A Vicious Supporting Female is the Female Lead's Darling (GL) - Chapter 17

The little flower bracelets swaying gently in the wind were truly beautiful—both the one on her wrist and the one in her hair.

Du Qingqing quickened her pace to catch up with Su Jimian. As she walked, she instinctively checked her reflection in the passing glass windows, her mood soaring. When she was happy, she couldn’t help but talk more.

After finishing her “self-admiration” session, Du Qingqing turned back to look at Su Jimian. Her eyes sparkled with a clarity brighter than raindrops as she asked, “Mianmian, where are you going in a bit? I’ll give you a lift!”

“No need,” Su Jimian replied. She looked up at her and said after a pause, “I’m going straight back to the dorm. It’s too far; there’s no need for Miss Jin to go out of her way.”

“How is that ‘out of the way’? It’s still raining,” Du Qingqing countered immediately. “Look at the road—where are you going to find a taxi?”

“I’ll take the bus,” Su Jimian corrected.

“You have to wait for the bus too,” Du Qingqing shook her head. “Besides, to get back to your school from here, you have to transfer, right? That’s four yuan gone just like that. It’s not economical at all. Taking my car is different.” She smiled, reaching up to nudge the little flowers in her hair. Her smile was playful yet gentle. “I won’t charge you money. How about we consider these as payment?”

“Friend,” she raised an eyebrow, lowering her voice as she leaned in closer, saying with a straight face, “Won’t you consider it?”

Her tone and expression made her sound inexplicably like a ticket scalper outside a cinema.

Su Jimian was rendered speechless for a moment. Finally, she spoke softly, “I…”

I what? No ‘I’s! Du Qingqing didn’t want to hear it, nor did she want to give her a chance to refuse. She immediately quickened her steps toward her beloved car.

She pulled open the passenger door, holding her small umbrella in one hand while sweeping her other hand in a semi-circle across her chest. Her posture was elegant and her smile was inviting: “This way, miss. Please.”

Now she looked like a waiter welcoming guests at a high-end restaurant.

Su Jimian felt like laughing at this display, but catching sight of the other’s shoulder, which had been accidentally dampened by the rain, the words of rejection stayed in her throat.

In the end, Du Qingqing got her way.

The smile in Du Qingqing’s eyes widened. By now, the rain had lessened significantly. Sunlight began to filter through the gaps in the dark clouds, drapes of light clinging to the car windows. More and more people appeared on the streets. The car crawled forward until they were almost out of the city center, and the weather cleared up completely.

For some reason, Du Qingqing suddenly didn’t want to let Su Jimian go back yet.

Two days ago, she had specifically asked the System for Su Jimian’s recent work schedule. She knew today was her day off, which was why she hadn’t planned to look for her, wanting to let her rest. She thought the girl would enjoy her rare free time, but who would have guessed her “holiday plan” was just staying in the dorm?

No fun at all, Du Qingqing shook her head in lament. At this rate, she might as well come plant potatoes with me.

“What did you say?” Perceiving her thoughts, the System asked in disbelief. “What are you going to make Su Jimian do?!”

“Nothing!” Du Qingqing denied it instantly. “I said I’m going to take her to enjoy life~”

She certainly changed her tune quickly. The System rolled its eyes and, unable to catch her red-handed, huffed and went back to eating potato chips. The crunch-crunch sound was so enticing that Du Qingqing felt hungry too.

Checking the time, she realized it was near noon. Rather than sending Su Jimian straight home, it was better to take her out for a meal.

“No need,” came Su Jimian’s immediate refusal the moment the suggestion was made.

Du Qingqing remained silent. Taking advantage of a red light, she pointed to the little flowers in her hair and mouthed the word: Payment.

We already settled that once, Su Jimian thought helplessly, shaking her head. Just as she was about to speak, Du Qingqing raised both hands, tilted her chin, and pointed left and right again: “Payment.”

She thought that was the end of it, but after finishing that, Du Qingqing grabbed the bag of chips lying nearby: “This is also payment.”

It was the bag Su Jimian had tossed down to her through the window a few days ago. This person hadn’t eaten it yet!

Su Jimian was speechless. She stared at her for a long time before letting out a soft sigh. “Alright.”

That’s more like it.

Du Qingqing nodded and happily turned the car around, heading back to the city center to a highly-rated restaurant. Knowing the girl liked hotpot, she specifically invited her there. And knowing Su Jimian usually couldn’t afford it, she ordered several plates of meat at once.

“Eat up,” Du Qingqing pointed to the sign nearby, happily arranging things. “Let’s carry out the ‘Clean Plate’ campaign.”

“Okay.” Su Jimian didn’t say much, nodding as she added half a plate of tripe into the pot.

Du Qingqing quickly suggested, “Add some more, I like that too.”

“No need,” Su Jimian replied, reaching for other dishes. “I don’t eat tripe.”

Du Qingqing was puzzled. “If you don’t eat it, why did you cook that first?”

Su Jimian suddenly fell silent. The pot between them had fully heated up now, steam rising to form a hazy barrier between them. Du Qingqing couldn’t see her expression clearly and sat there obediently waiting for an answer.

After a long while, she finally got a reply. Du Qingqing thought she caught a hint of a smile in the voice.

She told her: “Maybe I guessed that Miss Jin liked it.”

The meal was very satisfying.

Du Qingqing’s current body had a weak stomach; Uncle Liu had known this for a long time, so for her health, the kitchen rarely prepared stimulating food. Every time she ate something like this, she had to wait a long time before the next indulgence. Du Qingqing had been craving it for so long, and this hotpot was her salvation.

She sighed, taking out her phone and tidying her small bag, planning to settle the bill as soon as Su Jimian returned from the restroom.

To her surprise, the moment she finished, she looked up to see Su Jimian already back with the receipt and a bottle of milk. As Su Jimian handed it over, Du Qingqing took it instinctively before realizing what happened. “You already paid?”

“Yes,” Su Jimian replied, looking down as she picked up her bag. “I just did it on the way.”

On the way, my foot, Du Qingqing thought. The restroom was at the east end and the cashier at the west end. How long are your arms to call that ‘on the way’? This was supposed to be her treat.

Du Qingqing sighed, regretting that she hadn’t ordered less meat. “What about the milk? Did you buy that ‘on the way’ too?”

“No,” Su Jimian smiled. “It was a gift for settling the bill.”

That’s okay then. Du Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief, glad Su Jimian hadn’t spent extra on the milk. She unscrewed the cap and took several gulps. She felt she couldn’t let Su Jimian lose out, so she suggested taking her to a movie.

As she spoke, she had a white “milk mustache” around her lips that moved up and down. It was inexplicably comical.

Su Jimian couldn’t help it: “Pfft.”

Du Qingqing: “???”

Fortunately, Su Jimian didn’t refuse too much this time. Du Qingqing was happy and immediately led her to a nearby cinema, only to find it closed for maintenance. Left with no choice, she found a highly-rated “private cinema” nearby.

Du Qingqing had never had the chance to go to such a place in her old world because she was too busy with school and work. She was curious about the environment.

Until the waiter led them in. She discovered that a so-called “private cinema” was actually just a small room with a screen on one wall and… a bed on the other.

Du Qingqing: A bed??!

Somehow, the “Essential Balm” incident from that day came rushing back. A wave of embarrassment surged within her. While Su Jimian was ordering drinks, she caught the waiter and whispered, “Are all the rooms here configured like this?”

The waiter smiled and nodded. “Yes, this is a small room for two to three people. If you find it too small, you can switch to a large one.”

Du Qingqing: “Is the large one also a bed?”

Waiter: “Yes.” She smiled, adding specifically, “A large bed.”

Du Qingqing: “…” Never mind, never mind.

She sighed. Seeing that Su Jimian had finished ordering drinks, she was too embarrassed to suggest switching places. She walked into the room with a stiff upper lip and sat down with Su Jimian. Fearing a misunderstanding, she hugged the wall, occupying only a tiny bit of space like a mushroom.

“Mianmian, pick whatever you want to watch,” she said, her voice tinged with awkwardness.

“You pick,” Su Jimian glanced at her. “I’m fine with anything. Besides…” she added, “the remote is on your side.”

“Right.” Du Qingqing nodded. She found the remote beside her, coughed, and clicked on the “Special Recommendations,” picking one with a high score.

The cover was quite beautiful and the name sounded romantic. Du Qingqing misinterpreted it, thinking it was a romance film. But the more she watched, the more she felt something was off.

Du Qingqing: “Holy crap, I think this is a horror movie!”

System: “You just realized?”

“No, why is the cover so aesthetic and the name so romantic then?” Du Qingqing complained cowardly. “And why is it in ‘Special Recommendations’!”

System: “Obviously. It’s the same logic as going to the theater for a horror movie. Haven’t you noticed there are always many young couples? Do you think they’re really there for the horror? By the same token, do you think people come to private cinemas for the movie?”

Du Qingqing: “…” How are you so knowledgeable again!

Rendered speechless by the System, she fell silent for a while before changing targets and talking to Su Jimian. Just like when she was happy, she talked a lot when she was scared.

She looked at Su Jimian and began chatting without waiting for a reply. “Mianmian, are you scared? Should we change it? Was that ghost a man or a woman? Was it the enemy the female lead met three years ago? Do you think the male lead knows her backstory? I think he…”

She rambled in a low voice. Even Su Jimian’s lips twitched. She looked at her and placed a finger to her lips: “Shh!”

Du Qingqing was silenced. She shrank back into the corner to be a mushroom again. Prepared to endure this segment with a stiff upper lip, she instinctively hugged the pillow beside her.

As she picked it up, she realized she had missed something.

When the pillow was moved, Su Jimian’s fair, slender hand was revealed. It had been clenched tightly, and seeing that Du Qingqing had noticed her, she finally allowed her palm to slowly open.

Du Qingqing leaned in and saw a strawberry-flavored lollipop in her hand.

Was Su Jimian giving this to her?

Du Qingqing froze, then looked up, her eyes meeting Su Jimian’s beautiful ones under the flickering light of the screen.

The girl hadn’t been snapping at her earlier; those clear eyes held no hint of annoyance at all. Instead, there was a faint smile. She looked at her and said softly:

“Have some candy. If you have candy, you won’t be scared.”