After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 46

After finishing the call with Xia Yihuan, Ye An turned and took a shower in the bathroom before lying on the bed to sleep for a while.

She didn’t have much of an appetite, so she slept straight through until dusk. With over an hour left before her meeting with Lu Ran, Ye An had nothing to do, so she opened her laptop to browse the documents and reports sent by the project manager.

However, since data like this passes through many hands, there is inevitably a lag or distortion; the most important thing is still to see things in person. Ye An looked them over generally and got a sense of direction; tomorrow, her task would be to solve the troubles one by one.

Halfway through her review, Lu Ran arrived.

There were several good restaurants nearby, and Lu Ran knew City B like the back of her hand. Following her advice was a safe bet. After Lu Ran named a few places, Ye An chose one without hesitation.

“President Ye, you can’t handle spicy food well, right?” The car arrived quickly. The two got out and sat down in a private room. Lu Ran swiped through her phone, reading aloud softly while browsing, “No green onions or cilantro, no sashimi, prefers sweeter flavors…”

“Right.” Ye An nodded; the things she was reciting were indeed her likes and dislikes. “Miss Lu, this is…?”

“Oh, Yihuan sent this to me.” Lu Ran giggled, waving her phone. “She told me to take good care of you.”

“You two must be incredibly close.” Just then, a waiter brought over hot tea. Lu Ran picked up the teapot to pour a cup for Ye An, her mouth never stopping. “She’s never been this attentive toward us before.”

Ye An couldn’t help but let her lips curve upward. “Is that so?”

“It is,” Lu Ran said, using the topic as a springboard to continue chatting with Ye An. “Take me for example…”

The meal lasted about an hour before finally coming to an end.

With New Year’s Day approaching, the surrounding atmosphere was lively and joyful. The small shops along the street played festive tunes on loop, and festive red decorations were everywhere. Even the sky was occasionally streaked with fireworks that burst at their peak, raining down a dazzling display of light.

It was very lively, but none of that joy or leisure belonged specifically to Ye An.

Fortunately, Xia Yihuan was thoughtful enough to find a friend to accompany her. Ye An wasn’t usually one for crowds, but she had to admit that Lu Ran’s company greatly eased her irritability and unease.

The car moved quickly, carrying Ye An back to the hotel in no time. After a few pleasantries, they parted ways. Ye An went upstairs to wash up and finished browsing the rest of the documents before bed.

The next morning, Ye An threw herself into work.

The problems in the project were things she had summarized in advance—neither too large nor too small, but indeed a bit troublesome to resolve. Some areas required running around to pull strings and coordinate between different levels.

Ye An was a woman of action, and since New Year’s was coming, she couldn’t afford to delay; she wanted to resolve as much as possible before the holiday.

Consequently, she lost the leisure she had when she first arrived in City B. Not only was she leaving early and returning late, but she sometimes even forgot to eat. Seeing this, Lu Ran simply found a solution: she ordered meals from nearby restaurants every day and had them delivered directly to Ye An’s room.

Time flew by, and five days passed in a flash.

It wasn’t until the evening of New Year’s Day that she received a call from the manager, telling her that the final matter had been settled. When the summarized documents were all sent over, Ye An finally let out a sigh of relief.

Through this incident, she realized that aside from the general environment and external factors, there were many internal issues as well. Ye An intended to address them, but since today was New Year’s, a wonderful holiday, she didn’t want to talk about work if she could avoid it.

“Go enjoy the holiday properly,” she said in the end. “You’ve worked hard these past few days.”

“No trouble at all, no trouble at all!” The manager on the other end was stunned for a few seconds before saying guiltily, “We’re the ones who troubled you, President Ye.”

“President Ye, Happy New Year,” she said. “Um… I wish you a smooth new year and good health.”

Due to nervousness, the blessing was a bit stuttered, but it made Ye An laugh. Ye An nodded, a light smile on her lips. “Mhm, you too.”

“Go home for your reunion,” she said, not wasting any more time. After a few pleasantries, she hung up the phone.

Afterward, she stood up and walked to the window to look out.

She had been immersed in work these past two days and had momentarily ignored the changes around her. The street atmosphere had grown even more boisterous with the arrival of the New Year. Fireworks and firecrackers rose one after another in the sky, the popping sounds never-ceasing.

It was a bit noisy, but at this moment, it was exactly what she needed.

Even if she hurried back now, it would be too late. Ye An stared at the street view for a moment, then opened WeChat to reply to the holiday blessings others had sent her.

Then she exited and sent a text to Teacher Yang, wishing her a smooth and joyful new year.

Next, she thought of Xia Yihuan.

She wondered what she was doing right now.

These past two days had been too busy, not just for her, but likely for Xia Yihuan as well. Aside from one necessary daily phone call, they rarely communicated. Now that she finally had free time, she suddenly didn’t know where to start the conversation.

But even so, Ye An dialed her number anyway. At this moment, she really wanted to hear Xia Yihuan’s voice.

It was a kind of longing she couldn’t quite define, and she didn’t bother trying; she simply wanted to hear her speak. It didn’t matter what she said; the atmosphere was what mattered. Having her to chat with for a few minutes was better than being alone during the holiday.

The call was picked up quickly: “Hello, President Ye.”

Along with her voice came the sound of firecrackers and the noisy chatter of people. Ye An sensed she was outside and asked, “Is it convenient to talk?”

Xia Yihuan laughed on the other end. “It is. Why are you calling, President Ye?”

“Nothing urgent, just wanted to chat,” Ye An said, sitting on the edge of the bed and leaning against the wall. “It’s New Year’s Day, a new beginning. Happy New Year.”

“Mhm,” Xia Yihuan said. “You too, President Ye. Happy New Year.”

“What good dishes did you make today?” Ye An smiled, not wanting to hang up easily; even idle chatter like this was nice. “Tell me about them, so I can see if there’s anything I like.”

Xia Yihuan listed several dish names.

Ye An frowned. “None of those are my favorites.”

“City B doesn’t suit me—not the climate, and not the flavors,” Ye An said, her voice full of mirth. “When I get back, you’ll have to make me several good meals.”

Xia Yihuan naturally agreed: “I certainly will.”

“It’s a deal then.” Ye An nodded, searching for more topics. “Come to think of it, we’ve been together for over half a year. A while ago I saw a watch that was quite nice and thought it would suit you, so I bought it in advance.”

“It’s in my bedroom drawer,” she said. “Take it when you get home; consider it a New Year’s gift.”

Xia Yihuan didn’t stand on ceremony, her tone soft and tender: “Then, thank you, President Ye.”

Ye An laughed. “So, did you prepare any gi—”

Before she could finish, a massive bang from a firecracker erupted outside. It must have been very close to her hotel; the sound was so loud it startled her, cutting her sentence in half.

She then noticed that a similar loud bang seemed to erupt on Xia Yihuan’s side at the same time as the firecracker outside her window. It was equally loud and noisy. Miraculously, two spaces with no intersection seemed to suddenly connect through that one loud sound.

Ye An paused and spoke softly: “You…”

The sentence was again interrupted, this time by a knock on the door.

In that second, a guess flashed through Ye An’s mind. She couldn’t believe it, yet she was filled with wonder. She froze for a few seconds before rushing to the door.

When the door opened, the person she was talking to—the Xia Yihuan she wanted so desperately to see—actually appeared before her eyes.

Ye An’s nose felt sour, and her body shook slightly with excitement. Only after a few seconds did she find her voice: “Why are you here?”

“It’s a rare holiday,” Xia Yihuan said, placing the dessert she was carrying on the table, a clear smile on her lips. “I still wanted to spend it with you, President Ye.”

This was undoubtedly the answer Ye An wanted to hear most. She fell silent, feeling a surge of moved emotion, joy, and some other indefinable feelings filling her chest.

It made her want to cry.

But she didn’t want to lose face in front of Xia Yihuan, so she suppressed it all. “What about Teacher Yang?”

“I called some of her old friends and drove them over to her place,” Xia Yihuan smiled. “They’re probably watching the New Year’s Gala together right now.”

“That’s good,” Ye An nodded gently. “That’s really good.”

“So, I came to see you.” Xia Yihuan followed up, her smile evident. The light in the room was dim, but her gaze was bright and beautiful—so much so that even after many years, Ye An would still remember this night they spent together.

She said, “I hope I didn’t arrive too late.”

“You’re not late,” Ye An shook her head, looking into her eyes as her lips curved upward. “Yihuan, you arrived just in time.”

“Exactly when I wanted you,” she said, stepping forward to look at Xia Yihuan’s face.

Their gazes met, and it felt as if time had stopped. The world outside was boisterous and lively, lovable and desirable. On such a special day, Ye An should have felt lonely, but she didn’t anymore.

Xia Yihuan’s presence blocked out everything else, creating a small world that belonged only to the two of them.

Ye An felt her heart stir violently; her heart was beating so fast it almost hurt. Unconsciously, she began to resent why she only had a little over two years left to live, resent this melodramatic life, resent the injustice of the world, and resent everything around her.

Yet she was also moved—moved by Xia Yihuan’s company, moved by every single thing she had done for her, and moved that in her final years, such a person could appear.

She thought that she had likely fallen in love with Xia Yihuan.

Ye An leaned her face gently against Xia Yihuan’s shoulder, but was soon pulled back up by the woman, who delivered a devout and passionate kiss.

Her reason snapped then.