After the Vicious Supporting Female Character Became the Heroine's Cat - Chapter 28.2

Shen Yunmiao didn’t dwell on it and obediently agreed.

The driver had been waiting outside all along. Cheng Jianian pulled the car door open and gestured for Shen Yunmiao to get in.

Shen Yunmiao smoothly climbed inside.

The door closed.

Shen Yunmiao had assumed Cheng Jianian would take the passenger seat, but instead, she simply walked around to the other side, opened the door, and settled in beside her.

Once again, the distance between them narrowed.

Of course, Cheng Jianian had plenty of spacious business cars at her disposal, but she had specifically instructed the driver to bring this understated, comfortable, yet not-so-spacious vehicle, all for the sake of sitting closer to Shen Yunmiao.

As she opened the door and sat down, she was greeted by a refreshing, pleasant scent that filled the air, making her feel utterly at ease.

Likewise, Shen Yunmiao naturally caught the faint, elusive fragrance of roses drifting from nearby. The rose scent was rich but not overpowering, sweet without being cloying, weaving through the air and teasing at her heart.

She paused for a moment, quietly placing her hands on her knees.

But Cheng Jianian had no intention of wasting this precious time riding together so easily. She shifted a little closer, and since Shen Yunmiao couldn’t exactly retreat outside the car, she had no choice but to endure it quietly.

Cheng Jianian smiled warmly and asked, “Miao Miao, isn’t the movie you filmed about to be released?”

It usually takes a long time for post-production after filming wraps up, but in this novel, it seemed the timeline was shortened to hurry the plot along probably to avoid the movie being scrapped if something happened to Jian Shen. According to the storyline, the movie would be released in less than a month.

Shen Yunmiao wasn’t entirely sure about the exact release date, but Jian Shen had mentioned it to her a couple of days ago, hinting that she should prepare for the promotional activities.

Assuming it must be soon, she nodded honestly.

Cheng Jianian’s question, of course, was a setup for what came next. She continued, “You must be busy lately with the movie promotions, right?”

Shen Yunmiao pursed her lips slightly. “It’s manageable.”

And it truly was manageable. On one hand, Jian Shen prided himself on not being a commercial director bound by vulgar marketing demands, so he didn’t place much emphasis on promotions. On the other hand, the lead role in this movie was, after all, Qiao Jingshu.

In the original plot, Qiao Jingshu and Shen Yunmiao had a terrible relationship, forcing Jian Shen to schedule their promotional activities separately. Since the movie was primarily Qiao Jingshu’s domain, once separated, Shen Yunmiao had few promotional obligations left.

But now, in the real world where Cheng Jianian had intervened, Qiao Jingshu was already deeply embroiled in a lawsuit for hiring assassins and had been indicted alongside Li Shengran.

Cheng Jianian had Ling Zuo handle this matter, and it was certainly swift and ruthless.

In any case, because Qiao Jingshu was involved in an incident, and the direct victim of this matter was the director Jian Shen, the film’s promotion was also affected for a time.

Thinking of this, Cheng Jianian felt a bit nervous. After all, a significant portion of the film’s box office initially came from Qiao Jingshu’s die-hard fans. Now, those fans were either abandoning her or boycotting Jian Shen’s film. It was uncertain whether this movie could still make Miaomiao famous as it did in the novel.

Young CEO Cheng decided that when the time came, she would have Ling Zuo manipulate things a bit boost the box office sales and hire some marketing accounts. After all, even the finest wine fears obscurity in a deep alley, and there’s no harm in extra promotion.

Cheng Jianian smiled and said, “It’s fine not to do too much promotion. Otherwise, it might clash with the school matters, which would be troublesome.”

Shen Yunmiao also felt that it was better not to promote the film too much. She never had much interest in acting and had little enthusiasm for becoming famous. It would be great to earn enough money with minimal effort.

But she didn’t know how to respond to Cheng Jianian’s words. It felt as though this person had already said everything, leaving her with nothing to do but nod or shake her head.

Cheng Jianian continued, “If promotion is needed later, remember to notify me. I’ll help share it.”

Her fanbase was massive, her influence strong, and she wasn’t very active on Flow. A single share from her would be more effective than the chaotic promotions from Qiao Jingshu’s fans.

But it wasn’t just for this reason. Cheng Jianian had other motives for doing this.

In the original plot, during one of the film’s promotional events after its release, Shen Yunmiao had already attracted a large number of fans through this movie. Her online buzz was incredibly high, even surpassing that of the female lead, Qiao Jingshu.

Qiao Jingshu, who already disliked Shen Yunmiao, grew even angrier because of this.

In a fit of rage, she had someone tamper with the stage chandelier.

Just as Shen Yunmiao passed underneath, the chandelier happened to fall.

At that moment, the male supporting character stepped up specifically, the male lead of this film, Liang Jue.

Liang Jue didn’t have a strong presence in the novel, but he was undoubtedly a “white moonlight” figure in the eyes of fans. Due to scheduling conflicts, he and Shen Yunmiao had little overlap during the film’s shooting and almost no interaction.

However, during this promotional incident, he acted decisively, almost instantly pushing Shen Yunmiao to the side. Unfortunately, they didn’t completely avoid the danger shattered fragments from the crystal chandelier pierced his leg.

Because of this incident, Liang Jue received a wave of praise and became Shen Yunmiao’s friend.

But the reason he gained everyone’s favor was because he respected the female lead deeply. When Shen Yunmiao faced school bullying, he didn’t intervene directly since Xu Baiyang was already there. Instead, he continuously encouraged and supported her.

While Xu Baiyang and Ji Hanfeng were almost at each other’s throats, he quietly stood behind Shen Yunmiao, offering advice and urging her to stay true to her heart and pursue what she wanted.

If it weren’t for Liang Jue dying early and having only a platonic relationship with Shen Yunmiao, Cheng Jianian would have been seriously annoyed by him.

Even though theirs was a calm, life-and-death friendship, Young CEO Cheng still felt somewhat uncomfortable about it. So, she decided to take over the roles of all three male characters herself.

By having Miaomiao notify her in advance, she could show up at the right time, not only helping with promotion but also avoiding that incident.

The more Cheng Jianian thought about it, the happier she became. Seeing her like this, Shen Yunmiao found it hard to refuse her “enthusiastic” help.

She vaguely agreed with a soft “Okay.”

Soon, they arrived at the hotpot restaurant.

As the door opened, a rich aroma of food wafted over them.

Shen Yunmiao looked at the bustling dining area with some concern and turned to Cheng Jianian. “Isn’t it a bit too crowded here?”

Cheng Jianian, understanding her worry, felt a pang of tenderness and said with a smile, “Let’s go upstairs.”

This hotpot restaurant was opened by a second-generation member of the business association. The first floor was a regular hotpot dining area, while the second floor was an exclusive, non-public section reserved for VIPs. The environment there was better and more tranquil, mostly consisting of private rooms.

The prices were slightly higher, reflecting the tiered service.

Shen Yunmiao mentally calculated the cost. Although there was no explicit menu, based on her past experiences, she felt she could still afford the meal.

Even though Cheng Jianian was unlikely to let her pay, Shen Yunmiao couldn’t bring herself to accept it. She didn’t want to owe her that much.

As soon as they sat down, a steaming hotpot was brought to their table.

Knowing that Shen Yunmiao didn’t like spicy or overly fishy flavors, Cheng Jianian had ordered a split pot, one side with clear broth and the other with tomato soup.

The red-and-white broth looked beautiful, and the rising steam made Shen Yunmiao’s already fair complexion appear even more radiant.

Her clear, dark eyes seemed to shimmer with a misty haze, softening the hearts of those who saw her.

While busily attending to Shen Yunmiao’s needs, Cheng Jianian couldn’t help but think, She’s so beautiful, Miaomiao.

Feeling a bit embarrassed by all the attention and not wanting Cheng Jianian to keep working, Shen Yunmiao tried to stand up and help, but Cheng Jianian stopped her.

“The dipping sauce I make is really delicious,” she said, blinking. Her gray eyes, under the soft lighting and hazy steam, looked especially lively.

Shen Yunmiao had no choice but to sit back down.

The private room was spacious, with a whole rack dedicated to the dishes.

Cheng Jianian had intentionally asked the staff not to disturb them, aiming to create an intimate atmosphere for just the two of them.

By bustling around and making everything cozy, she hoped to give Miaomiao a sense of being at home. How wonderful that would be.

Once everything was finally set, even during the meal, Cheng Jianian couldn’t sit still. Her chopsticks kept gravitating toward the same spots Shen Yunmiao picked from, and their utensils would occasionally tangle together.

It was as if the chopsticks weren’t just utensils but threads tying them together.

Shen Yunmiao sighed inwardly and tried her best to avoid Cheng Jianian’s chopsticks.

By the end of the meal, it felt like a game of cat and mouse utterly exhausting.

Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything about it.

When it was time to pay the bill, Shen Yunmiao was about to speak up, but Cheng Jianian cut in, “No need, we can just leave.”

Since this restaurant was run by someone from their social circle, the way business was conducted here was a bit different.

The first floor operated on a regular payment system, but the second floor was membership-based payment was settled through recognition and accounts.

There was one more thing Cheng Jianian didn’t mention: this place wasn’t just a regular restaurant. A few floors above, the third and fourth floors were standard entertainment venues, but the fifth floor was a bit more unconventional.

However, there was no need to bring that up. Cheng Jianian had brought Shen Yunmiao here only after making prior arrangements. As long as she was present, no one would dare cause any trouble upstairs.

On the other hand, she was worried that someone might recklessly take her Miaomiao to the fifth floor in the future. Since Miaomiao wasn’t wearing the beaded bracelet, she had no choice but to bring Miaomiao along this time, if only to let these people recognize her face and be more cautious going forward.

Cheng Jianian thought about it and decided she would have to ask Miaomiao later why she hadn’t worn the bracelet.

Meanwhile, Shen Yunmiao had roughly grasped that this wasn’t a place where she could simply throw money around. Without further protest, she quietly stepped out.

Coincidentally, the driver also had matters to attend to.

Everything was unfolding just as Cheng Jianian had anticipated. She was about to suggest to Shen Yunmiao that they take a stroll back together.

She could even tell Miaomiao that she also owned a place here, and since it was already so late, it would be more convenient to just stay over.

Then, she would act surprised to “discover” that she and Shen Yunmiao were actually neighbors.

Lost in her delighted reverie, she was just about to reach out and take Shen Yunmiao’s hand when suddenly, a voice interrupted:

“Yunmiao, what are you doing here?”

She turned and met a pair of dark eyes, now flickering with confusion and anger.

The newcomer, dressed in a denim jacket and a white T-shirt, looked gentle and handsome.

Unfortunately, it was none other than Xu Baiyang, the second male lead.

Cheng Jianian narrowed her eyes, abandoning her usual strategy of taking things slow. In one swift motion, she wrapped her arm around the other’s slender waist, adopting a posture that unmistakably declared her claim.

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