I Really Don’t Want to Fall in Love with the Female Supporting Character [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Weakness

“Women are naturally defenseless against members of the same sex who take the initiative to show vulnerability; you can appropriately expose your own weaknesses.”

Shen Yubai had recently added a “senior expert” who seemed to have a wealth of strategies. She was benefiting greatly. As she was reflecting, another message popped up.

“Have you ever made friends before? When I was in school, I saw that friends would shower together and sleep together.”

“If you want to take things a step further, start with sharing a bed~”

Staring at those words on the screen, Shen Yubai felt both nervous and solemn. After a long silence, she decided to start with showing vulnerability.

Xi Jiang put away her phone and began to work diligently, even humming a little tune in a great mood. The auspicious clouds took the opportunity to tease her.

“What are you doing?”

“Acting all mysterious.”

“She didn’t even mention the tutoring yesterday, yet here you are, grinning like an idiot?”

“Sigh!”

“I am… playing myself.”

Xi Jiang curled her lips, offering no further explanation, her footsteps light and brisk.

After a busy day, she knocked on Shen Yubai’s door exactly on time. To her surprise, the door opened immediately, and a soft little hand pulled her directly into the room.

“Are the deliveries finished? Let me treat you to dinner.” Shen Yubai pointed to the table, which held a meal set for two.

Xi Jiang was somewhat flattered; she hadn’t expected the other to order takeout so early today. She gave a soft “mhm” and sat down with her. Just as she was about to speak, Shen Yubai added: “Sorry, I forgot about the tutoring yesterday. Let’s study in my room today.”

“Okay~” Xi Jiang smiled at her. Seeing that Shen Yubai had buried her head and started eating quietly after saying that, Xi Jiang walked to the side to take off her outer uniform.

Shen Yubai had just taken two bites of food and, not knowing what she was doing, turned around only to see her undressing.

For convenience, Xi Jiang took it off right behind her. Her inner shirt was pulled up in the process, revealing a slender waist. Under the glow of the incandescent light, her skin appeared exceptionally smooth and delicate.

Shen Yubai’s sharp eyes caught a bruise on her back that hadn’t faded yet—likely from the library incident. Xi Jiang hadn’t mentioned it to her; she was only a few years older than her, yet she worked every day despite the injury, always covered in sweat when delivering packages.

Thinking of the well-behaved, sun-like Xi Jiang in the video, Shen Yubai felt an unidentifiable pang in her heart. Turning back to the colorful and fragrant food, she suddenly lost her appetite.

Xi Jiang washed her hands and sat down to eat. After dinner, she used the materials on her phone to ask Shen Yubai questions. For three whole hours, neither of them moved.

When Xi Jiang felt it was about time to leave, Shen Yubai grabbed her sleeve. She kept her head down, her emotions obscured as if she had something difficult to say, but she managed: “Wait a little longer.”

A few minutes passed until it was exactly 8:00 PM. Shen Yubai, still holding her sleeve, walked to the light switch. She looked up, the overhead light reflecting in her eyes, showing Xi Jiang’s silhouette in her black pupils. She asked, “Are you afraid of rats?”

Xi Jiang blinked and shook her head. Suddenly, the light was switched off. Shen Yubai’s form crashed directly into her arms. In an instant, the room erupted with the sound of countless rats squeaking in unison. It sounded like a symphony, with red eyes glowing in every corner. In the pitch-black night, it was a terrifying sight.

Shen Yubai hugged her waist tightly, her voice trembling slightly—a rare show of vulnerability.

“I attract these things, especially every night after eight. That’s why I sleep up high and keep the lights on.”

Perhaps because that’s when I died in my previous life…

Even so, the nightly sounds were like a demonic melody that made sleep impossible. She buried her head in Xi Jiang’s chest, smelling a faint scent of soap. It was the first time she had been so close to another person, yet she felt safe and warm.

Though she knew telling her might not actually change anything, speaking it aloud made her feel their relationship had grown closer.

Suddenly, she felt a gentle pat on her back. Xi Jiang’s other hand stroked her hair. Her voice seemed to drown out all the background noise, warm and soft: “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

The grievances of both her past and present lives seemed to surge up in this moment. Why was she destined for a lifetime of misfortune, where even those close to her met tragic ends? Her eyes grew moist, and her resolve hardened. If Xi Jiang was her salvation in this life, she wanted to be her best friend forever.

The little lamb has taken the bait~

In the darkness, Xi Jiang’s eyes deepened as her fingertips gently kneaded the soft curls. She pulled the person in her arms tighter, sighing with internal satisfaction. After waiting for the other to calm down, she turned the light back on.

Under the illumination, the room was as tidy as ever, but the faint, lingering squeaks caused one to instinctively frown.

Shen Yubai looked up, her eyes slightly red and her gaze shifting, looking a bit embarrassed. Xi Jiang habitually rubbed her hair again and said with a smile: “Get on the bed first. Don’t look down. Leave the rest to me.”

She really is so gentle~ Hearing this, Shen Yubai looked at her earnestly, a sentiment blooming in her heart. Seeing the light in the other’s eyes as she smiled at her, she felt as if her skin were being scorched, causing her heart to beat erratically. With a panicked response, she scrambled onto the bed in a flurry.

Once the bed curtains were tightly shut, Xi Jiang’s gentle expression gradually vanished, replaced by cold indifference.

She walked to the cabinet and gave it a light kick. The corners of her eyes tilted upward, her gaze an endless abyss with a flicker of deep red. Within two seconds, amidst several squeaks, two grey rats poked their heads out quite intelligently. Their tiny red eyes seemed to lock onto Xi Jiang’s gaze, and they crawled out tremblingly. Before they could take two steps, they flipped onto their bellies, heads tilted and bodies stiff, acting as if they were dead.

“Hahahaha, amazing.”

“They’ve attained sentience!”

“Little Xi, there are 21 in total. You’ve got your work cut out for you~”

“Pfft.”

Xi Jiang glanced at the auspicious clouds, silently counting. She then went to the table, the bedposts, and the bathroom, giving each a couple of kicks. Unlike the first two, the subsequent rats were met with Xi Jiang pointing toward the door. They all squeaked obediently and crawled to the entrance to assemble.

After finishing the count, Xi Jiang walked to the front of the rats. At a glance, the dark, huddled mass was quite horrifying. The first two rats silently flipped back over and scurried back to the main group.

Xi Jiang narrowed her eyes at them, pointed her chin toward the bed, then turned back and pointed toward the door. The auspicious clouds acted like a translator, floating in front of the rats.

“She is my wife. Get out. Understand?”

“Hahaha, Immortal Friend, you’re the GOAT.”

“Acting cool attracts lightning, Luo Fengming, hahaha.”

“Immortal Friend No. 56 has gifted you 100,000 Spirit Coins.”

Xi Jiang calmly walked over to open the door, then stepped back. The clouds followed to the doorway.

“Stay in order. No crowding. Avoid trampling accidents.”

With a chaotic chorus of squeaks, the rats indeed scurried out of the room one by one. This time, Xi Jiang couldn’t help but let her lips curl into a smile.

For university students, it was still early. A student returning from getting hot water at the end of the hallway squinted and saw a large group of rats seemingly parading out of a room. She immediately screamed and dashed back into her room. A moment later, she poked her head out with her phone, only managing to capture the last few.

Sensing that the commotion outside had died down, Shen Yubai couldn’t resist leaning over the headboard and lifting a corner of the curtain. She happened to see a rat’s tail disappearing through the doorway.

Sensing the movement behind her, Xi Jiang lunged forward to shut the door. She wiped her forehead as if she were sweating and smiled at the peeking Shen Yubai: “I’ve driven them all out.”

Shen Yubai’s eyes widened in shock. Then she heard her continue: “Sleep peacefully. I’m heading back.”

The light was switched off. Before she could say anything, the light from the hallway vanished as the door closed behind Xi Jiang. She hurriedly ducked back inside the curtains, only feeling better once she was within the light of the bed lamp, though a new sense of tension arose.

To her surprise, it was deathly quiet outside—not a single sound. Shen Yubai lay down, staring at the small bulb at the top of the curtain. Thinking of the injury on Xi Jiang’s back, she couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. The squeaking seemed to echo in her ears again; she knew it was a phantom sound born from her lack of habit with silence.

After tossing and turning for a long time, she finally picked up her phone. She found her chat with Xi Jiang, and after much editing, she finally sent a message.

Shen Yubai: I think there are still a few left.

She had lied for the first time in her life. Well, not entirely—there were a few “bad rats” scurrying around in her heart.

Xi Jiang was drying her hair when she received the message. An involuntary smile spread across her lips. Then, another message followed.

Shen Yubai: You really are a good person.

“You just got “Good Person Zoned”~”

“I swear on my life, I wasn’t lying. If there weren’t 21 rats, I’ll watch the stream standing on my head for a day.”

With smiling eyes, she sent a “Wait for me” to Shen Yubai. She briskly dried her hair, changed into a jacket and shoes, and headed out. The auspicious clouds trailed far behind. When they caught up, they found Xi Jiang stopped at the dormitory entrance.

The dorm auntie, holding a large lock to secure the door, scolded her: “Get in quick. If you’re any later next time, I won’t open up for you.”

“Thank you, Auntie~” Xi Jiang called out sweetly. She sprinted to Shen Yubai’s door, caught her breath, and knocked. Hearing a response, she opened the door.

She turned on the light. Shen Yubai poked her head out from the curtains, her hair messy from sleep. Xi Jiang stood below, scanning the room, and then said helplessly: “I probably won’t be able to catch them right away.”

“Then…” Shen Yubai looked into her eyes, her ears hidden behind her hair turning red. “Can you stay with me tonight?”

“As long as you don’t mind, I’m fine with it.” Xi Jiang’s eyes seemed to hold moonlight, paired with a curved smile that made one instinctively want to smile back.

The curve of Shen Yubai’s lips was tiny. Her coldness seemed to vanish at this moment. She reached out and pointed to a drawer: “There’s oil in there for bruises. Bring it up with you.”

“Are you hurt?” Xi Jiang asked while taking the medicinal oil and removing her jacket. She turned off the light and, aided by the moonlight, climbed the ladder onto the bed.

She lifted the curtain and naturally slapped the auspicious clouds away with one hand. The clouds wobbled in the dark, not daring to enter, only able to vent in the chat.

“They’re being too theatrical. Just go for it!”

“At this rate, my kid would already be old enough to run errands.”

“Judge, don’t be a coward! Charge in!”

“Forget it, eavesdropping from outside is fine too.”

Inside the curtains, there was the warm glow of the lamp, a warm-colored bedding set, and a single pillow—nothing else.

The single bed was a bit cramped. Shen Yubai took the medicine from her. Wearing cotton pajamas buttoned meticulously to the top, she moved to the side and tugged at Xi Jiang’s sleeve, her eyes sincere: “I’ll apply the medicine for you.”

Xi Jiang froze for a second before remembering the bruise on her back. Her body stiffened slightly, then she replied with a smile: “Okay~”

She quickly flipped over and lay face down without any psychological burden. She obediently pulled her shirt up to her waist, not daring to pull it any higher. She buried her head in the pillow, inhaling the scent belonging to Shen Yubai, afraid the other would realize she wasn’t wearing a bra.

She was wearing a loose short-sleeved shirt. Shen Yubai covered her slightly with the blanket and pulled the shirt up. Her hands were trembling faintly, and under the warm light, her face was a soft shade of pink.

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