I'm Not Playing This Vicious Female Supporting Character Anymore! - Chapter 26

Although there were two cameras, neither angle provided a clear view of how Rong Xi fell; her body was completely obstructed from the waist down.

Qin Yuzhen instructed the System to record the faces of everyone present, checking for any signs of the malicious male or female supporting characters. This scenario didn’t seem to exist in the original book.

“They all look like ordinary passersby,” the System remarked. “But their halos might change later. After all… the butterfly effect. One person’s mistake can set off a chain reaction, altering the course of events.”

“Forcing me to take the blame,” Qin Yuzhen muttered, replaying the footage several times. She frowned slightly. “Forget it. It might not be about the people at all. The plot might just be forcing things to align.”

To be honest, Rong Xi had only suffered a superficial leg wound. Considering she’d fallen from a seven- or eight-step staircase, the lack of fractures or head injuries seemed like a direct blessing from the Female Protagonist Halo.

“I must have been careless,” Rong Xi said cautiously.

“Be more careful when you walk in the future,” Mother Rong said, frowning.

“Mm,” Rong Xi nodded.

Qin Yuzhen stroked her chin.

“You can’t tell anything from that, can you?” Rong Xi asked again.

“I don’t see anything,” Qin Yuzhen said, though she still saved the surveillance footage.

“Actually, I don’t think anyone would deliberately push me. How many villains are there in the world?” Rong Xi sighed in relief. “Besides, I feel like I’m quite popular at school.”

“One must always be cautious,” Mother Rong said, glancing at Qin Yuzhen.

Rong Xi noticed the meaningful look in his mother’s eyes and remained silent. Qin Yuzhen, aware of the glance, pretended not to notice.

Back in her room, Qin Yuzhen leaned against the sofa, motionless.

“Host, are you upset?” the System asked. Though it didn’t think Qin Yuzhen was easily hurt, it considered the possibility that she might be unexpectedly fragile—after all, even Task Assigners were going mad these days.

“Why would I be upset?” Qin Yuzhen replied. “Check the surveillance from the Sunday before last—the day we encountered the Male Protagonist at the community gate. See if he visited the Rong family.”

“Understood,” the System responded, though puzzled by the sudden request, it obediently complied.

Qin Yuzhen traced her fingers along the cup, not drinking, just playing with it.

“He did come to the Rong family residence, but there’s no surveillance inside, so I couldn’t observe the male protagonist’s actions. I couldn’t hear what he said to Mother Rong, but this is all off-plot content anyway. The storyline has already deviated by sixty percent,” the System sighed.

“Oh.” Qin Yuzhen could have guessed what they’d said. After all, the male protagonist, who had barely interacted with her, had suddenly become wary of her. Just moments earlier on the playground, his attitude had been perfectly normal.

Qin Yuzhen chuckled. It was no surprise the original owner was darkening. Who could remain calm after being treated like that by their own mother? The word “mother” had always carried a special kind of emotion.

The System was long accustomed to people like Mother Rong. It had seen countless parents of all types.

Qin Yuzhen didn’t care either way. She had no intention of vying for affection, so she didn’t particularly mind whether Mother Rong liked her or not. If Mother Rong truly cared for Rong Xi, that was fine. If it was something else…

Qin Yuzhen flipped her cup upside down on the table. The distracted System jumped at the sudden noise, baffled by Qin Yuzhen’s latest antics.

After returning to her room, Rong Xi felt deeply troubled by Mother Rong’s words. Although her mother often complained that Qin Yuzhen was “a real pain,” Rong Xi knew Qin Yuzhen wasn’t a bad person—just blunt and sharp-tongued, with a kind heart beneath the surface.

Why did Mother Rong hate Qin Yuzhen so much? Rong Xi couldn’t understand it. After all, Qin Yuzhen was her own daughter.

Rong Xi glanced at her leg. Normally, after the anesthesia wore off, the wound should have hurt, but she felt nothing. She gently touched it, feeling the familiar sensation of skin. She had a strange feeling that it would heal completely in less than a week.

She pulled out the small pouch Qin Yuzhen had tossed to her earlier that day, felt its contents, and bounced off to the dressing room, where she placed it in the prettiest little box.

The next morning, when Rong Xi went to school with dark circles under her eyes, Qin Yuzhen stared at her several times.

“Didn’t sleep well?” Qin Yuzhen asked, throwing their backpacks onto the passenger seat. She picked up Rong Xi and put her in the car. The nanny who usually helped had already reached out her hand, but Qin Yuzhen’s practiced movements rendered her assistance unnecessary.

“Mm-hmm,” Rong Xi nodded.

Qin Yuzhen glanced at Rong Xi’s leg. “Does it hurt? I used an Item Card. It shouldn’t hurt.”

“No, I just couldn’t sleep.”

“Why is a little brat like you so full of worries?” Qin Yuzhen snapped irritably.

Rong Xi: ……

Rong Xi tilted her head, studying Qin Yuzhen intently. The girl looked refreshed, clearly having slept well. If even she doesn’t seem bothered, why am I so concerned?

Another day of exams. After finishing the last question of the science comprehensive exam, Qin Yuzhen felt invigorated, wishing she could submit her paper early. She stretched lazily, meeting the teacher’s gaze at the podium.

Despite being watched, she completed her stretch and slumped over onto her desk.

The teacher shook his head, wearing an expression that said, This one is beyond redemption.

Third-year teachers graded papers with lightning speed. By evening study, the math scores were already out. When Old Qian entered the classroom with the answer sheets, the room fell silent.

In truth, everyone had already compared answers and could roughly estimate their scores.

Qin Yuzhen propped her chin in her hand as Liang Xuzhou glanced her way.

“Class representative, come distribute the papers,” Old Qian announced, clearing his throat. “This exam was genuinely challenging, but two students in our class still scored exceptionally high. The only perfect score in the entire grade is in our class, and a 148 took second place. Third place, with 144 points, is in the neighboring class.”

The class gasped, speculating about who had scored high. As the graded papers began to be passed out, students whispered to each other, checking their scores.

“Only six students scored over 140. Eight of the top ten in math are in our class—average performance, as expected. But I’m surprised to see five students around 110. The test was difficult, but scoring 110 is a bit too low.” Old Qian glanced at several students. “Our class secured thirty-three spots in the math competition. The official list will be announced later, and the training sessions will be held on Saturday evenings.”

Qin Yuzhen suddenly realized that classes would start this Saturday. She could handle a Saturday class, since school ended in the afternoon, but now she had to stay for competition training until evening? More late nights?

She looked at her perfect math score and suddenly felt that these 150 points weren’t so appealing anymore.

Liang Xuzhou held his 140-point score. He had actually studied hard this time, hoping to outperform Qin Yuzhen and suppress her momentum. He never imagined… Suddenly, he regretted it. He wished he had scored lower instead.

“Alright, we’ll review the test later. Qin Yuzhen, please hand over your answer sheet.”

Qin Yuzhen handed her test paper to the teacher, glancing at Rong Xi as she passed. Rong Xi looked dejected, staring at the score of 148 on her paper—the last sub-question of the final problem. She bit her lip, just one answer away from perfection.

Old Qian placed the answer sheet on the projector. “Look at this answer sheet! Look at how neat and clear it is! You should all take a lesson from this.”

Qin Yuzhen had heard her fair share of flattery, but such genuine praise, always the same few lines, was rare these days.

When class ended, Qin Yuzhen slipped up to Old Qian. “Can I skip that… training program? I don’t think I need it.”

“How arrogant,” someone passing by remarked, though there was more envy and admiration than malice in their tone.

“It’s not entirely out of the question,” Old Qian said, glancing at Rong Xi. “But aren’t you supposed to be going together with Rong Xi?”

Hearing her name, Rong Xi looked up blankly.

Qin Yuzhen: ……

“Her injury will heal in a few days. She’ll be able to run and jump again, and she won’t need me anymore,” Qin Yuzhen said. “I can give my spot to someone else, but I’ll still participate in the competition.”

“Alright.” Old Qian nodded without objection. It was indeed a waste to have Qin Yuzhen sit in class.

Qin Yuzhen descended the podium, satisfied. As she passed Rong Xi, she ruffled her hair. “Don’t forget our bet.”

Rong Xi: …

Rong Xi straightened her hair, wanting to cry but holding back the tears.

Indeed, one should think thrice before acting, or they’ll easily do something they’ll regret.

She imagined having to speak in a strained voice after all the grades came out, and she shuddered. Rong Xi took a deep breath. She tried to comfort herself, reminding herself that she might not necessarily score lower than Qin Yuzhen. Her essays were quite good—she usually got around 55 out of 60. Now, she was only two points behind.

When school ended, Rong Xi was unusually quiet.

Qin Yuzhen noticed Rong Xi was lost in thought as she carried her downstairs.

“What are you thinking about?” Qin Yuzhen asked.

“Nothing,” Rong Xi replied, but she immediately sensed something was off.

Their eyes met.

Rong Xi silently covered her face with her right hand, and as expected, heard Qin Yuzhen’s stifled laughter.

She had been trying to figure out how to speak in a squeaky voice, but instead, the words came out normally.

“Stop laughing!” Rong Xi smacked Qin Yuzhen’s shoulder.

“You’re so bossy! What’s wrong with a little laugh? Don’t hit me, or I might drop you if I lose my grip,” Qin Yuzhen teased, giving a playful jolt.

Rong Xi instantly tightened her arms around Qin Yuzhen’s neck, feeling herself momentarily lifted—though not very high. “You’re the worst!”

“Tsk, you sounded cuter earlier.”

Rong Xi hmphed softly. “Who knows who’ll win in the end?”

“Sis, I just love your feisty attitude.” This time, Qin Yuzhen let out a full laugh, unable to suppress it.

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