I Have the Aura of a Supporting Character in Yuri Novels - Chapter 115

The brilliant light from the work table’s lamp post shines down on the two women. A thread of affection passes between their eyes. Zhu Yun is overcome with shyness, her legs bound by Tang Ning’an, unable to move. She can’t see the ink patterns Tang Ning’an is talking about, only her focused gaze. Even though Zhu Yun was mentally prepared, she is still trembling, feeling that this cursed ink pattern is her nemesis.

The woman’s soft, warm fingertips glide over her skin, leaving a tingling sensation. Tang Ning’an’s expression is serious. She single-mindedly observes the ink patterns appearing on Zhu Yun’s legs, her focused demeanor unaware of the torment she is causing Zhu Yun.

However, it’s all a facade. Tang Ning’an can’t calm her mind at all. She can even see the blush spreading on Zhu Yun’s fair skin, whether from her touch or from Zhu Yun’s own shyness.

She holds the slender, well-proportioned calf in her hand, the mysterious and eerie ink patterns wrapping around the jade-like skin. Tang Ning’an’s fingertips pause at the side of Zhu Yun’s knee, where she can slightly tighten her grip to cup the roundness of her kneecap.

The warmth from her palm slowly invades Zhu Yun, causing her to bite her rosy lips.

Tang Ning’an’s eyes are deep and dark. She says in a low, teasing voice, “Are you afraid of me?”

Zhu Yun pouts, “I haven’t been through something like this before. It’s only normal that I’m scared of you.”

“I won’t hurt you. I just need to remember the ink patterns on your leg.”

She says this righteously and self-importantly, as if the person whose heart is stirring from touching Zhu Yun’s skin isn’t her.

Zhu Yun hears Tang Ning’an’s words as nothing but a flimsy excuse. She moves her right leg slightly and says in a low voice, “If I had known this day would come, I’d have made sure you couldn’t see or touch it.”

Tang Ning’an chuckles, smoothing out the wrinkles on Zhu Yun’s skirt. When her legs are covered again and she can no longer see them, a flash of disappointment crosses her eyes. She cherishes the lingering sensation on her fingertips even more.

She says, “One thing is certain now, this ink pattern covers a large area.”

She props one hand on the work table and uses the other to brush a few strands of hair behind Zhu Yun’s ear. There are no piercings on her plump earlobes, making Zhu Yun’s appearance simple and elegant, which further highlights her graceful and beautiful face.

Tang Ning’an asks, “Do you think there’s another connection between us?”

Zhu Yun smiles, pursing her lips. “You’re really conceited. What kind of connection could there be between a centuries-old relic like me and you?”

“Then why am I able to see the patterns on your leg?”

Zhu Yun’s eyes flicker. She looks up at the woman who is only a step away from her and says, “It’s a shame part of my memory is lost, so I can’t answer your question.”

At this moment, Tang Ning’an suddenly brings up another matter, “Do you know you’re blushing?”

The woman’s voice is lazy and low. With a raised eyebrow and a playful look, she becomes a little roguish, no longer looking serious. She’s clearly teasing Zhu Yun.

Zhu Yun immediately covers her face, glaring at Tang Ning’an in annoyance. With a cold snort, she vanishes from Tang Ning’an’s sight, but not before leaving her a little “surprise.”

Instantly, all the lights in the repair room go out. Only a faint light filters through the blinds.

Tang Ning’an says with a soft laugh, “Are you angry?”

Zhu Yun is in a mood and has no intention of paying her any mind. Tang Ning’an sighs helplessly, but when she tries to turn on the lights, none of them obey her.

Tang Ning’an pushes open the blinds and sees the offices outside are brightly lit. The power outage in the repair room clearly hasn’t affected anyone else.

“You broke the light bulbs in a fit of anger?”

“Hmph, today it’s the light bulbs, but one day it’ll be you! You’d better not provoke me, or you’ll be the one out of luck.”

Tang Ning’an pushes up her glasses, her eyes holding an enigmatic emotion. She says slowly, “I’ll be out of luck?”

“That’s right! The broken light bulbs are a little lesson for you.”

Zhu Yun stands to the side with her hands in her sleeves. This darkness doesn’t faze Zhu Yun, but it’s an inconvenience for Tang Ning’an, who is human.

Zhu Yun is still upset about Tang Ning’an calling her out earlier, thinking that this person can be so mean sometimes. She used to think Tang Ning’an was a gentle and kind woman, but it seems she was fooled by Tang Ning’an’s disguise. In fact, this woman is awful!

Suddenly, the sound of something falling makes the expressionless Zhu Yun frown. She quickly appears in front of Tang Ning’an and holds her firmly in her arms. Thanks to Zhu Yun’s embrace, Tang Ning’an is saved from tripping over the object and falling to the ground.

“Watch out!”

Zhu Yun holds her and moves away from the area. Tang Ning’an asks, bewildered, “Did I just bump into something?”

“You idiot, that’s a storage shelf over there. Why were you walking toward it? Aren’t you afraid of getting hurt?”

Tang Ning’an says sheepishly, “Without light, I can’t see anything.”

Zhu Yun awkwardly clears her throat. Now that she thinks about it, this is all her fault.

She snaps her fingers, and the light bulbs that had been acting up all turn back on. Tang Ning’an looks at Zhu Yun in surprise and says softly, “You’re not mad anymore?”

Zhu Yun pouts. Seeing the look of surprise on her face, Zhu Yun says in a huff, “What’s there to be mad about? You almost fell.”

Tang Ning’an smiles warmly. She doesn’t take the near-accident seriously and says gently, “It’s okay, it was my fault.”

Zhu Yun, who responds better to gentle persuasion, quickly gives in. She starts to blame herself for being too impulsive. Luckily, Tang Ning’an didn’t get hurt. What would she have done if she had?

Zhu Yun takes the initiative to make up with Tang Ning’an, no longer holding a grudge about Tang Ning’an exposing her feelings earlier.

Zhu Yun holds out her little finger and shakes it, saying awkwardly, “I’ve made up with you and forgiven you. You don’t have to keep saying it was your fault.”

Tang Ning’an looks down at her finger, and the upward curve of her lips shows her satisfaction at her plan’s success. She nods.

“Hmph, I’m just too kind.”

Tang Ning’an’s smile deepens. Yes, you are very kind, and kind people are easy to fool.

[Don’t tell me, Little Zhu, you can’t see through Tang Ning’an’s little act? She’s been in this repair room for so many years; she could find her way around with her eyes closed. Do you really think she couldn’t see the way?]

Zhu Yun instinctively glances at Tang Ning’an, who is smiling gently and looking serene and elegant. She mutters, “I know, but what does it matter?”

Anyway, their goal is the same: to make up.

[Tsk tsk tsk.]

857 lets out a scoff of a spectator, which earns a retort from Zhu Yun. She says, “Why are you still talking? Don’t hang around me for a while. I’m a little disgusted with you. Please go offline quickly before I block you, OK?”

[Sob.]

“Gross!”

[Hmph, I’m never talking to Little Zhu again!]

857 says this final threat and quickly goes offline. Zhu Yun blinks in confusion. It seems like she should be the one who’s upset, but why does 857 seem even more upset? Fine, okay, so she’s going for the preemptive strike?

Zhu Yun realizes how sly 857 is and decides to give her the silent treatment for a week!

“Ning’an, are you okay?”

The door to the repair room is knocked on, and a colleague, Qin Qin, pushes it open.

Tang Ning’an shakes her head and asks with a smile, “What is it, Sister Qin?”

Qin Qin explains, “I saw the lights here turn off and then on again, and I thought the circuit breaker tripped again.”

“It’s nothing. I just remembered I forgot to grab something, so I turned the lights back on.”

Qin Qin walks over and looks at Tang Ning’an’s work table. She can barely make out the inscription on the mended base. She reads it and smiles, “Yun Yao? I’ve never seen that name before. Wait, this is a sky-blue porcelain vase. Only one official kiln could produce this kind of glaze, and that kiln site was discovered a few years ago. Archaeologists even dug up a stone tablet, and after research, the experts said the tablet was inscribed with the names of the most famous artisans at that official kiln. But I’ve never seen this name before. Someone who could fire such an exquisite sky-blue porcelain vase should have definitely been on that tablet. It’s so strange.”

Qin Qin can’t help but add, “Ning’an, did Mr. Li tell you anything about the vase?”

Tang Ning’an shrugs. “He said a little, but he didn’t finish, so he invited me to have dinner with him. But I refused. I was exhausted all day and wasn’t in the mood to deal with him.”

Qin Qin teases, “Could this Mr. Li have a thing for you? If I hadn’t seen Mr. Li’s head hit the glass door and then fall down the stairs, I would have highly encouraged you to go to dinner with him. But now it seems you shouldn’t go. Without his wealthy-person aura, I just feel like he’s a little unlucky. Such a big door, such wide steps, and he still manages to run into it and miss a step. To be honest, I really admire him.”

Tang Ning’an can’t help but laugh. These things were all caused by Zhu Yun, and it makes her look at the proud Zhu Yun, who has her hands on her hips. Tang Ning’an says jokingly, “This Mr. Li is a little unlucky.”

“Oh, right!” Qin Qin slaps her forehead. She came to find Tang Ning’an for another reason, but her attention was diverted by the lights turning on and off. Luckily, she now remembers the important matter.

Tang Ning’an picks up her jacket from the back of the chair. Hearing Qin Qin’s words, she turns around and asks, “What else, Sister Qin?”

“The security guard told me something yesterday. He said a man he saw yesterday looked a lot like your father. That old man used to be a reconnaissance soldier, so his eyesight is definitely not wrong. Why don’t you call your father and ask him?”

Qin Qin only knows a little about Tang Ning’an’s family. But she can tell that Tang Ning’an has a bad relationship with her family because once, Qin Qin found out that Tang Ning’an didn’t go home for the New Year. Qin Qin never told anyone about this and kept it to herself.

She originally didn’t want to pass on what the security guard said to Tang Ning’an, but she was also worried that the kind-hearted old man would grab Tang Ning’an and talk about her father. After thinking about it, it was better to tell her now.

Tang Ning’an’s hand, which was buttoning her jacket, pauses. She smiles faintly and says, “Got it, Sister Qin. Thank you.”

Qin Qin waves her hand and says casually, “You’re young and not from around here. We’re colleagues, but we’re also your friends.”

Her words make Zhu Yun move closer to Tang Ning’an and say in a low voice, “An’an has received a lot of kindness from people.”

Tang Ning’an smiles knowingly. Yes, she has a group of lovely colleagues and…

She looks at Zhu Yun and completes the sentence she didn’t say out loud, whispering to herself: And a unique friend.

The autumn wind is very cool, with a faint sweetness. Tang Ning’an takes a careful sniff and realizes it’s the fragrance of osmanthus flowers.

She’s gone downstairs to throw out the trash. Looking at the streetlights in the neighborhood, she walks to them and rocks back and forth on the steps like she did when she was a child. She stands there in a daze for a while until her cheeks start to hurt from the wind, and then she remembers what she’s supposed to do.

“Is that An’an?”

Tang Ning’an has called her father. His voice is tired and hoarse, making Tang Ning’an a little unable to remember what his voice used to sound like.

“I heard from the security guard that you came to look for me. Why didn’t you give me a call?”

Father Tang chuckles, stroking his stubble. “I only went there once. I didn’t expect the security guard at your workplace to have such a good memory.”

Tang Ning’an purses her lips. “That old man used to be a reconnaissance soldier.”

“Oh, I see.”

“What did you want to see me for?” Tang Ning’an asks again. Father Tang sighs. He says, “Your mother called me. She wants me to talk to you.”

“She called you about what?” Tang Ning’an says in disbelief. Since they divorced when she was a child, they have rarely been in contact, and even if they were, it was only about Tang Ning’an. Because in her mother’s heart, she has always resented Father Tang. If it weren’t for his infidelity back then, her mother would still be a woman who had hope for love.

Father Tang smokes a cigarette and says in a deep voice, “An’an, I didn’t go to see you to be your mother’s mouthpiece. There’s something I need to tell you, and I hope you can stay away from that person.”

Tang Ning’an is confused. What does he want to tell her?

“A few days ago, your mother told me there’s a promising young man who’s a good match for you. You’re not getting any younger, and you’ll get married sooner or later. I had no objections, after all, she is your mother, and she’s looking out for you. But the person your mother mentioned turned out to be Li Qingzhi. There’s no way I’ll agree to that!”

“This Li family and us have a blood feud. They live in luxury and have become people of high status, but it was these animals who almost destroyed our Tang family!”

“Your grandfather told me this before he passed away. It was an old feud from a hundred years ago, and I didn’t want to get involved with the Li family, so I didn’t tell you this story.”

Father Tang smokes a cigarette with a pensive look. He continues, “Our ancestors had a famous artisan, who was the first to fire the sky-blue porcelain the emperor of the time wanted. Do you remember the notebook you secretly looked through when you were a child? That was a copy. The original notebook was destroyed by the Li family. A three-ranked official from the Li family back then somehow took an interest in the Tang family. He killed our ancestor, took the vase from the emperor, and for his own selfish reasons, ruined us and smashed the vase! Even the glory that should have belonged to our Tang family was erased by them.”

At this moment, Tang Ning’an doesn’t feel the slightest chill of autumn. Her full attention is on what her father is saying. A faint answer forms in Tang Ning’an’s mind, and she asks without hesitation, “What was the name of the person killed by the Li family?”

Father Tang takes a puff of his cigarette. He remembers the name on the notebook clearly. So Father Tang says with certainty, “Tang Yunyao.”

Tang Ning’an suddenly lets out a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of “I knew it.”

“Dad, the vase that the Li family took is in my hands right now.”

Her words make Father Tang stand up abruptly. He is shocked. “What’s going on? An’an, isn’t your workplace not allowed to take private jobs?”

“Li Qingzhi asked old man Zhang to come to me, so I wasn’t suspicious at first. But when I started to find out other things, I realized that Li Qingzhi was targeting me.”

Father Tang hurriedly puts out his cigarette, not wanting to miss a single piece of information. He asks, “Li Qingzhi is targeting you? How does he know you’re from the Tang family? Our family hasn’t produced any big figures in the past few hundred years. It was only from your great-grandfather’s generation that we started to gain some fame.”

“Dad, I’ll handle this. You don’t have to worry.”

“Handle it? How are you going to handle it? We still don’t know what Li Qingzhi is up to. What if he wants to use his old methods to harm you? The Li family is wicked to the core!”

Tang Ning’an looks at the moon hanging in the sky. There is a coldness in her eyes. She says calmly, “Dad, if my mother asks you to be her spokesperson again, you don’t have to listen to her.”

“Your mother… sigh, An’an, I made a big mistake back then, and I’m sorry to her. So no matter how she scolds me or hits me, I’ll accept it. But Li Qingzhi, that person, I won’t back down. I’ll be the one to have a serious talk with her. You two mother and daughter shouldn’t get angry with each other because of an outsider.”

Tang Ning’an laughs self-deprecatingly, “You both have new families. I guess I’m the outsider.”

“An’an!” Father Tang’s voice is pained. His daughter’s words make him feel ashamed and guilty. For a moment, an awkward silence hangs between them, and no one speaks again.

There is only one moon in the sky, and only one streetlight beside her, which makes Tang Ning’an feel even sadder.

She finally hangs up the phone and stands still.

Tang Ning’an sighs and says, “No wonder I disliked Li Qingzhi so much. It turns out there really is a feud.”

“Hey, Tang! Did you throw your soul away with the trash? Don’t you feel cold standing there in a daze!”

Zhu Yun pushes open the window on the third floor. Taking advantage of the fact that no one can hear her, she conjures up a megaphone and shouts at Tang Ning’an. This sudden volume of sound instantly dispels Tang Ning’an’s sadness. She covers her ears and looks at the window.

A woman in a blue dress stands in the light. Her face is beautiful, and she’s full of life, showing no signs of the weakness she once had. The fragile Zhu Yun was just a fleeting memory.

Tang Ning’an tilts her head, looking up at that figure, then reveals a relieved smile.

The moon and the streetlight are lonely, but she is an exception because someone is there to keep her company.

Dinner is a bowl of spicy hot pot. It’s not a romantic, extravagant candlelight dinner, but Tang Ning’an eats with a sense of comfort and peace. After a sip of her “happy fat man water,” all her troubles disappear.

Zhu Yun rests her chin on her hand, looking glum. “So you’re saying your two families have a blood feud, and your ancestor Tang Yunyao was the one who created me?”

Tang Ning’an nods. “That’s about it.”

“Ugh, this is giving me a headache!”

Tang Ning’an hands her a can of soda and says, “Please chill this for me.”

“Hey, I’m talking about something serious!”

Tang Ning’an says with a laugh, “Chilling my soda is also something serious.”

Zhu Yun’s hands emit a cool air. She holds the can tightly and quickly gives Tang Ning’an the refreshing cold drink she wanted.

Tang Ning’an sips her soda and says calmly, “First, we can confirm one thing, which is that Li Qingzhi has malicious intentions toward both you and me.”

“That’s right! He’s definitely trying to harm us.”

Zhu Yun sits down beside her and says boastfully, “But don’t be afraid. I can protect you.”

Tang Ning’an smiles and reaches out to gently ruffle her hair, saying softly, “I will protect you, too.”

After saying that, she leans her head on Zhu Yun’s shoulder, placing her soda on the side. Tang Ning’an says, “Zhu Yun.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

Tang Ning’an is hesitant to speak. The words that were on the tip of her tongue are swallowed. She finally says, “It’s getting late. You should wash up and go to sleep.”

Zhu Yun pouts in dissatisfaction. “I thought it was something important, but you’re just trying to get rid of me. Hmph, fine, I’m going. I’ll go watch TV in the living room.”

She pokes Tang Ning’an’s forehead. The one who was just next to Tang Ning’an is now gone. Tang Ning’an touches the spot where Zhu Yun poked her and says in a low voice, “Idiot.”

It’s a quiet night. Humans have entered dreamland. On the wide bed lies a woman with a serious sleeping expression. She seems to be trapped in a nightmare, repeating a person’s name, but it’s too blurry to hear clearly.

Suddenly, a fierce wind blows outside the window, and a torrential downpour falls on the world.

Tang Ning’an finally wakes up from her dream. Her eyes are blank, and her face is pale, as if she’s been terrified.

Her fingertips tremble as she covers her head. Tears roll down her cheeks. Her mind is in chaos, and she feels a sense of suffocation, as if she’s still in the dream.

The room is quiet, but the door has already been opened by Tang Ning’an. She sees Zhu Yun, who is absorbed in watching a TV show. The scene on the TV shows the main characters hugging. Tang Ning’an wipes her tears and walks toward Zhu Yun, hugging and monopolizing her with her warm body.

“Hmm? Why are you awake?”

“Did you have a nightmare? I’ll pat your back and chase the nightmare away!”

The warmth of a single tear might seem insignificant to a human, but Zhu Yun is keenly aware of its presence.

“Are you crying?”

Tang Ning’an says with a choked voice, “I dreamt of you.”

“And you cried when you dreamt of me? Do you want me to apologize to you?”

She’s crying so pitifully, so she’ll just be charitable this once.

Why else would she not want to see her cry?

Her tears are the ultimate weapon against her.

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