The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 104

Hearing her name, Shen Zui froze, her body stiffening like a sculpture. She looked into Shen Nian’s eyes and saw her own panicked expression reflected in those clear, dark depths. In that instant, all her strength vanished, and she went limp in the space between the mattress and Shen Nian’s embrace.

Shen Nian, her gaze far from innocent, admired the surrendered Shen Zui like a hunter admiring a prize. She looked from the temple to the chin, to the gland at the side of the neck, and further down to the exquisite lines of her figure. She licked her lips; the dryness was relieved, but the parching heat inside her body only intensified. She wanted to consume… something.

Shen Zui raised her arms to hook around Shen Nian’s neck, pulling her down. Shen Nian didn’t struggle; she buried her head in the crook of the other woman’s neck, greedily catching the blooming scent of cold plum.

“Niannian…” Shen Zui called out hoarsely.

Shen Nian’s lips stopped at her chin. The call made her body tremble. Instincts buried deep beneath her skin began to stir. She tried to suppress them, but the effort caused a numbing, aching pain in her heart. She had seen many movies and read many scripts, but in this moment, all the descriptions of love and passion became tangible, weaving into shackles that dragged her down into the depths.

It was late. In the dark room, two sets of pheromones intertwined in a desperate struggle. Shen Zui tilted Shen Nian’s face up, finding her lips in the darkness and offering herself up tremulously. The moment her soft tongue brushed Shen Nian’s lips, the wall of restraint Shen Nian had built since her accident collapsed.

Under the rubble of that wall lay the ridiculous self-discipline she had practiced. It was a messy end. In the next moment, Shen Nian took control, claiming Shen Zui’s lips.

“Mm—”

Caught off guard, Shen Zui let out a short cry, but soon she gave herself over to the sensation. Their bodies were too familiar; even though Shen Nian had lost her memories, the guidance of desire made her a natural at pleasing Shen Zui. Every gasp, every movement—conscious or reflexive—became a potent aphrodisiac prepared specifically for her.

At the most uncontrollable moment, Shen Nian’s teeth grazed delicate skin, tasting the mix of sweat and blood. Shen Zui, unable to take more, tried to pull back, but her wrists were caught and brought back into the embrace.

She was hers. Everything was hers. The fire of desire burned everything to ash.

The Morning After

The next morning, a knock at the door woke Sang Nian. She could hear her assistant’s anxious calls from outside. She glanced at the still-sleeping Shen Zui, tucked the quilt around her, and got out of bed.

The room was a mess of crumpled clothes—evidence of the previous night’s passion. Sang Nian bent down, picked up Shen Zui’s dress, and smelled the crisp scent of cedar. Her already pleasant mood lightened even more. She found her phone, sent a quick text to the assistant, and the noise outside ceased.

As she sat by the sleeping Shen Zui, she began to sort through the past few months. It wasn’t a mental breakdown; it was simple amnesia. Specifically, she had lost everything that happened after she fell from the building in her previous life. She didn’t remember the plot of this world, nor did she remember Shen Zui turning into a “villain” to avenge her death.

What a coincidence, she thought, her eyes filled with complex emotions. But it wasn’t without benefits. At least one doubt deep in her heart had been perfectly answered.

Her phone buzzed with a message from Mo Huai. Sang Nian told her to look into Chen Xi and the production crew after the New Year. Mo Huai was horrified: I can’t believe she’d do that! Good thing you were alert! Then she added: Are you okay? You didn’t… lose your virginity, did you?

Sang Nian looked down and saw a red hickey on her shoulder, complete with a faint ring of teeth marks.

Lost my virginity? I nearly lost my soul.

Mo Huai, receiving no reply, began to panic: I’m dead! I’m really dead! I promised President Shen I’d look after you! The message was retracted after two seconds, but Sang Nian had already seen it.

Sang Nian smirked and typed: I lost my virginity to your secret boss.

Mo Huai: Huh? …Oh right, President Shen’s location was also in City H last night. How are you two now?

Sang Nian: That’s none of your business. You should think about how you’re going to explain yourself to me.

The Reunion

Shen Zui woke up around noon. The room had been tidied, and the scent of pheromones had faded, but the marks on her body proved last night wasn’t a dream. She had slept with the amnesiac Shen Nian.

She put on a clean robe left for her and walked into the living room, where Sang Nian was setting out lunch. Their eyes met, the contact as soft as a kiss.

“Awake?” Sang Nian said. “Go wash up; it’s time to eat.”

The tie of Shen Zui’s robe was loose, and as she walked toward Sang Nian, it came undone. Shen Zui quickly pulled the collar shut, noticing Sang Nian staring at her. Sang Nian walked over and naturally tied a beautiful, firm knot at Shen Zui’s waist—the same waist that had trembled under her touch the night before.

“There… now it won’t fall off.”

Shen Zui looked at her. She sensed something was different but couldn’t be sure if it was just because of their shift in intimacy. “Do you… have nothing else to say?” she tested, placing a hand on Sang Nian’s shoulder.

“What do you want to hear?” Sang Nian asked.

Shen Zui bit her lip. She was afraid of hearing cold words again.

“Don’t bite,” Sang Nian whispered, stroking her cheek. “You bit them all night; haven’t you had enough?”

Shen Zui’s face flushed. “If you knew how to stop when it was enough, I wouldn’t be in this state.”

Sang Nian rubbed her nose, defeated. She decided to keep playing the part of “Shen Nian” for a moment longer. “You can’t expect someone who just ‘broke their fast’ to know restraint.” Then she looked into Shen Zui’s eyes. “Don’t doubt it—in both lives, it has only ever been you.”

Shen Zui’s eyes cleared, reflecting Sang Nian’s features like a mirror. She whispered in disbelief: “Sang… Sang Nian?”

Sang Nian’s heart ached. She pulled the woman into her arms. “Mhm, I’m back. No, that’s not right.” She whispered into Shen Zui’s ear, “I’ve woken up.”

From autumn to winter, these three months had been a long dream. Now, the dream was over. Shen Zui’s legs gave way, and she would have fallen if Sang Nian wasn’t holding her. She began to cry, the tears flowing with her broken voice. “You… you remember? Niannian, Niannian…”

“Sorry for the wait.” Sang Nian didn’t say “I’m sorry” in a formal sense; between them, apologies were trivial. She would make up for her absence in the long years to come. She kissed the tears away.

“This period of time…” Shen Zui sobbed into her neck, “was like a nightmare. I was so afraid you and I would never wake up.”

Sang Nian stroked her back. After a while, she asked softly, “Did you hate me then?”

Shen Zui was silent for a long time before shaking her head. “I could feel it… that was you. That’s why I was even more afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

Shen Zui rested her ear against Sang Nian’s chest. Her voice was like a fragile bubble. “…Afraid that the ‘real’ you wouldn’t like the Shen Zui who turned you into a medicinal catalyst.”

The past was their greatest barrier. Without their shared journey, the history of their relationship was a deep abyss. Shen Zui had seen the fear and hatred in the 18-year-old Shen Nian’s eyes, and it had drained her of all her schemes. She could chase Sang Nian, but she dared not force Shen Nian.

Sang Nian listened and then laughed softly. She kissed the top of Shen Zui’s head. “You can let go of that worry forever.”

“Why?” Shen Zui looked up.

“Because this nightmare has proven one thing—” Sang Nian leaned in, her lips brushing Shen Zui’s nose and then her mouth. “I love you. No matter which period of my life I’m in, I am destined to fall hopelessly in love with you.”

A kiss followed, falling as naturally as the snow outside the window.