The Vicious Supporting Character Must Flirt or Die [Transmigration into a Book] - Chapter 21

Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the thermos.

Her heart was pounding so wildly, it felt like it might leap out of her throat.

Then she heard that voice again.

Jing Ying instinctively looked toward the mirror on the nightstand. Reflected clearly in the glass was Jiang Yuan, caught red-handed in the act.

She turned abruptly.

Their eyes met.

Jiang Yuan froze like a deer in headlights, looking completely guilty and a little lost.

Jing Ying: …

Jiang Yuan: …

Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

She scratched her nose awkwardly, then pushed open the door and stepped inside.

“Ahem… I just got here.”

She set the thermos on the coffee table and said, “I made some pork rib soup for Auntie. Bone broth is great for recovery.”

The moment Jing Meilan saw her, her face lit up with joy. “Xiao Jiang, you didn’t have to bring anything! This is far too thoughtful.”

“Not at all. I had the ingredients at home, so I figured I’d make something. It didn’t take much effort. Auntie, I’m so sorry I didn’t come yesterday. Something came up. Please don’t hold it against me.”

Jiang Yuan crouched beside the bed, her expression soft and sweet, almost like a little girl begging for forgiveness.

Jing Meilan laughed, clearly charmed. She reached out and held Jiang Yuan’s hand. “Why would I be upset? Xiao Ying told me everything. I’m staying in such a good room because of your help. Thank you, Xiao Jiang.”

“Come on, it’s nothing. We’re friends, right? Helping out is no big deal. I’m just glad you’re not upset. How are you feeling today?”

Jiang Yuan scanned her up and down with concern.

“Much better,” Jing Meilan replied with a happy smile.

The two of them chatted comfortably, the conversation easy and full of warmth.

Jing Ying sat silently on the sofa nearby, expression unreadable. She watched them speak, though her gaze frequently lingered on Jiang Yuan.

Especially when her eyes landed on the two faint red marks on Jiang Yuan’s neck.

Her brows creased subtly.

Her eyes darkened.

Jiang Yuan was mid-conversation with Jing Meilan when a sudden chill crept down her spine. She rubbed her arms in an attempt to dispel the goosebumps. As she turned around, her gaze met Jing Ying’s directly.

Jiang Yuan: …

After a while, Jiang Yuan’s phone rang. It was Xue Zi. She’d secured a project tailored specifically for Jing Ying and wanted to meet in person to discuss it.

Jiang Yuan covered the mouthpiece and walked back into the room.

“Xue Zi wants to talk to you. She says it’s about work.”

The moment Jing Meilan heard the word “work,” she hurriedly urged Jing Ying to step out and take the call.

Jing Ying stood and followed Jiang Yuan into the hallway. Once the door closed behind them, she accepted the phone.

Her fingertips, cool to the touch, brushed against the warmth of Jiang Yuan’s palm. The contact sent a light tingle skimming across her skin.

Jiang Yuan instinctively pulled her hand back.

Her face tensed slightly as she folded her arms and leaned against the railing, watching Jing Ying speak.

When the call ended, Jing Ying turned back and handed her the phone.

Jiang Yuan exchanged a few more words with Xue Zi, finalizing the details for the afternoon meeting. Then she hung up.

“Xue Zi says you need to be at the company this afternoon. They’re holding a meeting about your image branding. Looks like you’re about to be busy.”

She gave a small shrug and smiled.

Jing Ying nodded. “Understood. You can head back. I’ll eat with my mom, then go straight to the company.”

Jiang Yuan blinked. Her head tilted in surprise. “You’re not inviting me to eat with you?”

“Doesn’t Ms. Jiang already have someone to accompany her?”

Jing Ying’s voice was calm, but distant.

Her gaze flicked briefly to Jiang Yuan’s neck, then quickly turned away.

Her tone was freezing.

“What?” Jiang Yuan was confused. “Who’s supposed to be eating with me?”

She paused and looked at Jing Ying again. Her face was composed, but her eyes were clearly avoiding hers.

A quiet fire began to simmer in Jiang Yuan’s chest.

“Jing Ying, what’s going on with you today? You’re acting weird. It’s like you don’t even want me around.”

Jiang Yuan had never been one to keep her feelings inside.

She had already felt a bit off since last night.

She hadn’t stopped to ask herself why, but the discomfort had been there.

And now she knew.

It was because Jing Ying never showed up to see her!

Yes, at first, she approached Jing Ying out of survival instinct.

But she also knew, without a doubt, that she genuinely wanted to be good to her. She spent every day thinking of ways to make her smile. Every little gesture had come from the heart.

So deep down, she had hoped that Jing Ying would care too. That if something ever happened to her, Jing Ying would be the first one there.

“I’m not pushing you away. I just figured… you didn’t need me.”

Jing Ying’s voice was calm. Her face held steady, but her fingers, hidden from sight, were clenched into a tight fist.

That only made Jiang Yuan angrier.

“How do you know what I need? I had a serious allergic reaction yesterday. I was hospitalized! You called me once, then disappeared. You didn’t even check how bad it was. When something happens to you, I’m the first one to show up. Is this how you treat me? Giving me an attitude like I owe you? Jing Ying, do I owe you something?!”

She suddenly felt ridiculous.

Like a complete idiot.

She even started to doubt whether that stupid system was just playing her.

The system claimed the affection value had reached forty, yet she couldn’t feel even a trace of it.

Lousy system. Nothing but a scam!

In her mind, Jiang Yuan cursed the system from top to bottom. But, as always, the damn thing stayed completely silent.

Frustrated and fed up, she turned to leave.

But before she could take a step, someone caught her wrist.

Jiang Yuan’s feet froze.

Her lips twitched, almost smiling, but she forced it back. She turned around, feigning irritation.

“What now?”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t know it was that serious.”

Jing Ying’s voice was soft, almost apologetic.

Jiang Yuan’s angry facade was beginning to crack. A flutter stirred in her chest, but she worked hard to keep her face stern.

“Well, now you know. I’m leaving. You can go to the company on your own.”

Jing Ying raised her eyes to look at her.

Her gaze wavered slightly, then shifted again to Jiang Yuan’s neck. The moment she saw that mark, she flinched and let go.

“I tried to find you yesterday, but I lost track of you. I called, but you didn’t pick up. I assumed… you didn’t want me to bother you.”

Jing Ying’s voice was low.

Her eyes were fixed on Jiang Yuan’s.

Although those eyes were right in front of her, Jiang Yuan found them impossible to read. Beneath their clear surface, something turbulent and unknowable stirred, deep and stormy.

She frowned, then clarified.

“I didn’t hang up on you. My brother did. He was in a hurry to get me to the hospital and didn’t want anyone interrupting.”

“…Your brother?”

Jing Ying froze for a second. Then her eyes brightened.

Jiang Yuan had been watching closely. She saw the tension leave Jing Ying’s body in an instant, and somehow that made her relax too. She scratched her cheek and added softly, “Yeah, my third brother. Didn’t I ever mention I have three older brothers? He’s the youngest of them.”

Jing Ying: …

She had always been composed and reserved, yet now she could only wish the floor would open and swallow her whole.

She pressed her lips together.

Then, with a stiff finger, she pointed at Jiang Yuan’s neck. “Then what about that mark?”

Jiang Yuan reached up, touched it, and finally understood. “Oh, that? That’s just from the allergic reaction. Nothing serious. There aren’t many. They’ll fade in a few days.”

Jing Ying: …

So it wasn’t a hickey after all?

She suddenly wanted to cover her face.

What exactly had she been imagining?

Jiang Yuan noticed the shift in her expression.

“Why do you look so surprised? And what did you mean earlier about someone being with me?”

Jing Ying didn’t answer.

But Jiang Yuan connected the dots herself.

Her eyes widened. “Xiao Ying… you didn’t think my brother was my boyfriend, did you?!”

Jing Ying: …

Some things really didn’t need to be spelled out, darling.

But Jiang Yuan didn’t stop there. She burst into laughter.

“Hahaha… Xiao Ying, your imagination is wild! Even more dramatic than my brother’s! Sure, he looks a little devilish and doesn’t resemble me much, but he’s absolutely my biological brother. One hundred percent certified. Hahaha…”

Jing Ying: …

Her face darkened. Without a word, she grabbed Jiang Yuan’s hand and dragged her away.

“Hey, hey! Where are you taking me?”

“To the hospital cafeteria for lunch.”

Jing Ying’s tone was flat.

Jiang Yuan broke into a grin, the tension in her chest finally melting away.

Up ahead, Jing Ying was walking briskly.

But even she couldn’t stop a smile from curling on her lips.

—

After lunch, the two said goodbye to Jing Meilan and headed to the company. It was Jing Ying’s first official visit.

Jiang Yuan led the way, giving her a detailed introduction to the company as they walked. The two talked casually, drawing the attention of everyone around them.

When the employees saw the two stunning women walking side by side, they could hardly believe their eyes.

“I thought Ms. Jiang was already in a league of her own, but now there’s another one? Who is this icy beauty walking behind her? They look perfect together.”

“Word is, that’s the artist Ms. Jiang personally signed. Her surname is Jing.”

“Ms. Jiang has amazing taste. Imagine seeing these two beauties in the office every day. Bliss!”

“Hey… doesn’t she look a lot like Shen Mingzhu, the movie queen?”

A petite girl pushed up her glasses. The others exchanged glances and nodded. “She really does!”

—

Inside the conference room, Xue Zi circled Jing Ying like a hawk.

She examined her from every angle, eyes sharp, missing nothing.

Finally, she said, “The resemblance is unbelievable.”

“Ms. Jiang, I finally get why you signed her. On paper, she didn’t look that remarkable, but in person? She’s almost a mirror image of Shen Mingzhu. That’s a massive advantage. I’m telling you, just getting her in front of a camera will draw attention. If we market her as ‘Little Mingzhu,’ she’ll blow up overnight.”

Xue Zi was clearly excited.

But the moment the words “Little Mingzhu” were said, Jing Ying’s brows tightened.

She opened her mouth to object, but Jiang Yuan beat her to it.

“Sister Xue, doing that would be killing the goose for its golden eggs.”

Jing Ying turned her head, surprised.

Xue Zi’s smile faded. “Ms. Jiang, what do you mean by that?”

Jiang Yuan continued calmly, “To me, Jing Ying is Jing Ying, and Shen Mingzhu is Shen Mingzhu. Using ‘Little Mingzhu’ as a marketing hook might create a buzz in the short term, but what happens after that? If we go down that path now, then Jing Ying will never be able to surpass Shen Mingzhu in her entire career. She’ll always be in her shadow. That kind of branding will only limit her future.”

She paused and looked directly at Jing Ying, her voice resolute.

“I don’t think the title ‘Little Mingzhu’ is worthy of her. Jing Ying is destined to rise as a brilliant star in the entertainment industry. Compared to her, Shen Mingzhu is just a jewel that shines. How could a single pearl ever hope to compete with the brilliance of the stars?”

How could a single pearl ever hope to compete with the brilliance of the stars?

The weight of that sentence hit Jing Ying like a bomb. For a moment, she couldn’t even process it.

Even Xue Zi was stunned. She hadn’t expected Jiang Yuan to say something like that.

To Xue Zi, Jing Ying was just one of many future artists under the company. She was a product to be shaped and sold. As long as she found a unique angle to package her, that would be enough.

But Jiang Yuan was thinking long-term.

That, in itself, gave Xue Zi a sense of reassurance. It proved that Jiang Yuan was serious about building Yuan Ying Media and intended to grow it with stability. This wasn’t just a game to her.

“Understood. I’ll begin working on a new marketing plan right away,” Xue Zi said after a pause.

But Jiang Yuan shook her head. “Sister Xue, I know you want to be cautious. It’s all for the company’s good. But we’ve just launched, and what we need now more than anything is a breakthrough. Just like you said, we need someone to lead the company forward. That means we can’t afford to delay Jing Ying’s launch. And if you don’t have a solid plan yet, I actually came up with one.”

Xue Zi looked intrigued. Jiang Yuan? A young company president, inexperienced in the field, coming up with a branding idea herself?

“Let’s hear it.”

Jiang Yuan’s lips curved up as she said two simple words. “Fairy Beauty.”

“Let’s brand Jing Ying with those two characters. Fairy Beauty.”

“Fairy Beauty?” Xue Zi was startled and immediately frowned. “That’s a bit too… exaggerated.”

There was no doubt Jing Ying was striking, but giving her such a title would likely backfire.

No one in the entire entertainment industry dared to use something as bold as “Fairy Beauty” to label their artist.

“But isn’t the role we’re competing for right now the immortal character in Director Zhang’s new martial arts drama, Youth’s Journey? That title couldn’t be more fitting.”

“But that only works if Jing Ying gets the part, performs well, and truly delivers on screen,” Xue Zi said hesitantly.

She felt Jiang Yuan was being too hasty.

If they botched the branding from the start, it could ruin the artist’s career and alienate audiences.

The artist’s first impression is always the most critical.

So Xue Zi preferred to play it safe.

But Jiang Yuan looked at Jing Ying with unwavering confidence. “I believe in her. Not only will she get the part, she’ll perform it well.”

And perhaps… even win an award.

Jiang Yuan said nothing more out loud, but she knew it deep down.

In the original novel, Jing Ying had made her debut through this very role, playing the fourth female lead. That performance gained her a surge of fans and eventually led her to win the Best Newcomer Award.

Unfortunately, in the original story, the previous version of Jiang Yuan had caught Jing Ying’s secret relationship with Li Tingshen. Enraged, she had done everything she could to sabotage her, which eventually caused Jing Ying’s acting career to stall completely. She had faded into obscurity for a long time.

But now, Jiang Yuan was no longer that version of herself.

Now, she not only had to pave the way for Jing Ying, she had to remove every obstacle in her path and help her rise all the way to the top.

She would become the queen of the screen.

“Still…” Xue Zi hesitated.

Her nature had always been cautious. That was why, despite her talent and resources, she had never opened her own talent agency.

She was afraid of risk.

But Jiang Yuan was different.

She had powerful backing. And more importantly, she had guts.

The fact that she had traded an upscale bar worth hundreds of millions to fund this start-up company said it all.

Not to mention, her third brother had made it clear. She needed to double the company’s value within a year. That kind of aggressive timeline was impossible under Xue Zi’s conservative approach.

“Sister Xue, there’s no need to hesitate. It’s settled. I believe in Jing Ying.”

Jing Ying paused briefly, then nodded. “I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”

Xue Zi glanced at Jiang Yuan, then looked at Jing Ying. In the end, she gave a slow nod.

Maybe Jiang Yuan was right.

Maybe Jing Ying really would become a breakout star.

And if the company took off, everything else would fall into place.

Of course, Jiang Yuan wasn’t just making bold claims based on what she remembered from the original story. As the discussion moved to packaging details, she provided plenty of concrete ideas.

She brought up everything from fan club development and support team organization to marketing strategies and even handling negative press. She had detailed plans for every possible scenario.

Jing Ying was surprised.

She had no idea that Jiang Yuan had already prepared so much behind the scenes, all tailored specifically for her.

Xue Zi was even more surprised. The proposals Jiang Yuan presented were impressively detailed. It was hard to believe they came from a girl with no industry experience. Even some of her senior trainees couldn’t manage that level of preparation.

“Sister Xue, these are just my thoughts. I’m still new to artist development, so if anything seems inappropriate, I hope you’ll point it out,” Jiang Yuan said respectfully as she handed over the documents.

Gone was the stubborn, headstrong attitude. Her face was all smiles now.

As the saying goes, no one hits someone who offers a smile.

Even if Xue Zi had been a little annoyed earlier by Jiang Yuan’s assertiveness, it was hard to stay upset when she saw the olive branch being offered so openly.

She couldn’t help but admire her.

In just a few days of working together, she had seen Jiang Yuan’s unique strength.

She knew when to be firm and when to yield.

She looked like a soft little girl on the surface, always smiling, but the moment someone crossed her bottom line, no one could push her around.

She was only twenty years old, but already so difficult to manipulate. Once she matured fully, she might be no less formidable than any of the heirs in the Jiang family.

Xue Zi sighed. Holding ten percent of shares in this company might not be as simple as it looked.

But at the same time, Jiang Yuan’s boldness and attention to detail stirred something in her.

She actually felt excited.

She took the plans and began reviewing them carefully. Whenever she saw an issue, she pointed it out.

Jiang Yuan listened attentively, jotting everything down with her pen and notebook, not missing a word.

The meeting lasted until seven that evening.

At first, Xue Zi thought Jiang Yuan was just treating the company like a toy.

But after today, she realized this girl was serious.

Throughout the meeting, Jiang Yuan raised key points and absorbed feedback quickly, even drawing new insights from what she learned.

The more Xue Zi saw, the more impressed she became.

After all, who wouldn’t admire someone who was beautiful, smart, and driven?

When the meeting finally ended, Jiang Yuan closed her notebook and smiled.

“Sister Xue, let’s grab dinner. I booked a table at Golden Fortune Court.”

Xue Zi blinked. “Xiao Yuan, I watched you stay glued to your seat all afternoon. When did you find time to book a table?”

Jiang Yuan giggled and scratched her nose. “I made the reservation before I came over. I couldn’t let you go hungry after such a long day. Here at Yuan Ying Media, we don’t let anyone go without dinner.”

That made Xue Zi burst out laughing. She nodded, satisfied. “Alright, let’s go.”

Jiang Yuan grinned. “Since you’re joining me, Sister Xue, we have a deal. You’re not allowed to carry your complaints from the meeting into dinner. Let’s eat happily, okay?”

Xue Zi chuckled helplessly.

This little rascal was clearly worried she had held a grudge and now was trying to sweeten things up.

She gave her a playful scolding. “You think your Sister Xue is that petty after all these years in the industry?”

“Of course not.”

“Then it’s settled.”

Xue Zi raised an eyebrow with amusement.

Jiang Yuan laughed.

As Xue Zi stepped out, Jiang Yuan shot a smug glance at Jing Ying.

Jing Ying couldn’t help but smile too.

—

After dinner, Xue Zi drove herself home.

Jiang Yuan rode with Jing Ying, who was behind the wheel.

Jing Ying kept her hands steady on the steering wheel and her eyes fixed on the road, yet her mind stayed focused on the passenger sitting next to her.

“Why didn’t you listen to Sister Xue today? Wasn’t that a bit reckless?”

Jiang Yuan leaned into the seat, her body relaxing. She looked tired, her eyes closed. When she heard the question, she shook her head.

“No. I believe in you.”

Jing Ying gave a soft laugh. “That line again? Because I’m Jing Ying?”

Jiang Yuan chuckled at her teasing and opened her eyes.

When Jing Ying glanced over, she saw how the streetlights reflected in those pure, luminous eyes. The colors danced like a painting.

“Yes. Because you’re Jing Ying. Because you have a bright future ahead. And I’m betting my present on your future.”

I’m betting your future on my victory.

How could a single pearl ever hope to compete with the brilliance of the stars?

Those were the most beautiful words she had ever heard. Not just tonight. In her entire life.

Jiang Yuan’s trust had never been empty talk. She acted on it.

With a sharp screech, Jing Ying stepped on the brakes and pulled the car over.

She turned to look at the girl beside her.

Jiang Yuan: ???

She glanced around. There didn’t seem to be any emergencies.

“Um… what’s wrong?”

Jing Ying said nothing.

She just stared.

Her usual calm gaze now burned with intensity, wrapping around Jiang Yuan like a blazing current.

She looked at her. Her eyes. Her nose. Her mouth. Her entire being.

And in that moment, Jing Ying could no longer stay calm.

She wanted to kiss her.

Right here. In the car. In this small enclosed space.

She wanted to press her down and kiss her so hard she had nowhere left to hide.