After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 29

Ye An’s mood wasn’t particularly great throughout the drive back.

She remained worried about Xia Yihuan’s injury. As soon as they got home, she hurriedly told her to take off her shirt so she could meticulously apply medicine and check the damage.

“Okay,” Xia Yihuan nodded. Following Ye An’s lead, she once again submissively unbuttoned her shirt.

Sure enough, the injury on her back had become significantly more severe than before.

“Hiss.” Ye An couldn’t help but take a sharp breath. She hesitated several times, unsure of how to start; that stone pillar wasn’t perfectly smooth—it was designed with many irregular protrusions for aesthetic purposes. Getting hit by it was bound to hurt exceptionally, let alone being shoved into it with such force.

“I’m still not at ease,” Ye An frowned. Her worry was written all over her face, terrified that something else might go wrong with Xia Yihuan’s body. “Come on, let’s go to the hospital for an exam.”

At those words, Xia Yihuan glanced sideways to meet her eyes and said sincerely, “It’s really alright.”

“I know my own body,” she said. With a reassuring curve of her lips, she rejected Ye An’s suggestion once more. “I’m fine, President Ye, don’t worry.”

“You…” Ye An sighed, not knowing what to say to her.

“Then bear with it a little.” After a long moment, she finally compromised. She looked down, dipped a cotton ball into the antiseptic, and applied it to the wound bit by bit. “It might hurt a bit.”

Before she could even finish her sentence, Xia Yihuan let out a timely “hiss” of pain.

Now Ye An was even more afraid to apply any pressure.

The world is always unfair; it seems as though everyone’s fate is decided from the moment they are born. Take herself, for instance—after struggling for so many years to finally achieve some success, fate plays a cruel joke, decreeing that she will die in three years.

Then there’s Xia Yihuan. Her life was clearly once so superior, with a harmonious family and a respectable career, only to go bankrupt overnight. Since then, her luck has plummeted; who knows how many setbacks and hardships she has endured over this past month.

If this world truly had a “protagonist,” Ye An thought, that protagonist definitely wouldn’t be either of them.

Time flowed slowly. Ten minutes later, Ye An finally finished treating the wound.

“Hungry?” She let out a sigh of relief and straightened her back. “What do you want to eat tonight? I’ll cook for you.”

“Anything is fine,” Xia Yihuan replied quickly.

Ye An knew she would say that.

“It’s a rare occasion for me to personally get in the kitchen; I don’t want to hear you say ‘whatever’,” she said. She stared intently into Xia Yihuan’s eyes, seemingly determined to hear a specific answer. “So, I’ll give you one more chance.”

“Speak. What do you want to eat?”

“Chicken soup, then,” Xia Yihuan fell silent for a moment before suddenly curving her lips into a smile. “Will it be too much trouble, President Ye?”

“No trouble,” Ye An shook her head. At least she knew what she wanted to eat; it seemed this person wasn’t entirely without desires.

“You’ve been my assistant for over a month now; there’s no need to always be so polite with me,” she said. She casually opened the fridge, took out a pudding, and tossed it to Xia Yihuan. “If you have a request, just make it.”

“If I can satisfy it, I naturally will. If I can’t, don’t blame me,” she said. She looked back and smiled at Xia Yihuan. “After all, you’re only one year older than me. I don’t even consider myself old yet, so don’t you go acting so mature and solemn all the time.”

“Life is short. Seizing the moment for enjoyment is the right path.”

Seizing the moment for enjoyment.

This was the first time Xia Yihuan had heard someone say this to her.

All these years, she had been busy with certain matters, never stopping her attempts to reach a specific goal. Looking back, she had indeed forgotten how to actually live.

Perhaps… before that predetermined ending arrived, it wouldn’t be bad to indulge herself just a little.

“Alright,” she thought. Finally, she nodded and met Ye An’s gaze with a smile.

“I’ll listen to President Ye.”

Ye An soon had the chicken soup simmering and used the time to whip up a few palatable side dishes. Although her culinary skills weren’t as exquisite as Xia Yihuan’s, they could be considered “tasty.”

“The flavor is very good,” Xia Yihuan gave a definitive answer after tasting.

“Then eat more,” Ye An said, unconsciously letting out a sigh of relief. She had never been this nervous when cooking for Liu Yue or Sheng Shiwen. She didn’t know what was wrong with her today.

“Mhm,” Xia Yihuan nodded. She picked up a piece of crispy fried pork with her chopsticks and placed it in Ye An’s bowl. “I haven’t used these yet. You eat more too, President Ye.”

“Stop taking care of me,” Ye An laughed. “You’re the one who’s injured.”

“It’s fine,” Xia Yihuan’s lips turned up.

Unbeknownst to them, the atmosphere between the two had become increasingly harmonious.

There were moments when Ye An thought it wouldn’t be bad if time just stopped at this moment. She was used to eating alone and handling various matters by herself. Looking back, it had indeed been lonely.

It was Xia Yihuan’s appearance that had suddenly broken that pattern.

Before this, Ye An never imagined she would one day be able to sit peacefully with her, or even invite her into her private territory. Two people sitting at one table, sharing the same dinner.

It was a bit unbelievable.

Ye An let out a soft sigh and ate the shrimp that Xia Yihuan had peeled for her.

“…”

Regardless, it actually felt quite nice.

After dinner, Ye An got up to clear the dishes and brought over a cup of coffee for Xia Yihuan.

What happened today was, at its root, related to her. If Xia Yihuan hadn’t blocked that blow, the one injured would be her. Li Rou had been a bully since she was a child and never knew when to stop; Ye An had intended to teach her a lesson, but since Li Rou was currently drowning in her own scandal, Ye An didn’t want to waste any more energy on her.

It was better to look after the person in front of her.

“It’s late.” She glanced at the time. Xia Yihuan had been running around all day and was recently injured; she deserved a good rest. “Pack up a bit and get ready to sleep.”

“I’m not at ease with the injury on your back,” she continued. Since Xia Yihuan had stayed over once last night, kicking her out tonight seemed overly pedantic. “Just stay here for the next few days. It’ll be easier for me to apply your medicine.”

“Won’t that disturb you, President Ye?” Xia Yihuan looked over.

“It’s fine,” Ye An said.

“Thank you,” Xia Yihuan’s lips turned up as she quickly agreed.

After they both got ready, they headed to their respective beds.

Today, 023 wasn’t around, having returned to headquarters for a meeting. Without her noisy presence in her mind, the surroundings were unusually quiet.

Ye An seemed to have fallen asleep already. Xia Yihuan lay in bed for a long while. When no messages came, she placed her phone on the nightstand and walked into the bathroom.

The moment she locked the door, she curled up as if she could no longer hold herself together. She turned on the faucet to mask the sound, just as she had done during her shower, and began to cough violently against the sound of the running water.

There was a hint of sweetness in her throat, accompanied by a faint metallic taste of iron. Xia Yihuan knew perfectly well—she would likely see blood again in a moment.

This reaction was more intense than ever before.

“…”

Slowly, the discomfort faded. Xia Yihuan finally straightened her body and looked at herself in the mirror.

Ever since she became Ye An’s assistant, her state hadn’t been great, but along with her physical decline, the answer in her heart was becoming increasingly clear.

Recent events, past suspicions, the truth about this world—the various questions were slowly connecting in her mind.

Then, everything began to cancel out, leaving only one thing: the name Ye An.

Xia Yihuan washed the blood from her hands and pushed open the door. Before she could take a step, she bumped into Ye An, who was waiting outside.

“President Ye?” Xia Yihuan was slightly stunned.

“What’s wrong with you?” Ye An clearly looked half-asleep, her voice carrying a slight rasp. “Why are you coughing so hard? Are you unwell?”

“I’m sorry for waking you, President Ye,” Xia Yihuan replied quickly. “I might have caught a bit of a chill earlier this evening.”

“Be careful next time.” Ye An shook her head and placed the glass she was holding into Xia Yihuan’s hand. “I poured you some water.”

“The medicine is on your desk too.” She let out a small yawn. Being woken up in the middle of the night wasn’t exactly pleasant. “Take it and go to sleep early.”

“In the future, tell me if you need something,” she added, her voice intentionally stern, though a listener could detect a hidden, nearly imperceptible concern. “Don’t just keep it to yourself—it makes it look like I’m mistreating you.”

Nearly imperceptible, yet not impossible to detect.

Xia Yihuan listened quietly, a smile gradually welling in her beautiful eyes. The water in the cup was warm, and the heat conducted through the glass, slowly warming her hands.

For some reason, she was suddenly very glad that the person was Ye An.

From the bottom of her heart, she hoped this person could break free from the shackles of fate and live better—and a little longer.

“Understood.” Thinking this, Xia Yihuan’s lips turned up. “Thank you, President Ye.”

“Goodnight.”