The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 14

At this hour, the cafe was crowded; one had to look toward the far corners to find an empty seat.

Liu Ru quickly spotted Shen Nian and led her companion over without ceremony. “Is this seat taken?”

Shen Nian shrugged. “Help yourself.”

Liu Ru gave a satisfied smile. After settling the woman across from Shen Nian, she stepped back into the ordering queue.

Shen Nian lowered her head and continued browsing Qi Zhou’s personal profile. Her seat was at an awkward angle; the morning sun streamed in directly, draping over her like a thin golden blanket. She didn’t mind the heat, but the glare made it difficult to see her screen. She had to lean back, tilting her head so the upper half of her face was shielded by the shadows to find a moment of comfort.

Nearby, a girl’s delighted exclamation rang out, clearly audible even above the noisy crowd. Shen Nian brushed a stray hair from her face, only to find a shadow suddenly falling over her table.

Confused, she looked up and saw a girl wearing light makeup standing before her. “Student Shen,” the girl greeted her timidly.

To Shen Nian, her college days were a memory from over a decade ago. She had no recollection of this person, yet she worried there might be some connection she had forgotten.

“Hello.” Shen Nian stood up. She slipped her phone into her pocket and asked politely, “Is something the matter?”

The girl’s cheeks flushed crimson. She hugged her arms to her sides, acting somewhat coy. “I… I just wanted to ask you something…” Without giving Shen Nian time to react, she looked up with bright, eager eyes. “Are you single?”

Shen Nian gave a dazed nod.

“Yeah!” The girl’s face lit up with a joyful smile. She pulled a pink love letter from her bag and held it out to Shen Nian. “I’ve been watching you for a long time,” she said, blushing. “I feel like you’re a truly excellent person! This is something I wrote… please, won’t you accept it?”

Shen Nian took it instinctively, her nose catching a faint scent of rose petals. It finally dawned on her: she was being confessed to.

Shen Nian had always been striking, and having matured early, she was the most conspicuous presence among her peers. Since middle school, she had received all sorts of advances—from men and women, Betas and Omegas; she had even had Alphas throw her a wink or two.

Shen Nian looked at the girl, trying to keep her voice steady. “…Thank you.”

The girl was visibly nervous but was holding her ground. “So, you…”

She looked young, likely a freshman or sophomore, with a pair of round, adorable cat-like eyes. Going to university, dating a girl you liked, kissing, and taking things further—this was likely the dream of every young person.

However, Shen Nian was acutely aware that she no longer had the right to dream such things.

“I’m very grateful for your feelings…” she heard herself say. “I think you’re a very lovely girl, but… I already have my own Omega. I can’t reciprocate your feelings.”

“…” The girl stared at her blankly. The rosy flush slowly faded from her face, replaced by a dejected grayness.

“Order 561! Customer 561, your order is ready!”

Shen Nian glanced toward the pickup counter, then turned and patted the girl’s shoulder. “Wait for me a second!”

She ran over quickly and retrieved the two drinks using her receipt. Returning to the girl, she offered one of the cups. “Coconut Latte. Want it?”

The girl made a bitter face. “…Is this compensation for my failed confession?”

“Pfft.” Shen Nian laughed in spite of herself. She shook her head. “You’ll have to find your own compensation. I just hope this little incident doesn’t ruin your mood for the rest of the day.”

The girl’s eyes brightened again. She took the Coconut Latte, whispered a small “Thank you,” and skipped back to her group of friends. Shen Nian heard them chattering excitedly before they all dissolved into a fit of giggles.

She withdrew her gaze, gathered her things, and prepared to leave. Before she could go, the masked woman sitting opposite her spoke up. “Handled that quite skillfully.” Her eyes—the only part of her visible—stared at Shen Nian with interest. “Are you used to this sort of thing?”

Shen Nian denied it. “It’s not about skill; it’s just about being sincere.”

The woman let out a light laugh. “You haven’t even left campus, yet you talk like an old soul.”

Shen Nian offered no comment. She lowered her head to bid her farewell. “I have class, so I’ll be going now. I hope you enjoy your time at our school.”

The woman adjusted her mask. “How do you know? What if I’m an alumna who already graduated?”

Shen Nian: “Director Zhou must be joking. Isn’t your alma mater in the Capital?”

Before the woman could react, Shen Nian waved and turned to leave the cafe.

When Liu Ru returned with her order and saw her aunt staring toward the door, she looked over curiously. “What’s so interesting?”

Zhou Muqiu withdrew her gaze. “Who was that girl sitting here just now?”

“Her?” Liu Ru sat down beside her and wrinkled her nose. “Shen Nian.”

Zhou Muqiu arched an eyebrow. “The one who stood you up?”

Liu Ru nodded emphatically. “That’s her!” She asked in confusion, “Auntie, why are you interested in her?”

“With a face like that, it’s hard not to look twice, isn’t it?” Zhou Muqiu leaned back leisurely.

Liu Ru shook her head. “I’m just afraid she’s all flash and no substance.”

“Oh?”

“She’s a playboy rich second-gen; she never puts her mind to anything serious,” Liu Ru whispered, leaning in. “Our department isn’t strictly managed, and the professors usually take it easy on us during finals. Even so, she failed four courses last semester. Her vocals, stage presence, movement, and acting were all a total disaster.”

Zhou Muqiu frowned thoughtfully.

On the other side of campus, Shen Nian entered her classroom carrying a bag with only one iced Americano. There were ten minutes left before class, and a few students were scattered around the room.

Xi You was gathered in the back row with a few close friends, discussing a newly purchased wig. Suddenly, one of the girls nudged her shoulder and pointed toward the door. “Look, Shen Nian is here.”

Xi You turned around and immediately spotted the coffee bag in Shen Nian’s hand. She rolled her eyes. “I’m on a diet lately; I don’t want anything sweet.”

Her deskmate gave her a gentle nudge. “If you’re not drinking it, don’t let it go to waste. Give it to me.”

“You’re such a glutton,” Xi You teased.

The girls started teasing her back, and soon Xi You was smiling again, surrounded by her peers. “Fine, fine, if you want to drink it, take it. Just don’t blame me when you get fat.”

Seeing her smug expression, her deskmate couldn’t help but sound a bit envious. “You’re so lucky. The belle of the Acting Department, an Alpha, revolves around you every day. When are you finally going to agree to be with her?”

Xi You frowned, habitually dodging the question. “Shen Nian and I are just friends.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the deskmate asked, “Strange, why isn’t Shen Nian coming over today?” She smoothed a lock of hair on her shoulder. “I was all ready to say hello.”

After entering the classroom, Shen Nian looked around and chose a seat in the very first row, closest to the lectern. In her past life, she had squandered her time in university and had to work incredibly hard later to catch up to others. Although these basic courses wouldn’t help her much now, she still cherished the opportunity to revisit this knowledge.

As for Xi You… she truly hadn’t noticed her.

Xi You watched her intently, crossing her arms. “Just wait. She’ll come over eventually.”

The others exchanged glances. One minute passed, then three, then five…

Time ticked away. The once-empty classroom was now nearly full of students, yet Shen Nian remained motionless in the front row, intently flipping through her textbook.

On the surface, Xi You remained calm, but internally she was growing restless. Her deskmate intentionally added fuel to the fire, sighing as she rested her chin on her hand. “Sigh, it looks like my Coconut Latte grew wings and flew away…”

Xi You was already on the verge of losing her temper. Hearing this, she shot her friend a vicious glare. She stopped waiting passively and stood up, walking down the steps toward Shen Nian. Finally, she slammed her hand onto the table in front of her.

Shen Nian looked up and met her fuming eyes.

“Give it to me,” Xi You said, reaching out her hand directly.

Shen Nian blinked innocently. “…What?”

Xi You took a deep breath. “Are you stupid? Where’s my latte?” she demanded. “Why didn’t you bring it over yourself? Do you have any idea how much of a fool you almost made me look like?”

Shen Nian: “…”

At the peak of her youth, Xi You was strikingly, vibrantly beautiful. Standing before Shen Nian, she looked proud, as if the entire world ought to revolve around her. But this time, she was destined for disappointment.

Shen Nian shook her head. “…Sorry. You didn’t say anything beforehand, so I didn’t buy one for you.”

“…” Xi You fell silent. “Are you joking?”

Shen Nian: “I’m not joking.”

A look of humiliation began to creep across Xi You’s face. “You… you clearly… I saw you come in with two cups!”

Shen Nian pulled the empty carrier from the desk drawer. “There was only one. It’s an iced Americano.”

Xi You’s face flushed with anger. She swiped the carrier out of Shen Nian’s hand, glaring with wide eyes as if she had been suffered a great injustice.

Shen Nian didn’t seem to mind, merely reminding her, “Class is about to start. You should…”

Before she could finish, Xi You turned and walked away on her own. Shen Nian watched her back as she returned to her circle of friends.

“Where’s the latte?” “Yeah, where is it?” “What did Shen Nian say to you?”

Xi You crossed her arms, refusing to look at anyone. She curled her lips and forced herself to maintain her poise. “She knew I shouldn’t drink it, so she didn’t buy it.”

The girls looked at one another. After a moment, a collective “Oh—” rang out, and they tactfully dropped the subject.

Outside the door, a female professor in her fifties slowly entered the room. Her eyes fell upon Shen Nian in the very front row, and she froze for a moment. Once she recovered, she quickly turned away, her originally pleasant expression hardening instantly.