After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 2

She had always known she disliked Xia Yihuan to a certain degree, but she hadn’t expected Xia Yihuan’s aversion to her to be even stronger. Staring at that “Not here” for a moment, Ye An decided not to make a fool of herself. With a cold snort, she tucked her phone away.

When she looked up again, the last lingering shred of pity in her heart had vanished.

Whatever happened to Xia Yihuan was none of her business; she had enough on her plate as it was.

“Yueyue’s birthdays get more grand every year.” Sheng Shiwen returned on her high heels and sat back down beside her, leaning in close. “She even invited Lu Man this year.”

Ye An looked up, her expression confused. “Who is Lu Man?”

“That girl singing right in the center,” Sheng Shiwen said. “She’s a popular young starlet lately. Started as a singer but is moving into acting. She was just in that hit critically-acclaimed drama that came out recently.”

“I see.” Ye An nodded.

The lighting in the hall was dim, with only the stage brightly illuminated. Ye An followed Sheng Shiwen’s gaze and took in Lu Man’s appearance.

Since her debut, Lu Man had maintained a “pure and innocent” persona. The girl had apricot-shaped eyes, thin lips, and fair skin. When she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared, giving her an incredibly charming and approachable look. One glance was enough to leave a deep impression.

Coincidentally, Ye An’s brand, “Shi Qian,” had a new perfume launching soon. The marketing department wanted a trending celebrity for the endorsement, but for various reasons, they hadn’t settled on a candidate.

Ultimately, it came down to the theme.

The perfume was named Fawn Treading on Fragrance. The scent was unique—elegant and crisp, with a base of oak and fresh greenery. At first sniff, it felt mysterious, but upon closer inspection, it held a hint of sweetness and warmth.

Even the copy was written with poetic beauty:

The heavy snow has just stopped; all things are awakening. I tread upon fragrance, crushing the cold, withered leaves beneath my feet. Looking at the world, the sunlight writes poems for me, and the springs sing my praises. I am a fawn, I am newly born, and I possess infinite possibilities.

A theme like this was full of spirit and vitality, so the spokesperson’s image naturally had to align with that. The problem was that the potential candidates they’d considered were all lacking that specific “soul.”

Until she saw Lu Man.

Her intuition told her that this girl might be an excellent choice.

Ye An mentally noted Lu Man’s name, but before she could think further, she gave a self-deprecating smile. She was dying, yet she was still thinking about work—it would be hard to find a second person as professional as her.

As the song ended, applause broke out. Lu Man, attending as a friend, stepped off the stage and took her seat. Meanwhile, the stage lights shifted as a new performance was about to begin.

Ye An pursed her lips and took a sip of her drink.

The banquet schedule was packed. Once the opening songs finished and the guests were seated, the hall lights brightened one by one, and Liu Yue took the microphone to give a speech.

Among the guests today were not just friends, but also her parents’ business partners—respected elders. Liu Yue was uncharacteristically dignified and serious during her speech.

Ye An looked at her, a smile tugging at her lips. As soon as the speech ended, she got up and followed Sheng Shiwen to the backstage area. Liu Yue was currently changing her shoes; when she saw them come in, that serious demeanor vanished instantly.

“I’m exhausted!” she complained in a low voice, her pale face full of annoyance. “Why did my parents invite so many people?”

She sighed, then asked, “Did what I said on stage sound decent? I stayed up half the night writing that script.”

“It was great,” Ye An smiled. “A big improvement over last year.”

“Obviously!” Liu Yue grinned at her. Noticing the garment bag behind Sheng Shiwen, she reached out for help. Sheng Shiwen understood immediately and handed it over.

“Thanks, Wen-wen~” Liu Yue winked, continuing the conversation while she changed. “After all, I’m another year older.”

“Anyway, enough about me.” She shook her head. “Is the food tonight to your liking? How’s the wine? And the performances—satisfied?”

“Satisfied.” At the mention of the performances, Sheng Shiwen got excited. “You’re quite something, actually getting Lu Man to come. I thought she was pretty on TV, but seeing her in person is something else. A star is truly a star.”

“Right?” Liu Yue nodded proudly. “I’ve been a fan of hers lately. Since it’s my birthday, I spent a fortune to invite her.”

Sheng Shiwen teased, “Tsk, looks like money really can buy anything. We’re so jealous.”

“Stop teasing me,” Liu Yue countered. “Are you two any poorer than me?”

The three of them chatted and laughed backstage for a while before returning to the hall. As the star of the day, Liu Yue couldn’t stay idle and was soon surrounded by guests.

Ye An preferred quiet, so she took a glass of orange juice and walked over to the window to look at the scenery. Just as she stood still, her phone vibrated in her bag.

It was a WeChat message from Xia Yihuan. Ye An found it curious and tapped it open: [Sister Wang, can the money wait two more days?]

As soon as she finished reading it, the message was retracted by the person on the other end.

Likely sent to the wrong person.

So, Xia Yihuan’s bankruptcy was indeed real. Ye An raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t planned on responding, but seeing that “Not here” from earlier, she felt it would be a loss not to say something.

So, she smiled and slowly typed two words: [Need money?]

Just two words, but they were dripping with mockery.

This time, Xia Yihuan’s reply was much faster than before: [None of your business.]

Cold as always.

Ye An tilted her head back to take a sip of juice and continued typing: [No need to be polite, President Xia. If you need anything, just ask. We’re both in business; it’s inevitable to hit some rough patches. We should look out for one another.]

[Besides, I happen to have some spare funds on hand. If President Xia doesn’t mind, you’re welcome to take some anytime.]

The words looked polite, but the “President Xia” clearly stung the person on the other side.

Sure enough, the phone didn’t buzz again for a long time.

Ye An let out a soft chuckle. Unlike herself, who had clawed her way up to achieve success, Xia Yihuan was beautiful and came from a wealthy background. She had been pampered by her family since childhood, and with her own excellent qualities, she was a natural winner in life.

Naturally, her life had been smooth sailing for over twenty years; she had never tasted failure. She was proud, confident, and elegant—an “inaccessible flower of the high peaks.”

A person like that couldn’t handle the kind of teasing Ye An just dished out.

Having avenged the “Not here” comment, Ye An intended to stop there. But just as she was about to put her phone away, the screen lit up again.

To her surprise, another message from Xia Yihuan popped up—

[Fine. Where are you?]

“…”

For a rare moment, Ye An was stunned.

Xia Yihuan got off the bus and walked slowly toward the entrance of Yage according to the location on her phone.

She was indeed penniless at the moment. A sudden operational error by the System had caused her to go bankrupt for no reason, and the world line had developed several glitches as a result. The General Bureau was currently busy repairing them.

But no matter the repairs, the situation that had already occurred could not be undone.

There were two main points:

1. She was bankrupt.

2. Her rival, Ye An, seemed a bit off.

According to the original plot, Ye An would die of an illness in three years. While Xia Yihuan felt it was a pity, fate was fate, and there was nothing she could do.

Fortunately, Ye An’s passing wouldn’t be too painful, and all her affairs had been settled. The students she had sponsored and the people she had helped lived healthy, stable lives, shining in their respective fields.

This was undoubtedly a comfort to the deceased Ye An. Although Xia Yihuan found her annoying, she had to admit that, in some ways, Ye An was a good person.

That was how the plot was supposed to go.

“Did you find the reason?” Xia Yihuan pulled her phone back and stepped forward, her gaze quickly locking onto the woman standing under the light.

That woman was just as she remembered—noble, beautiful, looking like a painting no matter where she stood. With just a slight smile, everything around her paled in comparison.

“Not yet,” the 023 System replied in her head. “According to the higher-ups, Ye An’s overall plot line hasn’t changed. But looking at her recent series of actions, something is definitely wrong.”

She knew the System wouldn’t have answers. Xia Yihuan sighed softly and shook her head. “Never mind. We’ll play it by ear.”

With that, she walked right up to Ye An.

Their gazes met—a silent clash. Both could see provocation in the other’s eyes.

After a long pause, Ye An spoke first.

“I didn’t expect President Xia to look so good in casual clothes,” Ye An said, leisurely tucking a stray hair behind her ear. “Since you’ve come all this way, why not come inside for a few drinks?”

“No need. President Ye’s time is valuable; let’s get straight to the point,” Xia Yihuan said, her tone steady. “Does what President Ye said in the message still stand?”

She actually asked.

Ye An paused, then slowly pulled out a card. The smile on her face didn’t fade. “The money is ready. The amount inside should resolve your immediate crisis and last you for a while.”

“However, there’s no such thing as a free lunch,” Ye An said, a different emotion flickering in her eyes. “President Xia should be prepared to pay a corresponding price.”

Xia Yihuan paused. “But I have nothing to give you right now.”

Ye An shook her head. “It seems President Xia doesn’t have a clear understanding of her own value.”

She said this with such arrogance and ambiguity that Xia Yihuan fell silent. The surrounding noise seemed to quiet down. A breeze blew past, ruffling her hair. The lights reflected in her eyes, making her beauty look almost surreal.

But soon, Xia Yihuan lowered her head slightly. A crack finally appeared in her dignified, calm expression, and her voice held a hint of incredulous questioning.

“So, if I understand President Ye correctly… you want to buy me?”