The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 41

Shen Nian froze, staring at her blankly, even forgetting to breathe.

Shen Zui’s eyes were shrouded in a mist of tears. Her brow furrowed slightly, revealing a rare expression of grievance that made one’s heart ache just looking at her.

“I…” Shen Nian took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean it like that…”

“Mm,” Shen Zui followed her lead. “So, even when you run into trouble outside, you don’t say a word. You’re facing a crisis as big as running out of money, and you don’t intend to tell me.”

Her eyes widened. “I read in books that children don’t like being monitored, so I’ve always respected your freedom.”

“What about you? What else are you hiding from me?”

Shen Nian waved her hands hurriedly. “Nothing else.”

She slowly calmed down. After organizing her thoughts, she cleared her throat and said, “I didn’t say anything because I felt it wasn’t necessary… I can solve these things myself.”

“Heh,” Shen Zui let out a cold laugh.

Shen Nian countered, “You don’t believe me?”

Shen Zui pursed her lips, her gaze dropping to their hands resting on the quilt.

Shen Nian’s fingers were long and slender, her nails trimmed round and showing a healthy pink hue. By contrast, Shen Zui’s own hands were slightly smaller. Perhaps it was the dim light, but Shen Zui felt her hands were covered in many tiny wrinkles.

She instinctively clenched her fists.

“I know you are very capable, but…” Shen Zui regained her composure and looked up again. “You are a child of the Shen family. You don’t need to bear those things alone.”

Shen Nian remained silent.

Shen Zui asked, “Why do you keep it bottled up and let yourself suffer when it’s something that could be easily solved with just one word?”

Shen Nian shook her head.

Shen Zui raised her hand, wanting to caress her cheek. “Niannian…”

Before she could make contact, Shen Nian suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Looking at Shen Zui, she gave a self-deprecating smile. “Forget it. Aside from you, who else treats me like a child of the Shen family? Grandmother? Or Mother? Or Shen Zhuan?”

Shen Zui’s gaze remained steadfast. “Don’t mind them. Auntie will—”

“Enough.” Shen Nian gritted her teeth. “You know yourself that you are just my ‘Auntie.’ What then? Am I supposed to cling to you for the rest of my life?”

Shen Zui raised her voice, sounding righteous. “Why not?”

Shen Nian was stunned by her shout, nearly forgetting what she intended to say.

Shen Zui took the opportunity to pull her by the shoulders. “Does Niannian not trust me? If you stay well-behaved and cling to your little auntie for the rest of your life, I would be very happy.”

Shen Nian closed her eyes. “There’s no such logic…”

“It’s possible.”

Shen Zui cupped her face and said earnestly, “I can support you in whatever you do. As long as I am here, there will always be a place for you in the Shen family. Once you’ve had your fun in the future, you can then choose one…”

At this point, she paused strangely. It took several seconds before she continued gloomily, “…choose someone who looks agreeable to marry, so you can move out of the house in a proper and legitimate way. Isn’t that good?”

“Tch.” Hearing this again, a spark of suppressed anger flared up within Shen Nian.

She turned her face away and coldly removed the other woman’s hands.

If she hadn’t experienced her past life, Shen Zui’s promise would have been incredibly tempting to a girl who had just started university. In fact, in her previous life, Shen Zui might have arranged everything for her according to such a plan before Shen Nian even realized it.

After all, before she was pushed off that high-rise, her life had been unbelievably smooth compared to ordinary people.

But because she had lived through it once, Shen Nian knew this was absolutely not what she wanted. Her goal had always been clear—to break away from the Shen family! If she relied on Shen Zui’s help, she would only sink deeper into the quagmire of the Shen household.

Shen Zui looked at her. “Then what do you want?”

Shen Nian shook her head. She could never tell Shen Zui what was truly in her heart.

Frustrated, Shen Zui reached out to pinch her ear. At this moment, her cheeks were flushed with dissatisfaction, making her clear eyes look even more watery.

Shen Nian wasn’t afraid of her. Instead, she found it somewhat adorable that Shen Zui was still powerless against her even when angry. Consequently, in what should have been a tense atmosphere, her heart suddenly began to race as she looked at Shen Zui’s beautiful features.

Thump, thump, thump—

Shen Zui poked her cheek, continuing to mutter about her grievances.

Shen Nian didn’t hear a single word. Instinctively, she lowered her head, parted her lips, and captured Shen Zui’s moist lower lip.

“Mmph.” Shen Zui’s movements froze.

Shen Nian gave her no time to react. Being on the large bed in the bedroom made their movements effortless. Shen Nian slowly leaned over, pressing Shen Zui down into the soft mattress.

This small space had long been filled with their respective scents—the crisp fragrance of cedar mixed with the cool scent of plum blossoms. Though both were “cold” fragrances, they somehow made one’s blood boil.

Shen Zui’s body was far too familiar with Shen Nian’s touch. Before the kiss could even deepen, her waist had already gone soft, and her arms automatically hooked around Shen Nian’s neck.

Shen Nian’s tongue traced the rich sweetness in her mouth, slowly squeezing the oxygen out from between them, forcing Shen Zui to sink with her, losing both reason and self in the tide of desire.

“Mgh… Niannian.”

A single clear tear slid from the corner of Shen Zui’s eye. Shen Nian tilted her chin up, placing tender kisses on her cheek.

Breathless, Shen Zui gripped her collar, not forgetting to protest: “Don’t… don’t think you can just gloss over this…”

“I’m not trying to gloss over anything.”

Shen Nian looked at her. Her thumb pressed against Shen Zui’s lips, rubbing them gently. She watched as the already flushed lips became even more vivid under her fingertips, blooming like red plums.

At this moment, her heart drove her to say the words she had suppressed for so long.

“What if I say… I don’t want anyone else? I just want you?”

Shen Zui’s eyes widened instantly.

Seeing the stunned expression on the other woman’s face, Shen Nian lightly touched the corner of her own mouth, realizing she had truly spoken her mind.

Yes, she liked Shen Zui. She wanted to be with her.

This wasn’t a difficult thing to realize, but since her rebirth, she had faced so many threats that she hadn’t questioned her own heart for a long time. Furthermore, because Shen Zui had previously defined their relationship as “medical treatment,” she hadn’t wanted to overthink it, allowing these burgeoning emotions to remain suppressed until now.

Having finally said it, Shen Nian felt a sense of relief instead. She felt as though a burden had been lifted, and in the next moment, she couldn’t help but smile.

That’s right, how could it just be “medical treatment”?

She had clearly been utterly captivated by Shen Zui long ago. She craved her presence, her scent, the feel of her skin, and the sweetness of her tongue. Moreover, she was certain that Shen Zui was equally obsessed with her—at least with her body.

If in her past life, it was only after her death that Shen Zui discovered her feelings and regretted them, then in this life, she was willing to take the initiative.

She would approach Shen Zui, help treat her, and give them both a chance to be together.

Thinking of this, Shen Nian looked up at her.

“‘Little Auntie,'” she intentionally used the formal title. “Do normal aunts and nieces do these things? Aside from a complete ‘marking,’ everything else has happened between us.”

Shen Zui stammered, “That’s because…”

“Don’t say it’s for the treatment.”

Shen Nian pressed her ear against Shen Zui’s chest, listening to her equally violent heartbeat. At this moment, their hidden emotions reached synchronization.

Thump, thump, thump—

She asked Shen Zui, “Would your heart beat like this if it were just for treatment?”

“…” Shen Zui said nothing.

Shen Nian looked up with a playful smile on her lips. She placed her palm over the back of Shen Zui’s hand, wanting to hold it, but Shen Zui resisted.

Shen Nian wasn’t annoyed. Her fingers climbed up from the wrist, gently caressing the delicate skin of Shen Zui’s arm. When she finally followed the contour of the body to the shoulder and moved toward the chest, Shen Zui suddenly jolted.

She leaned back and swatted away Shen Nian’s mischievous hand.

Shen Nian looked into her eyes.

“Enough…” Shen Zui gasped.

“Shen Zui, why are you panicking?” Shen Nian asked, enunciating every word. She leaned in, using a dominant posture to close the distance between them. “What are you running away from?”

Shen Zui bit her lip.

The central air conditioner blew a light breeze, and the thin blanket on the bed was wrinkled beyond recognition. The flush on both their faces hadn’t faded; their robes were half-open, hanging precariously off their collarbones.

Neither of them was “innocent.”

Shen Zui gritted her teeth, countless thoughts racing through her mind, but none could serve as a defense.

Shen Nian pressed her advantage, tilting her chin up. She asked again, “According to your script, can we be together?”

Shen Zui kept her head down, but her eyes were stormy, brewing a rare tempest. When Shen Nian moved closer on purpose, she acted as if startled, pushing her away forcefully and closing her eyes in avoidance.

Shen Nian sighed.

After a long while, she got out of bed, deciding not to push her further.

“Sorry. It might have been sudden, but I couldn’t control myself.” She paused. “Calm yourself down first. I’ll be in the living room; call me if you need anything.”

Seeing that Shen Zui made no move, she took it as consent and turned toward the door. Before she could reach it, a voice called out from behind her.

“Shen Nian.”

Shen Nian was stunned for two full seconds before realizing Shen Zui had called her by her full name. At this moment, a surge of joy rose in her heart. She turned back eagerly, only to meet Shen Zui’s now playful gaze.

“You don’t want to follow my script,” she said. “But do you think that by relying on yourself, we can actually be together?”

As she spoke, she regained her usual confidence, appearing as proud as a true leading lady of this world. It wasn’t just “appearing,” because she truly was. Even someone like Xi You was like a firefly before her, unable to compete with the radiance of the sun and moon.

Shen Zui was the true jewel of the Shen family. If not for her terminal illness, the phrase “a world of difference” would be the most accurate description of the gap between her and Shen Nian.

“…” Shen Nian was speechless.

Seeing her struggle, Shen Zui slowly softened her tone. She reached out a hand toward Shen Nian. “Niannian…”

“I don’t know either,” Shen Nian suddenly spoke, interrupting her.

She turned and grabbed the doorknob. “But at least, by then, I won’t have to call you ‘Auntie’ anymore.”

Shen Zui’s eyes widened slightly.

“Shen Zui, is it only status and seniority that stand between us?” Before leaving the room, Shen Nian left her with one last sentence: “I hope… you will think about it seriously.”

With that, she didn’t hesitate further. She walked out and closed the door behind her.

The living room was quiet. Sunlight streamed in through the spacious floor-to-ceiling windows, lighting up everything. Yet, Shen Nian found the scene somewhat unfamiliar, wondering if it had always been this dreadfully empty.

She sat on the sofa, intending to close her eyes and rest, but her thoughts were a chaotic mess. One moment she was reminiscing about her confession-like actions with a racing heart, and the next she was worrying about what would happen if Shen Zui couldn’t wrap her head around it.

Should I move back to the dormitory? Should the marking process continue?

Her wild thoughts continued until noon, when her phone on the coffee table suddenly vibrated. Shen Nian picked it up and saw a transfer notification for 500,000 Yuan from Shen Zui.

She bolted upright from the sofa.

Before she could ask, Shen Zui sent a message to explain: [Do something for me. This is the payment.]

Shen Nian was confused: [What is it?]

Shen Zui: [The SX Mid-Year Banquet is in two days. You will attend in my place.]

Shen Nian rubbed her forehead. [Didn’t I already agree to this?]

She realized instantly that this was just Shen Zui’s excuse to give her money.

Shen Zui: [Before, attending was enough. But now, I have a new requirement.]

Shen Nian: [What kind of requirement is worth a 500,000 Yuan reward?]

Shen Zui paused for a moment before sending: [You think I’m not worth that much?]

Seeing this, Shen Nian completely surrendered. [Fine, tell me.]

In the master bedroom next door, Shen Zui saw the reply and finally breathed a sigh of relief. A faint, shallow smile tugged at the corners of her lips. But she soon noticed it and pressed her hand against her mouth, forcefully smoothing away that untimely spark of joy.