After Seeing Through the Plot, the Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Lead Overturned Her Fate - Chapter 6

It was nearly 7:30 PM when the two left the office, and the sky had just begun to turn dark.

Xia Yihuan drove the car around and, as usual, assisted Ye An inside. “Where would President Ye like to eat?”

“Any recommendations?” Ye An asked. “Since I’m treating you, let’s go with your preference. It’ll be a nice change of pace for me.”

Xia Yihuan thought for a few seconds. “Does President Ye like fish?”

“It’s alright,” Ye An nodded.

“There’s a restaurant nearby that specializes in fish; the flavor is quite good,” Xia Yihuan said. “Steamed, braised, charcoal-grilled—they have it all. When I had clients visiting in the past, I hosted them there a few times. The reviews were all—”

She suddenly paused mid-sentence.

Ye An understood that she had remembered something from her past life as a CEO again and casually picked up the slack: “Then let’s go there.”

“Mhm,” Xia Yihuan responded and started the car, not continuing her thought.

Ye An slowly closed her eyes, leaning against the backrest for a nap as she usually did.

As evening approached, a gentle breeze picked up outside the window. It felt cool and comfortable against her skin. Ye An rested her eyes, bathed in the fresh air and listening to the melodious music, with Xia Yihuan acting as her driver. It was a truly pleasant and self-satisfied moment.

For the past several years, she had been obsessed with work every single day, busy dealing with various problems. She had spent too much energy on taxing matters and rarely had idle time. Now that she had finally relaxed, it felt wonderful.

It would be even better if I could live a few years longer.

Ye An couldn’t help but sigh at the thought, but overthinking was useless. Since she couldn’t change the status quo, she might as well adapt as soon as possible.

Xia Yihuan deliberately chose a relatively quiet route. There wasn’t much traffic, and the car sped through the night, quickly arriving at their destination.

“Hello.” There was a valet at the parking lot. Xia Yihuan nodded in response, handed him the car, and opened the door to help Ye An out.

“Is the food here very heavy?” Ye An asked as they walked forward. “Eating things that are too spicy at night isn’t good for the skin.”

“Then we’ll order something mild,” Xia Yihuan said.

Ye An looked at her and suddenly gave a slight, playful smile. “But I want to eat something spicy.”

Her tone was solemn, arrogant, and arbitrary. Xia Yihuan was momentarily speechless. After a few seconds, she responded slowly: “That’s… just fine.”

Seeing her annoyance made Ye An very happy. She narrowed her eyes slightly and met Xia Yihuan’s gaze teasingly. “Were you just thinking in your head, ‘Why is this person so difficult?’”

“No,” Xia Yihuan shook her head, reaching out to push open the door for her. “After you, President Ye.”

Her expression was as serious as ever.

Ye An chuckled, stopped teasing her, and stepped inside.

The restaurant’s decor was excellent, and the aroma of the food suggested the taste would be too. Following the waiter upstairs, Ye An realized she was indeed a bit hungry.

“One moment, please.” The waiter pushed open the door to a private room with an eager smile. “I’ll take your order right away.”

“Thank you.” Ye An sat down, the corners of her lips turning up.

Xia Yihuan took out a packet of tea leaves from somewhere and handed them to the waiter. “Please brew the tea with these.”

Ye An glanced at them—Xigui, a type of Puer tea.

“Where did that come from?” she asked curiously.

“I bought it,” Xia Yihuan said, casually taking the cup in front of Ye An. “It helps with digestion after a greasy meal.”

“I see.” Ye An watched as Xia Yihuan rinsed her cup and poured the tea. The liquid was golden and translucent, emitting a faint honey and floral fragrance of high quality. “I thought maybe President Zhang gave it to you.”

At the mention of President Zhang, Xia Yihuan instinctively paused. “Why do you say that, President Ye?”

“Don’t mind me, just making small talk.” Ye An smiled, her beautiful eyebrows arching slightly. “A talented person like Yihuan will have plenty of people wanting to hire her, even if she is currently bankrupt.”

She spoke while tucking a stray lock of hair to one side. Her pale wrist looked even more attractive under the light—sexy and alluring. “President Zhang just had a director resign, and he’s lacking an all-rounder like you. I doubt he’d miss this chance. Perhaps you’ll receive an invitation soon—or maybe you’ve already met.”

She paused for a few seconds before continuing, “Of course, these are just my guesses. Just casual talk.”

Her tone was light and ordinary, as if it really were just small talk. Xia Yihuan stared at her for a long while, then suddenly her lips curled into a gentle smile.

“President Ye is right. President Zhang did look for me.” She nodded and gently placed the teacup back in front of Ye An. “But I didn’t agree. I turned him down.”

“Oh?” Ye An replied. “Wanting to start your own thing again?”

“Not necessarily.” Xia Yihuan shook her head. “I’m just a bit tired.”

“Besides, I’m not completely idle right now,” she said, looking back into Ye An’s eyes. “Am I not your assistant?”

Hearing this made Ye An feel strangely comfortable.

“No need to take the role that seriously,” Ye An waved her hand after a moment as if just realizing something. “I generally use the car around seven or eight in the morning, and you pick me up after six in the evening. Sometimes, if I’m in a good mood, I’ll need you to accompany me for a meal or a chat; if I’m tired, I’ll need a massage. Other than that, I don’t have many requirements.”

“You still have plenty of private time,” she said. “Arrange it as you like—look for a job or do whatever else.”

“Except for one thing.”

“What?” Xia Yihuan asked.

Ye An said righteously, “Don’t go to my rivals.”

“…”

“Mhm,” Xia Yihuan responded a few seconds later. “Understood.”

“Though, if the conditions are truly right, it wouldn’t actually matter if you went,” Ye An added a “patch” to her statement while taking a sip of tea. “After all, there isn’t a company right now as difficult to deal with as your Lixing was.”

Lixing was Xia Yihuan’s former company.

As they chatted, the waiter brought in the dishes. Xia Yihuan handed the menu to Ye An, her voice soft. “So, President Ye is actually praising me.”

“I didn’t say that,” Ye An flipped through the menu, her tone leisurely. “Just a casual remark.”

Although Ye An couldn’t stand Xia Yihuan as a person, she had to admit that their tastes in food were perfectly aligned.

The fish here was tender and fresh, and the broth was exceptionally refined—supposedly simmered with various ingredients and herbs. It was fragrant, thick, healthy, and nutritious.

Since it wasn’t a formal business dinner, Ye An naturally spoke less. She preferred quietly enjoying the food over small talk. Xia Yihuan also remained silent, and for a moment, the atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious.

After the meal, they went to the front desk to settle the bill. Just as they were about to leave, a surprised exclamation came from behind them: “Oh! Isn’t this President Xia!”

It was a male voice, exaggerated and pompous. It didn’t sound like a good person.

Xia Yihuan didn’t intend to pay him any mind, but before she could step away, the man rushed forward to block their path. “It really is President Xia!”

“Long time no see. Do you remember me? I’m Chen He. I just left Lixing last year.” The man smiled maliciously, looking her up and down. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he added, “Oh, look at me. I’ve been so busy lately I forgot you aren’t ‘President Xia’ anymore.”

He reeked of alcohol and his steps were unsteady; he seemed to have had a lot to drink. “They say the tables always turn, eh? Now that I’ve left Lixing, I’m doing better and better. I’ve become a manager at Ningyue with an annual salary of hundreds of thousands. And you? You must owe a lot of money, right? Have you paid it off yet?”

His words were obnoxious; even the nearby waiter couldn’t help but frown. Yet Xia Yihuan remained unruffled, acting as if she didn’t even see him.

She merely spared two words for him: “Who are you?”

“Ha!” A second later, Ye An let out a laugh, arching her eyebrows.

“You!” Chen He didn’t expect her to not even remember him. He was immediately annoyed, and having been laughed at by a bystander, his anger flared under the influence of the alcohol. “Stop playing dumb! I went to see you personally after I was fired!”

“Lixing doesn’t fire employees for no reason,” Xia Yihuan’s tone was calm and icy. “Unless you committed an act against the company’s interests or made too many major mistakes in a row.”

“So, you shouldn’t take your anger out on me. You should look for the reason within yourself,” she said. “It’s nothing more than two possibilities: either you’re malicious, or you’re stupid. Stupidity can be compensated for with hard work, but malice is truly irredeemable.”

“So, which one are you?”

It was the first time Ye An had heard Xia Yihuan shoot someone down like this.

The atmosphere was silent for a few seconds. Then, Ye An turned her head slightly and laughed even louder.

“I can’t be bothered to argue with you!” Chen He’s eyes were turning red from her words. Between the anger and the alcohol, he wasn’t quite sober. “Regardless, I’m doing much better than you now. Our President Wang trusts and values me deeply. My career will only get better from here. Just you wait and see!”

He looked like he was about to snap.

Ye An frowned, feeling a surge of disgust. A “flower of the high peaks” like Xia Yihuan, who had grown up under her parents’ protection and had lived a smooth life, might truly not know how to handle a scoundrel like this.

Of course, Xia Yihuan also didn’t have the patience to argue with him.

But Ye An knew exactly how to make this person shut up.

“You said you work at Ningyue, right?” Ye An smiled, stepping forward to stand beside Xia Yihuan. “What a coincidence. I happen to be well-acquainted with your President Wang.”

“President Wang is far-sighted and an excellent leader; he is deeply respected. Similarly, Ningyue’s packaging quality has always been trustworthy and has been a primary partner for Shi Qian.” She spoke leisurely, pausing to think before continuing. “I recall he never liked people who stir up trouble. Seeing you like this, surely President Wang hasn’t suddenly changed his personality?”

“As it happens, we have several projects currently in collaboration. I think I’ll have to ask President Wang personally when I see him.” Ye An’s tone was relaxed. “If not, then perhaps the old gentleman’s eyes were momentarily clouded. One can never be too careful when hiring; what if a piece of rat droppings ruins the entire pot of soup?”

As soon as those words landed, Chen He panicked.

He had been too drunk and focused on provoking Xia Yihuan to recognize the woman beside her. Now that she spoke, he realized this was President Ye of Shi Qian.

But why would she stand up for Xia Yihuan? Weren’t they always rivals? What benefit was there in protecting Xia Yihuan?

“President Ye, what are you saying?” Most of Chen He’s drunkenness was scared out of him. His dismissal from Lixing was indeed his fault, but Xia Yihuan had shown mercy by not pursuing legal action, which allowed him to use his former resume to sneak into Ningyue.

As for “President Wang valuing him,” that was just a lie he made up. As a minor department manager, how could he ever have the chance to speak much with a figure like that?

“What just happened was a misunderstanding.” He forced a smile, choosing his livelihood over his pride. “President Ye, please don’t be angry. I just had too much to drink and talked some nonsense. Please don’t lower yourself to my level.”

“Besides, this is between me and Pres—Xia. Since you dislike her, you shouldn’t get involved.”

“And why not?” Ye An countered.

“Uh, this…”

“I do dislike her,” Ye An nodded, a shallow smile playing on her lips. “But she is beautiful and capable. More importantly, she doesn’t go around shooting off her mouth and making up nonsense just because she had a bit of alcohol.”

“You are not like her.”

“You are an eyesore to me.”