A Vicious Supporting Female is the Female Lead's Darling (GL) - Chapter 20

The moon was exceptionally beautiful tonight, and the stars were out in abundance.

Du Qingqing bathed in the starlight all the way to the school. Looking up, she quickly spotted Su Jimian’s figure nearby. She was sitting quietly by the roadside.

Looking through the car window, Du Qingqing noticed that Su Jimian had her hair down today—a rare sight. Her long, jet-black tresses draped over her shoulders, swaying gently in the night breeze and brushing against her fair, beautiful face, giving her an even gentler aura.

Looking closer, the corners of her mouth were slightly curved up, as if the air around her had softened.

Is she very happy today?

Du Qingqing blinked, tidied her appearance, parked the car, and walked quickly to Su Jimian. “Mianmian,” she greeted softly.

Noticing the night wind was a bit chilly and worried the girl might be cold, she “extorted” a cup of hot milk tea from the System. Handing it over, she asked a bit shyly, “Have you been waiting long?”

“It’s nothing,” Su Jimian shook her head. Looking at the milk tea, she uncharacteristically didn’t refuse; she thanked her and took it in both hands. The smile on her face deepened slightly.

This was the first time Du Qingqing had seen her so happy. She was curious and surprised, and the lingering sadness in her heart vanished at the sight of that smile. She smoothed out her skirt, sat down directly beside Su Jimian, and looked at her with a beaming smile.

Taking the earring Su Jimian handed back, Du Qingqing struck up a conversation out of habit. “I could have just picked it up at your dorm. Why did you make a special trip out here?”

“I didn’t have much to do in the dorm anyway,” Su Jimian replied. “So I took the opportunity to come out for a walk.”

“Oh,” Du Qingqing nodded. Realizing that Su Jimian must be quite lonely staying in the dorm by herself, her tone took on a touch of pity. “How many days until school starts again?”

“Soon,” Su Jimian smiled. “Next Monday.”

That meant four days left. Du Qingqing did the math, thinking that once her roommates returned, she wouldn’t be so lonely.

Actually, she blamed herself a bit. As she thought, she let out an involuntary sigh. She had been so busy planting potatoes lately that she had neglected Su Jimian; this was the first time they had met since their parting at the cinema. This girl was always busy studying and working for money, with no time to make friends. Du Qingqing wondered how she spent her time alone.

She must be dying of loneliness.

Du Qingqing instinctively conjured up an image of a “pitiful little thing.” The more she thought, the more guilty she felt, and she wanted to find a way to make it up to her. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit: Father Jin’s birthday party!

Right! She could take Su Jimian to the party!

Father Jin was throwing a grand celebration this year, so many people were invited. All sorts of socialites and elites from their circle would be there. It wouldn’t just be lively; it would be a chance for her to broaden her horizons. Plus, Du Ruoqiu would be there. Two people who loved painting would surely have a lot to talk about.

With that in mind, Du Qingqing smiled, hopped up to get a bag of chips from the car, and handed it to Su Jimian after tearing it open.

Su Jimian paused. “What?”

Du Qingqing grinned. “Let’s chat for a bit? I wanted to ask… do you have time tomorrow afternoon? I want to take you somewhere~”

It took them about ten minutes to leisurely finish the bag of chips, and Du Qingqing spent those ten minutes pitching the idea. She described the venue, the schedule, who would be there, and what delicious food and fun activities to expect.

Fearing Su Jimian might think she had improper motives again, she emphasized that this was a formal, respectable banquet. “School is starting soon, and academic life is so tiring,” Du Qingqing said. “So why not come and relax with me this time?”

She nearly wore her tongue out. Unfortunately, Su Jimian gave a simple two-word reply: “Not going.”

“Come on,” Du Qingqing was stunned but kept wheedling. “Actually, I haven’t been back home in years. I’m a bit nervous going alone. If you come with me, you can give me some courage.”

Despite her plea, Su Jimian shook her head. “Not going.” The faint smile on her lips was unmistakable.

For a moment, Du Qingqing felt Su Jimian was doing this on purpose. She paused and finally sighed with regret, deciding not to force her. “Alright then. I guess I’ll just have to go with Du Ruoqiu.”

She said this quite softly, thinking the girl beside her wouldn’t hear. Du Qingqing pursed her lips and popped the last chip into her mouth. Just as she bit down, the girl beside her spoke up.

“Who is Du Ruoqiu?”

Why are you curious about her? Du Qingqing felt a bit grumpy, her voice even smaller than before: “My cousin. She just got back from abroad. She studies art. Like you, she’s great at painting. if you go, you might be able to discuss painting with her.”

“So… are you interested?” Du Qingqing coughed, turning to look at her one last time, a faint light shining in her eyes. “Last chance. Are you going?”

She looked like a little puppy waiting for a treat, her anticipation overflowing.

Su Jimian looked at her. After a long silence, she tucked a stray hair behind her ear and finally relented. “Since Miss Jin is inviting me so sincerely, I suppose it’s not impossible to go.”

She finally agreed! Du Qingqing was overjoyed, nearly composing another poem on the spot. But before she could finish the first line in her head, Su Jimian spoke again: “But…”

Du Qingqing grew tense. “But?”

Su Jimian raised an eyebrow. “But I don’t have an invitation. It wouldn’t be right to just show up, would it?”

Du Qingqing immediately understood. “Meet me at the school gate at noon tomorrow. I’ll pick you up. If you come with me, everyone will know you’re with me. No one will stop you, don’t worry.”

After saying this, she patted Su Jimian’s shoulder. Her palm was warm, just like her words. The pretty flower bracelet on her wrist swayed in the wind—she was still wearing it.

After a moment, Su Jimian smiled gently and said, “Okay. Goodnight, Miss Jin. See you tomorrow.”

Meeting Su Jimian really did brighten her mood. As Du Qingqing drove back, she thought about how mysterious human relationships were. A few weeks ago, they were bitter rivals, and now they had evolved into friends who could talk, eat, and watch movies together—and even attend a party together tomorrow.

She was so happy she started humming along to the car radio.

The System poured cold water on her: “Don’t forget, she still hasn’t told you her real name.”

“What does that matter?” Du Qingqing shook her head, still cheerful. “I haven’t told her mine either, have I? Besides, she can’t guard against me forever. She’ll tell me one day. I’ll just wait patiently.”

She was quite open-minded, showing a resilient spirit. The System nodded. Despite being annoyed about her “stealing” the milk tea earlier, it couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of admiration. It recorded a rare compliment in its notebook: The host has performed well these past two days. Commendable. Then, it added a small line at the end: It would be even better if she spent two fewer days planting potatoes.

A good night’s sleep. The next day, Du Qingqing woke up early, washed up, and put on a proper gown. She sat in the living room and checked the gift for Father Jin.

Realizing Su Jimian probably didn’t have a gown, she sent a WeChat message proposing to bring her one. She claimed it was an “old style” she’d accidentally bought in the wrong size, but in reality, it was the latest design she’d asked the butler to buy.

She happily waited until noon. The moment she picked up Su Jimian, she handed over the gown and found a restroom for her to change into. It was a pure white dress, elegantly tailored for a girl her age, with a hint of sophisticated charm. It accentuated Su Jimian’s figure, making her look even more stunning.

Du Qingqing dazed off again. She stared until Su Jimian got back into the car before she managed to look away. She decided that if she had the chance in the future, she would definitely take care of her and buy her more beautiful dresses.

She was lost in thought, and the driver was fast. Before she knew it, they arrived at the destination—the grand and sprawling Jin family ancestral home.

There were indeed many people today. Du Qingqing felt nervous and instinctively grabbed Su Jimian’s sleeve. She tried her best to stay in character as “Jin Ruge,” greeting people along the way. She put on the face of a socialite, but her hand was trembling like a primary schooler on her first day. She was more nervous than the person beside her.

After a while, Su Jimian peeled a strawberry candy. She offered a timely comfort: “Have some candy. If you have candy, you won’t be afraid.”

It was like a life-saving medicine. Du Qingqing was moved, popped the candy into her mouth, and smiled. Her heart finally settled. Su Jimian returned the smile.

After settling Su Jimian, Du Qingqing went to see Father Jin. Since there were so many guests and it was a festive day, Father Jin didn’t keep her for long. He gave her a brief scolding and let her go, saying he would “settle the score” with her tomorrow.

Du Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief. She coaxed him for a bit and then returned to the main hall. She had just introduced Du Ruoqiu to Su Jimian when, before they could even say much, she was dragged away to drink by her group of fair-weather friends.

Since Du Qingqing had “revived,” she hadn’t seen this crowd. They weren’t happy about it and insisted on a proper drinking session now that they’d caught her. Their gazes were as hot as fire. Du Qingqing couldn’t refuse and had to leave Su Jimian for a bit.

Before leaving, she specifically asked Du Ruoqiu to look after her.

“Got it, cousin,” Du Ruoqiu nodded obediently, a row of bright teeth showing on her sun-tanned face. “I will.” She then took a piece of cake for Su Jimian, her behavior friendly and polite. The girl had improved significantly in her social skills lately.

Du Qingqing felt relieved and finally felt okay leaving.

She had left in such a hurry that she didn’t notice Su Jimian was watching her, nor did she detect the strange emotion in the girl’s eyes. By the time she returned, she was tipsy, and several “Su Jimians” seemed to appear before her.

Du Qingqing wanted to laugh. She told the System that it was a good thing they were hallucinations—how could she handle so many Su Jimians if one was unhappy today and another was angry tomorrow?

As she lamented, her body swayed. The wine in her hand was on the verge of spilling. Like a drunkard, she stepped forward to identify the real one. She touched one hallucination—fake. Touched another—still fake.

Until she touched the one in the middle.

“This one is real~” Du Qingqing smiled, holding her glass out to Su Jimian’s lips. “Mianmian, want a drink?”

She was so drunk she forgot she had just sipped from that exact spot. She offered it directly without even wiping it. Isn’t this an indirect kiss?

Su Jimian’s face darkened. She leaned back slightly, then looked up and called her name: “Miss Jin.”

Her voice was low, only audible to the two of them. But it was filled with clear coldness and a warning gaze.

Du Qingqing was startled into a bit of sobriety. She pursed her lips and backed away awkwardly, muttering, “If you won’t drink, you won’t drink. No need to be so scary…”

Before she finished, she accidentally stepped on the hem of Du Ruoqiu’s gown. She tripped, and her hand instinctively loosened. The glass slipped, and the crimson liquid splashed everywhere. It didn’t just drench the surrounding sofa; it splashed directly across Su Jimian’s chest.

It was a disaster.

Du Qingqing’s mind went blank. She stood there paralyzed, her tongue feeling too large for her mouth. After a long silence, she finally squeezed out two words:

“I’m… done for…”