The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 11

Shen Nian’s heart skipped a beat.

Before she could react, Shen Zhuan stood up and marched over to her. “What is the meaning of this?”

Shen Nian reached out and snatched the notebook back.

On the first night she had returned to this room after her rebirth, she had planned to record all the key events of her past life to organize her thoughts. Looking back, she truly had to thank Auntie Li for the interruption; because of it, there were only a few lines written in the notebook.

Among those few lines, the only one related to Shen Zhuan was a single sentence: “Shen Zhuan, Opening Ceremony Speech.”

“What does it have to do with you?” Shen Nian suppressed her anger and countered with a question, letting out a secret sigh of relief. “Did no one ever teach you not to touch other people’s things?”

Shen Zhuan ground her molars, her tone cold and dark. “You little rat, do you really think your wings have grown strong enough?” She twisted her wrist and glared up at Shen Nian. “Are you planning to trip me up during the Outstanding Student selection?”

It was currently April, a full five months before the new academic year began at A-University. The school had not yet officially confirmed the candidates for the opening ceremony speech.

Unlike their indulgent neglect of Shen Nian, the Shen family placed immense importance on Shen Zhuan’s life path. She was groomed for a future in politics, and this speech was a crucial piece of social capital she intended to accumulate. In the past life, Shen Zhuan had indeed succeeded. The reason Shen Nian had noted this specific event was because something strange—something she now found suspicious—had occurred on the day of that speech.

“Don’t you find yourself ridiculous?” Shen Nian retorted without showing a crack in her armor. “On one hand, you think I’m weak; on the other, you think I’m a threat to your selection.”

Shen Zhuan narrowed her eyes. “Rats like you, living in the sewers, always find a way to crawl out and disgust people.” She let out a contemptuous laugh, seemingly agreeing that Shen Nian couldn’t make any waves. But in the next second, her face contorted. She grabbed Shen Nian by the collar. “Tell me, what is your goal in marking my Aunt? Huh?! What do you want to get out of her?”

Shen Nian didn’t hold back either. She struck Shen Zhuan’s hand away with a heavy blow. “Get lost!” she snapped back. “Do you think everyone is as filthy-minded as you?”

“Heh? Won’t admit it, will you?” Shen Zhuan didn’t even care that the back of her hand had been struck red. She stared at Shen Nian and blurted out, “The Shen family hasn’t mistreated you all these years. Isn’t the money spent on you enough to satisfy a rat like you? What are you really up to?”

Shen Nian was so angry she laughed. She looked at Shen Zhuan and turned the tables. “Shen Zui was terminally ill. If the only choice was between being marked by me or dying, would you rather have watched her die?”

Shen Zhuan froze for a moment. But she quickly recovered, baring her teeth again. “She’s been sick for years and was doing just fine. How could she suddenly be at death’s door?”

“Is that so?” Shen Nian took two steps toward her. “When she was suddenly infected and forced into that sterile villa, I’m sure she notified you in advance, didn’t she?”

“You—!” Shen Zhuan’s eyes turned bloodshot.

“What about me?” Seeing the other girl’s composure break, Shen Nian grew calm.

She placed the notebook back on the desk and turned around, repeating her question in a hauntingly quiet voice. “I’m asking you—if there was only a choice between her being marked by me and her death, would you have preferred to come home today to find Shen Zui’s cold corpse?”

“Hah… hah…” Shen Zhuan’s eyes darted around erratically. Soon, her breathing became heavy and she tugged raggedly at her collar.

A water glass happened to be lying on the floor in front of her. Shen Zhuan suddenly exploded, kicking it violently against the wall.

Smash.

Amidst the crisp sound of shattering glass, she spat out a curse through red eyes. “F***!”

Shen Nian watched her tantrum with cold detachment. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something wrong with the quilt on her bed. She walked over and pulled it back, only to find the entire bed had been soaked with cold water. The fabric was heavy, wet, and matted together.

“Even if that’s the case, I’m warning you—” Shen Zhuan continued to shout as she regained some focus. “Don’t think that just because you marked Auntie, you can become a real member of the Shen family! You’re just a f***ing medical tool!”

“Have you screamed enough?” Shen Nian felt her temples throbbing from the noise. “Do you think anyone actually wants to be part of your family?”

“Hmph.” Shen Zhuan let out a cold snort. She was still reeling from the “either-or” dilemma Shen Nian had posed, and her mental state was unstable. Having finished her threats, she turned to leave.

Before she reached the door, Shen Nian called out. “Wait. Did I say you could leave?”

Shen Zhuan stopped. She used her pinky to scratch her ear and turned around in disbelief. “What did you say?”

“I said, did I give you permission to leave?” Shen Nian repeated every word slowly, pointing to her bed. “You turned my room into this hellhole, and now you think you can just pat your butt and walk away?”

“And if I do?” Shen Zhuan smiled disdainfully. She had bullied Shen Nian hundreds, if not thousands, of times and had never once been held accountable. Facing Shen Nian’s interrogation now felt like a novelty to her. “What? Do you expect me to pay you back?”

“Apologize to me, and then pay for the damages!” Shen Nian demanded sternly.

She could have swallowed her grievances like she did in her past life, but from the moment she chose to return and mark Shen Zui, she was done living a cowardly existence.

“Pfft—hahahaha—” Shen Zhuan laughed so hard she doubled over. “Hey, cough, I have to say, that’s a pretty good joke.” She wiped a tear from her eye and took two steps toward Shen Nian, holding her hands out. “Apologize? Have you ever seen me apologize to anyone?”

Shen Nian: “Then you can start learning how right now.”

Shen Zhuan stopped laughing. Her lips pulled into a thin, sinister line. “I really gave you too much face, didn’t I?”

As she spoke, she swung her hand, aiming a sharp slap at Shen Nian’s left cheek.

Shen Nian was already burning with internal fury. Seeing her dare to strike first, she cast all reservations aside. Using her Alpha physical advantages in height and strength, she caught Shen Zhuan’s raised arm and executed a clean, decisive over-the-shoulder throw, slamming Shen Zhuan hard onto the floor.

Following a loud thud, Shen Zhuan’s shrill wail immediately rang out. “Ah—!”

She clutched her backside, rolling on the ground in agony. There wasn’t a trace of her previous arrogance left—only pure pain.

“Shen—Nian—!”

Nearby servants heard the eldest young lady’s voice and rushed over. Several people crowded the doorway, but they were frozen in place by a single, sharp look from Shen Nian.

Sitting on the floor, Shen Zhuan shrieked at them in a rage. “What the f*** are you doing?! She dared to hit me! Kill this rat for me! Kill! Her!!”

Shen Nian looked down at her, admiring her pathetic display of incompetent fury. She curled her lips into a mocking smile and daintily brushed the dust off her hands. “Do you think they’d dare?”

In this house, while most servants lacked respect for her, they had all been strictly forbidden from defying her. As Shen Zui’s “medical blood bag,” if even the slightest thing went wrong with her body, no one could bear the responsibility.

“Hah… hah…” Shen Zhuan remembered this as well. She looked up at Shen Nian with venomous eyes. “Shen Nian! You’re rebelling?!” She struggled to her feet, staggering as she braced herself against a table leg.

Shen Nian ignored her. She turned around, found an empty backpack, opened her wardrobe, and began picking out clothes to pack.

“You’re a lunatic!” Shen Zhuan’s lips trembled. “You dare bully me? I’m going to tell Grandmother! Just you wait, I’ll make sure she puts you in solitary confinement!”

“If you’re going, then go quickly.” Having packed a simple change of clothes, Shen Nian returned to her desk and stuffed the notebook into the bag as well.

Shen Zhuan snorted, but she didn’t dare step forward to stop her. “Are you scared? You’re trying to run away, aren’t you?”

“I’m not running.” Shen Nian zipped the bag and swung it onto her shoulders. Under the harsh fluorescent light, she turned toward the door and said without looking back, “I’m staying at the Small Villa tonight. If you want revenge, feel free to come find me anytime.”

“The Small Villa?” It took Shen Zhuan two seconds to process this, and her face turned pale. It was as if she had forgotten her pain; she scrambled after Shen Nian into the hallway, shouting at her back, “What are you doing?! Why are you going to the Small Villa?”

“To sleep.” Shen Nian knew exactly which words would pierce her heart the deepest. She grinned and said casually, “You’ve ruined my bed. If I don’t go sleep with your Young Aunt, where else am I supposed to go?”

If I don’t go sleep with your Young Aunt, where else am I supposed to go?

The power of this sentence was greater than two physical slaps. Shen Zhuan’s face flushed a deep red, and a violent surge of fury rushed to her head. “You fing—who gave you permission to stay at the villa?! You—hah—hah—you fing get back here!!”

Shen Nian looked back, satisfied by the sight of her jumping in rage. She rubbed her chin. “You have my mother’s number. Do whatever you want; no need to ask me.”

Having said her piece, she wisely covered her ears and walked away from the main house with a light step.

The moonlight was beautiful. Walking through the winding corridors of the Shen estate at night, she felt a sense of joy. For the first time, she realized that the lanterns under the eaves and the exotic flora along the path were actually quite pleasing to the eye.

The night breeze pushed her all the way to her destination. The doctor was surprised to see her return so soon, but obediently opened the door for her.

Inside the room, Shen Zui was on a call. Hearing the door, she took off her headphones and looked up. Upon seeing her exquisite features, the adrenaline from Shen Nian’s victory finally began to fade.

Recalling the words she had said in a fit of pique earlier, a flush rose to her cheeks. She rubbed her nose and called out softly, “Young Auntie.”

Shen Zui stared at her fixedly. “What happened?”

“Mm…” Perhaps it was because the greeting was so gentle, but Shen Nian suddenly felt her nose tingle. She blinked her dry eyes and pouted, moving toward her to file a complaint. “Shen… Shen Zhuan bullied me!”