Transmigrating as the Female Supporting Character: Dumb with Deep Pockets - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Learning to Set a Condition

“What did you say? Say that again if you have the guts!”

Jiang Hanting had been the pride of heaven his entire life; no one had ever spoken to him like that. He ground his back teeth together forcefully to swallow the surging rage.

Su Su was utterly impatient. “I said I will absolutely never take a liking to you. You don’t have to worry about it at all.”

He was a total mood-killer. She had been having a great time, but now the atmosphere was ruined by this inexplicable person. She subconsciously looked at Chen Jia to see if her mood had been affected too.

When she looked over, she found Chen Jia staring into space, lost in thought. This unconscious neglect made Su Su feel a bit disappointed, and her tone toward Jiang Hanting lost its last shred of civility.

“Even if I plucked out both my eyeballs and left two empty sockets, I wouldn’t like you. Rest assured. If there’s nothing else, stop standing here being an eyesore. You’re annoying!”

Deeply loathed, Jiang Hanting was stunned, but he didn’t do anything to her. He merely issued another warning: “Remember what you said today!”

Where does he get this confidence? Su Su rolled her eyes. “My memory is excellent,” she snapped.

Jiang Hanting gave a cold snort and stalked away. It was a good while after he left that Chen Jia finally snapped out of it. She looked up and saw Su Su staring at her expectantly.

“Jiang Hanting left?” Chen Jia asked blankly.

Su Su’s tone was sharp. “What? Sad to see him go?”

Chen Jia frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me?” Su Su felt aggrieved. “I want to ask what’s wrong with you! Every time you see him, you check out mentally. You don’t actually like that… that emotionally unstable neurotic, do you?”

This was a total slander against Chen Jia’s taste. Although the original author had written the male lead as a god among men, she didn’t find anything unique about him at all. She had just been recalling the plot; once you’ve read a Mary Sue web novel, you forget most of it, but she remembered that this period was the most “angst-filled” part of the book, with most of the pain caused by Su Su herself.

Seeing Su Su still fuming, Chen Jia opened her mouth but didn’t know how to explain. She sighed. “I’m sorry.”

The moment she apologized, Su Su’s prickliness vanished. “It’s fine. But if you want me to forgive you, you have to agree to one condition.”

Before Chen Jia could ask, Su Su covered her mouth. “You’re currently a defendant on trial; you have no right to object.”

Ten minutes later, Chen Jia was led into a hair salon. A stylist—whether his name was Tony or Tim—whispered something to Su Su in the corner. Both of them looked at Chen Jia’s head with identical, determined expressions.

The stylist began fussing over Chen Jia’s hair. Worried she might be scared by such a production for the first time, Su Su whispered reassurances. “We’re giving you a beautiful hairstyle. It’ll suit you perfectly.”

While Chen Jia was getting her hair done, Su Su didn’t stay idle. She had been a “good girl” at home, but now that she was in college, it was time for a bold change. She opted for a “hidden dye” style with light gold and pink. The pink tips rested gently on her shoulders. Already beautiful, this bold color didn’t look tacky on her; instead, it made her look like a porcelain doll.

Perhaps fearing that the “country bumpkin” couldn’t handle anything too trendy, Chen Jia’s hair wasn’t drastically changed. It was straightened slightly and cut into a “Hime cut” (princess cut). This made her delicate, small features look more three-dimensional and striking.

Su Su felt that Chen Jia would now have a 100% head-turn rate on the street. She felt a sense of pride, as if she had personally crafted a masterpiece. Placing her hands on Chen Jia’s shoulders, she beamed. “So pretty! I suddenly know what program we should perform.”

Mentioning the performance made the slight curve of Chen Jia’s lips drop instantly. “Do I really have to participate?”

“Of course.”

This time, Chen Jia didn’t refuse. She stared into Su Su’s eyes through the mirror, a hint of slyness flashing in her gaze. “I can perform with you, but can you agree to one condition of mine?”

She mimicked Su Su’s bargaining style perfectly. Su Su pouted. “Why are you doing this too?”

Chen Jia smiled. “I have things I want from you too, and I’m worried you won’t agree.”

Honestly, Su Su was curious. What could Chen Jia possibly want? Chen Jia soon revealed the answer.

“Lately, you’ve been busy with your own things and haven’t been paying much attention to class. I know you’ll have a good life regardless of whether you go to school or not, but since you’re here, shouldn’t you take it seriously?”

Fearing she might trigger Su Su’s rebellious streak, her voice was very soft and uncharacteristically gentle. Su Su dazed out for a moment just looking at her face.

In the book, Su Su had nothing except a pretty face and a good family background. When the male lead pressured her family’s business, she could only watch helplessly. Chen Jia wasn’t sure if Su Su’s hard work would change the final outcome, but learning something was never a mistake.

Su Su looked miserable. “But I really don’t like school.”

She had hated it since childhood and only made it into college because her aunt, Bai Li, had hired numerous tutors to push her. She only picked this major because she’d watched a drama about a cool computer hacker. She had regretted it the moment the semester started.

However, seeing Chen Jia frown, she caved. “Fine, fine, I promise. But don’t forget about the performance!”

It’s just studying, right? No big deal. If she survived three years of high school, four years of college was nothing. To her, studying was just a way to spend time with Chen Jia—a symbol of their friendship.

By the time they left the mall, it was dark. Su Su wasn’t as happy as she expected to be with her new hair. Chen Jia was still wearing her usual clothes, but because of the new hairstyle, she was attracting far more attention. On their way back, two people had already asked for her contact information.

This sent Su Su into a panic. “Your primary task right now is studying! You have to lead me in studying too, so you absolutely cannot start dating casually.”

At the mention of “dating,” Chen Jia instinctively pursed her lips, looking very resistant. Seeing this reaction, Su Su felt relieved. “Dating has no benefits.”

The Su Su who stalks the male lead in the book actually knows dating has no benefits? Chen Jia raised an eyebrow.

“Seriously, no benefits. I’ve never eaten pork, but I’ve seen pigs run. Trust me on this,” Su Su said earnestly.

Chen Jia didn’t take her seriously, but she wasn’t planning on dating anyway. She remembered every cent Su Su spent on her today. Back at the dorm, she wrote an IOU and handed it to Su Su.

Su Su flipped the thin slip of paper over as if she couldn’t read. “What is this?”

“Keep it. I’ll pay you back once I earn enough money.”

Su Su had thought Chen Jia was finally “getting it,” but it turned out she wanted to keep a clear distance from the start. She stuffed the paper back. “I don’t want it. If I buy you something, it’s a gift. Who takes an IOU for a gift?”

“I told you, once there’s an unequal financial relationship between friends, it leads to conflict—”

“Bah, bah, bah!” Su Su interrupted. “Who’s going to have conflict with you? Fine, I’ll take it. But look at this number—every cent you earn this semester will be mine. Don’t you feel bad about it?”

“No,” Chen Jia shook her head.

After that day, Su Su seemed to forget about the performance, perhaps because she no longer had time to think about it. Every day, Chen Jia dragged her to study.

The Computer Science and Technology major covers a bit of everything, and many students fall behind before they even understand the curriculum. Students have to decide on a career path by their second year. In her past life, Chen Jia focused on Digital Media Art, and she didn’t plan to change. Su Su wasn’t good at coding or filming, so she chose Design.

Su Su had a foundation in drawing and a wild imagination. She learned quickly and soon became a top student. Success went to her head, and she started doing her homework without Chen Jia’s prompting.

About two weeks later, Su Su mysteriously insisted on taking Chen Jia out of the school gates. Chen Jia had just received a freelance job from her Dynamic Web Design teacher to build a pet website and had just finished the framework when she was dragged away.

“What’s this for?”

Su Su was beaming with excitement but refused to say until they arrived. “You’ll know when we get there. You said you’d perform with me. The task I’ve assigned you might be a bit unfamiliar, but you’re so smart, you’ll learn it in no time!”