The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 33

Shen Zui leaned back, her arm brushing against the brand-new jars on the counter, causing a series of clattering sounds. She struggled to steady herself, her fingers burying deep into Shen Nian’s hair, tugging at the strands as she clung on.

Shen Nian’s lips moved upward, eventually pressing against the vulnerable curve of the older woman’s neck. Shen Zui’s body trembled violently; Shen Nian could capture every ripple of her agitation.

Supporting Shen Zui to help her keep her balance, Shen Nian felt the skin beneath her palms grow taut and slightly damp. She couldn’t tell if it was sweat or lingering moisture from the bath Shen Zui had just taken. But the question didn’t require deep thought. Soon, Shen Nian leaned in and used her tongue to flick away the droplets, leaving her own mark on skin that radiated a faint scent of plum blossoms.

“Mm.” Shen Zui grit her teeth, swallowing the moan that threatened to escape.

Upset that her “benefits” were being curtailed, Shen Nian pressed her fingers against the woman’s lips. “Why are you holding it back?”

“Hah… hah—” Shen Zui opened her mouth to breathe heavily, accidentally taking Shen Nian’s knuckle into her mouth. She gave it a teasing, apologetic lick. “Niannian, this is the kitchen…”

“You knew it was the kitchen, yet you followed me in?” Shen Nian’s gaze darkened.

Shen Zui offered a shallow smile, her expression pure and innocent. “I came to help you.”

If Shen Nian hadn’t clearly seen the shimmering desire in the depths of those eyes, she might have actually been fooled. She increased the pressure of her touch and muttered in a low voice, “…The more you help, the messier it gets.”

Shen Zui narrowed her eyes. “Hmm?”

“I mean…” Shen Nian sighed. She leaned in, closing the already narrow gap between them to zero. Staring into Shen Zui’s clear eyes, she whispered, “Let me see just how ‘useful’ you can be.”

“Mm.” Shen Zui’s left hand touched the girl’s burning earlobe. She asked softly, “What do you want your Auntie to do?”

“Well…”

Shen Nian admitted she was a bit impatient. She licked her lower lip, tasting an inexplicable sweetness. Shen Zui stared blankly for a moment before instinctively leaning closer. Shen Nian laughed and pulled back, causing the older woman’s lips to miss their mark.

Shen Zui’s eyes flickered with emotion. “…”

Shen Nian could feel the fingers gripping her hair suddenly tighten. It brought a flash of pain—just enough to pour oil onto the roaring fire of her desire.

“What’s the rush?” Shen Nian smiled, patting Shen Zui. “Aren’t you following my lead?”

Shen Zui clung to her tightly. “…Yes.”

Shen Nian rewarded her with a kiss on the neck, satisfied to hear a melodious whimper in response. “Good girl,” she coaxed. “Move your legs apart a bit…”

A perfectly good dinner ended up being delayed by nearly an hour due to their antics. Once the “clouds had cleared,” Shen Nian had to put the food into the microwave and steamer one by one to reheat them.

In the dining room, Shen Zui slumped against the table, recovering from their earlier intimacy. When Shen Nian brought the food out, she carefully peeled a shrimp, dipped it in sauce, and held it to the woman’s mouth.

Shen Zui’s face still held a lingering flush, and her damp bangs were stuck to her forehead. She wasn’t particularly cooperative; after two bites, she shook her head. “…No more.”

Shen Nian frowned. “You’ve barely eaten anything.”

Shen Zui gave her a pointed look, tugging at her collar. “I’m covered in sweat and it’s sticky. It’s uncomfortable.” She reached out for Shen Nian’s wrist. “Niannian, let’s go bathe.”

“If we bathe and then eat, we’ll just sweat again.” Shen Nian took off her gloves and gave the woman a comforting pat on the head. “Let’s eat first, let it digest for a while, and then go. Okay?”

“No,” Shen Zui insisted.

Shen Nian used action to express her stance, picking up a slice of crunchy lotus root—one of Shen Zui’s favorites—and bringing it to her lips. “Say ah—”

Shen Zui pursed her lips. Shen Nian tried again with patience: “Ah—open up.”

This time, Shen Zui simply turned her head the other way, looking determined to be uncooperative. Shen Nian was both annoyed and amused.

“This food won’t taste good if it’s heated a second time.”

“Then I won’t eat,” Shen Zui said, straightening her back. “I’m tired. I have no appetite.”

“…” Shen Nian was speechless. The excuse of being “tired” was ironclad, especially since she was the one who had caused it. She had no room to argue.

She dejectedly put down her chopsticks and compromised. “…Fine.”

Shen Zui’s eyes lit up instantly. She held out her arms righteously. “Carry me over.”

Shen Nian shook her head helplessly, though she couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at her lips.

In the bathroom, the steam swirled. Shen Zui splashed a handful of water at her, protesting her distraction. “What are you thinking about?”

“…” Shen Nian looked up. Through the mist, Shen Zui’s features looked ethereally beautiful. She reached out to touch her, feeling the wet, delicate skin. She asked, “Do other relatives… spend time together like this?”

It wasn’t a test. Having lived two lives, Shen Nian had never experienced pure familial affection. She had read and acted out many scripts and considered herself well-versed in the complexities of human nature, yet she could never see through the woman closest to her.

Shen Zui broke through the water and moved toward her, pulling her into an embrace. “Don’t think too much.”

Shen Nian clung to her. “Niannian just needs to stay by Auntie’s side. Auntie will protect you.” Shen Zui’s fingers tapped light, nameless rhythms against her skin. “Isn’t that good?”

Shen Nian was silent for a moment before giving a very, very slight nod.

The food in the dining room wasn’t thought of again until 11:00 PM. Shen Nian was lying in bed, feeling drowsy, forcing herself to reply to Tao Di’s messages.

The two songs Tao Di released today had made it onto the platform’s “New Song Recommendations.” Among them, Glass Candy Wrapper had jumped into the “New Song Collections” list thanks to its touching melody and vocals. Although it was currently at the tail end of the list, it had been less than 24 hours since the release; the result was enough to make a newcomer like Tao Di jump for joy.

Tao Di didn’t have many people to share her happiness with, aside from her best friend and Shen Nian, her benefactor. Shen Nian was genuinely happy for her.

I told you that you could do it. This is just the beginning. Your results will only get better from here. You need to learn to get used to it.

Tao Di stared at the reply with a silly grin, frozen in happiness for a long time. Shen Zui leaned over at that moment and noticed Shen Nian was chatting. “Who is it?”

Shen Nian rubbed her eyes. “That girl from the lawn this evening, the one I filmed the MV with.” She introduced her to Shen Zui. “Her name is Tao Di. She’s a rookie singer.”

Shen Zui nodded thoughtfully.

Wanting to share something good, Shen Nian asked, “She just released some new music. It’s quite good. Do you want to listen?”

Shen Zui was silent for two seconds before nodding. “Sure.”

Shen Nian turned on the speaker, and soon, a light melody filled the bedroom. Shen Zui didn’t offer any opinion throughout the song. Shen Nian waited until it finished and asked, “What do you think?”

“Is it about school-age romance?” Shen Zui asked instead. “It’s very… hesitant.”

“More accurately, it’s about a secret crush,” Shen Nian explained. “Because you aren’t sure if the person you like feels the same way, your heart feels uneasy.”

Shen Zui shook her head. “If you aren’t sure, why not just ask directly?”

“…” Shen Nian was much more awake now. Meeting Shen Zui’s eyes, she realized the woman was sincerely confused. “Uh… if you ask directly and they reject you, then what? Then you don’t even have the hope to hold onto anymore.”

“There are many ways to make someone say yes,” Shen Zui said, snuggling into her arms and adjusting herself to use the girl’s arm as a pillow. “It’s much more practical than uncertain expectations.”

Shen Nian was stunned for a moment before giving a playful smile.

“What?” Shen Zui asked.

“I just realized that you and Grandmother actually share some similarities,” Shen Nian said softly.

“Mm.” Shen Zui didn’t even ask for clarification; she simply nodded. “We are biological mother and daughter, after all.”

Shen Nian’s heart twinged. She looked away and saw a new message from Tao Di.

I’m so excited I can’t sleep! Shen Nian, thank you for always believing in me! I don’t even know how to thank you!

Shen Nian reached out to type a reply, but her hand was caught by Shen Zui the moment she lifted it.

“What is it?” she asked the “Pearl of the Shen Family” in her arms.

“Niannian,” Shen Zui whispered. “I’m hungry.”

“Hungry now?” Shen Nian’s eyelid twitched.

“Mm.” Shen Zui covered her stomach with one hand. “Hungry to the point of discomfort.”

“…” Shen Nian sighed in resignation. She got up, tossed her phone onto the pillow, and walked toward the door. Without looking back, she said, “I’ll go heat up the food. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

“Okay,” Shen Zui replied.

Since Shen Nian’s back was turned as she left the room, she didn’t see the mischievous glint in the older woman’s eyes. Once she was gone, Shen Zui rolled over into Shen Nian’s spot. She picked up the phone, her brow furrowed in hesitation—clearly, a fierce internal battle was raging.

But at the last second, before the screen timed out, she seized the opportunity and tapped into the chat between Shen Nian and Tao Di.

The sudden move to live together didn’t disrupt Shen Nian’s rhythm. Her life was currently very full; she had classes on weekdays, and her limited free time was taken up by the gym and the drama club.

On the day she moved out of the dorms, she treated her roommates to dinner. Despite Shen Nian’s previous warnings, her roommate Xu Hong had—just like in her past life—landed the supporting role in Zhou Muqiu’s film, Warm Light.

This was a major opportunity, and everyone was congratulating her. Even though Shen Nian knew Xu Hong would be bullied on set, she couldn’t bring herself to dampen the mood now. When the other two roommates suggested a toast, Shen Nian joined in with a smile, but she offered a few simple reminders.

“It’s your first time on a set, so be careful.” “Director Zhou Muqiu has a very good reputation. If anything happens, you can go to her for help.”

Eventually, the others realized she was hinting at something. One roommate frowned. “Shen Nian, why are you saying all this? Does Xu Hong not know that herself?”

“Mm.” Shen Nian didn’t get angry. She gave Xu Hong a small smile. “I wish you a smooth filming process for Warm Light.”

But the roommate who had spoken up wouldn’t let it go. “The way you say it… you should at least wish her a big break because of this film.” She looked Shen Nian up and down. “You didn’t go when we asked you to audition, and now that Xu Hong was chosen, are you feeling a bit salty?”

“Stop it!” Xu Hong intervened. “Shen Nian isn’t like that!”

“Well, she’s being weird tonight,” the roommate pouted. She paused, then suddenly said, “By the way, Shen Nian, did you hear…?”

Shen Nian loosened her collar and leaned back lazily in her chair. “Hear what?”

“They say the lead actress for Warm Light was changed at the last minute.”

“Really?” Shen Nian truly didn’t know about this, but since it had nothing to do with her, she didn’t bother to feign surprise.

The roommate leaned in mysteriously. “It’s someone you know.”

“Hmm?” Shen Nian thought for a moment. “Liu Ru?”

“No.” The girl smiled, and her lips parted to reveal a name Shen Nian never expected.

“It’s Xi You.”