After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 36

After Ye An fell asleep, Xia Yihuan did not rush to leave.

023 was not around at the moment; it had returned to headquarters. With so many bugs appearing in the world line recently, even the usually carefree 023 felt a sense of crisis.

“How can there be more bugs the more they get fixed!” 023 had grumbled before departing.

For some reason, Xia Yihuan suddenly felt like laughing.

Indeed, there had been many unexpected turns lately, the most prominent being the sudden appearance of Chi Yan. In the original plot, this person was not supposed to have any more screen time after her college years with Ye An, let alone a sudden return to the country.

Most likely, it was another little trick played by that person.

As for the motive, it was probably to influence Ye An.

This was a silent contest between Xia Yihuan and that person. From a long, long time ago, Xia Yihuan had tried many methods, attempting to modify the world line as much as possible through her efforts. But every time, that person would act as well, twisting the world line back through program modifications to force it back into place.

But that could not be a simple or effortless task. As the changes multiplied, that person seemed to be feeling a bit overwhelmed. Especially now, with one change after another occurring—the most decisive factors being herself and Ye An.

In that case, it would be safer for them to force one of the characters to exit early.

Between busy patching bugs and setting various obstacles to influence the two of them, that person must be quite exhausted lately.

Thinking of this, Xia Yihuan’s gaze darkened.

Ye An recovered quickly.

Since that day, Xia Yihuan became even more particular about dietary balance and specifically looked up many recipes for stomach health to ensure that such an incident wouldn’t happen again.

As time went on, Ye An’s palate and stomach were once again spoiled by her. At the same time, Xia Yihuan’s injuries had almost completely healed.

At the thought that she would eventually move back to the dormitory, Ye An actually felt a bit awkward. Habit is a terrifying thing; it had only been twenty-some days since she went from not being used to having someone else in the house to gradually becoming accustomed to it.

Xia Yihuan was indeed an excellent roommate—clean, low-maintenance, without any messy habits, and she never brought people over randomly. Most importantly, she was thoughtful.

Ye An felt she was acting a bit strange; though the incident from that night had passed several days ago, for some reason, she still remembered it vividly. Especially the sensation of Xia Yihuan’s hands—her palms were soft and warm, the heat continuously flowing through where their skin met. It wasn’t just her stomach; it felt as if even her heart had been warmed.

This was something she had never experienced before.

In these twenty-plus years, it wasn’t that Ye An had never been sick, but she was used to independence and being alone. Unless it was something she absolutely couldn’t handle, she didn’t even want to tell Liu Yue or Sheng Shiwen, always thinking of bearing it by herself. She originally thought she would live like that forever, but then Xia Yihuan suddenly popped into her life.

Actually, the feeling of having someone to rely on was indeed quite nice.

Ye An thought this as she stretched lightly and dove back into her work.

Time flowed slowly, and a week later, she received another text from Chi Yan: [An’an, there’s a banquet tonight. Are you coming?]

A banquet? What kind of banquet?

Ye An wasn’t in a rush to reply. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Chi Yan sent another message: [It’s hosted by a friend of mine. He recently opened a new hotel and invited many people for the grand opening.]

[I know you might not be interested in this kind of party, but for my own selfish reasons, I wanted to try inviting you. No other reason than this friend is President Jiang’s youngest son.]

President Jiang.

Ye An blinked. she understood Chi Yan’s intention; she likely wanted to help her build a connection. Unlike ordinary business people like them, the Jiang family had been prosperous for generations with an extensive network. They held significant influence in C City. If there was a chance to get to know them, there was certainly no harm in it.

The nature of such gatherings was “the more the merrier.” With many people around, Chi Yan, being someone who valued poise, probably wouldn’t do anything out of line. In that case, there was no harm in agreeing.

After weighing it, Ye An eventually replied with a “Yes.”

However, she did not specifically explain to Chi Yan that she might bring an extra person—and that person happened to be Xia Yihuan.

The day of the party soon arrived.

Xia Yihuan had almost finished selecting a location for her new company, but some of the paperwork was stalling. The Jiang family had many connections; surely there would be someone in that field. Keeping this in mind, Ye An naturally brought Xia Yihuan along.

Both wore elegant, well-fitted dresses and exquisite makeup. The moment they stepped out of the car, they attracted numerous gazes.

Soon, Chi Yan walked toward them.

Her gaze first swept over Ye An’s face, as if stunned by her beauty. She paused for a moment before looking away. “An’an, you’re here.”

Then, she quickly looked at the person beside her. Seeing Xia Yihuan, a flash of surprise crossed her eyes, but a few seconds later, she politely said, “Good evening.”

“Good evening,” Xia Yihuan replied, her tone consistently flat—neither warm nor cold.

“Have you been busy lately?” Chi Yan’s gaze returned to Ye An. As they walked inside side-by-side, she engaged in casual conversation, her tone soft and intimate, radiating concern in every word.

“It’s alright,” Ye An smiled, chatting back and forth.

They soon entered the lobby.

President Jiang’s youngest son was named Jiang Ming. In his early twenties, he was still in his “playboy” phase. For whatever reason he had opened this hotel, the space was neither too large nor too small, and the decor suited his tastes perfectly.

However, Ye An still noticed several flaws. First, the structure was irrational—the space utilization rate was clearly too low. Likely, many factors hadn’t been considered during the blueprint stage, leading to this awkward layout.

Second was the location. This was a high-end district with extremely high consumption levels. Opening a hotel here was a smart choice, but Jiang Ming had overlooked one thing: taste. People who spend money here are exceptionally strict about taste. The other hotels in the area were either in a luxurious Baroque style or an elegant classical Chinese style. A style like Jiang Ming’s hotel—hard to categorize and arguably a bit too “eccentric”—was destined not to be their favorite.

However, there are billions of people in the world, and there’s always someone who likes that specific style. Since it was someone else’s business, as long as the owner liked it, Ye An had no right and no desire to meddle.

“I saved a good spot for you,” Chi Yan said, leading Ye An and Xia Yihuan to a table. Ye An scanned the room; there were indeed many elites from various industries she hadn’t met but had heard of.

As expected of the Jiang family.

Ye An curled her lips and politely greeted the group.

The banquet soon began. Jiang Ming had invited several famous bands to perform, and the atmosphere was quickly heated up. After a few drinks, everyone’s spirits were lifted, and conversation flowed freely.

Ye An was busy networking and didn’t have time to see how Xia Yihuan was doing, but Xia Yihuan always had her own plans and didn’t need her to worry. At the moment, from the sound of it, she was chatting with others as well.

During this time, Jiang Ming came over once with a glass, greeting everyone with a flourish. His gaze swept over Ye An, and he warmly shared a drink with her.

“Miss Ye, I’ve heard so much about you. It’s truly an honor to meet you today,” he said, clinking his glass against hers.

“Young Master Jiang, you flatter me,” Ye An smiled. “The honor is mine to meet you.”

“Young Master Jiang”—Jiang Ming clearly liked this title, and his smile became even more radiant. “I’m too busy today to host you properly, President Ye. I’ll definitely make it up to you later when I have the chance!”

With that, he turned to continue drinking with others.

Time flew by. After several rounds of drinks, everyone was a bit tipsy.

Ye An was also feeling a bit fuzzy, but having spent so much time in the business world, her tolerance was well-honed. She wasn’t exactly drunk; her walking and standing were not affected at all.

“I’m going to the restroom,” she said, leaning in to whisper in Xia Yihuan’s ear.

“I’ll go with you, President Ye.” Xia Yihuan was chatting with someone else, but hearing her voice, she immediately looked back and prepared to stand up.

“No need,” Ye An firmly pushed her back down. “I can go myself. I’ll be right back.”

With that, she quickly left.

The restroom was at the end of the hall—a large space. Perhaps because everyone was busy drinking and chatting, it was unusually quiet.

Ye An went to the sink to wash her hands. When she looked up, she suddenly noticed someone else behind her.

It was Chi Yan.

Ye An arched an eyebrow slightly, thinking it was a coincidence, and didn’t speak. However, Chi Yan took the initiative to approach her.

“An’an,” she smiled, still using that peaceful and soft tone. “Are you having a good time tonight?”

“It’s good,” Ye An said.

“That’s good,” Chi Yan nodded. “In that case, I’ve finally done something tonight that pleases you.”

Ye An paused, then asked, “Sister Chi, what do you mean by that?”

“I know you still blame me,” Chi Yan said. Likely because she had also drunk quite a bit, a faint flush stained her cheeks. “But some things aren’t as you imagined. There was a reason I did what I did back then; I had my own difficulties.”

“Will you forgive me?” she asked, her eyes suddenly meeting Ye An’s, searching for an answer. “Can we be as we were before?”

“I know… you actually liked me back then.”

“…”

Ye An was stunned. “Sister Chi, you’re drunk.”

“I might be a bit drunk,” Chi Yan smiled, her gaze never wavering. “But I don’t regret saying this.”

“I liked you too,” she said, stepping a few paces closer. “Since our feelings are mutual, why don’t we—”

“Ye An.” Before she could finish, a cool female voice suddenly came from behind.

Chi Yan looked up and saw that the newcomer was Xia Yihuan again, the one who had suddenly appeared that other day. Chi Yan’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Why haven’t you come back for so long?” Xia Yihuan said, standing beside Ye An with perfect naturalness. “I waited for a while and didn’t see you. I was quite worried.”

Her words were laced with ambiguity.

Ye An met her gaze. After a few seconds, she said, “I’m coming back now.”

“Miss Chi, if you have something to say, why don’t we talk back at the table?” Xia Yihuan smiled, her tone calm and detached. “An’an drank a bit much tonight. The air in here isn’t great, and I’m afraid she’ll feel unwell.”

An’an.

Ye An blinked, suddenly realizing Xia Yihuan’s intention. She couldn’t help but want to laugh, but she cooperated and nodded. “Indeed. The scent of the incense here is too heavy; it’s making me a bit dizzy.”

“Then let’s go back,” Xia Yihuan said, gently taking Ye An’s hand. “Or we can go out for some fresh air.”

“Wherever you want to go, I’ll go with you, okay?” As she spoke, she suddenly lowered her head slightly.

And then, Ye An felt a sudden, soft sensation and a wave of warmth on her cheek.

It was a light kiss from Xia Yihuan.