I Have the Aura of a Supporting Character in Yuri Novels - Chapter 113

The setting sun crept in through the window, spilling a rich palette of colors. The afterglow shone on Tang Ning’an, bathing her in the evening light and making her look stunning.

When Tang Ning’an saw the refined man in a suit at the door, her gaze wavered for a moment. It was as if she was seeing a familiar friend through Li Qingzhi’s skin. This feeling was very mysterious; even after a hundred years of reincarnation, she could still pick out her old friend hidden within Li Qingzhi’s guise. This wasn’t a tangled destiny, but rather an obsession to make him die.

“Hello, Miss Tang. I’m Li Qingzhi. It’s a pleasure to meet you today.” He forced a polished smile. He was a polite and elegant gentleman. Unfortunately, Li Qingzhi’s complexion was terrible, as if he lacked the breath of fresh life, making him uncomfortable to look at from the very first glance.

Tang Ning’an said calmly, “This antique celadon porcelain vase is Mr. Li’s personal collection, so I had to trouble you to come here.”

Li Qingzhi sat down in a chair naturally, his eyes on Tang Ning’an. There was no surprise in his gaze, as if he had long known what Tang Ning’an looked and acted like. His tone was polite as he said, “Hearing about it a hundred times isn’t as good as seeing it once. I’ve heard about Miss Tang’s abilities from Elder Zhang. Logically, your skill level should be able to solve any problem, but your phone call made me realize that a genius isn’t omnipotent. My apologies for being too presumptuous. Please forgive me, Miss Tang. I just thought this vase wouldn’t cause you any trouble.”

Li Qingzhi seemed approachable, which created a strong sense of contradiction with the dark and somber look in his eyes.

After listening to his account, Tang Ning’an smiled and countered, “Mr. Li, you overestimate me. In this line of work, there is no end to learning. There are still many things I need to learn from my predecessors.”

Li Qingzhi adjusted his cuff links, his eyelids lowered, preventing Tang Ning’an from seeing the arrogance in his eyes. He said, “Miss Tang is truly too humble, which surprises me. I thought all geniuses in the world were arrogant and aloof. I didn’t expect Miss Tang to be an exception.”

Tang Ning’an had a strange feeling that the word “genius” he kept using was laced with deep sarcasm. She curved her lips, took out the documents she had prepared, and handed them to Li Qingzhi. Tang Ning’an said with a faint smile, “Currently, there are only a handful of people in the country who can guarantee they can fire a celadon glaze. Even in that dynasty, no craftsman could achieve a celadon glaze in every single firing. The right time, place, and people are all indispensable. Even if I were a genius, I couldn’t re-glaze this vase. All I can do is use modern pigments to fill in the color of the missing parts as much as possible. So I’m meeting with you today to discuss the choice of pigments.”

Li Qingzhi frowned. He had already buttoned his cuffs, but why could he still feel gusts of cold wind seeping in?

He looked around. It was only him and Tang Ning’an here; there was nothing else out of the ordinary.

Li Qingzhi pursed his thin lips, staring at the exquisite-faced woman. He said with an undeniable tone, “I require Miss Tang to have it custom-fired at a kiln. This vase is out of the ordinary and cannot be measured by a normal price. How can common mixed pigments be worthy of it? I am willing to hand this vase over to you because I value your abilities. Don’t worry, once you’ve restored this vase, I will reward you with a generous sum.”

He then deliberately showed his wristwatch and looked at the time, as if he had another engagement waiting for him.

Tang Ning’an raised her eyebrows. What did that mean? No one else could fire it besides her? This was a little too much faith in her.

For this meeting with Li Qingzhi, Tang Ning’an deliberately came up with the most difficult reason to challenge him, hoping to get more information from their conversation. Since she had already sensed Li Qingzhi’s ulterior motives, Tang Ning’an was even more curious about why he was targeting her. So Tang Ning’an took a risk and simply said she couldn’t repair it. This would block all of Li Qingzhi’s escape routes and make him reveal his true colors in a panic.

Tang Ning’an took another sip of tea, smiling meaningfully. “Mr. Li is really rolling in money.”

She had already refused Li Qingzhi repeatedly, but he was still insistent, which showed that in his eyes, whether or not the bamboo porcelain could be restored was not important at all. If he cherished this vase, why would he be so indifferent?

Of course, there was another possibility, just as Li Qingzhi said: only she could restore this vase. But that was too absurd. For him to choose her with such unwavering faith, and for him to be a man with ulterior motives, it only made her feel terrified.

Li Qingzhi took Tang Ning’an’s words as a compliment. He shrugged smugly, the emotions in his eyes clearly telling Tang Ning’an that he liked the praise. Full of a sense of superiority, he said, “It’s just the wealth accumulated by my ancestors. I have to thank them. Ah, sometimes I feel lonely and am afraid that the people around me are all approaching me for my family fortune. Miss Tang probably doesn’t understand this feeling, but I’m really tired.”

“…” The detached smile on Tang Ning’an’s face froze. She let out a dry laugh and said, “Then perhaps Mr. Li lives a very hard life.”

“On the contrary, my life is full of fun.”

Tang Ning’an’s good manners had never broken down before she met Li Qingzhi. She could maintain a smile even when facing her mother and Lu Ke. However, at this moment, Tang Ning’an felt that her composure needed more practice, as she had now lost control of her expressions.

Li Qingzhi laughed heartily, crossed his legs, and looked at Tang Ning’an as if he had seen right through her. He said, “You women are just shy. I haven’t even shown my charm yet, but once I mention money, you all get tempted. But…”

His eyes became deep and he looked at Tang Ning’an like a good dish on the dinner table, full of greed and desire. He continued, “But I’ll allow Miss Tang to be tempted by me.”

“Cough.” Tang Ning’an couldn’t help but cough. She awkwardly wiped her lips with a tissue, her misty eyes looking at Li Qingzhi as if she had something to say. In an instant, countless unprintable curses flew through her mind.

“You’re a damn toad who wants to eat swan meat, aren’t you?”

“Take my cat paw punch!”

“You dog, I’ve been giving off cold air for a long time. Why haven’t you been frozen to death yet?”

Zhu Yun gave Li Qingzhi a flurry of kicks and punches. If it weren’t for the sake of future plans, Zhu Yun would have wanted to show herself and fight him.

That’s right, the current Zhu Yun had a stealth talisman on her. The plot had clearly told Zhu Yun that Li Qingzhi’s dog eyes could see her, so Zhu Yun had prepared a stealth talisman in advance. But since he entered the room, Zhu Yun had been observing and really couldn’t see any of his spiritual abilities. Could it be that the time had not yet come?

Just then, Li Qingzhi involuntarily shivered, his teeth chattering. The biting cold made him cover his mouth and nose and sneeze. The man’s elegant demeanor vanished, replaced by a complete mess.

He rubbed his hands and asked, “Miss Tang, is there something dirty in here? Why does it feel so gloomy and sinister? There must be something inauspicious!”

Tang Ning’an retorted, “That’s very strange. I’ve been here for several years and have never experienced what Mr. Li is experiencing. Perhaps it’s your problem, Mr. Li.”

This sentence made Li Qingzhi shiver instantly. He had done a lot of bad things, and so had his ancestors. So Tang Ning’an’s question seemed to have stepped on his tail. The man stood up with a “swish,” looking left and right, his nerves on edge and in a state of terror.

He fumbled and pulled out something that looked like a piece of jade from his collar. Then Li Qingzhi held the jade talisman to his forehead. With the protection of this talisman, the paranoid Li Qingzhi seemed to have found his guardian angel. He let out a long sigh of relief, looked left and right again, and, finding nothing wrong, sat back down in his chair feeling at ease.

His entire performance was watched by Tang Ning’an and Zhu Yun. Tang Ning’an was paying attention to him as a person, while Zhu Yun noticed the jade talisman in his hand.

Zhu Yun sneered, “So the good stuff is here.”

She hooked her finger. The blinds crashed down with a “bang” and did not roll back up. The light in the restoration room changed in an instant. Li Qingzhi, who was already restless, broke out in a cold sweat. However, what happened in the next second was even more unbelievable.

The pieces of the porcelain vase lying flat on the table slowly rose. They flew back and forth with Zhu Yun’s finger. When Li Qingzhi was so frightened that he was sweating profusely, the fragments actually formed a big character  (Li). He was so terrified that he trembled all over, and the intense fear made him unable to open his mouth.

Tang Ning’an looked back at the flying fragments and asked with a smile, “What’s wrong, Mr. Li? You look so terrible.”

As the saying goes, scaring people can scare them to death.

Tang Ning’an pretended she hadn’t seen anything, and Li Qingzhi said in a hoarse voice, “You… didn’t you see it?”

She curved her lips and smiled faintly. “Mr. Li is so interesting. What do you want me to see?”

Li Qingzhi stammered, “There… there’s a ghost!”

Tang Ning’an screwed the lid back on her thermos, her expression displeased. “Mr. Li, you keep saying things like that. Do you really find it funny?”

Li Qingzhi’s face turned pale with anxiety, and cold sweat soaked the short hair at his temples. His heart, which was about to stop, pointed him to a clear path: the jade talisman hanging around his neck.

Li Qingzhi pressed the jade talisman firmly against his forehead, muttering words Tang Ning’an couldn’t understand. Seeing this, Zhu Yun lowered her finger, and the fragments quietly returned to the desktop.

“Mr. Li?”

As Tang Ning’an’s words reached Li Qingzhi’s ears, the man who had been hunched over slowly straightened his back. He still had the same face, but the aggressive look in his eyes held a strong sense of danger, like a dormant beast waiting for the right moment to strike.

Li Qingzhi put away his jade talisman, adjusted the collar of his shirt, and said in a hoarse voice, “Miss Tang, did you really not see anything just now?”

Tang Ning’an looked confused. “Everything in the restoration room belongs to me. What could there be that I can’t see?”

Li Qingzhi leaned back against the chair. The dark and gloomy look on his face reappeared. He said somberly, “Miss Tang, you’ve been in contact with cultural relics and antiques for several years, haven’t you? Have you ever heard of a parasitic spirit? As the name suggests, it’s a dirty thing that lives inside a cultural relic. It not only damages the antique, but also harms human lives.”

He lightly declared the parasitic spirit guilty. His deep eyes looked straight at Tang Ning’an. When he saw her depressed and confused expression, Li Qingzhi was sure that Tang Ning’an had not yet noticed the woman inside the vase. This made Li Qingzhi secretly happy, thinking that everything was still on time.

Zhu Yun had been a bystander for a long time. She raised her arm, and her wide sleeves slid down to reveal her slender wrist. A yellow talisman was pinched between her two fingers, which were as tender as scallions. Lightning and thunder crackled on the talisman, as if it couldn’t wait to strike Li Qingzhi’s head.

[Little Zhu!! Calm down, calm down! You must calm down! If you smash that Heavenly Thunder Talisman down, the entire restoration room and even the ceramics restoration team’s office will be destroyed! Have you forgotten Qin Xuyu from the last world?! Okay, you’ve indeed forgotten, but! You have to listen to me, don’t strike, don’t strike!]

Number 857’s face was pressed tightly against the system’s screen, fearing that Zhu Yun would act on impulse. Of course, it also didn’t forget to check the number of Heavenly Thunder Talismans in the system space. It didn’t know until it checked, and when it did, it was shocked.

The number of Heavenly Thunder Talismans stored in the system space was still the same as in the last world. There was no more and no less. So the question was, where did the Heavenly Thunder Talisman that Zhu Yun was holding right now come from?

Number 857’s small brain spun quickly, and it soon came to a conclusion, because it was not unfamiliar with this move.

What you think becomes a talisman.

This was the former Zhu Yun.

But at this moment, Zhu Yun was consumed by jealousy. She held the Heavenly Thunder Talisman, her eyebrows frosty. Her sweet smile was murderous. She said, “How could I possibly harm Tang Ning’an? It doesn’t matter if one Li Qingzhi dies, but it’s not okay to implicate Tang Ning’an.”

[Yes, yes, yes! My good girl, quickly put down the talisman~]

Zhu Yun’s two fingers holding the Heavenly Thunder Talisman moved, and a brand-new talisman appeared out of thin air. The curve of Zhu Yun’s lips became meaningful. Whatever she thought of came true. She was suddenly looking forward to what other surprises were waiting for her. At that time, she hoped they wouldn’t disappoint her.

[This is good, this is not bad~]

She waved the bad luck talisman in her hand. After the talisman dissipated into Li Qingzhi’s body, Zhu Yun curved a satisfied smile. But she soon found that two forces were surging within her body, neither giving in to the other, wanting to compete for supremacy, which was a terrible thing for Zhu Yun.

Zhu Yun’s top priority was to hide. She flashed and disappeared in front of Tang Ning’an. Tang Ning’an didn’t notice the strange expression on her face at that moment, but the disappearance of Zhu Yun’s stealth still made Tang Ning’an worried.

Tang Ning’an looked at Li Qingzhi, who was blocking her way, feeling unhappy. She frowned and retorted, “My work is very busy, and I don’t have time for social events. However, if Mr. Li insists that I repair the vase, why don’t I give you a multiple-choice question? Do you want me to continue repairing it, or do you want me to accept your invitation to an event?”

This move was called using magic to defeat magic. Tang Ning’an cleverly avoided Li Qingzhi’s trap.

Li Qingzhi laughed softly, his magnetic voice completely exposing his appreciation for Tang Ning’an. He said, “Miss Tang is very interesting. Since you don’t like listening to stories, then please repair the vase. This is the most important thing.”

“Important? I think Mr. Li is very careless and not at all afraid that I will damage the antique celadon porcelain.”

Li Qingzhi took back his business card, and his narrow eyes held a look of certainty. “You won’t.”

He nodded lazily and said, “Talking with Miss Tang today was very relaxing. I won’t stay any longer.”

Li Qingzhi turned around dashingly with one hand in his pocket. For some reason, his left foot accidentally tripped over his right foot. With a heavy thud, Li Qingzhi fell to the ground, and a red mark appeared on his forehead.

Tang Ning’an bit her lip and looked up at the ceiling silently.

Li Qingzhi pounded the floor in embarrassment. He quickly scrambled to his feet and scurried out without even bothering to open the door.

Suddenly, another sound was heard. A colleague exclaimed, “Oh, I just wiped the door! My apologies, my apologies. I wiped it too clean and you didn’t see that it was a glass door. My friend, I’m so sorry, so sorry.”

“Pffft.”

“Hahahahaha.”

Tang Ning’an quickly closed the door, leaned against the wall, and laughed heartily with her hands covering her face. She had been holding it in for a long time.

“Oh, right, Zhu Yun!”

“Zhu Yun, why are you gone? Where did you go?”

Even after witnessing Li Qingzhi’s embarrassing moment, Tang Ning’an did not forget the thing related to Zhu Yun.

She called out Zhu Yun’s name, looking up, looking down, and even picking up the folder on her desk to look through it. There was no trace of Zhu Yun here. So where did this person go?

Tang Ning’an was anxious and said angrily, “Zhu Yun, if you don’t come out, I’m never going to talk to you again for the rest of my life. I mean it!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhu Yun, whom Tang Ning’an had been searching for, finally showed up.

She forced a smile, but even so, she couldn’t hide the fact that there was something wrong with her face.

Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, like a lily that had been picked and was about to lose its moisture. She swayed, and the mist surrounding her feet once again became lighter and fainter. This time, Tang Ning’an also finally saw the strange ink pattern on her ankle, like a heavy lock that was shackling her.

“Zhu Yun, what… what’s wrong with you? Don’t scare me.”

Tang Ning’an hugged her and helped her kneel on the ground.

Zhu Yun leaned on Tang Ning’an’s embrace and smiled faintly. “I’m fine. Don’t look at how miserable I am right now. I’m actually very happy, because all of Li Qingzhi’s bad luck just now was something great I did.”

Her voice had a hidden tremble, which showed what kind of pain she was suppressing.

“Don’t cry.”

The tears fell one after another, which was heartbreaking.

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