After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 22

Over the years, Ye An’s experiences had gradually fostered an independent personality. She rarely took the initiative to rely on others, and whenever she encountered problems or setbacks, she was used to shouldering them alone.

Thus, when Xia Yihuan finished that sentence, Ye An was first stunned, then instinctively wanted to shake her head.

But Xia Yihuan didn’t give her the chance. She walked straight up and gently wrapped her left arm around Ye An’s shoulders.

“It’s over now,” she said softly.

For some reason, Ye An’s eyes felt unexpectedly damp.

“I’m okay,” she paused, finally finding her voice. However, her tone was clearly not as strong as her words suggested, and she was even trembling slightly. “Is your hand alright?”

“It’s fine,” Xia Yihuan said. “Just some minor injuries.”

“The police came by just now to take a statement.” Xia Yihuan’s embrace was warm; leaning against her, Ye An felt her panicked emotions ease significantly. “I don’t remember many details about the accident. If there’s anything you can recall, you can add a few words to the officers later.”

“Mhm.” Xia Yihuan nodded.

With that, both fell into silence.

Ye An couldn’t quite describe how she felt. The two were very close right now—close enough that a slight breath allowed her to catch Xia Yihuan’s scent, close enough to feel the soft texture of her skin and the steady beat of her heart. The social safety distance between people is typically 1.2 meters; unless it’s a particularly close friend or relative, crossing that line usually makes one feel uneasy.

Let alone with an arch-rival.

But in all honesty, Ye An didn’t feel the slightest bit of discomfort. Instead, she found the most rare sense of peace and security she’d felt all night.

After an unknown amount of time, Ye An’s state finally stabilized.

“It’s late,” she coughed lightly, feeling a belated sense of embarrassment. “Let’s head back.”

She released Xia Yihuan’s embrace and looked down, fiddling with her phone to distract herself, but didn’t forget to give Xia Yihuan a few instructions: “Your right hand is badly injured, try to avoid heavy lifting for a while. And those wounds on your body—don’t let them touch water.”

Xia Yihuan’s lips curved upward. “Alright, I’ll do as President Ye says.”

Her state was no different from usual.

Ye An glanced at her, marveling in her heart at this woman’s psychological resilience. She didn’t say anything more; the night’s events had left her mind in a mess, and she desperately needed to go back and get a good sleep.

“Let’s go. Home.”

Once the matters were settled, the designated driver arrived quickly.

Ye An was glad she had driven a second car today. She sighed, straightened her skirt, and sat in the back with Xia Yihuan. They remained silent throughout the drive. The car moved smoothly and soon arrived at Ye An’s complex.

“You don’t need to pick me up for the next few days,” Ye An said, looking at Xia Yihuan. “Recover well from your injuries.”

“And… thank you,” she added later.

Xia Yihuan seemed to pause. “What is President Ye thanking me for?”

Even now, Ye An could recall the terrifying scene: “If you hadn’t pulled me back then…”

“It’s nothing,” Xia Yihuan suddenly laughed. “It’s just human nature. Even if it hadn’t been me standing there, I think anyone would have done the same.”

“President Ye doesn’t need to take it to heart.”

She said that, but when Ye An looked at her and saw the wounds covering her, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

It’s fine, I can compensate her later.

“I’m going then.” Ye An nodded and bid her farewell. Xia Yihuan got out of the car as usual to watch her leave, only withdrawing her gaze once she finally disappeared from sight.

“Miss, where to next?” the driver asked politely.

Xia Yihuan was silent for a few seconds before giving an address.

It was the scene of the accident they had just left.

Back home, Ye An washed up and went to bed.

Tonight she didn’t even have the mood for a face mask; her mind was entirely occupied by the car accident. It took a long time to fall asleep, and even when she did, her dreams were filled with the terrifying scenes from earlier.

When she woke the next day, her state was indeed poor.

But with so much to do, Ye An had no chance to slack off. After a simple breakfast, she hurried to the office.

The marketing department had sent over the sample footage. Ye An clicked to view it. Lu Man’s features were naturally three-dimensional and expressive, making her very photogenic. Combined with her infectious performance, the short twenty-second clip clearly had a cinematic quality.

Ye An was very satisfied; it seemed choosing Lu Man as the spokesperson was indeed a wise move.

Before she could think further, there was a knock at the door.

Ye An looked up: “Enter.”

Soon, her assistant walked in carrying several stacks of contracts for her to review.

“Leave them here,” Ye An said. “Come back for them in a bit.”

“Okay, President Ye.” The young assistant nodded but didn’t leave immediately.

Ye An saw she seemed to have something else to say. “What is it?”

“President Ye, I’d like to take the afternoon off.” The assistant stammered, looking a bit embarrassed. “My boyfriend returned from abroad this morning. He rarely gets to come back, and I want to…”

“Oh, you want a break, right?” Ye An couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s fine.”

This assistant had been with her since graduation and was serious, responsible, and hardworking. Ye An liked her a lot but also frequently told her not to focus entirely on work—proper rest and relaxation were also important.

“Thank you so much, President Ye!” The assistant was overjoyed, her words becoming uncharacteristically numerous. “My boyfriend said he’ll pick me up in a bit. I’ll go pack up now.”

“Have you thought of where to go?” Ye An smiled. “Since the next two days aren’t very busy, you can take a few extra days off. It’s only right to spend more time with your partner when he’s back.”

“Okay!” the assistant nodded vigorously.

“Oh, right.” As if remembering something, she quickly pulled two tickets from her pocket before Ye An could speak again. “President Ye, please take these.”

Ye An looked down; they were two movie tickets.

“What are these?”

“We accidentally bought too many,” the assistant said with a beaming smile. “Since he rarely comes back, we’ve both been secretly planning dates for the past two days. When we talked today, we realized we both put ‘watching a movie’ on the list.”

“They say this film is quite good. If you have time, President Ye, please go with a friend.”

Ye An nodded. She couldn’t refuse such a kind gesture. “I will.”

With that, the assistant left happily.

Ye An watched her go, then finally withdrew her gaze with a light smile.

She didn’t know why, but she seemed to be running into many young couples lately.

However, she couldn’t deny that love was indeed a pleasant thing. Thinking of the couples she’d met and the assistant’s expression today, Ye An felt a flicker of envy.

People are always exceptionally obsessed with what they cannot have.

Ye An shook her head and turned her attention back to the two tickets.

Recently, Sheng Shiwen had been focusing entirely on Ji Chu, making it hard to find time for a gathering. Liu Yue was the same; her parents had been strict lately, wanting her to take on family responsibilities, so she was forced to report to Yage every day. Liu Yue was busy as a bee and had no time for anything else.

Having been in business for so many years, Ye An felt she had many friends, yet only now did she realize she couldn’t find anyone to invite.

It couldn’t be… Xia Yihuan.

Ye An instinctively shook her head. What would it look like, watching a movie with an arch-rival?

An email popped up on her computer from a packaging company she was interested in. Ye An took a deep breath, quickly pulled her thoughts back, and continued her work.

At lunch break.

Xia Yihuan hadn’t sent a message all morning.

Recalling her condition last night, Ye An couldn’t help but feel a bit worried. Since she had no important arrangements in the afternoon, she might as well take the time to visit her.

Thinking this, Ye An unlocked her phone. She intended to send a WeChat, but remembered Xia Yihuan’s right hand was injured, making typing difficult, so she called instead.

In the past month, they had rarely communicated this way.

The phone rang a few times before Xia Yihuan picked up. Ye An spoke first: “Hello, Yihuan?”

“Mhm,” Xia Yihuan replied, her voice soft. “Does President Ye need something?”

“Are you at the dormitory?” Ye An asked.

“I am,” Xia Yihuan nodded.

“Are you okay? I wanted to come see—” Before she could finish, she heard Xia Yihuan let out a sharp intake of breath, a small hiss of pain.

Ye An noticed immediately. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Xia Yihuan’s voice came after a few seconds. “I happen to be changing my bandages. I accidentally poured a bit too much antiseptic just now. It’s fine.”

Ye An couldn’t help but sigh. Remembering the large bruises on her back, she said, “Your right hand is injured; it must be very inconvenient to change the bandages alone.”

“A bit,” Xia Yihuan said. “But there’s no other way, is there?”

For some reason, Ye An felt Xia Yihuan sounded a bit pitiful.

She tapped the desk with her fingertip, her brow furrowing instinctively. Since Xia Yihuan was so badly injured and needed someone, it would be wrong not to help.

“It’s fine,” she said quickly. “Wait for me, Yihuan. I’ll come help you.”

“President Ye is coming to help me?” Xia Yihuan sounded surprised. “Won’t that be too much trouble?”

“No trouble,” Ye An said, closing her laptop and standing up decisively. “Just wait for me.”

“Is there anything you want to eat?” she asked. “I’ll bring it over.”

“Anything is fine.”

After a pause, Xia Yihuan added, “Then, thank you in advance, President Ye.”

There was a smile in her voice as it came through the receiver; it sounded unexpectedly pleasant.