I Have the Aura of a Supporting Character in Yuri Novels - Chapter 52

The supermarket reeked, a mix of decay and zombie, but Zhu Yun’s keen sense of smell picked up another scent from Tang Zixi: the putrid smell of a zombie bite. This is what prompted her earlier comment.

Zhu Yun seized this opportunity to earn goodwill. She knew from the original plot that Tang Zixi was a responsible team leader who would later risk her life to save Zhu Yun. Tang Zixi’s powerful abilities would suppress the other underlings of Ling Chengze, otherwise, Zhu Yun wouldn’t even have a chance to say her goodbyes.

Zhu Yun always paid back her debts, whether of kindness or malice. Even though Tang Zixi’s kindness hadn’t happened yet, Zhu Yun wouldn’t abandon her. After all, her system, 857, had certified Tang Zixi as a “good person.”

Zhu Yun grabbed Tang Zixi’s hand. It was ice-cold. “Are you cold?” she asked instinctively.

Thanks to her powers, Zhu Yun’s hands were warm. This warmth was so precious that it gave Tang Zixi a sense of peace, causing her to stare at Zhu Yun in a brief moment of daze.

“It’s true that the chance of an ability user getting infected by the zombie virus is low,” Zhu Yun said softly, “but are you sure you won’t be harmed by it?”

She was earnestly persuading Tang Zixi, unaware that this woman she was holding was a terrifying force to others. Her teammates, like Gu Shuyi, stared wide-eyed at Zhu Yun’s casual touch.

“What the…?” Gu Shuyi, a gentle and scholarly woman, was so shocked she lost her composure. She couldn’t understand what was so special about this wheelchair-bound woman that she could grab the team leader’s hand.

Just then, a commotion erupted. “Liu Ye’s mutating!” a teammate shouted, and Tang Zixi’s expression turned grim.

“Team Leader, will Liu Ye be okay?” Gu Shuyi asked anxiously.

Tang Zixi expertly pulled her hand from Zhu Yun’s grasp, glancing at her. “Don’t follow, it could be dangerous,” she said, her voice neutral.

This seemingly distant but caring remark made Gu Shuyi look at Zhu Yun again. Her gaze lingered on the wheelchair, a subtle disdain in her eyes.

Zhu Yun, catching the look of contempt, puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. “I didn’t even offend her! Why the sour face?” she complained to 857.

Some people are just born to be challenged. They’re insufferable.

857’s sharp tongue soothed Zhu Yun’s ego, and she filed away Gu Shuyi’s offense in her mental notebook.

“Godmother, push me over there.”

Zhu Yun’s puppet, her “godmother,” still had its powerful thunder talisman active. Feeling safe under its protection, the usually cautious Zhu Yun ordered the puppet to move.

Soon, Zhu Yun saw Liu Ye, confined by Tang Zixi. Tang Zixi was as swift as a leopard, using a strong rope to bind Liu Ye’s hands. To prevent him from harming anyone, she struck him with a quick chop to the neck, knocking him out.

Zhu Yun noticed a tear in Liu Ye’s sleeve. If her instincts were right, that was where he was infected.

Standing next to Gu Shuyi was a tall, athletic, honey-skinned woman—Liu Ye’s sister, Liu Hua. “Team Leader, can he be saved?” she asked nervously.

The supermarket was a dangerous place. The constant flow of people searching for supplies meant more zombies, and more people getting infected. Liu Ye’s injury came from a zombie bite during a supply run. His sister, Liu Hua, had saved him, but he was still infected.

Since the apocalypse, survival had been a daily struggle, even for ability users. They could still get infected. The first bite from a zombie was what caused the virus to mutate, giving them a chance to awaken their abilities.

Tang Zixi tightened the rope around Liu Ye’s wrist. “It depends on whether he can endure it,” she said solemnly.

Her words made Liu Hua burst into tears. “Damn these zombies! This stupid world!” she cursed. Liu Ye was her only remaining family, and she couldn’t stand the thought of losing him.

Gu Shuyi hesitated, then spoke up. “Liu Hua, I have an idea. Zhao Yuan’s team has a level-two healing ability user. Maybe he can suppress the virus. If we can suppress it, Liu Ye will have a better chance of fighting it off.”

Her suggestion sparked a flicker of hope in Liu Hua’s eyes, but everyone knew it was a long shot. If the virus were so easy to cure, healing ability users would be hailed as angels.

Liu Hua looked at Tang Zixi hopefully. Before Tang Zixi could answer, another teammate, a tall and burly strength-user named Zhou Kuang, objected. “Liu Hua, that healing user in Zhao Yuan’s team is a beast. Do you think Liu Ye would want you to make that kind of sacrifice for him?”

Gu Shuyi’s face fell. She knew it was a terrible idea, but Zhao Yuan was their only option. She was just trying to help, and she resented Zhou Kuang’s harsh words.

She was about to retort when Tang Zixi shot a cold look at them. “I’ll go see Zhao Yuan. Liu Hua, you stay here and take care of Liu Ye.”

Tang Zixi’s gaze finally settled on Gu Shuyi, whose lips trembled under the immense pressure. She lowered her head, a hint of panic in her eyes.

Liu Hua said nothing, but bowed tearfully to Tang Zixi. She also gave a grateful look to Zhou Kuang, knowing he had been defending her. She understood that she and Liu Ye weren’t particularly valuable to the team, which was why she had been willing to make the sacrifice Gu Shuyi proposed. But with Tang Zixi’s intervention, she no longer had to consider that humiliating option.

Zhou Kuang scratched his head with a goofy smile. “The team leader said so, so don’t worry.”

Tang Zixi zipped her black leather jacket all the way up to her neck, exuding a cool and decisive aura. “Zhao Yuan is nearby. You all wait here for me.”

As she turned to leave, Zhu Yun, who had been quiet until now, wouldn’t let her go.

“I can help Liu Ye. I’m a healing ability user.”

Zhu Yun’s words stunned the team. Tang Zixi’s eyes narrowed slightly. She finally spoke up. Tang Zixi couldn’t understand why Zhu Yun would get involved. Liu Ye’s condition was critical, and most healing ability users couldn’t help.

Liu Hua was the first to react. She rushed over, choking back a sob. “You… you’re a healing ability user?” She studied Zhu Yun’s innocent face. The girl’s eyes were sincere, her expression serious. She seemed like a naive young woman, yet her sweet smile inspired an immediate trust in Liu Hua.

Zhu Yun smiled gently. “I don’t know this Zhao Yuan you’re talking about, but from your reaction, he’s clearly not a good person. If you just need a healing ability user, why not consider me?”

Liu Hua’s legs gave way, and she half-knelt before Zhu Yun. “Can you save him? You can, right?” she pleaded.

Zhu Yun kept smiling. “No healing ability user has been able to do that yet. I can only try my best. It’s up to him whether he survives.” She glanced at the unconscious Liu Ye. She had a strong intuition that she could save him, but she needed to prove it.

Liu Hua understood. She wasn’t angry, but disappointed. People always hoped for good news, not bad. She gave a bitter smile and nodded. “I understand.” Why was her life so difficult? Was it so hard to save her brother?

“Just so we’re clear, no ability user can guarantee a cure for an infection. His fate is not something I can control.”

Zhu Yun looked around. Most of the team looked kind, but Gu Shuyi’s expression was unnatural. Zhu Yun gave her a bright, taunting smile and saw Gu Shuyi’s pupils contract. Zhu Yun felt a sense of glee.

She hadn’t forgotten Gu Shuyi’s earlier contempt. Seeing her squirm made Zhu Yun happy. She quickly put Gu Shuyi out of her mind and focused on Tang Zixi, who had been ignoring her this entire time. Tang Zixi had known about her ability yet chose to seek out Zhao Yuan instead. Zhu Yun felt she was being deliberately overlooked.

Zhu Yun raised her chin at Tang Zixi. “How are you doing with supplies? His condition can’t wait.”

Tang Zixi pursed her lips. “Do you need any supplies?” she asked in return.

Zhu Yun blinked. “A lot.”

Tang Zixi took off her backpack and gave it to Liu Hua. She then pulled a large-capacity backpack from her dimensional space. She walked over to Zhu Yun. “Tell me what you need. I’m familiar with this place.”

She had noticed from the start how clean Zhu Yun was, without even a backpack. The most valuable thing she had was the wheelchair. Tang Zixi had already planned to get some supplies for her.

Zhu Yun was surprised by her offer and smiled. Was this concern? “There’s a lot of stuff,” she said, feigning difficulty. “Could you take me with you?”

Zhu Yun was afraid Tang Zixi would see her as a burden, so she got up from her wheelchair. This startled Tang Zixi, and seeing her unsteady, Tang Zixi quickly reached out to support her. “Stay still. I’ll push you.”

Zhu Yun bit her lip, glanced at Tang Zixi, then looked down, a little embarrassed. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Tang Zixi took the wheelchair from the puppet’s hands. “You guys drive back first. I’ll meet up with you soon,” she instructed the others.

Zhu Yun patted the puppet’s arm, and it gave a slow nod.

“857, will anyone notice it’s a fake person?”

Hey, have some faith in the quality of the system’s products.

Zhu Yun pouted. 857 was so arrogant; it was practically begging to be ripped off.

Zhou Kuang carried the unconscious Liu Ye, and Liu Hua led the puppet. She didn’t dare to offend the “godmother.”

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Yun and Tang Zixi were alone. With no one else around, Zhu Yun finally spoke. “You knew I was an ability user. Why did you still want to find that Zhao guy?”

Zhu Yun was still annoyed by Tang Zixi’s previous behavior. Tang Zixi continued to gather supplies, calmly dispatching a zombie with a spatial blade.

Zhu Yun stomped her feet, frustrated that Tang Zixi was ignoring her.

Tang Zixi, seeing Zhu Yun with her hands in her pockets and a “you’re-so-not-listening” look on her face, found a box of lollipops among some fallen shelves and put it in Zhu Yun’s backpack. She probably likes these sweet things.

“Liu Ye is hard to save. You’re just asking for trouble,” Tang Zixi said, finally offering an explanation. But Zhu Yun was still annoyed by her cold demeanor.

“I can save him,” she huffed.

Then, Zhu Yun tugged on Tang Zixi’s sleeve, pointing at a wound on her arm. “Not only can I save him, I can save you too.”

“You’re just like him, you’re infected. Do you understand?” she said seriously.

Both had similar wounds on their arms. Zhu Yun didn’t know what kind of zombie had bitten them, but she was confident that with her help, they would survive.

Tang Zixi looked down, her expression unreadable. She seemed completely unfazed by her own infection.

Zhu Yun glared at her. “What’s with that face?”

Tang Zixi gave a faint smile. “Life and death are up to fate.”

Zhu Yun was so angry she rolled her eyes. She felt like she was going to be killed not by the ungrateful Ling Chengze, but by Tang Zixi’s nonchalant attitude.

“You really have a bad attitude! I’m trying to help you, and you come at me with ‘life and death are up to fate.’ I’m warning you, I’m a patient. If you keep this up, I’m going to faint right here!” Zhu Yun poked Tang Zixi’s stomach in a show of force. It was the highest she could reach. Tang Zixi, unable to resist, grabbed her hand. It tickled, like a cat playing with a scratching post.

“I’m not trying to anger you,” Tang Zixi said.

“Then why did you talk about fate?”

Tang Zixi wasn’t sure what was wrong with her. Zhu Yun’s angry expression was almost cute. She smiled faintly and patiently explained. “When I say ‘life and death are up to fate,’ I’m not being irresponsible. I mean that regardless of whether you can save me, my attitude will remain the same.”

Zhu Yun immediately understood. Tang Zixi was trying to ease her pressure. Life and death are up to fate.

When she saw the desperation in Liu Hua’s eyes, Zhu Yun knew it was a normal human reaction. No one wanted to die. But Tang Zixi’s calm demeanor made Zhu Yun’s heart ache. Maybe it was her kindness, or maybe it was because she was the first genuinely good person Zhu Yun had met.

Zhu Yun felt she had been unlucky. She was stabbed and abandoned by the male protagonist. But compared to those callous people, Tang Zixi, the “ice block,” was now number one on her list of good people.

She patted Tang Zixi’s arm. “Just for that, I’m definitely saving you!”

Tang Zixi was momentarily stunned, then smiled helplessly. She bent down to meet Zhu Yun’s eye level. “You’re very naive. How have you survived in the apocalypse?”

A person this trusting was a rare treasure in the apocalypse, especially a healing ability user. When Tang Zixi heard her declare she could cure infected people, she was shocked. Such a person would be protected, not traveling alone. And to make such a bold claim could get her taken away and experimented on by the authorities. She was an anomaly, an outsider.

Zhu Yun smiled knowingly. “Would you harm me?”

Tang Zixi countered, “What do you think?”

Zhu Yun confidently raised her chin. “You wouldn’t.”

“Why?”

“Because you didn’t tell anyone about my ability.” Zhu Yun replied without hesitation.

Even though Tang Zixi had ignored her, Zhu Yun could interpret it as a way of protecting her. “I’m such a good person; I’m even finding excuses for her,” she thought to herself.

Tang Zixi couldn’t agree. “I’ll be honest. The ability user in Zhao Yuan’s team doesn’t dare to offend me, and I would owe him a favor, which would be a surefire bargain. As for not telling them about you, we’re just strangers passing by. There’s no need to drag you into it.”

Zhu Yun’s jaw dropped. “Huh?” All her noble thoughts were just her own wishful thinking!

Tang Zixi grinned playfully, straightening up. She looked down at Zhu Yun. “I’m kidding.” She hadn’t needed to clarify, but seeing the disappointment on Zhu Yun’s face, she couldn’t help but tell the truth. It was better not to lie to a child. She had felt a protective impulse towards Zhu Yun, and it was okay to admit it.

Zhu Yun’s mood instantly brightened. She covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, then let out a smug little hum. “I knew it.” She held out her hand and took Tang Zixi’s. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhu Yun.”

Tang Zixi held her hand, feeling the warmth again. She couldn’t help but linger on the feeling. “Tang Zixi.”

Their eyes met. Zhu Yun leaned in and whispered, “Do you have any sanitary pads?” She didn’t know if the supermarket had any, but she figured she’d ask Tang Zixi first. If she had some, Zhu Yun could just borrow from her.

Tang Zixi pushed her forward. “Funny you should ask. I just cleared out the supermarket’s storage room a month ago.”

“Hiss.” Zhu Yun gritted her teeth. “I’m so jealous.”

Tang Zixi said nonchalantly, “You can cure the zombie virus. Are you sure you want to be jealous of me?”

“I don’t plan on telling anyone about that,” Zhu Yun said.

Tang Zixi was taken aback. Her heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“Just what I said. I have no desire to be a savior. And I won’t be the only healing ability user forever. I might be special now, but who knows about the future?”

“Tang Zixi, you asked me how I survived the apocalypse, right?”

“I’ve actually died once already. See the bloodstains on my sweater? See the scars on my face? These are the pains I went through after being abandoned. That’s when my abilities were awakened.”

She turned and smiled at Tang Zixi. “Since I’ve already died once, I should be allowed to be a little selfish, shouldn’t I?”

Tang Zixi frowned, seeing the bloodstains on Zhu Yun’s sweater, which had been hidden by her black jacket. “Then why do you still trust me?” she asked seriously.

Zhu Yun smiled. “The reason is simple. I’m not afraid of being betrayed again. After all, I have the ability to escape from you.” Zhu Yun’s trump card was her system, 857. She could buy a few flight talismans and escape if needed.

Tang Zixi just smiled faintly. “You’re a special ability user like you, only a fool would let you go.”

“Oh? Who was it that said she didn’t want me earlier?” Zhu Yun teased.

Tang Zixi didn’t react, just threw a few large bags of snacks into Zhu Yun’s lap, hoping to bribe her. Zhu Yun looked at the snacks in her arms, feeling a bit helpless. “Can I… can I store these in your space for now?” she said, tears in her eyes. “I’ve taken a fasting pill; I’m not hungry at all!”

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