A Scummy Alpha Supporting Character Accidentally Marks the Heroine After Transmigrating into a Book (GL) - Chapter 33
Bai Wan’s cold voice rang in her ears. This answer was exactly what Yan Nanjue had expected.
She withdrew her gaze and spoke with equal indifference, “I’ve never seen her before.”
The Department Head let out a few “ohs,” briefly introduced them to each other, and seeing that both of them looked cold and seemingly didn’t get along, he had no choice but to let Bai Wan leave first. Then, he led the group back to the Principal’s office.
By the time Yan Nanjue emerged from the office, the sky outside was darkening, but the campus remained lively.
Chen Wanjun asked, “Want to come over to my place for a bit?”
Yan Nanjue declined.
A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Wanjun’s eyes. Her lips parted as if she had something to say, but in the end, she simply gave a slight nod. “Alright, I’m heading back then.”
Assistant Lin called the driver to bring the car around.
As the car door opened and Yan Nanjue lowered herself to get in, her gaze froze for a moment.
Bai Wan was in the car.
She was leaning against the backrest with her eyes closed, resting. Her brow was slightly furrowed, as if she had encountered something unpleasant.
Yan Nanjue felt curious, but she didn’t say anything, closing her eyes as she leaned back against the seat. The car slowly drove through the night toward the villa.
Yan Nanjue walked ahead, the rhythmic clack-clack of her steps echoing in the large living room. Bai Wan trailed slightly behind; when she entered the house, all she saw was a tall, retreating silhouette.
She leaned over at the entryway to change her shoes.
A petal slid off her shoulder, spiraling down to land by her feet. She picked it up and looked at it—it was a pale pink cherry blossom petal. She didn’t know when it had stuck to her, nor whether it had fallen from her or from Yan Nanjue.
She pinched the tiny petal tight. A bit of juice seeped from the crease, dampening her fingertip. She tossed the petal into the trash.
As Bai Wan headed toward her room, she saw the butler walking toward her, holding something.
“Madam, someone delivered something today.” In her hand was a gift box of medium height. “It should be a formal dress. Did you and the Miss order dresses? There’s also one for the Miss. She doesn’t like others touching her things, so I put it in her room.”
Bai Wan took the gift box and opened it.
Inside was indeed clothing—the Republican-era student outfit she had worn at that private kitchen restaurant. It had been cleaned, ironed, and carefully packaged before being sent over.
Lying with the clothes was a small, beautifully wrapped box tied with a ribbon, slightly larger than a mobile phone.
Bai Wan closed the lid. “It’s clothes. I’ll take it back now.”
“Alright.” The butler smiled warmly. “Thank you for helping deliver the medicine last time, Madam. The Miss never listens to advice and rarely takes medicine when she’s sick, just letting her body suffer.”
She let out a faint sigh. “The Miss has had that stubborn, unyielding temperament since she was a child. It hasn’t changed no matter how old she gets.”
“The Miss isn’t bad at heart…” The butler paused, speaking diplomatically. “Please don’t be angry with her. Sometimes when her emotions get the better of her, she acts obsessively and does things that cannot be undone.”
Bai Wan’s expression remained icy. “Butler, you don’t need to tell me these things.”
“I am not the person who needs to hear this. Next time Luo Shuqing visits, relay these words to her instead.”
With that, she walked away from the living room.
The cook poked her head out cautiously from a room. “How was it? Did the Madam listen?”
The butler sighed helplessly. “The Madam is also stubborn. Both of them are too obsessive; neither is willing to back down. They’re like firecrackers. Making them get along is harder than climbing to heaven.”
Hearing this, the cook knew the persuasion had failed and sighed as well.
“I only wanted you to try because the Miss’s temper has improved a lot lately. What if it worked? The Madam isn’t a bad person either. Seeing her suffer all the time makes me… sigh…”
In her room, Bai Wan untied the ribbon on the small box and lifted the lid.
Inside this somewhat flat box was a photograph. The image quality was aged, with a grey-toned tint.
In the photo, the girl in the student outfit looked cold, sitting sideways with her brow slightly furrowed in displeasure. She looked like a slightly crumpled rose, beautiful enough to make one overlook her indifference. The woman in the qipao leaned against the back of the chair, her wrist draped softly over the girl’s shoulder. Her eyes were half-lidded, and her shimmering gaze fell entirely on the person in front of her.
She wasn’t looking at the camera.
She was looking at her.
“…”
The photo carried a subtle sense of narrative; the photographer had captured the moment perfectly. In Bai Wan’s expression, there was a fleeting trace of unintended daintiness.
An indecipherable atmosphere lingered between the two in the photo, a tight connection that left no room for anyone else to intrude.
Bai Wan frowned. She placed her other hand on the photo, her fingers pressing down hard. Feeling agitated, she wanted to destroy this joint photo.
Yan Nanjue also saw the photo.
The system commented: [It’s quite a nice photo. But why were you looking at the female lead back then?]
Yan Nanjue nodded. “I thought I only stole a few glances. I didn’t expect the photographer to catch it.”
She thought about it and realized this was likely the only photo she had with the female lead.
The system praised it again: [It’s really well-captured. Find a place to put it away.]
Yan Nanjue pulled open a drawer and tossed the photo inside.
She let out a yawn. “I’m so sleepy, System…” Before she could finish her sentence, her eyes had closed, and she fell asleep face-down.
The next day, Yan Nanjue paused as she entered the dining room.
Yan Changqing had arrived at some point and was sitting at the table dining with Bai Wan.
“Woken up?” She held a slender small spoon, gently stirring the coffee in her cup, lifting her eyelids to glance over.
Yan Nanjue frowned. “Why are you here so suddenly?”
“Que, this is my home too, isn’t it?” Yan Changqing said. “I’ve heard some rumors about that overseas project you mentioned last time. Finish your breakfast and come out with me.”
Yan Nanjue sat opposite her, with Bai Wan right by her side.
Yan Changqing seemed to be in a good mood, asking pleasantly, “Is Xiao Wan going out today?”
“No.”
“You still wake up so early even if you’re not going out? It’s a rare weekend; why not sleep in a bit more?”
Bai Wan lowered her eyes. Her reply remained flat, showing no emotion toward Yan Changqing’s sudden change in attitude. “Sleeping too long disrupts my life and the rhythm of my brain’s processing.”
Yan Changqing nodded. “Xiao Wan makes a good point. You youngsters are getting more and more independent in your thinking.”
“Chairman Yan,” Yan Nanjue added a hint of sarcasm to her voice, “you seem to be talking too much.”
Yan Changqing glanced at her but said nothing.
Breakfast consisted of soup dumplings and lean meat congee. She didn’t like the century eggs in the congee, so she set it aside after a few sips and focused on the soup dumplings.
Yan Nanjue licked her lower lip, wanting more.
She stood up. Yan Changqing also finished her coffee, and the two walked out together.
In the car, Yan Nanjue spoke coldly, “You change faces faster than flipping a page in a book, Chairman Yan.”
Yan Changqing was in a great mood. “The chemotherapy is working. Aunt Yue’s condition is improving. It seems going abroad was the right choice. The doctor said a new specialty drug was developed. I was considering whether to use it on her, but since she’s stable now, the new drug isn’t necessary.”
Yan Nanjue’s pupils dilated slightly, she was invisibly shocked.
She remembered that Yan Changqing’s second wife died precisely from the side effects of that new drug. Now, she had actually avoided it?
Confused, she called for the system in her mind.
[Every flap of a butterfly’s wing can cause a storm. To prevent the female lead from blackening, you must change the plot. Every change in a plot node will give rise to unpredictable developments.]
The system pointed out the core issue: [You are changing everything.]
Yan Nanjue half-understood: “I thought I was only changing the female lead’s future.”
[The female lead is the protagonist of the book. Changing her future is changing the book itself, isn’t it?] The system said with confusion: [Did you think you were only changing the ending for you and the female lead?]
Yan Nanjue nodded honestly. She had always thought the rest of the book’s plot would proceed according to the programmed development.
[Don’t be naive. Everything in this book is constantly changing. You are changing the predetermined ending. Before the final ending is set, everything could potentially change.]
[But it’s fine. It’s enough that you know now.]
Yan Changqing noticed her spacing out and put her fingers to her temple. “What is it?”
Yan Nanjue snapped back to reality. “Congratulations,” she said flatly.
“My people have caught the undercover mole. If we had truly taken that project, the Yan Group would have suffered a huge blow…” Yan Changqing praised, “Que, you’ve grown.”
She said, “This position of mine will be yours sooner or later.”
Yan Nanjue’s expression remained neutral, showing no excitement.
The traitor was brought to the ancestral home. She and Yan Changqing dealt with the person. For the first time, she witnessed Chairman Yan’s ruthless methods firsthand and couldn’t help but gasp inwardly.
After dealing with all that, the stylist Yan Changqing had booked in advance arrived. There was an auction that evening; she and Yan Nanjue would go together.
Yan Changqing hadn’t originally planned to attend this auction. Her plan was to leave as soon as the domestic affairs were handled, but now that her wife’s illness had lessened, she decided to stay for two more months.
Entering the auction house, Yan Nanjue caught a glimpse of someone she didn’t want to see.
Luo Shuqing was following her parents and elder sister. When she saw her, her eyes lit up, and she gave a small wave.
Yan Changqing walked toward the Luo parents. The two families were old acquaintances, having been neighbors for nearly ten years before moving.
The elders greeted each other and began to chat. Upon hearing news of Yan Changqing’s wife, Mother Luo smiled. “I heard Xiao Yue’s condition is improving? Oh, that’s wonderful. No wonder I wondered why you were back.”
Luo Shuqing couldn’t cut into the elders’ conversation, so she approached Yan Nanjue and whispered, “Sister Nanjue.”
She scanned the surroundings. “Did Sister Bai Wan not come?”
Yan Nanjue became reflexively nervous at the question. “She’s at home.”
Luo Shuqing feigned regret for a few moments, then became all smiles again. The injury on her hand was mostly healed; she was in the recovery phase, with a ribbon wrapped around the scar, skillfully hiding it.
“Xiao Qing, I’m going to greet a friend.” Luo Shuqing’s elder sister patted her head. She gave a slight nod to Yan Nanjue and said politely, “Nanjue, I’m heading over. Chat with Xiao Qing.”
Luo Shuqing’s sister was not close to Yan Nanjue; they had their own social circles that didn’t overlap. Luo Shuqing smiled and waved her off, the extra length of rose ribbon on her arm fluttering.
Yan Nanjue took a quiet step back when the girl wasn’t looking, distancing herself.
“Sister Nanjue, is there anything in the auction items you’re interested in?” she asked enthusiastically.
“No.”
Luo Shuqing walked with her toward the seats. “I’ve got my eye on two famous paintings. I don’t know if I can get them. There’s one Mother likes very much, and one I like.”
She turned back, smiling brightly. “If I can, I want to give the painting I win to you.”
Yan Nanjue frowned slightly. “No need.”
She looked at Luo Shuqing with a serious expression. “Don’t give it to me. I don’t lack anything, and I can’t appreciate paintings.”
Luo Shuqing’s expression didn’t change at the blunt refusal. “Maybe Sister Bai Wan would like it.”
The Luo and Yan family boxes were adjacent. During the chat, they reached the door of the box. Yan Nanjue pushed the door and entered. Yan Changqing hadn’t finished her socializing yet; only she and a waiter were in the small room.
She signaled the waiter to leave and picked up a tablet to look.
“This sapphire brooch is so beautiful!”
The system looked with her. [Not bad.]
Yan Nanjue was tempted. She looked around but didn’t find the starting price.
[The starting price will be announced when the item is exhibited. Its auction order is late, and the price won’t be low.] The system added: [It’s fine, you can afford it.]
[Although it doesn’t compare to the female lead’s biological parents’ background, before the female lead bankrupts them, the Yan family is one of the top old-money families in A-City.]
Yan Nanjue shook her head. “I’m just looking.”
[You don’t want to buy it?]
She said honestly, “I don’t really want to.” It was all stuff from the mission world; she couldn’t take it back to the real world anyway.
The auction began, and Yan Changqing returned to the box.
One expensive item after another was brought to the front, and the bidding prices grew higher. The two paintings Luo Shuqing wanted were put up back-to-back. One was titled Freedom, and the other Moonlight. Currently, they were bidding on Freedom, with a starting price in the millions.
Yan Changqing suddenly spoke: “Is there nothing you fancy?”
Yan Nanjue paused and looked over. Yan Changqing’s lashes were lowered, her gaze falling on the stage through the one-way glass. Unlike her, Yan Changqing had occupied a high position for a long time, and a dangerous sense of nobility seeped from her bones. There was a touch of nonchalance in her eyes.
It was no wonder the outside world called her a “smiling fox.” It was truly hard to imagine that such a cold-blooded fox would drop everything for her seriously ill wife and stay abroad for years.
Noticing Yan Nanjue’s gaze lingering too long, she tilted her head. “What is it? You’ve been out of it since the auction started. I thought you disliked coming to such places with your mother.”
Yan Nanjue’s expression turned cold, not wanting to argue. “No.”
“What did the Luo’s youngest daughter say to you?”
“None of your business,” Yan Nanjue answered flatly.
Yan Changqing wasn’t annoyed. “Sold,” she said. She was referring to the painting Luo Shuqing wanted; the final price was nearly eighty million.
Her tone was interested. “The two Luo daughters are quite interesting. One Omega loves finance; without surprise, she’ll be the Luo family successor. The other Beta has no interest in wealth and is focused on painting. If she went into business, her achievements might exceed her sister’s.”
Yan Nanjue spoke flatly, “Everyone has their own ambitions.”
Yan Changqing smiled as if thinking of something, and said, “I’ve taken an interest in a set of jewelry. Take a look for me, how is it?”
She handed over the tablet, which displayed information for a set of jewelry. When she saw the pictures, Yan Nanjue’s eyes lit up.
Even through the screen, she was stunned by this brilliant jewelry set. It was a three-piece set: a necklace, earrings, and a ring. The color of the gemstones was like pigeon blood—transparent and dazzling. The designer had skillfully incorporated the image of camellias in full bloom; this flower falls whole after reaching its peak, stopping its life at its most perfect stage.
The lingering, blossoming flower held a hidden sense of decay. The deep red blood was like the teardrops shed by a bird before death, withering in tragic beauty.
The set was named “Eternal Love.”
Yan Nanjue looked at the bottom right corner, where the designer was listed.
Yan Changqing said nonchalantly, “A very striking use of color, rich in strong personal style. The emotions are very full. Although the base tone is dark, it truly catches the eye.”
The system agreed: [Yan Changqing has good taste.]
Yan Nanjue blinked. She said, “This is Bai Wan’s work.”
[System: Hmm?]
Yan Nanjue’s tone was certain: “It’s hers.”
[Did you recognize her signature?]
Yan Nanjue shook her head. “No, I remember it.”
“This was the female lead’s design during university. About five years ago, during the time Bai Qingzhi had a heart attack and her adoptive parents died.” Her voice softened. “The initial design contained a death wish. It was modified several times, but in the end, it inevitably carried a sense of destruction.”
“After being restricted by the original host, the female lead sold many designs cheaply. This set was sold to a niche luxury jewelry studio abroad.”
The system searched the original book and found the content she mentioned.
[It really is. I didn’t expect you to have such a good memory regarding mission details.]
Yan Nanjue felt motivated by the praise. “Of course!” She could do anything to complete the mission!
“Que?” Yan Changqing called. “What do you think of this jewelry set?”
She spoke thoughtfully, “I didn’t prepare a meeting gift for Bai Wan last time. How about this set?”
Yan Nanjue’s nerves tightened instantly. This jewelry set was not suitable as a gift for the female lead. It should have belonged to the female lead, and now for it to appear before her like this…
The thought of that scene made her blood run cold. She spoke hurriedly, intending to dissuade Yan Changqing.
Yan Nanjue frowned slightly. “Change it for something else.”
Yan Changqing asked with confusion, “Why? Does Xiao Wan not like pigeon blood rubies?”
“I want this set.”
Yan Changqing looked at her for about two seconds, then chuckled. “You’re not a child anymore. If you like it, just say so. I’ll see if there’s anything else for a meeting gift.”
While speaking, the jewelry set appeared on the stage, with a starting price of ten million. This set wasn’t prominent among today’s exhibits, and Yan Nanjue won it without much effort.
Yan Changqing chose a different necklace.
The two items were sent to the box for them to inspect. A gloved staff member carefully exhibited them. The actual pieces of “Eternal Love” were far more brilliant than the pictures. Every facet radiated dazzling light, and every piece was beautiful beyond words.
Yan Nanjue had Assistant Lin send the items to the ancestral home and called the butler, telling her to put them in her old room. This item was not suitable for the villa.
When they walked out of the box, Luo Shuqing and her group also happened to push their door and emerge.
Yan Changqing gave a slight nod to the Luo parents and turned to leave. Seeing this, Luo Shuqing waved toward her, her tone light and cheerful, “Goodbye, Sister Nanjue.”
Luo Huazhi, who was talking to a friend, heard this and patted her sister’s head. “Xiao Qing.”
Luo Shuqing turned back, confused. Luo Huazhi simply said, “Go look at the painting you won?”
“Okay.”
The friend stole a few looks at Yan Nanjue’s retreating back and asked, “Xiao Qing’s friend looks a bit familiar. I’ve seen her photos online these past few days. Is she that Young Yan of the Yan Group?”
Luo Shuqing, who had already taken two steps, paused. “What photos?” she asked politely. “Sister, would you mind showing me?”
The friend unlocked her phone and pulled up the browsing history. “It’s a post from your school. I wasn’t sure if it was her, but looking at the photos, it definitely is.”
Luo Shuqing looked at the post. The first photo was a solo shot of Yan Nanjue, standing under a cherry tree seemingly waiting for someone. The next few were photos with Chen Wanjun.
She swiped her finger back, and her movements paused when she saw the last photo.
…Bai Wan was in this photo.
The photographer seemed to have been nervous; part of the photo was out of focus. The protagonists changed from Yan Nanjue and Chen Wanjun to Bai Wan. Chen Wanjun was at the back, her figure completely blurred. Half of Yan Nanjue was blurred, yet Luo Shuqing could still recognize her silhouette at a glance.
The Alpha and Omega in the photo stood very close, looking at each other. The petals fluttering through the sky seemed to serve as their background.
Bai Wan. It was Bai Wan again. Why was she everywhere?
—Why was there a Bai Wan everywhere Yan Nanjue appeared?
Luo Shuqing’s pupils dilated slightly, and her expression went blank for a moment.
“During the University Y celebration a few days ago, she was photographed by students when she was invited to attend. Because her looks are so outstanding, the photos went viral on the forum.” The friend asked, “Did Xiao Qing not go to the celebration?”
Luo Huazhi said, “She’s too reckless and injured her hand. I didn’t allow her to run around.”
The friend understood. “Speaking of which, Young Yan is already married, isn’t she? I heard my cousin mention it. Did she not bring her wife?”
Luo Shuqing’s ears twitched, clearly taking in the conversation. Her expression grew even more stunned.
She had known Yan Nanjue for twenty years. She understood this person and knew she was never interested in such activities.
So, who was she accompanying when she attended the celebration?
“…”
“Xiao Qing? Xiao Qing?”
Luo Shuqing snapped back to reality and returned the phone to her sister’s friend. “I’m sorry, sister. I was just thinking about something.”
“It’s fine. I’m leaving now, Zhizhi.”
Luo Shuqing withdrew her hand, her fingernails digging hard into the scar from the burn on her right hand. Luo Huazhi noticed the movement and grabbed her left hand to stop her.
“Xiao Qing.” Her face was full of disapproval, frustrated with her sister’s refusal to let go. “Stop being obsessed with her. She won’t like you.”
“I won’t.”
Luo Shuqing looked up at her. “I won’t give up. You know the relationship between her and Bai Wan. They have no feelings for each other at all.”
She murmured, repeating it once more.
“They have no feelings…”
So, when exactly did Yan Nanjue start caring so much about Bai Wan…?
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