After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 12

Considering that the guest of honor was a celebrity like Lu Man, Ye An specifically had her staff book a restaurant in a relatively quiet and secluded area.

The marketing department had communicated early on that Lu Man liked greenery and landscapes, preferred lighter meals, and was currently in a fat-loss phase, so the choice of ingredients required extra care.

After the shoot ended, the group drove to the restaurant.

Before getting out of the car, Ye An sent a WeChat message to Xia Yihuan, telling her that she had things to attend to tonight that wouldn’t end anytime soon. She told her not to wait and to head back directly.

After sending the message, there was no immediate reply.

Ye An wondered what she was busy with.

She didn’t wait long; the car had already entered the restaurant’s outer courtyard. She had no time to worry about her phone and quickly tossed it back into her bag.

“President Ye!” Lu Man’s car had arrived a few minutes before theirs. Seeing her step out, Lu Man quickly came forward to greet her.

“The wind is strong out here, Miss Lu. Why didn’t you wait inside?” Ye An smiled.

“It’s just a few minutes, it’s no trouble.” Lu Man shook her head. Since her debut, she had focused on a pure and innocent persona. Because she looked so lively and cute, one often overlooked her height.

It was only now, standing side-by-side, that Ye An realized the girl beside her was actually a bit taller than herself.

“Shall we?” Ye An made a gesture of invitation, a confident and appropriate smile always on her lips. “Watch your step.”

Lu Man nodded, beaming. “Okay.”

They were soon seated.

The restaurant served its dishes quickly. Everyone chatted as they ate, creating a harmonious and cheerful scene. The people present tonight had all spent years navigating high society; their speech and manners were impeccable. Between the eating and drinking, they soon finalized all the remaining work details.

As the drinks flowed, the atmosphere became lively. Lu Man’s manager was a bold and cheerful woman whose quick jokes had everyone doubling over with laughter.

Ye An laughed along, but as she glanced sideways, she noticed something was off with Lu Man’s expression.

“Is something wrong, Miss Lu?” Ye An lowered her voice. “Is… the food not to your taste?”

“No, no.” Realizing Ye An was speaking to her, Lu Man shook her head quickly. “President Ye arranged everything perfectly. These dishes are all my favorite flavors.”

“I’m just…” Lu Man paused, her expression a bit troubled and slightly embarrassed. “Feeling a bit unwell.”

As a fellow woman, Ye An quickly understood the reason.

Since she had spoken up, Ye An couldn’t ignore it. She paused, glancing at the manager nearby. Seeing that the woman noticed nothing, Ye An withdrew her gaze and lowered her voice even further: “Miss Lu, do you need me to accompany you to the restroom?”

At those words, Lu Man immediately cast a grateful look. “That would be a great help. I’m truly sorry for the trouble.”

Ye An shook her head. “It’s no problem.”

The two rose together. To save Lu Man from embarrassment, Ye An casually brought her coat along. The service at this restaurant was top-tier, and the restroom was specially stocked with various feminine products for emergencies. Lu Man thanked Ye An again for her kindness and stepped into the stall.

Ye An didn’t follow her in. She walked slowly to the window and took out her phone for another look.

Still no reply.

Xia Yihuan had been her assistant for a few days now, and she was basically on call at all times. Once, Ye An had suddenly changed her travel plans before bed; she had intended to give Xia Yihuan a heads-up, only to find the woman replied within seconds.

That was at three in the morning, yet now it was barely nightfall.

Ye An felt a rare spark of worry.

Yihuan, are you…

She was unusually hesitant, unsure of how to phrase the message. After much deliberation, she settled for the most ordinary tone—

[Why aren’t you replying? Are you busy?]

After sending it, Ye An frowned and quickly exited WeChat.

Lu Man happened to come out at that moment.

“Are you alright, Miss Lu?” Ye An turned, donning her professional smile again. “Do you feel any better?”

“Much better,” Lu Man said, her cheeks slightly flushed. “It’s rare to have dinner with President Ye, yet I’ve made such a fool of myself. I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Ye An shook her head gently. “It’s nothing.”

“I recall you like drinking milk,” she added after a thought. “When we go back to the room, I’ll have them replace your wine with hot milk, okay?”

She was always this thoughtful and gentle.

Lu Man nodded her thanks and stole a side-long glance at her. After a moment, she suddenly stopped walking. “President Ye…”

“Yes?” Ye An turned to look at her.

Lu Man took a deep breath and slowly took out her phone. “Can we exchange private contact information?”

“Like I said, I really love Shi Qian’s perfumes.” She smiled, her voice full of shyness. “But actually, I admire you more as a person.”

“Our personal experiences are actually quite similar, but you are much stronger than me, and you work much harder. While I was still wandering and lost, you had already bravely stepped forward.”

“I found a connection with Shi Qian through a bottle of perfume, but you have been my idol and the goal I’ve been striving for all these years.”

Lu Man spoke softly, but her tone was incredibly sincere. Ye An had been in business for many years and heard many compliments, but such a genuine one was rare.

This caused her impression of Lu Man to improve even further. The corners of her lips curled up slightly. “Thank you for the praise, Miss Lu. I am sincerely happy that I could inspire you.”

“However, I am not as perfect as you imagine. Life is unpredictable, a mix of good and bad. Sometimes when I encounter difficult problems, I also feel distressed and lost, even thinking about giving up.” She continued, “But after working hard for so long, retreating might make things worse. Instead of starting over, I prefer to hold on a bit longer.”

“Perhaps failure and success are only one step apart.”

“You are a broad-minded person, President Ye.” Lu Man laughed, her cheeks rosy. “I still have much to learn from you. If possible, may I ask for your guidance in the future?”

Ye An nodded and took out her phone to add her contact.

“Of course you can.”

Over an hour later, the dinner finally came to an end.

The sky was completely dark. After seeing off Lu Man and her party, Ye An finally breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t had a chance to rest at noon because of Sheng Shiwen’s situation, and she had drunk quite a bit tonight. She was truly exhausted.

“President Ye, shall we take you back first?” one of the directors asked.

“No need,” Ye An shook her head. “I’ll head back myself. It’s late and everyone is tired. Go home and rest. There isn’t much to do tomorrow, so if there’s nothing urgent, you can come in a bit later.”

“Understood, President Ye,” the staff replied.

“Mhm.” Ye An nodded slightly. She was about to call for a car when a familiar voice suddenly came from in front of her: “President Ye.”

Ye An looked up, surprised. “Yihuan?”

“Why are you here?” She casually tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and stepped forward to ask. “Did you not see my message?”

“You didn’t actually need to come pick me up.”

“I see.” Xia Yihuan nodded. Her beautiful face was half-hidden in the shadows of the streetlights, and she looked somewhat tired. “I lost my phone. I didn’t know you sent a message.”

“You lost your phone? How were you so careless?” Ye An sighed. “Then how did you find this place?”

“I asked your assistant,” Xia Yihuan said. “I didn’t see you come down after waiting a while, so I went straight to the office.”

“I’m sorry for coming over without notifying you first.”

“That’s fine.” Ye An shook her head. However, it had been nearly three hours since the end of the workday. From the sounds of it, Xia Yihuan had been waiting the entire time. “Let’s head back quickly.”

“Okay,” Xia Yihuan replied. She slowly supported Ye An’s hand. The night wind was cold, and her fingertips were chilly. When Ye An took her hand, she was caught off guard by the ice-cold touch.

Yet Xia Yihuan didn’t seem to notice, continuing to lead her forward.

Why is she so strangely distracted?

Ye An frowned slightly. Xia Yihuan was never one to wear her heart on her sleeve; she hadn’t even flinched at bankruptcy. But today, she had clearly been affected by something, and her state of mind was visibly poor.

“I forgot to ask,” Ye An said after settling into the car. “How did you lose your phone? Were there any important files on it?”

“Nothing important,” Xia Yihuan said. “It just got lost by accident.”

Then what is it?

Ye An looked at her. Seeing that she didn’t seem inclined to say more, Ye An didn’t press the issue. The atmosphere remained stiff until the car came to a stop.

“There isn’t much to do tomorrow, so I might go to the office a bit later,” Ye An said before getting out. “You can come pick me up an hour later than usual.”

“Understood.” Xia Yihuan nodded.

“Mhm.” Ye An said nothing more and stepped out of the car. The night air was cold, and the dim streetlights cast lonely, quiet shadows on the sidewalk. The night wind rustled the leaves of the trees.

After a moment, Ye An stopped in her tracks.

Xia Yihuan had also gotten out of the car. She looked up slightly. “Did you forget something, President Ye?”

“No.” Ye An shook her head. “I just suddenly wanted to ask if you’d like to come up for a bit.”

Xia Yihuan paused before continuing: “No, I—”

Before she could finish, Ye An interrupted her. “This isn’t just a polite gesture. I mean it.”

“I don’t know why I’m inviting you up for tea; perhaps it’s because I drank too much tonight.” She sighed, her lips gradually curving upward. “But regardless, I haven’t changed my mind yet.”

“You’d better follow me up before I do.”