The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 81

The litigation process was long and arduous. Shen Nian left the bulk of the work to the law firm and Mo Huai, choosing to stay focused on filming her movie.

During this time, she maintained frequent contact with Shen Zui, though her mind wandered more and more during their conversations.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Zui asked through the screen, her brow furrowed.

Shen Nian snapped back to reality as if startled, instinctively turning her face away from the camera. She walked to the side table, took several gulps of water, and returned to the phone. “It’s nothing.”

Shen Zui looked worried. “Mo Huai said you’ve been filming like a madwoman lately. Have you had any rest at all?”

Shen Nian didn’t answer, her gaze fixed on the woman in the screen. She traced Shen Zui’s features with a look that bordered on greed, but she quickly restrained herself, forcing her eyes toward the dull night view outside the window. “I’m fine. I can handle it.”

“Shen Nian!” A flash of anger appeared on Shen Zui’s face. “I don’t care how important your work is; you cannot consume your health like this!”

“I really am okay,” Shen Nian explained quickly.

“I’m calling Mo Huai right now—”

“Shen Zui,” Shen Nian called out softly.

Shen Zui froze.

“Shen Zui.” Shen Nian leaned closer to the screen as if she wanted to transport herself to the other woman’s side. She reached out a finger to touch Shen Zui’s cheek on the display. “It’s been a long time since we saw each other, hasn’t it?”

“…Yes,” Shen Zui replied. “Nearly three months.”

Shen Zui had also been incredibly busy. The economic climate was volatile, and Shen Que’s headstrong actions had caused significant losses to the family business. Although Shen Zui had established her own independence, she couldn’t simply stand by and watch the family legacy crumble. From what Shen Nian knew, Shen Zui was currently overseas helping the Shen family expand their international operations, handling several high-stakes asset sales and mergers.

“It’s been so long, I’m not used to it…” Shen Nian asked. “How is your health?”

“The new medicine developed a while ago is working well. I haven’t felt anything unusual.”

“…” Shen Nian went silent for a moment. “That’s good.”

Shen Zui let out a doting sigh. “And you?”

“Me?” Shen Nian raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been great. Well, if I have to mention one thing that’s wrong…”

“Yes?” Shen Zui asked urgently.

Shen Nian smiled beautifully. “I just miss you terribly.”

“…”

Shen Nian clutched her heart. “Really. I miss you so much I can’t sleep at night. But it’s strange…”

“What’s strange?”

“Even when I do sleep, it’s useless. I don’t dream of you.”

Shen Zui thought she was merely being romantic and let out a chuckle.

“I mean it,” Shen Nian emphasized, her voice raspy. She turned away from the camera to look at the pitch-black window. “I haven’t dreamed of you in a long time.”

“Overwork,” Shen Zui gave a rational assessment. “With such a heavy workload every day, do you really expect to have the energy to dream?”

Shen Nian shook her head. In reality, she did dream—but they were chaotic, bizarre nightmares. Every morning she woke up to shattered fragments of memory; no matter how long she slept, she never felt rested. It felt like she had been awake all night. But she didn’t say that, simply letting Shen Zui’s explanation stand.

Just as she was about to say something more, she noticed several documents by her hand. Simultaneously, there was a noise on Shen Zui’s end.

“President Shen, everyone is here.”

Shen Zui was on the other side of the ocean; while Shen Nian was preparing for bed, it was mid-afternoon for her. She nodded to her secretary. “I’ll be right there.”

She looked back at the screen with a hurried expression. “Don’t push yourself just because you’re young. If you break your body, it isn’t worth it. If you keep this up, I’ll lock you at home and won’t let you go anywhere.”

“Ah—” Shen Nian feigned shock. “No more acting?”

Shen Zui snorted.

“What would I do without work?” Shen Nian asked. “Be a house pet?”

“My assets are enough for you to spend for three lifetimes,” the CEO declared dominantly before ending the call. “I have a meeting. Get some rest. If I see you looking like this next time, I’m going to have a talk with Mo Huai.”

A genuine smile finally touched Shen Nian’s eyes. “I understand. Don’t scare her.”

With a lingering look, Shen Zui hung up. The room returned to silence. Shen Nian collapsed onto the bed, only to feel several papers beneath her arm. She picked them up—they were the backup files for her lawsuit against the Shen family.

“…I still couldn’t say it,” she murmured.

Everything was proceeding according to plan. Within the next week or two, the court summons would be delivered to the Shen manor. She never intended to keep it a secret, but she hadn’t figured out how to break the news. This was the real reason she had been so distracted during their calls. It wasn’t physical exhaustion; it was the psychological weight of the impending storm.

Seeking an escape, she threw herself even harder into her work. The rest of the crew followed her lead, and the movie wrapped much earlier than expected.

The production budget wasn’t limitless, so finishing early saved them a fortune. Director Cai and Zhou Nan were thrilled and began providing better catering for everyone. One afternoon, Shen Nian even found expensive seafood in her lunch box.

“Sister Nian,” her new assistant, Xiao Yan, entered the dressing room. “Director Cai said the afternoon schedule has changed. Your scenes are moved to tomorrow morning.”

This wasn’t uncommon. Shen Nian gave a casual “mm.”

“Should I arrange a car to take you back to the hotel?”

Recalling her conversation with Shen Zui about resting, Shen Nian replied, “Sure.”

“Great!” Xiao Yan was happy; if Shen Nian was off the clock, she could rest too. “I’ll call the driver.”

“Take these two boxes of dumplings with you,” Shen Nian called out.

“Huh?” Xiao Yan’s eyes widened. “Are these sea urchin dumplings? You haven’t touched them?”

“I don’t have much of an appetite.” Shen Nian smiled. “Share them with the others. Don’t let them go to waste.”

Xiao Yan’s face fell. “Sister Nian… you’ve been eating too little lately. If Sister Mo finds out, she’ll skin me alive!”

Shen Nian laughed. “She won’t. She knows you can’t force me.”

“Don’t you like seafood?” Xiao Yan frowned. “How about I buy some fruit? I remember you saying the local pomelos were good?”

“No need,” Shen Nian waved her off. “The hotel has them.” She put on her coat. “Is the driver here? I’m going back for a nap.”

Half an hour later, they were back at the hotel. Shen Nian had broken a sweat during the morning shoot, so she took a shower as soon as she entered her room. While dressing, she noticed that the lines of her abdomen were no longer as firm; she had indeed lost quite a bit of weight.

She sat on the sofa to reply to several messages from Lawyer Cao rather than going straight to bed. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Who is it?” she asked. No one answered, but the knocking continued—steady and unhurried.

Distracted and off-guard, Shen Nian opened the door. She had stayed in this hotel for two months and was tired of the dull, brown wallpaper. But today, that dreary background was suddenly illuminated by an unexpected visitor.

Shen Zui stood there, looking far from exhausted. On the contrary, her hair and makeup were exquisite; she had clearly dressed with care to see her lover. Shen Nian’s gaze lingered on her beautiful face before sliding down her neck. She could almost feel the pulse beating beneath that snow-white skin.

For a moment, Shen Nian thought she heard the other woman’s heartbeat, only to realize the “thump-thump” was coming from her own chest. Aside from acting, her heart hadn’t felt this kind of spontaneous joy in a long time.

“Room service,” Shen Zui said, tilting her head. “Do you need it?”

Shen Nian was so stunned she dropped her phone. It hit the floor with a “thud.” Shen Zui laughed and leaned down to pick it up. The screen was still displaying the conversation with Lawyer Cao.

“What is it?” Shen Zui finally noticed Shen Nian’s daze and poked her chest.

Shen Nian grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the room with sudden force. Shen Zui was pinned against the door. Before she could react, Shen Nian’s hot lips and tongue were pressing against her without reservation. Her strength and willpower vanished along with her breath, and the poor phone fell to the floor once again.

Shen Nian kissed her as she led her further into the room. At one point, Shen Zui braced her hand against the desk. Her fingertips were less than a centimeter away from the lawsuit backup files that Shen Nian had been reviewing daily.

Shen Zui didn’t notice, but Shen Nian did. She pressed Shen Zui onto the desk, letting her long black hair spill across the surface, covering those thin sheets of paper.

Shen Zui finally had a chance to breathe, staring up at her lover. After being apart for so long, she couldn’t even bear to blink. Shen Nian leaned down for a gentle, chaste kiss. Shen Zui wrapped her legs around her, her fingers tangling in Shen Nian’s hair.

Shen Nian caught the thin necklace around Shen Zui’s neck. “Room service? What kinds do you have?” she asked, her voice low and husky.

Shen Zui let her look her fill. “Don’t you think it’s a bit late to ask?”

Shen Nian found the hem of her skirt. She buried her head in Shen Zui’s neck. “It hasn’t even started yet.”

Shen Zui shivered as Shen Nian’s hand moved. Her face flushed a beautiful shade of pink. “You don’t… you don’t seem like you’re planning to listen to my introduction, hmm?”

Shen Nian smirked. “Mhm.” She picked Shen Zui up and carried her to the bed. Seeing Shen Zui surrounded by her own scent, a sense of immense satisfaction rose in her heart. She began to unbutton the clothes she had just put on.

“I’ve realized something…”

Shen Zui propped herself up. “What?”

“Self-service is much more convenient.” Shen Nian leaned in, and as her clothes hit the floor, her kiss landed on the corner of Shen Zui’s mouth.

In the swirling scent of cedar pheromones, they burned together in a quiet afternoon fire.

At 5:00 PM, Xiao Yan knocked on the door, bringing a large bag of fruit and snacks she had bought. She assumed Shen Nian would be awake by now. Sure enough, the door opened.

Shen Nian was wearing a white silk robe. She looked radiant, though the room was dark. Xiao Yan thought she saw a dark mark on Shen Nian’s collar, but before she could see clearly, Shen Nian pulled the robe tight up to her chin.

“Is something wrong?” Shen Nian asked.

“Ah! Sister Nian, I bought you some snacks!”

Shen Nian took the bag and thanked her, noticing several items that Shen Zui liked. She went back inside. Shen Zui had fallen asleep, her skin dotted with red marks. After watching her for a while, Shen Nian began to arrange dinner.

Around 7:00 PM, Shen Nian woke her up, fearing her sleep schedule would be ruined otherwise. “Hungry? Eat something before you go back to sleep.”

Shen Zui didn’t want to wake up, but her body instinctively sought Shen Nian’s embrace. “I’m not hungry…” she murmured, using Shen Nian as a pillow.

“I am,” Shen Nian teased.

Shen Zui gave her a playful glare and prepared to get out of bed. “Where are my slippers?”

“Good question. Where are they?” Shen Nian looked puzzled. “President Shen traveled thousands of miles to visit, and I didn’t even prepare slippers?”

Shen Zui was speechless.

“Wait, did you walk in barefoot?” Shen Nian laughed.

Images of being carried in while clinging to Shen Nian flashed through Shen Zui’s mind. “Heh,” she laughed. “If someone could have waited until we reached the living room to start…”

“President Shen smells so good… it was a struggle for me,” Shen Nian sighed dramatically.

Shen Zui kicked her lightly. “Go get a pair.”

“I have slippers,” Shen Nian said, “but are you sure you can walk?”

“Then what should I do?”

Shen Nian opened her arms. “I have a better suggestion for transport.”

“Approved.” Shen Zui threw herself into the other woman’s arms, wrapping her hands around her neck. Shen Nian gritted her teeth against the temptation and carried her to the dining table.

They ate together, Shen Zui consuming more than usual after her long flight and the afternoon “exercise.” Afterward, Shen Nian cleared the table and went to wash some fruit.

Shen Zui noticed the white papers on the table. “Aren’t you going to put these away?”

“I can’t throw them away; they’re important documents,” Shen Nian called back from the bathroom.

Shen Zui frowned. “Why are you using important documents as a tablecloth?” She saw a few drops of oil on the back of the papers and picked them up to tidy them. In doing so, she inevitably saw the content.

She froze.

Shen Nian waited a moment, sensing that Shen Zui had likely realized the truth, before returning with the fruit. She sat down beside her. “…You saw them?”

Shen Zui closed her eyes and then opened them again. “You said before you wanted to investigate your origins?”

Shen Nian looked down. Her throat felt tight. “Mm,” she whispered.

Shen Zui’s fingers tightened on the documents, her nail piercing a small hole in the paper. Shen Nian picked up a tangerine and began to peel it. Her voice was steadier than she expected.

“My parents didn’t want me, but I had a grandfather and grandmother who treated me well. Before Jiang Shubai found me when I was five, I was raised by them.”

“Grandfather and grandmother?” Shen Zui murmured the unfamiliar titles.

“Yes. Shen Zui, I wasn’t an unwanted orphan. I grew up at the knees of my elders, not in an orphanage!”

Shen Zui’s eyes trembled. “So…”

“When I was four or five, the Shen family found Jiang Shubai. He was terrified of them and refused to cooperate at first. When they learned he had a daughter, they offered him a high price. He agreed.”

Shen Nian’s nail pierced the skin of the tangerine, and the sweet, sharp scent filled the room.

“He came home, told them he wanted to take his daughter out to bond, but he actually took me to the town and handed me over to the Shens. They faked my age and background, put me in the Orchid Orphanage, and then ‘adopted’ me legally.”

Shen Zui shook. “Nian-Nian…”

“Do you know why Shen Bi and Shen Que took such a risk?” Shen Nian let out a cold laugh. “Because I was close to my grandparents. They never would have agreed to let me be used for blood draws and medical experiments. But I think there’s another reason—the Shens learned from their experience with Jiang Shubai. They realized adults are hard to control, so they used adoption to ensure I was completely under their thumb.”

Shen Zui’s face was deathly pale. Shen Nian felt a sharp pain in her heart and swallowed the words ‘What do you think?’ She hated the Shens. She hated Shen Bi and Shen Que. But Shen Zui was the exception. In both lives, Shen Zui had been consistent in her love.

“I’m sorry…”

Shen Nian looked up.

“I’m sorry.” Shen Zui covered her hand. The half-peeled tangerine fell to the floor, forgotten. Shen Zui hugged her, trembling. “Nian-Nian, I’m so sorry.”

“It has nothing to do with you,” Shen Nian whispered, her heart aching.

“I didn’t know what happened twenty years ago, and I was so negligent that I didn’t realize how much pain you were in lately…”

The tension in Shen Nian’s nerves finally snapped. Like a child finally receiving comfort, she realized she was truly loved. They held each other in silence.

“Did you find your grandparents?” Shen Zui asked.

“Grandfather passed away. Grandmother… she’s blind. I’ve placed her in a nursing home. For all these years, she never stopped looking for me. Even in the hospital, she was worried about the money because she wanted to save it to find me.”

Shen Zui’s lips twitched. “They love you very much.”

“When I first arrived at the orphanage, I cried to go home. I fell while trying to climb the wall and hit my head. After I got to the Shen family, my memories were blurred. I didn’t think about going back anymore.”

Shen Zui knew the rest—how she was bullied by Shen Zhuan and lived in fear until Shen Zui rescued her from that closet.

Shen Zui pulled back, her eyes landing on the lawsuit documents again.

“Do you think I’m doing something wrong?” Shen Nian asked, refusing to hide.

Shen Zui looked up, a storm of emotions in her eyes. After a long silence, she shook her head. “You are the victim. You have the right to seek the truth and get justice.”

This was like a ray of sunlight piercing the gloom of the last few weeks. Shen Nian caught her shoulders. “Do you really think so? Shen Zui, do you really think so?! You’re on my side, aren’t you?!”

“Don’t blame me… please don’t blame me…” Shen Nian’s eyes filled with tears.

Shen Zui wiped them away. “You’ve suffered so much.”

Shen Nian hugged her tightly, sobbing. “I’m not suffering, Shen Zui. I’m not a helpless little girl anymore. I want justice. I want them all to pay the price.”

Buried in Shen Zui’s neck, she missed the look of sheer agony on the other woman’s face. The cold, noble heiress was biting her lip to stay calm. She felt sick with worry for Shen Nian, but hearing the word “price” sent a shiver of dread through her.

Shen Nian finally calmed down. “Can you… can you stay out of this?”

Shen Zui had regained her composure. She didn’t say “yes” or “no.” Instead, she said, “I need to go home.”

Shen Nian grabbed her wrist. “You—”

“Do you trust me?” Shen Zui brushed her cheek against Shen Nian’s palm. “If what happened is exactly as you said, the Shen family owes you and your grandmother a great debt. With me there, I will fight for more for you.”

Shen Nian stared at her. She wanted to say she didn’t want “compensation”—that no amount of money could fix this. But seeing the plea in Shen Zui’s eyes, she couldn’t say it.

“Trust me. Wait for my news, okay?”

Shen Nian nodded, interlacing her fingers with Shen Zui’s. “I don’t want this to… affect us.”

“It won’t,” Shen Zui said firmly. “I won’t let it.”

Shen Nian took a deep breath. “Okay. I trust you.”

Shen Zui fell into her arms, exhausted. She didn’t stay; she had her assistant book a flight back to City A immediately. Since there were no direct flights, she chose a connecting one just to get back faster.

At the airport, Shen Nian’s farewell was restrained due to her fame. Shen Zui stood on her tiptoes to kiss her through her mask. “Don’t rush. Wait for my news.”

“I’ll wait for you,” Shen Nian smiled, though it was hidden.

Shen Zui took one last look before disappearing into the terminal. It was after midnight when Shen Nian drove back to the hotel alone. The car felt stifling, so she rolled down the window, letting the night wind flood her lungs.