A Scummy Alpha Supporting Character Accidentally Marks the Heroine After Transmigrating into a Book (GL) - Chapter 55

“The invitation has been delivered, and the message has been passed. In that case, I’ll be going.”

Luo Huazhi stood up gracefully, the rhythmic tap-tap of her heels fading into the distance. Yan Nanjue picked up the invitation to examine it; the exhibition was held at a venue in the city center. It wasn’t far—University Y had deep pockets, and their design exhibitions were almost always held in this area.

As Yan Nanjue looked it over, she suddenly remembered something. “Did the heroine’s graduation project ever get exhibited back then?”

She thought carefully but found no mention in the original book or her own memory. This triggered another realization: during her graduation period, Bai Wan was exhausted from just trying to make ends meet. The graduation project she submitted was completely different in style and concept from the designs she actually wanted to create.

If possible, I’d really like to see the designs Bai Wan truly wanted to make.

Yan Nanjue closed the invitation. After returning to the apartment after work, she placed it on the coffee table and informed Bai Wan when she returned.

Bai Wan picked it up, glanced at it for only two seconds, and set it down. Her expression was flat. Seeing she had no objections, Yan Nanjue turned to leave, but suddenly heard Bai Wan ask:

“In what capacity am I attending?”

“What do you think, Mrs. Yan?”

The person before her seemed to find the question amusing. The look she gave Bai Wan was slightly mocking, and her answer was delivered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Bai Wan lowered her eyes halfway, unconsciously turning the jade bracelet on her wrist half a circle. With the frequency increasing, it was gradually becoming a habit.

“I understand,” she said.

The exhibition was on Saturday. Ji Ziyi and the others came along. Beyond them, Yan Nanjue saw an unexpected face.

Yan Zhi took off her white headphones and waved. “Hi, Sis.” She walked over and greeted the sisters around Yan Nanjue one by one with a sweet smile. Chen Wanjun gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

“How did you get here?” Yan Nanjue asked.

“My friend wants to apply to University Y. She heard there was a graduation exhibition and wanted to check it out early, so I came with her,” Yan Zhi said. “I guessed you’d be here. Looks like I was right.”

She looked around. The crowd was dense, but she couldn’t find the face she was looking for. “Is Sister-in-law not here?”

“She went to the restroom,” Yan Nanjue replied.

Yan Zhi nodded, chatted for a bit, then checked her phone. She looked into the crowd and waved in a certain direction. “Sis, my friend is here. I’m heading out. Give my regards to Sister-in-law.”

Yan Nanjue’s peripheral vision caught where she was waving and saw a familiar figure. She was surprised—Yan Zhi’s “friend” was actually Ming Yan.

At the same time, Ming Yan saw her. Her vibrant smile faltered and shrank significantly. She forced a nod and then hurriedly vanished into the crowd, clutching Yan Zhi’s arm.

Yan Nanjue found it strange. “Why does she look like she’s seen a ghost? Do I look that scary?”

【System: Not at all. Maybe she’s heard the rumors about you? You don’t exactly have a sterling reputation.】

Yan Nanjue thought about it and agreed. The original host’s temperamental and cold-blooded nature was famous; everyone in the circle knew not to provoke her. Even though Yan Nanjue had been subtly changing the persona since transmigrating, the bad reputation remained. It made sense that Ming Yan would be afraid of her.

Since it was unrelated to the mission, Yan Nanjue withdrew her gaze. Ming Yan didn’t appear in the original book—she was just background noise.

In a nearby corner, Yan Zhi, who had been hurriedly dragged away, looked confused. “What’s wrong?” she laughed. “You’re like a mouse seeing a cat. Your face changed instantly. What did you see? Not those jerks who used to bully you, I hope?”

Ming Yan looked anxious, biting the skin of her finger. “You didn’t say your cousin would be here… I thought you two weren’t close?”

“Mm,” Yan Zhi nodded. “We weren’t before, but we’re okay now. My sister isn’t a difficult person. You don’t need to be afraid of her.” She comforted her friend. “The rumors about her demonize her a bit, but she doesn’t care enough to clarify.”

Ming Yan knit her brows subtly and looked at her friend blankly. “President Yan…?”

Not a difficult person? Ming Yan bit her lower lip, her gaze deep and distant as if lost in memory.

“Hello? Dazing out? Don’t you want to see the exhibits? Let’s go.”

Ming Yan, dazed, was led through the crowd by Yan Zhi. She asked absently, “What kind of person do you think your sister is?”

“Cold outside, warm inside. A bit of a temper, but her flaws don’t hide her virtues. People who are excessively talented tend to be arrogant and immature; it’s understandable.”

Ming Yan asked again, “And your sister-in-law? What kind of person do you think Bai Wan is?”

Yan Zhi didn’t turn back. “A good person, I guess.” The tone of her voice revealed her uncertainty; clearly, Yan Zhi didn’t know Bai Wan well. “You should be more familiar with her than me. I remember you two were in the same orphanage as kids? Are you close?”

Ming Yan’s footsteps faltered. “…Not close.”

“She isn’t close with anyone.”

Yan Zhi was looking at the exhibit in front of her with admiration, letting out a small “wow.” “What a genius design.” She then added casually, “Sister-in-law is indeed a bit introverted.”

“It’s not introversion. She ignores everyone because she doesn’t need friends. Her world doesn’t allow anyone to approach, and she strictly forbids anyone from changing or destroying it. Her… her world is like high walls surrounding a mental asylum.”

“Anyone who enters without permission will die.”

As Ming Yan’s voice fell, Yan Zhi stopped and tilted her head to look at her.

Yan Nanjue walked up to Luo Shuqing’s graduation work. It was a painting titled Traces. She looked up; Luo Shuqing’s artistic standard was undoubtedly high—her painting skills were among the best. Her gaze fell on the plaque at the bottom right containing the description, which was handwritten by Luo Shuqing.

The System looked as well. 【Well painted.】

Yan Nanjue nodded. “She has high talent. The painting contains intense personal emotion. If she continues her studies, she’ll become a master sooner or later.”

【System: Oh? How so?】

Yan Nanjue explained simply, “She insisted I come because she wanted to use this painting to vaguely express her feelings—or rather, her feelings for the original host. This painting represents herself.”

【System: So complex.】

“You sound like you don’t understand.”

【System: I’m a System. I’m not human; how could I understand human emotions?】

Yan Nanjue murmured in her heart, “Right, you’re a System, so you don’t understand emotions…”

【System: I understand some.】

Before she could ponder the scope of that “some,” someone grabbed her forearm. A familiar, elegant scent reached her nose. Yan Nanjue didn’t turn back; she already knew who had arrived.

She suddenly asked, “Did the heroine change her perfume recently?”

【System: Seems so.】

Yan Nanjue inhaled softly. “The top note is black tea, the base note is amber. It’s much lighter than the previous floral scent. Now it’s closer to a body scent; it smells quite good.” She looked sideways. “You changed your perfume?”

Bai Wan was looking up at the massive painting. “She paints very well.”

Yan Nanjue said unpleasantly, “I’m asking you a question. Do you know what manners are, Mrs. Yan?”

Bai Wan lowered her eyes, her gaze also sweeping over the introduction plaque. “…I changed it.”

Yan Nanjue didn’t ask why. Her gaze swept over Bai Wan’s curled, long lashes, thinking they looked like small brushes.

With the exhibition hall becoming crowded, the group moved to the VIP lounge. After a while, Chen Wanjun finished her conversation with Ji Ziyi and lightly tapped Yan Nanjue’s shoulder. “Shuqing is here.”

Yan Nanjue turned her head. Although the temperature wasn’t high, it was a bit warm today, yet Luo Shuqing was wrapped in a light-colored coat. She was even thinner than before. Her light-golden hair was tied in a low ponytail, and sunglasses covered most of her face. Even so, one could see her haggard complexion and pale lips.

Behind the sunglasses, her gaze first went to Yan Nanjue, then to Bai Wan beside her.

…They were sitting very close. On the same sofa, Yan Nanjue leaned slightly against the backrest, while Bai Wan sat upright beside her, turning her head with her. Their long hair—belonging to two different people—intertwined, inseparable. Their movements were synchronized, and the atmosphere surrounding them was inexplicably intimate, as if her arrival was an intrusion.

Luo Shuqing’s hand in her pocket tightened for a moment before releasing. Luo Huazhi was waiting in the car outside and hadn’t come in; following her were two plainclothes bodyguards.

The atmosphere in the lounge was stagnant. Ji Ziyi, unable to stand the awkwardness, stood up first. “Since we’re here, let’s go out. Little painter, let’s go look at your paintings?”

Luo Shuqing nodded to her. As a shadow passed before her, she whispered, “Sister Nanjue.”

“Mm.”

Luo Shuqing lowered her eyes. “Sister Bai Wan.”

The latter ignored her and walked straight past. Yan Nanjue pinched Bai Wan’s arm, her eyes threatening her to show the authority of “Mrs. Yan.” Only then did Bai Wan stop and give a perfunctory nod, having never once placed Luo Shuqing in her eyes.

Luo Shuqing couldn’t help but smile. How similar these two are. …How similar this pair of lovers is.

The exhibition proceeded smoothly. Luo Shuqing stood before her painting. She had just told Luo Huazhi that she refused to sell it; she wanted to keep it for herself.

There were many people praising her in the hall, but not a single voice she wanted to hear.

As dusk fell, the venue grew sparser. Luo Shuqing found Yan Nanjue alone in the leisure area; Ji Ziyi had pulled Chen Wanjun to the dining area. Bai Wan, who disliked crowded places because her face drew too much unwanted attention, had found a quiet spot to breathe.

Luo Shuqing stopped at a safe distance. “Do you like this painting?”

“I appreciate it,” Yan Nanjue said. “You paint very well.” She avoided the somewhat ambiguous answer.

The painting was titled Traces. Traces, traces. Luo Shuqing wanted to know if she had left a trace in her heart. She wanted to leave one of the few traces in her vast, expansive life as proof of her existence.

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” Luo Shuqing turned her face away. “I wish we could meet again, but on second thought, Sister Nanjue, let’s not. It would only cause you trouble.”

Yan Nanjue thought: I think so too.

Luo Shuqing finished speaking and stared at her for a long time. A faint, barely perceptible hope lingered in her heart, wishing to see a spark of emotion in her eyes—even just a little bit. But there was none. Not a single trace. Just as she had left no trace in the other’s heart or eyes.

Luo Shuqing turned and left. After wandering around, she returned to her painting and unexpectedly ran into a familiar yet hated figure.

Bai Wan was looking at her painting. Sensing a gaze on her, Bai Wan’s pupils shifted. She looked at Luo Shuqing once before returning her focus to the canvas. Footsteps sounded, stopping beside Bai Wan. Luo Shuqing looked up slightly, viewing her own work alongside Bai Wan.

“What do you want to say?” After a long silence, Bai Wan’s voice broke the quiet.

Luo Shuqing kept her eyes fixed on the painting. “I hate two people most in this life. One is you. The other… let’s just assume she’s dead.”

“I didn’t even know I could hate someone to this extent. The closer you get to her, the more I hate you. Seeing your face or hearing your voice makes me extremely uncomfortable.”

“Later I realized the reason I hated seeing you was because you were always by her side. Whenever I saw you, I inevitably saw her appearing beside you. I finally understood—it wasn’t pure hate. It was also jealousy.”

“I don’t envy many people. You’re one of them.”

Bai Wan listened quietly, not uttering a word. Luo Shuqing took off her sunglasses. There were faint dark circles under her eyes, and she was much thinner than when she tried to hit Bai Wan with the car; her face could barely hold any flesh. She suffered from insomnia night and day; unable to sleep, she naturally couldn’t eat. Both her body and mind were being tortured.

“I didn’t envy you at first. I simply… disliked you. But I didn’t hate you. I saw that contract from the beginning. I knew you didn’t want to marry her and even hated her. No rings, no vows, no wedding, and certainly no mutual affection—how could that count as a marriage?”

“Technically, the one in the wrong is her, but I have no way to blame her.”

Luo Shuqing turned her body to face Bai Wan directly, asking word by word: “Then do you know why I started hating you, Bai Wan?”

Bai Wan finally spoke, her clear, cool voice echoing in the empty hall as the crowd dispersed, leaving only the two of them in confrontation. She said, “I’m not sure, and it doesn’t matter.”

“…Luo Huazhi said she is a cold-blooded, heartless person who is stingy with giving even a shred of emotion or sincerity.” Luo Shuqing’s tone suddenly shifted. “My sister said that woman has no heart.”

“What about you?”

“Do you have a heart?”

Bai Wan ignored the implication and said flatly, “All humans have hearts.”

Luo Shuqing suddenly laughed—a complex laugh, part pity and part mockery. “You do. And your heart has fallen for that heartless person.”

“You,” she laughed, her features relaxing into a mockery of someone watching a peer walk down the same dead-end road she had traveled, mixed with a hint of inexplicable relief, “are more piteous than me.”

At this point, Bai Wan finally turned her head, bestowing a glance upon her as if out of condescension. That gaze was cold, as if looking at a dead object. “Stop talking nonsense.”

She dropped those words and turned to leave, but her arm was suddenly grabbed.

Luo Shuqing’s gaze was hateful. She leaned in and whispered: “Bai Wan, do you still remember everything she did to you? Two years. Everyone in the circle knows you’re just a pet she’s keeping—a dog. You aren’t even a canary meant for amusement.”

Bai Wan looked at her coldly, her eyes full of sarcasm. “You like her, so you assume everyone likes her. I’m not like you. I’m not as crazy as you are. Don’t project your own perceptions onto me.”

Luo Shuqing let out a soft sneer. “You always say you hate her. Do you really still hate her? In the look you give her, is it hate or concern? Can you even tell? Can you see your own feelings clearly?”

Bai Wan said coldly, “It has nothing to do with you.”

Luo Shuqing’s gaze fell on her furrowed brow, and she suddenly became certain of something.

“…You didn’t deny that you were looking at her.”

She burst into an incredulous laugh. “You actually didn’t deny it. You actually really care about her. This time, and last time in the garage—your eyes were on her the whole time. I thought I had felt it wrong, but it turns out to be true…” she murmured.

Luo Shuqing spoke word by word. She had discovered a massive secret, one that filled her with both shock and disgust—shocked to the point of absurdity.

“You’ve actually fallen for your enemy, Bai Wan?”