The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 19

After fooling around for most of the afternoon, Shen Nian carried Shen Zui into the bathroom as dusk began to fall.

Shen Zui leaned against the edge of the bathtub with her back to Shen Nian. Her body, having just been soothed, was still incredibly sensitive. Every ripple of the water that hit her caused a series of fine tremors, making Shen Nian’s gaze darken with intensity.

Shen Nian turned and adjusted the massage jets in the tub to their lowest setting.

“Niannian…” Sensing her presence receding, Shen Zui immediately murmured in dissatisfaction.

Shen Nian returned to her side, grasping her soft hand and interlacing their fingers tightly. She didn’t say a word, only lowered her head to gently kiss the pink gland on the back of Shen Zui’s neck, letting her feel her presence tangibly.

As expected, Shen Zui’s legs turned weak again.

The ripples of the water and the glow of the sunset played off each other. The cool scent of cedar dominated the air, intertwining with faint, lingering notes of plum blossom. As Shen Nian stroked her, Shen Zui’s delicate shoulder blades—resembling butterfly wings—spread out beautifully. She was so stunning that Shen Nian couldn’t look away.

“Have you touched enough?” Shen Zui’s voice came, tinged with laughter.

She curled her lips. Though her body was as soft as water, her face glowed with a satisfied flush, like some spirit creature that had just finished a feast and was leisurely digesting.

Shen Nian licked her lips. In the steam-filled bathroom, her throat felt dry. Shen Zui leaned against the ledge, her chin resting on her arms; her translucent skin was even more delicate and eye-catching than the jade-textured bathtub. She looked at Shen Nian sideways, her eyes full of satisfied mischief.

Shen Nian lowered her eyes to avoid her gaze, her fingers sliding down to loosely circle the other woman. “Are you sore?” she asked considerately. “I’ll massage you.”

Without waiting for an answer, she tightened her grip and began to knead.

“Ungh.” Shen Zui let out a short, sudden gasp.

Shen Nian’s ears felt tingly. She nuzzled the spot she had just touched. “Here?”

“Niannian!” Shen Zui bit her lip, calling her name in embarrassed annoyance.

Laughter finally spread across Shen Nian’s face. Her eyes flickered with focus as she felt every subtle reaction from Shen Zui. “Auntie is so sensitive.”

Shen Zui gasped for air, reaching back to try and stop the hands making trouble. However, this position was perfect for restraint. Before Shen Nian even realized it, she had locked both of Shen Zui’s arms behind her back.

Now, Shen Zui was completely defenseless. A great sense of satisfaction rose in Shen Nian’s heart, but as she admired her handiwork, she met Shen Zui’s beautiful, misty eyes.

“You’ve grown up,” Shen Zui remarked. “Heh, and you’ve learned to be bad.”

Shen Nian let go and gave her a soothing kiss on her long hair. Shen Zui petulantly rubbed her wrists, intentionally moving forward to dodge her.

“Does it hurt?” Shen Nian asked.

“Hmph.” Shen Zui didn’t answer.

So, Shen Nian pulled her into a hug. “Let me see.”

In the obscuring mist, the two shadows reflected in the water overlapped densely. No matter how the ripples danced, they could not be separated.

By the time Shen Nian carried her back to bed, Shen Zui was already half-asleep. She was still complaining grumpily: “…I don’t like this.”

“Hmm?” Shen Nian thought she had bullied her too much and leaned down to check. “What don’t you like?”

Shen Zui grabbed her wrist, brought it to her lips, and gave it a firm bite. “I told you not to use that body wash… it covered up the scent…”

Shen Nian: “What scent?”

“Yours.” Shen Zui poked her cheek. “Your scent.”

Shen Nian’s furrowed brows smoothed out. She leaned down to press a kiss to Shen Zui’s forehead. When she pulled back, the other woman had already closed her eyes, breathing evenly in sleep.

“Sleeping at this hour…” Shen Nian sighed dotingly, completely ignoring her own role in the exhaustion.

She checked her phone; it was just past 6:30 PM. Seeing Shen Zui sleeping soundly, she tucked her in and left the room.

The doctor was dumbfounded by Shen Nian’s plan to take Shen Zui out the next morning. “You… this is how you helped ‘convince’ the Miss?”

Shen Nian rubbed her nose. “…You said the data supports her going out.” She shrugged. “We’re just going for a walk in the garden outside this building. You should think about what we need to prepare.”

“You… you…” The doctor trembled with rage. After stuttering for a while, she finally snapped: “I really shouldn’t have counted on you! The Miss doesn’t listen to you either!”

Shen Nian smiled, not daring to reveal that she was actually Shen Zui’s primary accomplice.

They began discussing the plan for tomorrow’s outing. Halfway through, an uninvited guest arrived on the second floor. Yu Bingnan quickly located Shen Nian and walked over. “Miss Nian,” she said coldly. “The Madam wants you to return to the main house for dinner.”

It wasn’t unusual for large families to eat late; a 7:00 PM dinner was normal.

Shen Nian frowned. “Are my mother and the others there as well?”

“Of course.” Yu Bingnan’s lips curled slightly. “Everyone except the Miss is there. The Madam says opportunities like this are rare and wants everyone to gather.”

“Understood.” Shen Nian gave the doctor a look and followed Yu Bingnan out of the annex.

Walking downstairs, she subconsciously looked back at the window of Shen Zui’s room. The early summer sky wasn’t completely dark yet, but the room was unlit, and she could only see darkness.

“Miss Nian seems quite concerned about our Miss,” Yu Bingnan remarked, her tone half-contemptuous and half-mocking.

“Your Miss?” Shen Nian found it funny. She looked at her and asked, “Who does ‘our’ refer to?”

Yu Bingnan was left speechless.

“Tch.” Shen Nian sneered. “What does Shen Zui have to do with a servant like you? Or have you played the dog for so long that you actually think you’re part of the Shen family?”

Yu Bingnan’s face turned a shade of bruised purple. Unable to swallow the insult, she pivoted to a moral attack: “You’re an educated young lady; why make things difficult for a worker like me?”

Shen Nian: “Then I’ll have to ask Grandmother how she handles a dog that thinks it’s the master.”

With that, she ignored the woman and quickened her pace. Yu Bingnan froze, then immediately chased after her, breaking into a cold sweat. “I’m sorry, Miss Nian! I spoke out of turn just now.”

Shen Nian didn’t even turn her head.

“I’ve been busy all day, my mind is a bit scrambled, I wasn’t thinking,” Yu Bingnan said, becoming increasingly anxious.

The Chinese-style landscaping featured winding paths with bamboo and jagged rocks—aesthetic, but difficult for a chase. Yu Bingnan wasn’t paying attention and tripped over a stone, falling to her knees on the stone path. She hissed in pain, but when she looked up, she found Shen Nian had returned and was holding out a hand.

“Miss Nian?” Yu Bingnan was in disbelief.

“You aren’t young anymore; watch your step.” Shen Nian pulled her up. She continued walking, but at a normal pace.

Yu Bingnan followed, observing her expression. “About earlier…”

Shen Nian glanced at her. “You work hard. If you’re tired in the future, it’s better to speak less. The more you say, the more you mess up.”

Yu Bingnan nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes! You’re right, Miss!”

Shen Nian’s combination of “the stick and the carrot” worked; Yu Bingnan was now subconsciously using honorifics.

The rest of the walk was easier. At least Yu Bingnan stopped trying to provoke her. But she couldn’t help testing the waters: “Miss Nian, now that you’ve gone to university and seen the world, you really are different than before.”

Shen Nian followed the lead: “Oh? How so?”

“I can’t quite say,” Yu Bingnan rubbed her face. “It feels like after spending so much time with the Miss, you’ve picked up some of her temperament.”

Shen Nian was startled. “What was my aunt like before?” She only knew from rumors that before Shen Zui moved into the annex, she had almost become the true head of the Shen family.

“Hehe…” Yu Bingnan chuckled, looking proud. “I remember one thing clearly. Back in ’53, the Miss won a bid for a piece of land. A sore loser came to argue and, while no one was looking, snatched Miss Zhuan and locked her in his car, refusing to let her go.”

Shen Nian raised an eyebrow.

Yu Bingnan continued, “The Eldest Miss (Shen Que) tried to talk him out of it, but it was useless; she almost got kidnapped too. Later, the Miss (Shen Zui) came back, walked up to the car window, said only a few words, and the man immediately behaved.”

“Oh.” Shen Nian nodded thoughtfully, her face calm. Yu Bingnan was clearly dissatisfied with this reaction.

“Many people think that was the end of it.”

Shen Nian looked at her. “There was a sequel?”

“I don’t know if there was a ‘sequel’,” Yu Bingnan teased, before unable to help herself: “But two months later, that man who kidnapped Miss Zhuan went bankrupt and jumped off a building.”

Shen Nian’s footsteps faltered. Satisfied that she had intimidated her, Yu Bingnan smiled. “In that light… you’re still a far cry from the Miss.”

Shen Nian composed herself and entered the dining room. Shen Zhuan and her parents were already there. It was a rare sight; Qi Yun and Shen Que were sitting as far apart as possible, looking more like enemies than a couple.

Shen Zhuan, who was on her phone, looked up and narrowed her eyes at Shen Nian. Then, she frowned in confusion and mouthed a curse. Shen Nian knew exactly what she was thinking—she was surprised Shen Nian was unharmed.

Shen Nian sat in the empty seat next to her. Shen Zhuan immediately kicked the leg of her chair. “Don’t sit here! Get away from me!”

There were five seats at the nanmu table. Aside from the one Shen Nian was in, the only other empty seat was the head of the table. Shen Bi hadn’t arrived yet. Shen Nian stood up and, feigning ignorance, walked toward the head seat.

“What are you doing!” Shen Zhuan stood up and roared.

Shen Nian looked back. “…Didn’t you tell me not to sit there?”

“F***!” Shen Zhuan was furious. “I told you not to sit here, so you’re going to sit in Grandmother’s seat?”

“Shen Zhuan!” Shen Que frowned. “Stop shouting.”

Shen Zhuan was incredulous. “You don’t scold that rat for not knowing the rules, but you scold me?”

“Look at yourself! Are you acting like an older sister?” Shen Que slapped the table. She turned to Qi Yun. “Is this how you taught her?”

“Don’t you dare blame me!” Qi Yun didn’t back down. “Do you even have the right to point fingers at us?”

“What do you mean by that?!” Shen Que’s eyes widened.

Amidst the cacophony, Shen Nian crossed her arms and mentally tuned them out. The chef who had just entered looked even more miserable, placing a dish on the table with trembling hands.

A few minutes later, a servant shouted from outside, “The Old Madam is here!”

The three of them stopped instantly. Shen Que sat down with a dark face, and Qi Yun quickly smoothed her hair and clothes, returning to her elegant, intellectual persona. If not for the lingering flush on her face, it would be hard to believe she was the one shouting moments ago.

With the “show” over, Shen Nian returned to her original seat. Shen Zhuan was still fuming and kicked her chair several more times, but she didn’t tell her to leave again.

Shen Bi walked in slowly. She still looked like a kind, elderly woman, appearing oblivious to the chaos. She glanced at everyone and took the first bite. In an oppressive silence, the meal began.

Shen Nian had no appetite. Even though the dishes were exquisite, she only picked at a few things. Halfway through her bowl, a phone rang.

Her mother, Shen Que, stood up hurriedly and went outside to answer. She lowered her voice, so only muffled words could be heard. Two minutes later, she returned. She didn’t go back to her seat but leaned down toward Shen Bi. “Mother, I have an emergency. I need to go out.”

Qi Yun looked up immediately, her eyes full of venom.

Shen Bi frowned. “What emergency can’t wait until after dinner?”

“I’m not hungry anyway.” Shen Que put her phone in her pocket. “The fish is good today; eat more.”

Shen Bi shook her head. “You’re becoming more and more unruly…”

Shen Que didn’t respond but turned to leave.

“SHEN! QUE!” Qi Yun seemed to have finally hit her limit. She slapped the table and stood up. “The family finally gets together for a meal, and you have to ruin it? What? Is the one outside dead? Are you in such a hurry to attend his funeral?!”

Her eyes were red, and her words were so vicious that it was hard to believe.

“Mom!” Shen Zhuan was shocked and tried to hold her back.

Even Shen Nian couldn’t help but widen her eyes. She looked at the enraged Qi Yun and then at the cold, indifferent Shen Que. A string in her mind was plucked—if Qi Yun wasn’t just speaking out of anger, she finally knew why these two had been strangers for so long.

“You’re acting like a shrew,” Shen Que sneered.

“And you think you’re any better?” Qi Yun tried to lunge around the table but was held back by Shen Zhuan. “Shen Que, you’re disgusting!”

Shen Que gave her a cold look and left without another word. The sound of her heavy, angry footsteps eventually faded away. Qi Yun tried to follow, but a single look from Shen Bi froze her in place.

“Sit down and eat,” Shen Bi said, slowly chewing a mushroom. After swallowing, she looked up. “Have you had enough? You’re making the meal restless.”

Qi Yun’s eyes welled with tears. “She’s your biological daughter; of course you’d side with her.”

“Have I ever mistreated the Qi family?” Shen Bi asked.

Shen Nian noticed that Shen Bi referred to the “Qi family,” not “Qi Yun.” In Shen Bi’s eyes, a daughter-in-law was not equal to a biological daughter. Only the entire Qi family was worth comparing to Shen Que.

As expected, Qi Yun went silent, her head bowed under the weight of the Old Madam’s words.

“Eat,” Shen Bi said softly, closing the matter.

After the “execution” of a meal was over, Shen Nian said her goodbyes. Before she could leave, Shen Zhuan called her from behind. “Your room has been cleaned.”

Shen Nian looked at the second floor. “Oh.”

She turned to leave, but Shen Zhuan blocked her path. “Are you deaf? I said your room is ready!”

Shen Nian stopped. “And?”

“And?!” Shen Zhuan’s eyes widened. “So you sleep in your own room tonight! Don’t go to the annex and disturb my aunt!”

“I don’t think I need to follow your arrangements for where I sleep,” Shen Nian replied bluntly.

“Shen Nian, you’ve really grown some wings.” Shen Zhuan leaned in. “Do you have a death wish, opposing me like this?”

“And how do you plan to make me ‘unable to live,’ Sister?” Shen Nian was no longer the submissive girl of her past life. She didn’t fear the threat. Before Shen Zhuan could react, she chuckled. “Do you mean finding Qi Zhou to ‘give me a lesson’ again?”

“You?!” Shen Zhuan gasped. “You know about Qi Zhou?”

“When you saw me walk into the dining room unharmed, did you think he failed you?” Shen Nian patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, he took your words to heart.”

“You met him?”

Shen Nian hadn’t met him, but she knew this was a perfect chance to drive a wedge between them. “We had a chat. Your request was actually quite difficult for him. Do you really think he’d dare touch me?”

Shen Zhuan ground her teeth in rage.

“This is a misunderstanding between the two of us; why involve an outsider?” Shen Nian noticed Yu Bingnan nearby and knew Shen Bi was still inside. She raised her voice: “Would you be satisfied if Qi Zhou had someone kill me?”

“You deserve to die,” Shen Zhuan hissed.

Shen Nian smiled. Yu Bingnan walked over.

“You’re two years older than me; stop making a fool of yourself,” Shen Nian said. “Do you know what Qi Zhou says about you behind your back?”

Before Shen Zhuan could respond, Yu Bingnan was there. “Miss Zhuan, the Old Madam wants to have a word with you. Please come with me.”

“Grandmother?” Shen Zhuan was intimidated. “What for?”

“I’m just the messenger,” Yu Bingnan said, glancing at Shen Nian.

Shen Nian gave her a knowing smile and stepped out into the moonlight. She heard Shen Zhuan cursing behind her, but the night wind soon carried the sound away, replaced by the chirping of cicadas.

Back at the annex, Shen Zui still hadn’t woken up.

Shen Nian leaned against the bedside. She had intended to check her status but got distracted by her long eyelashes, counting them before realizing how silly she was being. She went to find the doctor.

“Young people have so much energy,” the doctor remarked, looking Shen Nian up and down. “Though your pheromones are good for her, you bit her so deeply… her body is weak and only just recovered a bit. Of course she needs time to digest it.”

Shen Nian rubbed her nose sheepishly. “She hasn’t had dinner. Won’t she be hungry?”

“She’s asleep; she won’t feel it. I’ll give her some glucose later if needed.”

As Shen Nian turned to go back, the doctor handed her a metal mask. “Take this.”

It was a sophisticated mask designed to cover the lower half of the face, from the bridge of the nose to the chin.

“Tomorrow is her first time out in years. Better to be safe,” the doctor said. “Have her wear this. it blocks 99% of allergens.”

“And the other 1%?”

“Current technology can’t handle that,” the doctor shrugged, pointing to a small hidden button. “If something happens, press this. It will immediately release your pheromone extract. If there’s no other accidental contact, it’s as safe as being in the ward.”

Shen Nian stayed by Shen Zui’s side, reading the script for Mushroom Jungle. Just as the doctor said, Shen Zui slept through the night.

The next morning, Shen Nian was sleeping fitfully when someone intentionally disturbed her. She caught the culprit’s hand and opened her eyes to see Shen Zui’s smiling face in the dim light.

“Niannian, good morning.”

“Mmm…” Shen Nian took a breath and closed her eyes again.

“Niannian is so lazy,” Shen Zui teased, pinching her cheek. “Still not awake at this hour.”

“What time is it?”

“Doesn’t matter. Get up, let’s go out!”

Shen Nian forced her eyes open and looked at the window. The sky was barely beginning to lighten with a faint dawn. Shen Nian hadn’t gone to sleep until 1:00 AM; she was still exhausted.

“Are you sure?” she mumbled.

“Didn’t we agree?”

Shen Nian didn’t argue. She just reached out and pulled Shen Zui into her arms. “A little longer.”

“I can’t sleep. I’ll get sick if I sleep any more.”

“You’ve had enough sleep,” Shen Nian gripped her wrist. “I’m still tired…”

“Get up. You’ll feel better once you wash your face.”

“No…” Shen Nian’s voice was a mere whisper. She was already drifting back into darkness.

Suddenly, she felt something soft slip into her mouth.

Shen Zui carefully used her tongue to pry open her lips, exploring inward the way Shen Nian usually did to her. She quickly tasted Shen Nian’s unique flavor, sounding the first horn of a very meaningful morning.

This gave Shen Zui more courage. She flipped over and pinned Shen Nian down, cupping her face and continuing.

Dawn peeked in, as if seeing the spring colors on the bed, hesitating at the foot of the cabinet but unable to resist creeping forward bit by bit.

Shen Nian could feel her lips being toyed with, making soft, wet sounds. A sweet, lingering moan escaped her lips.

This was enough to chase away any sleepiness. She reached out and gripped Shen Zui’s supple waist, pulling her close.

“Gasp—!”

“Awake?” Shen Zui was very satisfied, a wet glint lingering on her lips.

Shen Nian leaned up and licked the spot. “Niannian,” Shen Zui laughed, nuzzling her cheek. “Time to go out.”

She looked innocent and pure, as if she wasn’t the one who had just started the fire.

Shen Nian swallowed. “Is this how you wake people up?”

“I’ve only ever done it to you,” Shen Zui clarified. “Do you like it?”

“Mm,” Shen Nian murmured. She moved, her collar falling open to reveal skin tightened by desire.

Shen Zui licked her lower lip. “Go wash your face?”

“No rush.” Shen Nian was now fully awake. She studied Shen Zui’s face, then suddenly flipped over and pinned her down. Stroking her jawline, she didn’t rush to “eat.” Instead, she asked: “You didn’t eat dinner last night. Are you hungry?”

Shen Zui shook her head.

“Good.” Shen Nian leaned down.

“Good for what?”

“Young Auntie…” Shen Nian interlaced their fingers, her grip so strong her knuckles turned white. “I’m hungry.”

Shen Nian’s lips crashed down, blocking all protests.