The train slowly pulled into the next station.
Most of the passengers in their carriage got off one after another, leaving many seats suddenly empty.
Gu Panpan’s eyes lit up. She immediately moved over and sat beside Gu Li, leaning her head against her shoulder as she whined affectionately, “I can finally sit next to you.”
Her best friend smelled nice, soft and familiar. The comforting scent instantly put Gu Panpan at ease, and she closed her eyes contentedly.
Gu Li smiled and reached out to straighten her head.
Taking a wooden comb from her bag, she gently began braiding her best friend’s hair.
“You, honestly. Your hair’s such a mess. You didn’t even bother tidying yourself up beforehand. Be careful, when your Brother Dazhu sees you later, he might turn around and run.”
Gu Panpan wasn’t offended in the slightest. Grinning, she shot back, “Perfect. Then the two of us can make a pair.”
A moment later, the smile faded from her face.
“Gu Li, seriously. Why don’t you come to the army with me? It’ll be safer there. Don’t go head-on against the original novel’s female lead.”
No matter how unreliable Qin Dazhu could be, he was still a soldier. He had the responsibility and sense of duty that came with it.
As long as she didn’t court disaster this time, she wouldn’t end up being denounced.
Back in the capital, there was the fake heiress female lead with ill intentions, the crazy male supporting character, and parents who could send their biological daughter to a psychiatric hospital at any moment. A whole pack of wolves and tigers was waiting for Gu Li to walk straight into their trap.
Just thinking about it was terrifying. Wouldn’t Gu Li be swallowed whole by those people?
That was why staying with her was the safest option. Only then could she feel at ease.
Besides, the two of them could look after each other.
Hearing the seriousness in Gu Panpan’s voice, Gu Li never stopped moving her hands. Carefully finishing the braid, she lightly patted Gu Panpan’s head.
“There. Much prettier now. When your Brother Dazhu sees you, I guarantee he won’t be able to take another step.”
“Gu Li, I’m not joking with you!” Gu Panpan said anxiously.
“Panpan, do you accept your fate?” Gu Li smiled. Her breathtakingly beautiful face was filled with an unyielding determination.
“No!” Gu Panpan shook her head. “What kind of nonsense is this, making both of us transmigrate into a novel as cannon fodder female supporting characters?”
“Neither do I!” Gu Li clenched her fists.
According to the laws governing cannon fodder female supporting characters, even if she, the real heiress, hid herself away, the fake heiress would still come after her to eliminate all future trouble.
Rather than waiting passively, she might as well charge in now and catch her opponent off guard. That would at least give her a chance of winning.
That was also why Gu Li refused to go to the army with Gu Panpan.
Besides, she needed to make money.
If she didn’t make money, how was she supposed to support her best friend?
Not to mention that her biological parents in this life were wealthy and powerful. The man she was marrying in place of someone else might be a crazy male supporting character, but he was also one of the big shots of Beijing’s elite circle.
The man owned countless siheyuan properties.
In the novel, he was the type who would casually give away a siheyuan whenever he wanted to please the original female lead.
She only needed to endure for two years. Once the situation improved, she would divorce him and set him free to chase after the original female lead.
She was being so reasonable. Asking for two siheyuan properties in the divorce wasn’t excessive, was it?
One for her best friend and one for herself.
Just like that, several small life goals would be accomplished at once.
If fate had cast them as cannon fodder female supporting characters, then they would defy fate itself.
“My fate is mine to control, not Heaven’s!”
With perfect timing, the two of them shouted the classic line spoken by the male lead from the movie they had watched before transmigrating. The sight of each other’s expressions immediately made them burst into laughter.
…
The train whistle sounded.
“Woooo…”
It signaled that they were approaching the next stop, Zhenbei Station.
This was the station closest to the garrison of the 1688th Regiment, where Qin Dazhu was stationed.
Partings always came far too quickly.
The capital where Gu Li was headed lay another three hundred kilometers beyond the regiment’s location.
Gu Panpan had no choice but to get off before Gu Li.
And thus, a scene unfolded that left the other passengers completely baffled.
Gu Panpan walked ahead through the carriage carrying a bundle.
Gu Li followed closely behind with a large bundle strapped to her back.
The mournful expressions on their faces were a stark contrast to the laughter and horseplay they had shared earlier that morning.
Many passengers who had witnessed the dramatic change were utterly bewildered.
No matter how hard they thought about it, they couldn’t figure out what had happened to these two brave young women who had acted so heroically before.
The train clattered noisily as it slowly rolled into Jingde Station before finally coming to a stop alongside the platform.
With a creak, the carriage door opened.
Gu Panpan turned around and took the large bundle from Gu Li’s back. Her eyes were filled with reluctance, and her lips trembled slightly.
“Fox… why don’t you get off with me?”
A trace of hesitation crossed Gu Li’s face. Her gaze shifted between Gu Panpan and the world outside the train.
If nothing unexpected happened, this city would become the place where her best friend would live in the future.
She needed to remember it well.
Once she dealt with the original female lead, she would come here and join her best friend.
No matter how reluctant she felt, she still had to let go.
A noisy crowd surged past them, breaking the moment.
Someone impatiently bumped into Gu Panpan, who was blocking the doorway, but she didn’t even notice. She only stared fixedly at Gu Li, her eyes reddening.
Gu Li took a deep breath and forced herself to look away.
“Panbao, you know I can’t stay.”
Gu Panpan was her best friend.
But in many ways, Panbao felt more like her daughter.
She couldn’t allow the original female lead any opportunity to hurt her.
Gu Panpan’s eyes grew hot, and tears rolled down uncontrollably.
“I know? I know my ass!”
She knew exactly what Gu Li was doing.
Gu Li was taking all the danger upon herself and hiding her safely behind her.
But she wasn’t a child anymore. She had grown up.
She could fight beside her and tear those scheming green tea bitches apart together.
Gu Li raised a hand, her heart aching, wanting to wipe away her tears.
Gu Panpan stubbornly turned her head away and refused to let her touch her.
“Hmph. If you’re not coming with me, then don’t touch me.”
“Panbao, wait for me. Two years. At most two years, and I’ll come find you. Trust me.”
Gu Li’s face was filled with affection as she made this precious promise.
Perhaps if she worked harder at making money, she wouldn’t even need two years before reuniting with her best friend.
Gu Panpan dropped her bundle and threw herself into Gu Li’s arms, hugging her tightly as she sobbed.
“Then you’d better keep your word. If you lie to me, I’ll never forgive you for the rest of my life. And when you get to the capital, find a way to call Qin Dazhu’s unit. You have to write to me too.”
Gu Li nodded solemnly. “I’ll never break my promise.”
The two hooked their pinkies together, just like they had when they were children.
Back then, at the orphanage, a couple had wanted to adopt Gu Li.
Gu Li had refused to leave and had hooked pinkies with her, swearing that she would never abandon her.
The station broadcast began urging passengers to board, pulling them out of their memories.
“Silly girl, hurry and get off.”
Gu Li picked up the bundle and handed it back to Gu Panpan. Waving her hand, she watched as her best friend stepped off the train.
A sharp ache rose in her chest.
Gu Li sniffed hard and widened her eyes, forcing the tears back.
“Fox, I’ll write to you! I’ll write you the latest novels to keep you entertained! Sob…”
Gu Panpan watched as the carriage doors closed and the train slowly began moving.
She ran alongside it, her nose red from crying, waving goodbye to Gu Li through her tears.
Both of them silently made the same vow in their hearts.
To protect each other.
To make money and support their best friend.
In order to change the fate of cannon fodder female supporting characters, they would each march toward their own battlefield, one without smoke or gunfire…