After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 43

The night after returning from the villa, Ye An inexplicably came down with a minor illness.

It was likely due to that nap by the riverside, or perhaps just a lingering gloominess in her mood. Regardless, she had no choice but to extend her vacation by a few more days.

Fortunately, things at the company weren’t particularly hectic during these two days.

As if it were only natural, Xia Yihuan didn’t go out either, dedicating herself entirely to taking care of her at home.

This moved Ye An, but it also made her feel a twinge of guilt. The site for Xia Yihuan’s new company had already been finalized, and the paperwork was essentially ready. These few days should have been spent networking and pulling strings. For her to set aside work just to stay home with a patient was truly a bit improper.

Ye An didn’t want to hold her back. As soon as she felt a bit better, she tried to shoo her out. “Go attend to your business.”

“I’m not a child,” she said. “I can take care of myself.”

Xia Yihuan would look at her and, whenever Ye An spoke like that, she would just smile and shake her head, saying, “It’s fine.”

After a few times, Ye An realized she couldn’t win.

Let her be, then.

Truthfully, having someone stay by your side when you’re sick is indeed quite wonderful. It was even better because that person was Xia Yihuan—even if, up until now, Ye An couldn’t quite figure out exactly what their relationship was or how it would develop in the future.

She just felt that things were good as they were. It wouldn’t be so bad if it continued like this forever; sometimes, obsessing too much over a definition isn’t a wise move.

Presumably, Xia Yihuan felt the same way.

More than a month had passed, and Xia Yihuan’s injuries were almost completely healed. She should have moved back to the dormitory, but she never brought it up, and Ye An never spoke of it either.

The two continued to live together in this indefinable relationship until one day.

It was the third day of Ye An’s rest. Thanks to Xia Yihuan’s meticulous care, her body had recovered quickly. The sense of exhaustion had faded, and her state had finally returned to normal.

Coincidentally, Xia Yihuan received a call in the afternoon—likely regarding work—as she had a dinner engagement that evening.

“Go,” Ye An insisted this time, refusing to take no for an answer. “I’ll handle dinner myself.”

“It’s okay, I’d rather stay and keep you company, President Ye,” Xia Yihuan said.

Her words were sincere, and Ye An truly loved hearing them. She smiled but still didn’t agree. “No, go on.”

“I’m getting tired of looking at your face all day anyway,” she teased, propping her chin on her hand and looking over with a slight, playful glint in her beautiful eyes. “I’d actually like some time to myself.”

The teasing intent was obvious.

Xia Yihuan paused for a moment and then laughed back. “Fair enough.”

“I prepared the ingredients at noon,” she said, getting up to check the fridge. “You just need to do a bit of light prep for dinner, President Ye.”

“I’ll try to come back as early as possible,” she added.

Ye An nodded, dropping the banter. “Mhm, I know.”

About an hour later, Xia Yihuan finished getting ready and prepared to leave.

Before she left, Ye An casually asked which hotel it was, which street, how many people would be there, and so on. Xia Yihuan answered every question, and only after Ye An nodded did she finally push the door open and leave.

Ye An stared at the door for a while before getting up to open the refrigerator.

There were indeed plenty of ingredients, all bought by Xia Yihuan over the past few days. Ye An scanned the contents and spotted marinated chicken wings and ribs in glass containers; she guessed Xia Yihuan intended to make some kind of clay pot dish for her.

Additionally, there was a dessert on the lower shelf. Xia Yihuan had been tinkering in the kitchen for a long time during the lunch break; she must have been making this.

Her skills are getting better and better.

Ye An smiled, lightly scraped a bit of cream with her finger, and tasted it. The cream was fragrant and soft, sweet but not cloying—exactly to her taste. Since Xia Yihuan wasn’t coming home for dinner, she initially thought about just taking it out and eating it then.

But halfway through reaching for it, she instinctively stopped. She felt she should wait until Xia Yihuan returned so they could enjoy it together.

The emergence of such a thought made Ye An momentarily dazed.

In the past, she had always been alone and rarely had the concept of “sharing.” She had always been the type where if she was full, the whole “family” was fed. Naturally, when Xia Yihuan first stepped into her territory and began to integrate into her life, Ye An had found it hard to accept.

But now that she had grown accustomed to it, the sudden absence of her presence felt like something was missing.

With that thought, Ye An pushed the dessert back into place and went back to the bedroom to focus on work.

Night fell in the blink of an eye.

Xia Yihuan still wasn’t back. Ye An was too lazy to cook a full meal, so she just boiled a simple bowl of noodles. Having finished her tasks and with nothing to do, she sat on the sofa and scrolled through her phone.

It was the same old stuff; her social feed was filled with the same repetitive posts. Ye An looked through them briefly, found it boring, and quickly exited.

After a moment of silence, she realized she didn’t know what to do with herself.

In the months she had spent with Xia Yihuan, she had gradually gotten used to having her around. Especially since she moved in, Ye An had much less private time.

Aside from work, there was Xia Yihuan. They would eat together, watch movies, and talk about work. If they were bored or tired, they would visit new and interesting places.

It seemed trivial, but it was exactly this kind of plain, ordinary life that made her feel comforted and at peace.

Why isn’t she back yet?

Ye An looked down at the time; it was nearly 10:00 PM. She recognized a few of the people Xia Yihuan was having dinner with—they were all heavy hitters in the industry and formidable drinkers. It wasn’t surprising that the dinner would run late.

But it was getting too late.

Ye An felt a bit uneasy. Since she had asked for the location beforehand, and since she had nothing else to do, she decided to go pick her up.

With that thought, Ye An got up, put on her coat, grabbed her keys, and set off.

The temperature had been fluctuating wildly lately. It was warm a few days ago, but these past two days had turned suddenly cold. Ye An was sensitive to the chill; even with the car’s heater on, she still felt a bit cold.

Only Xia Yihuan could have this much “face” to make me do this.

Ye An sighed and parked in the lot in front of the hotel. This area was a bustling district with many diners; even at this hour, the lot was still quite full.

Ye An originally planned to wait in the car, but fearing she might miss her, she stepped out and waited by the vehicle.

She didn’t call her, just in case they were still discussing important business.

Unexpectedly, she ended up waiting for another half an hour.

It wasn’t until nearly 11:00 PM that Xia Yihuan finally emerged.

She was dressed formally tonight, wearing a well-tailored women’s suit that was very eye-catching. It outlined her graceful figure, accentuating her waist and legs. Combined with her naturally cool aura, the outfit made her look even more elegant and “forbidden.”

Just as everyone had once described her: she was a “flower of the high peaks,” to be admired from afar but not trifled with.

The surrounding light was dim, save for the bright hotel sign hanging above. Xia Yihuan walked forward step by step, appearing as if she were emerging from the light itself.

Ye An looked at her and unconsciously drifted into a daze.

Soon, as if sensing her gaze, Xia Yihuan turned her head and their eyes met.

“President Ye?” After a brief pause, Xia Yihuan appeared surprised. She bid farewell to those around her and walked quickly toward her. “Why are you here?”

“To pick you up,” Ye An said. Having stood in the open air for so long, her voice carried a slight nasal tone from the wind. “This dinner of yours certainly lasted a long time.”

The words started as a complaint, but perhaps because of the phrase “to pick you up,” Xia Yihuan looked happy after a moment of silence.

The temperature was indeed a bit low. Knowing Ye An was afraid of the cold, Xia Yihuan quickly rubbed her hands together to warm them and placed them against Ye An’s cheeks to cover them. “How long have you been waiting? When did you get here?”

There was an unmistakable joy in her tone.

It was no wonder; usually, it was Xia Yihuan waiting for her to come home. This reversal was a first. Noticing her happiness, Ye An’s irritation vanished.

“Not that long,” she said after a moment, letting out a soft sigh. “How did the talk go tonight?”

“Everything went smoothly,” Xia Yihuan replied quickly.

“That’s good.” Ye An nodded, feeling happy for her. She reached out and patted her shoulder. “Let’s go then. Let’s go home.”

Go home.

They were two of the most ordinary words, yet the meaning they carried was profoundly deep.

“I left a dessert in the fridge for you, President Ye,” Xia Yihuan said. Noticing her hands were also freezing, she took her fingertips and silently began to warm them. “Did you see it?”

“I saw it,” Ye An answered, nodding truthfully. “But I haven’t eaten it yet.”

Xia Yihuan looked puzzled. “Is it not to your taste?”

“No,” Ye An said, glancing at her. Xia Yihuan must have drunk quite a bit tonight; her fair cheeks were flushed with a faint pink. She was in no condition to drive. Ye An opened the passenger door and tucked her inside.

Then she quickly got into the driver’s seat herself before finishing her sentence: “I was waiting for you to come back so we could eat it together.”

A phrase like “waiting for you” clearly showed that she now regarded the other person as someone truly close.

Xia Yihuan was stunned again. All of Ye An’s actions tonight had surprised her, but she felt happy at the same time. She should have restrained herself, should have kept things hidden, but the person before her was Ye An. Even if she had a hundred reasons to hide, Ye An had a hundred and one ways to break through them, making it impossible to suppress her feelings any longer.

In the end, Xia Yihuan’s lips turned up into a sincere smile. “Thank you, President Ye. I… I’m really happy.”

She wasn’t one to lie easily; since she said those words, she truly was overjoyed.

Ye An turned her gaze toward her. This reaction from Xia Yihuan was exactly what she wanted. Ye An felt satisfied, and her previous annoyance completely evaporated.

“Then you’d better repay me well in the future,” Ye An said casually, a beautiful smile spreading on her lips. “Got it?”

Xia Yihuan nodded. “I got it.”

Her voice was soft and pleasant. Even as a “flower of the high peaks” that couldn’t be plucked, she always revealed her most submissive side when facing Ye An.

Ye An felt her heart stir again. Instinctively, she leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

“Mhm.”