After the Vicious Supporting Female Character Became the Heroine's Cat - Chapter 43

Cheng Jianian felt her consciousness drifting in a haze. She knew she ought to live only then would Shen Yunmiao’s efforts to save her not be in vain.

But memories of those blood-soaked past events surged up, and she allowed herself to drift in boundless agony.

All the sounds around her grew distant and indistinct.

The arrogance of her youth had now turned into a sharp blade, piercing her heart.

She could never forget that day on the rooftop after the college entrance exams: the girl’s skirt fluttering gently in the breeze, light and airy, as if she might fall at any moment.

Terrified beyond measure, Cheng Jianian desperately called out her name. The girl turned around, her dark eyes gentle yet sorrowful, and sighed softly, “You should have told me.”

The proud Miss Cheng finally fell silent, tears welling in her eyes as she trembled and whispered, “I’m sorry!”

“It’s alright,” the girl in the white dress slowly walked toward her, her black hair swaying in the wind, her voice calm. “Thank you for taking care of me all this time. From now on, let’s never see each other again.”

As they passed each other, Cheng Jianian couldn’t bring herself to say, “Miaomiao, I love you.” Instead, a ring was pressed into her hand.

She looked down and recognized it, the very one they had admired together in a mall long ago.

She hadn’t paid much attention to such details back then, but Shen Yunmiao had gazed at it for a long time.

If we meet again, will our eyes still redden with emotion, or will our cheeks flush with feeling?

Your brows carry sorrow, while my heart aches for the rest of my life.

They did cross paths again, distantly, when Cheng Jianian was invited to Jian Jingqiu’s wedding. The friend from her youth remained as youthful as ever.

But Cheng Jianian could no longer meet those dark eyes with the same openness.

Lost in thought, she imagined the girl catching the bridal bouquet, and from that moment on, she could no longer bring herself to be ruthless in the business world.

It was the first time she had ever defied Cheng Su.

There was no afterward.

To this day, Cheng Jianian still doesn’t know whether that car accident had anything to do with Cheng Su. But in the end, it didn’t matter, because she clearly understood that Cheng Su was merely the family head, her superior not her mother.

Not by blood, nor by the bond of upbringing.

No one in this world truly loved her, and the one who loved her the most was the one she felt unworthy of loving.

In her dazed state, Cheng Jianian heard someone calling her name, a voice both familiar and distant.

“Let this heart beat for me.”

Her eyes snapped open, drenched in cold sweat.

She felt utterly drained. The moment she opened her eyes, she met Cheng Su’s gaze.

Cheng Su’s expression was displeased. “You shouldn’t be so weak. Pining for love to the point of life and death is the height of foolishness.”

Cheng Jianian glanced at the hushed but busy medical staff around her and had no desire to engage with Cheng Su.

The ceiling above was pale and gloomy.

Much like her life, which felt beyond her control.

Cheng Su continued coldly, “What, still thinking of her?”

The person on the hospital bed finally stirred, her eyelids fluttering slightly.

Cheng Su elegantly picked up a cup, took a sip, and said indifferently, “If you want to win her over, you shouldn’t use such weak methods. Begging pathetically is something only a stray dog would do.”

Cheng Jianian thought of the dreamlike events in the virtual chamber and found it all bitterly ironic.

She parted her lips and sneered, “What makes me any better than a stray dog?”

“I don’t even have a home.”

Cheng Su ignored her remark and simply said, “In a couple of days, I can arrange for you two to meet.”

“No need.”

Cheng Jianian’s voice grew even colder.

But they did meet again.

Not by Cheng Su’s doing, but by Jiang Ying’s.

Whenever Jiang Ying and Cheng Jianian crossed paths, their interactions were never pleasant especially when Cheng Jianian had just finished one of her episodes.

Jiang Ying had Jian Jingqiu wait outside while she entered first. Her voice was cold as she looked at the person lying on the bed with dull eyes: “My sister wants to see you.”

Cheng Jianian abruptly sat up, tears glistening in her eyes as she stared back in disbelief. “Are you telling the truth, or are you lying to me?”

Jiang Ying let out a cold laugh. “I’m the one here who wishes you dead the most. If it weren’t for my sister.”

“How is she?” Cheng Jianian’s voice trembled.

Jiang Ying shot her a glance. “Thanks to you, she’s still alive. If you want to know more, go see for yourself.”

Cheng Jianian struggled to her feet, leaning on the railing, and rushed out in a panic, not even bothering to change out of her hospital gown, a sight that grated on Jiang Ying’s nerves.

Watching her hurried movements only irritated Jiang Ying further. She insisted that Cheng Jianian change into something nicer, pointing out that this might be their last meeting and she ought to make an effort.

After a moment of silence, Cheng Jianian agreed.

While waiting outside, Jiang Ying lit a cigarette. In the swirling smoke, memories of long-forgotten youthful days surfaced.

In truth, her grades hadn’t been bad, but she had entered society early. Back then, looking at Shen Yunmiao’s top score in the city’s high school entrance exam, she had smiled and said, “Study hard. Maybe you’ll be the top scorer in the province one day.”

Shen Yunmiao was a gentle, introverted person, but she would gaze at Jiang Ying with worry.

Her sister really was a beautiful, flawless girl.

Jiang Ying couldn’t bear the thought of her suffering. If one of them had to sacrifice their education, if studying together meant scrimping and living in constant fear, then she would rather be the one to drop out.

Jiang Ying was resourceful in unconventional ways pretty, articulate, nimble, and skilled in fights despite her youth.

She smoothly landed a job as a bartender at a less-than-reputable bar. The bartender there took her on as an apprentice, but she also sang on stage.

It was during that time she met Lin Shiyuan.

Lin Shiyuan was the eldest daughter of the Lin family, which was still prosperous back then. The Cheng family hadn’t yet risen to its later prominence, and the two families had an arranged marriage.

Same-sex marriage had only recently been legalized, but Cheng Su was shrewd enough to arrange a marriage alliance using his own daughter.

In a way, Lin Shiyuan was Cheng Jianian’s fiancée.

But the Lin family’s eldest daughter didn’t fall for the equally privileged Cheng Jianian. Instead, she fell for Jiang Ying, the girl holding the microphone in the bar.

Cheng Su would never let anyone ruin his business plans.

Even if that someone was just an underage girl the same age as his daughter, he wouldn’t hesitate to take action.

A group of men pinned down the seventeen-year-old Jiang Ying. From a distance, Cheng Su handed a baseball bat to Cheng Jianian.

Jiang Ying looked up, her face covered in blood, but her gaze remained defiant as she stared at the girl her own age. They had been born into different worlds, one privileged, the other not.

But why? Why was she the one under the knife, destined to be sacrificed?

Cheng Jianian’s face was expressionless, as if she weren’t the one wielding the weapon.

She said, “Don’t do this again.”

Do what? Fall in love with her fiancée?

Jiang Ying let out a scornful laugh and glared back contemptuously. “If you have the guts, just kill me.”

Cheng Su slowly approached and said, “Jianian, weakness will never get you anywhere.”

“Or would you like me to help you?”

Cheng Jianian closed her eyes and swung the bat down.

The girl on the ground let out a muffled groan. The sound of her bone cracking a soft, almost imperceptible snap became the nightmare that haunted Cheng Jianian in countless midnight reveries.

Cheng Su left.

The entire group left.

Only Cheng Jianian remained, watching her. Jiang Ying found it laughable. “What do you mean by this?”

Cheng Jianian stared at her, her gray eyes shimmering with nothing but cold light under the sun.

“Mother will compensate you. Is there someone to take care of you? Make a call.”

Jiang Ying struggled to stand but couldn’t. The pain wracked her body with cold sweat.

“You beasts. One day, I’ll make you pay for this.”

The aloof, noble girl merely looked at her with an utterly emotionless gaze. “You have a younger sister from the orphanage, Shen Yunmiao, right?”

“She’s my classmate. I hope this incident doesn’t disturb the peaceful relationship between us. Knowing too much often brings misfortune.”

Cheng Jianian slowly dialed a number. Jiang Ying watched her strikingly beautiful yet icy face, her teeth clenched so hard they nearly shattered.

The call connected, transferred a few times, and was put on speaker likely the teacher had handed the phone to Miaomiao.

Shen Yunmiao’s voice came through, tinged with uncertainty. “Classmate Cheng, is there something you need?”

“Yunmiao, I wanted to ask is Jiang Ying your sister?” Cheng Jianian’s tone softened, as if she were nothing more than a kind, ordinary classmate.

Shen Yunmiao sounded puzzled. “Yes! What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Her concern for Jiang Ying was absolute.

For some reason, Cheng Jianian felt a pang of irritation. She smiled lightly, her voice gentle. “It’s nothing too serious. Just come directly to the emergency room at Fourth Hospital.”

The ambulance arrived. Jiang Ying watched as they lifted her inside.

She glanced at Cheng Jianian in the distance.

This is all so absurd, she thought.

The cigarette burned down to its end, searing her fingers. She stubbed it out and turned to look at the hesitant, uneasy Cheng Jianian beside her. Everything is still as absurd as ever, she mused.

The once-arrogant ruler now knelt, begging for a shred of genuine affection from the one she held dearest.

They took the elevator to the top floor. Shen Yunmiao was sitting on a sofa in the open-air lounge, reading a book.

Bathed in sunlight, her skin was porcelain fair, her dark eyes glistening. Cheng Jianian stared at that familiar face, unsure how to react, lost in a daze for a long, long time.

Suddenly, Shen Yunmiao seemed to sense someone approaching. She turned her head, her expression cold as frozen water when she wasn’t smiling.

Cheng Jianian’s heart ached under that unfamiliar gaze.

Just as she was about to speak, Shen Yunmiao preempted her. “President Cheng, I heard you’ve recovered.”

Cheng Jianian froze, not understanding what she meant. Jiang Ying chimed in casually, “Oh, I forgot to tell you. After my sister saved you, as a staff member, she couldn’t retain her memories. They’ve been erased.”

Cheng Jianian’s mind went blank. If that were the case, then didn’t that mean only she possessed those beautiful yet painful memories?

Shen Yunmiao remained expressionless, as if they were merely old classmates reunited after many years, estranged by time and lack of contact.

“Since President Cheng has recovered, you should look forward. Don’t take what happened in the virtual pod too seriously, it was just a false memory.”

With those words, Shen Yunmiao brushed past her and walked toward Jiang Ying.

With that brief touch, Cheng Jianian caught a whiff of that familiar scent of fresh snow, crisp and clear as ever.

She reached out, wanting to grasp that pure snow.

But her fingers only brushed against the edge of a garment.

In the end, it too slipped away from her.

Someone had fought through thorns and brambles to reach this bleak world,

Only to abandon her in the end.

Helplessly, Cheng Jianian curved her lips into a faint smile and tightened her fingers.

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