After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 16

Elderly people tend to have very regular schedules. After catching the breeze in the courtyard for a while, Ye An noticed it was getting late. Not wanting to overstay, they quickly bid the teacher farewell.

“President Ye, you must come again whenever you have time,” Teacher Yang said, her tone clearly reluctant to see them go. “I’ll make more delicious food for you!”

“I will,” Ye An nodded, rolling down the car window to listen patiently. “The wind is strong tonight; Teacher Yang, please go inside and rest.”

“Next time, I’ll come with Yihuan to see you again,” she added with a sincere smile.

“Good, good.” Teacher Yang finally felt at ease. She watched them from a distance for a few moments before finally turning to go back inside.

Ye An rolled up the window and sat back.

“Teacher is a kind and talkative person,” Ye An remarked, glancing toward Xia Yihuan as she engaged in casual conversation. “What about her family? I didn’t see anyone else tonight.”

“Teacher has no family left,” Xia Yihuan said suddenly.

Ye An was stunned. “None?”

“Mhm,” Xia Yihuan replied. “Her husband passed away in an accident many years ago. They had only one daughter, so the heavy burden of raising her fell entirely on Teacher’s shoulders.”

“But many years later, her daughter also died an untimely death in a car accident.”

Mentioning the past, Xia Yihuan’s tone was inevitably heavy.

Hearing this, Ye An felt a sudden pang of sadness. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are common occurrences, and one should gradually learn to accept them as part of life. However, combined with the recent upheavals in her own life, Ye An’s perspective had begun to shift.

Some things were truly unfair.

“If there really is a God in this world, I think He must be a cold and cruel one,” Ye An spoke slowly after a long silence.

Xia Yihuan steered the car around a turn. “What makes you say that, President Ye?”

“A person as good as Teacher Yang should have lived a happy and fulfilling life, yet life forced her to lose her husband and daughter one after another.” Ye An shook her head. “If someone is truly controlling this behind the scenes, it’s far too cruel.”

“Yihuan,” Ye An sighed, her lips curling into a bitter smile. “Have you ever thought that maybe some things are decided right from the start?”

Xia Yihuan hesitated for an imperceptible moment. “Like what?”

“Many things,” Ye An said. “Like life and death, success and failure… even your birth, your status, who you will meet on a certain day in the future, and what you will do at a specific moment…”

“Maybe, without us knowing, a program has already been set within us, and we must live our entire lives according to someone else’s will, following their plan step by step.”

It was rare for her to mention these thoughts to others, and her voice carried a hint of anger and resentment. However, she knew Xia Yihuan likely wouldn’t understand; perhaps she’d even dismiss her words as nonsense.

So, she quickly smiled and changed the subject before the other could respond: “Just a random thought.”

“Tomorrow is the weekend,” she said, returning to her usual languid state. “Want to go for a swim together?”

“Teacher’s cooking was so delicious that if I don’t hurry up and get some exercise, I’ll feel a massive amount of guilt the next time I visit.”

Her voice was light with a smile, as if the previous conversation had never happened. Xia Yihuan nodded and replied, “Sure, I happen to have no other plans tomorrow.”

“Does President Ye prefer mineral water or sports drinks? What brand and what flavor?” She smiled, her voice soft. “I’ll prepare them in advance.”

As an assistant, she always had a solid set of skills.

Ye An’s lips curved upward. She didn’t stand on ceremony and quickly stated her preferences.

The car moved slowly forward and soon arrived at the entrance of the residential complex. Ye An pushed the door open and stepped out.

Before she could take more than a few steps, she heard Xia Yihuan’s voice from behind: “President Ye.”

“Yes?” Turning around, she saw Xia Yihuan had followed her out and was standing straight in front of the car.

“I’ve been thinking carefully about what you said just now,” Xia Yihuan said, meeting her eyes. Her voice was as calm and cool as usual, yet there was a faint, different emotion hidden within it. “Actually, what you said makes sense. Perhaps such a possibility really exists.”

Ye An arched an eyebrow. “And?”

“And so, to escape such a predicament, we should work even harder.” Her gaze was clear and sincere. “Perhaps one day we will eventually become the masters of our own fate, taking charge of our own lives.”

“Of course, if it’s you, President Ye, I believe you definitely can.”

Now, that was something she liked to hear.

Ye An couldn’t help but let the corners of her mouth turn up. She waved her hand and continued walking. The night breeze met her, ruffling her hair. The streetlights cast a faint glow, and shadows danced upon her figure.

She parted her lips, her voice not loud, yet it drifted clearly into Xia Yihuan’s ears on the breeze.

“That goes without saying.”

The next day.

One of Ye An’s friends owned a club and had insisted on giving her several membership cards when it first opened, practically forcing her to visit. Having no way to refuse, Ye An had accepted them.

Since Xia Yihuan was free lately, Ye An casually handed her one. It was good to get some exercise.

The two registered at the front desk and entered the locker room with their gear. Since it was early, the room wasn’t crowded. Ye An went into a stall to take a quick shower and changed into her swimsuit.

For her, even swimsuits had to be the most beautiful choice.

Her figure was naturally excellent—slender waist, long legs, and fair, translucent skin. Because she prioritized exercise, she didn’t have a single ounce of extra fat.

She felt she was perfect enough, but when she saw Xia Yihuan, she had to admit that the other woman was also quite impressive.

“Yihuan, you have a great figure,” she remarked, looking up at the woman before her, instinctively seeking tips. “Do you have any specific maintenance methods?”

“Not really a method, I just exercise casually,” Xia Yihuan replied, her lips curving in a dismissive smile.

Ye An almost wanted to hit her for that.

Xia Yihuan handed her a bottle of water. “President Ye is also wonderful.”

Ye An gave a light snort and didn’t respond, taking a couple of sips of the water.

The club had both indoor and outdoor pools. To create an immersive experience for customers, the outdoor area even featured a man-made beach with pavilions and sun umbrellas. If one grew tired of swimming, there was a small aquarium nearby to tour.

After warming up and before heading into the water, Ye An asked casually, “How well do you swim, Yihuan?”

“I’m alright,” Xia Yihuan said.

Ye An smiled, her lips curling. “Want to race?”

“Sure.”

“Three, two, one.” Ye An counted down softly. The two exchanged a glance and dove into the water.

Ye An had many hobbies and was skilled in many things: climbing, swimming, skiing… She was a perfectionist; if she did something, she did it to the best of her ability. The moment she hit the water, she moved like a graceful fish, easily pulling a large distance ahead of Xia Yihuan.

By the time she reached the turn, Xia Yihuan was still far behind her.

Ye An couldn’t help but smile; it seemed the winner of this duel was already decided. But before she could think further, Xia Yihuan behind her suddenly picked up speed.

So, she had been holding back.

Realizing this, Ye An merely frowned. Her expression remained unchanged as she did a rough mental calculation of the distance and time. As long as she maintained her current speed, Xia Yihuan would still be one step behind her at the finish line.

Sure enough, Ye An ultimately claimed victory in the race.

Having not swum in a long time, her speed seemed slower than before. Ye An pulled off her goggles and took a deep breath, reflecting on her recent laziness.

“Not bad,” she said, turning to look at the person beside her. “That was fast.”

Xia Yihuan shook her head. “I can’t compare to you, President Ye.”

“You just need more practice.” Ye An let out an imperceptible cough. In truth, Xia Yihuan was indeed very fast and had high endurance. Although she had won, it was a short-distance race; if the distance were longer, it was hard to say who would win in the end.

“Want to go again, President Ye?” Xia Yihuan asked.

“No.” Ye An glanced at her and pulled her goggles back on. “I want to swim on my own for a bit.”

With that, she quickly vanished into the water.

Xia Yihuan said nothing, only curling her lips into a smile.

Swimming is a very physically demanding sport. After the two had swum for a while, the water they had on the deck was nearly gone. Since there were fruits and snacks for sale nearby, Xia Yihuan prepared to buy some for Ye An. “President Ye, I’m going up for a moment.”

Ye An nodded, not paying much mind. “Mhm.”

Xia Yihuan left and soon returned with quite a few things. Ye An looked up at her and noticed a small teddy bear hooked onto her finger.

“What’s that?” Ye An asked curiously. “A free gift?”

“No,” Xia Yihuan shook her head. “I found it on the way back.”

The bear was exquisite and beautiful, with a tiny horn tied into the hair on its head. It was clear the owner cherished it. Ye An swam to the edge and propped her chin on her hands to look at her. “The owner might be worried; take it to the broadcast station later and ask.”

“Is there anything special on the bear?”

“Yes, there’s writing on the chest.”

Ye An’s curiosity was piqued. “What is it? Read it to me.”

“It’s a string of English,” Xia Yihuan said. The surroundings were noisy, but because they were close, Ye An heard her clearly.

Her voice was already pleasant, and when she read English, it sounded romantic and melodic.

“To my love,” she said, looking down into Ye An’s eyes.

“To my love.”