After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 1

It had been over half a month, and this was the first time Ye An had looked at herself so closely in the mirror.

She was born with a stunning natural beauty—thick dark hair, delicate skin, and red lips against white teeth. Her “peach blossom” eyes, in particular, were both soulful and enchanting; even a quiet gaze from her could evoke a thousand different charms.

Normally, Ye An’s greatest pride was her face.

Until now.

Ye An could hardly believe that the haggard, exhausted woman in the mirror was actually her.

Half a month ago, Ye An suddenly realized she was a character in a novel—one with only a few years left to live.

According to the “script,” she would die at thirty, right at the peak of her career. Her role in the book wasn’t substantial; she existed merely to drive the plot and highlight the protagonist’s charm. After a few brief appearances, she would quietly exit the stage, living on only in the memories of others.

As for who the protagonist actually was, the script provided limited information, and Ye An was truly in the dark.

She only knew the specific role she played in this book.

People usually called it—the cannon fodder supporting female lead.

Struck by this realization, Ye An had been in agony. She holed herself up at home, drowning her sorrows in alcohol. Her days and nights were flipped; she saw no one and asked about nothing, rarely spending a moment sober.

That was until a few minutes ago, when her assistant called to report the progress of a recent project.

“Mhm, I see,” Ye An had replied, her voice distracted.

The assistant asked tentatively, “Are you alright? Do you need us to come visit you?”

“No need,” Ye An said tiredly, reaching for a wine glass on the table. “Anything else?”

The assistant hesitated over the phone. “Actually… no, never mind, it’s nothing big. Please get some rest.”

The voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing her. Ye An noticed the caution in the assistant’s tone but didn’t press further, hanging up the phone.

After being decadent for so many days, even Ye An felt ashamed of herself. She stared at the wine glass for a few seconds before finally putting it back. She stood up and slowly walked to the mirror.

Ye An was immediately startled by her own reflection.

The person in the mirror looked quite gaunt. Because of the round-the-clock drinking, her complexion was noticeably pale, and her frame was much thinner than before. Her hair, unkempt for a long time, was messy, and the faint blue shadows under her eyes were clear to see.

A few seconds later, a surge of discomfort welled up from her heart, causing her to gag uncontrollably.

This wasn’t Ye An!

Even if she didn’t have long to live, she couldn’t let herself turn into this ghostly mess!

Having not been this sober in a long time, Ye An frowned and turned around. She threw every bottle on the table—finished or not—into the trash. Then, she tidied her hair and applied a hydrating mask as emergency treatment.

In her twenty-seven years, Ye An had encountered many things. Life had dealt her numerous heavy blows but had also taught her many lessons: no matter what happens, you cannot remain decadent forever.

Even if… death is near.

“Three years left. Thirty years old,” Ye An closed her eyes and whispered a soft comfort to herself. “Fine. At least when I die, I’ll still be a young and beautiful woman.”

Just then, her best friend Sheng Shiwen called.

Ye An had been in a bad state lately, disappearing for over half a month. Sheng Shiwen was worried sick and called every day to check in: “An’an, how is your mood today?”

“It’s Liu Yue’s birthday today, and a lot of friends are here,” she said, her tone cautious. “It’s been so long, everyone misses you. I’m actually about to head to the Yage Restaurant and I’ll be passing your complex. Can I come up to see you?”

That “Can I” made Ye An feel a sudden pang of guilt. She was silent for a long moment. “No.”

Sheng Shiwen sounded disappointed immediately. “Then I—”

Ye An looked at the mirror, took a deep breath, and interrupted her: “I’ll go there directly.”

Yage was a property owned by Liu Yue’s family. The ingredients were fresh, the taste superior, and the decor luxurious—it was the top choice for their social circle’s gatherings.

The banquet was held in the evening. Yage had closed to the public for the day specifically to prepare a grand birthday party for Liu Yue. The classical courtyard had been transformed; dazzling light strips replaced the old scenery. The lobby layout was completely changed—porcelain and greenery were moved out to make room for champagne towers and speakers. Even the famous paintings on the walls had been taken down, replaced by balloons spelling out “Liu Yue.”

Liu Yue had inspected the place earlier and felt something was missing, so she ordered the manager to lay a red carpet right through the center.

Mhm, now it feels right.

Liu Yue was happy. She stood on the red carpet chatting with guests when Ye An’s name suddenly crossed her mind, making her feel unexpectedly sad again.

She didn’t know if Ye An would show up today.

Because Ye An hadn’t appeared in so long, rumors were flying. Some said she went through a breakup; others said she was depressed. Liu Yue was worried about her state of mind and had been just as anxious as Sheng Shiwen.

Suddenly, she heard a commotion at the door. When she looked up, Ye An was walking in, surrounded by a crowd.

Despite the long absence, Ye An didn’t look much different from before. Her hair was down today, her makeup was exquisite, and her posture was elegant. She wore a deep purple dress with a striking buckle design at the waist. The skirt was long, embellished with shimmering diamonds that caught the light; under the glow of the hall, she seemed to be sparkling.

She had always been beautiful—every single moment.

Liu Yue was dazed for a moment before reacting: “An’an! You came!”

“I knew you’d come!” She hurried forward, waving away the surrounding crowd, afraid Ye An would find them noisy. “It’s been so long, how have you been lately?”

“I’m alright,” Ye An smiled, unwilling to elaborate. She handed over a gift. “Happy birthday.”

“Happy, happy!” With so many people around, Liu Yue couldn’t chat for long. She handed the gift to a nearby waiter, her smile sincere. “Go in and sit, I saved the best seat for you!”

Ye An nodded. “Okay.”

She soon walked into the main hall with Sheng Shiwen.

Liu Yue knew many people. Since the banquet hadn’t officially started, groups were gathered in twos and threes, chatting and joking. When they saw Ye An appear, they were surprised for a few seconds before flocking toward her.

“President Ye, long time no see.”

“President Ye is as beautiful as ever. That dress is the latest from Dyelb, right? It suits your temperament perfectly!”

“President Ye, do you remember me? Our brand had the honor of collaborating with your company before.”

The mingling voices were a bit too loud. Ye An wasn’t in a good mood, so she only gave a professional smile and a few polite responses before pulling out her phone to scroll.

Realizing she wasn’t in the mood for small talk, the people around her gradually withdrew their gazes and moved on to other topics.

Sheng Shiwen handed Ye An a cocktail. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Ye An took it with a nod. She opened a document to browse the work report her assistant had sent while listening to the gossip around her. Liu Yue’s family was prominent, and the guests were all people of status; there was always “inside tea” that others didn’t know.

For instance, Xinyuan recently had a new Vice President drop in out of nowhere. No one knew their background, but they immediately replaced a large number of veteran employees. Or President Wang from Ningyue, who had an accident recently; a master said he offended some deity, and he was bedridden for half a month before getting better. Then there was the scandal with Kanghui’s dairy products—multiple tests had failed.

It was juicy stuff, but compared to the next topic, it was just an appetizer.

Finally, someone at the table couldn’t hold back and spoke up: “Do you guys know about that thing?”

Everyone looked over. “What?”

The person whispered: “About Xia Yihuan. She… you know? Bankrupt. She went bankrupt.”

Ye An’s finger froze on her phone screen. She instinctively looked up. “Bankrupt?”

The banquet was about to start. In the remaining few minutes, she heard the people around her explain the gist: Xia Yihuan had a string of failed investment projects, leading to a broken capital chain, and ended up owing a massive debt.

Like Ye An, Xia Yihuan was a self-made woman. Both were in the luxury goods industry and had faced years of competition and friction. Over time, they naturally couldn’t stand each other.

But personal feelings aside, Ye An had to admit that Xia Yihuan had many strengths.

She was smart, beautiful, hardworking, and ambitious. She possessed great judgment and a unique vision, which was how she had stood out in the industry in just five short years.

How could someone like that go bankrupt over a few projects?

At first, Ye An found it hard to accept. But considering the bizarre things happening to her recently, even the most inconceivable events were starting to seem normal.

Ye An’s lip twitched instinctively.

Liu Yue had invited a rising idol group to perform. As the banquet began, the hall lights dimmed, and brilliant lights lit up the stage. The sound of a guitar pierced the crowd, quickly igniting the atmosphere.

Ye An wasn’t in the mood for songs. Her thoughts were still stuck on the previous topic. Perhaps out of pity, or perhaps because she truly cared about the matter, she paused and eventually unlocked her phone.

Years ago, she and Xia Yihuan had added each other on WeChat because of business. They hadn’t contacted each other in ages. Ye An scrolled for a long time before finally finding the contact. After a moment’s hesitation, she typed a few words.

Ye An: [Are you there?]

It took a while for a reply to come back: [Who are you, and how do you have my contact information?]

She didn’t even have Ye An’s name saved.

Ye An frowned at the message, but after a few seconds of silence, she replied calmly: [I am Ye An.]

She tapped the words and sent them. Just as she was about to say something else, she saw that Xia Yihuan had retracted her previous message.

In its place were two words: [Not here.]

Even through the screen, she could imagine Xia Yihuan’s cold, aloof tone.

Ye An stared at those two words for a few seconds and suddenly felt her fist tighten.