Transmigrating as the Female Supporting Character: Dumb with Deep Pockets - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Taking You Out to Play

Ning Qingyuan rolled her eyes.

“You two just eat and don’t worry. It’s not as exaggerated as she says. These dishes were specially made by my mom for you two. She originally wanted to invite you to our house, but since your leg is inconvenient, she could only pack it up and let me bring it over.”

As she spoke, she served Su Su a bowl of pig trotter soup. “Eat up, it’ll help you heal faster.”

She turned her head and noticed Chen Jia spacing out again. “What’s wrong? You didn’t sleep well last night? Your complexion looks a bit off.”

Chen Jia really hadn’t slept much during the latter half of the night. To avoid worrying Su Su, she shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Even someone as thick-skinned as Ning Qingyuan could sense the unusual atmosphere lingering between Su Su and Chen Jia. She tactfully shut her mouth. “Alright then, let’s eat.”

After lunch, Chen Jia and Ning Qingyuan were tidying up in the kitchen. The sound of running water filled the enclosed space, preventing it from being entirely silent.

“I heard Su Su’s injury wasn’t an accident. Someone did it on purpose?”

Chen Jia nodded, placing the last plate in the cabinet and drying her hands with a clean paper towel. “Mhm.”

Hearing this, Ning Qingyuan looked excited. “What do you plan to do? Don’t tell me you’re going to just swallow your anger?”

“Of course not.” Chen Jia answered quickly this time. “Give it two more days.”

Ning Qingyuan didn’t know what she was thinking, but she saw a cold glint in Chen Jia’s usually calm eyes.

“Fine, as long as you have a plan.” She paused. “But I think the vibe between you and Su Su is a bit weird. Did you… have a fight?”

Chen Jia glanced at her and shook her head. “No.”

Seeing she wasn’t willing to talk, Ning Qingyuan didn’t push. She shifted to business. “The competition is starting. I’ll go back later to get the materials so we can study them properly.”

“Okay. Wait for me a bit, I need to go to the library to pick up some reference books.”

Previously, Chen Jia had been reluctant to join, but seeing her so proactive now, Ning Qingyuan felt even more confident about winning.

“Sure, sure. Go ahead. I’ll head home too. I’ll let Su Su stay with my sister for a bit. Don’t worry, she doesn’t like you anymore. You don’t have to be stiff around her.”

Chen Jia suddenly remembered that previous situation. Her eyes deepened, and she let out a soft sigh without speaking.

“What? She really doesn’t like you. I know my sister.”

“I understand.”

Chen Jia was just wondering: what would Su Su and Ning Qingke talk about? Or had Ning Qingke simply found a new target?

…

Meanwhile, Ning Qingke helped Su Su upstairs. She had Su Su sit on the bed and then turned around to curiously wander around the room.

“You two sleep together?”

“Just since yesterday. In this room. My leg is inconvenient, so she’s staying here to take care of me.”

For some reason, even though nothing had happened between her and Chen Jia, Su Su felt embarrassed under Ning Qingke’s probing gaze.

Ning Qingke let out a giggle. “Why are you blushing? Are you two…”

“No! We aren’t… nothing like that…” If there was something, she wouldn’t be so worried.

Ning Qingke really loved to smile; her laugh looked about seventy to eighty percent like Ning Qingyuan’s “sweet” persona. She leaned in close to Su Su, staring into her eyes. “I know. What’s the rush? I’m here to help you, aren’t I?”

“You help me?” Su Su was skeptical. “You’re just a kid. You’re going to help me?” That would be quite embarrassing.

“You’re only a year older than me. Don’t act like a grown-up.”

Su Su was speechless. “A day older, an hour older, even a minute older counts as older, okay? Besides, aren’t you a rookie just like me? And you want to help…”

Ning Qingke interrupted her. “How do you know I’m like you? Even if I haven’t eaten pork, I’ve seen pigs run.”

“What do you mean?”

Ning Qingke pulled a USB drive from her pocket and handed it to her solemnly. “These are my treasures. I don’t share them with just anyone. I’ll only lend it to you for a week. I believe in a week’s time, you’ll have gained a lot.”

The USB drive felt like a hot potato. Su Su wanted to throw it, but she wanted to keep it more. She gripped it tight and hid it under her pillow like a thief.

Ning Qingke shook her head. “Look at you.”

…

The library was silent. Chen Jia wove through the rows of bookshelves. After finding the reference materials she needed, she didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she went up to the sixth floor.

At the very last row of bookshelves, she found the book she wanted. When she registered it at the scanner by the door, the student behind her looked at her strangely. She lowered her eyes and expressionlessly stuffed all the books into her backpack.

At home, everyone was waiting for her. Ning Qingyuan teased, “You’re finally back. We thought you got lost.” She reached out to help with the backpack, but Chen Jia subtly dodged.

“I’ll go up to get my notes first. You guys keep discussing.”

She moved quickly; in a flash, she had disappeared from the living room. “Why is she acting so secretive?” Ning Qingyuan wondered.

Upstairs, Chen Jia dumped everything out of her bag. Regarding that last book, she looked left and right in the room, hoping to find a safe spot. Finally, she hid it at the very bottom of the wardrobe.

When she came back downstairs, three pairs of probing eyes landed on her. “What were you doing? You’re not pulling some secret stunt behind our backs, are you?”

Before Chen Jia could speak, Su Su cut in. “Of course not.” Her bright eyes fixed on Chen Jia. Chen Jia paused slightly and then nodded.

The awkwardness from the morning seemed to have vanished. Su Su showed her several topics she and Ning Qingyuan had discussed while she was out.

“Generally, room layout is the easiest and most common, but we want to do something different. These are the ones we’ve shortlisted. They are manageable for us, and according to our observation, they have a high winning rate.”

“Which one do you think is best?” Chen Jia asked. If they settled on a topic today, they could start modeling immediately.

Ning Qingyuan shrugged. “We can’t agree, so we’re letting you put an end to our argument.”

Chen Jia glanced at Su Su, who was full of anticipation, clearly hoping she and Chen Jia would be on the same page. Chen Jia curled her lips into a smile. “I think the amusement park is good.”

Ning Qingyuan’s smile froze. “No way. Did you two discuss this beforehand? Just leaving me out of the loop.”

Su Su happily checked the box next to the amusement park option. “This is called ‘minds in sync,’ don’t you get it?”

“Fine, fine. You’re in sync. I’m just the extra, alright?”

Su Su pursed her lips and didn’t reply.

…

In the evening, after the Ning sisters left, Chen Jia showered and changed. Returning to the room, she found Su Su engrossed in something on her tablet. Su Su was frowning and didn’t even notice her.

Just as Chen Jia leaned in to see what she was looking at, Su Su quickly hid the tablet, looking panicked. “You’re finished? So fast?”

Chen Jia blinked. “What were you watching?”

“Nothing. Just some movies. You definitely wouldn’t like them.”

Chen Jia narrowed her eyes, having a hunch. “You haven’t even shown me. How do you know I won’t like them?”

Su Su’s face flushed red as she said urgently, “Anyway, you won’t. I’ll finish watching first and share with you if there’s a chance later. It’s late now, let’s sleep.”

Chen Jia didn’t press further. She nodded. “Mhm. I’ll take you to see something fun tomorrow.”

“Something fun? What is it?” Since Chen Jia was usually so busy, Su Su rarely saw her idle. She once thought Chen Jia didn’t even know the concept of “fun,” so she was skeptical.

“You’ll know tomorrow.” Chen Jia smiled; she didn’t look like she was joking.

Su Su figured she was finally loosening up. “Do I need to wake up early?”

“No, we’ll sleep until we wake up naturally.”

“Is that okay?” If they were going out, shouldn’t they have a schedule?

“It’s fine. I’ve arranged everything.”

Seeing her so certain, Su Su stopped worrying.

…

The next morning, when Su Su woke up, Chen Jia was already up. Having not changed positions all night, Su Su’s leg felt a bit numb. “Chen Jia~”

Almost the moment her voice trailed off, Chen Jia pushed the door open. “Awake? What do you want to wear today?”

The weather was getting cold now, otherwise Su Su really wanted to wear a dress. “My foot is inconvenient. You choose for me.” She always looked for little bits of sweetness in these small details during her long crush.

Chen Jia didn’t refuse. She picked a loose white hooded sweatshirt paired with grey wide-leg lounge pants. The injured foot was wrapped in a thick, soft cotton sock.

“Am I being too much trouble? Maybe we should go after I’m better?”

Chen Jia smoothed out the wrinkles in Su Su’s clothes. “How could you be trouble? We can’t let ourselves be bullied for nothing, can we?”

Su Su’s mouth dropped open. “You’re not really going to settle the score with Qin Mingxing, are you? She won’t call the police, will she?”

“Not if she doesn’t see us.”

At that moment, Su Su didn’t yet understand what Chen Jia meant. Chen Jia carried her on her back to their destination—a small alleyway behind the school’s back gate. The school’s location was already remote; this area behind it had no shops and was one of the paths leading to the Yellow River. It was usually deserted.

“Is this really okay?” Su Su was still a bit uneasy.

“It’s fine.”

A moment later, Ning Qingyuan arrived, pedaling a tricycle. “Phew, I’m exhausted. This thing was so hard to find. If I hadn’t promised the scrap metal uncle that I’d sell him all the cardboard boxes my grandma saved, he wouldn’t have lent it to me. Oh, wait—I had to add another 50 yuan for the rental fee. You guys have to reimburse me later.”

Chen Jia glanced at her, speechless. “I’ll transfer it to you later.”