A Vicious Supporting Female is the Female Lead's Darling (GL) - Chapter 3

The first thing Du Qingqing did after returning home was to ask Uncle Liu, the butler, to find someone to replace the crystal chandelier in her room. If it wasn’t replaced, she wouldn’t even dare step foot inside.

This request was truly bizarre to everyone else.

One must understand that everything in Jin Ruge’s room—from the large beds and wardrobes down to the mirrors and candleholders—was custom-made according to her tastes. Among them, she was particularly satisfied with that lamp.

Supposedly the work of a foreign designer, its color scheme was low-key yet luxurious, with elegant, flowing lines. It perfectly fit the modern “light luxury” aesthetic—tranquil, gentle, elegant, and beautiful.

However, all of that was useless to Du Qingqing. That lamp had to go.

If she died one more time because of a light fixture, she’d really be losing out!

Just the memory of that scene made her frown. She closed her eyes and waved her hand ruthlessly, telling Uncle Liu to swap it out and show no mercy.

Uncle Liu nodded. Although he knew it was the Young Lady’s favorite lamp, he also knew her fickle temperament. He didn’t argue and quickly sent people to dismantle it.

“What kind of style would you like to replace it with, Miss?” he asked afterward. “I’ll have the staff prepare it.”

“Don’t go to too much trouble,” Du Qingqing replied, looking up at the ceiling. After a moment, she answered, “An incandescent bulb will do.”

“An incandescent bulb?” This time, even the experienced Uncle Liu was shocked. “But Miss, don’t you usually prefer the luxury models? Why…”

“I like this minimalist style now.” Du Qingqing smiled and shook her head before he could finish. “Uncle Liu, just have someone buy a few and swap them in.”

“Remember to buy bright ones!” she called out as she headed toward her room.

Her room was too big, after all. If the bulbs were too small or dim, she was afraid they wouldn’t illuminate every corner…

Uncle Liu had been the Jin family’s butler for over a decade, and his efficiency was top-notch. It wasn’t long before the new lighting was installed.

Just as she requested, it was big and bright. Worried about convenience, Uncle Liu had even specially installed a clover-shaped fixture with three large bulbs. It was incredibly bright.

Du Qingqing was very satisfied. She nodded and politely thanked Uncle Liu, then returned to her desk to write her work diary:

[August 16th, Sunny.]

[Died for the fourth time. I am too, too miserable. When will this damn script let me go?!]

She sighed. As she wrote, she didn’t forget to glance up at the incandescent bulbs. She even told the System to keep an eye out for her, just in case something else collapsed or fell and crushed her to death.

“Got it,” the System replied. “Then don’t forget to give me half of those potato chips.”

“Fine, fine,” Du Qingqing nodded, sharing them with a smile. “I won’t mistreat you. Pick whichever flavor you like.”

This made the System happy. It cleared its throat, saying it would just “have a taste,” but ended up taking three bags at once.

Du Qingqing: “Just a taste?”

“Yeah,” the System said righteously. “Can’t I have a big mouth? Jealous?”

Du Qingqing: “…”

Speechless, she listened to the System crunching on chips in her mind for a while before she couldn’t resist opening a bag to join in. Her hand didn’t stop moving, continuing to scribble:

[I hope I can live a bit longer this time. It would be best not to die at all. If I keep dying like this, my bonus will be gone…]

[And this time is a bit strange. The respawn location changed; it’s no longer the bathtub.]

[I don’t know the reason. The teacher didn’t mention cases like this during the training sessions.]

Du Qingqing paused, clutching her diary. Still feeling uneasy, she tore out a piece of paper and wrote a letter, asking the System to deliver it to Headquarters.

Maintaining harmony was, after all, exhausting work. To protect the physical and mental health of employees, the company had established an Employee Protection Association (and a System Protection Association). Basically, they were like psychological counseling rooms.

Du Qingqing listed her questions one by one and handed them to the System. She sat at her desk eating chips for a while and soon received a reply:

—Dear Madam, based on your description, we cannot currently determine the source of the problem. Please provide a detailed description along with images or video. Thank you for your cooperation.

Du Qingqing: ???

A description was fine, but images and video?

She had no choice but to stand up, grab her phone, and head to the bathroom. She filmed while explaining, putting in a ton of effort, only to get the exact same automated reply after sending it.

Was this Protection Association meant to save people or piss them off…?

Du Qingqing’s head ached. She tossed her phone aside and prepared to bathe. But just before entering the bathroom, she backed out and instructed Uncle Liu that if Du Ruoqiu came by with pastries, he must stop her.

Uncle Liu stood dazed: “…Understood, Miss.”

He truly didn’t know what was going on in his Young Lady’s head.

A dreamless night.

Perhaps because the body couldn’t handle being resurrected twice in a row, Du Qingqing slept in for the first time, not waking until the sun was high.

Fortunately, Jin Ruge’s schedule was similar. After washing up and heading downstairs, breakfast was ready.

It was a very nutritious meal: whole wheat bread with fried eggs, avocado, onion, and pepper, served with a glass of almond milk. Everything looked roughly the same color, which made Du Qingqing lose her appetite before even starting.

After all… in her previous three lives, she was mostly on the run. she hadn’t lived the “wealthy heiress” life for long. She was used to street food like jianbing and shoubing; looking at this health food, she couldn’t summon any interest.

But she wasn’t picky. Having food was better than nothing.

She sat down and ate without complaint. Afterward, she even went to the study to read.

Setting aside her personality and behavior, Jin Ruge was actually a top-tier beauty. Unlike Su Jimian’s clean and pure look, she was glamorous, sexy, and stunning—the kind of woman whose every smile could steal a soul. Even in plain black loungewear, her beauty was undeniable.

The catch was that she shouldn’t speak; otherwise, her lack of substance and refinement would be exposed immediately.

“So, overindulgence is a poison,” Du Qingqing sighed, talking to the System while flipping through a book. “Part of the reason the original owner grew up like this is because her family protected her too much.”

Mr. and Mrs. Jin had worked hard their whole lives and finally had a daughter in their later years. They doted on Jin Ruge excessively, giving her whatever she wanted. The result was a girl whose best skills were eating, drinking, and playing. Later in the plot, she even went crazy over a man and ruined the female lead.

“It’s better to read more and cultivate one’s character,” Du Qingqing lamented.

As soon as she finished, the System ruthlessly exposed her: “You mean reading The Complete Collection of Jokes?”

Du Qingqing: “What’s wrong with The Complete Collection of Jokes? You look down on jokes?”

She felt indignant and was about to argue when Uncle Liu approached.

“Miss, Miss Wang and the others have invited you to go shopping.”

The “Miss Wang” and the others were the original owner’s fair-weather friends—the crowd she used to party with daily. To Du Qingqing, however, that was just a waste of life. She’d rather read her joke book.

“Not going. Uncle Liu, help me decline,” Du Qingqing refused quickly.

“Yes, Miss.” Uncle Liu assumed she was in a bad mood and left, only to return a moment later. “Young Master Zhang just called; he wants to see you.”

Who? Zhang Xinyuan?

Du Qingqing’s liver trembled at the name. She wanted nothing to do with him. She used the excuse of being unwell to decline and told Uncle Liu not to disturb her unless it was important—and to just decline any other calls.

Uncle Liu left, and the house stayed quiet. Du Qingqing enjoyed the peace, reading jokes until 5:00 PM, when she finally prepared to move out.

—This was the time Su Jimian got off work. To stay alive, she had to build a friendship.

Du Qingqing’s plan was calculated. She arrived right as Su Jimian was finishing her shift so she wouldn’t disturb her work, but could “happen” to walk her home. She even wore relatively plain clothes so Su Jimian wouldn’t feel a distance between them. She didn’t want to reveal her identity yet.

She thought the plan was foolproof.

However, when she arrived, she found the convenience store packed. Apparently, a summer camp had just let out, and the kids were swarming the store like hungry wolves.

The store was so crowded that Du Qingqing couldn’t even find an opening to say hello. She had to wait in a corner, buying a bowl of cold noodles (liangpi) to eat while she waited.

Finally, Su Jimian finished her work.

Du Qingqing was overjoyed. She adjusted her appearance and walked up, giving a “casual” hello.

Su Jimian paused, seemingly not having noticed her. She blinked for a few seconds before greeting her politely: “What a coincidence, we meet again.”

It was a simple greeting, but from her mouth, it felt like a gentle spring breeze.

Du Qingqing, slightly entranced, nodded. “Yeah, what a coincidence. Going home?”

“Yes,” Su Jimian smiled, packing her things and stepping out of the store.

As she turned a corner, Du Qingqing spoke up: “What a coincidence! You’re going that way? It’s on my way, let’s walk together.”

She gave Su Jimian no room to refuse, happily following along and trying to strike up a conversation.

As they walked into a small alley, Du Qingqing suddenly felt something was wrong.

She had reviewed the script before coming. She knew Su Jimian’s school and home route—and she shouldn’t be walking down this alley.

Wait… has the script collapsed? Is the day Su Jimian kills me happening early?!

Cold sweat broke out. Du Qingqing’s pace slowed, the distance between them growing. Sensing disaster, she wanted to make an excuse to flee.

But before she could speak, Su Jimian stopped. She slowly turned around.

That beautiful, fair face was no longer smiling. In fact, she looked a bit… fierce.

“…”

Time seemed to freeze. Du Qingqing was terrified, her heart nearly stopping. Her mind went blank with a buzzing sound as she instinctively backed away.

But she was a step too late. Su Jimian quickly closed the distance. At the same time, she pulled something out of her pocket—something with a faint silvery glint.

Du Qingqing’s tongue tied into knots. She screamed in her mind at the System: “A KNIFE! A KNIFE! A KNIFE!”

The System was startled, then responded after a pause: “What knife? Look closer!”

Du Qingqing had already mentally prepared her plea for mercy. Hearing the System, she steadied herself and looked at Su Jimian’s hand.

It wasn’t a knife. It was a box of candy.

Du Qingqing: “…”

“Let’s… let’s talk this through. Put, put the candy down…”