After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 45

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, winter has arrived.

Since that day, life continued as usual. Neither of them spoke again of the ambiguity of that night when they slept in each other’s arms, as if by unspoken agreement. However, it must be said that something felt as though it were slipping out of control, gradually becoming different.

Ye An didn’t know what Xia Yihuan was thinking; she only knew that her own attitude toward her had changed. The relationship between them could perhaps no longer be summarized by the simple titles of boss and assistant.

But as for what exactly it was, Ye An still couldn’t say for sure even now.

Sometimes she would reflect on it, but lately, she had no time. With New Year’s Day approaching, Shi Qian was following its custom of launching a full range of new products. Ye An was incredibly busy, and several trivial matters had drained a lot of her energy; she was exhausted.

On Xia Yihuan’s side, due to the renovations of her new company and issues with the outsourced team, her schedule was also exceptionally tight. Opportunities for the two to spend time alone had grown scarce; even going out for a proper meal together felt like a luxury.

As time went on, Ye An actually felt a bit of discomfort.

It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury back to frugality. Ye An used to be accustomed to living alone, and being busy with work was a good thing; though hard, it made her feel fulfilled. But things were different now. Once life had other pleasures, excessively heavy work only became a burden.

Fortunately, New Year’s was coming.

In her spare moments at work, Ye An looked at several restaurants in advance, thinking that when the holidays arrived, she would take Xia Yihuan there to relax. The restaurant was located in a bustling district surrounded by countless entertainment facilities. After eating, the two could wander around nearby.

Though it was a simple plan, Ye An still felt very happy.

After all, it was New Year’s Day—the start of a new year and a day for family reunions. For many years, this was the first time someone would be by her side to spend such a holiday with her.

Unfortunately, before the plan could be implemented, a sudden change occurred: a project currently in progress hit a snag.

That project was one she had been following for a long time. Back then, she didn’t know her own fate and threw herself entirely into her work, never considering anything else. She had put a great deal of effort into this project; it wasn’t until she discovered she wouldn’t live long that she finally pulled back a bit.

If it were anything else, she might have let it go, but since she had followed this for so long, Ye An naturally cared deeply. Since a problem had arisen, she had to set out to solve it immediately.

The project was in City B. The person in charge was a capable young woman, but she was still young after all. Encountering such a situation for the first time, she was understandably panicked and couldn’t explain the issue clearly even after a long time. Ye An sighed and decided to go to City B in person.

“I’ll accompany you, President Ye,” Xia Yihuan stated immediately upon learning of the matter. “Perhaps I can be of some help.”

“No need.” Ye An shook her head the moment she spoke. She had seen how exhausted Xia Yihuan had been lately. On a perfectly good holiday, there was no reason to let her continue toiling away. “I can handle it properly.”

“You stay home and enjoy the holiday,” she added, refusing to agree to Xia Yihuan’s proposal no matter what. “It’s a good chance to spend time with Teacher Yang, too.”

“I’ll be back as soon as possible,” she said, looking into Xia Yihuan’s eyes.

She then noticed Xia Yihuan seemed to be contemplating something. After a long silence, Xia Yihuan finally nodded gently. “Alright then.”

“Be sure to take good care of yourself, President Ye,” she said. “If anything happens, you must call me.”

Must.

Ye An’s lips curved at the word. The tone of those two words was too serious—not like an instruction, but more like a demand. Ye An wasn’t someone who liked to rely on others; furthermore, she knew that if something really happened, calling Xia Yihuan from so far away might not necessarily be useful.

But it had to be said, those words were pleasant to hear. The feeling of being cared for was truly good. Ye An looked down and gently pinched the back of her hand, whispering, “Don’t worry.”

“You take care of yourself too,” she said, an instinctive smile blooming on her lips.

Ye An left early the next morning. Xia Yihuan personally saw her off at the airport. Perhaps influenced by the surrounding atmosphere, Ye An actually felt a bit reluctant to leave at the moment of parting; even her nose felt a bit sour.

It was quite inexplicable—an experience she had never had before.

If it hadn’t been for this sudden complication, she really would have wanted to stay and spend the holiday with Xia Yihuan. Fortunately, there were still a few days until New Year’s; if she handled things quickly, she might be able to rush back in time.

With that thought, her mood finally relaxed.

She soon arrived in City B.

Just as she exited the airport, an unknown number called her.

Thinking it was work-related, Ye An answered. An unfamiliar female voice came through the receiver: “Hello, is this President Ye An?”

“Yes, it is,” Ye An replied softly. “And you are?”

“Oh, my name is Lu Ran, a friend of Yihuan’s,” the voice said. “Yihuan called me earlier saying a friend would be in City B today for business and asked me to pick you up.”

“I’m already at the airport now.” she laughed, her voice bright and enthusiastic; she sounded like a very energetic young woman. “Where are you, President Ye? I’ll come get you right away.”

She hadn’t expected that even though Xia Yihuan didn’t come along, she had still planned ahead for her.

Ye An couldn’t help but smile. Since she had such good intentions, there was no reason to decline. After a bit of small talk, she quickly gave her location.

A moment later, a small car drove up and gave two beeps. “President Ye?”

“Yes, that’s me.” Ye An nodded, looking into the car. She soon found that Lu Ran matched her voice; she was indeed cute and spirited, showing two small canine teeth when she smiled. “Sorry for the trouble, Miss Lu.”

“No trouble at all!” Lu Ran shook her head quickly, pushing the door open and watching her get in. “A friend of Yihuan’s is a friend of mine.”

“You’ve just arrived in City B and aren’t familiar with the place, so I took the liberty of booking a hotel for you. The location and environment are great, and the security is good.” She expertly started the car. “Have a look…”

“Thank you so much,” Ye An laughed.

“Then let’s go!” Lu Ran nodded and floored the accelerator, driving the car far out into the distance.

Lu Ran was a natural extrovert. On the way from the airport to the hotel, she chatted with Ye An for a long time. Most of it was about the past—how she and Xia Yihuan met and how they became close.

“Actually, I’m from C City too,” she said, even mentioning a few bits about how she came to City B. “Back then, I was just a useless slacker. If Yihuan hadn’t encouraged me to come to City B to start a business, I definitely wouldn’t be living as well as I am now.”

So there was such a story in the past. Ye An laughed and followed up, “How old were you when you came to City B, Miss Lu?”

“Nineteen, I think,” Lu Ran said. “I’m a year older than Yihuan; she had just recently reached adulthood then.”

“I see.” Ye An nodded. “Venturing out at such a young age—you’re a very bold person, Miss Lu.”

“Eh, I’m just alright,” Lu Ran said, turning the steering wheel at a junction ahead, her mouth never stopping. “Actually, I had my doubts at first. I was in a strange place and didn’t really dare.”

“Besides, back then… what happened with Han Ning, Yihuan was in the midst of deep grief.” she said. “I really wanted to stay with her for a bit longer, but she insisted on driving me away. She was determined to send me to City B.”

Han Ning was Teacher Yang’s daughter.

Ye An had heard Xia Yihuan mention this before. Han Ning had been in a car accident; her death was a massive blow to both Teacher Yang and Xia Yihuan.

Knowing her best friend had passed away, it was obvious Xia Yihuan would be heartbroken. Yet, at such a moment when she needed company the most, she insisted on refusing Lu Ran’s kindness and forced her to be sent away. As for what the inside story was or what Xia Yihuan was thinking, Ye An didn’t know.

This made her pause; she wanted to ask a few more questions, but seeing that the car had arrived at the hotel, she had to let it go.

Soon, Lu Ran took her to her pre-booked room.

Ye An pushed open the door and scanned the room. Just as Lu Ran had said, both the facilities and conditions were excellent. Ye An thanked Lu Ran and stated that if she was free tonight, she’d like to treat her to a meal.

“Sure!” Lu Ran nodded with no objections. “You’ve had a long trip, President Ye. It’s still early, why don’t you sleep for a bit? I’ll come find you toward evening.”

“Mhm,” Ye An smiled. “See you then.”

After seeing Lu Ran off, Ye An sat on the edge of the bed and pulled out her phone, preparing to let Xia Yihuan know she had arrived safely. Fearing she might be busy, she just sent a quick WeChat: [I’m here.]

A few seconds after the message was sent, a phone call came in.

It was Xia Yihuan.

“Hello,” Ye An answered quickly, leaning back against the headboard to straighten her back, her tone languid and laced with a smile. “Not busy?”

“Not really,” Xia Yihuan said, not intending to talk much about her own affairs. “Did the trip go smoothly, President Ye?”

“Smoothly,” Ye An nodded. “I even met your friend Lu Ran later.”

“That’s good.” At those words, Xia Yihuan seemed to let out a sigh of relief. “She’s a good person and very familiar with City B. If you need anything, feel free to ask her.”

“Okay,” Ye An replied.

The atmosphere fell silent for a few seconds. After a moment, Xia Yihuan spoke again softly, her voice as pleasant as always but with more tenderness hidden within: “Take good care of yourself, President Ye.”

“Mhm,” Ye An smiled and said, “Is Yihuan very worried about me?”

This time Xia Yihuan did not hesitate: “Yes.”

That single “Yes” made Ye An’s somewhat irritable mood instantly much better. She paused, the smile in her eyes deepening.

“Alright, I got it.”