The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 6

A tickle at the tip of her nose woke Shen Nian. Still half-asleep, she swatted at the sensation, only to catch a handful of something soft and warm. She opened her eyes to find Shen Zui’s clear gaze fixed on her.

Caught red-handed, Shen Zui was still twirling a strand of Shen Nian’s hair between her fingers. She smiled, saying, “I woke you up,” though her tone lacked any hint of apology.

“Young Aunt…” Shen Nian looked around, fully regaining consciousness. The memories of the previous night’s passion flashed through her mind like a slideshow. Realizing her arm was still wrapped around Shen Zui’s waist, she pulled it back as if she’d been burned.

Shen Zui sat up, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders and chest like a lazy mermaid.

“How do you feel?” Shen Nian asked, stabilizing her breath. “Is your body better?”

“Mm.” Shen Zui nodded. She pulled back the duvet, revealing her snow-white feet and slender calves. As Shen Nian stared at the line where her hem met her skin, Shen Zui suddenly hiked up her nightgown and rested her legs directly on Shen Nian.

“Do you need to check… inside, too?”

Shen Nian went blank. “Huh?”

Shen Zui gave her a pointed look, her hand rubbing her lower abdomen. “…It actually feels a bit sore and numb.”

The realization hit Shen Nian like a physical blow. Her face erupted in a scarlet flush. Panicking, she tried to scramble backward. “No—no need for that! Ah—!”

She backed up too far and tipped over the edge of the bed. Only Shen Zui’s quick reach prevented her from crashing to the floor. Humiliated, Shen Nian lowered her head, unable to look the older woman in the eye.

“Pfft, hahaha—” Shen Zui laughed until she was breathless. “Our Niannian is still just a little girl…”

“Little girl?” Shen Nian looked up. After everything that happened last night, Shen Zui still viewed her as a “little girl”?

“What?” Shen Zui arched an eyebrow. “You disagree?”

Shen Nian bit her lip and said nothing, but her gaze fixed pointedly on a hickey on Shen Zui’s neck. Seeing the mark, Shen Zui’s own ears turned pink. She touched the spot lightly. “Your actions are certainly fiercer than your personality,” she remarked cryptically.

“I was clearly very gentle,” Shen Nian argued, her voice thick with the lingering scent of cedar and plum.

“Was I not?” Shen Nian closed the distance, covering Shen Zui’s hand with her own. “Young Aunt clearly enjoyed herself last night, too.”

Shen Zui stared at her, then laughed and poked her forehead. “Niannian, stop messing around.”

The New Doctor

A knock at the door interrupted them. A new doctor and a nurse entered. Shen Nian recognized the nurse from the previous day, but the doctor had been replaced.

“Where is Huang Zhen?” Shen Zui asked coolly.

“Miss, Doctor Huang was fired by the Madam last night,” the new doctor explained. “I will be managing your treatment until a new chief physician arrives.”

Shen Nian expected Shen Zui to be upset—the previous doctor had been with her for years—but Shen Zui simply gave a dismissive “Mm.”

As the nurse approached to draw blood, Shen Nian caught a glimpse of the nurse’s eyes. They were filled with inexplicable jealousy and venom. Shen Nian was baffled; she didn’t recall ever offending this woman.

Once the staff left to get breakfast, Shen Zui called the fired Doctor Huang into the room.

Shen Zui spoke with a voice as smooth as wine, informing the doctor that she had arranged a high-ranking position for her at a prestigious private hospital. It was a classic “carrot and stick” move—providing for her future to ensure her silence.

“Thank you, Miss,” the doctor sobbed, realizing she was being saved from the Madam’s wrath. “I’ll never say a word about what happened here!”

Shen Nian watched as Shen Zui pulled her close, using her as a human pillow. Shen Zui’s intention was clear: she was burying the secret of the “marking” to protect Shen Nian’s future.

“A reputation of being involved with me would hinder Niannian from finding a proper wife later,” Shen Zui said, pinching Shen Nian’s cheek. “The great families are traditional. If rumors about us spread, it will be a headache for your future marriage matches. It’s better to cut the rumors off now.”

Shen Nian was so frustrated she actually laughed. “You… pfft… you…”

“What?” Shen Zui tilted her head.

“Shen. Zui.” It was the first time Shen Nian had used her full name. She gripped the woman’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet. “We are already like this… and you still expect me to marry someone else and have children normally?”

She felt the situation was absurd. “Are you waiting for me to bring my wife to toast you and call you ‘Young Aunt’ together?”

Shen Zui blinked. “Otherwise? You were just helping me with my treatment, Niannian. You’re young; you’ll meet someone who truly makes your heart race. If this treatment ruins your future love life, I would feel guilty.”

“You’d feel guilty?” Shen Nian squeezed her hand. “Then what is this? Holding me and touching me like this won’t ruin my love life?”

“Well…” Shen Zui seemed genuinely stumped.

“But Niannian smells so good,” Shen Zui whispered, clinging to her like a spoiled child. “Niannian belongs by my side. It’s only natural for us to be close.”

Shen Nian realized then that Shen Zui didn’t necessarily “love” her yet. She was a spoiled “Pearl of the Shen Family” who was used to getting what she wanted. To Shen Zui, Shen Nian was a comfort, a beautiful tool she enjoyed having close.

The Egg Yolk

Breakfast arrived. Shen Nian, feeling a mix of self-pity and frustration, began to eat. Suddenly, a whole, yellow egg yolk rolled onto her plate. She looked up.

Shen Zui was elegantly eating a piece of egg white. “Niannian,” she said gently, “don’t be a picky eater.”

“Young Aunt,” Shen Nian said expressionlessly, pointing to the side. “The camera is on.”

Shen Zui spun around in a panic, but the indicator light was dark.

“You lied to me!” she gasped.

Shen Nian didn’t apologize. She simply pushed the yolk back. “Don’t be a picky eater.”

Shen Zui stared at the yolk as if it were a mortal enemy. She hated yolks.

Watching her struggle, Shen Nian felt her resolve soften. She cut the yolk in half, eating the larger portion herself. Shen Zui’s eyes lit up as she watched.

“Eat the rest yourself,” Shen Nian said.

Shen Zui, ever the opportunist, cut the remaining yolk again and held a small piece up to Shen Nian’s lips. “Niannian, eat.”

Shen Nian tried to be a woman of principle. But as Shen Zui’s fingers brushed her wrist, her resistance crumbled. She ate the fragment.

Finally, Shen Zui took the last tiny piece and ate it herself, wrinkling her nose. “Not bad,” she concluded.

Shen Nian wasn’t listening. Her eyes were fixed on the silver spoon, which now bore a glistening trace of Shen Zui’s moisture.