A Scummy Alpha Supporting Character Accidentally Marks the Heroine After Transmigrating into a Book (GL) - Chapter 49

Yan Nanjue followed the System’s train of thought for a moment, and a blurry shape jumped into her mind—the little cat she used to feed. She remembered it clearly; it was a black-and-white bicolor cat, jet black all over except for its paws and the very tip of its tail, which were white.

It was a very special kitten, and the cutest she had ever seen.

Yan Nanjue drifted off into her thoughts. It took the System calling her twice before she snapped back to reality, her expression slightly dazed.

【What are you thinking about?】

Yan Nanjue remained silent for a while before whispering in her mind, “Your suggestion won’t work. She isn’t my kitten, and I can’t treat her like a stray.”

“She is the protagonist of this book, but to me, she is just an NPC.”

Yan Nanjue lowered her gaze, her long lashes veiling her dark eyes. A sliver of light leaked through. “Yes, she’s just an NPC.”

Not just her, but everyone in this book was just an NPC to Yan Nanjue. She was the only player.

The System stared at her for a few seconds, almost thinking it saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes. But just as it was about to speak, Yan Nanjue lifted her head. Her beautiful peach-blossom eyes were exceptionally bright, without a trace of crying.

“I’m a little hungry.”

Yan Nanjue tossed her messy thoughts to the back of her head, pressed her palm against her stomach, and walked barefoot to the corner of the room. There sat a small refrigerator she had asked Assistant Lin to install under the pretext of storing water.

She opened the door. Inside were only two bottles of mineral water; the rest was filled with snacks she had hidden away. She ate until she was half-full before closing the fridge to destroy the evidence and returning to bed satisfied.

The next day was the day to visit Grandma Yan at the ancestral home.

Yan Nanjue had a slight headache when she left her room. She hadn’t slept well, plagued by a series of nightmares, and faint dark circles had formed under her eyes. The System claimed it was because she was too high-strung.

How could I not be nervous after the heroine asked me a question like that!

The living room TV was on. The female news anchor’s perfect Mandarin echoed through the room; it hadn’t been muted.

Bai Wan woke up this early?

Yan Nanjue checked the time. It was still early—the sky held a faint tint of blue. She liked this “blue hour” and couldn’t help but look out the window for a few moments before turning her gaze toward the dining room.

Bai Wan was sitting at the table in a camisole nightgown. Her long hair was tied back in a loose, low bun, looking casual and effortless. A stray strand fell against her cheek, adding a hint of sharp beauty to her relaxed look. She held a slender bone-china knife, spreading jam onto a slice of bread.

The remote was on the table to her right. From her position, she could see the screen just by looking up. It was obvious who had turned on the TV. She didn’t react to the sound of footsteps, continuing to smooth the jam into a thin layer over the soft bread.

Bai Wan looked up. Her gaze fixed on the person walking straight toward her. She took a bite out of a corner, the mark left by her teeth smooth and neat. A bit of strawberry jam accidentally touched her upper lip. She pulled a tissue and wiped it with a slow, almost nonchalant grace.

Yan Nanjue felt a chill down her spine under that gaze. The question Bai Wan asked last night echoed in her ears again. Just as she was feeling guilty, Bai Wan lowered her eyes and went back to enjoying her breakfast.

Judging by her appearance, she didn’t intend to press the matter. Yan Nanjue’s tense back relaxed, and she stepped into the kitchen. Thank goodness. If she brought it up, I’d have to scramble for an excuse to fool her.

As the Alpha passed behind her, Bai Wan caught the scent of mint toothpaste. Very fresh. Her fingertip tapped the tabletop.

“Where is the instant food in the fridge?” a voice asked from behind.

“The cook took it when she came this morning,” Bai Wan replied. “The dates weren’t fresh. she’ll restock when she comes at noon.”

Yan Nanjue was so hungry her stomach was touching her back. She almost wanted to cook something herself, but while she knew how to cook, the original host was someone who never lifted a finger for chores. It seemed she’d have to wait until they reached the ancestral home to eat.

Yan Nanjue closed the fridge, went back to her room, and changed. When she came out, Bai Wan was no longer in the dining room, and the TV was off. Usually, the original host didn’t require Bai Wan to accompany her to the ancestral home. She assumed Bai Wan had gone back to her room to rest.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Bai Wan’s door opened. She stepped out dressed in light, decent clothes, looking ready to go out.

Does Bai Wan have private plans? Why don’t I know? Didn’t I tell her to report her itinerary?

Yan Nanjue frowned. “Where are you going?”

Bai Wan looked at her, a trace of faint confusion in her eyes. “Aren’t we going back to the ancestral home today?”

Yan Nanjue understood the subtext. Bai Wan intended to go back with her. She looked at Bai Wan, feeling something was inexplicably strange, but she didn’t argue. She allowed her to follow, whispering: “The heroine is so proactive today…”

【Huh, my program seems to be infected by a virus again.】

Just as the car started, the System’s electronic voice rang in Yan Nanjue’s ear. She froze. “What? What happened?! What virus? Does it affect my mission? Is it the Blackening Value?”

The System hesitated for a moment. 【Not sure. There’s a small bug in my operating program, but it has no impact on your mission. It seems to be the same virus code as last time. I’ll trace its origin.】

【You only have the visit to the ancestral home today, right?】

After receiving a confirmation, the System said: 【I’ll run a self-check. Stay put and play by yourself for a bit.】

Yan Nanjue was worried. “How long will it take?”

【About the same as last time. This is just a rough scan. A full inspection would require the entire system to shut down for a long time, which usually only happens after a mission is completed. A system self-check delays the host’s progress.】

The System instructed: 【Be careful while you’re alone. Call me if there’s an emergency.】

It gave the same notification as last time, and then the electronic voice vanished.

Upon arriving at the ancestral home, Yan Nanjue stepped out of the car first, avoiding direct contact with Bai Wan. Bai Wan’s gaze fell on her back for the briefest of moments.

The two followed the standard routine: visiting Grandma Yan and chatting with her for a while. As the day grew brighter, Yan Zhi arrived with her luggage. She had gone traveling shortly after her break started and came straight to the ancestral home from the airport.

After a while, Grandma Yan asked Yan Nanjue to help her back to her room to take her medicine. It was traditional Chinese medicine for health maintenance; the bitter scent could be smelled from a distance.

Bai Wan walked alone to a pavilion. Below the gallery was a pond filled with lotus leaves. Between the green leaves, koi would occasionally swim past, flicking their tails.

She watched for a bit. A servant, observing her expression, said, “Would the Madam like to feed the fish? I’ll fetch some fish food for you.” Bai Wan agreed.

The servant returned quickly, but this time Yan Zhi followed behind.

Bai Wan pinched a bit of food and let it fall into the water, creating ripples. The chubby koi nearby swarmed over, opening their mouths wide to take the food.

“What are you doing here?”

A voice rang out in the pavilion. Yan Zhi, who was sitting on the other side playing with her phone, was startled, realizing the question was for her. She rubbed her nose. “Sister-in-law, I was afraid you’d be bored, so I came to keep you company on behalf of my sister.”

“You don’t come to the ancestral home often, and you’re not familiar with it. It’s so big it’s easy to get lost. I can be your guide.”

—A lie. Her eyes shifted, and she had minor tells while speaking.

Bai Wan applied pressure with her fingertips, grinding the already small fish food into even smaller crumbs. The wind caught the dust, dropping it onto a nearby lotus leaf. A chubby koi was attracted to it, circling the leaf frantically but unable to reach the food.

Watching this, Bai Wan casually threw a handful of food further out. The koi decisively abandoned the food it couldn’t reach and swam back, wagging its tail.

Bai Wan wasn’t interested in Yan Zhi’s real reason for following her. While feeding the fish, she asked casually, “How is the project at Port C developing?”

Yan Zhi had been granted access to the Yan Corporation since high school. Even if she couldn’t interfere with projects, she definitely knew about them.

“Port what…? Oh, Port C. I heard my mother mention it, but didn’t my sister terminate the contract with them?”

Bai Wan’s hand froze mid-air. The sunlight through the eaves spilled onto her arm, which was so pale it was almost blinding.

“Did my sister not tell you the reason? The person in charge was dirty, and the project was a massive trap. The cargo ships were even tampered with.” Seeing no reaction from Bai Wan, Yan Zhi added tentatively.

“…”

“Yan Zhi.” Bai Wan withdrew her arm, suddenly calling her by name. “In your eyes, how is the relationship between Yan Nanjue and me?”

Yan Zhi was stunned. “I thought you’d be curious about the Port C project.” She smiled, then recalled the week she stayed at the apartment, unsure of what answer Bai Wan wanted to hear.

“It’s quite good,” she gave a generic answer.

Bai Wan’s lips quirked, repeating the words silently. “Elaborate.”

“Although there are rumors outside that your marriage isn’t sincere, and some even say my sister doesn’t like you at all, based on my personal feelings, I don’t think so,” Yan Zhi said.

“Sister Nanjue is a bit bad with words and her personality is a bit obtuse, but she’s learning how to be a proper wife. She isn’t good at expressing herself. The fact that she married you means she must like you.”

Yan Zhi coaxed, “Sister-in-law, don’t listen to the rumors. There are plenty of people who want to be in your position, and plenty of people who are jealous of you…”

“Ha.”

Before she could finish, a short laugh rang out in the pavilion. Bai Wan gripped the wooden railing of the gallery, her head lowered as she laughed silently, the curve of her lips wider than ever before. Yan Zhi, standing behind her, couldn’t see her expression—only her shoulders trembling slightly.

“Sister-in-law? Did I say something wrong? Did you think of something funny?”

Bai Wan lifted her head, her face—as beautiful as moonlight—facing the brilliant sun directly. She was attractive enough when not smiling; when she did, it was impossible to look away.

“I thought of something… very amusing.”

Bai Wan’s eyes and brows were filled with a quiet, pervasive joy. The laughter was like the fish food she had dumped into the pond—overflowing. She narrowed her eyes slightly, her posture carrying an air of regal nonchalance. This joy even spread to the servant watching nearby.

As she said, she had discovered something—a massive surprise. A very, very big surprise.

No wonder… No wonder Yan Nanjue always instinctively avoided her gaze and even seemed a bit afraid of her.

It turns out she wasn’t the only one who had come back.

—That really is… wonderful.

She could kill Yan Nanjue with her own hands, once again. Just like in her previous life.

But this time, what she wanted to do was ruthlessly destroy Yan Nanjue’s soul.