The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 92

Using her move abroad and the breakup as leverage, Shen Zui successfully took control of the remaining Shen family forces. During the most tense months, she personally reviewed every single transaction from Shen Bi’s accounts. Over three years, she meticulously restructured the Shen assets, moving them overseas while grooming Shen Zhuan to manage the family business.

Everything followed her calculated trajectory—everything except the human heart. She had to gamble on Sang Nian’s feelings, and because she was afraid of losing that bet, she had played many dangerous hands.

In the present, Sang Nian held Shen Zui’s shoulders, steadying her swaying body. Shen Zui’s fears and anxieties bled through their skin, a silent current rushing through Sang Nian’s veins.

After a long silence, Sang Nian finally asked, “…Why couldn’t you have told me these things sooner?”

Shen Zui pressed her ear against Sang Nian’s chest, counting the steady heartbeat to stay calm. “At first, I was afraid my mother would find out… I even hid Sannie’s existence from everyone.”

She recalled the past three years. “About six months after Sannie was born, I finally had control of the situation. One day, I couldn’t take it anymore. After a business trip to the capital, I secretly changed my flight and came back to find you.”

Sang Nian’s breath hitched. Shen Zui came back for me over a year ago? She had no idea.

“You weren’t at the apartment… I should have expected you’d be on set,” Shen Zui’s eyes turned distant. “I stood at the door, staring at the fingerprint scanner for a long time. I kept wondering if you had deleted my print, if you had changed the code…”

Sang Nian felt a lump in her throat. “You would have known if you just tried it.”

“Mhm,” Shen Zui murmured.

“But you didn’t?” Sang Nian gripped her wrist.

Shen Zui closed her eyes and shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I don’t know how long I stood there. Then I got an overseas call—the nanny said Sannie had a fever. I bought a ticket and flew back immediately.”

Sang Nian reached out and interlaced her fingers with Shen Zui’s cold hand, warming her with her own body heat. Two people who had been lonely for so long clung to each other for warmth in the quiet night.

Shen Zui continued, “After that, I thought… I can’t come to you with a half-finished mess. I’d be pulled in too many directions and handle neither well. I didn’t want to lose you while also being unable to protect you.”

Sang Nian felt a mix of heartache and fury. She wasn’t ready to let Shen Zui off the hook just yet. She reached out and pinched the soft flesh of Shen Zui’s cheek.

“Everything was your own calculation!” Sang Nian demanded. “Did you ever think about how I felt? Did you ever ask if I agreed to this?”

Shen Zui forced a small smile. “I’m sorry… that’s why I said it was my own selfish decision.”

“You really are something, CEO Shen.” Sang Nian glared at her, let go, and leaned back against the wall.

“Niannian…” Shen Zui called out anxiously.

“This isn’t over yet,” Sang Nian crossed her arms. “Don’t think I’ll easily for—” She looked away, her face flushing, “—forgive you.”

Shen Zui’s heart leaped. She was smart enough to notice that Sang Nian was no longer mentioning lawyers or child support. She cautiously leaned in and touched Sang Nian’s finger. Sang Nian shivered but didn’t pull away.

“Are you still packing?” Sang Nian broke the silence. She glanced at Shen Zui and headed toward the master bedroom. “Follow me.”

The apartment, once cold and empty, finally felt lived-in again. Sang Nian pulled a set of clothes from the closet and handed them to Shen Zui.

“Aren’t you going to wash up? Your eyes are swollen from crying.”

Shen Zui took the clothes. The bedroom was exactly as it had been three years ago. Sang Nian had left in a hurry that morning, and the rumpled sheets brought back memories of their chaotic final week together. Shen Zui’s pale cheeks flushed a brilliant pink. She licked her dry lips and hurried into the bathroom.

Sang Nian stood by the window, watching the neon lights of the city. Her mind was a mess, alternating between the pain of the past three years and Shen Zui’s explanation. Eventually, she took a robe and went to the other bathroom to wash away her makeup and her negative thoughts.

When she returned to the bedroom, Shen Zui was sitting on the large bed, which still smelled faintly of cedar. She was on a video call with Sannie.

“You have to be a good girl. Even though Mama isn’t back, go to sleep nicely, okay?”

The toddler on the screen pouted. “But I’ll cry if I sleep alone…”

“Why would you cry? You’re a brave girl,” Shen Zui smiled.

“Brave girls have their mammas with them!” Sannie bargained.

Sang Nian stepped into the frame. Sannie’s eyes lit up. “Mommy!”

Sang Nian smiled and leaned in. Her shoulder brushed Shen Zui’s; their faces were less than an inch apart. Shen Zui could feel Sang Nian’s warmth and the scent of her skin.

“What is my baby doing?” Sang Nian asked.

Sannie clumsily tried to hide some building blocks under her skirt. “Nothing! Just waiting for Mommy to come back and play~”

“Is that so?” Sang Nian didn’t expose the lie. “Tonight might not work. But I promise you’ll see Mommy first thing in the morning, okay?”

Sannie puffed out her cheeks. “Why not tonight, tomorrow, and every day after that?”

“What about Mama then?” Sang Nian teased. “Mama will be jealous.”

Sannie looked between the two of them, confused. “Then… okay. Mommy can play with Mama first tonight.”

Sang Nian froze, her face turning bright red. “I didn’t mean—”

“So Mama and Mommy are sleeping together tonight?” the child asked innocently.

Shen Zui hid in Sang Nian’s shadow, her eyes downcast. She didn’t correct the child, leaving Sang Nian to deal with the awkwardness alone.

Sang Nian cleared her throat, smelling the faint scent of cold plum blossoms. “Are you sleepy, baby?”

Sannie leaned into the camera until her face filled the screen. “A little…”

“Will you cry if you wake up alone?”

“Mhm,” the girl admitted shyly.

“Next time, Mommy will sleep with you,” Sang Nian promised.

Sannie nodded vigorously. She looked at Shen Zui. “Then Mommy should sleep with Mama tonight. Don’t let Mama cry!”

After the call ended, the room fell silent again.

“Are you going back?” Sang Nian asked. “I’ll drive you.”

Shen Zui looked out the window. “It’s too late.” It wasn’t even 9:00 PM. The drive was less than an hour.

“If it’s not convenient… I’ll call a taxi,” Shen Zui said, moving to get out of bed.

Sang Nian pressed her hand on Shen Zui’s shoulder. “Just stay.” She added quickly, “I’ll drive you back early tomorrow morning on my way out.”

Shen Zui nodded and lay back down on her usual side of the bed, leaving plenty of room for Sang Nian. A stray lock of black hair fell across her collarbone, revealing her elegant white neck.

“Aren’t you… coming up?” Shen Zui invited softly.

Sang Nian stared at her, almost leaning in by instinct. But as her knee hit the mattress, she snapped to her senses and stepped back.

“You sleep,” Sang Nian said, turning away. She hurried out and locked herself in the guest room.

She didn’t see the light fade from Shen Zui’s eyes. Shen Zui reached out, pulled Sang Nian’s pillow into her arms, and fell into the deepest, sweetest sleep she had had in three years.

The next day, Sang Nian drove Shen Zui back to the villa. Shen Zui was immediately swamped by assistants and business matters. Sang Nian slipped away to Sannie’s room.

“Did she wake up last night?” she asked the nanny.

“Only once for the bathroom, then she went right back to sleep. She’s very good,” the nanny replied.

Sang Nian lay down on the toddler-sized bed next to the sleeping princess. She spent an hour simply watching the girl sleep, tracing the curve of her eyelashes and the bridge of her nose—a perfect blend of her and Shen Zui’s features.

When Sannie woke up and saw Sang Nian, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief. “It’s not a dream!”

“Of course not.” Sang Nian kissed her nose. “I told you, Mommy would be the first person you saw.”

“Mommy!” Sannie hugged her neck and gave her a loud “MUA!” on the cheek.

Later, as Sang Nian tried to help her wash up, Sannie refused to let her go. “If I let go, Mommy will leave!”

“I won’t leave,” Sang Nian promised. “I’ll stay with you forever.”

In the bathroom, Sang Nian realized Sannie could do most things herself. The only struggle was her hair. Sang Nian managed to tie a slightly crooked high ponytail.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it! Thank you, Mommy!” Sannie beamed.

“Which nanny does your hair the best?” Sang Nian asked as they walked to the dining room.

“Mama does it best! Mama is the best at everything!”

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Sang Nian saw Shen Zui on the phone. Their eyes met and held for a long time until Sannie’s voice broke the spell.

That evening, Sang Nian gave Sannie a bath and ended up soaked herself. The nanny brought her a change of clothes—including undergarments that were exactly her size. Knowing Shen Zui had planned all of this, Sang Nian’s face turned red, her anger completely forgotten.

She put on a fuzzy bear onesie that matched Sannie’s. When Shen Zui came home, she saw two “bears” playing on the carpet. Sang Nian was lying on her back, supporting Sannie with her hands and feet as the “cub” pretended to fly.

“Mama!” the cub yelled when she saw Shen Zui.

The “big bear” froze and sat up. Shen Zui looked at them tenderly. “Careful not to bump yourselves,” she said before heading into the bedroom.

“Is Mommy better or Mama?” Sannie whispered to Sang Nian.

“How do you compare that?”

“Does Mama listen to Mommy?”

Sang Nian cleared her throat, not wanting to look weak. “Of course she does.”

“Yay! Mommy, play more!”

While Shen Zui was in the bathroom, Sang Nian lifted the cub into the air again. Inside the bedroom, Shen Zui stepped out of the bathroom to find an emergency email. But the laughter from the living room drew her to the hallway.

She watched them from the shadows. In the warm, decorated space, the two figures were rolling around and laughing. Shen Zui knew exactly how warm those embraces felt.

“Is Mama always too busy for you?” she heard Sang Nian ask.

Sannie shook her head. “Mama is busy, but Mama is always with me.”

“How? Does she take you to work?”

“Mama carries me in her heart~ We are always together~”

Sang Nian was stunned. She pinched the girl’s cheek. “If you put it that way, has our family never really been apart these past three years?”

Sannie didn’t understand and asked for another kiss. But Shen Zui understood perfectly. With teary eyes, she silently retreated back into the room.