When The Scheming Female Supporting Character Is Forced To Seduce The Female Lead - Chapter 24

The atmosphere at the gathering grew stiff. Under Du Jingmo’s clearly displeased gaze, Qiao Jiaojiao sat up straighter and straighter, inching farther and farther away, until a chasm separated them.

In stark contrast was Zhao Qingdai, the green tea who had been pressed against Du Jingmo’s side from the start, as if she had no bones in her body. Now she held a coconut drink, taking small sips. When she reached the bottom of the cup, she curled her fingers around Du Jingmo’s and tilted the cup toward her.

She whispered, “Cheers, Sister!”

Qiao Jiaojiao felt like she was watching a kindergarten play. This was way too childish!

Du Jingmo would definitely ignore such childish behavior. He would turn his head in cold disdain, refusing to acknowledge it. Du Jingmo… Du Jingmo actually clinked glasses with Zhao Qingdai!

Though her expression remained cool and detached, her willingness to indulge Zhao Qingdai’s childish antics spoke volumes.

Qiao Jiaojiao pressed hard on her pressure point, taking deep breaths, silently screaming in her mind, Help me! Quick, help me!

“What are you doing? Drunk and delirious?” Du Jingmo’s disdain was written plainly on his face.

“It’s nothing, nothing,” Qiao Jiaojiao said with a forced smile, raising her glass. “Cheers… cheers?”

Du Jingmo remained silent.

Her silence spoke volumes.

Qiao Jiaojiao quietly withdrew her glass and downed the bitter liquor in one gulp.

She felt humiliated, and her hatred burned fiercely.

Zhao Qingdai pretended to sip her coconut juice, masking her smile to hide her amusement.

No one dislikes being favored, and Du Jingmo’s earlier actions had blatantly shown her preference.

Her companions felt sorry for Qiao Jiaojiao, though they couldn’t understand why she was clashing with Zhao Qingdai. They tried to lighten the mood, but Qiao Jiaojiao had lost her chance to cheat in the Truth or Dare game.

Du Jingmo casually shook the dice, but the result was disastrous—a two. The game was over for her.

She said, “Ask whatever’s on your mind now, while you have the chance. You won’t get another.”

Qiao Jiaojiao, undeterred by previous rejections, spoke up: “I’ll ask! Last time I visited Uncle, he seemed to be trying to set you up. Did it work out?”

“No,” Du Jingmo replied firmly. “I didn’t like him, and he must have given up.”

Right, he must have.

Gu Cheng was quite well-known among their generation, which puzzled Qiao Jiaojiao. “Why not? You’re so unyielding and hard to win over! Have you ever liked anyone at all?”

This was technically the next question, but for some reason, Du Jingmo subconsciously glanced toward Zhao Qingdai. Her mouth moved faster than her brain, and the words nearly slipped out.

“No,” she repeated emphatically. “Never.”

Zhao Qingdai had kept her head down since Qiao Jiaojiao mentioned Gu Cheng, remaining silent. She swirled the last sip of coconut juice in her cup, her thoughts completely absorbed by Du Jingmo’s answer.

Now, her heart was filled with a complex mix of relief and bitterness.

Du Jingmo had never liked anyone, but neither did she feel anything romantic toward Zhao Qingdai. She saw her only as a younger sister, her feelings shifting from sympathy to familial affection, but never love.

Zhao Qingdai gripped her cup tightly, her thoughts swirling wildly, the force of her grip turning her knuckles white.

From Du Jingmo’s question onward, the Truth or Dare game focused mainly on romantic relationships and childhood anecdotes, creating a lively and harmonious atmosphere that washed away the earlier awkwardness.

Until Zhao Qingdai rolled the lowest number again.

The moment the dice stopped, all eyes turned to Qiao Jiaojiao. Du Jingmo’s gaze, in particular, brimmed with accusatory intensity, as if sharp daggers were about to shoot from her eyes.

Qiao Jiaojiao frantically waved her hands, protesting her innocence. “What are you looking at me for? I’m a proper person! She just had really bad luck this time!”

Honestly, I’d already hit a dead end with Du Jingmo. How would I dare do anything else? I’m truly innocent!

Zhao Qingdai’s passive skill activated at that moment, her voice softening into soothing reassurance. “I also think this has nothing to do with Miss Qiao. It’s entirely my own fault. Sister, please don’t be angry. It’s not worth it.”

Qiao Jiaojiao: “…Hmph! You sly thing!”

Du Jingmo restrained Qiao Jiaojiao’s flaring hand, her tone serious. “Stop fussing. Look how mature she is.”

Zhao Qingdai nearly burst into laughter.

Her words were classic green tea speak—any girl could hear the subtext. Yet Du Jingmo, despite the obvious implications, still stood by her side. Seeing Qiao Jiaojiao’s frustrated expression, Zhao Qingdai felt a twinge of pity.

Her heart, usually obscured by green tea, showed a rare glimmer of conscience. “If you have any questions,” she offered, “just ask.”

Having witnessed Qiao Jiaojiao’s earlier mishap, no one dared ask anything too provocative. They weren’t close enough to Zhao Qingdai to share childhood anecdotes, leaving romantic relationships as the only viable topic.

Someone ventured, “Let me ask a little gossip question: Do you have someone you truly love? Someone you consider your ideal in this world?”

Du Jingmo relaxed. The question was so generic that even if Zhao Qingdai named someone, no one would recognize the name. It was a perfunctory exchange. Besides, Zhao Qingdai didn’t have any romantic interests—there weren’t even any men in her circle.

Leaning back, Du Jingmo arched her spine and picked up a piece of cut dragon fruit, bringing it to her mouth.

Then, mid-chew, she froze.

Zhao Qingdai, whom she’d always assumed was devoid of romantic entanglements, replied calmly but firmly: “Yes.”

Du Jingmo wondered if she’d misheard.

She turned to look at Zhao Qingdai, who smiled faintly. Her eyes lit up as she spoke of her secret love. “But she’s not some idealized fantasy.”

It was a delusion.

In the room, no one except Du Jingmo had any interest in her love life. They asked about it briefly before moving on to the next activity, eager to avoid any further awkwardness. The game had devolved into a drinking contest where players guessed the number of dots on a dice, with incorrect guesses resulting in a shot of liquor.

Du Jingmo, still recovering from her injuries, couldn’t drink. In the end, she and Zhao Qingdai were the only two sober ones left, tasked with calling for a car to ferry the girls home.

The last to be picked up was Qiao Jiaojiao, utterly drunk and her lip makeup smeared. She clung to Du Jingmo, refusing to let go, wailing loudly.

Du Jingmo: “……” Numbness.

“You fickle woman, forgetting your old loves for a new one! You actually dared to give me the cold shoulder for her! You’ve broken my heart, you know! Waaah… mmph…”

Du Jingmo patted her head. “So, remember this lesson tonight. Don’t speak recklessly next time, okay?”

Just then, the Qiao family’s car finally arrived. Du Jingmo let out a long sigh of relief, shoved Qiao Jiaojiao toward the driver with a firm grip on her head, and instructed him to take good care of her before retreating back inside.

Outside, Qiao Jiaojiao couldn’t believe she’d been so ruthlessly abandoned. Her crying intensified, her wails shaking the very heavens.

Inside the house, Du Jingmo surveyed the table strewn with dishes and glasses, pressing a hand to her temple. “If I’d known she’d make such a mess, I wouldn’t have invited her.”

She’d originally wanted Zhao Qingdai to make a friend, but Qiao Jiaojiao had completely ruined the plan.

Zhao Qingdai skillfully rolled up her sleeves. “Sister, you should go back and rest. I’ll clean up.”

“Leave it for now. Auntie will be here tomorrow to help. You don’t need to do this.” Du Jingmo held her back, finally voicing the question that had been lingering all afternoon. “Do you have someone you like? Why haven’t you told me?”

“It’s better if Sister doesn’t know,” Zhao Qingdai replied with a tilted smile, appearing calm but inwardly panicking.

“Sit down and tell me about him. Who is he?” Du Jingmo softened her tone, realizing her initial approach had sounded too forceful, like an interrogation. “I just want to make sure you don’t get hurt. If you tell me, I can help you judge whether he’s right for you.”

Though still flustered, Zhao Qingdai knew that if she missed this chance, she might not get another opportunity to reveal her feelings for a long time.

She carefully chose her words: “The person I like is the best in the world. She’s perfect in every way, and she’s wonderful to me. I’ve liked her for a long time, but I realized it too late and made mistakes, so she doesn’t know how I feel.”

Du Jingmo blurted out, “He’s wonderful to you? How… wonderful?”

She had originally wanted to say, How wonderful compared to how I am to her? But as the words reached her lips, she felt that such a comparison was strange, and she forced herself to rephrase.

A gentle warmth flowed from Zhao Qingdai’s eyes as she declared firmly, “In this world, no one will ever treat me better than she does.”

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