Chapter 6: Transmigrated as the Abused Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character
“Do I? I… I don’t think so?”
They were far too close.
So close that Xin Yao could feel Pei Yu’s breath against her lips, warm and teasing.
Flustered, she turned her head slightly, pressing her lips together.
“Miss Pei, you’re a little too close. This isn’t really appropriate.”
Pei Yu’s gaze fell on Xin Yao’s delicate profile.
—She seemed slightly flustered, her eyelashes trembling, her long neck elegantly arched, like a fragile swan, a picture of reluctant beauty.
After a moment, Pei Yu straightened up and took a step back.
Her composure and impeccable manners had returned.
“Apologies. I wasn’t aware.”
With the pressure of her proximity lessened, Xin Yao breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to speak.
But Pei Yu spoke first.
She was usually quiet and reserved, yet now she offered an explanation.
“You said you had a stomachache. You’ve been gone a while, so I was concerned. I came to check on you.”
Ah…
So, she had come out of concern, not to capture her as Xin Yao had imagined.
But why? Because of their previous intimacy?
Did that mean the aloof, elegant President Pei did care about that night? A lot?
A warmth spread through Xin Yao’s chest, easing her fear of Pei Yu.
Judging a book by its cover – or a snake by its scales – is wrong.
President Pei is just a bit…cold. Not necessarily a bad snake. She’s not going to eat me.
Maybe I should get to know Miss Pei better.
Xin Yao offered sincere thanks. “Thank you, Miss Pei. I’m fine now.”
“You’re welcome,” Pei Yu replied, shaking her head.
Then, she looked at Xin Yao, her eyes calm and deep, pausing for a moment before repeating her earlier statement, her voice soft.
“You’re afraid of me.”
This time, it was a statement, not a question, as if confirming something important to her.
Xin Yao blinked, surprised. “Huh?”
“Never mind,” Pei Yu said abruptly.
She looked at Xin Yao intently, then lowered her gaze, her long, thick eyelashes casting shadows over her eyes.
“If you’re that afraid, then forget it.”
For a moment, Xin Yao felt as if Pei Yu had given up on something. Despite her impassive expression, she seemed strangely forlorn.
But you say that… Xin Yao exhaled, glancing down at her ankle.
The snake tail, which had disappeared earlier, had reappeared, coiling around her ankle even tighter than before, as if learning from its previous failure.
It had probably returned the moment Pei Yu first said “never mind.”
Xin Yao watched, dumbfounded, as the elegant legs across from her transformed into a large snake tail, which lunged towards her, a mixture of excitement and…petulance in its movements.
You say “never mind,” but your tail says otherwise!
Before Xin Yao could respond, the white snake tail swayed gracefully and turned to leave.
But its tip was still wrapped around Xin Yao’s ankle. The sudden movement pulled her off balance, and she had to grab the wall to steady herself, narrowly avoiding a fall.
Looking down at her ankle, she froze, her eyes widening.
Slowly, her gaze traveled upwards, tracing the length of the massive snake tail on the floor.
Bathed in the warm light, the snow-white scales shimmered like polished jade.
Unlike the illusory tail she had seen earlier, this one was solid, its scales smooth and cool to the touch.
If before it had been a phantom visible only to her, now it was undeniably real.
It seemed Pei Yu’s emotions had gotten the better of her, causing her to lose control of her transformation.
Xin Yao looked up at Pei Yu, her eyes wide with astonishment.
As if sensing her gaze, Pei Yu turned around, having heard Xin Yao’s near-stumble.
Their eyes met, neither of them speaking, the silence charged with tension.
Pretending not to see it now would be insulting.
Xin Yao, still holding onto the wall, straightened up and looked at Pei Yu, her expression carefully neutral.
“Miss Pei, I think you’ve…reverted to your true form.”
“Hmm?”
The aloof President Pei blinked, surprised.
She glanced down and saw her massive white snake tail sprawled across the floor. “Oh,” she murmured, a flicker of realization in her eyes.
Then, she noticed the tip of her tail wrapped around Xin Yao’s ankle, still trying to slither up her leg.
Xin Yao, emboldened, reached out and tried to gently push it away. Instead, the tail nuzzled against her hand, almost like a kiss. She quickly withdrew her hand, her expression carefully blank.
Even Pei Yu seemed slightly embarrassed. With a flick of her tail, she quickly retrieved the errant tip, then opened her mouth to speak.
Just then, the sound of approaching voices interrupted them.
The gala had taken a short intermission, and a group of socialites were heading to the restroom to freshen up.
Their laughter and chatter grew closer, nearing the doorway.
Of all the times!
If anyone saw Miss Pei like this, they would either freak out or call the police.
Or worse, she might be taken away for scientific experiments!
As the voices drew closer, Xin Yao’s anxiety spiked. Pei Yu, however, seemed unfazed, still standing by the door.
In a moment of panic, Xin Yao grabbed Pei Yu’s wrist and pulled her towards the stalls.
Her grip was tighter than she intended, her fingers leaving faint red marks on the other woman’s delicate wrist.
Pei Yu looked down at Xin Yao’s hand, then, without resistance, allowed herself to be led away, her tail swaying gracefully behind her.
Unlike Pei Yu’s leisurely pace, Xin Yao was frantic, practically dragging her to the last stall and pushing her inside.
Pei Yu didn’t resist, the powerful President Pei unceremoniously stuffed into the tiny space.
However, her massive white tail remained outside.
With a sigh, Xin Yao rushed out, scooped up the tail in her arms, and struggled back into the stall, just as the socialites entered the restroom, chattering amongst themselves.
Xin Yao slammed the door shut just in time, breathing a sigh of relief.
But then she realized the problem.
The stall was tiny, barely big enough for two people.
Pei Yu’s tail, taking up most of the space, made it difficult to even breathe.
Xin Yao was practically face-to-face with the stunning lamia, separated only by the massive tail in her arms.
Her relief evaporated, replaced by a wave of fresh panic. I didn’t need to hide! Why did I follow her in here?
And then, as if things weren’t awkward enough, the snake tail, seemingly representing Pei Yu’s primal instincts, began to stir, rubbing against Xin Yao excitedly.
She instinctively reached out to try and calm it down.
But as she grasped the tail firmly in her hand, Pei Yu gasped.
The elegant woman leaned against the stall door, her head tilted back slightly, her pale skin flushed a delicate pink. She looked incredibly alluring.
Xin Yao, momentarily captivated by her beauty, stared at her, confused.
Pei Yu turned her head away, a strand of white hair falling against her cheek, her profile breathtaking.
“Gently,” she murmured.
She was talking about the tail.
“Oh, oh, did I hurt you?” Xin Yao quickly loosened her grip.
Pei Yu still didn’t look at her, but she replied, “No.”
“My tail…it’s sensitive.”
“It…tickles. I’m not used to it.”
Xin Yao’s hand, still resting on the scales, froze. She wasn’t sure whether to remove it.
After a moment, she managed to stammer, “Sorry.”
Silence fell over the tiny space, the air thick with unspoken tension.
It was Pei Yu who broke the silence.
She turned to look at Xin Yao, her fingers toying with the hem of her dress.
“So…do you like it?”
“Like what?” Xin Yao asked, confused.
“My tail.” Pei Yu’s crimson eyes fixed on Xin Yao. “Do you like it?”
The question changed the atmosphere in the stall completely.
The massive tail, filling the tiny space, began to sway gently, its scales shimmering in the dim light, coiling around Xin Yao, almost trapping her.
How could she answer “no”?
But “yes” wasn’t entirely truthful either.
As Xin Yao considered a polite, noncommittal response, Pei Yu seemed to sense her hesitation. The tail stopped moving, its tip freezing in midair.
The ambiguous tension between them evaporated.
Why is she suddenly upset?
Dealing with President Pei is like walking on eggshells.
As Xin Yao pondered this, the supposedly difficult President Pei spoke again, her gaze steady.
“If you dislike me, why did you help me?”
Xin Yao blinked, surprised by the question. “I don’t dislike you. Why would you think that?”
Pei Yu seemed equally surprised. “But you’re clearly afraid of me.”
Xin Yao didn’t understand her logic. “Being afraid doesn’t necessarily mean disliking someone, does it?”
Isn’t fear…dislike?
Pei Yu seemed genuinely perplexed, momentarily speechless.
Xin Yao knew she couldn’t avoid the issue any longer. Pei Yu clearly cared about that night.
Taking a deep breath, she decided to be honest.
“I was drunk that night. I don’t remember anything. Not your face, not your tail. That’s why I didn’t recognize you at first.”
“I’m not exactly fearless. Seeing a…well, a lamia…it’s natural to be afraid.”
“But I don’t dislike you. And I didn’t think you would actually eat me. Besides, what if someone saw you like that? I couldn’t just leave you to be…captured, could I?”
So, that was it.
Pei Yu had thought Xin Yao was regretting that night.
She had simply forgotten.
And now…
Concern. Care. Kindness.
Pei Yu saw those qualities in Xin Yao again.
Qualities she herself would never possess, yet admired and found strangely comforting.
That night…
For Pei Yu, it had been a night of torment.
Her long-suppressed heat cycle had finally erupted.
With her demonic veins severed and her powers temporarily lost, she had been unable to control her transformation, her half-human, half-snake form a source of immense pain and shame.
She had been forced to submerge herself in the cool water of the pool, desperately trying to suppress her instincts.
Whenever her heat cycle struck, she would look at her tail and, with a blank expression, tear at her own scales.
Until blood flowed freely.
Pei Yu hated her tail.
Xin Yao had stumbled upon her in that vulnerable state, which was why she had hissed at her so menacingly, ordering her to leave.
Any normal person would have been terrified, and Xin Yao had indeed been startled.
But even as she recoiled from the terrifying snake tail, she had also noticed the blood.
Despite her fear, she had asked softly, “You’re bleeding. Does it hurt?”
Does it hurt?
Such simple words.
Yet, in over twenty years, she was the first person to see her bleeding tail and ask if she was in pain.
Suddenly, Pei Yu’s anger had dissipated.
She had allowed this fragile human into her territory.
She hadn’t expected the intoxicated girl to be so…bold.
Not only was she unafraid, she had embraced Pei Yu’s tail. Pei Yu had pushed her away repeatedly, but she had persisted.
Finally, seemingly annoyed, the girl had grabbed her tail and kissed it, muttering,
“It’s so beautiful. I love it. Why won’t you let me touch it?”
This person…said she loved it.
The tail she herself loathed, this person loved.
And how could she…kiss her tail?
Pei Yu had sat up abruptly, her tail sending a wave of water splashing across the floor, her beautiful eyes narrowing.
Even though she knew the girl was drunk, her words just drunken ramblings, her own long-suppressed desires had surged uncontrollably.
Losing all control, she had pinned the girl against the edge of the pool, her forehead beaded with sweat, her lips almost touching hers.
But she had stopped herself at the last moment, her remaining shred of reason prompting her to ask for consent.
Xin Yao should have refused. But she had been drunk, and, captivated by Pei Yu’s beauty, she hadn’t just agreed; she had kissed her.
The water in the pool rippled as the snow-white tail coiled around Xin Yao, their tongues entwined in a passionate embrace.
Pei Yu had lost all control.
But she also knew that, as a demon, she was frightening. Despite Xin Yao’s drunken assurances, she must have been scared.
So, seeing Xin Yao’s anxiety tonight, Pei Yu had decided to let her go.
She hadn’t expected Xin Yao to say that fear wasn’t dislike.
So, she doesn’t dislike me.
A rare softness entered Pei Yu’s eyes. “Thank you,” she murmured. “And I don’t eat people.”
Xin Yao chuckled, relieved. “You’re welcome.”
Perhaps because the second half of the gala had begun, the voices outside the restroom had faded, leaving them in silence.
After a brief discussion with Pei Yu, Xin Yao cautiously opened the stall door and peeked out. The restroom was empty.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she motioned for Pei Yu to come out.
As Pei Yu emerged, her gown flowing gracefully around her, her legs long and elegant, she seemed to have fully regained her composure, once again the aloof, impeccably dressed President Pei.
But perhaps because they had implicitly acknowledged their shared secret, or perhaps because of the intimacy forced upon them by the cramped stall, Xin Yao felt a shift in their dynamic, a subtle…closeness.
“Miss Xin.”
As she pondered this, Pei Yu spoke, her voice soft.
Xin Yao turned to look at her. In the soft light, Pei Yu’s eyes seemed almost…gentle.
“Shall we meet again tomorrow?”
Huh?
Xin Yao had left that note precisely to avoid further entanglement.
But she couldn’t deny a certain curiosity about the person she had shared such intimacy with.
Now, having met her again, discovered she was not only a cool, elegant CEO but also a lamia… Xin Yao was a mixture of fear and fascination.
But…
Xin Yao didn’t belong in this world. She would eventually leave. She didn’t want to get too involved with Pei Yu.
This invitation, however, presented a perfect opportunity to clearly express her intentions, to explain everything.
She hadn’t done so earlier, partly because Pei Yu had been so kind, and she hadn’t found the right words, and partly because, well, she was the head of the Pei Corporation. Offending her could have serious consequences for the Xin family.
So, Xin Yao agreed. “Yes, but I’m going home tomorrow. How about the day after?”
Pei Yu nodded, a smile gracing her lips, then paused before adding softly, “About my tail…I apologize.”
“Hmm?” Xin Yao looked at her, curious.
Pei Yu avoided her gaze, her eyes lowered. “I haven’t been able to control my instincts lately. It…likes you very much.”
So, Miss Pei instinctively likes me?
Xin Yao blushed, speechless, managing only a soft, “Oh.”
A short while later, they left the restroom and returned to their seats.
Their gowns flowed gracefully as they sat side by side, neither of them speaking.
Under the bright lights, they were once again Miss Xin and Miss Pei, strangers to the outside world.
But they alone knew the truth of their shared secret, the memory of their passionate encounter lingering in the air between them.
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