Time-Travel: The Tragic Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Makes a Comeback
CHAPTER 40: The 1970s Naive Supporting Girl (40)
“Mom! What are you talking about?”
Su Chen jumped to his feet, staring at his mother in shock.
He had just returned from military base yesterday, and this morning his sister mentioned introducing him to someone. His mother had sounded happy then, praising the girl as a university student, educated and well-mannered.
“Mom must have forgotten to tell you. Your father and Uncle Fang have already agreed. Marriage is a matter of parents’ arrangement and matchmakers’ word. You’re supposed to get engaged during the New Year. Try to stay away from women for now. Come home with me,” Su Chen’s mother said, grabbing his arm to pull him along.
Su Chen’s face flushed with anger as he yanked his arm free. “Mom! What do you take me for! I didn’t know about this, and I don’t agree to an engagement!”
The commotion had drawn the attention of other customers nearby.
His mother, furious that her son dared shout at her, pointed at Song Susu. “All for a girl like her! She’s only pretty. No family background, can’t help you with your career, and she drags along a freeloading little brother. Are you planning to support their whole family?”
“Mom! That’s enough. You cannot speak about my classmate like that.”
Su Min’s eyes were red as she cried, not daring to look at Song Susu. She regretted bringing up Song Susu’s family situation when she ran into her mother earlier, getting excited in the moment.
Actually, Song Susu had never told her about her parents. She only mentioned having a ten-year-old little brother. She had accidentally seen the parents’ section listed as deceased when she delivered the student's file.
It had been Su Min’s idea to bring her classmate to meet her brother, but with her mother making a scene, Su Min felt utterly ashamed and wanted to disappear.
Song Susu straightened her clothes gracefully and stood, her voice calm but sharp. “Watch your mouth. I’m not dating your son, so there’s no need to treat me this way.”
Su Chen’s mother’s anger flared even higher. “How dare you speak to me like that! If it weren’t for my son’s good background, you wouldn’t even have the chance to meet him. You take advantage and act all innocent. An orphan without parents thinking she’s something special!”
Song Susu’s expression turned icy. The “open-minded parents” image that Su Min had painted shattered completely. She didn’t hold back. “And what makes you so special? If I had known you’d be this snobbish and petty, I wouldn’t have even come!”
Lu Tingxiao appeared beside Song Susu without anyone noticing, his sharp eyes locking on Su Chen’s mother.
“Ma’am, your daughter is the same age as my friend. As an adult, do you not feel ashamed saying these things? Song Susu’s father was a soldier, and she comes from a heroic family. She herself is an outstanding student at S University and does not lack excellent suitors. And as for coveting your money, with your manners, your family wouldn’t even rank among the rich and famous people in S City.”
Tall, imposing, and strikingly handsome, Lu Tingxiao delivered his words lightly, but every syllable hit like a hammer, leaving everyone stunned.
Su Chen’s mother could take out her anger on Song Susu for being an orphan, but faced with this imposing male officer, whose background she did not know, she gritted her teeth and said angrily, “You know her, so you take her side!”
At that moment, the café owner hurried over, accompanied by the department store manager who had come to discuss some business.
“Hey, hey, calm down, you two. What’s going on here? Did we do something wrong in the store?”
The manager’s eyes lit up when he saw Song Susu, and he immediately approached warmly.
“Isn’t this Boss Song? What brings you here today? After the last meeting with the leaders, they praised the shops you manage, saying they are top-notch. In just the first half month of opening, you made 10,000 in sales. Boss Xu said the shops can reach up to 20,000 a month. Our leaders want the team to learn from you. Is school on break? Could you spare some time to give our managers a lesson on running a store? We’ll pay, of course.”
The bustling café fell into a brief silence after the manager spoke.
The girl had shops in a department store, with monthly sales of 20,000! And they were offering to pay her just to give a lecture!
This girl was seriously not lacking for money.
Su Chen felt so ashamed he couldn’t lift his head. He stammered a few “sorry”s, then pushed his mother away and ran off.
Su Chen’s mother turned an ugly shade of green and black, feeling embarrassed, and finally lowered her head to chase after her son.
“I’m so sorry, Susu. It’s my mother's fault. She wronged you by misunderstanding the truth. I apologize on her behalf. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!”
Su Min bowed deeply in public, covering her face and crying as she left.
Song Susu rubbed her temples at the scene.
She had no idea how her class monitor even knew about her family situation, but as for the mother, she felt nothing but disgust.
“Boss Song.”
The department store manager smiled as he approached. Song Susu shook his hand and naturally started chatting.
Since he had been so supportive earlier, she cleared her schedule for next Sunday morning, but didn’t dare call herself a teacher. She just said she wanted to come and share some insights with everyone.
The manager looked genuinely happy and waved over the café owner to pack some of their signature cakes for her to take along.
After finishing her conversation with the manager, Song Susu turned and saw Lu Tingxiao had returned to his seat.
Her lips curved into a smile as she walked over. “Comrade Lu, thank you for earlier.”
“No need.”
Lu Tingxiao set down his coffee cup. “Comrade Song, you’re outstanding and capable. It was I who spoke out of turn just now.”
This girl really was impressive. When they first met, she had been poor and struggling. Just a few months apart, and now she was a wealthy business owner. It was honestly shocking.
Song Susu raised an eyebrow, pulled out the chair across from him, and sat down with a smile. “Comrade Lu is so righteous. I really appreciate it.”
“But, I don’t think I’ve told you about my family. Did you investigate me?”
Lu Tingxiao didn’t deny it. He answered seriously, “Yes. There were some doubts about you, so to be safe, I did a small background check.”
Seeing his calm and composed demeanor, Song Susu leaned over and took the newspaper from his hand.
He didn’t get angry. His dark eyes met hers.
“Upset?”
Song Susu didn’t bother pretending. She casually opened the paper and said, “No, it’s just an ordinary citizen. If you want to check, check away.”
She already knew why someone like him had the reputation of a big shot.
He probably started doubting her the moment he learned her age.
But it didn’t matter. No matter how much he investigated, he wouldn’t find anything that mattered.
Song Susu’s past was nothing special. Even if he noticed how much she had changed, so what? People change, that’s all.
Lu Tingxiao couldn’t help but laugh in irritation. She was full of mysteries and yet acted so self-righteous. “Come on, tell me. What exactly is going on with you?”
Even though he couldn’t find anything suspicious on paper, this girl’s personality was completely different from before. There had to be something hidden here.
Song Susu tossed the newspaper onto the table and leaned in on purpose. “Want to know? Then be my boyfriend. Once we’re a family, I’ll tell you everything.”
After that unlucky blind date earlier, she realized Lu Tingxiao was the best option right now. He was single, had a good character, and was easy on the eyes. Why not give it a try?
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