After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 40

Xia Yihuan’s lips were soft and warm. In the instant they met hers, Ye An couldn’t help but daze for a moment.

The two were very close now. Ye An didn’t have the habit of turning on the main lights before bed; only a single orange bedside lamp remained lit, casting a dim, ambient glow that traced layer upon layer of light and shadow around them.

In the second before she closed her eyes, Ye An caught a glimpse of a soft light in the depths of Xia Yihuan’s eyes.

It was quite beautiful, and along with her unique scent, it gradually began to dominate Ye An’s senses.

Ye An reached out to wrap her arms around Xia Yihuan’s neck, pulling her downward. Xia Yihuan seemed to sense her intention; she didn’t dodge or pull away, but instead followed the motion, lowering her head further to get closer and closer to the woman before her.

The act of kissing halted for a brief heartbeat because of Ye An’s movement.

Ye An reopened her eyes, which were filled with an indescribable mix of emotions. She didn’t know what she was doing at this moment, or even why she had suddenly invited a kiss. She supposed it was likely due to the strong alcohol she had consumed earlier; she wasn’t just tipsy—she was well and truly drunk.

But soon, Xia Yihuan kissed her lips again. This time, the gentleness of before vanished, shifting from a shallow, tentative test to a deep, lingering entanglement. Ye An withdrew her right hand from Xia Yihuan’s neck, moving it instead to cup her face, wholeheartedly exchanging breaths with the woman in front of her.

It was hard to tell how long the kiss lasted before it finally ceased.

Ye An gazed into Xia Yihuan’s eyes, her voice carrying a slight breathlessness. “Is this really your first kiss?”

“Mhm.” Xia Yihuan’s breathing was equally unsteady, and her usually frost-cold face was now flushed with a very beautiful pale pink. She parted her lips and spoke softly, looking directly into Ye An’s eyes. “The first time.”

Inexplicably, at this very moment, Ye An found that she really loved the sound of her voice.

“Do you regret it?” Ye An ran her hand through Xia Yihuan’s hair. An elegant, crisp fragrance diffused with her movements—pleasant and refreshing, the scent that belonged solely to Xia Yihuan.

Suddenly, an out-of-place thought popped into Ye An’s mind: she felt it wouldn’t be a bad idea to replicate this scent as a new perfume release.

She had even thought of a theme: “A Lover’s Light Kiss.”

But unfortunately, Xia Yihuan wasn’t her lover. Her own life was passing by in a hurry; she hadn’t experienced much familial warmth, nor had she enjoyed many years of happiness. She supposed she likely wouldn’t have a lover in this lifetime.

Yet unexpectedly, Ye An didn’t feel pathetic at this moment.

She thought that at least before she died, she would always have Xia Yihuan by her side. They were similar in age, equal in ability, and it was the first kiss for both. As for Xia Yihuan, she probably wouldn’t feel it was too much of a loss either.

As she was thinking, a bright car headlight flashed past the window, momentarily lighting up the darkness of the room. Ye An took a deep breath, and her chaotic thoughts cleared slightly.

“What are we… exactly?” Ye An asked softly.

Xia Yihuan continued to look into her eyes, her lips parting as if to say something, but in the end, no sound came out.

It seemed as if she had something difficult to express.

But it didn’t matter. They were both adults; everyone has their own secrets. There were things Ye An couldn’t bring herself to say either. If that was the case, there was no need to mention it. There was no harm in living a bit more ambiguously.

So, after a moment, she closed her eyes again and sought Xia Yihuan’s lips once more.

A dreamless night.

The next morning, Ye An woke up a bit late for once. Jiang Yuan was efficient; early in the morning, he indeed brought Jiang Ming to the door to apologize. Jiang Ming had clearly survived a catastrophe last night, looking as if half his life had been beaten out of him. With bandages on his arms and face, he didn’t dare approach Ye An, and his eyes were filled with traces of fear.

“The Jiang family owes you this time, President Ye,” Jiang Yuan said, bowing deeply toward her. “I am truly sorry.”

“It’s no matter.” Ye An shook her head. The Jiang family valued “face” above all else; since they had taken the lead in lowering their heads, she might as well give them a graceful exit. It would make it easier to ask for favors should she need them in the future. “President Jiang, come in for a cup of tea.”

“I won’t take up any more of your time; I have a meeting to attend shortly,” Jiang Yuan said, glancing sideways and kicking Jiang Ming. His voice was low and harsh: “Speak, you bastard!”

Jiang Ming nodded quickly, stepping forward to spill out “I’m sorry” a dozen times like beans from a jar.

After a bit more fuss, they finally departed.

Ye An sighed and looked back at Xia Yihuan. Jiang Yuan had brought quite a few gifts, which were currently piled up at the entrance. They would need to be moved to the storage room.

“I’ll do it.” Xia Yihuan quickly understood her intent and picked up the items.

Ye An gave a soft “mhm” and stopped talking, staring at her retreating back for a long while before withdrawing her gaze.

The memories of last night hadn’t blurred with the alcohol; instead, they had become increasingly vivid. Even now, Ye An could recall the softness of Xia Yihuan’s lips and the warmth of her palms.

She had been a bit worried that things might be awkward between them this morning, but now she realized she had likely overthought it. Xia Yihuan’s expression and tone were no different from usual.

It seemed she really didn’t have those kinds of feelings for her.

Ye An let out a sigh of relief, then shook her head and stopped thinking about it, glancing down at her phone.

After what happened last night, Chi Yan likely wouldn’t appear before her again. Ye An was glad for the peace and quiet. After a few seconds, she finally deleted Chi Yan’s contact information, then exited WeChat and casually scanned the news.

The matter between Zhao Yongchuan and Li Rou had reached a conclusion. The man had always claimed his company’s success was due entirely to his own hard work, when in fact he relied entirely on his wife Wang Li’s family and support. Now that evidence of his affair was undeniable, Wang Li had divorced him decisively, ensuring he wouldn’t get a single penny.

In comparison, although the blow to Li Rou was smaller, having such a stain on her record would likely make finding a job extremely difficult in the future.

A complete mess.

“It’s almost time.” Xia Yihuan’s voice soon came from behind her. Ye An set her phone aside and looked back at her. “Are you hungry, President Ye? I’ll make breakfast right away.”

“Mhm.” Ye An nodded. “Go ahead. I am a bit hungry.”

“Want to go out for a stroll after eating?” she added quickly. “I’m a bit tired today. I’ll take a day off and skip the office.”

Xia Yihuan had no objections. “Of course.”

Ye An smiled. “Mhm.”

At some point, she seemed to have gradually associated being with Xia Yihuan with relaxation.

After breakfast, the two set off.

It was a workday and relatively late, so there weren’t many pedestrians on the streets. Before leaving, Ye An had checked for nearby attractions and bought tickets in advance.

It was actually a bit funny; she had lived in C City for so many years but never had much time to sightsee. She was busy studying as a child and busy working as an adult.

Only now did she learn that C City actually had a small zoo. It was likely newly built, as the facilities were very fresh. Even on a workday, there were many tourists.

There were many animals, too—peacocks, tigers, golden snub-nosed monkeys… there was even a bird sanctuary. Ye An and Xia Yihuan each bought some birdseed, chatting and laughing while feeding the birds.

They had a great time.

“Our bird sanctuary was only established this year,” the young girl selling the birdseed explained to them. “There aren’t many species yet, but it’ll be better next year. It’ll definitely be more lively.”

“I see.” Ye An nodded, turning to Xia Yihuan with a smile. “Then let’s come again next year.”

“Okay,” Xia Yihuan replied immediately without a hint of hesitation.

See, the feeling of having someone by your side was indeed very nice.

“Let’s go.” Ye An scattered the last of the birdseed and waved to the person beside her. “Time to eat.”

“Mhm.” Xia Yihuan stepped forward to take her hand, and the two walked out of the park together.

After eating, they went to an art museum. Liu Yue had sent a location pin a while ago, saying there was a “trendy” coffee shop nearby that was exceptionally good. Since they were free, Ye An decided to check it out.

The coffee shop featured a retro-industrial style: long tables with pipe-style legs, solid wood seats, motorcycles, record players, and chandeliers wrapped in thick hemp rope. The glass doors were likely custom-made, effectively blocking out the noise from the outside world, allowing one to focus on the aroma of the coffee and the leisure of life.

Ye An sat down opposite Xia Yihuan. Looking around, she noticed the shop didn’t just sell coffee—it also doubled as a shop for various retro crafts.

Among them was an ornament that looked remarkably similar to the one Chi Yan had wanted to give her at the exhibition. It had a black-and-gold exterior paired with shimmering mother-of-pearl, featuring an exquisite and beautiful pattern that felt full of history.

Ye An had to admit she was charmed by it. If the person standing beside her that day hadn’t been Chi Yan, she might have accepted the gift with a clear conscience.

But it didn’t matter. Fortunately, she had found a nearly identical one now, and the object itself had done nothing wrong.

“Yihuan,” Ye An spoke her name.

Xia Yihuan looked up at her, then followed her gaze and soon saw the item Ye An was focused on.

“Do you like that ornament, President Ye?” Xia Yihuan asked.

“Yes.” Ye An nodded, no longer surprised that Xia Yihuan could read her preferences. Just then, the waiter brought over coffee and cake. Ye An picked up a fork and cut a piece for Xia Yihuan first.

Xia Yihuan parted her lips: “Thank you, Presi—”

“Don’t thank me.” Ye An shook her head, her lips curling into a smile, her eyes filling with a pleasant aura. “There’s a price to pay.”

“I like that ornament,” she said, propping her chin on her right hand and looking over languidly. “Why don’t you buy it for me?”