I'm Not Playing This Vicious Female Supporting Character Anymore! - Chapter 21.1

“Sorry, Sister, I didn’t mean it,” Rong Xi said, stepping off Qin Yuzhen immediately. She turned to look at Qin Yuzhen, her voice dripping with insincere apology.

Qin Yuzhen glanced down at the black smudge on her sneaker, then looked back at Rong Xi. “You’re getting bolder by the minute.”

“What? I really didn’t mean it! Why don’t you ever believe me, Sister?”

“Go ahead and buy your sweets. I’m going to the restroom.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“No need,” Qin Yuzhen declined.

Rong Xi watched Qin Yuzhen’s retreating figure, feeling uneasy that she might actually abandon her there.

Qin Yuzhen was simply trying to avoid Rong Xi. Once out of sight, she used an Item Card to clean the dirt off her shoe.

“Zhenzhen!”

Qin Yuzhen was about to go back and find Rong Xi when Gu Si, laden with bags, came running toward her.

“What a coincidence! Are you alone?” Gu Si glanced at Qin Yuzhen, then looked around.

“Rong Xi went to the dessert shop.”

Gu Si feigned hurt, her voice full of wounded innocence. “Why did you only ask Rong Xi to come out and play? I’m all alone, so lonely.”

“Do you want dessert?” Qin Yuzhen asked.

Gu Si nodded and scooted closer to Qin Yuzhen. “I want to go, but everyone inside is in pairs. I’ve always been too embarrassed to go alone.”

“Then let’s go. I’ll grab two bags for you.”

“Zhenzhen, you’re so kind,” Gu Si said without hesitation, handing the bags to Qin Yuzhen. She freed her hands and linked her arm through Qin Yuzhen’s. “I want to check out that shop.”

Gu Si swayed Qin Yuzhen’s arm. “Let’s go there after we finish looking.”

“Rong Xi is still at the dessert shop.”

“It’ll be quick! I’m super fast. I definitely won’t make Rong Xi wait,” Gu Si promised.

Even though she said that, how could shopping for jewelry possibly be quick?

The dessert shop was crowded. Rong Xi waited ten minutes for a table. Once seated, she glanced outside, instinctively reaching for her phone to text Qin Yuzhen and ask why they were taking so long. But after a three-second pause, she scoffed, closed the dialing page, and started ordering.

Qin Yuzhen followed Gu Si, glancing at the items displayed in the glass cases before stopping.

By the time Qin Yuzhen arrived, carrying two bags, Rong Xi had already finished most of her order. Just as Rong Xi was about to speak, she noticed the person trailing behind Qin Yuzhen.

“Rong Xi, I ran into Zhenzhen while shopping and invited her to join us. You don’t mind, do you?” Gu Si asked, already seated.

Rong Xi stared at Qin Yuzhen.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Gu Si continued. “I saw K Brand released new products and couldn’t resist. I had Zhenzhen come shopping with me.”

Rong Xi desperately wanted to splash the ximilu in front of her on Gu Si’s face, but instead forced a polite smile. “It wasn’t long at all.”

“That’s good. Zhenzhen, order whatever you like. My treat.” Gu Si pulled out her phone and leaned over to Qin Yuzhen.

Rong Xi gripped her spoon tightly, lowered her head to eat her dessert, and remained silent.

Qin Yuzhen glanced at the menu and casually ordered two items.

“Zhenzhen, next time you want to go out, make sure to call me! Since you live with Rong Xi, my place isn’t far either,” Gu Si said.

Rong Xi looked up at Gu Si.

“I’m incredibly patient. Wherever you want to go, I’ll go with you,” Gu Si added.

Rong Xi chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” Rong Xi rested her chin in her hand. “I was just remembering our freshman year camping trip. You were supposed to watch the fire while I went to the bathroom, but you ran off and put it out.”

Gu Si said, “I just needed to use the restroom. It couldn’t be helped…”

“Besides, how can babysitting a fire compare to shopping with Zhenzhen? Rong Xi, do you find shopping with her boring?” Gu Si asked.

Rong Xi thought she could turn the tide, but who knew…

“Of course not,” Rong Xi said. “I was just saying you lack patience. Qin Yuzhen takes two or three hours to finish a single drawing. Could you stand beside her and wait that long?”

Qin Yuzhen lowered her head, nibbling on a small cake. She pretended not to hear their bickering; they wouldn’t ask her opinion anyway.

“Wow, Zhenzhen, you can draw! That’s amazing.”

Qin Yuzhen glanced at Rong Xi, then smiled at Gu Si beside her. “It’s just so-so.”

“Zhenzhen, if you have the chance, could you teach me to draw? I’m so envious of people who are good at it!” Gu Si looked at Qin Yuzhen with eager anticipation.

Qin Yuzhen looked at Rong Xi again. “Let Rong Xi teach you. She draws better than me. I just doodle.”

Gu Si nearly blurted out, “Who wants her to teach me?” but managed to hold back.

“I don’t have the patience. I won’t teach,” Rong Xi said before Gu Si could respond.

Gu Si was surprised by Rong Xi’s blunt response. When did she start speaking so directly? she wondered. Didn’t she used to hold everything in? Did she eat some spicy food today?

Rong Xi felt a rush of satisfaction from speaking her mind. The unfiltered honesty felt refreshing and invigorating. She noticed Gu Si seemed momentarily speechless, caught off guard by her directness.

Qin Yuzhen lowered her head and ate her cake, keeping her achievements hidden.

After finishing their desserts, they left the shop. Rong Xi checked the time. “It’s getting late. Let’s say goodbye here. We have school tomorrow.”

Gu Si looked at Qin Yuzhen with reluctance. “Then I’ll see you at school tomorrow. I’ll bring you some homemade sweets in a few days—my skills are top-notch! They’ll be better than anything in the shop.”

“Sounds good.”

“So, if they’re delicious, you have to praise me.”

“Mm,” Qin Yuzhen nodded.

“Alright, I’m off!” Gu Si waved goodbye to Qin Yuzhen and got into the car that had been waiting for her.

Rong Xi stared expressionlessly in the direction Gu Si had left, then turned to Qin Yuzhen. “What exactly is so ‘cute’ about her?”

“You disappeared for ages without telling me anything. I thought something had happened to you.”

“That’s ridiculous! And you knew I was waiting for you, yet you went off shopping with someone else!”

“Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“I thought you’d abandoned me!” Rong Xi stood with her hands on her hips, her pent-up frustration exploding after Gu Si left.

Qin Yuzhen glanced at the chattering Rong Xi and reached into her pocket.

Rong Xi saw Qin Yuzhen pull something out of her pocket, then felt a weight on her hair. When she took it off, she discovered it was a cherry-shaped hairpin. Small and adorable, the cherry was made of deep-sea pearl, and the leaves were crafted from jade—a perfect match for Qin Yuzhen’s discerning taste.

“Hmph, you think giving me a trinket will make me forgive you?” Rong Xi clipped the hairpin back into her hair, secretly pleased but not showing it.

“I never thought I did anything wrong in the first place, so there’s nothing to forgive. If you don’t like it, just give it back.” Qin Yuzhen strolled ahead, unhurried.

Rong Xi immediately quickened her pace to match Qin Yuzhen’s.

“How could I possibly leave you behind like that?” Qin Yuzhen shot another glance at Rong Xi. “Besides, you were the one who said you were worried about me. And the result of your ‘concern’ was ordering five desserts and then gleefully devouring one to celebrate?”

Rong Xi: …

“I wasn’t celebrating! I ate one in anger!” Rong Xi emphasized.

“I thought the five orders were for both of us. Who knew you’d scarf them all down yourself? You clearly didn’t even think about me,” Qin Yuzhen continued. “Look, I even remembered to buy you something.”

“Rong Xi, you’ve gotten sly. You’ve even learned to turn the tables,” Qin Yuzhen sighed.

Rong Xi: ???

“Who exactly is turning the tables?”

“You, of course. Who else?” Qin Yuzhen declared, her tone self-assured and matter-of-fact.

Rong Xi refused to respond.

As they headed back, they took a taxi. Throughout the ride, Rong Xi couldn’t resist touching the clips several times.

Qin Yuzhen noticed this but didn’t tease her.

When they arrived at the neighborhood gate, they got out of the car and walked inside together.

Qin Yuzhen saw Ye Yunshen, the male protagonist, emerging from the gate alone. He clearly saw them too, waved briefly, and left without further interaction.

The System sighed. If Qin Yuzhen hadn’t meddled, Ye Yunshen encountering Rong Xi wouldn’t have been so simple.

Qin Yuzhen glanced at Rong Xi, who maintained her usual calm expression, revealing nothing.

Noticing Qin Yuzhen’s gaze, Rong Xi looked up and explained, “That was Ye Yunshen, the Young Master of the Ye Family. They live in another villa district nearby. The Ye and Rong families have a good relationship; we used to play together as children, but we’re not close anymore.”

“Not interested,” Qin Yuzhen said.

“Then why are you staring at me?”

“I’m curious as to why everyone greets you no matter where we go.”

“You’re the same, running into acquaintances even while shopping,” Rong Xi retorted.

“But you know them too. It’s just that we both know these people,” Qin Yuzhen emphasized.

Rong Xi: “……”

“I’d rather not have acquaintances like that,” Rong Xi said.

Qin Yuzhen looked at Rong Xi, finding it amusing.

“Zhenzhen, I’ll bring you some homemade sweets in a few days. If they’re good, you have to praise me, okay?” Rong Xi said in a high-pitched voice.

Qin Yuzhen listened to Rong Xi’s affected tone. “You’re effective even without the high-pitched voice. Besides, she would never talk like that.”

“She does!”

“She doesn’t.”

“Then your hearing must be going,” Rong Xi said.

Qin Yuzhen gave Rong Xi a look. “You’ve only been here a few days, and you’ve already revealed your true nature.”

“What true nature?”

“Your true nature of bullying me.”

Rong Xi’s expression twisted further. “I never thought I’d hear those words from your mouth.”

“You’re full of surprises.”

The bickering continued all the way home. Rong Xi, though she couldn’t best Qin Yuzhen in these verbal sparring matches, wasn’t particularly bothered. Arguing with Qin Yuzhen had become a daily ritual for her, and she figured sharpening her tongue couldn’t hurt.

She was convinced that if she kept up these arguments, even if she couldn’t fluster Qin Yuzhen, she could at least rattle Gu Si.

Back in her room, Rong Xi removed the hairpin, admired it briefly, and carefully stored it in the jewelry section of her wardrobe. She resolved to bring it to school every day and flaunt it in front of Gu Si.

She knew Qin Yuzhen hadn’t bought anything for Gu Si; otherwise, she would have boasted about it during dessert. Qin Yuzhen had never been able to keep a secret.

Rong Xi chuckled softly, already envisioning the expression on Gu Si’s face when she saw the hairpin.

She’d never been this excited about going to school before.

The next morning at breakfast, Qin Yuzhen immediately noticed the hairpin clipped to Rong Xi’s hair. “You like it?”

“Not bad,” Rong Xi said.

“Looks like you really like it,” Qin Yuzhen remarked.

Rong Xi didn’t deny it, silently acknowledging her preference. Who wouldn’t like something that’s not only beautiful but also guaranteed to annoy her archenemy?

“Are you still planning to have lunch with Gu Si today?” Rong Xi asked.

Qin Yuzhen understood her meaning the moment the question was asked. “If you want to eat with her, you can invite her yourself.”

Last week, out of ten school lunches, she had eaten six with Gu Si.

Rong Xi: …

“I don’t know why, but sometimes you act so immature for your age. But then again, you’re still underage.”

Rong Xi glanced at Qin Yuzhen. “I’m in a good mood today, so I won’t bother arguing with you.”

“Even so, what could you possibly argue with me about?”

“I could stomp on your foot.”

“Childish.”

When they arrived at school and got out of the car, Rong Xi scanned the area, disappointed to find no trace of Gu Si.

Qin Yuzhen kept observing Rong Xi’s expression. “Kids will always be kids.”

“Exactly! You bully a kid every day. Shame on you for acting so immature.”

“I’m underage too, you know.”

“Shameless,” the System interjected.

“Don’t imitate Rong Xi’s speech.”

“These are my own thoughts. I’m not copying her.”

“What thoughts could a lifeless System possibly have?” Qin Yuzhen chuckled.

The System took a deep breath, secretly hoping Rong Xi would accidentally step on Qin Yuzhen again, but that wish was ultimately in vain.

“Oh, right, the monthly exam is coming up next week,” Rong Xi remarked, glancing at the honor board on the first floor.

Qin Yuzhen: …

“Right,” Qin Yuzhen replied.

“You’re not leaving, are you…?”

“No.” Qin Yuzhen glanced at the honor board. Rong Xi had ranked third in the grade during the last monthly exam.

“I didn’t do well last time,” Rong Xi said, also looking up at the board.

Passersby glanced at Rong Xi, most recognizing her. Hearing her words, their expressions subtly shifted, carrying a hint of skepticism.

“I think you’ll get punched if you keep saying stuff like that standing over there,” Qin Yuzhen said, hands in pockets. “We really need to study hard. Who knows, we might even get fourth this time.”

Rong Xi turned to look at Qin Yuzhen. “What do you mean? You think you’ll outscore me?”

“Probably.”

“That confident?”

“Didn’t you already know?”

“What if you don’t pass?” Rong Xi felt her chance for revenge approaching.

“If I don’t outscore you, I’ll stop teasing you and speak to you courteously from now on,” Qin Yuzhen said.

“No, I want something else. If you don’t beat me, you have to make me a hundred Xiang Yin Ya,” Rong Xi said.

Qin Yuzhen laughed. “Fine. If I don’t pass, I’ll talk like Gu Si did yesterday for a whole month.”

Rong Xi: ???

“I feel like I got the short end of the stick.”

“I don’t think so. Do you think just anyone can get me to cook for them?” Qin Yuzhen said.

Rong Xi shot Qin Yuzhen an annoyed look. “Fine, Your Highness.”

The two entered the classroom. Though Rong Xi was confident in herself, remembering Qin Yuzhen’s self-assured demeanor, her artistic talent, and her prowess in badminton, she immediately grew more diligent. As soon as class ended, she rushed to the teacher’s office to ask about the problems she didn’t understand.

Qin Yuzhen observed Rong Xi’s actions.

She tapped her desk and glanced at the girls lingering by the door. “Have these girls been hanging around our classroom a lot lately?”

“Mm,” Liang Xuzhou replied, staring at Qin Yuzhen. “You have the nerve to ask?”

Ever since that day, many people had been coming to their classroom to gawk at him, the “big shot” of the group.

Liang Xuzhou had always been good-looking, but because he was just a background character hanging around the protagonist, he’d never been noticed. Now, by piggybacking on Rong Xi’s Protagonist Halo and Qin Yuzhen’s Vicious Female Supporting Character/Villainess Halo, he’d finally earned the halo of a proper, second-tier male supporting character. Consequently, more and more people were taking notice of him.

Last time he tried to shove his books into his drawer as usual, he accidentally crushed a small cake someone had secretly placed inside, the cream oozing out and covering his hands and the entire drawer.

Now, whenever he put things away, he had to carefully inspect the drawer to prevent anything like the last incident from happening again.

“It’s clearly your fault, yet you keep trying to pin it on me.”

“You said it yourself, you’re the leader,” Qin Yuzhen retorted. “So what if you take the blame sometimes?”

“Because of you, I can’t even sleep properly in class now.” Since the teacher had started paying attention to him and frequently called on him to answer questions, it had become unbearable. Liang Xuzhou just wanted to live a peaceful, carefree life.

Liang Xuzhou felt utterly drained.

The group of girls lingering at the door hadn’t left. When the class bell rang, one of them darted in and tossed an envelope onto Liang Xuzhou’s desk.

Qin Yuzhen glanced at the sender—a pretty young woman.

“Take a look.”

Liang Xuzhou smirked, opened the envelope, and scanned its contents, expecting it to be a love letter or something similar…

He handed it to Qin Yuzhen, who stared blankly for a moment before taking it.

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