After Dumping the Female Lead, It's My Turn to Cry - Chapter 5

“Hey, Heipi, why are you running around everywhere?”

In the midst of the chaotic darkness, Ruan’s father’s voice suddenly rang out. He grumbled as he called out, “Why didn’t you turn on the lights?”

Footsteps followed, along with the sound of a light switch being flipped.

With a click, the lights came on, instantly illuminating the dim hallway as brightly as daylight.

A small black cat with a delicate bell around its neck shook its legs and curiously circled the two people who were practically glued together. Only upon hearing its owner’s voice did it turn and scamper over on its short little legs, causing another jingling commotion.

This cat was actually a Siberian Forest Cat that Ruan’s father had picked out at a glance from the cattery and had just adopted. Its entire body was covered in sleek, noble dark fur, and its eyes were filled with an air of majestic authority.

Unfortunately, that was only in appearance. Despite being a Siberian breed, if you spent a little more time with it, you’d realize it was actually an orange cat disguised as a forest cat.

It could eat, it could sleep, and its legs were short.

Who knows what criteria Ruan’s father used when picking out this cat.

By now, the cat named Heipi was already rolling around, happily munching on canned cat food and emitting cheerful little grunts, showing not a trace of discomfort in its new home.

In short, it was very pet-able.

The unfortunate thing was, Ruan Yubai was so terrified that she had practically flattened herself, completely unaware of what was happening behind her. She clung tightly to Qing Ling like a sticker, her eyes squeezed shut as she cried out frantically, “The bell is ringing again, oh no, it’s definitely going to bite me! Waaah, my pajamas got pulled off, this cat is actually a pervert!”

“If you opened your eyes now, you’d realize your pajamas got tangled up by your own feet.”

Perhaps because the female lead’s calm voice had a soothing effect, Ruan Yubai let out a small hiccup but still didn’t dare open her eyes. “Really? Don’t lie to me.”

Qing Ling: …

A few seconds later, Ruan Yubai finally cracked open a sliver of her tightly shut eyes, squinting at the sudden brightness. Only then did she realize how embarrassing her current position was.

Her arms were wrapped tightly around the tall girl as if clinging to a lifeline. Afraid the cat would bite her, Ruan Yubai had instinctively wrapped her legs around the other girl’s body, practically welding herself to the female lead. If Qing Ling hadn’t been holding her up, Ruan Yubai would have fallen long ago.

Most importantly,

The awkward Ruan Yubai glanced at her hands. If she brought them close to her nose now, she might still catch the crisp, cold scent of freesia.

Damn, she had accidentally touched the female lead’s scent gland earlier!

Even though her memory was a blur from the chaos, Ruan Yubai vaguely recalled that she hadn’t just touched it once.

Under Qing Ling’s calm gaze, Ruan Yubai swallowed hard.

Oh no, she had even had the nerve to complain about the clingy cannon fodder female characters in novels before. Look at the mess she had made, this wasn’t just clingy, it was downright shameless!

Her penguin pajamas seemed to have absorbed the female lead’s cool, serene scent. Ruan Yubai cautiously suggested, “How about, I let you touch me back?”

Qing Ling laughed out of sheer exasperation.

After saying this, Ruan Yubai herself realized something was off, how could a Beta have a scent gland?

So when Ruan’s father finished comforting the long-haired cat and walked over, he saw Ruan Yubai lowering her head and rubbing her nose, looking thoroughly guilty.

And what about Qing Ling, that elegant, well-behaved child from another family?

Her originally neat clothes were now crumpled and messy, fine beads of sweat dotted her smooth forehead, and the usually composed and noble young lady was even slightly frowning. Not to mention the slender arm revealed from her snow-white sleeve, now bearing two or three red scratches clearly made by fingernails.

Who could have done such a thing? Did it even need to be asked?

Ruan’s father felt the urge to grab his daughter by the ear. Though he didn’t know exactly what had happened, Ruan Yubai’s resentment toward Qing Ling at the dinner table had been unmistakable. Naturally, he concluded that his daughter must have done something shockingly outrageous.

“Ruan Yubai!” he scolded in a low voice. “I told you to take good care of Qing Ling. What have you done? Bullying her, where did all the manners we taught you over the years go?”

Ruan Yubai pouted.

How could she possibly bully the female lead? If anything, it was the female lead who had bullied her.

Now, with her rationality restored, Ruan Yubai understood that Qing Ling’s earlier claim about a black cat had been entirely deliberate. Although the kitten’s fur was indeed a dark brown, even in the dark, it was far from being a true black cat.

Still, she was at fault. Even though Ruan Yubai, as a Beta, had no scent gland, her years of education hadn’t been for nothing. Scent glands, especially those of Omegas, were extremely sensitive and fragile. Her earlier reckless grabbing, even if only on the surface, was undoubtedly a severe transgression.

And she couldn’t explain it to her father.

Thinking this, Ruan Yubai shot a fierce glare at the lazy, plump cat lying on the floor and gritted her teeth, saying, “Fed to Hei Pi’s stomach.”

Heipi, you’ve killed me!

Ruan’s father was utterly exasperated. After confirming that Qing Ling was fine, he tapped Ruan Yubai on the forehead and sighed as he turned to leave. “Wait till your mother comes back to deal with you. What do you even do all day besides reading novels? Go to bed now, and don’t disturb Qing Ling’s rest anymore.”

Rubbing her sore forehead quietly, Ruan Yubai quickly glanced around. Making sure the only other living creature, the black cat, was busy chasing its own tail, she lifted her eyes to look at Qing Ling and murmured in a voice softer than a mosquito’s buzz, “Good night.”

Qing Ling nodded, then picked up her keys and coldly closed the door.

After all the commotion, Ruan Yubai felt completely drained, as if every muscle in her body had been overworked. As the novel could attest, it had been a long time since she’d had such a physically demanding day.

And all of it had been thankless effort.

But there was one silver lining, at least she had completely torn up that cheesy novel, The Proud Girlfriend of the Galactic General A, hadn’t she?

With that thought, Ruan Yubai cheered up again, humming a little tune as she headed toward her bedroom.

Then, the moment she opened her door, she froze in utter disbelief.

There it lay on the nightstand, the half-finished novel, as quiet as a sleeping chicken. Its bold color scheme and audacious title were all too familiar, just like the first time she’d picked it up from the bookstall.

Oh my god, this novel could actually resurrect itself! If Tom Riddle had stumbled upon such a treasure back in the day, would he have even bothered killing Myrtle?

After subjecting it to soaking, burning, cutting, shredding, and corrosive solutions, Ruan Yubai finally slumped her head against the nightstand in defeat, forced to admit the truth: this novel was indestructible.

If Ruan Yubai didn’t follow the plot, even if she didn’t end up dying to protect the female lead, she’d still meet her end by coughing up so much blood that she’d suffocate from blood loss!

Was she truly doomed to an early death, with no way out?

Ruan Yubai couldn’t sleep.

She tossed and turned in bed, flipping back and forth like a salted fish on a grill, until half the thin blanket had slipped off the edge.

But no brilliant solution came to mind.

A wave of sorrow washed over her. If she’d known her fate would be so tragic, she should’ve bought more novels while she was young and eaten more gummy candies. At least then, when her time came, she wouldn’t be haunted by that serialized novel she hadn’t finished last month, did the main characters defeat the villain in the end?

…Wait, the villain?

Just as she was drifting into a hazy slumber, she suddenly jolted upright like a carp leaping from water and began doing sit-ups, her wide, fish-like eyes gleaming in the dark.

Yes! Why hadn’t she thought of it? If she didn’t want to be the tragic, lovesick female side character, she could always become the villain!

Looking back at all the cheesy, melodramatic novels Ruan Yubai had read over the years, the ones who lived freely, effortlessly, and made it all the way to the end were never the side characters, male or female, or even the cannon fodder. Not even the male and female leads could compare. The ones who truly thrived until the very last page were the villains!

Ruan Yubai finally understood. Given her current situation, avoiding a tragic death was impossible. But she could still make a few small adjustments outside the predetermined plot.

For instance, grabbing the female lead’s gland earlier wasn’t that a scene not written in the original? If that was the case, why not go all out and become the villain?

Were the characters readers truly remembered the male and female leads? No, it was the villains! As a seasoned enthusiast of dramatic, emotionally charged novels, Ruan Yubai had realized that the ones who left a lasting impression weren’t the main characters but the cunning, malicious villains.

Of course, they were the kind of villains readers would love to crush with their bare hands.

But what did that matter? The more scheming and wicked the villain, the longer they survived, the more havoc they wreaked, and the more hatred they attracted. Even when the protagonists’ love story grew tiresome, the sheer desire to see the villain finally get their comeuppance was enough to keep frustrated readers clicking to the next chapter.

With a decisive slap of her hand, Salted Fish Ruan made a grand resolution.

If she had to die, she would die brilliantly, gloriously, with her name remembered for generations, a death that meant something!

In this day and age, if a cannon fodder character didn’t aspire to be the villain, could they even call themselves a well-rounded, compelling female side character?

Once she understood this point, Ruan Yubai stretched comfortably, finally unable to resist the overwhelming drowsiness any longer. She closed her eyes and sank into a deep slumber.

At the same time, a faint sound came from the silent bedroom door downstairs. A girl with a neat and efficient ponytail emerged. Without even needing to turn on the lights, she navigated accurately from memory and soon reached the bathroom where Ruan Yubai had lingered earlier.

The Pikachu song?

Lost in thought, she glanced at the faint red water stain left uncleaned on the sink. She dipped her fingertip into it, lifted it, and gently sniffed.

Under the night sky, her features were strikingly elegant, as beautiful and noble as a delicate oil painting displayed in a grand palace.

The moonlight was silent, another autumn had arrived.

Support After Dumping the Female Lead, It’s My Turn to Cry