The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 83

Shen Zui’s lips trembled. She suddenly laughed, a sharp, fragile sound. “This kind of thing? What exactly is ‘this kind of thing’?”

Despite the late autumn chill, Shen Nian felt an unbearable heat rising within her. She stood up and walked toward Shen Zui, but instead of stopping, she moved right past her. “I’m going to shower first…”

As they crossed paths, Shen Zui grabbed her arm.

“Shen Zui?” Shen Nian’s eyes widened slightly.

Shen Zui looked at her sideways, her voice steady but laced with a faint tremor. “You won’t let me go with you to see Grandmother, yet you take Duan Wenyin to the nursing home. I didn’t know your relationship had reached such a stage.”

Shen Nian rubbed the bridge of her nose, her head throbbing. “You’re misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding what? Misunderstanding that you two were laughing and chatting the whole way in the car? Am I just small-minded?” Shen Zui gripped both of her arms. “Are you… are you…”

“Shen Zui.” Shen Nian turned and, despite the smell of alcohol on her breath, pulled the other woman into a half-embrace. “There’s nothing between us.”

She explained that Duan Wenyin was free and offered to go along, and she had no reason to refuse. “In the car… she probably noticed I wasn’t in a good state of mind and was trying to comfort me. I admit, I have things on my mind, and talking about work helped me escape the worry for a while. I was actually grateful she was there; otherwise, I’m not sure I could have hidden the truth from Grandmother.”

The living room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the sound of two people breathing.

“Is my proposal… really making it that difficult for you?” Shen Zui asked softly.

“I told you, I need time to consider it.”

“And I said I would give you time,” Shen Zui said, looking up from her embrace. “But I don’t want you to be consumed by this emotion.”

Shen Nian looked past her toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. The city sky was void of stars. Suddenly, she asked, “Is that why you had me followed?”

The sudden stiffening of Shen Zui’s body didn’t escape her. “I was afraid… Nian-Nian…” Shen Zui’s hand traveled up to her cheek, and a single tear escaped her reddened eye.

Shen Nian had many questions, many accusations, but they shattered like glass at the sight of that tear. She leaned down and kissed the teardrop away. In that moment, she realized they were both trapped in the same paralyzing fear.

The “Nightmare” of the Past Life

The next day, Shen Nian returned to work on her new film with Duan Wenyin. She was professional, but anyone could see the exhaustion behind the mask. The litigation moved forward efficiently; Lawyer Cao Zhengfen provided clean, clinical updates.

When the date for the first court hearing was set, Shen Zui asked to meet at the Shen manor. Shen Nian asked Duan Wenyin for leave, citing “family business.”

Duan Wenyin was persistent in her concern, prompting Shen Nian to set a firm boundary: “We are just colleagues. You’re overstepping.”

Duan Wenyin turned pale. “I’m sorry. Take three days off… rest well at home.” As Shen Nian turned to leave, Duan Wenyin called out, “Whether you believe it or not, ever since I met you, I’ve been having nightmares. You need to be careful of the people around you.”

Shen Nian froze and turned back. “Nightmares?”

“I dream that after you become famous… you are framed. You suffer a mental breakdown and you…”

“A mental breakdown?” Shen Nian smiled wryly. “Are you going to say I jump off a building?”

Duan Wenyin was shocked. That was exactly how her dreams ended.

Shen Nian realized that while Duan Wenyin wasn’t “reborn” in the literal sense, she carried fragmented, subconscious memories of the previous timeline. In that world, Shen Nian did jump after being framed by Xi You.

Feeling a strange sense of no longer being alone in her secret, Shen Nian opened up to Duan Wenyin about the adoption dispute with the Shen family.

“The Shen family?” Duan Wenyin was horrified. “They are powerful… you might not be able to shake them alone. My uncle is a prosecutor; my family has connections. I can make sure the Shen family doesn’t pull any strings in court.”

Shen Nian was moved but hesitant. When she mentioned she might settle privately to avoid the pain, Duan Wenyin became heated. “If you settle privately, they can hide what they did! They will stay glorious in high society while you suffer!”

Shen Nian realized her struggle: she didn’t care about the Shen family, but she cared about Shen Zui. And Shen Zui was the Shen family.

“If you don’t want to settle, but you can’t bear to hurt her…” Duan Wenyin suggested, “There is a better way. Do you know about a ‘Letter of Leniency’?”

The Final Settlement and the Verdict

Shen Nian eventually met with Shen Zui, who presented a formal compensation plan. The bulk of it consisted of Shen Zui’s own assets—60% of her new company’s shares. The Shen family’s actual contribution was laughable: apologies and medical fees for the grandmother.

“60%? You’re basically giving me the company,” Shen Nian said.

“My things were always yours anyway,” Shen Zui replied. “I want to compensate you… this all happened because of my illness.”

“I don’t need your compensation,” Shen Nian said firmly. She couldn’t stand the thought of Shen Zui punishing herself for her mother’s sins.

The next day, Shen Nian went to the Shen manor alone to confront Shen Bi and Shen Que. The meeting was toxic. Shen Que called her an “ungrateful wolf,” while Shen Bi remained cold. Seeing no remorse in their eyes, Shen Nian left with a simple: “See you in court.”

Months later, the verdict was delivered.

The Shen family had “cut off a tail to save the body.” Most of the guilt was shifted onto Shen Que, while the mastermind, Shen Bi, was legally cleared. Shen Que was sentenced to five years in prison.

Lawyer Cao wanted to appeal, but Shen Nian, looking at the defeated and hateful eyes of the elderly Shen Bi, shook her head. “No. This is enough.”

“I am very satisfied with this result,” she whispered, perhaps trying to convince herself.

The Unopened Box

Weeks passed without contact between the lovers. Shen Nian buried herself in work. One day, she received a call from a luxury jeweler. The custom engagement rings she had ordered for Shen Zui were ready.

She went to the mall to collect them, forgetting her mask. She was recognized by fans, causing a near-riot. Duan Wenyin and Mo Huai arrived to help her escape. In the chaos, a photo was taken of Duan Wenyin holding onto Shen Nian’s sleeve, sparking rumors of a secret romance.

Shen Nian didn’t care about the rumors. She stayed in her apartment, alone, for days.

Finally, she returned to the apartment she shared with Shen Zui. It was cold and empty. She sat on the floor of the walk-in closet, shivering in the silence.

Suddenly, she noticed a light coming from the master bedroom. She stood up, her heart racing. As she opened the door, the overwhelming, familiar scent of cold plum blossoms hit her like a wave.

Shen Zui was home.