The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 36

The next morning before school, Shen Nian spent some time searching under the sofa to find her phone.

“Niannian,” Shen Zui called from the dining room. “Come eat breakfast.”

Shen Nian gave an affirmative shout and walked toward her. On the way, she tried to turn the phone on, but there was no response.

Shen Zui leaned against her chair. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Shen Nian looked up. “It must have run out of battery and shut down. I’ll go get the charger… Wait?”

As she spoke, she instinctively pressed the power button. The phone, which she thought was dead, smoothly displayed the startup screen. Seconds later, it returned to the familiar interface, with the top right corner clearly showing 67% battery remaining.

“Strange,” Shen Nian muttered, turning the phone over to inspect it. “I remember it having power. Why did it shut down?”

“Cough, cough.” Shen Zui covered her lips, a nearly imperceptible flush rising on her face. “Eat first. It’ll get cold.”

“Mm.”

Shen Nian set the phone aside. Instantly, several missed calls and unread messages popped up, the notification bar filling with a series of ding-ding-dings. Most were from Tao Di, with a few from classmates. She reached out to unlock it, but Shen Zui intercepted her hand in mid-air.

“Hmm?”

Shen Zui’s fingers were long and slender, her pink nails perfectly rounded. It was the kind of soft, delicate skin that could only be maintained through years of pampering. Shen Nian’s first thought wasn’t that she was being held, but that her palm had accidentally brushed against the precious hand of a rich lady. She looked at Shen Zui with confusion, gazing into those bottomless eyes.

“Are there any oranges left in the fridge?” Shen Zui looked away, staring at the warm milk in front of her. “I want some fresh-squeezed juice…”

“I think so.” Shen Nian stood up. Their hands were forced apart by the movement. Shen Nian tucked her fingers into her palm, completely forgetting about the phone as she headed to the kitchen. “I’ll make you a glass. It’ll be quick.”

“Mm,” Shen Zui replied nonchalantly.

Once Shen Nian left, Shen Zui’s gaze drifted back to the phone. “Childish,” she whispered, a fleeting look of self-loathing passing over her expressionless face.

“Little Aunt—” Shen Nian poked her head out from the kitchen. “Do you want sugar in the juice?”

Shen Zui looked back. “No.”

“Okay.” Shen Nian ducked back in, and the sound of the juicer filled the air.

Shen Zui rested her chin on her hand, a bright smile appearing on her face. When she looked at the phone again, her negative emotions had vanished, replaced by a faint, smug disdain.

After breakfast, Shen Nian left for school. Only then did she have the chance to process the messages. They were all about the MV. Some were salty or teasing, but she ignored those and replied to Tao Di and a few genuine well-wishers.

Tao Di called immediately. “Whew! Finally got ahold of you. You didn’t answer all night. I… I thought…”

Shen Nian chuckled. “Let’s talk business. Why the dozen calls?”

“Did you not see the comments under the MV?” Tao Di asked, her fingers nervously twiddling her shirt. “It’s on the Trending Search list.”

“I saw. I only just found out about the trending status.” Shen Nian ordered an Iced Americano at a café. “Did you buy the trend?”

“No, no!” Tao Di shook her head like a rattle. “Where would I get the money?”

“Mm,” Shen Nian said, concerned. “Then we need to be careful. This is likely a move from your company. They’re hyping the MV, and who knows what hidden trap they have planned.”

Tao Di was silent for a long time. Finally, she found her voice. “You think the agency did this?”

“Who else?”

Tao Di bit her lip. “…Why couldn’t it just be a natural trend?”

“Natural?” Shen Nian laughed. “Your traffic was being suppressed, and suddenly you release an MV and get this much attention. Do you think that’s normal?”

“Yes!” Tao Di puffed out her chest defensively. “I think it’s very normal!”

“Hmm?”

The cafeteria server called out her number. “Number 106, please collect your order—”

As Shen Nian walked to the counter, she heard Tao Di say: “Because you’re too good-looking! Those few seconds when you show your face in the MV are stunning!”

“Hello, your Iced Amer—” The server girl handing over the coffee froze mid-sentence upon seeing Shen Nian’s eyes.

Shen Nian reached for her drink. “Uh, hello?”

The girl snapped out of it. Her transparent hygiene mask couldn’t hide her reddening cheeks. “Ah! It’s you! I saw your video last night!”

Shen Nian took her coffee and gave a quiet “Thank you.”

“Wait! Hold on!” The girl pulled out her phone. “Do you have an account? I want to follow you!”

Shen Nian shook her head. “I don’t.”

Shen Nian spent the day in class. Although she was used to being a prominent figure, the number of lingering gazes today was different. By the end of the day, people were even gathering outside the classroom just to catch a glimpse of her.

Actually, back at the agency, Mina and her biased director were furious.

“Didn’t we suppress the trend? Why are the views still rising?” Mina’s eyes were red with rage. “That bitch Tao Di has gained almost 200,000 followers since last night!”

“We can’t suppress it!” an employee stammered. “It’s all organic traffic. Our paid suppression won’t show results until tonight…”

Mina slapped the back of his head. “Useless!”

The director in the gold-rimmed glasses tried to play peacemaker. “Don’t worry, Mina. Once this blows over, the company will arrange a new ‘dating scandal’ for you to boost your popularity.”

Mina finally smiled. “That’s more like it.”

When Shen Nian returned home, she remembered Tao Di’s advice and created a social media account. After dinner, she lay on the sofa, finished the setup, and sent the ID to Tao Di.

Within two minutes, Tao Di posted: [Babies, here is the account for the other lead in my MV! @ShenNian. She’s my good friend and a newcomer. Please take care of her!]

The timing was perfect. Just as the heat was dying down, the fans flocked to Shen Nian. By the time Mina opened her phone that night, she almost fainted. The top ten trends were: #GlassCandyWrapperMVLeadShenNian #ShenNianTaoDi

Shen Nian’s phone started dinging incessantly as followers poured in. She turned off real-time notifications. Shen Zui, fresh from her shower, walked over. “Going to bathe?”

“Yes.” Shen Nian placed her phone face down on the coffee table and headed to the bathroom.

The air in the bathroom was thick with the scent of roses—Shen Zui’s new body wash. Shen Nian used to find rose scents tacky, but this one was high-end and crisp. She breathed it in, searching through the roses for a trace of the “Cold Plum” scent that belonged to Shen Zui. She found a hint of it by the sink and smiled, stripping off her clothes.

When she came out after a relaxing soak, she found Shen Zui on the sofa, playing with a phone. It was Shen Nian’s phone.

“Little Aunt?”

Shen Zui looked up. Shen Nian’s hair was still damp, sticking to her neck. Her face was flushed from the bath, and her eyes were clear. Shen Zui glanced back at the screen and gave a subtle, satisfied smile—like a cat that had successfully stolen a treat.

“What’s going on?” Shen Nian asked.

Shen Zui waved the phone. “They’re asking you to post a photo to prove you’re really the Alpha girl from the MV.”

“Do I really need to prove it?”

Shen Zui tapped her cheek. “Some say the MV had too many filters and they don’t believe you really look like that.”

Shen Nian sat beside her. “I agree. It was a bit exaggerated.”

Shen Zui looked at her intently. “Hmm?” She pinched Shen Nian’s cheek. “Niannian is clearly more beautiful in person than in the MV.”

Shen Nian’s face turned red. “Let me take a photo for you,” Shen Zui suggested.

“Now?” Shen Nian looked at her silk nightgown, her wet hair, and her makeup-free face.

“Yes. It’s more authentic this way,” Shen Zui said.

Shen Nian sighed, leaned back on the sofa, and said, “Fine. Take whatever.”

Shen Zui opened the camera. On the screen, Shen Nian’s sharp nose acted as a natural divider. The light hit her left side, showing flawless skin, while her right side was shrouded in a mysterious shadow. Shen Zui snapped the photo. Then, as Shen Nian leaned in to look, she caught a second, candid shot of the girl moving closer.

Shen Zui couldn’t choose between the two, so she posted both. Within five seconds, the likes hit 999+.

“Little Aunt? Are you… busy tonight?” Shen Nian asked after a while, seeing Shen Zui wouldn’t return the phone.

“I am busy,” Shen Zui said without looking up.

“…” Shen Nian didn’t understand how managing someone else’s social media counted as being “busy.” She leaned over to watch Shen Zui’s elegant fingers.

“Is it interesting?”

“They’re praising your beauty,” Shen Zui said.

“Oh.”

Shen Zui’s hands were like art. Shen Nian remembered those hands roaming over her body on countless nights, sparking fire wherever they touched.

“Do you know what they’re saying?” Shen Zui asked, reading a top comment. “‘The sister is so pretty. Is this really her face right after a bath? I really want to…'” She stopped.

“Want to what?”

Shen Zui’s voice was flat. “I really want to lick her.”

Shen Nian laughed. “Internet users are like that. They use hyperbole.”

Shen Zui tilted her head. “Lick where?”

“How should I know?” Shen Nian’s ears were burning. “Do we have to discuss this?”

Shen Zui nodded seriously.

“Probably… the face? Okay, let’s stop—”

The moment Shen Nian said “face,” Shen Zui leaned in. Holding the phone in one hand and resting the other on Shen Nian’s shoulder, she flicked out her pink tongue and gave Shen Nian’s cheek a soft, deliberate lick.

Shen Nian’s brain short-circuited. The perpetrator, however, sat back down as if nothing had happened.

“Is the sister single? Does she have a girlfriend? If she does, do you mind one more?” Shen Zui read.

Shen Nian held her face, still stunned by the “licking” incident.

“She minds,” Shen Zui answered for her, scrolling down. She stopped at the third top comment and her face lit up. “‘Stop being thirsty, the people above. These two photos are clearly from a ‘Girlfriend Perspective.’ The sister is taken, so give up.'”

She asked Shen Nian: “What does ‘Girlfriend Perspective’ mean?”

“It means…” Shen Nian pressed her hand to her mouth. “It implies the person in the photo is only seen that way by their girlfriend.”

Shen Zui tilted her head. “So, I am your girlfriend?”

“…” Shen Nian took a breath. “Yes. But it’s just what the internet guesses. We can ignore it.”

“Mm.”

Shen Nian noticed Shen Zui was in a great mood, her toes wiggling in a circle to a hummed tune. She looked like a cat watching a toy. But Shen Zui’s toes are much prettier, Shen Nian thought.

Half an hour later, the “Girlfriend’s” mood soured. Shen Nian was feeding her a slice of kiwi when Shen Zui’s expression dropped.

“What now?”

Shen Zui threw the phone into her lap. “They say you and Tao Di are a couple.”

Because the “Girlfriend Perspective” was accepted, and they had chemistry in the MV, people had connected the dots. 【Wow, so the sister and Tao Di are a couple?】 #ShenNianTaoDi had hit number one, surpassing Shen Nian’s solo trend.

Just then, Tao Di messaged: [Screenshot: Number 1 on all charts!] [OMG Shen Nian, look! Glass Candy Wrapper is Number 1! Even Mina’s money couldn’t stop us!] [Thank you so much! If you hadn’t helped with the MV, they would have crushed me.]

Shen Nian was stunned. The “capitalist suppression” that had plagued them for days was broken by a one-day amateur MV? She replied: [Congratulations.]

Tao Di: [I’m so excited! I want to thank you in person. Can I take a taxi to A University now?]

Shen Nian: [Don’t. It’s too late.] Tao Di: [Is it inconvenient?] Shen Nian: [Yes.]

When Shen Nian put the phone down, she felt a burning gaze. Shen Zui was staring at her. “Having a happy chat?” Her voice was unreadable.

Shen Nian put the phone away obediently. Shen Zui leaned in. “About the photos… aren’t you going to clarify?”

“Clarify?” Shen Nian thought about it. “Should I post a message explaining?”

Shen Zui rubbed her temples. “From a communications perspective, a simple clarification would be useless at this stage.”

Shen Nian didn’t care. “Then let it be. If it brings Tao Di more heat while she’s promoting her song, that’s fine. The truth will come out eventually.”

Shen Zui held her cheek. “I gained 120,000 followers in just a bit…” Shen Nian noticed the woman’s expression. “Little Aunt? Why are you holding your face?”

“Toothache,” Shen Zui said after a silence.

Shen Nian looked at the coffee table. “Was the kiwi too sour? That shop assistant said it was sweet…” She stopped. “Wait, Little Aunt… you haven’t even eaten one yet?”

“It’s so sour I can smell it from here.” Shen Zui stood up and left the room, slamming the bedroom door behind her.

Shen Nian, bewildered, ate the slice of kiwi herself. She frowned. “It’s so sweet it’s almost sickening…”