Chapter 17: Transmigrated as the Abusive Story’s Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character
After they finished showering, Xin Yao emerged from the bathroom to find a table laden with food that Pei Yu had ordered.
Pei Yu, having sated her immediate needs, had changed into clothes brought by her assistant. She sat at the table by the window, her white dress pooling around her, her white hair loosely tied back, meticulously unwrapping something.
Bathed in the soft sunlight, she looked elegant and composed, the picture of aloofness.
But perhaps because her heat cycle had just ended, a few vestiges of her beastly nature remained.
Occasionally, her eyes would flicker, and her scarlet tongue would dart out between her lips.
The strangely beautiful and unsettling sight made Xin Yao pause in the doorway.
Snakes were sensitive to movement. Sensing Xin Yao’s presence, Pei Yu paused and turned to look at her.
With the sunlight behind her, her lowered eyelashes casting shadows on her face, she looked both compassionate and indifferent.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing,” Xin Yao replied, realizing her stare had been too obvious.
But she couldn’t help her curiosity.
She wondered if it would be rude to ask, hesitating to speak.
Pei Yu, sensing her thoughts, spoke first. “What do you want to ask? You can ask me directly. We don’t have to be so formal.”
Xin Yao’s hesitation vanished. After a moment’s thought, she gestured towards Pei Yu.
“Your… tongue. Is it easy to eat like that?”
No one had ever expressed concern for her or asked such a question before.
Pei Yu considered it seriously. “It’s fine.”
Eating was simply a means of survival. Convenience wasn’t a concern.
Miss Xin always asked the strangest questions.
Pei Yu tilted her head slightly, looking at Xin Yao.
“You seem curious. Do you want to see it?”
See what?
It took Xin Yao a moment to realize Pei Yu was inviting her to look at her snake tongue.
The scarlet tongue she had kissed, and been kissed by, but had never dared to examine closely.
One of the most obvious signs of Pei Yu’s demonic nature.
She had assumed that a half-demon would be more sensitive and averse to their demonic traits, but Pei Yu didn’t seem to mind.
Perhaps she only showed this side of herself to Xin Yao?
Was this Pei Yu’s way of showing intimacy, revealing her true form?
Xin Yao couldn’t refuse.
Besides, she was genuinely curious.
A soft light flickered in Xin Yao’s eyes. “May I?”
“Of course,” Pei Yu nodded.
She set aside the package she was unwrapping and, facing Xin Yao, parted her lips slightly, her tongue flicking out.
The sight made Xin Yao’s breath catch in her throat. She walked slowly towards Pei Yu, bathed in the sunlight.
Standing before her, she finally saw the tongue that had both terrified and aroused her.
Pei Yu was a pale white snake, her skin and hair both lacking in color.
This made the few colored parts of her body stand out even more: her eyes, and her tongue.
In the sunlight, the delicate tip of her tongue was a vibrant scarlet, like the wine that had been spilled on Xin Yao the previous night, beautiful and alluring.
It was slender and could extend to an impressive length.
The tip forked into two delicate, incredibly agile tendrils.
That’s why her kisses were so captivating, her tongue reaching every corner of Xin Yao’s mouth, leaving no room for escape.
The forked tip was especially wicked, its two tendrils teasing and tormenting, sending shivers down Xin Yao’s spine.
Beside the tongue were Pei Yu’s sharp, slightly pointed teeth, barely visible in the sunlight.
The sight reminded Xin Yao of how Pei Yu would sometimes nip at her neck, her tongue tracing the bite marks, a possessive gesture.
Xin Yao was actually afraid of snakes.
The first time she had seen Pei Yu’s true form, and her flickering tongue, she had been terrified.
But now, perhaps because she had grown accustomed to Pei Yu, or perhaps because she had kissed every part of her, she felt no fear, only a strange sense of arousal.
After Xin Yao had examined her tongue thoroughly, Pei Yu retracted it, her gaze calm.
“The unknown is a source of fear. Perhaps now that you’ve seen it clearly, you won’t be afraid anymore.”
“Are you still afraid?”
Ah.
So, Pei Yu hadn’t just been showing intimacy. She had been concerned about Xin Yao’s fear.
Pei Yu didn’t want her to be afraid.
She seemed to care a great deal about whether others feared her.
Xin Yao realized this once again.
Everyone had their own story. Perhaps Miss Pei had experienced something that made her this way.
Xin Yao couldn’t do much, but at least she could reassure her.
She thought for a moment, then looked at Pei Yu.
“Miss Pei, could you show me your tongue again?”
Pei Yu, slightly puzzled, complied, her tongue flicking out.
The next moment, Xin Yao bent down and gently kissed the tip of her tongue.
Kissing her demonic trait, kissing her hidden vulnerability.
Then, cupping Pei Yu’s face in her hands, she looked at her with a gentle, earnest gaze.
“I’m not afraid.”
“Not of your eyes, not of your tongue, not of your tail.”
“After all, Miss Pei wouldn’t eat me, right?” she teased, a smile playing on her lips.
“Pei Yu, they’re not that scary, are they?”
Pei Yu gazed into Xin Yao’s beautiful, sparkling eyes, a realization dawning on her for the first time.
These terrifying, disgusting, beastly traits that even she herself despised, that even her own mother had abhorred…
Someone was telling her…
Pei Yu…
They’re not that scary.
Meanwhile, back to the main storyline.
Xu Qing and Xin Wanyin hadn’t spoken since their argument.
Xu Qing’s failed job interview had only fueled his anger.
He was proud and arrogant. Despite his calculated pursuit of Xin Wanyin, he clung to his useless pride, refusing to apologize.
In the past, Xin Wanyin would have been the first to apologize and try to make amends.
But…
While she was somewhat naive and easily swayed by love, she was also a pampered young lady with a temper.
Now, with resentment brewing in her heart, she found Xu Qing annoying and didn’t want to talk to him.
Naturally, they fell into a cold war.
Neither of them was willing to back down, to be the first to break the silence.
They lived in the large, empty house, their occasional encounters filled with icy glares.
To further emphasize her resolve, Xin Wanyin even turned up the air conditioning, running it constantly, day and night.
Xu Qing, already frustrated, was further annoyed by her petty act, his face permanently etched with a frown.
Seeing that he had no intention of apologizing, Xin Wanyin’s anger grew.
Just then, her best friend sent her a message.
[Wanyin! There’s a new bag at Rui Li! It’s so pretty! Let’s go check it out! We can go on a trip abroad! Weren’t you fighting with your sister?]
Xin Wanyin, sitting on the sofa, glanced at Xu Qing, who was cooking in the open kitchen.
The jerk had only made dinner for himself!
A surge of anger coursed through her. She replied to her friend, almost out of spite.
[Okay.]
The next day, Xin Wanyin woke up early.
She put on a beautiful dress and a stylish coat, grabbed her sunglasses and small suitcase, and walked out the door, deliberately making sure Xu Qing saw her.
Xu Qing, coming downstairs for a job interview, paused, surprised.
Usually, Xin Wanyin would tell him everything, her chatter sometimes bordering on annoying.
This time, however, she was clearly leaving for a trip, yet she hadn’t said a word.
He stood on the dimly lit staircase, watching her, his lips parting, then closing again. He didn’t say anything.
Xin Wanyin, seemingly checking the contents of her bag, lingered in the doorway, watching Xu Qing from the corner of her eye.
But he didn’t react to her impending departure.
Xin Wanyin rolled her eyes, scoffed, and walked out, pulling her suitcase behind her.
The first few days abroad were a welcome distraction. With her friend’s encouragement, she put her troubles aside.
Her argument with her sister, her fight with her boyfriend, she pushed them all to the back of her mind.
She dined at expensive restaurants, took a cruise, and documented her adventures on social media.
She seemed to be having a blast.
But her carefree mood came to an abrupt end on the third day.
Her friend dragged her to the store to look at the new bag. Xin Wanyin hadn’t been interested initially, but seeing it in person, she found it quite appealing.
But as she reached for it, a memory flashed through her mind.
—The same luxury store, the same cold atmosphere, the same judging eyes.
The last time, her cards had been declined, making her the subject of ridicule.
This time wouldn’t be much better.
Her sister had still frozen her accounts, and she had been using her own savings, which weren’t substantial.
Caught up in her anger and excitement, she had completely forgotten about her dwindling balance.
Being alone was one thing, but having her card declined in front of her friend would be mortifying.
Xin Wanyin’s face flushed, her heart pounding.
While her friend was talking to the sales assistant, she discreetly checked her balance.
Her face paled, her heart almost leaping out of her chest.
She didn’t have enough!
Not enough for the bag, and barely enough for living expenses after paying for her flight home.
Having always been provided for by her father and sister, Xin Wanyin had never worried about money.
Until now. She felt a wave of shame and embarrassment.
Just then, her friend returned, linking arms with her.
“Wanyin, let’s get matching bags! We can carry them tomorrow!”
Xin Wanyin quickly hid her phone, forcing a smile.
“Uh…”
“I think… it’s not that great after all. I don’t want it.”
“What?” Her friend’s face fell. “I really like it! Don’t you?”
“Mm-hmm,” Xin Wanyin pressed her lips together. “I don’t like it. We can get matching bags next time we find something nice.”
Her friend, disappointed, relented. “Okay.”
So, Xin Wanyin stood there, watching her friend buy the bag.
The air conditioning made her shiver. She rubbed her cold hands together, averting her gaze from the beautifully packaged bag.
The incident dampened her spirits, her smile forced.
Her friend, noticing her change in mood, asked, “Wanyin, why are you suddenly so unhappy?”
Xin Wanyin hesitated. “I’m not unhappy.”
“I know you too well,” her friend said, pinching her cheek. “Your thoughts are written all over your face. Is it because of the fight with your sister?”
The carefully suppressed worries resurfaced.
Xin Wanyin thought of her frozen cards, her sister’s unanswered calls, her boyfriend’s constant arguments. She pouted.
“I don’t know. I just feel… terrible.”
“I want to go home.”
“Okay,” her friend hugged her. “Let’s go home. Everything will be alright once we’re home.”
Xin Wanyin returned home.
Standing in front of her villa, looking at the familiar surroundings, she felt a mix of emotions, but mostly a sense of calm.
She was home.
Soon, she would be surrounded by warmth and comfort, a bowl of hot porridge waiting for her, a loving embrace to soothe her worries, a hot bath, and a comfortable bed.
A smile touched her lips.
She quickened her pace, eager to get inside.
But as she opened the door, a wave of cold air washed over her, the house feeling colder than outside.
She paused, her mind momentarily blank, then the evening sunlight illuminated the scene inside.
Xu Qing, seemingly about to leave, was walking towards the door.
He stopped when he saw her.
But after days of not seeing his girlfriend, his mood hadn’t improved. In fact, his expression turned cold.
He had seen her photos on social media.
She was always like this, extravagant, unrestrained, and spoiled.
Xu Qing preferred gentle and submissive women. He despised Xin Wanyin’s spending habits and her temper tantrums.
Instead of calming down, his anger had grown over the past few days.
Seeing her now, he simply glanced at her, his expression impassive, then walked past her without a word.
As he brushed past her, the smile that had been forming on Xin Wanyin’s lips froze.
The warmth and comfort she had longed for vanished, replaced by a deep ache in her chest.
He always did this, forcing her to be the first to apologize.
In their relationship, she was always the one to submit, to make amends.
Was this really love?
Did he truly care about her?
This time, Xin Wanyin didn’t cry. She didn’t look back.
She didn’t want to look back anymore.
Fighting back tears, she stood in the doorway, the cold wind whipping around her.
Her legs grew stiff, her fingers numb and red.
She took a deep breath, about to step inside, when something in her peripheral vision made her pause.
She turned, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Standing under the streetlight, dressed in a black coat, her hair styled in soft waves, her makeup impeccable, was Xin Yao.
Seeing Xin Wanyin, she smiled, her eyes gentle.
That gentle smile was the final straw for Xin Wanyin, her heart aching with disappointment and unmet expectations.
Sister.
It was her sister.
Forgetting her suitcase, she took a hesitant step towards Xin Yao.
Then another, and another, her pace quickening until she was running towards her sister.
Xin Yao, watching her approach in the fading light, sighed softly.
The girl had lost weight in just a few days.
She also noticed Xin Wanyin’s red, chapped hands.
Xin Yao opened her bag and took out a tube of hand cream.
Taking Xin Wanyin’s hand in hers, she gently rubbed the cream into her skin.
“You haven’t even been gone a week, and look at you,” she said softly, shaking her head.
The streetlight illuminated her face, her expression gentle and concerned.
Xin Wanyin, who had been holding back tears, finally broke down, sobbing as she threw herself into her sister’s arms.
“Sister! I missed you so much! I thought you didn’t want me anymore!”
Going home always made things better.
For Xin Wanyin, it had always been that way.
Her father and sister would always be there for her, their love and support a balm for her wounded heart.
But why did she still feel so sad?
Nestled in her sister’s warm embrace, Xin Wanyin finally realized.
This wasn’t her home.
She had always believed that as long as she had Xu Qing, anywhere could be home. But she was wrong.
Home was where her father and sister were.
She was homesick.
Caught off guard by Xin Wanyin’s sudden embrace, Xin Yao stumbled slightly, then chuckled, holding her crying sister close.
“What’s this? Weren’t you so determined when you left? Why are you crying like a little kitten now?”
Xin Wanyin hiccuped, her voice choked with sobs. “I wasn’t being strong… Sister, did you come here just to see me?”
Xin Yao smiled, stroking her hair. “Yes, I heard you were back. I was worried about you.”
Her sister still loved her!
Xin Wanyin looked up at her sister, her tear-filled eyes shining with hope.
Xin Yao, seeing her expression, knew what she was thinking.
She tapped Xin Wanyin’s nose, her voice gentle but firm.
“No.”
“Wanyin, you chose this path. You have to see it through.”
It was too early to give up.
Xin Yao wouldn’t allow it.
She had to see Xu Qing’s true colors, to confront him, to despise him, before she could come home.
That day, it seemed, wasn’t far off.
Xin Wanyin was starting to realize that the love she had longed for might just be a mirage, not the fairytale she had imagined.
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