I'm Not Playing This Vicious Female Supporting Character Anymore! - Chapter 21.2

The girl’s handwriting was neat and elegant, perfectly reflecting her delicate demeanor.

Sorry, I’m really embarrassed about this. I don’t want to bother you, but I’m completely stuck. A few days ago, some thugs from off-campus cornered me. They said they wanted to meet you and demanded I take you to them. They wouldn’t let me tell a teacher, and they claimed their families are very influential in City A, while mine are just ordinary white-collar workers. I’ve been agonizing over whether to tell you. For the past few days, they haven’t bothered me, and I thought they’d given up. But yesterday, they came back and threatened to harass my parents if I didn’t bring you. I really don’t know what to do.

The note ended with the girl’s name, class, and contact information. She was Cong Mian, a second-year high school student.

Qin Yuzhen: …

“What kind of plot twist is this?” Qin Yuzhen thought. She was sure she hadn’t seen this scene in the original story.

“Oh, Host, your actions have triggered a side plot,” the System said, sounding exasperated. This wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened.

“Why are these people coming after me for no reason?” Liang Xuzhou asked irritably.

“Rumor has it you’re the toughest boss in these parts,” Qin Yuzhen replied. The poor girl was really unlucky.

Qin Yuzhen glanced at Liang Xuzhou. “Are you going?”

“Can’t we just send someone from my family instead?”

Qin Yuzhen: …

To be honest, this was her first time encountering a male character like this.

Many male characters exuded a sense of individual heroism, but this Liang Xuzhou… She finally understood why she had clashed with him from the start. He carried the same laid-back, slacker vibe as the Salted Fish.

“I think it’s fine, but I’m worried they’ll take their anger out on that junior,” Qin Yuzhen said.

Liang Xuzhou glanced at her. “Are you coming? Though if you are, you probably wouldn’t be scared, right?”

“Not scared at all. With your skills, I could probably take on a dozen of them myself,” Qin Yuzhen said, resting her chin in her hand.

Before Liang Xuzhou could mock her, she continued, “Call me ‘boss,’ and I’ll consider joining you.”

Liang Xuzhou: ???

“Didn’t this whole mess start because of you?”

“Exactly, so call me ‘boss,'” Qin Yuzhen replied. “I’ve got thick skin, so stop looking at me like that. It won’t work.”

Liang Xuzhou laughed in exasperation. “I won’t call you that. I’ll just go alone and hire a few bodyguards.”

“But then wouldn’t we blow our cover?” Liang Xuzhou suddenly realized something. “If you don’t come with me, I’ll tell everyone you were the one who started the fight. I’ll make it look like it had nothing to do with me.”

There was no need to fear Qin Yuzhen. She couldn’t possibly beat him up.

The System’s deranged laughter echoed in Qin Yuzhen’s ears. According to her usual principles, she typically only verbally “bully” ordinary people and wouldn’t physically harm someone who hadn’t provoked her or done anything wrong.

Qin Yuzhen glared at Liang Xuzhou. “Hmph.”

Though he knew there was no need to be afraid, Liang Xuzhou instinctively shrank back. “I’ll contact her.”

“Oh.” Qin Yuzhen rested her chin in her hand, glanced at Rong Xi, and tapped her fingers on the table. “But we get out at 10 PM every day after school. Wouldn’t we need to arrange another time?”

“Starting in November, we’ll have classes on Saturdays too. We’ll get out at 5:30 PM on Saturdays.” Liang Xuzhou lowered his head and pulled out his phone.

Beside him, Qin Yuzhen fell into a prolonged silence. Noticing her unusual demeanor, Liang Xuzhou glanced at her.

“Who said that?”

“The parent group chat.”

Qin Yuzhen’s eyes brimmed with tears, and the System’s laughter grew even more deranged.

Seeing Qin Yuzhen’s bitter expression, Liang Xuzhou continued, “I heard that next semester, we might get a day off every fortnight.”

“Shut up,” Qin Yuzhen glared at Liang Xuzhou.

Liang Xuzhou sent a friend request, but the recipient, busy in class with their phone off, didn’t respond until after the lesson ended, when they finally accepted the request.

PotCarrierTrouble: Sorry, I’m really sorry about that.

Seeing this note, Qin Yuzhen glanced at Liang Xuzhou, but he was looking away.

Liang Xuzhou: It’s not your fault. What else did they say? When are we meeting?

PotCarrierTrouble: He said “as soon as possible,” but didn’t specify a time.

Liang Xuzhou: Do we have their ID information?

PotCarrierTrouble: Judging by their uniforms, they’re from Third High School. Usually, five of them come to find me, led by a tall, burly guy. We should just call the police.

Liang Xuzhou: Do we have any contact information?

PotCarrierTrouble: They didn’t give me any details—no time, no place, just told me to pass a message.

Qin Yuzhen glanced at the conversation. No time, no place? What kind of lame “meeting” is this? she thought. Before, we were foolishly waiting for the girl to run over and notify us. Even without meeting them, it’s clear these guys aren’t right in the head. Why not just wait outside the door themselves instead of having someone else deliver messages? Do they think this makes them look tougher or something?

Backpack Troubles: I always run into them near Huxin Park, so that might be the place they’re referring to.

Liang Xuzhou: If you see them again, just give them my contact information.

Backpack Troubles: Got it.

“Are these people out of their minds?” Liang Xuzhou wondered aloud.

“I think so too,” Qin Yuzhen agreed.

At lunchtime, Rong Xi was delighted to run into Gu Si in the cafeteria. Their eyes met briefly before Gu Si’s gaze lingered on Rong Xi’s hair.

Rong Xi offered Gu Si a faint smile, a hint of smugness detectable in her eyes if one looked closely.

But Gu Si quickly averted her gaze. “I’m eating with someone else today, not with you guys.”

“Okay.”

Gu Si left without another word. Rong Xi watched her retreating figure, feeling that the scene had unfolded very differently from what she’d imagined. A lump formed in her throat, refusing to rise or fall.

“She’d never say anything first,” Qin Yuzhen remarked, noticing Rong Xi’s frustrated expression. “Besides, it’s just a hairpin.”

“You don’t understand,” Rong Xi waved her hand dismissively. “Forget it. As long as she saw it, that’s enough.”

“I heard we’re having classes on Saturdays in November.”

“Yeah,” Rong Xi nodded. “It’s normal, since we’re in our senior year.”

Qin Yuzhen sighed.

“Don’t you like school?” Rong Xi asked, puzzled.

“You don’t understand,” Qin Yuzhen replied. Hearing the same material once or twice was tolerable, but listening to it ten or more times—even if it were being taught by a stunningly beautiful person—would be unbearable. And these lectures were being delivered by middle-aged, balding, and portly men.

It wasn’t that she hated school; she was simply utterly sick of it.

“School is wonderful. I know this very well,” Qin Yuzhen said, waving her hand dismissively. “Let’s not talk about it anymore.”

Rong Xi felt Qin Yuzhen’s gaze seemed to hold a world-weary wisdom.

Qin Yuzhen took a sip of soup and glanced at a girl nearby, raising an eyebrow. It was Cong Mian, whose entire demeanor was as gentle as water, as if she’d never lose her temper. She was very thin, with pale skin, pale lips, and jet-black hair.

“Who are you looking at?” Rong Xi asked.

“No one,” Qin Yuzhen replied, withdrawing her gaze.

Rong Xi glanced in the direction Qin Yuzhen had been looking and gave her a look. “You were secretly checking out a little girl.”

Qin Yuzhen: ……

“I’m not secretly watching her,” Qin Yuzhen said. “I’m openly looking. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get to know her eventually.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“It’s a secret. I can’t tell you.” Qin Yuzhen smiled mischievously.

Rong Xi stared at her, letting out a soft scoff.

At 10 p.m., Qin Yuzhen and Rong Xi left the school gate together. Qin Yuzhen glanced in a particular direction.

“What’s wrong?” Rong Xi asked.

“I have something to take care of. Why don’t you go back first?”

“Huh?” Rong Xi frowned. “It’s already 10 o’clock. What could you possibly need to do?”

“Then wait in the car. I’ll be back in about twenty minutes,” Qin Yuzhen said.

“I’m coming too,” Rong Xi insisted.

Qin Yuzhen took her backpack and stuffed it into Rong Xi’s arms. “Go back first, sweetie.”

Rong Xi froze at the word “sweetie.” In that brief moment of hesitation, Qin Yuzhen had already darted into the crowd. Liang Xuzhou, who had just left the school, watched Qin Yuzhen disappear, then glanced at Rong Xi before following after her.

“I just want to see where Cong Mian is,” Qin Yuzhen said.

“She’s around here. There should be others with her. Host, how did you even see her?”

Qin Yuzhen had merely glanced in the direction of the nearby alleyway and happened to catch a glimpse of the figure’s back. Her memory was exceptionally sharp, especially when it came to remembering attractive people.

Following the System’s instructions, Qin Yuzhen darted through the narrow alleyway at a brisk pace, leaving Liang Xuzhou panting as he chased after her.

“Qin Yuzhen!” Liang Xuzhou finally called out.

Qin Yuzhen paused, allowing Liang Xuzhou to catch up.

“Why are you following me?”

“When I came through the fence, I saw several tall men hanging around with Cong Mian,” Liang Xuzhou said.

“Cong Mian,” Qin Yuzhen corrected.

“Is that important right now?” Liang Xuzhou asked, exasperated.

“I have a feeling something’s off about this,” Qin Yuzhen said as they continued walking. “Cong Mian is probably lying.”

“Huh?”

“Second-year students get out half an hour earlier than us. Normally, they should be home by now. What’s she doing here? And Huxin Garden? That’s where local thugs hang out. Why would they suddenly show up at our school gate during third-year dismissal time? They didn’t even bother to confront their target—they just took Cong Mian. That means Cong Mian was their target all along.” Qin Yuzhen’s pace quickened as she spoke.

“I wonder what she’s up to.”

We passed through the narrow alleyway and arrived at Huxin Garden.

“I didn’t know this path existed,” Liang Xuzhou said, surprised.

“Hmm,” Qin Yuzhen glanced at her watch.

“How do we find her?”

“This way.”

Liang Xuzhou was curious about how Qin Yuzhen could be so certain. But after walking about thirty meters, we indeed heard voices.

“You attend an Aristocratic Academy. How could you possibly be broke?”

“I got a scholarship to cover my tuition. I really don’t have any money left,” Cong Mian said.

“My demands aren’t high. If you can’t pay, just trick Rong Xi from your school into meeting me. If you refuse completely… well… you’re not bad-looking yourself. You’re not much different from Rong Xi.”

Qin Yuzhen frowned slightly. How is this even connected to Rong Xi?

“I’ve already told her… Just set a time, and I’ll bring her out,” Cong Mian said.

Qin Yuzhen roughly understood what Cong Mian was planning.

“Rong Xi is the eldest daughter of the Rong Family,” Cong Mian warned. “Bullying her won’t end well for you.”

“Just bring her out. It’s not your problem.”

Qin Yuzhen scanned the three faces. “System, background checks on these three.”

“Just a regular thug, from an ordinary family background.”

“Tsk, there’s clearly someone backing him. Investigate what Zhao Pàohuī is up to.” Qin Yuzhen didn’t even want to think. The only person they’d made an enemy of so far was Zhao Pàohuī, and he still liked Rong Xi.

“Okay, let me check.”

Cong Mian took two steps back. “Just tell me when.”

“Tsk, are you trying to trick us?” The man grabbed Cong Mian’s arm. “Listen, don’t try any funny business. I’m not afraid of the Rong Family, and I’m certainly not afraid of you. Your mom works as an accountant at XX Company, right?”

Cong Mian’s body trembled. “I’m not, how could I be?”

“You were the one who claimed you didn’t know Rong Xi earlier. Now you can just produce him like that?”

Qin Yuzhen glanced at the ground, disdainfully dug out a stone from the mud, and hurled it at the man’s hand. She’d aimed for his head, but given her strength, she might have killed him.

The man yelped and quickly released his grip. “Who’s there?!”

Qin Yuzhen stepped out from behind a tree, Liang Xuzhou following closely behind. The System conveniently played a dramatic entrance soundtrack in Qin Yuzhen’s mind.

Cong Mian stared at the two in shock.

“Freshman, step aside a bit,” Qin Yuzhen said gently.

Cong Mian pursed her lips and quickly moved behind the two. She glanced at Qin Yuzhen, then at Liang Xuzhou, a terrifying thought forming in her mind.

“What do you want with Rong Xi? Tell me, I’m close with her,” Qin Yuzhen said. “If it’s something good, I can bring her over right now.”

“Who the hell are you? What’s it to you? Damn, just stop pretending!” The man covered his hand. “Don’t think I won’t beat you just because you’re a woman. Get on your knees and apologize to Grandpa, and I might let you off.”

Qin Yuzhen laughed.

What followed could only be described as brutal.

Liang Xuzhou silently moved to Cong Mian’s side, and the two exchanged a glance.

“I’m just the scapegoat.”

Cong Mian: …

Liang Xuzhou had initially thought Qin Yuzhen was joking when she claimed she could take on a dozen people alone. But seeing her effortless demeanor now, he realized she could probably handle several more.

Qin Yuzhen stepped on the face of the man who had been shouting the loudest, pulled out a tissue from her pocket, and wiped the dust from her hands. “Do you still want to be my grandpa?”

“No, no! You’re my grandpa, you’re my grandpa!” the man shouted.

“What do you want with Rong Xi? Who told you to go after him?” Qin Yuzhen demanded.

The man fell silent for two seconds.

“Your surname is Zhao?”

He flinched.

“Tsk, tell him to come to me if he needs anything, not Rong Xi. I can gift him a six-month hospital bed package,” Qin Yuzhen hissed, keeping her voice low.

Liang Xuzhou and Cong Mian couldn’t hear what Qin Yuzhen was saying, but the man’s terrified expression made it clear he was deeply frightened.

“And stop harassing that junior student. Got it? Why do our problems always drag ordinary people into it?” Qin Yuzhen withdrew her foot, pulled out her phone, and sent Rong Xi a text message.

As the three of them walked out, Cong Mian kept glancing back several times.

“Are they okay?”

“The surveillance is broken,” Qin Yuzhen said.

Cong Mian froze. “Dead?”

Qin Yuzhen glanced at Cong Mian’s expression.

“But the surveillance outside isn’t broken…” Cong Mian continued.

“Junior, do I look like someone who would break the law?” Qin Yuzhen asked.

Cong Mian remained silent, simply staring at Qin Yuzhen.

“That was a righteous act of self-defense,” Qin Yuzhen insisted.

Cong Mian nodded. “Mm.”

Liang Xuzhou noticed that ever since the junior girl realized he was just a scapegoat, she hadn’t glanced his way once.

“You can just talk to Rong Xi about this directly. There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Qin Yuzhen said.

Cong Mian pursed her lips. “She… doesn’t seem very approachable.”

“Huh?” Qin Yuzhen blinked, then chuckled.

“Qin Yuzhen! What were you doing running off to Huxin Garden? You said it would only take twenty minutes, and now it’s been thirty!” Rong Xi stepped out of her car and finally noticed the two others standing nearby.

She was silent for two seconds.

What does it mean to be socially dead? This must be what it feels like.

Liang Xuzhou remained calm. After witnessing Qin Yuzhen’s antics, Rong Xi’s sudden change in demeanor was hardly surprising.

“Junior, do you have anyone to pick you up? If not, we can take you home,” Qin Yuzhen offered.

“Ah? Isn’t that too much trouble?”

“It’s no trouble at all. We dragged you into this mess, and it’s late. I wouldn’t feel right letting you go home alone,” Qin Yuzhen replied.

Rong Xi listened to Qin Yuzhen’s gentle voice: Here we go again! Here we go again! Here we go again!

“Thank you, Senior,” Cong Mian said with a smile at Qin Yuzhen, then gave Rong Xi an embarrassed grin. “Sorry to trouble you, Senior.”

“You don’t need us to see you off, do you?” Qin Yuzhen glanced at Liang Xuzhou, her tone instantly losing some of its warmth.

“No need,” Liang Xuzhou replied, indifferent. He figured it didn’t matter whether he came along or not—oh, wait, it did, because he still needed to take the blame.

Qin Yuzhen and the two juniors got into the car. Qin Yuzhen sat in the middle, with Cong Mian and Rong Xi on either side. Cong Mian leaned against the door, leaving plenty of space for Qin Yuzhen.

“So, what’s the deal with you two?” Qin Yuzhen asked, her gaze shifting between Cong Mian and Rong Xi.

“What happened?” Rong Xi asked, leaning closer to Qin Yuzhen.

“Some tall guys took a junior student away, so I followed them to see what was going on,” Qin Yuzhen explained.

Rong Xi frowned. “You followed them? You?” she repeated emphatically. “You were beaten up last time! What good would it do to follow them?”

“Didn’t Liang Xuzhou go too?” Qin Yuzhen countered. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

“Host, at a time like this, you should tell her that the junior student was targeted because of Rong Xi,” the System interjected, its tone dripping with sarcasm. “Then you could really push her buttons.”

“Shut up.”

Rong Xi took a deep breath and glanced at Cong Mian before lowering her voice. “Didn’t that junior student appear outside our classroom earlier?”

“Yeah, she came to ask Liang Xuzhou for help,” Qin Yuzhen replied. “That’s why I followed her when she left with those guys. Liang Xuzhou followed me.”

“So you’re quite the helpful one, aren’t you?” Rong Xi scoffed, moving to lean against the window as well.

Cong Mian glanced at Qin Yuzhen, who smiled and pressed a finger to her lips. Though puzzled by Qin Yuzhen’s need for secrecy, Cong Mian nodded in understanding.

“Senior, can I get your contact information?”

Rong Xi looked over.

“Sure.”

Rong Xi rolled her eyes and let out a cold laugh.