When The Scheming Female Supporting Character Is Forced To Seduce The Female Lead - Chapter 31

Fireworks are truly wonderful—beautiful and romantic, capable of enhancing the atmosphere while hiding the pounding of one’s heart.

Du Jingmo resolved to take Zhao Qingdai to more fireworks displays in the future.

After the cultural performance, the video recording was sent to Du Zhong. He watched it three times, first praising his sister’s beauty, then remarking, “Good thing you insisted on studying art back then and didn’t listen to Dad about learning piano.”

Half an hour passed without a reply. Only then did he realize his comment might have hurt his sister’s feelings. Just as he was about to send a follow-up message to make amends, he suddenly saw a red exclamation point.

Du Zhong: “Ah! A woman’s heart is truly inscrutable.”

He had initially assumed that Du Jingmo would block him for a few days before letting him back on her contact list. He never expected that it would take until just before the New Year for him to finally be able to message his sister on WeChat.

The moment he was removed from the blacklist, he was so overwhelmed with emotion he nearly cried. “I thought you’d disowned me as your brother over that one comment. You’re so heartless!”

Du Jingmo: “Sorry, bro. I forgot to unblock you after I added you to the blacklist.”

Du Zhong: “……”

She had genuinely forgotten about her own brother. With end-of-term responsibilities piling up, she was preoccupied with bringing Zhao Qingdai home this year. The busy-ness had completely pushed the blocking incident out of her mind until she was discussing plans with others and suddenly remembered.

Du Jingmo typed quickly: “Bro, I need to ask you something. I want to bring Qingdai home this year, so please talk to Dad first.”

Du Zhong: “Why can’t you just handle this yourself? Like Dad would refuse to let you bring her home. She’s your sister, not some random guy you picked up off the street.”

The only person Du Jingmo could personally bring home and still risk being kicked out would be a wild boar coming to ravage their family’s precious cabbage.

Du Jingmo paused for a moment, then sent two angry emoji. “I’ll tell you mine, you tell me yours. It’s not like we’re conflicting. Stop asking so many questions and just help me out.”

Du Zhong replied with an emoji of a little girl pouting and making an “OK” sign, her lips even puffed into a heart shape—so cute.

Du Jingmo slowly typed a question mark. “Where did you get this emoji? Who sent it to you?”

It was too cute, completely out of character for Du Zhong.

Some people look like proper young gentlemen on the surface—handsome, wealthy, and charming—but their actual expressions are all old-man memes. Their favorite to send are the “torn paper” smile and the “rose delivery” grin.

After receiving no reply for a long time, Du Jingmo began bombarding him with messages, flooding the chat with question marks. Two minutes later, it was her turn to see the red exclamation point.

Du Jingmo: “…Stupid man!”

How dare he hold a grudge?

“What’s wrong, Sister? Who are you cursing at?” Zhao Qingdai’s ears perked up like a radar as soon as she heard the word “man.”

“Curse my brother. He’s probably in trouble, saving some super cute emoji from some little girl.” Du Jingmo clicked her tongue. “When I asked who it was, he actually blocked me! Isn’t that guilt written all over him?”

Zhao Qingdai’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Are you saying Brother is dating someone?”

“Even if he’s not officially dating anyone, he has someone he’s close to. Why are you looking more excited than I am?”

“It’s nothing, I’m just really happy for our brother,” she chuckled, her face flushed with excitement.

Du Zhong having a romantic interest meant their potential storyline was completely over. This was huge news—how could she not be happy?

Du Jingmo pinched Zhao Qingdai’s rosy cheek. “Stop grinning so foolishly. I’ve already bought the tickets. You’re coming home with me in two days. I gave you plenty of time to prepare this time, and you promised in advance—you can’t back out now!”

Zhao Qingdai nodded vigorously. “Don’t worry, Sister! I’m fully prepared this time!”

During her years living with the Du family, Zhao Qingdai had thoroughly learned what Father Du and Grandpa Du liked. This time, her gifts would be perfectly tailored to their tastes—a bullseye!

Although Zhao Qingdai had lived on campus for years and didn’t have much, she had packed a large suitcase. Now empty, it felt light and almost floated when lifted.

Du Jingmo asked curiously, “Why did you bring such a big suitcase? Don’t tell me you’re planning to bring something back from home? Just buy what you need and have it delivered—you don’t have to pack it yourself.”

She subconsciously assumed that since Zhao Qingdai had lived with her for so long, she would naturally return to the Du family for the winter break this time.

Zhao Qingdai shook her head and refused. “This time, I want to go back to my old place for a couple of days first. There are some things of mine there that I need to take with me to feel at ease.”

“No,” Du Jingmo said firmly. “What’s missing, you can buy. If there’s something specific you need, I’ll accompany you to retrieve it. But you can’t stay there—it’s not safe. You have to come home with me.”

“No, I have to go myself. Only I can go,” Zhao Qingdai insisted. The moment the words left her lips, she realized her tone was too forceful. Her sister was clearly trying to help her.

She softened her voice. “It’s not that I don’t want you to come, Sister. There are some things I need to handle myself. This isn’t just about retrieving my belongings. I have something I need to do.”

She took Du Jingmo’s hand, swung it gently, and pressed it against her cheek. “That person… he ran away last year to avoid his debts. The place is empty now, perfectly safe. Here’s what I’ll do: I won’t stay overnight. Once I’ve tidied up, I’ll come to your place. We can make dumplings together, have New Year’s Eve dinner, and stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Okay?”

With such a heartfelt plea, how could Du Jingmo refuse?

“Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll drive you there. Once you’re done, text me, and I’ll pick you up.”

Zhao Qingdai nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

Du Jingmo couldn’t quite muster a smile.

Zhao Qingdai was hiding something, keeping her own secrets.

She had thought they were inseparable, but it turned out there was still a rift between them.

Zhao Qingdai’s old home was only a narrow alley away from the Du family residence, yet the difference between them was as vast as the heavens and earth.

When Du Jingmo brought Zhao Qingdai back, she was taken aback. It had been years since she’d last set foot in this place. The dilapidated, antiquated house, reeking of dampness, made her wonder how anyone could possibly live there.

She was about to suggest Zhao Qingdai not go inside, but Zhao Qingdai beat her to it: “It’s too dirty, Sister. You shouldn’t come in. I’ll clean it up. I’ll let you know when I’m done. Go back and check on Uncle and Grandfather first.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Du Jingmo decided to respect Zhao Qingdai’s decision. “Hurry up and clean it. Remember to call me. I’m leaving now.”

Zhao Qingdai watched the car drive away, the smile on her face fading. It had been years since she’d last returned, and she didn’t even want to look at this place again. But there were some things she had to take with her, or they would become a future liability.

She took out her key and inserted it into the rusty lock. With a click, the door swung open, releasing a cloud of dust and the musty smell of mold.

She covered her mouth and nose, coughing a few times. After letting the air circulate for three minutes, she finally stepped inside.

Her mind was solely focused on getting this over with quickly and leaving as soon as possible. She didn’t notice the person behind the neighboring door pretending to play with their phone, but actually snapping a photo of her with the camera.

Zhao Yong had fled to escape his debts, and the house had been stripped bare. Even the debt collectors left empty-handed. Zhao Qingdai’s room, however, remained untouched—practically barren except for a single bed and quilt—so it had escaped the plunder.

She lifted the dusty quilt, opened the hidden compartment beneath the bed, and retrieved two small chests.

Unlocking the password-protected lock, she found a stack of photos of Du Jingmo.

The collection spanned from age fifteen to nineteen. Zhao Qingdai’s first phone had been a gift from Du Jingmo, and the first thing she did after turning it on was take a photo of her sister.

From then on, it spiraled out of control. Every opportunity became a chance to snap a secret photo, print it out, and hide it away. Even after starting university, the habit persisted. It wasn’t until she lived with Du Jingmo again that she restrained herself, fearing discovery.

“Holy crap!” The System was astonished by the sheer volume of photos. “No wonder you refused to let Du Jingmo come here! If she saw these, she’d be terrified!”

“There’s another box here,” Zhao Qingdai said, opening a small chest and showing it to the System. “This one sounds even more… twisted. It’s filled with things Sister used, and I collected them like scavenging through trash.”

At first, she simply thought that anything Sister had, she would have too someday. She resolved to work harder and earn more money, using this standard to repay her sister.

But things had taken a dark turn. Seeing all these collected items together was genuinely unsettling.

“This is too…” The System didn’t finish its sentence when its joking expression suddenly turned serious. “Someone’s coming!”

Hasty footsteps grew closer. Zhao Qingdai quickly slammed the box shut, grabbed the chest, and rushed out of the bedroom, only to collide with Zhao Yong—a disheveled, beer-soaked figure.

He was a gambler and drunkard who had been wandering the streets for ages, his eyes bloodshot from deprivation. But when he saw the two chests, his eyes glinted with a sinister crimson, making him look ferocious and terrifying.

“Dad knew you had money! Quick, give me the suitcase!”

Zhao Qingdai clutched the suitcase tightly and took a half-step back. “How did you know I was back?”

“Dad’s been worried about you. He had a neighbor keep an eye on the place and contact him when you returned.” He wore only a thin padded jacket, and he sniffled from the cold as he spoke. “Dad doesn’t want everything you have. Just help me pay off my gambling debts. If I don’t pay, they’ll chop off my hands and feet!”

Without waiting for Zhao Qingdai’s response, he lunged forward and tried to snatch the suitcase.

“Not money! I don’t have any money!” Zhao Qingdai shouted, clinging tightly to the suitcase and resisting fiercely. She kicked out viciously.

Her kick landed with all her strength, striking Zhao Yong squarely. Abandoning his pretense, he revealed his true ferocity, smashing his fist into her eye.

Pain and dizziness surged through her. Zhao Qingdai screamed and collapsed to the ground, drained of strength.

Zhao Yong didn’t spare her a glance. He snatched the suitcase, slammed it to the floor, and cursed, “Damn it, what the hell is this crap?”

His impotent rage fueled his actions as he stomped repeatedly on the suitcase. Suddenly sensing something amiss, he crouched down and began rummaging through its contents.

He sneered, grabbing Zhao Qingdai as she struggled to clutch Du Jingmo’s photo to her chest. He spat, “You fucking… you’re a fucking pervert!”

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