The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 23

When Shen Nian finished her performance, the venue remained silent for a long time.

A stray strand of hair happened to slide down over her eyelid. She reached out and tucked it back, hiding the playful, Lu Jue-like glint in her eyes. By the time she lowered her hand, she had returned to her true self—her beautiful eyes calm and undisturbed like still water.

“Ahhh—!” From below the stage, Yang Min let out an excited scream.

As if awakened by her cry, the others snapped out of their trance. Suddenly, applause erupted, quickly swelling into a thunderous roar that echoed throughout the entire club building.

“That was amazing! My heart is still pounding!”

“She is Lu Jue! That’s the best version of Lu Jue I’ve ever seen!”

“Holy crap, she’s a freshman? Her name is Shen Nian? Does anyone have this junior’s contact info?”

“Ahhh, that acting was incredible!!!”

Shen Nian walked gracefully off the stage and approached the judges’ panel.

About a meter to her side, Yan Yi was staring at her with bloodshot eyes. He could barely restrain himself from lunging at her; fortunately, a companion held him back by the arm.

“I don’t think there’s a need for further discussion, is there?”

A senior student in a white dress stood up. “I believe Shen Nian is the perfect fit to play Lu Jue!”

Of the three judges, another nodded in agreement. Only a man wearing glasses spoke up stubbornly, “What do you mean? I… I still think Yan Yi is the best candidate.”

Hearing this, the other two rolled their eyes bluntly.

The girl in the white dress crossed her arms and asked point-blank, “Can you speak with a clear conscience?” She glanced at Yan Yi. “If we’re being honest, Yan Yi’s performance this afternoon wasn’t even as good as Zhou Lie’s. He shouldn’t even have qualified for an additional audition against Shen Nian.”

“You—how can you say that?” The man’s face flushed with anger.

“The gap between them is obvious to everyone. If you’re still not convinced, why don’t we let everyone vote?” The senior girl raised an eyebrow mockingly.

As soon as she finished speaking, the surrounding crowd began to chime in.

“Shen Nian, obviously!”

“There’s no comparison at all. I’m voting for Shen Nian!”

“The senior’s bias is practically written on his forehead. Our club doesn’t welcome cliques ganging up to bully people.”

One accusation after another followed, nearly burying the man in glasses and Yan Yi in shame.

The senior girl took the opportunity to announce: “Then, the role of Lu Jue is settled. It will be played by our new member, Shen Nian!”

She led the applause, and the others followed suit.

Shen Nian curled her lips into a slight smile. Before she could speak, Yan Yi strode over to the group.

He slammed his hand down on the judges’ table, panting heavily. “The casting is over, and I gave up everything else to fight for the role of Lu Jue. By choosing Shen Nian, are you completely excluding me from this semester’s performance?”

The girl in the white dress stepped back. “Yan Yi, you…”

The man in glasses interrupted her. “Yan Yi is a pillar of this club. Has he ever missed a final performance in the last two years? Dropping him for a newcomer—isn’t that a bit cold-blooded?”

Yan Yi clenched his fists, his voice rasping. “I just want to ask: is my years of dedication to this club worth less than a newcomer who just joined?”

The two of them played off each other so convincingly that many people in the room were momentarily stunned.

Yang Min was the first to react, stepping forward to argue. “Hey, you can’t beat her on talent so you’re playing the ’emotional debt’ card?”

Yan Yi waved her off. “Get lost! This is none of your business!”

“You…” Yang Min was furious, but just as she started to speak, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

She turned around and met Shen Nian’s eyes. Shen Nian shook her head at her.

“What do you mean?” Yang Min didn’t understand why she was being stopped. “Why are you holding me back? Are you really going to give him the role of Lu Jue?!”

The man in glasses seized the moment. “See? Shen Nian is willing herself! She—”

Shen Nian turned to look at him. Under her sharp gaze, his bravado crumbled, and his voice died away.

Shen Nian took a step forward. “Senior Yan.”

The reason she stopped Yang Min was that she didn’t want an Omega to stand in the line of fire for her—it certainly wasn’t because she agreed with Yan Yi.

“Your seniority in the club is indeed higher than mine. But in casting, isn’t talent what matters most?”

Yan Yi froze, his eyes darting away. “I… I don’t want to talk to a newcomer like you…”

“If we’re going by seniority, you’re only a sophomore, so you wouldn’t be the best choice either. There are many juniors and seniors in the club; if they wanted the part, should they be the ones playing the lead?”

“You—I—what the hell are you talking about?”

Unable to win with logic, Yan Yi finally broke down and resorted to personal attacks.

Shen Nian shook her head calmly. “I’m not the one talking nonsense. You and your friend are the ones making a scene.”

Her words were powerful and resonant, echoing through the venue and quickly drawing laughs from the crowd.

“Hahaha, a total joke!”

“Senior Yan Yi looks so pathetic when he can’t handle a loss.”

“Tsk, how does he have the nerve to talk about his ‘contributions’? Aside from being bossy, what has he actually done these past two years?”

The collective resentment toward Yan Yi exploded at that moment. Everyone began to criticize him at once.

Yan Yi was a man who valued “face” above all else. Having lost both his dignity and his reputation, he couldn’t take it anymore. He lowered his head and fled the scene. Seeing his defeat, his followers snapped out of it and hurried after him.

Peace returned to the venue.

The senior girl in the white dress went on stage to announce the official cast list. The first name she read was “Shen Nian.”

“Shen Nian as Lu Jue, Xu Lele as Xu Jun, Zhou Lie as…” After confirming everyone, she led the applause. “Let’s congratulate them all!”

“Ahhh!” Yang Min jumped for joy. She tried to throw an arm around Shen Nian’s neck, but Shen Nian subtly dodged it, so Yang Min settled for a pat on the shoulder. “Great job!”

“Thank you,” Shen Nian smiled.

Yang Min raised an eyebrow. “I don’t care! You have to treat us to dinner!”

“Sure,” Shen Nian replied, not one to refuse such a request.

Xu Lele looked at her, her face still slightly flushed. “When are we going?”

Yang Min narrowed her eyes. “Saying ‘another day’ or ‘when I have time’ is just an excuse! There’s no time like the present—how about late-night snacks tonight?”

Shen Nian laughed. “Don’t worry, I won’t flake. Late-night snacks it is.” She tilted her head, giving the choice to the other two. “What do you want to eat?”

Yang Min began to think seriously.

While they were deciding, other club members came over to say hello. Hearing they were heading out, several asked to join. Yang Min didn’t want Shen Nian to waste money on so many people, but Shen Nian didn’t mind the cost at all. She generously said, “Then let’s all go together.”

Ten minutes later, the group hailed three cars and headed excitedly toward the food street at the school’s south gate.

Many people had come specifically for Shen Nian. As soon as they sat down, they used the excuse of “future collaboration” to ask for her contact information.

Shen Nian maintained a polite smile and looked at Yang Min. “Does the club have a group chat?”

“Ah… right!” Yang Min finally realized. “Look at me, I forgot to add you!”

“Then please invite me,” Shen Nian nodded. She looked at the others. “If you need anything, just message me in the group.”

Despite this, as soon as Shen Nian joined, several friend requests popped up. She pretended not to see them and stood up to go order the food.

Once the food arrived, the conversation became lively, and the focus shifted away from Shen Nian. She didn’t say much, but she found it interesting to listen to them discuss the script for Mushroom Jungle and the club’s upcoming plans.

Halfway through the meal, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Seeing the familiar name “Shen Zui,” she paused for a moment. After excusing herself, she went outside to answer the video call.

“Auntie,” Shen Nian greeted the person on the screen.

Shen Zui looked at her with half-lidded eyes, remaining silent for a moment.

Shen Nian was in the middle of the bustling food street. Although she had found a quiet corner, the surroundings were still noisy. Thinking Shen Zui disliked the background noise, she adjusted her position and explained, “I just finished casting and came out for a meal with the club members. I’m outside right now.”

After a pause, she asked, “Is it too loud?”

Shen Zui finally seemed to snap out of it. She tilted her head slightly. “Casting is over?” As she spoke, a smile played on her lips, her gaze roaming over Shen Nian’s features. “Miss ‘Lu Jue,’ you truly are a sight to behold.”

Shen Nian froze, suddenly realizing she hadn’t changed her hairstyle back yet. She covered her forehead, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Is it… a bit strange?”

She realized she was strangely concerned about Shen Zui’s opinion. Even in front of a crowd at the club, she had performed with total composure. But now, looking at Shen Zui through the screen, she couldn’t even show off her new look with confidence.

“Niannian…” Shen Zui lowered her head and smiled softly, her eyes full of starlight. She touched the corner of her mouth and looked at Shen Nian for several beats before saying slowly, “Don’t be shy. Niannian looks very beautiful.”

Just then, a breeze blew by, carrying the heavy scent of street food. The temperature was perfect, but Shen Nian felt her cheeks flush uncontrollably.

After a moment, just as she was about to reply, a voice called out from behind her.

“Shen Nian?”

Shen Nian turned and saw the person. “Xu Lele?”

“I went to buy some fruit bowls.” Due to the lighting, Xu Lele didn’t see the phone. She held up her purchase eagerly. “Do you want to try some?”

Shen Nian smiled politely. “Take it inside; I’ll join you guys in a bit.”

“Um, I went late, so there weren’t many cherries left. If I take it inside, there won’t be enough to share.” Xu Lele didn’t leave; instead, she took a few steps closer. Under the lights, she lowered her eyes to hide her shyness. “The vendor said I was cute, so he gave me the rest for free.”

Shen Nian: “…”

Xu Lele took a cherry out of the bag and held it out. “Try one.”

Late spring and early summer was the season for cherries. The deep red of the fruit at her fingertips was particularly inviting, its translucent skin shimmering—mirroring the blush on the young girl’s cheeks.

Shen Nian instinctively reached out to take the cherry, her fingers accidentally brushing against Xu Lele’s skin.

Xu Lele jerked her hand back as if burned. Then, with a red face, she hurriedly said goodbye and ran off.

“Don’t run, be careful!” Shen Nian was a bit puzzled but called out a reminder anyway. Xu Lele turned back to smile at her before disappearing into the shop.

After seeing her off, Shen Nian looked back at her phone. The video call was still active. On the screen, Shen Zui was leaning against her headboard, looking thoughtful.

“Auntie,” Shen Nian called out to wake her from her trance. She smiled and showed the dark red fruit in her hand. “Look, cherries are in season. They look really good.”

“Yes, in season…” Shen Zui repeated softly, but the playfulness from before was gone.

Shen Nian was confused. “Hmm?”

“Is she also in your club?” Shen Zui asked.

“Yes.”

“Are you two close?”

“Not really. We just happen to be in the same class.” Shen Nian thought for a moment and added, “Oh, and she’s the one playing Xu Jun.”

“Ah, a lead role, just like you.” Shen Zui tapped her finger against her cheek.

“Yes.” Shen Nian felt her tone was a bit strange, so she tried to make conversation. “Xu Lele’s acting is quite good. She was the female lead for the final performance last semester, too.”

“Oh.” Shen Zui gave a dry response. “Didn’t she tell you to go inside and eat fruit? Why aren’t you going?”

“I will soon.” Shen Nian looked at her and asked, “Auntie, you don’t have anything else, do you? Should I go back in?”

“…” Shen Zui narrowed her eyes.

Shen Nian scratched her head. “Huh? What’s wrong?”

Shen Zui remained silent for a moment. Then, she opened her mouth and let out two very deliberate coughs.

Shen Nian frowned slightly, feeling nervous. “Do you have a cold?”

“No.” Shen Zui looked down, her left hand clutching the bedsheets. “I don’t have any fruit to eat. My mouth is dry.”

Shen Nian was stunned. “???”

She couldn’t believe the household would run out of fruit for Shen Zui. After a few seconds of confusion, only one reason came to mind. “…Are there none that you like? What do you want to eat?”

“Cherries,” Shen Zui blurted out without hesitation.

Shen Nian exited the chat interface. “I’ll order a delivery from nearby—”

Before she could finish, Shen Zui interrupted her. “The one in your hand.”

Shen Nian froze. She looked up blankly. “Huh?”

“Never mind.” Back in the small villa, Shen Zui frowned, puzzled by the sudden surge of unexplained emotion within her.

A moment later, she took a deep breath, leaned forward, and hung up the call.

On the food street, the noise continued as groups of young men and women passed by Shen Nian, leaving trails of laughter behind. She stood there alone, staring at the black screen, her mind completely blank.