After the Vicious Supporting Female Character Became the Heroine's Cat - Chapter 12

At three in the morning, Little Cheng was still wide awake.

The events before bedtime had been far too stimulating, leaving her mind reeling.

The very person who had stirred such turmoil within her was now peacefully asleep, completely unaware. Her soft breaths carried the crisp scent of fresh snow, making the cat’s face flush with warmth.

Processing the fact that Shen Yunmiao liked her would take a long, long time.

In the quiet of the night, a small, snow-white cat leaped gracefully onto the balcony. The sheer white curtains rippled like a gentle, undulating sea of sand, cradling the pensive feline.

Moonlight bathed the scene as the cat’s white tail rested delicately on its paws, elegant and beautiful.

In the silent night, a cat was lost in thought.

Shen Yunmiao really was a good person, but love? Cheng Jianian sighed and licked her paw in frustration. She had never encountered such a situation before and had no idea how to handle it.

Of course, there were plenty of people who liked her, but most were drawn to her family background or appearance, driven by self-interest or the desire to tame her proud demeanor, fantasizing about making the young lady bow her head.

No one had ever been like Shen Yunmiao quietly loving her without asking for anything in return, without expecting any outcome.

Little Cheng believed that if she hadn’t turned into a cat and stumbled upon this truth by chance, it might have remained a secret even the laws of the universe would never uncover.

The world’s favored one had fallen for the very person created to hurt her. The thought alone was absurd.

Yet, it was this absurd and hidden treasure that she had unwittingly uncovered.

What should she do in response to Shen Yunmiao’s feelings?

To be fair, Cheng Jianian thought Shen Yunmiao was indeed an excellent person, but the idea of dating her had never crossed her mind.

What would that even be like? Cheng Jianian couldn’t imagine, but she vowed that if such a day ever came, she would never be like that useless Ji Hanfeng, letting her loved one suffer one misfortune after another.

She would do everything in her power to protect Shen Yunmiao, ensuring she never had to feel ashamed over a 400-yuan medical bill, endure harassment while running around to earn money from acting, or face bullying, isolation, or mistreatment ever again.

She would make sure Shen Yunmiao was happy every single day.

They could buy a grand villa in the mountains of the newly developed area. If Shen Yunmiao liked cats, they could keep them. After all, the entire mountain would be theirs, and the cats could roam wherever they pleased, as long as they didn’t bother them every day.

In spring, they could plant trees; in summer, admire the flowers; and in winter, there would be no need to rush around on a bicycle. If Shen Yunmiao enjoyed listening to her play the piano, she would switch to a different instrument every day and even teach her how to play.

Wait! Realizing what she was fantasizing about, Little Cheng’s ears turned red. She really hadn’t meant to deliberately imagine dating Shen Yunmiao!

She just thought dating Shen Yunmiao wouldn’t be so bad. That was all.

By the balcony, the little white cat patted her warm cheeks, the desire to turn back into a human growing stronger.

The next day was Thursday. With no classes due to the school’s club day and no scenes scheduled for Shen Yunmiao in the film crew, she slept in a little, waking up at eight to prepare breakfast for herself and the little cat.

By the time she finished making the cat’s meal step by step, following the instructions, it was already 8:30.

Shen Yunmiao fished out her noodles and made a call to Jian Shen when she estimated the timing was about right. “Director Jian, sorry to bother you.”

Jian Shen was still groggy from sleep and responded with a vague hum.

The kitten by the food bowl had already pricked up its ears at the sound, stealthily making its way onto the table to eavesdrop openly.

Shen Yunmiao paid no mind to the cat, simply placing a hand between the steaming ceramic bowl and the kitten to keep it from getting burned.

“I sent you a message last night, but I figured you were probably too busy to see it. I’m really sorry, but I think my kitten probably can’t act. She’s quite timid, and I wouldn’t want to hold up the crew’s progress.”

Acting? And with her, no less!

Little Boss Cheng carefully recalled the plot. She remembered this part, it happened after Ji Hanfeng went crazy and rushed back recklessly. “Cheng Jianian,” having learned of Ji Hanfeng’s feelings for Shen Yunmiao, had deliberately made things difficult for Shen Yunmiao through the artists under her management.

One of the tactics involved having Shen Yunmiao’s cat act in a scene.

In the original storyline, Shen Yunmiao had refused, and that artist took the opportunity to drive a wedge between her and Jian Shen. As a result, Shen Yunmiao was isolated and marginalized within the crew. But the artist wasn’t satisfied and went on to incite her fans on Flow to cyberbully Shen Yunmiao, who was still a civilian at the time.

It wasn’t until later, when Jian Shen recognized her talent and took the initiative to mend their relationship and help clear her name, that the situation was resolved.

It seemed that even though Shen Yunmiao had prevented Ji Hanfeng from returning to the country, this part of the plot was still unfolding, driven by some unseen force.

Little Boss Cheng’s heart tightened. How could she avoid this part of the plot?

In the original story, the root of all this was Shen Yunmiao’s refusal to let her cat act. So, if she didn’t refuse now, wouldn’t that solve the problem? Acting was no big deal for a seasoned actress like her, it was a piece of cake.

She was determined to change this part of the plot so that Shen Yunmiao wouldn’t be isolated again.

She immediately started meowing and nudged Shen Yunmiao, who was in the middle of apologizing: I can do it, stop talking!

Sure enough, Shen Yunmiao’s attention was drawn. She frowned at the kitten, who was clearly trying to stop her, and a strange feeling washed over her. Guaiguai could it be that you want to act?

She covered the phone and tentatively asked, “Guaiguai, do you want to act? If yes, meow twice. If not, don’t meow.”

She didn’t want to mistake a single meow for agreement.

Little Boss Cheng sighed inwardly and meowed twice in perfect rhythm.

She stretched out a paw toward Shen Yunmiao: Silly sister, hurry up and take back what you said.

Shen Yunmiao blinked, removed her hand from the receiver, and apologized, “Sorry, Director Jian, I just woke up and wasn’t thinking clearly. Please don’t take what I said to heart. Sorry to bother you.”

Jian Shen, who had pulled an all-nighter at a party, was still half-asleep and only caught the last part about bothering her. She replied magnanimously, “Oh, it’s fine, it’s fine. I’m hanging up now.”

With that, she drifted back to sleep.

Shen Yunmiao silently ended the call.

She stroked the obedient kitten beside her and said gently, “You can do whatever you want. I’ll protect you, Guaiguai.”

But inwardly, she worried: What am I going to do now?

The little white cat, completely unaware of her concerns, was happily munching away at its delicious meal nearby.

After finishing its food, it lay lazily on the sofa, basking in the sunlight, thinking: Not just this part of the plot every part from now on that would hurt Shen Yunmiao, she would change.

The next day, Shen Yunmiao carried her cat carrier and, for the first time ever, took a taxi to the filming set.

Forty yuan just to get to the suburban filming location! Cheng Jianian stared at the fare on the meter, her heart aching at the expense.

She knew Shen Yunmiao had a student discount the semester pass for shared bikes cost only 22 yuan for four months. Every time, Shen Yunmiao would ride for an hour and a half to reach this godforsaken suburb.

Through the transparent cover of the cat carrier, Little Cheng couldn’t clearly see Shen Yunmiao’s expression, but she could make out the hand clutching the carrier tightly pale and slender, the knuckles whitening from the force.

It was these very hands that braved wind and rain every day, cycling back and forth for three hours, just to earn such a pitiful amount of money.

In truth, Jian Shen had booked hotels for all the actors in the crew, but since Shen Yunmiao had a cat to care for, she naturally couldn’t stay there.

So, on days when she had scenes to shoot, she had to wake up at six in the morning and commute to the suburbs, all while wearing earphones to listen to lectures during the journey.

Cheng Jianian unconsciously curled her tail, a dull ache tightening in her chest.

Once she turned back into a human, she would buy a house wherever Shen Yunmiao was filming.

No, wait by then, Shen Yunmiao wouldn’t need to endure wind and rain just to film. She could simply attend her classes. But she couldn’t go back to living in the dorm either. In the storyline, Shen Yunmiao’s roommates were truly the strangest of the strange, utterly detestable.

Perhaps sensing her low spirits, Shen Yunmiao turned the cat carrier around. Beyond the thin transparent cover, her gentle, watery eyes met Cheng Jianian’s as she soothed, “Don’t be scared, sweetie. We’ll be there soon. It won’t be anything much later. Remember, after filming, you can’t run around, and don’t pay attention if anyone calls you. You have to stay close to me and be good, okay?”

Cheng Jianian: “…”

She was really being treated like a child.

She licked her paw and let out a dignified “meow,” signaling that she’d heard.

Shen Yunmiao smiled softly. “Good girl. If you behave well today, I’ll reward you with a cat treat when we get back.”

Hmph, mere cat treats? She wasn’t some ordinary greedy cat who could be swayed by a few snacks.

Secretly, Little Cheng’s tail perked up.

Shen Yunmiao smiled without a word, her fingertip gently tapping her kitten’s forehead through the barrier.

But inwardly, she resolved firmly: No matter what, she would protect her little cat. Even if it meant giving up acting, it wouldn’t matter.

She was someone who had nothing devoid of familial love, indifferent to friendship, and hopeless in romance.

The less one possesses, the tighter one clings to what little they have.

And for things that seem almost out of reach, the more one hesitates, pulling back in retreat.

To have anything at all is rare; to lose it is the norm.

When they arrived at the set and stepped out of the car, Jian Shen approached, cigarette in hand. “Been waiting for you. What made you splurge on a taxi today? Giving up your student discount?”

Shen Yunmiao, who often arrived late because she had to prepare delicious meals for Cheng Jianian, usually ended up running into Jian Shen, who also cut it close with timing.

Shen Yunmiao curved her eyes into a smile. “It’s not convenient with the kitten.”

“Aiyo,” Jian Shen took a drag of his cigarette and abruptly leaned in to peer at the star of the day through the cat carrier. A thick cloud of fruity-sweet smoke enveloped the carrier. “Tsk, she really is pretty. No wonder I shamelessly begged you to bring her along. I’ll give you both a big red envelope later.”

Inside the carrier, Cheng Jianian was cursing Jian Shen to the bone. Normally, harassing young actresses was despicable enough, but now he was even smoking around a cat! Once she turned back into a human, she would withdraw all her investments in Jian Shen’s projects.

Shen Yunmiao subtly shifted her body, shielding the pitiful cat carrier a little, hoping her kitten hadn’t been choked by the smoke.

She replied half-jokingly, “Not at all. Our little darling getting to act in Director Jian’s film is an honor that would make any other cat envious for life. Let’s head to the set first, Director Jian.”

Jian Shen grinned from ear to ear, patting Shen Yunmiao’s shoulder and wrapping an arm around her as they walked inside. “Good, good, let’s go. I’ll go over the scene with you in a bit. See if you can guide your kitten to perform perfectly.”

Little did she know, the cat in the carrier was seething with resentment toward her.

The young CEO, Cheng, angrily snapped at Jian Shen’s oblivious hand in the air: How dare you touch her so casually?

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