After the Vicious Supporting Female Character Became the Heroine's Cat - Chapter 26.1

By the time Shen Yunmiao found out that Cheng Jianian had followed her account, the internet was already in an uproar.

After the car accident last night, she had clung to her cat, lost and disoriented, with only her tears falling drop by drop. She cried until her throat was too hoarse to make a sound. Jian Shen watched, his heart aching with guilt, and after accompanying her to the police station to give a statement, he offered to buy a proper burial plot for the kitten.

Shen Yunmiao looked at the cold, red-and-white bundle in her arms, thinking of the impending separation. It felt as if a piece of her heart had been torn out, the pain so intense she could hardly breathe.

Yet she couldn’t bear the thought of her little cat having no final resting place. Almost mechanically, she nodded.

Jian Shen said softly, his voice heavy with regret, “Yunmiao, I’m sorry!”

She thought of how this remarkably intuitive kitten’s last act had been to push her to safety, and a mix of emotions surged within her too complex to put into words.

Shen Yunmiao shook her head. “There’s no need to apologize, Director Jian. You should thank her instead.”

The “her” she referred to was unmistakable.

Jian Shen couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze. He accepted the large bouquet of white lilies his assistant had brought fresh, with dewdrops still clinging to the stamens, as if the flowers themselves were mourning the innocent life lost.

Setting the flowers aside, he watched as the slender girl bent down, gently placing the cat in the grave the staff had prepared, then calmly covering it with soil.

Only the whites of her eyes, surrounding her dark pupils, were streaked with red.

Unable to bear the sight, Jian Shen turned away and whispered, “I will make sure justice is served for you both.”

They stayed at the cemetery for a long time, from the dark of night until the break of dawn, and then as the sun climbed higher, nearing noon. The temperature rose, and Jian Shen grew concerned that Shen Yunmiao’s health might suffer if they lingered any longer.

Just as he was about to speak, the girl, who had seemed like a wandering spirit, stood up. Her hair was slightly disheveled, her eyes red-rimmed, and in her hand, she clutched a collar.

It was the one she had taken from the kitten’s neck. The once-gleaming silver cat paw charm was now buried with the little cat, leaving only the collar held tightly against Shen Yunmiao’s chest.

Jian Shen hesitated, wanting to say something, but then he heard Shen Yunmiao gently stroke the tombstone and murmur, “I’ll leave the tracker with you, my dear. I’m afraid I won’t be able to find you in the next life.”

Shocked, Jian Shen swallowed the words he had been about to say.

Back in the car, they sat in the back seat as before, but now the space beside her was empty, save for the collar in her grasp.

Jian Shen turned on his phone, intending to quickly address some matters, but the moment it powered on, notifications from Flow exploded across the screen.

His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he read the messages. Stealing a glance at the girl beside him, who was quietly stroking the collar, he hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell her. “Yunmiao, maybe you should take a look at Flow?”

Shen Yunmiao’s drifting thoughts snapped back to the present. Assuming it was another post from Qiao Jingshu, she nodded and mechanically opened her phone, only to be met with a glaring hot search topic.

She opened her private messages, which were flooded with inquiries from strangers some kind, some malicious, some curious. Scrolling down, she finally found a message from Cheng Jianian:

“Hello, I’ve been secretly following you for a while. Please accept my open admiration!”

This is a feature of Flow unless you deliberately disable the notification settings, this message is automatically sent after following someone.

Shen Yunmiao frowned as she read the words, her emotions tangled. The fervent declaration replayed word by word in her mind, weighing so heavily on her chest that it ached, until even breathing felt like an overwhelming burden.

She didn’t understand the meaning behind this sudden, inexplicable gesture of goodwill. All she could think was how foolish Flow’s settings were just as foolish and mortifying as her own unrequited feelings.

No matter how turbulent the storm inside her, her expression remained unreadable. Her fingers flew across the screen, opening and closing private messages one after another.

Whether they were filled with insults, admiration, or curiosity, Shen Yunmiao treated these messages like a foreigner who couldn’t read Chinese she didn’t bother to process them, letting them merely pass through her vision.

Until one message caught her attention a dense, lengthy wall of text. The sheer impact of such a long message was undeniable. Frowning, Shen Yunmiao didn’t exit immediately. The message had to be thousands of words long whoever sent it certainly had persistence.

Her brows furrowed as she skimmed through it quickly, growing more and more tense the further she read. The lengthy text rambled on and on, clearly expressing how much the sender adored her.

The words were sincere enough, but the content was utterly foolish.

Shen Yunmiao exited coldly, thinking to herself, The movie I filmed hasn’t even been released yet. How would you know whether my acting is any good?

As she pondered this, the absurdity of the confession actually managed to lift a fraction of her sorrow, almost making her laugh in disbelief.

Jian Shen watched Shen Yunmiao’s expression grow colder and colder, making him increasingly afraid to speak. He could only urge the assistant to drive faster.

Unexpectedly, just as the atmosphere in the car had frozen solid, a ringing phone shattered the silence.

Shen Yunmiao glanced at the screen, it was Zuo Ying.

She wasn’t sure whether Zuo Ying had any connection to the events of last night. Privately, she didn’t want to deal with her, but she worried Zuo Ying might have something important to say.

In the end, she answered. The voice on the other end sounded slightly strange it was unmistakably Zuo Ying’s, but her attitude had undergone a dramatic shift.

Zuo Ying asked cautiously, “Miss Shen, are you free today? I’ve drafted a contract. If you’re interested, I can bring it over to you.”

This wasn’t just cautious, it was practically fawning, with an obvious undertone of ingratiation.

Shen Yunmiao guessed that Zuo Ying probably thought she had a close relationship with Cheng Jianian because of that inexplicable follow. In reality, in the three years they had been classmates, the number of words they’d exchanged could be counted on one hand.

The thought made Shen Yunmiao laugh inwardly. She replied gently, “Today? I’m sorry, Director Zuo, but I’m not feeling very well.”

It was a polite refusal, but Zuo Ying had a countermeasure ready. She immediately fawned, “I’ve heard about what happened to you. Don’t worry after CEO Cheng woke up yesterday, he was furious. The matter has already been investigated. The car incident was orchestrated by Li Shengran, who bribed the driver. We’re going to sue her, so you can rest assured.”

“CEO Cheng knows you were frightened and would like to visit you. What do you think?”

Under her boss’s intense gaze, Zuo Ying spoke with a trembling voice.

In the car, Shen Yunmiao’s dark eyes were somber, no longer holding their usual clarity only exhaustion and resignation remained. She refused bluntly, “I’m sorry, Director Zuo, but I don’t feel like seeing anyone today. Please send my regards to CEO Cheng.”

Zuo Ying could tell from the other party’s tone and quickly added before the call ended, “President Cheng woke up last night, and all her vital signs are healthy. She was especially happy to hear that you came to visit her and would like to see you now.”

They had arrived at the familiar Ruijing residential area. Shen Yunmiao fell silent for a moment, signaling to Jian Shen that he didn’t need to escort her further. She opened the car door and slowly began walking home, saying as she went, “It’s nothing. Please thank President Cheng for her concern, but there’s no need for a visit. Since she just woke up, it’s better for her to rest properly.”

Zuo Ying: “…”

She glanced at her boss, who had been listening quietly from the hospital bed. It was clear to see that her boss’s expression had darkened.

Internally, she thought, Your visit would be more effective than rest, but this conversation wasn’t one where she could speak her mind freely.

Cheng Jianian was in a sour mood, but she knew some things couldn’t be rushed. Rubbing her temples, she waved her hand to indicate the conversation could end.

Zuo Ying breathed a sigh of relief, eager to conclude this dialogue that seemed like a two-person conversation but actually involved three. She said respectfully, “Alright, Miss Shen, feel free to let me know whenever you’re available. You can call me anytime, and if there’s anything you need, just say the word.”

She was about to express her loyalty further, hoping to make up for her aloof demeanor from the previous days, but Shen Yunmiao had already hung up.

Listening to the dial tone, Zuo Ying turned to her boss with a frustrated expression. “Boss, what do we do now?”

Cheng Jianian wasn’t as agitated as she was. A faint smile played on her lips as she toyed with the black jade bead bracelet on her wrist. Her gray eyes were half-hidden in the shifting sunlight filtering through the clouds:

“Miaomiao is concerned about me, worried that I might overexert myself so soon after recovering. Of course, I can’t let her worry.”

Zuo Ying: “…?”

Honestly, she felt like the expression and the words didn’t quite match.

A strange chill ran down her spine.

Soon, Cheng Jianian stopped fiddling with the bracelet and continued, “It’s fine. Here’s what you do: First, send these fresh flowers over right away and attach this greeting card. Also, include a small gift.”

Zuo Ying thought to herself, Finally, the boss is doing something small, but when Cheng Jianian handed over the items, she was taken aback. The exquisitely crafted greeting card was acceptable, but the white jade bead bracelet left her stunned.

She knew exactly what that white jade bracelet was, it was the one Cheng Jianian had brought back from the temple on Mount Fuyu when she was seventeen. It was a pair with the black jade bracelet her boss always wore.

Mount Fuyu wasn’t a place just anyone could visit. Only the designated heirs of the families in the Chamber of Commerce were permitted to go there once before coming of age.

And the temple on Mount Fuyu was no ordinary shrine. A hundred years ago, during the turmoil of war, it was said that the heads of several families sought refuge on the mountain, where they encountered a goddess. Guided by her instructions, they established the Chamber of Commerce.

Since then, the temple had become a symbolic emblem of the Chamber.

As for the bracelets, since Cheng Jianian had obtained them as the Cheng family heir, almost everyone of any standing in the Chamber or the wider social circle recognized them.

Zuo Ying’s emotions were complicated.

But that wasn’t all. The young President Cheng, in a rather cheerful mood, added, “Also, go and purchase the entire Building No. 3 in Ruijing. Clear out the current residents, but don’t make it too obvious. Then, arrange for some people to move in preferably quiet, well-behaved individuals who appear friendly.”

Zuo Ying: “…”

Her lips twitched, utterly baffled by what her boss was up to. Just as she was spacing out and preparing to carry out the task, Cheng Jianian suddenly called out, “Wait!”

Zuo Ying looked over expectantly, only to hear her say, “Make sure to buy the unit in 301, then find an excuse to lower the rent but don’t make it too obvious.”

Zuo Ying: “…”

I’m going to fight you love-struck idiots!!!

After washing up, Shen Yunmiao tidied up the cat-related items around the house. She had no intention of keeping a cat anymore, so she decided to stash these things away in the bottom of a box, sparing herself the heartache of seeing them again and again.

Just as she finished, the doorbell rang.

Peering through the peephole, she saw it was Zuo Ying’s assistant. A flicker of caution crossed her mind. Why would Zuo Ying send her assistant over now? What could this be about?

“Hello, Miss Shen. I’m Gao Qingzi, Assistant Zuo. Miss Zuo mentioned that CEO Cheng asked me to deliver a bouquet of flowers to you, along with a small gift.”

“No, thank you.”

Shen Yunmiao was emotionally drained and wary of Zuo Ying’s intentions, so she hesitated to open the door.

Gao Qingzi felt a pang of bitterness. After Zuo Ying’s repeated reminders, she was well aware of the status of the person inside this was CEO Cheng’s treasured darling, a gem more precious than her own eyes.

With a cautious and obsequious smile, she fawned, “Miss Shen, I’m truly sorry to disturb you. These flowers were sent specifically by CEO Cheng after hearing you weren’t feeling well. If it’s inconvenient, I’ll just leave them outside. I’ve slipped my business card under the door, please feel free to contact me anytime you need anything!”

Shen Yunmiao inside the door: “…”

Staring at the card wedged under the door, she was momentarily speechless. Cheng Jianian sending her flowers. Honestly, she found it hard to believe.

But the trending topic on Flow was still up, and that foolish message in her private inbox clearly reminded her that the person who should have had no connection to her had indeed crashed abruptly into her gray life.

Support