The Devoted Female Supporting Lead and the White Moonlight’s Sister Got a Happy Ending (GL) - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Shao Qingran

Shao Peiran held the cup and closed her eyes; only then did He Baizhou dare to rest her gaze upon her.

Actually, from this angle, she could only see a small portion of her face. Even that was only possible because her hair had been tucked behind her ear, revealing a profile traced in elegant lines. Under the radiance of the sunlight, the fine fuzz on her face was visible, lending her an air of gentle tranquility.

He Baizhou watched for a while, her gaze suddenly drawn to the other woman’s earring.

She had only caught a passing glimpse before and hadn’t paid special attention, but now she realized that the pendant was actually a tiny bell pepper, bright red in color and looking utterly adorable.

Thinking about it, it seemed the pendant she saw hanging at her chest earlier was also in the shape of a chili pepper.

This discovery gave He Baizhou a truly marvelous feeling.

Such a cute accessory seemed, at first glance, not to match a person like Shao Peiran—when she sat alone in this corner, she carried a temperament that was both lazy and aloof, making people hesitate to disturb her. Thus, while many in the room were watching her, no one but He Baizhou had approached.

However, upon deeper thought, one felt that this was exactly the kind of choice she would make. Beneath her nonchalant exterior, the personality she hid was so vivid and lively; it was surprising and invited exploration.

Like an explorer who had discovered treasure, He Baizhou watched the other woman with a secret joy.

When Shao Qingran reached the top of the stairs on the second floor, this was the scene she encountered.

It caused her heart to lurch, and her expression flickered slightly.

Xu Chengyue was standing beside her, her gaze following her constantly. She immediately noticed this abnormality and couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

Shao Qingran snapped out of it and quickly flashed her a smile. “Nothing, I’m just a little nervous.” As she spoke, she raised her hand clad in a jacquard glove to her chest, saying in an almost dreamlike tone, “We’re really getting married.”

Xu Chengyue laughed, turned her head to kiss her at the temple, and squeezed her hand. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here for everything.”

Below, the master of ceremonies took the stage, and the guests began to take their seats.

Hearing the commotion, Shao Peiran looked up. The steam had made the area around her eyes slightly red, looking as if she had applied an alluring layer of makeup. She folded the handkerchief that had been covering the cup, glanced at it, and said with a smile, “I’ll return this to you next time.”

He Baizhou shook her head quickly. “No need.” During the exchange, her gaze swept past Shao Peiran’s chest, confirming that it was indeed a red bird’s eye chili, which put her in an even better mood.

The two stood up and went to the front to take their seats.

He Baizhou was a close friend of both Shao Qingran and Xu Chengyue, so her seat was naturally quite far forward. Meanwhile, ever since Shao Peiran and her mother moved abroad, their interactions with the Shao family side had been rare; however, they were still very close relatives, so their seats were also arranged at the first few tables. He Baizhou noticed the two tables were right next to each other and felt a surge of happiness, pointing it out to Shao Peiran.

However, Shao Peiran’s gaze only brushed lightly over the nameplate on the table. A mocking smile curved her lips as she reached out to pick up her own nameplate and casually placed it together with He Baizhou’s, taking the seat right next to her. “I’ll just sit here.”

He Baizhou froze for a moment, assuming she wanted to sit with her, and was instantly overjoyed. Seeing a nameplate for Chen Minjun on the table, she unhesitatingly picked it up and used it to fill the gap Shao Peiran had left.

Turning back, she met Shao Peiran’s eyes, which were brimming with laughter.

“What are you doing?” Shao Peiran asked her.

He Baizhou withdrew her hand as if nothing had happened. “That’s the bride’s cousin; her relationship is definitely closer than mine. It was probably arranged incorrectly before.”

Shao Peiran lowered her head and laughed. Clearly, she knew exactly what was going on, but surprisingly, she said nothing. Seeing this, He Baizhou breathed a sigh of relief, though she felt little remorse for her momentary lapse into mischief.

Since they arrived early, it wasn’t long before the other seats were filled. The MC on stage began to warm up the crowd and soon invited the two newlyweds up.

Although same-sex marriage had been legalized, large-scale weddings like this were still a minority. However, both Xu Chengyue and Shao Qingran believed the wedding should be held with great fanfare so the whole world could bless them. Therefore, the entire wedding was incredibly expensive and grand in scale. Even the MC was a well-known TV host who spoke with a silver tongue, managing the rhythm of the wedding perfectly and quickly heating up the atmosphere.

As the heir to the Xu family, Xu Chengyue naturally had many guests at her wedding. Regardless of what they thought privately, everyone gave their blessings with smiling faces on the surface, being very supportive.

However, Shao Qingran, standing on the stage, was somewhat out of sorts.

She couldn’t control her gaze from frequently scanning downward, falling upon He Baizhou and Shao Peiran sitting side by side, which caused her heart to throb in bursts.

Truthfully, although she had sent an invitation, she hadn’t expected Shao Peiran to actually attend her wedding. When was the last time the other woman had returned to the country? It seemed to have been several years ago when their grandmother was critically ill; Shao Siyu and Shao Peiran had returned for a visit, staying only three days and leaving as soon as the funeral ended.

After that, without the elders present, the two sides had almost cut off contact.

To be honest, the Shao family had wanted to repair this relationship, but with the distance being so great, it wasn’t convenient to do anything. Later, Shao Qingran had managed to get close to Xu Chengyue; that single connection brought immense benefits to the family, so the idea was subsequently discarded.

Sending the invitation this time had merely been a casual gesture. Shao Siyu’s gift had arrived a few days ago, making it clear she had no intention of attending in person.

And yet, Shao Peiran had actually come.

Shao Qingran bit her lip, unable to stop herself from complaining internally: Who on earth arranged the seating? How could they put her and He Baizhou together? But then she immediately remembered the scene she had witnessed earlier. Even if they weren’t sitting together, the two must have already met.

Just what was going on?

Shao Qingran had always been a person who left nothing to chance. Even though she was getting married, she had managed her group of suitors so well that they all sent their blessings. But as she reflected now, she remembered that He Baizhou indeed hadn’t gone to the bridal suite to see her today; the two hadn’t been able to say a single word to each other.

Actually, when she made the decision to marry, Shao Qingran knew that some of the people surrounding her would eventually disperse. Especially those suitors; those who could remain infatuated with her forever were a minority, and most would move on to new targets. Shao Qingran told herself that when that time came, she would generously offer her blessings.

But for He Baizhou to be so obvious at her wedding was clearly beyond Shao Qingran’s limit of tolerance.

If one were to rank Shao Qingran’s suitors, Xu Chengyue and He Baizhou were undoubtedly T0 tier. Among them, He Baizhou’s qualities were actually even more outstanding than Xu Chengyue’s.

On one hand, it was because she had one-quarter foreign blood, giving her deep-set eyes, three-dimensional features, and an exceptionally striking appearance. On the other hand, it was because her grandfather’s family was British nobility. Although today these old-school nobles were no longer as glorious as they once were, their heritage was deep, and they still carried an undeniable aura. Even the occasionally world-weary temperament He Baizhou carried seemed more mysterious and noble because of this aristocratic status.

Shao Qingran eventually chose Xu Chengyue for no other reason than the fact that Xu Chengyue proposed to her, while He Baizhou did not.

Xu Chengyue was rigorous, restrained, and rational. She and He Baizhou were not only rivals in love but also schoolmates and friends. The fact that both were pursuing Shao Qingran simultaneously hadn’t affected their friendship—in which Shao Qingran, a master of balance, had certainly played a large part—so from the beginning, they had agreed to compete fairly.

Shao Qingran knew very well that once a proposal was rejected, Xu Chengyue would immediately stop pursuing her and return to being a friend. But at that time, she had no certainty of winning over He Baizhou.

It was funny; it seemed everyone knew He Baizhou was deeply in love with her. Shao Qingran also knew very well that in He Baizhou’s eyes, she was indeed different from everyone else; whenever she had a request, He Baizhou would always try her best to fulfill it without ever taking credit. For someone like her, reaching this step was already rare.

But in Shao Qingran’s heart, there was always a sense of uncertainty.

She felt as if she could never grasp He Baizhou the way she could grasp everyone else.

Thinking of this, Shao Qingran’s gaze couldn’t help but fall on the person next to He Baizhou.

Shao Peiran…

In this instant, Shao Qingran even had the hallucination that she had returned to her teenage years. Shao Peiran was someone who seemed born to glow; whenever she appeared, everyone’s praise was for her, and the best of everything was hers to pick first. Even her peers discussed and worshipped her.

The children of this generation who were around her age were all rendered dull in comparison to her.

Her gaze paused for a moment as she saw another person sitting at the table in front of her. Shao Qingran suddenly took a deep breath. So what if Shao Peiran could always get everything so easily? There were some things that she already possessed now, which Shao Peiran had lost forever.

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