A Scummy Alpha Supporting Character Accidentally Marks the Heroine After Transmigrating into a Book (GL) - Chapter 44

Yan Nanjue was caught completely off guard by this question, her body stiffening almost imperceptibly.

Bai Wan had asked so suddenly that she had zero preparation!

A subtle silence fell over the car. Bai Wan’s gaze didn’t flicker; she looked straight at her with eyes as clear as crystal. The light and shadows from outside the window danced in her pupils, giving her an air of mysterious unpredictability.

She had a genuine desire to know about the hidden matter Luo Shuqing had mentioned.

Realizing this, Yan Nanjue’s palms began to sweat. Her mind went blank with nerves—there was no way she could tell her about the “substitute” secret!

After a long while, Yan Nanjue’s expression turned cold, performing the role of a temperamental tyrant to its extreme.

“That is not something you should be asking about. Mind your useless curiosity.”

Bai Wan stared at her cold profile for a few seconds, seemingly deep in thought. Yan Nanjue felt exceptionally uncomfortable under that scrutiny, almost fearing that Bai Wan had figured something out. However, a moment later, Bai Wan withdrew her gaze.

“I was just asking.”

As Bai Wan dropped the subject, Yan Nanjue’s stiff body relaxed slightly, and she screamed with relief in her heart.

She thought it over and then issued a cold command: “From now on, I forbid you from meeting Luo Shuqing alone. Not just her—I must be fully aware of anyone you meet privately. Your entire itinerary must be reported.”

Bai Wan’s gaze returned to her design drafts, turning a deaf ear to the words.

Receiving no response, Yan Nanjue lifted her eyes in displeasure. “Did you hear me? Mrs. Yan,” she said, emphasizing every word.

Bai Wan kept her eyes down, her expression unreadable. She knit her brows slightly, showing annoyance at this overbearing attempt at control, but she said nothing.

“…Mm.”

Yan Nanjue then turned to her assistant, calling her out by name: “Lin Furuo.”

Assistant Lin, who had made several mistakes in a single day, nodded. “Yes, Boss. I will strictly follow your instructions.”

Having been delayed at the Luo residence for half the day, it was long past quitting time. The car drove directly back to the villa. The next day, Yan Nanjue symbolically docked a month of Lin Furuo’s bonus, offering a flat criticism: “You’ve been slacking lately. You never used to make small mistakes like this.”

She looked sideways. “What’s distracting you?”

Lin Furuo, who had just lost her money, looked crestfallen, a rare look of dejection on her face. She rubbed her nose. “Forgive me, President Yan. Your attitude toward the Madam recently is so different from before. I thought it was your intention… the Madam, she…”

“You took too much liberty upon yourself.”

Yan Nanjue cut her off, not allowing her to continue. “If you keep being this muddled, your salary will be the next thing to hit zero, Lin Furuo.”

Lin Furuo wisely shut her mouth and simply agreed. Yan Nanjue didn’t press further; docking the bonus was already a significant punishment for her assistant.

Lin Furuo was a person who kept work and life strictly separate, dedicating most of her time to her career. She was a model employee in the industry—almost never taking a day off, her dedication was breathtaking. At first, Yan Nanjue wondered why she loved overtime so much, until she accidentally saw Lin Furuo’s pay stub. Seeing the string of zeros, she immediately understood the motivation.

“President Yan, the employee vote for the mid-year team-building location is in. It’s a seaside villa.”

Lin Furuo handed over a folder and asked cautiously, “Will you be inspecting the departments below? Or will it be like previous years—department heads and employees separate, so the lower-level staff can enjoy themselves fully?”

Yan Nanjue’s mind wandered, her gaze lingering on the files for the Design Department.

Lin Furuo took the hint immediately. “I understand, President Yan.”

“Huh?” The snapped-back Yan Nanjue was confused. What does she understand?

【System: Assistant Lin thinks you’re going to inspect the female lead’s department.】

Yan Nanjue was stunned. “I didn’t say anything.”

【System: Well, you were going to go keep an eye on her anyway. It doesn’t matter; just roll with it.】

The System’s tone was exceptionally cheerful. Yan Nanjue felt a bit uneasy. “System… are you in a good mood today?”

【System: Is it that obvious?】 If the System were a person, it would be beaming. Its electronic voice carried a hint of a smile: 【Three of the hosts under me from your cohort have graduated. My performance metrics for this quarter are already cleared.】

“Wow, congratulations.” Yan Nanjue was envious. “I wonder when I’ll finish my mission…”

【System: No need to be envious. Time flows differently in every world. You’ve only been here a few months, but for them, it might have been years or even decades.】

So that’s how it works, Yan Nanjue thought.

【Your phone is ringing.】

Yan Nanjue checked the caller ID. It was Ji Ziyi. She picked up.

Noisy music and voices flooded the other end. Ji Ziyi sounded drunk, mumbling for a while in slurred, incoherent sentences.

“What are you doing?”

“Mmm… A-Yan… come… pick me up.”

Yan Nanjue’s hand twirled her pen and stopped. “Where are you? A bar?”

The drunk couldn’t give a straight answer. Yan Nanjue waited patiently. “Give the phone to the person next to you.”

The sound of rustling fabric followed as Ji Ziyi handed the phone to a nearby waiter.

“President Yan, Master Ji is at ‘Suhui’.” The waiter gave the booth number and added diplomatically: “Master Ji isn’t in a good mood today. She’s had a lot to drink and can’t even stand up. I offered to call her driver, but she refused. It seems something happened at home and she doesn’t want to go back. I had to let her call you.”

“President Yan, can you send someone to pick her up?”

Yan Nanjue checked the time. Seeing she had nothing else to do, she said, “Watch her. I’m coming now.”

She hung up and had Lin Furuo bring another subordinate to go fish the drunkard out of the bar. When she arrived, Ji Ziyi was still drinking. Yan Nanjue glanced at the empty bottles on the table—a mix of spirits and wine. No wonder she was this wasted.

“Ji Ziyi, do you recognize me?” She signaled the subordinates to help her up.

Ji Ziyi lazily lifted her eyes, smiling. “Yo… isn’t this… our busy-as-a-bee President Yan? How’d you find the time to come out?”

Yan Nanjue didn’t reply, just waved a hand. “Get her in the car.”

Ji Ziyi was a terrible drunk. She threw a tantrum and broke two glass bottles before they finally got her into the back seat. Yan Nanjue disliked the heavy smell of alcohol and sat further away. “Back to your apartment or the villa?” In this state, she certainly couldn’t be sent back to the Ji family manor.

Ji Ziyi shook her head blurredly. “Not going back…” She rubbed her forehead. “There’s a mad dog at home.”

As if remembering something, she shouted angrily, “Break up… I want to break up!” After shouting, she collapsed back against the seat.

Yan Nanjue narrowed her eyes. Ji Ziyi is trying to break up with Boss Cheng? She thought it, and asked it out loud.

“Who wants to be her girlfriend…” Ji Ziyi complained.

“Wow,” Yan Nanjue thought. Counting the time, it matched the original book perfectly—they had been together exactly one month. “System, look, she really is breaking up with Boss Cheng.”

Lin Furuo suggested, “Should we take Master Ji back to the villa? The guest rooms are always cleaned. I’ll have the butler prepare some hangover soup.”

Yan Nanjue nodded, agreeing to the plan. As the driver started the car, Lin Furuo suddenly asked, “By the way, President Yan, do we need to report this to the Madam? She is staying at the villa these few days, after all.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yan Nanjue said. Bai Wan wouldn’t care if she brought a friend home.

She didn’t think twice about it and sent a message to Chen Wanjun, who was currently out of the country.

[Yan Nanjue: I won.]

A message without context, but Chen Wanjun understood immediately.

[Chen Wanjun: A-Yi? Broken up? Your timing is that precise?]

[Yan Nanjue: She’s dead drunk. Currently in the car swearing she’s definitely breaking up.]

[Chen Wanjun: Every single time. Take care of her first. Our Master Ji has a rotten drinking habit and hates being told about it. If she wakes up and denies it, just dump her back at the family manor next time.]

[Chen Wanjun: I pay my debts. What was the bet? I’ll be back in the country next week.]

Yan Nanjue was stumped. What she wanted most, undoubtedly, was to finish the mission and return to her world. But no one except Bai Wan could help with that, and she couldn’t tell her wish to an NPC.

[Yan Nanjue: Put it on my tab.]

The car stopped at the villa, where the butler and several servants were waiting. As soon as Ji Ziyi entered the living room, she grabbed a trash can and vomited. Afterward, she seemed slightly more sober. Supported by servants, she stumbled forward.

Yan Nanjue rarely dealt with drunks and chose to leave her to the butler. Watching them struggle for half an hour to settle her, Yan Nanjue breathed a sigh of relief. Then she caught the scent of alcohol on her own clothes and frowned. After being around Ji Ziyi for so long, she had also picked up the smell.

Yan Nanjue took off her coat, handed it to the butler, and went to check the guest room. The butler took the coat to the downstairs laundry room. As she walked, she felt a weight in the pocket. Finding the phone still inside, she smiled at her lady’s forgetfulness, but then caught sight of the Omega entering.

“Madam,” the butler greeted respectfully. She handed the phone over. “The Miss left her phone in her coat. Could you bring it to her as you head up? She should be in the second-floor guest room with Miss Ji.”

Bai Wan, heading for the stairs, paused.

“What does it have to do with me?” Her gaze fell on the phone, her brows knitting. “…Fine, give it to me.”

In the guest room, Ji Ziyi had finished her second round of vomiting. She seemed to have sobered up a bit, leaning back on the sofa with her eyes half-closed, resting.

Yan Nanjue asked with interest, “So, you started the breakup drama with your Miss Cheng so soon?”

Ji Ziyi glanced at her. “Yeah…” She rubbed her aching forehead, looking frustrated. “She won’t agree to it. I only managed to sneak out because she’s on a business trip. I probably can’t go home for a while. She knows the address of my apartment and my villa, and my other properties haven’t been maintained in so long they’re unlivable.”

Ji Ziyi paused, then looked at her with her hands pressed together, pleading, “Let me hide out here for a few days? It’s a shame Jun-jun is abroad and her place is empty, otherwise, I’d hide there.”

Yan Nanjue raised an eyebrow. “You hide every time you break up. Is it necessary?”

“Of course it’s necessary. If I don’t hide, I’ll be torn apart.”

Yan Nanjue leaned against the sofa, her tone slow. “What I mean is, is it necessary for you to keep dating different people?”

Ji Ziyi met her puzzled gaze and couldn’t help but let out a low laugh. She was still drunk, and her words weren’t very orderly.

“It’s not that I’m looking for different people to date. I sincerely love every girlfriend while I’m with them. I don’t date because I want to date; I date because I like them.”

Yan Nanjue was silent, clicking her tongue internally. Every single one is “like”?

Ji Ziyi waved her hand in the air, amused and helpless. “You didn’t understand before, so I let it go… but why don’t you understand now?”

Yan Nanjue was confused by the statement. “What?”

Ji Ziyi sat up a bit more, propping her chin on the sofa arm and smiling at her. Her eyes were misty with a layer of alcohol, and her thoughts were muddled, but her gaze seemed to see through everything.

“Don’t you know?”

“A-Yan, look at you. You’ve clearly fallen for Bai Wan now. How can you still not understand how I feel?”

Outside the door, Bai Wan’s knuckles were poised against the wood. She held that position, taking in every word of the conversation.