The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 13

Early the next morning.

When Shen Nian woke up, it was still quite early. Looking down at Shen Zui cradled in her arms, her breath hitched for a moment.

A sleeping Shen Zui was entirely devoid of her usual sharp edge; her skin was as delicate and fair as a fine porcelain doll. Shen Nian’s gaze traveled down from her face, taking in the mottled array of kiss marks scattered across her skin.

She gently withdrew her arm, tucked Shen Zui back into the bed, and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

As she was leaving the room, the new doctor and a young nurse were preparing medication. Seeing her come out, they looked as if they had a thousand words on the tips of their tongues.

Shen Nian walked over with poise, asked a few questions about Shen Zui’s condition, and then instructed them, “She slept late last night. Don’t go in to wake her until a bit later.”

The doctor nodded in agreement, but the small nurse wearing a mask furrowed her brows, casting a sinister and unfriendly look her way.

Shen Nian remembered her. She looked down and saw the name “Tao Mu” written on the nurse’s ID badge.

“Do I know you?” Shen Nian asked.

Tao Mu froze, then lowered her gaze and shook her head.

“Is that so?” Shen Nian scrutinized her. “Then how have I offended you? You seem to dislike me quite a bit.”

This time, the little nurse said nothing. She simply picked up the medicine tray from the counter and left.

The doctor looked embarrassed. “The girl has a bit of a temper… Miss Nian, should I call her back?”

“No need.” Shen Nian smiled at her. “I’m leaving. Please carry on with your work.”

“Of course, of course.” The doctor escorted her to the stairs. “Take care on your way out.”

Shen Nian had class on Monday morning, but fortunately, it didn’t start until 10:00 AM, giving her plenty of time to get back to campus. However, her luck was a bit off today; just as she stepped out of the taxi, she heard someone calling her from behind.

“Shen Nian!”

Shen Nian turned around to see a girl wearing a baseball cap. Had it been before her rebirth, Shen Nian might not have even been able to recall her name. But before her death in her previous life, Liu Ru had already become a successful second-tier actress in the industry.

“Senior Liu,” Shen Nian greeted her politely.

Liu Ru looked a bit grumpy, pouting as she asked, “You ran off in such a hurry before, but today you actually have time to come back for class? It doesn’t look like your family had such an emergency after all.”

Liu Ru came from a film dynasty and was the third-year senior that Xi You was currently trying to suck up to. She was supposed to have been part of that canceled yacht trip. Xi You had mentioned before that because Shen Nian broke the agreement at the last minute, Liu Ru and her little clique had left in a huff.

“Senior, I’m truly sorry,” Shen Nian apologized sincerely. “There was a real emergency at the time; an elder in my family fell ill, and I had to go back. Fortunately, she’s much better now.”

She showed a great deal of sincerity. “This was my fault. If there’s a chance next time, may I treat you all to a meal to make it up to you?”

“Treat me to a meal?” Liu Ru arched an eyebrow, her gaze lingering on Shen Nian’s exceptionally handsome features.

Shen Nian acted generously. “Yes. You can pick the time and the place.”

“Pfft.” Liu Ru broke into a grin, her previous displeasure vanishing. She lifted her chin. “No need to pick a time or place. How about this—I have a gathering with some girlfriends this Friday night. You’ll accompany me as my guest. If you perform well, I’ll forgive you~”

Shen Nian detected a hint of flirtatiousness in her tone. She asked, “Is Xi You going too?”

Liu Ru crossed her arms. “Didn’t invite her.” She leaned in close and whispered, “Shen Nian, seriously, are you really Xi You’s ‘simping dog’?”

Shen Nian was stunned. After a moment, she smiled slightly. She didn’t confirm or deny it, but instead asked, “Who said that?”

Liu Ru was no simpleton; she narrowed her eyes and threw the question back. “Who do you think?”

Shen Nian knew the answer well enough. In her last life, she had foolishly believed she and Xi You were a mutual item, unaware that Xi You was accustomed to using her to boost her own status.

At the thought, she lowered her eyes to hide her emotions. “Actually, in terms of family seniority, Xi You is my second cousin.”

Shen Bi’s late wife, Xi Wu, was the biological sister of Xi You’s father. Everyone inside the Shen family knew Shen Nian was adopted, but the outside world was largely unaware.

“Huh?” Liu Ru’s eyes widened. She took a few seconds to process this. “Really? But you’re way too good to her, aren’t you?”

Shen Nian smiled and was about to explain when the phone in Liu Ru’s hand rang. Liu Ru answered it quickly, giving Shen Nian a parting look before trotting off toward the campus gate.

Relieved, Shen Nian checked the time and headed toward the teaching building as planned.

The multi-functional building for the Department of Performing Arts was adjacent to the Second Cafeteria, which housed a popular “influencer” cafe. Habitually, Shen Nian would stop by to buy an iced Americano before her morning classes.

But today, the timing was poor. The first major lecture had just ended, and a crowd of students was lined up waiting for their orders. Shen Nian wasn’t in a hurry; she stood at the end of the line, searching for the keyword “Qi Zhou” on her phone while she waited.

The search results were far more numerous than she had expected.

Qi Zhou owned a medium-sized MCN company specializing in incubating internet celebrities. As the boss, he also had his own accounts where he flaunted a decadent “rich second-generation” lifestyle, amassing over a million followers.

Shen Nian specifically downloaded the short-video app he used and clicked into his profile. The top pinned video showed Qi Zhou in a bar’s private booth, playing dice and drinking with several beautiful women. The lights in the video were flashing, and men and women were dancing intimately.

At first glance, Shen Nian wanted to close the app, but she forced herself to watch the whole thing. She actually discovered a clue—in the corner of a long sofa, there was a pair of girls kissing. A petite girl was boldly straddling the other. Neither of their faces was visible, but based on the girl’s silhouette and the luxury bracelet on her wrist, Shen Nian deduced there was a high probability it was Shen Zhuan.

One must remember that because she was destined for politics, Shen Zhuan was required to maintain a strictly wholesome image. If the family found out she was frequenting such places, she would undoubtedly face a harsh scolding.

“Not enough,” Shen Nian murmured, shaking her head.

If this was the only leverage she had, it definitely wasn’t enough to control Shen Zhuan. But since Shen Zui had provided this lead, it meant the situation was surely more complex—there was definitely more to dig up.

While she was deep in thought, she reached the front of the line. Because Shen Nian had only just been reborn, she blanked for a moment while looking at the menu. The barista behind the counter leaned out and gave her a sweet smile.

She asked familiarly, “The usual? One iced Americano with an extra shot, and one iced Coconut Latte with 30% sugar?”

Shen Nian was dazed for a second, then saw the girl leaning forward to gesture toward the pay station. “Scan here~”

“Uh…” Shen Nian smiled awkwardly. Not wanting to delay the people behind her, she simply went along with it and paid.

The barista handed her the receipt and gave her a playful wink. “Done. Please wait over there~”

Shen Nian took it and gave a polite “Thank you.”

On the slip of paper, it was written in black and white: the iced Americano was for Shen Nian, and the Coconut Latte belonged to Xi You.

Sometimes, having an unforgettable face had its drawbacks. For Shen Nian, buying a drink for Xi You before class every day was a habit from a very distant past. But to the barista, it was a routine she still clearly remembered.

She tucked the receipt away and found an empty seat to wait. After sitting for only two minutes, she suddenly saw Liu Ru, who had just left, returning to the cafe.

Unlike before, this time she was followed by a woman wearing a mask and a hat. The woman looked around curiously, clearly here for the first time, yet her movements were poised and showed no sign of nervousness or haste.