of what?”

“It’s not that I don’t like you.”

Perhaps it was because of the distance, the phone call, not seeing the person face-to-face, Shu You blurted out some words that were stumbling and hesitant.

“It’s just fear.”

Shu You squatted against the wall, incoherently saying, “I’m scared of many things.”

Lin Mingxu fell silent.

After a long while, the man spoke softly, “I know you have some concerns.”

His words were light and gentle, but each word landed clearly in Shu You’s heart.

“But you can’t completely dismiss everything based on preconceived notions,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Nor can you dismiss our relationship that we’ve had all along.”

Speaking these words over the phone might not be appropriate, but he couldn’t bear it anymore. The thought of Shu You leaving, even if it was because of his own fear, ignited a fire within him, burning away at his heart.

Lin Mingxu’s fingers curled, as he restrained himself and calmly said, “I once promised you that I wouldn’t deceive you anymore, and I won’t now.”

“Shu You, I just have one question for you.”

Shu You opened his mouth, “What is it, Lin Mingxu?”

“I have only one question.”

Lin Mingxu’s voice sounded distant yet close, light yet heavy. Shu You bit his lip, holding his breath and attentively listening.

He said, “After being together with me for so long, have you ever wavered in your feelings for me?”

Just a little bit.

Just a tiny bit would be enough. If Shu You had even a moment of hesitation, it would mean that he had a place for Lin Mingxu in his heart, and that would be enough for Lin Mingxu to seize that opportunity.

“I…”

Shu You hesitated. This direct and honest question left him with no room to maneuver, nor any excuses to rely on. It was Lin Mingxu’s style—straightforward and decisive.

That sentence resurfaced in his mind, clear and deadly. It was the most effective way to deal with someone like him, a coward.

“Lin Mingxu, I…”

Summoning his courage, Shu You finally began to speak, but before he could complete a full sentence, Lin Mingxu suddenly interrupted him.

“Wait.”

Shu You had finally managed to get the words out, and he wondered what Lin Mingxu meant by this. If Lin Mingxu were in front of him, he would surely glare angrily.

On the other end of the phone, the man spoke calmly, “I’ll come over now and listen to you say it face to face.”

Face to face.

Shu You immediately tensed up. “No, no, no, that’s not possible.”

“I won’t be able to say it if you come over.”

“Even if you can’t say it, you still have to.”

The man’s composure and determination drove Shu You to the brink of madness. Lin Mingxu calmly stated, “Shu You, these things will have a conclusion sooner or later, and you can’t avoid them.”

Shu You froze.

Yes.

Sooner or later, there would be an ending, whether it was good or bad.

But Lin Mingxu had undoubtedly pushed him into a corner, leaving him with no way out.

“Lin Mingxu…”

Shu You’s nose suddenly felt a bit sour, and Lin Mingxu’s words shattered his last remaining illusion. He gritted his teeth and said resolutely, “I’ll say it now. I’ll tell you everything.”

“I-I stayed at first because I was afraid of retaliation.”

“All those words were fake. I made up nonsense because I was afraid you would kick me out.”

“I deceived you because I saw that you weren’t in a good state at the time.”

He said almost everything except for his transmigration. Without mentioning that, his words seemed a bit illogical. Shu You could only explain as best as he could, saying, “I’m sorry, I always felt that we weren’t suitable for each other, but I thought it wasn’t the right time before. I thought I would wait until you succeeded in your business.”

“Now that your situation has improved, I don’t want to and can’t deceive you anymore.”

“I’m a terrible person, a big liar. I’ve done terrible things to you. Please forget about me and find someone better and more suitable.”

Like the protagonist.

He’s handsome and talented, so why bother with someone like him, a cannon fodder character?

A heavy burden was lifted from his chest, replaced by a more complicated and bitter feeling. Shu You blurted out all of this, and quickly said the last sentence.

“Lin Mingxu, I’m sorry.”

Without waiting for a response from the other end of the phone, he immediately, abruptly, and decisively hung up.

And then he turned off his phone.

He didn’t want to say these things to Lin Mingxu face to face.

He didn’t want to see disappointment, anger, disgust, and that initial icy gaze on the man’s face.

This was just perfect.

Shu You walked out of the room with an empty expression. Wu Youzhe was still there, and he was startled when he saw him.

“Shu You, are you…”

“I’m fine.”

Shu You’s voice was hoarse, and he unexpectedly spoke rationally. “I just learned a lesson.”

“What lesson?” Wu Youzhe asked.

“Prolonged pain is worse than short-lived pain.”

Wu Youzhe paused, “That’s true.”

But Shu You continued, “But no pain is better than any pain.”

Wu Youzhe “…”