After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 5

Xia Yihuan’s driving skills were indeed excellent—both fast and steady. It wasn’t long before she pulled up in front of the Shi Qian building.

“I don’t plan on working overtime today,” Ye An instructed before getting out. “Remember to pick me up at 6:00 PM.”

“Alright,” Xia Yihuan nodded.

“Mhm.” Ye An said nothing more and turned to walk toward the office.

Only after she had completely disappeared from sight did Xia Yihuan start the car again.

“Where are we going now?” 023 asked. “Should we visit President Zhang? Even though you’re bankrupt, there are still plenty of people interested in hiring you. I’ve compared them carefully, and President Zhang’s company has the best growth prospects and a solid business model. It would be a perfect springboard for your comeback.”

“Is that so,” Xia Yihuan replied half-heartedly.

023 assumed she still hadn’t recovered from the blow of bankruptcy: “It’s fine, it’s just a minor setback, no big deal.”

“You’re the protagonist of this world; isn’t everything a breeze for you~”

After the System said this, Xia Yihuan didn’t respond for a long time.

023 suddenly felt a bit nervous, worried she had said the wrong thing again. She had been with this host for ten whole years, ever since Xia Yihuan turned eighteen. Despite the long time together, her understanding of Xia Yihuan was actually quite shallow.

She never knows what her host is thinking!

023 felt a wave of frustration. She wasn’t naturally very smart; while other systems were out there building legacies and achieving great things, she had accomplished nothing. Getting bound to Xia Yihuan was a stroke of luck from a drawing, and instead of helping her reach new heights, she had managed to let the poor woman go bankrupt.

Although the General Bureau was mostly to blame, 023 couldn’t help but feel responsible.

Forget it, I’ll just shut up.

The assistant was efficient, quickly compiling Lu Man’s profile and sending it to Ye An’s inbox.

Having been away for half a month, there were many matters to handle and rectify. The morning meeting ran long, and afterward, Ye An kept the directors of various departments for another brief session.

Back in her office, Ye An finally found a moment to open the files.

Lu Man’s background wasn’t great. Her father had died young, her mother remarried, and a new child followed a year later. Although online sources didn’t elaborate, the fact that Lu Man moved out of her hometown at such a young age to strike out on her own suggested a strained relationship with her family.

As Ye An browsed, she discovered that before becoming a star, Lu Man had worked numerous jobs—hotel waitress, internet café manager, hair salon assistant… she had truly experienced the grind.

People who have suffered tend to be more hardworking and cherish their current gains. That was likely why she had risen so quickly after entering the industry.

Overall, the reviews of her were excellent.

Ye An made her decision and sent an email to the Marketing Director, telling her to contact Lu Man’s manager. After that, she asked her assistant for another cup of coffee and dove back into her work.

The day passed quickly. Near closing time, she received a call from Xia Yihuan.

Ye An still had some unfinished work, so she casually hit the speakerphone and set it aside: “Hello, Yihuan? What is it?”

“Didn’t President Ye instruct me to pick you up?” Xia Yihuan’s voice came through the speaker, sounding even more detached. “I wanted to ask in advance if there’s anything I should bring for you.”

I only knew she was a good boss; I didn’t expect her to be such a capable assistant.

Ye An smiled and said it wasn’t necessary. She was about to tell her to just wait downstairs, but then she changed her mind: “Park the car and come up directly.”

“Mhm.” Xia Yihuan didn’t refuse, nor did she ask why.

“Remember to get an elevator card from the front desk.” With that, Ye An hung up.

Xia Yihuan was efficient. Before long, the sound of the elevator arriving echoed on the floor, followed by a knock. Without stopping her work, Ye An said: “Enter.”

Xia Yihuan walked in.

She was still wearing simple casual clothes today, but her beauty made the outfit look high-end. However, it still couldn’t compare to her former wardrobe; in Ye An’s eyes, it was merely “passable.”

Since it was closing time, there were many people around. Several employees noticed Xia Yihuan’s visit and were shocked and intrigued, but they didn’t dare comment, only stealing secret glances.

Xia Yihuan didn’t seem to care, her tone as steady and indifferent as usual: “President Ye.”

“Sit for a moment,” Ye An said, gesturing toward the nearby sofa. “I still have some work to finish. I’ll have to trouble you to wait a bit.”

“Understood,” Xia Yihuan said.

She was a woman of few words, and Ye An was too busy to talk. The atmosphere fell silent as an hour slipped away.

I said no overtime today.

I really need to break this habit.

Ye An sighed, saved her documents, closed her laptop, and looked at Xia Yihuan, who was sitting poised across from her. Suddenly struck by an idea, she said: “Yihuan, come here for a second.”

“What is it?” Xia Yihuan asked.

Ye An slowly stretched her neck. “Come and massage my shoulders.”

Xia Yihuan: “…”

“Come on,” Ye An arched an eyebrow, a slight smile on her lips. “This is also part of your job description. Since you agreed to be my assistant, you have to satisfy your superior.”

She was truly ruthless when it came to ordering people around.

Xia Yihuan couldn’t argue. She stood up, walked behind Ye An, and placed her hands on her shoulders.

Ye An immediately winced: “Cold!”

Xia Yihuan sighed and had to withdraw her hands, carefully rubbing them together to warm them up before placing them back.

There was a pleasant scent on her fingertips, as well as on her body—a faint pine fragrance mixed with a unique floral note, which had a very soothing effect.

The fatigue from Ye An’s long day began to melt away. Xia Yihuan’s palms were warm and her movements gentle, her fingertips tracing from the neck down to the shoulders.

Comfortable under her care, Ye An instinctively remarked: “Have you ever thought about getting a professional massage therapist license?”

Xia Yihuan paused: “What?”

“Just kidding.” Ye An’s lips curled into a smile. “With a technique this good, I wouldn’t want to let anyone else experience it.”

“Alright, take a break.” Ye An sat up and stretched. The exhaustion had indeed been relieved, which left her quite satisfied. “Help me open that drawer over there.”

“This one?” Xia Yihuan pointed.

Ye An nodded: “Yes.”

Xia Yihuan slowly pulled the drawer open.

“Do you see what’s inside?” Ye An asked, resting her chin on her hand and looking at her with a clear smile.

“A stapler, a USB drive, and some stacks of files,” Xia Yihuan said, flipping through. “And… a stamp album.”

“That stamp album is yours now,” Ye An said.

Xia Yihuan turned her head, her beautiful eyes clouded with confusion: “Why?”

“A reward for the massage,” Ye An said. “The employees at Shi Qian get quarterly bonuses. They work for me, and you work for me—there’s no fundamental difference. A client gave me that album years ago. I don’t know much about these trinkets, and it’s just been sitting there. Since you like them, it’s better off with you.”

The fact that Ye An would give her a gift was novel enough, but knowing her specific hobby was even more surprising. Xia Yihuan took out the album and opened it. It was a yearly collection from 1974 to 1982. Because it was well-preserved, the market price was likely over 50,000 yuan.

It wasn’t an incredibly expensive item, but it was the thought that counted.

After a moment, Xia Yihuan showed her first real smile since arriving: “Then, thank you, President Ye.”

“You’re welcome.” Ye An accepted the thanks graciously and stood up. “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet.” Xia Yihuan instinctively brought her coat over. Ye An didn’t refuse, reaching out to let her help her into it.

Xia Yihuan’s hands were exceptionally beautiful—clean, with long fingers and neatly trimmed nails. They were a pleasure to look at.

These hands used to sign documents and tap on keyboards; now, they were buttoning her coat.

In a pleasant mood, Ye An looked down at Xia Yihuan’s dark hair, the smile in her eyes deepening: “How about I treat you to dinner, Big Sister?”

Xia Yihuan looked up and corrected her: “I believe I am a year older than President Ye.”

“And what’s the problem with that?” Ye An chuckled. “It’s just a title.”

She really is vastly different from the Ye An of the past.

Business dealings years ago had brought them into occasional contact, and Xia Yihuan still remembered the Ye An of that time. She was sophisticated and smooth, always wearing a proper smile and finding the perfect words to persuade anyone.

Now, this person wanted her to button her clothes, massage her back, and help her into the car.

She even said: “It’s just a title.”

Xia Yihuan was becoming increasingly curious about what exactly had happened to her.

“True, President Ye has a point.” After a moment, Xia Yihuan nodded slightly, as if fully agreeing. “As an assistant, I should strive to satisfy my superior.”

“Call me whatever you like.”