(GL) The Supporting Female Character Strategy Manual - Chapter 15

On the dark campus, under the dim lights, the area near the medical school’s dissection building was almost deserted after eight o’clock. During the day, this building was surrounded by tall trees, shrouding it in shadow. At night, it became synonymous with places of ‘heavy yin energy’ and ‘paranormal incidents.’

Many students would rather take a detour than go anywhere near it, afraid of encountering some of the school’s supernatural legends.

Jian Tongyao had heard a couple of these legends herself. As a medical student, she was bold. But even she couldn’t help but be startled when a dark figure suddenly darted out from behind a tree.

Being scared by a person is the scariest thing of all.

At first glance, Jian Tongyao didn’t recognize the person in front of her. Her hair was disheveled, and she was wrapped in a very plain white coat. Her face was pale. There were dark circles under her eyes and a red mark on her cheek. It was unclear whether it came from a fall or a slap. She was a world away from the old witch in the fishtail gown Jian Tongyao had seen at the engagement party.

“How did you end up like this?”

“Shouldn’t you be the clearest on why I ended up like this?”

Once Bei Nana tore off her so-called noble facade, her true nature as a common shrew was quickly exposed. Without another word, she lunged at her with claws outstretched.

Jian Tongyao had never been in a situation like this. She was good at verbal sparring, but not at physical fights. She turned and ran in the opposite direction. About five meters away, she heard a scream. Looking back, she saw the other woman performing a full prostration bow on the ground.

For a moment, she didn’t know whether to laugh or feel sorry for her.

Bei Nana’s knees hit the ground, and her face contorted in pain. Even so, she persisted, crawling toward Jian Tongyao.

Jian Tongyao had to admire her perseverance. “If you come any closer, I’m calling school security.”

It was unclear if this threat actually worked, but Bei Nana froze for a moment, then simply sat on the ground and started cursing loudly.

“That bastard Qian Wanyu is no good, and you’re no better! To think I even helped you out back then because we came from the same village. But look at you, going against your conscience…”

Jian Tongyao couldn’t stand to hear her spew nonsense about her partner.

“Stop right there. Don’t talk as if we’re so close. Why did you come here to block me today? Spit it out. Don’t waste my time.”

Bei Nana gritted her teeth in pain, but this question hit the mark.

“Give me five million.”

Jian Tongyao was dumbfounded. “???”

“Say that again.”

“Five million.”

Jian Tongyao heard her very clearly this time. “You’re seriously ill. You should go to a hospital for a check-up.”

Bei Nana sneered. “Five million isn’t a lot. Once you actually marry into the Qian family, you’ll control far more assets than that. Don’t you think it’s worth it to buy the truth?”

She had schemed for many years, but two videos were leaked one after another, sending her right back to where she started. She wanted to go to the hospital to reason with that scoundrel, Old Qian. However, the hospital was guarded by bodyguards sent by Qian Wanyu, and access to his room was tightly controlled. She tried to sneak in several times, but was ruthlessly thrown out each time without even seeing him. She then went to the company to cause a scene, but after a few attempts, only lawyers came out to mediate. In the end, she only got a villa, a car, and the ten percent of shares she previously held.

She had been in the Qian family for over a decade, serving that man for so long, only to receive so little compensation. Unwilling to accept this, she began staking out the places Qian Wanyu frequented and, unexpectedly, saw Jian Tongyao.

This young woman, who originally came from the same place as her, was getting out of a car with Qian Wanyu, talking and laughing intimately. She followed them a few times and discovered that the two were inseparable, like conjoined twins.

Qian Wanyu was extremely protective of her, and the deep affection in her eyes couldn’t be faked. Bei Nana had watched her grow up and understood her preferences well. She had also noticed Qian Wanyu’s interest in Qi Shulan and encouraged Qian Ruxue to take the initiative.

And so, this led to the current scene.

Jian Tongyao blinked, belatedly realizing she was being blackmailed. She was so excited she almost rubbed her hands together. It was the first time someone had tried to extort money from her, and with such an outrageous demand.

“Hearing you put it that way, five million really doesn’t seem like a lot.”

Bei Nana’s eyes lit up, thinking she had agreed. She was thrilled.

“As soon as the five million is in my account, I promise I’ll never bother you again. From now on, just focus on keeping her happy. As long as she spoils you and loves you, what can’t you have?”

Jian Tongyao nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. The more Bei Nana spoke, the more enthusiastic she became, wishing she could personally teach her and pass on all her skills.

“I can even teach you a trick or two. The better she treats you now, the more indifferent you should act. You can’t spoil a woman too much. You have to keep her at arm’s length. Otherwise, once she gets tired of you, you’ll get nothing. Don’t be so foolish.”

Jian Tongyao nodded thoughtfully. “Playing hard to get, I understand.”

Then she couldn’t help but frown. “But your life experience doesn’t seem very successful. If I listen to you, I’m afraid I’ll end up as miserable as you are now.”

Sigh, a failed case study.

Bei Nana was speechless.

Jian Tongyao shook her head and sighed in disapproval.

“Forget it. I’d rather spend five million to start a small company. If it goes public in the future, I’ll just hand it over to my partner to manage.”

“Jian Tongyao!”

“What! Don’t you shout like a ghost on campus. You’ll disturb the other students.” She waved her new white phone, which happened to be a matching model with her partner’s.

“Don’t be mad. I was just recording. With your threat and extortion, based on the amount of five million alone, I can send you to the police station to be reunited with your ex-husband.”

Bei Nana’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You… you’re framing me.”

With that, she lunged forward recklessly to snatch the phone.

Jian Tongyao wasn’t about to let her succeed.

“You’re clearly the one who came to threaten me. I’m just protecting myself. Do you understand self-defense? Bei Nana, the Qian family has given you a lot. You can’t be too greedy.”

Weren’t the annual dividends from ten percent of the shares enough?

Bei Nana was furious. She lunged several times but couldn’t grab her. She couldn’t catch her when she chased her either. Panting, she stood with her hands on her hips and said viciously, “You won’t even part with five million. It seems she’s really worthless in your eyes.”

Jian Tongyao was used to sweet talk and could whip it out effortlessly.

“How can her worth in my heart be measured by five million? She is a priceless treasure. Don’t you dare tarnish our feelings with your worldly eyes.”

Bei Nana looked as if she had heard the world’s biggest joke.

“Pah! If it wasn’t for her money, why would you have submitted to her? Also, you took my money but didn’t do the job, and now you’re speaking so sanctimoniously… You are the most shameless person I have ever met.”

Jian Tongyao wasn’t fazed at all, even speaking with conviction.

“Don’t talk nonsense. I didn’t take it, I borrowed it from you. I have to thank you, my fellow villager, for lending me such a large sum of money when I was in dire straits, and then for pointing me toward a way to make more. I really didn’t expect you to be so good to me, even introducing your own daughter to me as a sugar mommy. If it weren’t for you, I would never have known such a wonderful person existed in this world.”

Bei Nana’s finger, pointing at Jian Tongyao, trembled slightly. She had now witnessed what it meant to twist black and white and call a deer a horse. Her eyes flickered, and she suddenly smiled.

“Since it’s like that, I wonder if President Qian would be interested in spending five million to buy the truth.”

Out of the darkness, a figure slowly walked into their view. It was Qian Wanyu, who had been waiting outside for a long time and had come looking for her out of worry, only to stumble upon such a dramatic scene.

Jian Tongyao blinked. “Why are you here?”

Qian Wanyu touched her hand. It was ice-cold, indicating she had been standing outside for a long time.

“My father left the two of you a villa worth fifty million, plus ten percent of the company’s annual dividends.”

Jian Tongyao was astonished. “Fifty million?”

Holy crap.

She could live off the endless stream of dividends just by staying at home. What on earth was the old witch thinking, trying to shake her down for five million?

Her brain must be broken.

Qian Wanyu took her phone, waved it, and looked at Bei Nana expressionlessly. “But if this recording gets out, I don’t think your lives will be so easy.”

Bei Nana stammered, “You, you two—”

Jian Tongyao glared at her. As if afraid she wouldn’t believe it, she reminded her pitifully, “I really did pay you back that money. If you don’t believe me, go ask your ex-husband.”

Even fishing requires good bait.

For a greedy person like Wu Dashan, you just had to toss out a little bait, and he would chase the fishing rod relentlessly.

Toss after toss, she had scattered the ill-gotten gains from Bei Nana.

Bei Nana fled in disgrace, throwing a parting shot before she left. “You just wait.”

Qian Wanyu pinched her slightly chilled cheek.

“What are you still looking at? So reluctant to see her go? I didn’t know you and my stepmother had a deal.”

Jian Tongyao’s heart skipped two beats. She affectionately wrapped her arm around her partner’s, hanging most of her body weight on her to draw warmth. “When did you get here?”

Qian Wanyu answered with a question. “What do you think?”

She was afraid she had only heard half of it, and the incomplete half at that.

Jian Tongyao anxiously explained, “Don’t listen to her nonsense. I really did pay her back. My transfer records are still there. If you want to see them, I can pull them up for you.”

Qian Wanyu suddenly stopped and looked seriously at the young woman before her. It wasn’t the first time Jian Tongyao had been the focus of her intense gaze, but today, with a slightly guilty conscience, she felt even more nervous.

“Don’t stare at me like that. I can’t take it.”

“What are you feeling guilty about?”

“I’m not!”

The two stared at each other, eye to eye.

Ding!

The happiness progress bar that she had been monitoring inexplicably rose by three points.

Jian Tongyao was bewildered.

“???”

She was finding it harder and harder to understand what made her partner happy.

Seeing her clearly distracted, Qian Wanyu cupped her face and leaned down slightly. Their foreheads touched, and under the dim light, their two slender figures intertwined intimately. After a long moment, their lips parted.

“Wu Dashan, Bei Nana, Qi Shulan… Was that you last time?”

Jian Tongyao was taken aback. “Huh!”

Seeing her dazed look, Qian Wanyu gently scraped her nose. “It was you. I understand now.”