After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 30

The next day arrived quickly.

It was a rare day off. After getting up in the morning and handling several emails, Ye An finally closed her laptop, stretched, and walked to the window to look outside.

The sunlight was quite pleasant at this hour.

The neighborhood where Ye An lived was relatively quiet. Even though it was eight in the morning, only a few elderly people were out walking their dogs. Further away was a small square where several seniors in traditional robes were practicing Tai Chi.

Having nothing else to do, Ye An stood by the window to watch for a while, only turning away when her stomach started to feel a bit hungry.

She pushed open her bedroom door.

Suddenly, a figure flashed past her eyes.

Ye An startled, nearly thinking a thief had broken in, only to realize a few seconds later that it was Xia Yihuan wearing an apron.

“…” Ye An felt a wave of helplessness.

She just couldn’t get used to having another person in the house.

“Good morning, President Ye.” Noticing her gaze, Xia Yihuan glanced over. “Just a moment, breakfast will be ready soon.”

“Oh, no rush.” Ye An shook her head. Xia Yihuan had always been diligent as an assistant; she was already perfect at driving and running errands, and now she had expanded her business into making breakfast.

Being able to eat a warm breakfast right after waking up was indeed a form of happiness.

After washing up, Ye An walked into the kitchen. Xia Yihuan seemed to be making sandwiches today; the bread and ingredients were all prepared. She was currently holding a knife, slicing tomatoes into beautiful, even pieces.

A beautiful person is stunning no matter what they are doing.

Ye An watched her slice the vegetables in silence, feeling that she wasn’t so much cooking as she was handling a piece of art. The morning sun was lovely, rays of light streaming through the window slits to outline Xia Yihuan’s features, adding a touch of elegance and softness.

“Do you need any help?” After watching for a while, Ye An finally spoke.

“No need.” Xia Yihuan shook her head gently. “Just rest, President Ye.”

“Mhm.” Since the prep was almost finished, Ye An didn’t insist. Her gaze fell on Xia Yihuan’s hands, and she suddenly noticed a detail. “Your knife skills are impressive. You can slice this well even with your left hand.”

At this, Xia Yihuan’s lips curved upward. She said softly, “That’s because I’m left-handed.”

What…?

Ye An was stunned.

She quickly recalled the experience of them eating Japanese food together. That night, she had practically done everything for Xia Yihuan—cutting her steak, cutting her foie gras—keeping herself busy and happy. Only now did she realize that Xia Yihuan wasn’t actually incapable of doing it herself.

But then again, she was injured back then.

Ye An couldn’t be bothered to argue. She let out a long “Oh,” then turned and walked back out of the kitchen, looking through a drawer for medicine.

“Apply some medicine first before we eat,” she said, looking toward Xia Yihuan.

“Understood.” Xia Yihuan nodded. While reaching for the jam, she looked back at Ye An. Light danced in her hair; her lips were slightly raised, her eyes full of smiles. She looked breathtakingly beautiful.

Breakfast was ready soon.

Ye An applied the medicine for Xia Yihuan as she had said she would. After they both washed their hands, they sat down at the table.

Just as they sat down, her phone chimed. It was a call from Liu Yue.

“What’s up, Yueyue?” Ye An answered, taking a bite of her sandwich. Even with the most ordinary ingredients and a simple recipe, Xia Yihuan could bring the flavor to its peak.

Since they would likely be living together for a while until the injuries healed, Ye An suddenly worried whether she would gain a few pounds from being fed so well.

“Want to come out and play? It’s the weekend!” Liu Yue’s voice came through the receiver, full of joy and expectation. “An’an, I’m telling you, I’ve been suffocating lately.”

“Your parents are keeping too tight a leash on you, aren’t they?” Ye An couldn’t help but laugh.

“Tell me about it.” Liu Yue sighed. “If it weren’t for them going away on a business trip these two days, I probably wouldn’t be able to get out.”

“Anyway, forget that.” She shook her head, quickly getting the conversation back on track. “Want to go hiking? I haven’t exercised in ages; staying in all day is so boring.”

“Sure.” Ye An nodded. Even if Liu Yue hadn’t invited her, she would have wanted to get some exercise after breakfast anyway. “Is Xiao Wen coming?”

“Yes,” Liu Yue said. “Ji Chu is coming too.”

It seemed their relationship was developing quite well.

Ye An felt happy for Sheng Shiwen, her smile deepening. She glanced at Xia Yihuan, then added, “I might bring someone along on my end.”

“No problem,” Liu Yue said. “It’s a deal then. See you at the foot of the mountain; I’ll send you the address now.”

“Okay.” Ye An hung up.

“Yihuan,” she asked, “do you want to go?”

“If it’s convenient,” Xia Yihuan said.

“It’s convenient.” Ye An nodded. Recalling her wardrobe, she did have a few sets of hiking gear. “Come over in a bit, I’ll give you some clothes.”

“Then, thank you…” Xia Yihuan started to say.

“I told you before, don’t be so polite with me.” Ye An interrupted her, picking up a side dish and adding, “It makes us seem like strangers.”

The word “strangers” (literally outsiders) slipped out naturally. Once it was said, both of them seemed to freeze for a moment.

A few seconds later, Ye An cleared her throat and added, “After all, you’re my assistant. Like the employees at Shi Qian, you’re one of our own. No need for thanks.”

She looked into Xia Yihuan’s eyes, intentionally instructing: “Next time, just say ‘okay’.”

“Mhm.” Xia Yihuan responded, meeting her gaze. “I’ll listen to President Ye.”

She was beaming with smiles. “Okay.”

The mountain Liu Yue mentioned wasn’t very high. Now that midsummer had passed and the temperature was mild, it was perfect weather for hiking.

The group met at the foot of the mountain. Ye An didn’t like carrying too many things when going out; she even bought her water right there at the base.

Xia Yihuan was different. She seemed to be like Sheng Shiwen—meticulous about everything. She spent over ten minutes picking out items.

Ji Chu followed Sheng Shiwen inside as well. Ye An found the shop too crowded and stayed outside with Liu Yue.

“An’an.” Every time Liu Yue saw Xia Yihuan, she found it surreal. “How are you still with her…?”

“Haven’t you gotten tired of this assistant yet?” She was truly perplexed. “Do you have too much money and nowhere to spend it? Isn’t it awkward looking at your rival’s face all day?”

Only a best friend would dare speak to her like this.

Ye An laughed. “It’s fine, actually.”

“Sigh.” Liu Yue shook her head. “I don’t get it. Aside from being pretty, what’s so good about Xia Yihuan?”

“She has her merits.” For some reason, hearing Liu Yue talk about her own self was one thing, but hearing her talk about Xia Yihuan made Ye An want to defend her. “She’s obedient, serious, cooks well, and is meticulous in her work.”

“Most importantly, her name is Xia Yihuan.” Ye An’s lips curled, mirth flowing in her beautiful eyes. “She’s worth the money.”

“Oh.” Liu Yue responded, still not quite understanding. But she didn’t say anything more; after all, Xia Yihuan wasn’t her assistant. If Ye An was comfortable, so be it.

After a few more minutes of chatting, Xia Yihuan, Sheng Shiwen, and the others finally emerged.

“Let’s go, let’s go.” Liu Yue let out a yawn; if they waited any longer, she’d fall asleep. She waved her hand and led the group up the mountain.

“How have things been lately?” While hiking, Ye An walked beside Sheng Shiwen and asked quietly.

Sheng Shiwen knew exactly what she was referring to and whispered back, “Very good.”

Ye An nodded. “That’s good.”

“And you?” Sheng Shiwen glanced at Xia Yihuan. “You and President Xia…”

“Stop, stop,” Ye An cut her off immediately. “There’s nothing between us.”

“Is that so?” Sheng Shiwen nodded. Before she could say more, Ji Chu called out to her. “Xiao Wen, this bottle cap is too tight; I can’t open it. Can you help me?”

“Of course.” Sheng Shiwen smiled. “Give it to me.”

“Thank you, Xiao Wen.” Ji Chu thanked her quickly. “You’re so strong.”

The sweet atmosphere between the two left no room for a third person. Ye An’s lips curled; she felt a hint of envy in her heart but didn’t show it, merely picking up her pace.

After walking for a while, it was nearly noon. The mountain weather was unpredictable; the previously clear sky was suddenly covered by dark clouds.

It looked like rain was coming.

“Should we keep going?” Ye An spoke first.

Sheng Shiwen looked up. The end of a fork in the path to the left seemed to lead to a small temple. Ji Chu loved taking photos and adored buildings with that kind of atmosphere. “Why don’t you guys wait around here for a bit? Ji Chu and I will be right back.”

“I’ll go too,” Liu Yue said. She had been quite unlucky lately; if there was a deity enshrined in that temple, she wanted to go in and offer a prayer. “What about you two, An’an?”

“I won’t go.” Ye An was feeling a bit tired and didn’t want to move much. She glanced at Xia Yihuan. “And you?”

Xia Yihuan said quickly, “I’ll stay with President Ye.”

“Alright then.” Liu Yue nodded. The five split into two groups and headed in different directions. There happened to be a pavilion nearby that would provide shelter if it actually started raining.

“Let’s sit there,” Ye An said. “I checked the forecast before leaving and it said no rain. Even if it changes, I doubt it’ll be heavy.”

“Perhaps.” Xia Yihuan nodded and sat down in the pavilion with her.

As soon as they sat, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.

Ye An sighed. The thought of rain wetting her shoes made her irritable, and she frowned instinctively. While she was lost in thought, Xia Yihuan suddenly handed her a pack of biscuits.

Ye An arched an eyebrow. “Bought at the foot of the mountain?”

Xia Yihuan didn’t deny it. “Yes.”

“And fruit.” She smiled, pulling a box of jackfruit out of her bag.

Ye An was dumbfounded. “Don’t you get tired carrying all this stuff?”

“It’s alright,” Xia Yihuan said.

“Typical you.” Ye An let out a light laugh. As thunder rolled, the rain indeed began to fall. In such a frustrating rainy day, having snacks and drinks for entertainment was a good choice.

Except for the cold.

They had climbed halfway up the mountain, and the temperature here was noticeably lower than at the base. It wasn’t noticeable when it was sunny, but a rainy day was a different story.

Ye An looked into the distance while eating biscuits. The rain was clearly getting heavier, the sky darkening instantly. Strong winds rattled the surrounding leaves with a loud rustling sound.

“Mom, I’m a bit cold.” Soon, a little girl who was also sheltering in the pavilion snuggled into her mother’s embrace.

“It’s okay, a hug will make you warm.” The young woman laughed softly, picking the girl up and cradling her.

“Still cold?” The little girl smiled. “Not anymore!”

Perhaps because the contrast was too obvious, Ye An instinctively huddled closer to herself.

Then she looked sideways at Xia Yihuan and said teasingly, “You spent all that time buying things at the bottom; did you anticipate this situation?”

“It crossed my mind,” Xia Yihuan replied suddenly.

Ye An paused and instinctively looked at her bag, quickly seeing her gently pull out a thin blanket.

Ye An: “…Just how many things do you have in that bag?”

“Not much else,” Xia Yihuan said. She spread out the thin blanket, draping half over herself and extending the other half toward Ye An.

“After you, President Ye?” she said, a faint smile spreading in her eyes.

She was inviting her.

For some reason, Ye An felt her heart skip a beat.

“I’m fine.” But she was someone who valued “face.” She was the one who didn’t buy anything, and she was the one freezing now; Ye An didn’t want to lose face by sharing a blanket with Xia Yihuan unless she was invited again.

But soon, before she could think more, Xia Yihuan gently moved closer and draped the blanket over her shoulders.

The cold, howling wind was abruptly dampened by this small, thin blanket.

Ye An fell silent.

Xia Yihuan was sitting very close to her now; their shoulders were almost touching, their arms brushing. As if afraid she was cold, Xia Yihuan also quickly warmed her hands and gently wrapped them around Ye An’s hands.

In the next second, Ye An suddenly recalled that embrace in the hospital where their heartbeats almost synced.

“…Thank you.” After a long while, Ye An finally spoke.

“No problem.” Xia Yihuan shook her head. “Didn’t you say it yourself, President Ye? We’re one of our own.”

“No need to be so polite.”