The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 84

The walk from the door to the bedside was short, yet Shen Nian was already covered in a thin layer of sweat. Unaware of her own state, she leaned over to peel back the silk cocoon of blankets on the bed. A drop of sweat escaped her chin, landing precisely on Shen Zui’s bare, fragrant shoulder.

Shen Zui was currently sensitized to the extreme; she could not bear the slightest stimulation. Sensing the approach of a heat source, her curled body shuddered, and her half-closed eyelashes trembled like the wings of a butterfly in the wind.

Shen Nian stared at her, dazed.

Throughout the latter half of winter and the entirety of spring, the two had not met. Occasionally, news of the other would reach them through third parties—a meager comfort that was better than nothing. Now that they were finally face-to-face, Shen Nian almost wondered if this was a drunken hallucination. She reached out, carefully wiping the moisture from the other’s shoulder, only to realize that Shen Zui was also drenched in a fine sweat.

“What’s… what’s wrong?” Shen Nian asked.

Shen Zui opened her eyes. For a fleeting moment, their gazes seemed locked together, but Shen Zui’s eyes quickly lost focus again. she gasped for air; it was as if a boiling reservoir was hidden within her, her body heat searing Shen Nian’s skin.

“Shen Zui?” Shen Nian called out again.

This time, she was answered by Shen Zui’s sweat-slicked arms. Shen Zui hooked her arms around Shen Nian’s neck, rubbing her cheek incessantly against her. It was a clear, uncontrollable craving for her lover, yet she was clumsy and frantic, letting out fragmented whimpers.

“Niannian… it hurts… mgh, it hurts so much…” Tears spilled from her reddened eyes, flowing like small streams into her hair.

Shen Nian grew frantic as well. Normally, she might have remained composed, but she was currently half-drunk. Her long-lost lover seemed as fragile as a glass chalice; she feared that even the slightest force would shatter this priceless treasure.

“Where is the doctor?” Her remaining logic took charge. “I—I’ll go call the doctor…”

Before she could finish, a desperate Shen Zui opened her mouth and haphazardly bit down on Shen Nian’s chin.

“Hiss—”

The bite was forceful. The sharp pain took Shen Nian captive but also cleared her clouded mind. When she looked at Shen Zui again, her gaze was much sharper, and her basic judgment had returned.

“You have a fever.” She reached out to gauge the temperature of the woman in her arms, but her fingers quickly slid to the nape of the neck, brushing against a burning gland.

Shen Nian frowned, discarding her initial guess.

“An estrus?” she asked in shock. “How? Did you not inject a suppressant?”

Shen Zui panted, looking as though she had just been fished out of water—weak, yet radiating an irresistible allure. When Shen Nian turned to get off the bed, Shen Zui used the last of her strength to pull her back, her voice laced with tears.

“Don’t go…”

“I’m not leaving,” Shen Nian replied, turning back to press a steadying kiss to her temple. She explained softly to her fretful lover, “Your condition is serious. I’m going to get the backup suppressant. Wait for me.”

“No!”

“Hm?” Confused, Shen Nian brushed the damp hair away from Shen Zui’s face.

Shen Zui bit her lip, glaring at her with a fierce intensity. One of her hands had already slipped inside Shen Nian’s collar, exploring wantonly. “I don’t want the suppressant!”

Though they hadn’t done anything yet, Shen Nian could hear her own breathing grow heavy. She leaned in until their noses touched.

“You don’t want the suppressant?” She grabbed Shen Zui’s roaming hand through the thin late-spring fabric. “…Then what do you want?”

Shen Zui wrapped her long legs around Shen Nian, pinning herself firmly against her. Her gaze was hazy, yet she knew exactly who was in front of her and what she was doing.

“I want Niannian.”

The moment the words fell, Shen Nian—who had been enduring for so long—captured her lips.

“Mgh!”

The “tide of passion” was silent, yet the entanglement of tongues created a wet, rhythmic sound—like waves crashing against the sand, rising higher with every beat. Finally having her fill of her lover’s sweetness, Shen Nian mercifully gave her space to breathe, only to trail kisses downward, leaving a path of ambiguous marks.

Sweet. Everything was sweet.

Shen Zui’s soft tongue was sweet, the silver threads at the corner of her mouth were sweet, and even the sweat seeping from her skin was a sweetness that drove one to madness. Shen Nian was not usually one for sweets; as an actress, she had to maintain her physique. She was so self-disciplined that her manager, Mo Huai, often bragged about having found a “treasure.”

But in this moment, she wanted nothing more than to devour the delicacy before her, bite by bite.

The gland on the side of Shen Zui’s neck was even hotter than Shen Nian’s lips. The scent of her Cold Plum pheromones felt almost physical, enveloping them both. Shen Nian leaned in to lick the spot.

“Ah…” The stimulation was too much. Shen Zui let out a moan that sounded like a sob. Her body straightened, then instinctively tried to curl up a second later.

Shen Nian gave her no such chance. She forced her way into Shen Zui’s embrace, compelling her to bloom.

“Be good, relax,” she guided her lover. “Relax… I won’t hurt you…”

Shen Zui looked at her through tear-blurred eyes. Her limbs trembled. In the dim room, the only thing she could perceive was the person beside her. Unable to hold herself together, she chose to entrust her entire body and soul to the other woman.

“You’re doing great,” Shen Nian praised, her fingers stroking through Shen Zui’s hair. She felt that Shen Zui was incredibly obedient right now; even her strands of hair seemed to wrap around Shen Nian’s hand, vying to kiss her fingertips.

The Departure

The complete marking lasted an entire week.

Neither of them left the bed except for essential eating and washing. A medical team provided nutritional meals 24/7. On the seventh day, as the marking reached its end, their temperatures finally returned to normal.

After their final encounter, Shen Nian fell into a deep sleep while holding Shen Zui. For some reason, after drinking a glass of fruit juice at dinner, she had felt drowsy. She succumbed to a sweet dreamland.

Half an hour later, Shen Zui, resting on Shen Nian’s arm, suddenly opened her eyes. She checked to ensure her lover was truly asleep. The plan had gone smoothly, but she didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she lingered, tracing Shen Nian’s features with her eyes.

Only when a “knock, knock” sounded at the door did she support her aching body and pull away from the embrace. Sensing the loss, the sleeping Shen Nian let out an uneasy whimper. Shen Zui leaned over and kissed her lips.

“Niannian, sleep.”

Reassured, Shen Nian quieted down. The moment Shen Zui’s feet hit the floor, she nearly collapsed—even with professional medical support, a seven-day marking period was more than an Omega could easily endure. She couldn’t help but look back and glare at the satisfied expression on the sleeping Shen Nian’s face.

She threw on a robe and walked out. Her most trusted subordinate, Qin Li, and the medical team were waiting.

“President Shen!” Qin Li stepped forward.

Shen Zui signaled her to keep her distance. Her voice was hoarse from overindulgence. “…Is everything arranged?”

“Yes,” Qin Li nodded. “The Old Matriarch has been sent to Miss Zhuan’s place. She’s in good spirits, though… she keeps asking where you are.”

“I see,” Shen Zui replied. “Prepare the car. We leave in one hour.”

Back in the bedroom, Shen Zui began to pack. As she moved, she noticed Shen Nian’s jacket on the floor. She picked it up to clean it, only to find something heavy in the pocket: a letter and a black velvet jewelry box.

She opened the letter first. The title read: “Letter of Settlement and Forgiveness.”

Her heart skipped a beat. The document stated that because the “Party B” had shown remorse, “Party A” (Shen Nian) agreed not to pursue criminal charges.

This was Shen Nian’s compromise. Shen Nian had wanted justice for her grandparents, but this letter was her act of protection for Shen Zui.

Then, Shen Zui opened the velvet box. Two beautiful rings lay inside. On the inner band of the smaller one, she saw the engraving: “N&Z” (Nian & Zui).

Shen Zui realized then that the news reports from months ago—the ones showing Shen Nian at a jewelry store with Duan Wenyin—weren’t about a new romance. Shen Nian had been hiding a proposal ring, protecting the secret of her heart.

Shen Zui staggered, her chest tightening. When Qin Li came to check on her, she asked, “President Shen… are we still leaving?”

Shen Zui looked at the sleeping Shen Nian. She put the letter back but took the ring that fit her left ring finger.

Ten minutes later, a low-profile luxury car pulled out of the underground garage and vanished into the neon lights of the city.

The Awakening

When Shen Nian woke the next morning, the space beside her was empty.

She found her phone and charged it. Dozens of missed messages from Mo Huai and her lawyers popped up. She called Mo Huai back.

“Finally,” Mo Huai teased. “Is that what an Alpha sounds like when they’re finally ‘full’? Anyway, go take care of your President Shen.”

Shen Nian smiled, but looking at the empty bed, a sense of melancholy washed over her. “I don’t know where she went.”

She hung up and went to her jacket to find the rings. She planned to propose properly. But when she opened the black velvet box, her heart stopped.

There was only one ring left.

The other half—the one meant for the person she loved—was gone.

The color drained from Shen Nian’s face. She looked out the window at the lonely, deep blue sky.

Spring had faded.